 Amazing colours ~ "Amazing Canoeing" ~ Amazing Thailand People can be forgiven for thinking that my husband and I are permanently on holidays.
It is not true! It is just that we spend a lot of time living out of suitcases in interesting locations. Last week, for example, we were living in the lap of four-star luxury on the tropical island of Phuket – thanks to a very special deal that a friend of ours had bought and couldn’t use. But, we spent most of that time tied to our computers. Granted, the fact that it was unseasonably windy and wet – even by rainy season standards – made it easier to stay focussed on work.
Still, we made a point of scheduling some “tourist” time. Monday we took the day off as a reward for diligence, and went on a “Big Boat” trip to the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay. We were incredibly lucky with our timing: the rain was intermittent, rather than incessant, and the seas were calm. For the two to three days following, Phuket was battered by torrential rains and gale-force winds, and we were again pretty much trapped indoors.
Touring in Thailand is much more enjoyable if you prepare for almost anything, turn your brain into neutral, and take what comes. Put your bathers under your clothes, put valuables in waterproof bags and bring your own towels. Don’t be surprised if your transportation is five minutes early or half an hour late. Be ready to hunch up in the front of a van cab, squashed, with your belongings on your lap, between the person at the door and the gear shift, or wedged in the back of a truck with center-facing seating. Stay good humoured when, almost two hours after your stated collection time, you are still faffing about on the pier and your boat is nowhere in sight…
For even on the pier there are people to meet and things to explore.
 The guides are smiling as they chat with each other and joke with us - clearly this "hanging-around-time" is built into the plan!  Off-season quiet: many shops around the Ao Por pier are closed for the day - or for the season.  Muslim Thais of ethnic Malay origins are common in the south. I was amused because the woman in the yellow headscarf had an anti-Thaksin sticker on her hat. I asked them if they were "yellow shirts" - one of the warring protest factions in Thailand - and it was their turn to look surprised. It seems someone had put the sticker on her hat as a joke, and they were wearing yellow because, by the Thai colour system, that is the colour for Monday! Wet bags for sale or rent: "Raining today. Sure!" The hat seller is happy to smile - even though we aren't buying anything. We are used to unusual road signs, and particularly like the one ahead of speed humps warning about "car jump". This one, exhorting us to "Please wear jacket lift" was new! One of the staff keeps an eye on the large group of international tourists heading for the Big Boat. We are not allowed to walk to the boat: we must climb into buses which run us to the end of the pier. Other tourist boats rafted and waiting - it's going to be a busy day on the bay. And we are finally off! Thailand abounds in "unnatural" colours as well as natural ones: Fanta and Coke at the ready Thailand truly is an amazing and colourful place. I’ve visited Ao Phang Nga National Park several times before (always on clear sunny days) and it is unbelievably beautiful. Even in inclement weather, it is impressive. And many of the colours – natural and man-made – still shine through.
The pink tour boat is going to beat us to Panak Island - the largest of the many islands in the Phang Nga Bay National Park. Our crew snooze or chat as we make our way to the islands. Once we are stopped, the boatmen launch the sea kayaks... ... and passengers are assisted in ... ... to be paddled off ... ... to the caves of Koh Panak. Because of the large group, the kayaks went out in two shifts. Once our turn arrived, and we were in our kayak, the winds lifted and the skies opened up. I was very glad my camera was in its water-proof bag, for we looked like drowned rats. My hat went flying into the sea, where I thought it would sink and be lost, but our boatman skilfully brought us around to rescue it, before heading into the dark cave full of bats.
I’ve seen better stalactites, but our boatman was clearly proud of them as he pointed out fancifully-named formations using his head lamp, so we ooh-ed and ah-ed dutifully, snapping bad pictures with our iPhones. At least it was dry, and the bat smell eased off as we paddled further into the cave system.
When we came out, the skies were still gloomy, but the rains had stopped.
