On show

Part of the John McDermott exhibition at the National Museum tonight

In a brief break from my To Cambodia With Love word slog, I went along to John McDermott's book launch at the National Museum this evening with Ting, my visitor from Taiwan. It was well attended, with drinks and finger food inside and outside one wing of the museum. There was an exhibition of around 15 of the photos from McDermott's book, Elegy, in the room next to the famous bronze Reclining Vishnu. If you haven't seen the Great Vishnu, it was found underground in 1936 in a deep well in the temple precincts of the West Mebon island in the huge reservoir, the Western Baray. On show in the museum today is the head, torso and two right arms (this manifestation of Vishnu has four arms), plus several fragments. Its original size would've been more than six metres. After an hour, we popped over to the Rising Sun for Ting's first taste of British pub grub.

The Great Reclining bronze Vishnu at the National Museum

Ting taking a photo of the Rising Sun's resident giant gecko