My next major photography trip

Cheers for the advice Joe. I was hoping to spend some time in Bangkok on the way out, but I had to change my travel plans, so I hope that I can book a day on the way back as I have just added a couple of days to the trip. I will see if I can travel to where you have suggested as it sounds right up my street :thumbs:

i think it would be very much up your street. A great story I always tell from my time there is that my wife and I hired bikes and rode along a canal for an hour and a half towards a very strange temple we had read about, all along the way thai people living off the land would run up to us shouting David Beckham and Coca COla as the only two things they knew in english.

When we found the temple which was very bizzare, like an old fairground of odd sculptures called *** thawet (link) we had drank all of our water and were dying of thirst by the time we got there. We started wandering around looking for somewhere to get water and then this group of thai men who were working on fixing up the road where they lived called us over saying "water". They must have seen we were parched! Anyway they took us to their local store which was a tiny shed and the woman running it couldn't even say numbers in english so could only indicate with fingers. We bought 2litre bottles of water for 2 baht each (about 4p) whereas in the local 7 eleven etc we'd been paying 20 baht.

We sat round with them drinking our water and one of them spoke very good english and was asking all about our travels etc, was a great experience.

If you've had enough photography and want a rest whilst near bangkok, the island of ko samet is only about a 4 hour trip south and is a very petite and private place to just relax by the beach.
 
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The plastic bags are a great idea. Don't forget the strong insect repellent melts plastic so be careful with it/leaks.

Looking forward to the pictures.
 
Hi James

I went to Cambodia back in 2001. I also took in Thailand, Burma (Myanmar to be correct), Laos and as my memory is pretty terrible I may confuse them a little but I think the below is correct.

Angkor was extremely hot during the day - I'd get up there or leave at 6am I think to avoid the heat, and crowds. I got a 3 day pass. At the time they use to kick everyone out at a certain time, just after sunset I think, but if you left in a more leisurely manner you could get the place virtually to yourself (it was admittedly a bit darker!).

Phnom Penh the River Bank use to have loss of kids jumping in and generally messing about which may be of interest photographically as well as experience wise as you'll soon be engaged in conversation. You should go to the S21 prison, not for photographic reasons but I found it more moving then say the killing fields. The photos they have of people in there who know they are going to die is very moving.

I went off the beaten track a bit, but I really don't know where which is not much help I'm afraid! I did hire a bike from somewhere and head out across rice paddy fields, have some nice young child chase a water buffalo at me, and met some monks who invited me to the temple where we shared some tea and biscuits (but not a common language sadly). All good photographic opportunities of course, if I'd had a camera then of course....

Are you landing in Bangkok and then going overland to Cambodia or flying in? I did the overland on an open truck and was covered head to toe in dust, so you might want your camera gear locked away if you do something similar.

Lots of interesting stalls etc on the sides of roads selling spiders, I think birds in eggs not fully developed etc. People I was with tried the spiders and quite liked them.

If you go slowly and hang about you'll find people who can talk to you about the Khmer Rouge, which, in addition to interesting if tragic stories might be something you could tie into.

Anyway, I've rambled on enough, if you have any questions let me know and I'll try and answer them. I am, however, very jealous!

Al

As an aside I can highly recommend the courses James runs. :thumbs:

Hi and thanks for taking the time to reply :thumbs:

I am travelling by air from Bangkok to Cambodia, so I will miss out on that :(
Thanks for the heads up on the prison though, I am going to the killing fields and would like to visit as many things of historical importance as possible.

I know the temples can be busy, which is partly why I have chosen this time to go as a) its usually the quietest time of the year and b) it will be very lush and green due to the weather. I have a lot of early starts planned and late evenings for the light :)

I too am going of the beaten path as much as I can and my guide assures me he knows some great places to go and meet people far away from the tourists.

If I think of any more things, I will ping you a PM :D

Thanks again :thumbs:

Selection of dry bags or you can use Plastic Bags and Zip Lock Bags – Essential!! protection from water, dirt, dust etc. Bring spares. Also line your rucksack with a thick plastic heavy duty bin liner to protect the contents from getting wet.

