During my early years in Thailand, I was invited to conduct some teacher-training in the southern province of Ranong. This was pretty exciting for me as it was my first foray off the main tourist tracks and into the real Thailand. My hosts kindly took me on a tour of the area: beautiful coastline with mangrove reserves and waters still frequented by smugglers; milky white rivers with hot-springs so warm you can cook food in them; and steep tropical mountains whose dense forests hide a few tigers and the remains of old tin mines. As we were winding up a hill to the Chinese grave of Ranong’s first governor (Phraya Rattanasetthi or Kho Su Chiang), our driver tooted his horn three times at one of the many blind corners. “Letting oncoming cars know we are coming: very sensible,” I remarked. My hosts chuckled and said no, the horn was to pay respect to the spirits who live at that particular place.
Dressing the Tree ~ Our Street
Of course, I have since learned that spirits and ghosts live everywhere in Thailand. A couple of years ago, someone saw a vision in an old tree down the road from us; overnight the tree was draped in clothes and given offerings of soft drink and flowers.
Local Buddhist practice leans heavily on ancient animist traditions, and no self-respecting Thai will drive a car or live in a house that has not been blessed by protective rituals conducted by the monks. Every building has at least one spirit house, the location of which is determined by the monks. Our apartment has two: one dedicated to the Brahmin god Vishnu (Narai in Thai), and the other to house any ghosts who might be in our neighbourhood. These houses are well cared for with weekly offerings of fresh flowers, incense and candles for the former, and soft drink and food for the later. I still find it a bit startling when taxi drivers take both hands off the steering wheel in order to ‘wai’ these and other spirit sites.
This last weekend, we drove about 350km south of Bangkok into the bottom half of Prachuap Khiri Khan province and stayed on one of the many sandy beaches along the coastline of the Gulf of Thailand. Just that bit too far for most city Thais or foreign tourists, the area is quiet, and it is always a joy to walk through the traditional fishing fleets and share a smile and laugh with the locals. The ubiquitous spirit houses watch over us and the boats are protected by their floral garlands.
Palm Trees and Huts along Bang Saphan Beach
Fishing Boat on the Bay, with it’s Protective Flowers on the Bow
Fish Traps on a Quiet Day
Casuarinas Line the Six Kilometre Half-Moon Bay
A Spirit House Watches Over the Fleet
Five-Year-Old Dengmo and her Older Brother Practice their Culinary Skills
Prachuap Khiri Khan is the narrowest province in Thailand. At one point it is only 13 kilometers from the coast to the mountainous border with Myanmar. On this trip, we headed into the hills just south of that point to visit the Huai Yang National Park with its well-known nine-tiered waterfall. What we saw of the waterfall (we didn’t go all the way to the top) was pretty, but not overly impressive, but it was a nice walk over well maintained paths.
The Well Maintained Paths of NamTok Huay Yang National Park
One of the more Distinctive of the 250 Species of Tropical Bombacaceae Trees
Pretty Falls: Nam Tok (Waterfall) Huay Yang
I know by now that we should be ready for anything, but I admit to being surprised when we rounded a bend towards the large pool at Level Three of the falls and came upon an extraordinary collection of spirit offerings. I will let the pictures speak for themselves!
An Extraordinary Collection of Offerings for the Tree Spirits
Candles and Incense ~ Makeup and Toys!
Earings, Hairclips and a Sunhat
Grooming Aids at the Feet of the Very Western Mannequins
Look up… Look Way up… to where the Tree Spirits are!
A Butterfly alights in the Leaf Litter
Pool at Level Three of Nam Tok Huay Yang
Quiet Water at Level Three of Nam Tok Huay Yang
Insurance – Just In Case the Spirits Don’t Protect You!