The other tourist boats head off before us, across Phang Nga Bay, under continued grey skies. Koh Panak meets the bay. Tourists chat as more Phang Nga Bay islands come into view. Even cloudy skys cannot diminish the beauty of Koh Hong (Room Island). If you see a Thai with a camera, you can be sure you will see your own face on a plate or in a shell frame before the day is finished. Karst mountains ... ... and caves. One of the youngest "boatmen": this paddler is still at school. Meanwhile, in the galley, lunch is being prepared. Kitchen preparation. Lunch is ready! Lunch is a casual affair. As we head towards Khao Phing Kan and Khao Tapu (otherwise known as James Bond Island) the rains set in again. Once on Koh Phing Kan, tourists huddle in the shelter of a cave in plastic raincoats... ... and try to get pictures of the iconic Koh Tapu without getting too wet. A visitor from Brazil watches the islands go by. Like something out of a primeval novel, as we sail towards home, countless red-backed sea eagles fill the skies behind us ~ Eagle-eyed: a Brahminy kite looks for food. As if to highlight the contrasts that Thailand offers up, the amazing sight of a veritable flock of birds of prey was shortly followed by head-pounding music and the “Ladyboy Show”. It was hard to know quite what to make of the performers as they shimmied the poles of the upper deck and gyrated around the room in outlandish wigs.
Taupe pantyhose, black and red g-string and a yellow wig ~ ~ our young worker with the morning clip-board has transformed! And so, we headed home. Amazing Thailand.
Just Amazing.
Posted in Adventure,Nature,Thailand,TravelTags: Bay of Thailand,blog,boating,boats,day trip,National Park,nature,people,Photo Blog,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,water
Outer wall of the Eden Killer Whale Museum Some stories are better than fiction.
In Eden, where we now live, people have had a long relationship with the sea and the sea’s creatures – especially whales.
The earliest inhabitants of the area, the Thawa people of the Yuin nation, conducted ceremonies and feasts in honour of killer whales – orcas – whom they called Beowas; “brothers” or “kin”. Because these mammals are marked black and white like corroboree dancers, they were believed to be warrior ancestors: “reborn from the dreaming to the sea”. This belief was reinforced by the orcas’ practice of herding seals and other sea animals into shallow waters, making them accessible prey for the Thawa.
The first European whalers set up in Twofold Bay in 1828, and the town itself was established not long after. Before the development of petroleum-based products, whale oil was burned for light, or made into clean-burning tapers and candles. It was also used extensively for lubrication, tanning and soap manufacture, while the baleen was used in the making of corsets and parasols.
Of course, in those early days, whaling was a much more even-handed battle, with the shore-based whalers, armed only with harpoons, rowing open wooden boats out after the longer and much heavier right whales and humpbacks.
Some of the Eden whalers had help in their hunt of these massive prey: every year in late autumn, killer whales would swim to Twofold Bay from the waters of Antarctica and wait for the baleen whales to pass on their annual migration north to breed. When baleen whales were found, one of three separate pods of killer whales would routinely alert the men at the Davidson whaling station, assist them in herding – or even killing – the giant animals, and then take their reward of lips and tongue before leaving the rest of the carcass to the whalers. Although orcas routinely hunt in well-organized packs, this is the only place in the world where they have collaborated with man. There are numerous, well-documented stories of the symbiotic relationship between the whalers and the orcas; a relationship which started to break down in the early 1900’s.
The best known and most loved of these orcas was Old Tom, a 22-foot male who was reputed to be well over 70 when he died. (Some scientists have claimed that tooth-ring study demonstrates he was about 35, and they suggest that more than one whale was responsible for sightings of Old Tom’s distinctive dorsal fin over a period of 70+ years. Other scientists say ‘ageing’ of mature whales is an inexact science at best, and no one knows how long killers live.) When his body floated into Snug Harbour in 1930, it was decided to preserve his remains, and build a museum to house them.
This single event marked the beginning of the Eden Killer Whale Museum, and signalled the end of Eden’s whale industry.