Flip Flops - very useful once you've finished hiking, also handy going to, during and from the shower

Wash Kit
First Aid Kit incl Mycota foot powder
Mosquito net

A sun hat with a full size brim on it

Am very envious as I would love to go to Cambodia & Laos - really look forward to seeing the photos

PM me and I can send you some drybags and a mossie net

McShug

Thats good advice, and thank you so much for the offer! :thumbs:

I still have one of my nets from Africa so that will go with me, and my rucksack is fully weather sealed, but I will certainly use zip locks for my memory cards (along with a couple of silica gel sachets) :thumbs:

Thanks for the advice :D (especially foot powder, i forgot that!)

I was in Cambodia last year and your kit looks pretty spot on. Be prepared to get up very early to get the morning light, and to trek in some pretty nasty heat to get anywhere good by the time the evening light starts... It can get surprisingly hot and I spent a decent amount of time making sure I always had enough water with me.
The temples are amazing although Angkor *** is far too busy with people to be able to get the kind of shots I wanted - there are a lot of more impressive and quieter temples that I found far better. Also, it's frowned apon to photograph the monks in most places so just be careful although you're clearly an old-hand at that side of things.

Have fun!

Thanks for the advice, especially with the monks. I will of course be as respectful as I can, and if I feel that its not appropriate to bring out the soft box and try to get some pics, I simply won't take them (as disappointing as that will be). Hopefully my guide will be invaluable translating for me so that I can sit and talk with people for a good time before I even approach the subject of photography.

i think it would be very much up your street. A great story I always tell from my time there is that my wife and I hired bikes and rode along a canal for an hour and a half towards a very strange temple we had read about, all along the way thai people living off the land would run up to us shouting David Beckham and Coca COla as the only two things they knew in english.

When we found the temple which was very bizzare, like an old fairground of odd sculptures called *** thawet (link) we had drank all of our water and were dying of thirst by the time we got there. We started wandering around looking for somewhere to get water and then this group of thai men who were working on fixing up the road where they lived called us over saying "water". They must have seen we were parched! Anyway they took us to their local store which was a tiny shed and the woman running it couldn't even say numbers in english so could only indicate with fingers. We bought 2litre bottles of water for 2 baht each (about 4p) whereas in the local 7 eleven etc we'd been paying 20 baht.

We sat round with them drinking our water and one of them spoke very good english and was asking all about our travels etc, was a great experience.

If you've had enough photography and want a rest whilst near bangkok, the island of ko samet is only about a 4 hour trip south and is a very petite and private place to just relax by the beach.

Man that sounds awesome! I really hope I can get some time in Bangkok on the way back, so I have printed this out for reference. If I can get the time, I will do exactly as you have pointed out, thanks so much! :thumbs:

The plastic bags are a great idea. Don't forget the strong insect repellent melts plastic so be careful with it/leaks.

Looking forward to the pictures.

Thanks mate :) I was really careful with my 100+ deet to keep it off the camera and lenses, hopefully I will be able to do the same in this environment.

Thanks all for taking the time to reply, this forum rocks :D
 
I would love to be able to do this kind of thing , but as others would see a divorce in the process.
Can i ask how you went about setting it up/ organising it and getting guides.
I travel to china once a year. But only to shanghai and the surrounding area. But have the wife and kids with me so dont travel to many interesting places.

I would say you need to be on guard alot more,though i expect you know this. Even traveling around a large city like shaghai you have to be with such expesive kit they wont have a second though about trying to rob you. Make sure everthing is secure and watch stuff in your pockets.
On my last trip my wife caught someone trying to pick pocket me on the bus and i didnt have a clue or even feel it.the guy was in my jacket pockets...
 
Enjoy your trip and i look forward to following your blog and seeing your adventures. :thumbs:
 
Just back from a family holiday in Thailand and had the opportunity to take a short - two full days, three nights - trip to Siem Reap, the gateway town to Angkor. My brother is living there right now and working with photographic tour operator. Not a plug, but have a look at www.peaceofangkor.com to get an idea of what it's all about.

I shared a number of pm's with James when he invited TP members to join him. In the end, just couldn't justify it given the arrangements that I had already made. Still tempted now!

I took one day out to Angkor with Dave Perkes, the photographer. My brother organised a day tour to historic sites about two hours from Ankor for the second full day. This took in places called Koh Ker and Beng Melea.