Taming the Waters with an Old Tap on one of the Tiers
Here’s hoping the spirits look after you and yours…
There is always time… Thanks for stopping by, Guava. 🙂ReplyCancel
Rob -September 10, 2010 - 9:29 am
Good work Ursula – thanks for the invite. I shall be browsing regularly to seek inspiration for trips. Nice photos!ReplyCancel
Ursula -September 10, 2010 - 2:41 pm
Hi Rob! Welcome back. Glad you popped in! 🙂ReplyCancel
Selim -September 10, 2010 - 11:22 am
Passed thru this lovely area without pausing on my way to another lovely area, Surat Thani. Next trip down south (my favorite area in Thailand so far), I will make it a point to stop and see this falls area from your viewpoint. Nice photos, btw. I am an aficionado myself and I like some of the perspectives. And, the butterfly shot is nice and clear. Western mannequins, makeup, jewelry?ReplyCancel
Ursula -September 10, 2010 - 2:43 pm
Hey Selim!
One day we will make it all the way… Wonderful countryside.
Yes, the mannequins and false eyelashes were unexpected!! 🙂ReplyCancel
[…] mentioned before that Prachuap is the narrowest province in Thailand, running between the mountainous border with Myanmar and the beaches along the Bay of Thailand. Dan […]ReplyCancel
Being a visitor in a place is very different from living there. It’s not so much that we forget where we are, or that we necessarily even take it for granted, but that the business of day-to-day living takes so much of our attention.
I was reflecting on this as I ambled out from our hotel, early on a recent Monday morning, in the Septième in Paris. All around me, people were walking swiftly through the streets, heading to work or other appointments, with their heads down and their minds seemingly on the business at hand. For me, however, it was all wonderfully ‘foreign’. It could only be Paris! Large dogs dragged their owners for walks along the wide, tree-lined boulevards; long lines of people queued into the local bread shops; and if I looked up, the Eiffel Tour was visible, not so far away.
I couldn’t help but wonder how often the local Parisians look up at that wonderfully quirky structure that can be seen from much of the inner city. I’m sure they do – I myself know exactly which spots, on all the roads east into Sydney from the lowly Western Suburbs, where I will first catch a glimpse of the harbour and its wonderful bridge. And, as I sit in the back of taxis, crawling through the sludge that is Bangkok traffic, my breath is still taken regularly by the sun glinting off one of the many jewelled temple roofs.
This is one of the beauties of living in a great city: those moments are always there, even when we are distracted by other things. And so it must be in Paris: people rushing to work on a Monday morning are occasionally reminded where they are, no matter how busy they get.
As a tourist, however, I had the whole day free to revel in it! I hope you enjoy the photo collection.
The Eiffel Tower through the Peace Monument
Peace in 32 Languages and 18 Alphabet Sets
A Shattered Peace
The Peace Monument (2000) by Clara Halter and architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte
La Tour Eiffel (1889) and le Champ de Mars
Climbing up La Dame de Fer (1889)
Cheval ~ Pont Iéna
Rush Hour is Over… Quai Branly
More Glass and Lettering ~ Le Musée du Quai Branly
Les Vélos ~ Quai Branly
Itinerants Living Rough on the Seine
Memories of School History Lessons
Artists at Work ~ Grand Palais
Cherub in the Frieze ~ Grand Palais
Brass Door Knob ~ Grand Palais
Statue on the Pont Alexandre III (1897/1900)
A Bronze Cherub on the Pont Alexandre III points the way to the Iron Lady
Napoleon’s Tomb and Flying Flags: Hôtel des Invalides
Marguerites in Gardens of the Hôtel des Invalides
Au Revoir, Paris! Gare du Nord
More photos from this year’s trip are HERE; photos from our 2008 trip are HERE if you are interested. Until next week, happy travels!
[…] a lifetime later and half a world away, in the parklands along the Seine in Paris (see: Monday Morning in Paris), I was ridiculously excited to come across busts of the best known of those early French […]ReplyCancel
The last time I was in London, back in the late 70’s, you couldn’t put a bag down anywhere without being suspected of being an Irish terrorist. It was nervous times in England. As a young female travelling alone, I was also a soft target for would-be grifters and pan-handlers: whenever I stood still with my little camera and my map someone would accost me and offer to ‘help’ me for a price.