Almost abstract: Old Tom reflecting his museum Visitors read the story of Old Tom from behind the bones of his spine. False killer whale (seudorca crassidens) skeleton: about half the size of a "real" killer whale. Anyone who has visited Australia will have met the adorable sniffer beagles who work the customs' beat. Of course, with the sixth longest coastlines in the world (25,760 km according to the CIA World Factbook), Australia puts a lot of effort into marine border protection. Lifeboats on display: Eden Killer Whale Museum Part of a derrick crane: load limit, 5 tonnes. The Lighthouse: Eden Killer Whale Museum. Scrimshaw, the practice of etching a design into whalebone or tooth, was a common leisure activity for whalers in the days when ivory was a legal, plentiful commodity. Twofold Bay from the Eden Killer Whale Museum. Whale Vertabrae Printout from an old depth sounder. The Eden Killer Whale Museum derrick crane and lighthouse. Light winds and a blue sky. Mirror reverse: The Giftshop Along the street, in front of the museum, a series of seven mosaics depict Eden's history, from the original residents: the Thawa people of the Yuin nation, to the present. The Whaler and their Lighthouse: Eden Killer Whale Museum. The orcas disappeared from Eden waters after the death of Old Tom and are a much rarer sight these days. The last Eden whaling operation closed in the late 1920s, when baleen whale numbers were already declining from operations elsewhere (The Davidson station usually netted about eight whales a year: significantly fewer than the larger commercial operations, even at that time.) Whales and dolphins have been protected in Australian waters since 1979, and every year the humpbacks pass through Eden’s sapphire blue waters in spring – with no whalers and very few orcas to harass them.
We hope to be back to catch some – with our cameras – on their next passage.
Maybe we’ll even see descendants of Old Tom!
Till next time.
Pictures and visit: 18 March 2012
Posted in Australia,Museum,Nature,WorkTags: blog,boats,fishing,fishing boats,museum,nature,Photo Blog,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,whales
Carved Soap in decorated wooden boxes: Mae Nam's Walking Street “Eating, sleeping and shopping.”
If you ask a Thai to name the country’s three favourite pastimes, this is what they will tell you. “Chatting” (คุยกันเล่น) comes a close fourth. As a general rule, Thai people value relaxing and having a good time.
I was reminded of this on our recent visit to Koh Samui. When we are on the island, we get so busy coping with the vagaries of dealing with tradespeople and agents that we don’t explore the “everyday” as often as we might. Every week nearby towns close a stretch of narrow roadway to traffic and let the already-crouded-markets flow into the roadway. Here, Thais (and visitors) can indulge in eating, shopping and chatting to their hearts’ content.
The Wednesday evening Mae Nam Walking Street is still relatively quiet. A friend of mine who lives on the island reminded us about the Wednesday evening “Walking Street” in the little town of Mae Nam. While I find evening markets a photographic challenge because of the light (or lack thereof) and the crowded spaces, they are also a great opportunity to meet and chat with local people.
Soap Carver ~ Mae Nam The soap is pressed into a mould before carving. Soap-carving tools. The carved soaps are so intricate, I wouldn't want to use them. "But they smell nice, and last a long time," she told me in Thai. My next stop was to admire the butterfly jewellery ~ The young woman selling the jewellery told me she usually sells these pieces in Phuket, but the tsunami warnings had made the markets there very quiet. She told us her family in Chiang Mai made the jewellery, sourcing the best orchids and butterflies (who had died of natural causes, she assured us) from around the area. Colourful cordials or presses over ice are still popular market drinks in Thailand. This cold-drink stand is ready to roll. Food is ALWAYS close at hand in Thailand: here a man is ready to make fresh banana pancakes on demand. Amazing what you can buy on the Walking Street! At the bottom of the Walking Street in Mae Nam there is a Chinese temple where you can pop in to make an offering. We weren’t available Friday, when the “Fisherman’s Village” of neighbouring Bo Phut holds its weekly “Walking Street”, so we had to duck cars, busses and bikes as we explored the restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques of Thanon Haad Bo Phut.
In Fisherman's Village, old buildings mix ~ ~ with stylish, up-market villas. Shops are crowded with wooden products... ... inside and out. Colour and patterns abound. Take a break from the street and wander out onto the old wooden pier; still very much in use. From the pier, you can pick out your dining options. Dining in style on the beach at Bo Phut. Afternoon flowers. We settled for a rather more modest dining location, but it doesn’t matter: on Samui, even in the “cheap seats”, you usually get a beautiful view with your dinner.
