Weblog
January 20th, 2008
Wat Phra Mahathat is another of the fine temples in Ayutthaya. The centrepiece of this site is the sandstone Buddha head embedded in the trunk of a tree. A bodhi tree has consumed most of the statue and all that remains is a face staring out from the roots.
Please visit the gallery of photos of Wat Phra Mahathat here.
January 4th, 2008
More images from Ayutthaya! Yes, they keep coming (and will keep coming for a little while yet)!
This time join me a little tour through Wat Chai Wattanaram, one of the more impressive temples in Ayutthaya. Its sprawling, riverside ruins are dominated by a central prang and its satellite towers. Climbing the steep steps gives a good view out over the temple’s walls, the surrounding flat area and the river. It’s just another reason to make Ayutthaya more than a day trip from Bangkok.
More photos here.
January 1st, 2008
Continuing on with more photos from Ayutthaya, today, I present you with a small selection of photos of the reclining Buddha of Wat Lokaya Sutha. Not much remains of the temple, but the Buddha is still an impressive sight. Each toe on the statue is larger than your head (tickling him does nothing in case you were wondering - he has achieved enlightenment after all).
See more photos here.
December 30th, 2007
In a constant struggle to organize, process, keyword and upload the thousands of pictures I have from Asia that still haven’t seen the light of day, I have made a small bit of progress by uploading a gallery of photos of Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the largest temple in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Now that I’ve made some headway on this particular location, my hope is that I can continue to upload more photos of the city’s many beautiful temples.
Ayutthaya is a wondrous place. The city cozies up to the temples as closely as UNESCO will allow because, well, who wouldn’t want a 500-year-old khmer ruin as the view from their window? Even though the city threatens to crowd out the history, there is a lot of peace to be found with the walls of the ancient ruins, on the back roads between giant Buddhas, and on the rivers that surround the city centre.
It’s an easy trip from Bangkok, but don’t be fooled into making it a day trip. There’s simply too much to see here before you have to get on a train to head back South. Give Ayutthaya at least a full day - it deserves it.
More photos of Wat Phra Si Sanphet here.
September 16th, 2007
I’ve been homesick lately, but strangely, not for my actual hometown of Calgary. Instead, I’ve been longing for some time spent in one of my second homes: Japan. I think it may just be itchy feet longing for someplace exotic.
To scratch that itch, I have just uploaded a gallery of photos of the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Tokyo. Surrounded by the modern weirdness and teen-oriented shopping of the Harajuku district, this temple is an oasis of traditional Japan.
The shrine is reached by walking a long, wide path through the perpetually-green Yoyogi park. Enormous torii gates signal your imminent arrival to the shrine but suggest a building far more grand than the austere and low shrine. These torii gates are absolutely huge and their scale suggests something equally large awaits.
Though this isn’t the case, the shrine isn’t a disappointment. Though it isn’t an old building, it successfully pretends to be. It was built with traditional techniques and materials that make it fit in with any of Japan’s ancient temples.
Being Tokyo, you can’t expect to find it vacant of visitors, but part of the charm lies in the people watching that can be done there. On weekends, the Meiji Shrine is a popular location for weddings and if you visit, you may be lucky to catch a glimpse of a couple in traditional dress tying the knot.
Photos of the Meiji Shrine here.
February 19th, 2007
This post is just a reminder that I will be speaking at the Foothills Camera Club on Tuesday, February 20th. I’ll be discussing travel photography in Asia and my experiences travelling through ten diverse and beautiful countries.
I hope to see plenty of people there!
Where:
Fort Calgary
Main Auditorium
750 - 9th Avenue SE
Calgary, Alberta
map
When:
Tuesday, February 20th
7:30 - 10:00 pm
November 22nd, 2006
Continuing with my recent trend of posting images from Taiwan, I have just added a gallery of photos of what is currently the tallest building in the world: Taipei 101.
The astonishingly high building is a must-see in Taipei and due to it’s height, it’s almost a sure bet you will see it from somewhere in the city. But getting up close will give you the opportunity to truly marvel at the construction. Even better, take the surprisingly-fast elevator ride to the top where you will get a perspective of the city that shows just how sprawling the metropolis is. And if the views from the observatory aren’t high enough for you, climb a few more flights of stairs and head outside.
The outdoor observatory was one of my favourite parts of my visit to the tower. On the night I visited, the terrace was not heavily populated and I was often left alone to listen to the wind and the distant, faint hum of the city. It was extraordinary to be surrounded by millions of people, but still enveloped in quiet.
Check out the photos (including a couple shots from inside the wax museum in the observatory - David Beckham and Bruce Lee were graceful models for me) here.