More recently, I’d seen some of the discussion put forth by the “I’m a Photographer not a Terrorist” organisation in response to the targeting of street photographers under Section 44 (the power to stop and search any vehicle or person without having to show reasonable suspicion of an offence having been committed) of the British Terrorism Act, 2000. As a consequence, I was a bit nervous about heading out onto the streets of London with my camera. After all, with my Think Tank camera bag strapped to my hips, my handbag slung over my shoulder, and and my rather bulky new Canon7D hung around my neck, I’m hardly inconspicuous.
The Underground is the best way to get around London. I had a number of places I wanted to go, and a day pass to make life easier. I was, however, nervous about using the camera. But if I wasn’t going to use it, what was the point of carrying it, right? I struck it lucky in my first station: a young musician was singing. He was happy to have his picture taken and I was happy to have my camera pointed at something without being arrested!
That broke the ice, and I spent extra time at each station I stopped at, watching the people and the trains come and go. Although I enjoyed experimenting with ‘moving’ pictures, I kept expecting a bobby to come and shuffle me along. Surprisingly, it never happened!
Movement
Urban Abstracts ~ Green Park People
Urban Abstracts ~ People on the Move
Comings and Goings
Of course, I didn’t spend the whole day Underground. I thought I’d try to keep life simple by retracing my 30-year-old steps and start with Hyde Park. I remember a wonderful statue of a horse there and I wanted to photograph it for a project I’m working on. But Hyde Park was dry and yellow after an unseasonably hot summer, and not remotely photogenic.
“Way Out”
I made my way to the Tate Gallery for the Henry Moore sculpture exhibition, hoping for a ‘companion piece’ for my Rodin Museum visit. Wonderful sculptures, but no cameras allowed!
I played tourist with what little time I had left and rode a red bus around downtown and took a boat up the Thames before returning home. I hope you enjoy the attached pictures. There are more in my London 2010 Flicker gallery if you are interested. Cheers!
Pattaya, 145km south of Bangkok, on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand, was called by the Lonely Planet’s Thailand’s Island and Beaches (mine’s the 2006 version, but things haven’t changed): “A living testament to unchecked tourist development run rampant…” In it’s current incarnation, this city of bars and beaches was born of the American GI R&R action which started back in the late 50’s. As a holiday or weekend destination, the buzzing neon lights, the glitzy high-rise condos, and the fleuro white bikinis on silver poles hold little appeal for me. But, only 15km south of Sin City we turned down a winding driveway overhung with trees into a world of quiet.
Quiet Cottage, Sunset Park, Sattahip
Water Pot and Dipper: Remove your Shoes and Rinse your Feet!
Rainy season is always chancy, and as we had driven most of the way from Bangkok in weather ranging from drizzle to downpour, we thought our weekend might be a wash-out. But, when your cabin has a well covered porch protected from the elements, the weather ceases to matter. And, as irony would have it, when the weather ceases to matter, it improves!
Weathered Wooden Buildings, Sunset Park Resort
Beach Chairs and Umbrellas Overlooking the Bay of Thailand
A Lone Fisherman on the Breakwater, with Pattaya fading into haze.
Wooden Boats on the Canals, Sunset Resort
We could have almost never left the resort: we had bicycles (ok – they had no brakes and the seats were rusted into adjustment for midget-height, but they were free!), two pools, and access to charming wooden paddle boats. We had our roomy porch and our own enclosed open-air outdoor shower at the back of our cabin. We even had hot (and I mean HOT, not lukewarm) water in the shower and sink: a rarity in Thai resorts.
So, as I said, we might have never left the resort, except that we had heard there were going to be fireworks in Pattaya in honour of the Queen’s Birthday (which had been two days prior). This was an opportunity to actually use the tripod I often carry but seldom unwrap, so we had a long discussion with the staff about where the best vantage point might be. We were warned about dearth of parking, and more than two hours before sunset when we arrived at The Viewpoint, a hill in Pattaya South, we discovered that the warnings were justified. More importantly, almost every square inch of tripod-space was already occupied. I was truly lucky to find a spot! People (mostly Thais) were out in force, with their food and their families, patiently waiting for the show.
Tripods, Set up and Waiting
Dad was happy for this shot to be taken: the little one was less keen!
