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February 03, 2005Where Life Imitates Video Games
DAY 468: "It looks like a movie set," I overheard one British girl saying to her friends. "It is a movie set," her companion replied. The raîson d'être in the former French-occupied Cambodia is Angkor Wat, the UNESCO World Heritage Site known the world over. The ancient grand Hindu temple is one of the world's great wonders, so great that it was used as a location for the 2001 Hollywood blockbuster Lara Croft Tomb Raider (starring the beautiful bosomy, full-lipped Angelina Jolie), which as everyone knows (or should know) was based on a wildly popular adventure video game of the same name, which featured a bosomy, full-lipped virtual character named Lara Croft.
"WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP?" Louen my motorbike taxi driver asked me in the darkness of the pre-dawn morning. "Five," I said. "Then I went back to sleep and woke up at 5:10." Ah, the snooze button. Ten passed five was still "stupid o'clock" in the morning, but waking up at that time was not without a reason: to join the hundreds of others to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat. We made it there just before the crack of dawn and joined the others with their cameras all pointed eastward, waiting for the display of colors behind the famous temple. It was this vibe that not only attracted the Hollywood crew of Lara Croft Tomb Raider, but of an ultra-low budget independent film crew we saw set up nearby with kitschy costumes and no clapboard.
While Noelle was admiring the intricacies of the wall reliefs, I was admiring the fact that Angkor Wat's interior was very reminiscent to scenes in the Tomb Raider video game that spawned the Hollywood movie. (Leave it to me to immediately think of a great worldly temple in terms of PlayStation.) With stone textures that inspired bitmaps and right angles that were in perfect alignment with north, south, east, and west (I brought my compass to confirm), I felt like we were in some sort of adventure video game. "You have to pose for Tomb Raider pictures," I requested of Noelle. "Okay." I posed my Blogreader-turned-travel partner in Tomb Raider-esque areas in Tomb Raider-esque positions (centered in the frame with her back turned at varied distances, picture above), just like I had seen when playing the video game until the wee hours of the morning in the mid 1990s. "I'm glad I could entertain you," Noelle said. But that wasn't the end of it; it was just the beginning of an entire day of video game-inspired photography.
"What do you suppose this [structure] was for?" Noelle asked me. "It's a pool. The stairs are over there," I said. "That's what it is in the video game at least."
"No." Sitting on the back of a bike didn't really give me easy access to my camera for quick, spontaneous photos like the one I had taken just before of the two naked kids by Angkor Wat. "Catch up to that bike!" I told Louen. "I wanna take a picture of the pig." Louen revved the accelerator towards the pig on the bike, which went not down the road we wanted, but down the road to exit the park. Louen sped down faster before the exit in time for me to snap a semi-decent shot and then turned back to catch up to Vebol and Noelle. Soon, we were stopped by police. "What, for speeding?" I asked. The cops were already asking for money. It was for backtracking on the one-way road. I gave Louen money to pay off the cops (about 75 cents US) and soon we were back on track to explain our tardiness to the others.
From there it was off to Ta Phrohm, the Buddhist temple by Jayavarman VII built in his mother's memory. Let's Go says it "competes with the Bayon and Angkor Wat as the most awe-inspiring of Angkor's treasures and is the most authentic 'jungle' temple." Vebol also said it was what he believed to be "the best one," and I had to agree. A crumbling temple of extreme disrepair, it was the temple that time forgot -- perfect for a level in Tomb Raider -- a mass of crumbling sandstone overridden by giant jungle trees. Surveyors from India were on site to assess a renovation effort, but from what I saw, they would have a long way to go. While I was off taking a photo of the old man of Ta Phrohm whose claim to fame is being the guy on the cover of the Lonely Planet Cambodia guidebook, Noelle encountered one American tourist who was wondering about the American renovation effort of the Angkor temples. "'The French are here, the Indians... The Americans have got to be here somewhere'," Noelle restated for me. "Yeah, I don't think so." One American doing her part (other than the hundreds of tourists paying money) is none other than the real life Lara Croft Tomb Raider herself, Angelina Jolie, who fell in love with Cambodia and its people during the shoot of the first Tomb Raider movie. Since then, she had donated much of her Hollywood A-List money to development projects in the country, and has even adopted Cambodian orphans -- which of course, makes any guy jealous as that kid gets to be fondled near Ms. Jolie's bosom.
After a day of Tomb Raider-inspired photos in Angkor Park -- including action shots of "Noelle Royer Tomb Raider" attacking and climbing -- it was fitting to have dinner and drinks at The Red Piano, the restaurant/bar in town that was the headquarters for the Hollywood Tomb Raider cast and crew. It was just one of several trendy-looking spots on the corner of the main tourist drag (which included another bar called "Angkor What?"), and it was there that we dined on fine food and cocktails like the "Tomb Raider" (Cointreau, lime, and gin), which was described on the menu as "Lara's favourite" next to a picture of Angelina Jolie.