Koh Samui offers up another beautiful sunset. 
Eating, sleeping, shopping – and chatting.
Not a bad way to live, really.
Happy travels!
Posted in Culture,Every Day Life,Thailand,Travel,WorkTags: arts and crafts,blog,market,people,Photo Blog,thai,Thailand,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
The temples of Thailand are extraordinarily diverse; nowhere is this more true than in the north. From the black and white expressions of modern Thai artists (Two Artists: Contrasting Visions), to Golden Buddhas with their backs to casinos and drug trade (Golden Ratios and the Sublime); I’ve said before that Thai temples are not all the same (e.g.: Temples and Gods)!
As if to really emphasise this point, on the same day as we gave alms to the horseback-monks in the morning (Mounted Monks), we visited a temple paying tribute to scorpions in the afternoon.
Part of Wat Phra That Doi Wao, this giant scorpion faces Tachileik in Myanmar. I don’t know why this scorpion sits here, or what it represents. The plaque on the front lists the moneys donated to the building, but gives no indication as to the purpose. Our guide (whose English wasn’t great) shrugged, and said something about “maybe” there were a lot of scorpions here before. One on-line wag suggests it might be a tribute to the movie: “The Scorpion King” while others think it’s a way for Thais to thumb their noses at Myanmar, reminding the Burmese of border conflicts that the Thais have won in the past.
Whatever the purpose, the scorpion sits between two buildings, both of which afford great views over Mae Sai, across the Mekong, and of Tachileik and the rest Myanmar.
Before you climb to the top of Wat Phra That Doi Wao, you need to remove your shoes. View from Wao Mountain over Mae Sai and Tachilek to the hills of Myanmar; the Mekong runs a diagonal - mostly hidden by the buildings. This Burmese couple has come to the Scorpion Temple for the purpose of having their wedding pictures taken. The colourful paint on the surrounding buildings give the whole area a carnival-like atmosphere, and I found it hard to take the complex seriously as a temple. Clearly, however, this was not a problem for the visiting monks or other faithful who came to get blessings from the abbott.
Our guide stops for blessings from the abbot. Monks come to discuss issues or problems with the abbot. Shrine on the Wat Phra That Doi Wao complex. Temples are always expanding and in need of work. "He's doing a good job," this worker tells me. Our next temple that day was another complete contrast: a traditional temple in a quiet suburb of Chiang Saen, up a street so steep and narrow our van failed and we had to get out and walk. According to legend, Wat Phra That Pu Khao was built in 759 AD. According to architectural historians, however, it was more likely constructed in the 13 hundreds. Either way, it is old and understated.
Seated bronze Buddha, Wat Phra That Pu Khao Paying respects to the Buddha Stone Devī : Wat Phra That Pu Khao Wat Phra That Pha Ngao, at the southern end of Chiang Saen, climbs up another hill, providing more views over the Mekong; this time over Laos. Another temple reputedly started as early as 462 AD, the complex extends over 22.88 hectares.
We started at the top of the hill: at the much newer bell-shaped chedi.
Phra Bharommathat Buddhanamit Chedi sits at the top of the whole Wat Phra That Pha Ngao complex. The view from the Phra Bharommathat Buddhanamit Chedi over the Mae Kham and Mekong. The Ubosot (Ordination Hall) at Wat Phra That Pha Ngao is an elaborate golden teak chapel. The Chapel is set in beautiful grounds which must take a lot of people-hours to maintain. The Golden Teak Chapel, Wat Phra That Pha Ngao. Theravada Buddhist Nun, Wat Phra That Pha Ngao When building the new hall or wihan, they found ancient temple ruins... ... of an old brick Buddha, which they incorporated into the new building. "- Knees down beside the fortune elephant. - Clear your mind totally and make a wish." The ancient Pha Ngao Pagoda.
The last Chiang Saen temple we visited was Wat Chedi Luang, started in 1291 in the time of the Lanna kings.