The Viewpoint, also known as Pattaya Buddha Hill or Khao Phra Bat, is home to the Admiral His Royal Highness Prince Khom Luang Chumpon Ketudomsakdi Monument. Quite the mouthful, and as happens with transliterations of names from Thai into English, you won’t find the same spelling twice! One article alone had him listed as Admiral Prince Chumporn in one spot and the Prince of Jumborn in another. Either way, he was one of the many sons of King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) and is called the “The Father of Royal Thai Navy”. So, the top of the hill is shaped like the prow of a boat, and there are shrines and tributes to the Prince.
Krom Luang Chumphon Khet Udomsak, the Father of Royal Thai Navy
Thailand still catches me off-guard regularly with it’s colourful contrasts. Everywhere there are objects or images I don’t expect to see next to each other. Of course, these juxtapositions are only remarkable to me because I am an ‘outsider’. It is perhaps not so unusual, in a country where royalty is not only revered but universally adored, that people would cover a statue of a warrior prince in gold leaf, just as they would a buddha image. But I was surprised at a shrine, where people make offerings of flowers, prayers and candles, surrounded by massive bullets. And, I found the little Naval Guards, painted like garden gnomes, rather comical.
Prayers, Offerings and Bullets at Khao Phra Bat
Father of the Royal Thai Navy and Little กองทั พเรือ Mascot
Still, it was a great place to watch the sun go down and the night lights of Pattaya to come up.
Falling Light, Pattaya Bay from Khao Phra Bat
Pattaya at night is noisy at street level, but serene and quiet from The Viewpoint
ดอกไม้ไฟ: “Fire Flowers” in the Queen’s colours for Her Majesty’s Birthday
The fireworks (“Fire Flowers” ดอกไม้ไฟ or “Flaming Flowers” ดอกไม้เพลิง in Thai) were a new and interesting photographic challenge for me: next time I’ll try to shoot from below rather than above. Still, I enjoyed them almost as much as I enjoyed the REAL flowers we found on our morning run through the lanes the next morning. No one does it better than Nature, and nature abounds in Thailand, even in the shadows of Pattaya.
The beautiful rich yellow of the Hibiscus Tiliaceus (Sea Hibiscus)
I hope you enjoy the pictures. More Thai beaches are HERE and HERE and more flowers here if you are interested, and more of the flowers and fireworks are in the set below. Until next week ~ Happy travels!
If there is one thing that living in Thailand has taught me, it is to suspend expectations. Not lower my expectations, but defer them completely and try to be ready for all contingencies. This is easier said than done, especially for someone like me who likes an orderly (some might even say controlled) environment.
On our recent weekend sojourn to Ao Nang, Krabi, on the Andaman Sea in Thailand’s south, I met with both metaphorical and concrete reminders of the need to ‘go with the flow’ and cope with the ‘shifting sands’ of Thai life.
The day of our arrival, we were waiting for lunch at an open-air seafood restaurant, looking out over the the mud flats of Ao Nang. Long boats with their gaily decorated prows dotted the bay. I went for a walk on the sands and low waters with the camera to try to ‘capture’ some of these boats and was surprised by the strength of the swell as the tide washed in over my calves.
The sand itself was quite muddy and my feet made deep indents even when I was back out of the water. I was picking my way gingerly back to solid ground when I became aware of a chirping noise and noticed the sands seeming to shift rapidly: small sand crabs, with bodies as round as playing marbles and about the same size, were scuttling in waves all around me!
Waves of Sand Crabs at Low Tide
A Little Round-Bodied Sand Crab Pauses Momentarily…
While we were eating our lunch, a group of tourists arrived on the flats with their hard-side wheeled suitcases and backpacks, and we watched with some amusement as they stood, apparently perplexed, trying to figure out how they were meant to get to the boat that was to transport them to their resort. I suspect that their travel agents had neglected to inform them that they would be wading in thigh-high water with all their belongings on their heads!
Getting to the Resort LongBoat
Heading to the LongBoats
Fortunately, this group all made it in one piece, but I can’t help but wonder how often someone gets knocked flat by a rogue wave!
