Flame trees abound at Wat Chang Rop, one of the ruins in Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park.
Thailand is a treasure-trove of tropical plant life and ancient religious ruins.
I like it best when the two coincide, as they do in Kamphaeng Phet: crumbling temples located on spacious well-tended sites, shaded by trees.
Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park is part of the awkwardly-named UNESCO World Heritage Site: “Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns” which, as I have mentioned before, includes Sukhothai itself, Sukhothai North and Si Sachanalai. We enjoyed exploring all the ruins, but Kamphaeng Phet seemed particularly lovely; at least in part because the surrounding trees protected the ruins (and us) from the worst of the pounding May heat.
All the Sukhothai sites date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, but Kamphaeng Phet (Fortress Wall of Diamond Strength), with its strategic importance, has some ruins from the later Ayutthaya era as well.
The Ceylonese-style Wat Chang Rop is adorned with 68 elephants (chang) which surround the base.
Although weathered and badly broken, the half-elephants are unmistakeable.
Called “hang nok yoong” (peacock tail) in Thai, the flame trees (Delonix Regia) splash colour all around Wat Chang Rop.
The ruins of Wat Chang Rop buildings are almost hidden by trees.
Wat Phra Singa, built during the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya eras, is flanked by frangipani trees.
Pink and cream frangipani, Wat Phra Shinga
Flame trees in the background: Wat Phra Singa.
Green weeds: Wat Phra Singa.
Small Shrine
Ancient Buddha
A gardener, in typical Thai labourer-garb, tends the lawns.
A standing Buddha is all that remains of the Buddhas in four postures that used to be around the mondop at Wat Phra Si Iriyabot.
At Wat Phra Si Iriyabot, preparations were being put into place to celebrate the 2500 years since Buddha’s enlightenment.
A worker, in soft leather shoes, builds a scaffolding…
… while four Thai women, covered against the sun, steady the base.
Laterite walls enclose Wat Phra Non.
The bell-shaped chedi of Wat Phra Non sports fresh green growth at the top.
At Wat Phra Kaeo, in the centre of the ruins, workers gather for a break.
Carved elephants surround the base of Wat Phra Kaeo in the centre of Kamphaeng Phet.
Seated Buddhas of all sizes, Wat Phra Kaeo, Kamphaeng Phet.
Reclining Buddha, Wat Phra Kaeo.
The face of calm: reclining Buddha, Wat Phra Kaeo.
There is always a contrast between the ancient ruins and the modern temples in their day-to-day practice. The newer areas of Wat Phra Kaeo were no exception: there were still flowers and Buddha images, but just not the same!
At the entrance to the modern Wat Phra Kaeo, lotus was being dried…
… and gold leaf is offered to a more modern Bodhisattva made from plastic.
Still, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and faith is in the practice.
This has to be one of my favourites, the gentleness of the trees overshadowing the ruins, almost like nature taking it back however beautifully maintained so the perception is there and the reality not… just lovely.ReplyCancel
Another nice photo essay Ursula,
I’m a little envious. I’m currently in Thailand and was hoping to get to Sukhothai, it was one of the main reasons I made the trip. Sadly the area is currently effected by flooding, making my visiting the area problematic.
grumble… 🙂ReplyCancel
So sorry to hear that Thailand is flooding again, Kevin! We all went through last year, and management programs were supposed to be put into effect to mitigate future flooring… Clearly not sufficient. 🙁 I hope you enjoy yourself anyway – the country has SO much to offer.
Thanks as always to Signe and Gabe for taking the time to read and comment! 🙂ReplyCancel
Is there a country in the Western world that doesn’t take to the wearing of the green on St Paddy’s Day (March 17th)?
Thanks to the abundant numbers of people of Irish origin living outside Ireland, shamrocks and Kelly green are known far afield.
But, in Ireland, it is not only the shamrock which is green: it is the whole landscape. From olive to kelly and emerald: greens of every shade and hue. And, as the skies opened and the rains fell on our heads on the second day of walking along The Dingle Way in County Kerry, we could easily understand why it was all so lush and fresh.
The narrow country lanes and muddy paths are hedged in with verdant fuchsia bushes.
Camp, Ireland: where modern new homes can feature ancient ruins as part of their front-yard landscape design.
The old Tralee to Dingle road leads off into the greens…
… more greens …
Sheep on the green.
Heather, ferns and foxglove along a boggy creek.
A rusty barrel provides a nice point of contrast against all the green.
Standing stones, ogham stones, stone circles and just plain stones… We were never quite sure what we were looking at!
An evergreen tree farm in the rain.
Rain against the hills.
The rains came and went, as we walked the seventeen kilometres between Camp and Anascaul.