THE TRAILER GOES ON-LINE SUPERBOWL SUNDAY
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At least I can pretend to kick some butt in video games!! Posted by: Noelle on February 3, 2005 05:24 AMAll I have to say is "Get over here".... Posted by: TomM on February 3, 2005 09:10 AMI'm so sad for that pig. :( Beautiful pics, I think I'd like to see Cambodia for myself now. Posted by: Rina on February 3, 2005 09:29 AMJinx Posted by: Rina on February 3, 2005 09:32 AMhahaha that mortal kombat picture RULES!!! holy shit that is funny Posted by: scott on February 3, 2005 10:17 AMWAHAHA. that last pict was awesome! Posted by: alice on February 3, 2005 10:32 AMtoo funny with that pic....but imagine angelina jolie and talisa soto (from MK1)....mmmmmmmm Posted by: markyt on February 3, 2005 10:49 AMI'm REALLY sorry I didn't get to Angkor. Thanks for rubbing it in!! You deserve the K-O! hahahah FINNSH HIM! (or was that Street Fighter?) Posted by: Td0t on February 3, 2005 11:05 AMAnkor What !?! coo luv it, I was done after a one day pass .. don't know how ya'll two are doing 3 !! ahhhh Talisa Soto vs Agelina Jolie ? Hey Erik, Classic photos! Can't believe you're actually nearly finished on your trip... still, hope the rest of Cambodia and wherever you go turns out well! God bless, Erik, Greetings from Middle Earth! Too bad you can't make it to NZ - it is gorgeous here!! I'm off for 5 days of biking/camping/hiking. Hopefully, my office butt will not die while hiking. Cheers, Meg Posted by: Meg on February 3, 2005 01:16 PME. FINALLY all caught up... its only taken me 3 months. Is there any place like the Thailand locale in Street Fighter? i'll take my video games with sprites please, no motion capture or pictures! Capcom forever. Hope all is well... and hope to see you on day 503. Is day 504 in Teaneck? D. Posted by: Duaine on February 3, 2005 06:02 PMhaha, that mortal kombat pic is hilarious. Posted by: Alyson on February 3, 2005 08:25 PMCool pic's. Especially that last one! Good thing you trip is nearing the end or you would have to buy a new hat! That one has seen way too many miles! Posted by: Rose on February 3, 2005 10:55 PMno one seems to be noticing the big 69 on top of the mortal kombat pic? Posted by: Alyson on February 4, 2005 01:30 AMgreat site you have here. Posted by: Baba Guy on February 4, 2005 08:17 AMAlyson: This is TGT Blog... that kind of thing goes without saying. Posted by: Td0t on February 4, 2005 08:53 AM'bad boys, bad boys..wut u gonna do when they come for u' COPS IN ANGKOR WAT next on FOX Posted by: WHEAT on February 4, 2005 11:49 AMGreat photos... of Noelle's pig-tails. Teehee. That place is really amazing, I'm so glad you filled this entry with so many pics. So, exactly WHAT TIME will the trailer go live? T: -30:00:00 and counting.... Posted by: Christy on February 4, 2005 06:36 PMCHRISTY - you'll have to wait and see... Posted by: markyt on February 4, 2005 08:03 PMTd0t/markyt: ah, i should've known. Posted by: Alyson on February 5, 2005 01:12 AMDUAINE: DAY 504 most likely will still be in NYC, since I'll probably have a suite reserved somewhere. Posted by: Erik TGT on February 5, 2005 01:39 AMALYSON: Glad you noticed the 69... Posted by: Erik TGT on February 5, 2005 01:44 AMTRAILER UPDATE: Most likely I won't have new entries up until the WHMMR, but the DAY 503 Trailer will still be released just after the coin toss on SuperBowl Sunday. Posted by: Erik TGT on February 5, 2005 01:48 AMi have this strange uncontrollable urge to play tomb raider now. hmmmmm. Posted by: tjw on February 5, 2005 10:47 AMOh, I was so far behind... I've been offline for a week because I had visitors. Phew, all caught up now ... only to do a mental countdown and discover there is only one more blog month??!!! Wah! Noelle - nice to put a face to a name :) White bakery rocked! Ankor looks awesome. Loved the MK pic. Erik - thanks for the Cambodia postcard! Posted by: Liz on February 5, 2005 12:07 PMGreat posts! I feel like playing tomb raider again too now! Ankor what posts and pics were great!! gotta get there one day! Can't wait to check out the trailer! Damn, almost over now...how time flyzz... Posted by: Harry on February 5, 2005 09:10 PMwaiting for the trailer . . . ;) after the coin toss is so late here damn :/ but i am rally looking forward to it Posted by: Dennis on February 6, 2005 01:04 PMindy 3 is on tv, really helps waiting, apparently i am the only one waiting here ;) Posted by: Dennis on February 6, 2005 03:31 PM::waits for trailer with dennis:: Posted by: Alyson on February 6, 2005 06:37 PMthey are playing yet, arent they? Wow! The trailer is absolutely maaaarrrveeellllous! In true AR style! Reminds me of an old Hank Williams song: "I've Been Everywhere Man" Posted by: Janice on February 6, 2005 07:49 PMhi, got wind of your blog thru lonely planet' thorntree. wild effort on your part. note: i'm now reading don starkell's "paddle to the arctic" a rough 3000 mile kayak ride - he too managed to go thru his adventure and write a precise diary...you've heard of it? Posted by: ian on February 11, 2005 01:46 PMIAN: Heard of it, but not read yet. I only try and read travel stuff at home so I can pretend I'm travelling; on the road, I just read a lot of Dave Barry and Dan Brown... Posted by: Erik TGT on February 11, 2005 10:39 PM |