Young Man, Nopparat Thara Phi Phi Island National Park HQ, Krabi
Our Transport for the Four-Island Tour
The next day it was our turn: as part of our package, we were booked into a “four island tour” by longboat. We’ve been on a lot of island tours over the years. Most of them leave from a pier and are on large enough boats that you generally have space to sun bake. So, I don’t know why my instincts told me to rip the cupboards at home apart while we were packing to find our wet-bags. It sounds rather trite to say that in Thailand, you need to “expect the unexpected”, but in this case it payed off. Within five minutes of being on the water, the wash was over both sides of the boat, drenching all passengers and all their belongings. Not one square centimetre of myself or my clothing was dry… Without the wet bags, I would have been more than a little concerned about our phones and cameras! Fortunately, the seas were relatively warm and although I had goosebumps from head to toe, I knew I’d be okay as soon as we put to shore.
Many Westerners love Thailand because of the free and easy nature of the life, and the lack of restrictions that many western countries are trammelled by. Of course, the flip side is that piers, when they exist, may have rotting timbers and gaps in them, sidewalks are not fit for pedestrian traffic, seat-belts and helmets are a rarity and although there are probably life-jackets on any boat, they may not fit or clip or be readily accessible.
The country is unquestionably beautiful, but to call it ‘unspoiled’ is a stretch. Contrasts and contradictions are everywhere: ‘eco-tourism’ is often code for under-developed infrastructure; ‘recycling’ means that the underclass sorts through your garbage to find anything that might be useful; and ‘community involvement’ can include under-age kids working all weekend.
Postcard Perfect? A Walk on the Beach, Poda Island
Fishing Boats on the horizon add to the charm… and the debris.
Red Bull Bottles are amongst the rubbish that washes up from local fishing boats.
Canopied Longtail Boat, Poda Island, Krabi
Litter: Natural and Man-Made
Windswept Beach on a Perfect Day
Thirteen year-old Daeng and his older cousin improve their English, Maths and future chances by selling ice-cream to tourists all weekend.
Snorkelling, even in rainy season when visibility is poorer, is a delight!
Beached Longboat, back at Nopparat Thara Phi Phi Island National Park HQ, Ao Nang
Things are improving, though. We noticed that our tour-guide made sure he collected all the rubbish from our green-curry lunch: styrofoam food trays and plastic bags tied with elastics. So at least that didn’t end up in the sea! And, we got home safely (we knew we would: the boat had it’s protective ribbons tied to the prow) after a terrific, albeit wet, day out.
More photos from Thai islands and beaches are on my Flickr site here and here.
Great report Ursula. Now I feel like a trip back to Krabi is overdue!ReplyCancel
Ursula -August 12, 2010 - 11:09 am
Thanks, Guava!
Trips to Krabi are always due! 😉ReplyCancel
Peter Murray -September 10, 2010 - 11:33 pm
What GREAT photos especially now with your new Canon camera, even saw a photo of Gabe getting in a boat with no life jacket, very brave. No need to say have a great time as I wish Sue & I were with you. Regards PeterReplyCancel
Ursula -September 11, 2010 - 12:10 pm
Hi Peter! Well spotted!!! You can come back any time. 😉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.
Here’s hoping the spirits look after you and yours…
More photos from this year’s trip are 
I have always planned a visit to Prachuap Khiri Khan but yet to make it. Now I wish that I had!
Guava
There is always time… Thanks for stopping by, Guava. 🙂
Good work Ursula – thanks for the invite. I shall be browsing regularly to seek inspiration for trips. Nice photos!
Hi Rob! Welcome back. Glad you popped in! 🙂
Passed thru this lovely area without pausing on my way to another lovely area, Surat Thani. Next trip down south (my favorite area in Thailand so far), I will make it a point to stop and see this falls area from your viewpoint. Nice photos, btw. I am an aficionado myself and I like some of the perspectives. And, the butterfly shot is nice and clear. Western mannequins, makeup, jewelry?
Hey Selim!
One day we will make it all the way… Wonderful countryside.
Yes, the mannequins and false eyelashes were unexpected!! 🙂
[…] mentioned before that Prachuap is the narrowest province in Thailand, running between the mountainous border with Myanmar and the beaches along the Bay of Thailand. Dan […]