A photographer friend of mine asked me how I had kept my gear dry. Well: disposable plastic rain-coats pulled tight over broad-brimmed hats, plastic sleeves over the cameras, and an umbrella to keep the lenses dry whenever I wanted to take a shot. We were a bit of a sight!
Ferns at the edge of the road-side puddles.
The tangles of brambles made me think of faerie tales and sleeping princesses…
Fenced-in greens.
Wild flowers against more green…
A pale-red roofed barn in the lee of an impossibly-green hill.
Mooo! Curious cows watch us pass…
A creek joins us on our descent into Castlemaine Harbour.
Our trip-notes told us that “excellent lunches” were available at Foley’s Bar in Inch, so we followed the road through the rain and down into town.
The young cailín (colleen) tending bar told us that her family had owned the pub for generations, but they had only just sold the restaurant-portion of the Bar, and the new owner had decided to take the week off! So, we made do with coffee from the bar and muesli bars and nuts from our back-packs, while we chatted with the barmaid. Her family farmed – but things were slow – so two of her brothers were working in Australia. She had considered visiting them, but she was concentrating on her studies, and she loved being in this small corner of the world where she knew everyone and the outdoor activities were plentiful.
Peat fires over Inch.
Rains on the beaches along the North Atlantic.
The cows found us quite a sight as we passed.
More fuchsia hedges contrast the greens as we descend into Annascaul for the night.
It was not a hard walk, but it was wet. When we finally descended into Anascaul (Annascaul on Google-maps), we were very pleased to hear that we could get pizza on site, and not walk any further.
And, red wine makes a nice contrast to all that green!
What a delightful place, quaint and welcoming it seems from your posts and by gosh it is Green…. thanks as always for sharing your trip with us.ReplyCancel
Standing the test of time ~ Some personal effects of General Andrew Jackson; seventh president of the United States.
How will you – or I – be seen in the future; say, one- or two-hundred years from now? What legacy will we leave? How will we stand up against the changes of mores and values that take place over time?
I had cause to think about this last week while visiting The Hermitage, the home and plantation of Andrew Jackson, the controversial seventh president of the United States.
Magnificent eastern red cedar (juniperus virginiana) in the grounds of The Hermitage.
“He blazed new trails and opened new possibilities. He was loved and loathed… revered and reviled… but seldom ignored.” – The Hermitage
The legacy of General Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) is mixed indeed.
He was part of the Revolutionary War for American Independence by the age 13, and later, as Major General of the Tennessee Militia in 1812, he was responsible for leading a force of militia and irregulars to victory against the British at the Battle of New Orleans. But, he also participated in a number of questionable duals: leading to at least one death.
He adopted an orphaned Creek Indian boy, Lyncoya, (c1811-1828) and raised him with his nephew, whom he also adopted. But, he signed off on the Indian Removal Bill (1830) which forced Native American nations from southeastern United States (Cherokee, Muscogee [Creek], Seminole, Chickasaw, Choctaw and others) off their lands. In what is now called the Trail of Tears, Native Americans were forced-marched, suffering great hardships and loss of life, out of their homes and to the “Indian Territory” in what is now Oklahoma.
He reputedly adored his wife, Rachel, and in true frontier style, married her before she was officially divorced from her first husband. He defended her honour vigorously, and blamed his political opponent, John Quincy Adams, for her death after a particularly dirty political campaign. Even so, Jackson ridiculed the fight of women for the vote.
After Jackson’s first electoral campaign of 1824-1825 – where he received the most popular and electoral votes, but was defeated by John Quincy Adams in the House of Representatives – the Democratic Party was formed as a vehicle to lobby for him, leading him to win in his second campaign. In spite of several controversial decisions, he won a second term, serving the maximum-allowable eight years: from 1829-1837. He was a champion of “the humble members of society – the farmers, mechanics and laborers…” And yet he sent troops to quell labor disturbances on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canals.
His belief in democracy was like that of the Romans: only open to free white males. Voting rights for women, Blacks and Native Americans were never even considered. His own estate, The Hermitage, which he bought and operated from 1800, only prospered on the backs of the 150 slaves which he owned.
As I walked around the property, which is now owned and operated by the Ladies’ Hermitage Association, these contradictions were very much at the forefront of my thoughts.
The mansion at The Hermitage was designed with a “Greek Revival” style facade to symbolise American’s love of liberty and democracy.
Orchards and gardens are a large part of The Hermitage’s extensive grounds.
Bill, one of the costumed “Historical Interpreters” who act as guides within the manor. No photography is allowed inside the house.
Daisies in the gardens.
Surrounded by gardens: the tomb of Andrew Jackson.
