The symbolic struggle between good and evil is embodied by these yogis at an ancient temple in Bali, as one meditates in the shadows, while the other poses in the light. A prominent yogi once said that there can no images of light without contrasting shadows, and that unless evil existed, man cannot know what good really is.
Tags: ancient Asia Bali contrast highlights Indonesia meditation men shadows temple travel photography yoga yogis
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It can be said that the palm tree (Borassus flabellifer) is Cambodia's national tree as well as its national identity. If you are travelling in SE Asia and you see a number of these trees growing in an area, it's a safe bet that there are Khmer people living nearby or had lived there once upon a time. Vietnam's Mekong Delta for example has a number of these trees, as it once belonged to Cambodia.
This man is climbing the tree at sunrise to gather palm juice to make palm sugar. He uses a bamboo ladder attached to the trunk and several bamboo bottles are tied to his waist. The so called ladder is really just a single bamboo pole with stubby branches sticking out on either side to use as foot hold. I tried climbing it, and believe me, it wasn't easy!
Tags: Cambodia climber colorful sky culture environmental portrait Khmer people palm sugar palm trees Siem Reap silhouettes Southeast Asia sunrise travel photography travel portrait
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Elderly Bhutanese women in their colorful traditional dress grasp their prayer beads and handheld prayer wheel at a dzong in Punakha. Prayer wheels come in many sizes. The handheld ones are usually decorated with carvings of deities, mantras, or auspicious symbols. A small metal weight is attached to the wheel with a short chain, which allows the practitioner to spin the wheel with a slight rotation of the wrist. The wheel is always spun in the clockwise direction. In Bhutan it is a common sight to see the faithful walking around a stupa while spinning the prayer wheel or doing it while simply sitting or resting.
Tags: Bhutan buddhism dzong hands prayer beads prayer wheels South Asia traditional clothing travel photography travel portrait
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In Hong Kong if your income falls below a certain level you may qualify for public housing. But don't expect to get a lot of floor space. The average public housing living space here is about 300-400 square feet. If you qualify for public housing, you may get to live in the famous Monster Building in Quarry Bay. This group of connected buildings is what people often think of when they picture how people live in Hong Kong. This is of course not true of all people here, but these buildings have become a photographic icon over the years. The movie Transformers: Age of Extinction used this location in a scene.
Tags: Asia travel China Hong Kong buildings
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Yosemite's Half Dome glowing at sunset and reflected on the Merced River.
Tags: alpenglow beauty in nature California granite peaks Half Dome landscape Merced River mountains nature reflection river sunset trees winter Yosemite National Park
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