I'll post up some pics over the next few days to show how a beginner does it, but then will be waiting to see James' work.

My big problems were the crowds at the more well known sites (not unsurprising); full day tours being pretty gruelling even with mid day breaks and completely white skies that I didn't know how to handle.

Anyway, still had a great time and this was about the first "quality time" that I've had with my camera in the nearly two years that I've owned it. Just can't wait to go again.
 
Loved your Africa shots so really looking forward to seeing these. Have a great time.

(I've been to Africa a couple of times and Nepal, before I had a strong interest in photography, if I ever go anywhere like that again, photography will be high on the agenda.)
 
James,
Just a thought but why not get some of the silica packs and put them in your back pack. May help with the humidity factor. FYI I have just purchased 10, 25g bags for about £5 via Amazon, there is a huge choice.

I will be following your feed and cannot wait to see the images, your Africa images were fab.
If I were 10 yrs younger, you would have a travel companion! Cambodia is on my wish list but cannot justify leaving my, already very allowing, wife :(.

I wish you an enjoyable and safe trip and look forward to the tales on your return.

Andy
 
I would say you need to be on guard alot more,though i expect you know this. Even traveling around a large city like shaghai you have to be with such expesive kit they wont have a second though about trying to rob you. Make sure everthing is secure and watch stuff in your pockets.
On my last trip my wife caught someone trying to pick pocket me on the bus and i didnt have a clue or even feel it.the guy was in my jacket pockets...

Thanks for the advice :thumbs:

Enjoy your trip and i look forward to following your blog and seeing your adventures. :thumbs:

Many thanks!

Just back from a family holiday in Thailand and had the opportunity to take a short - two full days, three nights - trip to Siem Reap, the gateway town to Angkor. My brother is living there right now and working with photographic tour operator. Not a plug, but have a look at www.peaceofangkor.com to get an idea of what it's all about.

I shared a number of pm's with James when he invited TP members to join him. In the end, just couldn't justify it given the arrangements that I had already made. Still tempted now!

I took one day out to Angkor with Dave Perkes, the photographer. My brother organised a day tour to historic sites about two hours from Ankor for the second full day. This took in places called Koh Ker and Beng Melea.

I'll post up some pics over the next few days to show how a beginner does it, but then will be waiting to see James' work.

My big problems were the crowds at the more well known sites (not unsurprising); full day tours being pretty gruelling even with mid day breaks and completely white skies that I didn't know how to handle.

Anyway, still had a great time and this was about the first "quality time" that I've had with my camera in the nearly two years that I've owned it. Just can't wait to go again.

Hi mate, I am glad you had a good time and its a shame you couldn't have joined me :) Thanks for the kind offer in your PM, I am responding to that now.

Loved your Africa shots so really looking forward to seeing these. Have a great time.

(I've been to Africa a couple of times and Nepal, before I had a strong interest in photography, if I ever go anywhere like that again, photography will be high on the agenda.)

Thanks mate, much appreciated. :)

James,
Just a thought but why not get some of the silica packs and put them in your back pack. May help with the humidity factor. FYI I have just purchased 10, 25g bags for about £5 via Amazon, there is a huge choice.

I will be following your feed and cannot wait to see the images, your Africa images were fab.
If I were 10 yrs younger, you would have a travel companion! Cambodia is on my wish list but cannot justify leaving my, already very allowing, wife :(.

I wish you an enjoyable and safe trip and look forward to the tales on your return.

Andy

Thanks Andy, thats very kind of you. Funnily enough, i just ordered a bunch of them from ebay :D

Thanks all for taking the time to reply. Under 3 weeks to go now, mega excited :D
 
Well, I am now sat in the departure lounge at Heathrow waiting to head off. My flight is in 2 hours, so a cooked breafast is definitely in order now :)

I had a massive internal battle with what kit to take, but in the end I opted to brave taking the lot, so my camera bag is stupidly heavy... Hey ho, I want to get the shots so it's worth it :D

I look forward to posting up some images upon my return.

Laters all :D
 
James, take care, have fun. I'm immensely jealous and am looking forward to your return and images.
 
Well, time for a little update. I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to look at any images, let alone update my blog (although I shall be doing that this evening).