Delicate life: small dragonfly against the tomb of General Andrew Jackson.
One of the many memorials and headstones in the Jackson family plot: Thomas Donaldson Lawrence, Jackson’s great grandson.
Butterflies in the gardens of the family plot.
Cosmos around the headstones.
The slaves’ quarters are well away from the main house.
Some of the modest cabins which served as slaves’ quarters have been restored.
Alfred was born (as a slave) at The Hermitage and lived and worked there all his life. He was still on the property when it became a public museum, and, at his request, is buried in the family plot.
The reason for the slaves: cotton plants are labour-intensive, and plantation owners did not believe they could grow a competitive crop without free workers.
A delicate cotton flower hides among the green stems and leaves.
The corn crops have died all over the United States this year as a result of drought conditions.
Turkeys in the grass – on the run.
Bell at the back of The Hermitage mansion.
The ultimate in irony? Bobble Heads of President Andrew Jackson, Uncle Sam and other presidents in The Hermitage Gift Shop.
Winds of change? A bronze horse sits in the gift shop window.
While Jackson reserved his idea of “democracy” for a select few, what he did was to set in motion a process of political party politics. The Democratic party, his legacy, was an electoral machine whose organization and discipline would serve as a model for all others. The groups he excluded from power have used the process he set in place to redress the balance.
Eight years was not the “maximum allowable” time Andrew Jackson could have been president. There was no limit then.
Franklin D. Roosevelt served for 12 years and was actually elected to four terms, which would have totaled 16.
This was changed by adoption of the 22nd amendment to the US Constitution on February 27, 1951. Since that time, no one can be elected president more than twice. Anyone who succeeds to become president can only be elected once, if they serve for more than two years of someone’s term.
Therefore, as a practical matter, the absolute limit on how long someone can be president now is 10 years.
Thus Lyndon Johnson, who became president after the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, was still able to run for reelection in 1968. If he had been reelected, his total time in office would have been more than 8 years but less than 10.
On the other hand, if Gerald Ford had been elected in 1976, he would have been limited to one full term in office, plus the 2 1/2 years he served once Nixon resigned from office in 1974.ReplyCancel
I grew up in the Canadian prairies, not so far from the Alberta badlands.
OK – so we lived in the city, but we did have old wagon wheels in the back yard and a wild and overgrown gully behind our home. It was cowboy and Indian country: I have dim memories of watching reruns of The Roy Rogers Show on the flickering black and white television with my neighbour in the basement of his house before we’d go out and play at being Roy Rogers or Dale Evans ourselves, galloping across the lane and through that gully where a freeway now runs.
I also have dim memories of visiting “The Hoodoos” in the badlands near Drumheller, Alberta.
So, I was really excited at the chance to visit what the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service calls the “definitive Badlands”.
“For centuries humans have viewed South Dakota’s celebrated Badlands with a mixture of dread and fascination,” says the official Badlands National Park brochure. The combination of hot dry climate, soft sedimentary rocks, clay-rich soils, and erosion from wind and rain produces a landscape of fantastic shapes and subtle colours.
Badlands Loop Road
Grasses on the Badlands
Rock formations around the Cedar Creek area, Badlands National Park, SD.
Rock formations around the “Window Trail”.
Small badland bird.
It pays to keep your ears, not just your eyes, open!
Peaks, gullies and buttes
Some visiting children explore the badlands, using them like a natural jungle-gym.
Plants at the edge: narrow-leaf yucca.
Just outside the National Park, but still in the dry prairie landscape, there is a little general store which provides a home to native prairie dogs.
A prairie dog standing guard.
A black-tailed prairie dog outside its hole.
Prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are part of the squirrel (Sciuridae) family.
Kids love feeding the prairie dogs.
Prairie dogs have a complex form of communication, and seem to take turns guarding the colony.
Watchful prairie dog.
Prairie dogs love peanuts.
Peanuts
Sunset over the badlands.
Night falls over the badlands.
It’s a magical, mystical place and I would have loved to have stayed longer and explored further.
But, it wasn’t quite like my childhood memories of the badlands, and I didn’t see Roy or Dale…
Leuk, dat je ons laat zien waar je bent opgegroeid. Leuke foto’s heb je voor deze serie gekozen Ursula. Ik wens je een fijn weekend, DietmutReplyCancel
I read a travel article some years ago, defending taking the “more travelled” road occasionally. I quite agree: as much as I like to get off the beaten track and away from “tourist spots”, there is something to be said for seeing iconic places for oneself.
Old Faithful Geyser and Old Faithful Visiter Education Center from Observation Point.