September 6th, 2006
For a place I called home for a month, I don’t actually have that many photos of Khao San Road. Perhaps it was because I was so close to the spectacle of backpacker central that I neglected to take more shots. After all, how often do you take photos just around the corner from your house? Then again, how many of you have your house next to such a vibrant and bizarre area?
Of course I have a few photos to share with you from Khao San Road and I invite you to take a look. After going through my selected images, I know I should have taken more - it really was a sight to behold.
From the vendors who fed me ridiculous amounts of spring rolls, falafels and other veggie delights to the tuk-tuk drivers who were so convinced they were going to be able to persuade me into their rides to the dreadlocked hippies living out their bohemian dreams in the backpacker mecca, the whole place was teeming with characters. I watched cultural performances of Khon dancing, impromptu games of football, and even a Bollywood video shoot.
The stores and vendors will sell you just about anything you may need and plenty of things you don’t: purses made out of recycled cans, body parts that looked like they had melted when you threw it against a flat surface, radio-controlled flying saucers, and hair extensions galore.
The characters of the road were also always entertaining. As an example, there was a woman with iron lungs who, during every hour of daylight would shout a sing-song “Hello! Orange juice, ten Baht!” every time a potential customer passed. And people never stopped passing. I have no clue how her vocal chords didn’t just fly up out of her mouth. I never really talked with her, but I’m sure she, like everyone else there, had a good story to tell.
Like anywhere else in the world, you take the bad with the good. Khao San Road isn’t always smiles (yes, even in the supposed “Land of Smiles” you won’t find a grin around every corner), but I won’t dwell on the downsides of Khao San Road. Instead, I’ll savour the memory of a cold fruit shake in hand in the tropical heat while wandering up and down the road, wondering what weird sight I will see next.
And as always, a couple preview photos:
August 27th, 2006
Freshly home after travelling for months? Feeling a little bit bored by the offerings your home town has to offer? Wishing you could fill up your day with culture and spectacle?
Yesterday, I answered yes to all of those questions. But since a quick hop over to Asia wasn’t on the agenda, I had to make due with Calgary’s offerings. Fortunately, Calgary’s offerings were a bit more interesting than usual.
My afternoon was occupied by a trip into Chinatown where I was able to feed my addiction to Asia. I’ve had the chance to visit that area a few times since being home and each time has offered me a glimpse of that part of the world that has become my second home. I’ve become comfortable in the oddities of Asia and I miss being bombarded by its endless surprises.
But yesterday, Chinatown was even more appealing than usual. A Street festival took over the area with a market hawking Asian wares and a stage featuring performances from the area. Karate, Thai dance, Chinese Opera and more entertained the sun-baked crowds and of course, I was there in the front row, snapping away.
After spending a couple hours in Chinatown, I wandered downtown for a while where a host of wedding photographers and their subjects were swarming around the Hudson’s Bay building. Brides and grooms mingled and I could hardly figure out who had married whom.
I then headed over to Mark and Kara’s where they and James were getting ready for our evening of fireworks. Calgary’s Globalfest was wrapping up its final night and the final night of the fireworks competition was the main draw.
The four of us headed in the direction of Elliston Park but not before stopping for some fantastic Indian food (there’s another country I’ll have to visit).
At the park, we claimed our spot in front of the lake and waited for darkness to fall while the mosquitoes hovered over my head. Kara, James and I all had our cameras propped up on our tripods leaving Mark as the only one of us that probably maximized his enjoyment of the show.
I have to admit that I have been a bit spoiled by some of the fireworks extravaganzas I’ve witnessed in Japan. They seem to have a surplus of explosive material in that country which leads them to draw out their displays for a good 90 minutes or more. This finale at Globalfest lasted around 20 minutes, but it was an impressive 20 minutes. A good diversity of colourful blasts and bursts were well coordinated with the music and made for a fine spectacle.
A day like that was just what I needed. After some of the adventures I’ve had this year, it’s certainly an adjustment to be back home, back in a world where everything seems familiar and sometimes even predictable. Maybe I just need to look a little harder to find adventure, trouble, and fun – it’s not always going to fine me as seems to happen when travelling.
August 19th, 2006
I have just posted my article on photographing the temples of Angkor in Cambodia that was originally published by Travel Photographers Network.
Angkor was truly a joy to shoot and I could have spent far longer there than I did. All the major temples merited repeat visits. Different lighting conditions and times of day would have delivered wonderful new photographic opportunities and challenges each time.
It was one of my favourite locations in Southeast Asia, so if you are in the area, do yourself and take at least a few days to make the trip into Cambodia.
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