Firstly... its hot, and I mean really REALLY hot and wet too! The amount of moisture in the air is crazy, I was at Angkor *** at 4.30am this morning and was having to mop my camera body and lenses every few minutes as they were literally dripping with moisture! thank god for Nikon weather sealing :D

Anyways, the trip has been amazing so far, although I have hardly slept for the last 3 days and I am struggling to eat due to fatigue and jet lag, but as I write this I am about to chow down on the worlds largest bowl of noodles so hopefully I will be feeling better soon.

My highlight of the trip so far was asking the abbot of the monastery at Angkor if I could have permission to photograph the monks. To my surprise, he said if I gave a 25$ donation to the monastery, he would have one of his monks accompany me around Angkor *** to be photographed.

What ensued was a one hour photoshoot with my very own buddhist monk as a model!

We both had real fun (he was quite a character) and I can't believe how lucky I was to get this opportunity.

Here is a pic of me taken by my local guide :D

P1030883.jpg


I have plenty of images from the shoot that all need editing on the big screen when I get back, but here is a quick edit of one of my favourites :)

JS_Untitled_Monk.jpg


I can't wait to get out tomorrow, I have another long day at the temples again and I am off to explore some little known ones of the beaten path.

Right, time for a beer :D
 
Well, I finally managed to update my blog and get some images up. Also today, I managed to get some sleep which has made a huge word of difference, so I feel ready for another days shooting :D

Here is another from my shoot yesterday, which I am really rather pleased with :)

DSC_0811-Edit-Edit.jpg
 
Lucky Lucky Lucky Man.....I'm so jealous its hurting..I'm really looking forward to your return and the posting of your images..
 
excellent James, these shots have a feel of a great monestry shot that Cameron Hansen won an award for, the shot is called Tranquility, I believe his monk was in thailand though.
 
Well, time for a little update. I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to look at any images, let alone update my blog (although I shall be doing that this evening).

Firstly... its hot, and I mean really REALLY hot and wet too! The amount of moisture in the air is crazy, I was at Angkor *** at 4.30am this morning and was having to mop my camera body and lenses every few minutes as they were literally dripping with moisture! thank god for Nikon weather sealing :D

Anyways, the trip has been amazing so far, although I have hardly slept for the last 3 days and I am struggling to eat due to fatigue and jet lag, but as I write this I am about to chow down on the worlds largest bowl of noodles so hopefully I will be feeling better soon.

My highlight of the trip so far was asking the abbot of the monastery at Angkor if I could have permission to photograph the monks. To my surprise, he said if I gave a 25$ donation to the monastery, he would have one of his monks accompany me around Angkor *** to be photographed.

What ensued was a one hour photoshoot with my very own buddhist monk as a model!

We both had real fun (he was quite a character) and I can't believe how lucky I was to get this opportunity.

Here is a pic of me taken by my local guide :D

P1030883.jpg


I have plenty of images from the shoot that all need editing on the big screen when I get back, but here is a quick edit of one of my favourites :)

JS_Untitled_Monk.jpg


I can't wait to get out tomorrow, I have another long day at the temples again and I am off to explore some little known ones of the beaten path.

Right, time for a beer :D

Hello James, I have plans to go to Angkor next year so the information about the Monk is very interesting!

I was also in Thailand about 5 weeks ago and the humidity and rain are something else!

Have fun!

Jake
 
You've been very lucky with the private tour / model. Looking forward to more great images and stories from you :thumbs:

Would love to know what equipment you took a long with you, all the way from camera bag, to stands, batteries etc.
 
Thanks everyone, very kind of you all :D

I have just got back in from another day in the jungle... wow its mega hot! Time for me to pop to the local bar for a beer now :)

Wail, I have taken more kit than I wished I had taken thats for sure, although I am glad I have it all here just in case I need any of it.