So it was with Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park’s best known geyser. The postcards and travel shows might do it better, but there is nothing quite like being part of the crowd, sitting or standing under a relentless Wyoming sun, waiting for the trusty geyser to erupt.
Old Faithful was named by members of an early exploratory team, the Washburn Expedition of 1870, for its consistency. Today, the park rangers calculate and post the expected time of the next eruption, plus or minus 10 minutes, so visitors know when to gather around the viewing platforms.
The limestone-encrusted grassy mound that is at the centre of the wooden seats and boardwalk isn’t very impressive…
… as people from all over the world and all over the country jockey for a vantage point.
Boiling water and steam spew into the air.
Intervals between eruptions vary from 50-127 minutes, and eruptions last from one and a half to five minutes. The performance started with what looked like smoke signals, as puffs of steam rose into the air. Then the boiling water followed before it all went quiet again.
“Is that it?” asked a little boy in the crowd.
I confess, I felt a little let-down myself. But that wasn’t it; there was more.
Eruptions average 30-55 meters; this one was pretty high.
Yellowstone National Park is home to the world’s largest concentration of hydrothermal activity: geysers, hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles (steam vents), and travertine terraces – and it was thanks to Old Faithful and these other features that the land was protected in the first place, as we learned from one of the park rangers.
Ranger Darlene, in her uniform modelled on the earliest “rangers”: the US Cavalry, entertains young and old with her telling of Yellowstone Park history.
Ranger Darlene had her audience transfixed as she related the story of the park’s early history, complete with wildlife poaching and the almost-complete-demise of the buffalo. Although over two million acres was set aside as the world’s first National Park on March 1, 1872, the idea of preserving the wildlife that lived in the area came much later.
The Upper Geyser Basin, which includes Old Faithful, has four other geysers as well as examples of hot springs, mudpots and steam vents. Just a short climb to Observation Point and a walk around Geyser Hill gave us easy access to many of these. We couldn’t believe the beauty and variety of natural forms and colours.
A male mule deer, hiding in the woods as we walk up to Observation Point.
A young couple watches the geyser activity from Observation Point.
Castle Geyser through the steam and sulphur haze, from Observation Point.
Solitary Geyser was small but predictable: every four or five minutes it would burble up.
The mineral deposites and heat-loving algae and bacteria around Solitary Geyser make beautiful patterns.
Sulphur and steam rises, yet plants grow around the edges of the Solitary Geyser pond.
Sulphur steam makes the colours softer: Solitary Geyser.
Plants on the Edge: a clump of grass survives surrounded by mineral deposits and “thermophiles” (heat-loving organisms).
Waters bubble delicately at Ear Spring.
The geysers of the Lion Group steam and “roar” before erupting.
Sawmill Geyser was one of my favourites because of the delicate streams of water it emitted regularly.
Sawmill Geyser
Scalloped Spring
The clear blue waters of Crested Pool are the result of constantly boiling temperatures keeping bacterial growth down. You can see the boiling around the edge.
Castle Geyser’s cone is thousands of years old and the platforms are even older.
The next lot of visitors watches from the Old Faithful Visiter Education Center as, right on cue, Old Faithful erupts yet again.
Old Faithful and the assortment of geysers and hot springs in the immediate area were so much more amazing than we had anticipated. The facilities are beautifully designed and managed, making much of this area accessible to almost anyone. This is one time when the “more travelled” road is well worth following!
Of course, as I said earlier, the park comprises over two million acres. It is so much more than just Old Faithful – but that will have to wait for another time.
what a wonderful trip and your photography is amazing, thanks as always for including us in your travels. Looking forward to the next installment 🙂ReplyCancel
[…] we had only a short visit, we did, of course, visit Old Faithful, taking the time to walk to the overlook, and to visit other geysers in the area. We also walked […]ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
Still, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and faith is in the practice.
As I said earlier: a mixed legacy.
Another great set of photos Ursula. Brightened up my afternoon (^___^)
Thanks so much, Guava! Glad you enjoyed them. 😀
a nice way to start the day
This has to be one of my favourites, the gentleness of the trees overshadowing the ruins, almost like nature taking it back however beautifully maintained so the perception is there and the reality not… just lovely.
Another nice photo essay Ursula,
I’m a little envious. I’m currently in Thailand and was hoping to get to Sukhothai, it was one of the main reasons I made the trip. Sadly the area is currently effected by flooding, making my visiting the area problematic.
grumble… 🙂
So sorry to hear that Thailand is flooding again, Kevin! We all went through last year, and management programs were supposed to be put into effect to mitigate future flooring… Clearly not sufficient. 🙁 I hope you enjoy yourself anyway – the country has SO much to offer.
Thanks as always to Signe and Gabe for taking the time to read and comment! 🙂