Golden Buddha, Wat Chedi Luang.  Certainly, common threads through the various temples, but each with its own distinctive style.
As the Thais say: “Same, Same… but Different!”
Photos: 30 October 2011
Posted in Architecture,Portraits,Religious Practice,Thailand,TravelTags: architecture,blog,buddhism,buddhist,people,Photo Blog,religion,sculpture,thai,Thailand,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall,work
Life in a hurry? City street, Battambang Battambang is Cambodia’s second largest city. Of course, when you consider that the whole country has a population of less than 15 million, it is not so surprising that this “city” is only about 250,000 people.
As small as it is, Battambang, which is located on the Sangker River (Stung Sangkae), has always been the trade hub of the northwest. Established under the Khmer empire in the 11th century, it was remodelled by the French during their colonial rule, and the buildings still show evidence of both traditions.
The legendary Khmer King Kranhoung holds the stick with which he quelled rebellions in the area. I read somewhere that the buildings of Battambang survived the Khmer Rouge regime so well because Pol Pot had headquarters in the region: whatever the reason, this charming little city stands in contrast to the rice fields and traditional crafts and cottage industries in the villages surrounding it.
Leave the city and you are launched directly into “the past”.
The flowers in an open window of a wooden Cambodian house welcome us to the traditions of the past. No indoor electricity makes for dark interiors which contrast starkly with the white-heat of a Cambodian morning. Simple wooden catches secure the heavy doors. Light sneaks in at odd angles ~ catching bamboo matting and cotton cushions. The proud owner of the house bids us farewell. I was on a day trip that started at Battambang’s morning markets and took us through the Fish Paste “Factory” before culminating at the ancient Khmer ruins of Wat Ek Phnom. After our walk through the wooden Cambodian house, we visited a site where they make the large clay pots that are used to collect and store rainwater.
Scooping clay for the pots. It is hot, tiring work making the large pots that are needed at every home. The work-place is a social place, and extended family, neighbours and friends hang around. Bring your baby to work: there is always someone to look after the little one. This child is not quite sure what to make of all the strangers with cameras in her midst. The principal potter smiles as she takes a break from her labours. Back on the road, and onto the next village... ... where they make the best sticky-rice-and-red-bean snacks. A woman takes a break from cutting lengths of bamboo for roasting sticky rice. The bamboo canisters are trimmed and tidied before being filled and then cooked over a fire. Gran keeps an eye on things ~ ~ and is ready to share a laugh. A smiling sticky-rice seller doesn't seem to mind that our group are not buying very much. This photo series marks my final post from the Cambodian Photo Tour I participated in last July under the guidance of Karl Grobl, Gavin Gough, Marco Ryan and Matt Brandon. So, it seems only fitting that I include their portrait as part of this set. (Matt had already returned home, so is absent from the picture.)
Marco Ryan, Gavin Gough and Karl Grobl pose for us all. I think you can see from the photo that they are great fun.
They are also brilliant photographers. It was a wonderfully organised and most enjoyable trip. For me, it was also an extremely fruitful one: this is my fourteenth post using only photos from those two weeks.
I’d do it again anytime – thanks, guys!
Photos: 23July2011
Posted in Cambodia,Every Day Life,History,Portraits,RuralTags: architecture,arts and crafts,blog,Cambodia,children,people,Photo Blog,rural,sculpture,travel,Travel Blog,Ursula Wall
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Ursula, we have all figured that you and Gabe were on permanent vacation. Admiring from a distance, thinking you have figured out this retirement thing perfectly. Sorry the weather was so dismal but you are right..you just have to be ready for anything that comes your way..glad you enjoyed your time!
Hi Catherine!
Glad you could stop by. The weather has indeed been shocking, but it takes more than rain to keep us down. 🙂
Fantastic set Ursula. I am missing Phang Nga so much, I must organize a trip!
What a fun story. Looks like a great day – weather and all.
Hey, Lisa and Guava! Thanks for the visit. It was a great day; Phang Nga is always magnificent. 🙂
what an amazing journey… I think I agree with Catherine, extended holiday with a little work thrown in… thanks for the share!