I am carrying in my Tamrac Expedition 8x

Nikon D700 + Grip
Nikon 14-24mm 2.8
Nikon 24-70mm 2.8
Nikon 70-200mm 2.8
Nikon 50mm 1.4
Nikon 85mm 1.4
Panasonic GF1
Panasonic 20mm 1.7
Panasonic 14-45mm
Nikon SB900 x 2
Vanguard Alta Tripod
Cheap light stand
Bowens convertible umbrella
2 x nikon el3e batteries + charger
Lee ND grad filter set and bellows
Hoya Circular Polariser
Remote release cable
Panoramic tool
8 8GB CF cards
RF602 triggers x 2
RF602 receivers x 3
spare AAA and LR2 batteries
Macbook Pro 13"
Portable HDD
Memory card reader

Thats pretty much it, and yes, its damn heavy when your walking around in the jungle :D
 
Hey James. I'm glad you made it there ok, the first images have really whetted my appetite!
I don't envy you lugging all that kit around in the heat. Having been in Dubai one July when the temp was topping 50 with 98% humidity, I can only sympathise but you would have kicked yourself if you had left something you really needed!
Take care and stay safe.

Andy
 
Thank you for the reply. In essence, it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to equipment. Your images speak for themselves :thumbs:

Where do you see the Panasonic fitting in, in your trip? I would have thought the D700 (ungripped) & 50 f/1.4 to be relatively small to carry all the time :shrug:

How does you MacBook handle the images? I'm guessing you're shooting RAW; are you doing any post processing, if so, is the 13" MB handling that well?

You seem to be developing a good cult if followers now :p

Finally, for now :p , would be interesting to see you do an equipment analysis after your journey is over. To see which bits you used more frequently and what camera / equipment setting were most to your liking.

Do have fun, and a big thank you for taking the time and effort to update us.
 
Hands up all now who wished they'd taken James up on his offer to join him.
Stunning stuff. Keep it up.
 
Some fab shots you've uploaded. What a stroke of luck having the monk as a model. Looking forward to seeing more of your photos.

Can't believe the amount of kit you've taken! :)
 
Well, I am now in the fishing town of Battambang after a 120km river boat journey touring the water villages of the Tonle Sap and the Mekong. Unbelievable. I have had the most amazing 3 days I could have imagined, the last 2 days at some of the really remote jungle temples was amazing, although I have had some serious creepy crawlies all over me and hiding in my rucksack, I have trekked deep jungle and swamps and to be honest its been the experience of a lifetime. I am tired, hungry, desperate for a beer and now have approx 4500 images to process on my return (admittedly there is a lot of crap in there ;)) I don't have any more picture so show you as I haven't had a chance to process any more, but I do have 1 of my method of transportation and my guide in Siem Reap. :) Meet my guide, Mr Chet and my driver Mr Cheat.

I have almost fallen out of this tuk tuk more times than I can remember :)

DSC_1541.jpg


Oh, one more thing. whilst I was at a particularly overgrown temple in the jungle, I found this carving still showing through several hundred years of tree root, which was cool.

DSC_2413.jpg


I return back to the UK now in 3 days, so I will catch up with you then.

Thank you for the reply. In essence, it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to equipment. Your images speak for themselves :thumbs:

Where do you see the Panasonic fitting in, in your trip? I would have thought the D700 (ungripped) & 50 f/1.4 to be relatively small to carry all the time :shrug:

How does you MacBook handle the images? I'm guessing you're shooting RAW; are you doing any post processing, if so, is the 13" MB handling that well?

You seem to be developing a good cult if followers now :p

Finally, for now :p , would be interesting to see you do an equipment analysis after your journey is over. To see which bits you used more frequently and what camera / equipment setting were most to your liking.

Do have fun, and a big thank you for taking the time and effort to update us.

Hi mate, the macbook is coping well with the humidity, my lenses on the other hand... not so much. I had problems with the 14-24 getting waterlogged at 4am in the morning at Angkor, but it seems to be ok now. The panasonic is mainly there for snaps, and for others to photograph me working so that I had images of myself in these locations! plus, I am shooting some video too and the GF1 is really good for that.

As for kit that I wouldn't have taken again, 2 days ago I would have said the 70-200 is my least used lens and to be honest is just dead weight, but today, it paid for itself 10 times over. I have just had the most amazing day, and all I used was the 70-200 for nearly 1200 photos. I can't wait to get back and process them :)

I will reply properly when I am back to any of your other questions, but its late here and I am dead tired :)

Hands up all now who wished they'd taken James up on his offer to join him.
Stunning stuff. Keep it up.

Haha, seriously if you had seen what I have seen so far, you would be kicking yourself. This is way better than I had ever imagined. Don't worry though, I am doing vietnam early next year so tag along ;)

Not me. He'd leave me in the jungle after I'd Uncle-Bob'
 
I'm surprised a wee bike like that can pull three of you and that list of kit you posted!

Fantastic pictures of a brilliant experience, looking forward to seeing more of them. :)
 
Only just seen this thread. Cambodia is the most amazing place. Like another dimension. I only got to visit Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, aside from the drive from border to border, so I'd love to go back one day.

Hello James, I have plans to go to Angkor next year so the information about the Monk is very interesting!

You've been very lucky with the private tour / model.

The day we went to Angkor. We hired a driver / guide, to get us there and back. $25 I think it was. He was also a policeman... We just assumed he'd drive us there and pick us up later on, or something..

So, there's some guy outside, about 9 or 10 o clock in the morning, doing tai-chi, ready to pick us up. Was a fountain of information about every place we drove through. Massively enthusiastic. Took us everywhere he could. He'd leave us alone to wander around the temples, then whenever we were heading back, we'd see his head bobbing about, big grin on his face, ready to greet us....always making sure he was there, ready. By 6 o clock he's still enthusiastically chirping away we go here...!. And of course we're completely done in by this time, thinking, man, we just want to go home! ... but didn't want to offend him :D

That was, I found anyway, typical of many of the Cambodian people. Always eager. Always wanting to please. Ironically, I think this is an attitude spawn from tragic circumstances. They've been humbled far more than we can imagine. And that's exactly how I would describe them. Humble.

The country is poor beyond belief. A policeman tried to sell me his police badge. Money buys you anything over there. And it's cheap. If you ever visit, you should have no trouble finding guides, models, or whatever else. You might find yourself confused, and riddled with guilt, taking advantage of their poor economic climate, but as long as your putting food on their table, they will treat you like a king.
 
As always, an excellent update :thumbs:


James, looking forward to seeing some of the shots, and hearing some of the horrid stories of the crawlies :eek: Enjoy the rest of your stay.


Urban Grimshaw, thank you for that bit of information. I always see the people from Far East as very humble and caring individual, full of life and eagerness to welcome strangers. Having lived in China & Hong Kong for a good year, I loved it endlessly. My only regret is that I never took the time to travel to other neighbouring countries.
 
Sounds as if it was awesome. Also kicking myself for not coming along, looking forward to the pictures!
 
James just wondering if you minded pm-ing me a personal email address, I'm planning a photographic/gap year/4 month trip to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. I'm hoping to stay off the beaten track, spend some time in the jungle with hill tribes etc (done it once already, and it was absolutely amazing) would love some advice on local guides, the best places you went etc. Hope this is okay with you :)
 
Fantastic shots of the monks.
I visited Cambodia in 2008 and I'm planning to go back next year.
Some great inspiration here to get the camera out and take some decent photos!
 
Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply, I promise I will write a proper reply when I get back to the UK as the internet I have at present is dodgy at best! I have arrived back in Phnom Penh after an amazing 4 days on the mekong, tonle sap river and more jungle and swamp temples. Its been a real eye opener this trip, but unfortunately it comes to an end now as I fly back to the UK tomorrow :(

Oh, and I have 5000 images to go through when I get back :eek:

James just wondering if you minded pm-ing me a personal email address, I'm planning a photographic/gap year/4 month trip to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. I'm hoping to stay off the beaten track, spend some time in the jungle with hill tribes etc (done it once already, and it was absolutely amazing) would love some advice on local guides, the best places you went etc. Hope this is okay with you :)

Sure mate, I have met some really REALLY good guides out here and I can even put you in touch with some very professional and reliable tuk tuk drivers too.

wow, what an awesome trip and a few fantastic pics so far!

can i have a link to your blog??

Sure, blog can be found on my website at http://www.lomayani.com

Right, I am off to upload some new images to my blog (if I can get the internet stable enough) and to write a final large update from Cambodia.

Thanks everyone, and I will update properly when I get back to the UK tomorrow night.

:)
 
Just read the latest blog entry which is fascinating. The images bring your words to life, making it a really excellent document.

Will you make a follow ip visit or do you think that 2 weeks was sufficient?

Andy
 
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