My second visit of Asia. This time we were in Thailand - Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Mai and Chiang dao district. We also visited Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand - Bangkok
During first few days in Bangkok I visited Kanchanaburi. Kanchanaburi is a city place north west from Bangkok near Burma border. There is “The Bridge on the River Kwai” and also Tiger temple which I want to see. In truth, I was a little bit disappointed from this one day trip. I spend the rest time in Bangkok by visiting my favorite temples like Wat Pho and Wat Arun and I discovered amazing building - Erawan Museum - it’s most beautiful building which I have ever see. In the evening I spend a lot of time around Khao San Road - I just love the atmosphere there ;o)
I focused to street live with my photography. Last year a made a lot of pictures from temples, but nowadays I try to captured something else - street live of Bangkok.
After this three nights in Bangkok I go to Chiang Mai overnight by train.
Thailand - Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is situated in north west of Thailand near the Burma and Laos border. It’s totally different like Bangkok. It’s very hilly area with rain forests. In these mountains live a lot of hill tribes people and they made about 70% of traditional Thai products from fabric, wood etc.
Except these people I also visited a lot of waterfalls, highest peak of Thailand, one coffee farm, Chiang Mai Sunday Market etc.
Chiang Mai - Doi Inthanon (the highest peak of Thailand)
You can achieve the summit of highest peak of Thailand named Doi Inthanon (Elevation: 2,565 m) by car - cars stop only few meters from this peak ;o) I have never hear about the highest peak which summit you can achieve so easy …
I really like Chiang Mai Sunday Market - each sunday peoples from hills visited downtown of Chiang Mai and they build a lot of stands in main road of Chiang Mai. They sell there they products from fabric, wood, steel, leather, their pictures, food etc. There was also a little shooting gallery for air guns.
Chiang Mai - Elephants
In Thailand you have a lot of opportunities to spend time with elephants. You can hear a lot of stories about hitting elephants with iron hook and other kind of wrong behaviour. But I think that you can choose exactly what you find - “funny” elephant show, riding on elephant with iron seats in circles or riding on elephant in jungle, or just taking care about elephants - feeding, bathing and walking with elephants for one day. I choose the last one and I like it for one time.
In truth, I’m scared from elephants. They are amazing powerful and huge animals. They are able to kill you in one second. Well, finally I enjoy cleaning elephant in the river and feed them. They are amazing !
One of local guy brought us some fruit from forest. He want to clean it for us of course - in the river where I cleaned the elephant. He cleaned the fruit and I ate it. It was the best fruit which I have ever ate ! When elephant finished a bath he shitting to water where that guy cleaning the fruit. That guy bring that shit by hand and throw away that shit to pile of shits in the side of the river ;o) Well you must build your own immunity system by the best fruit from rain forest cleaned in shitting water ;o)
Chiang Mai - Hill tribe people
I visited one village supported by Thailand government where live people from different tribes. They emigrated from Burma or from Laos and they trying to adapt to modernization. Nowadays they can live in this village and selling their products. That’s the way how can people from these tribes stay in touch with their traditions and culture without modernization and losing their identity. When I leave this village, I was a little bit confused and I thinking about it to today ...
I also visit other one village in mountains. There were a lot of ordinary people mostly children and women. Men were at work somewhere in the city (outside of this hill village) during the day. I like this village and these people. You can visit them and a little bit talk with them. They smiled to me, children running around me and there was a good atmosphere in general. It was somewhere in Chan Dao district.
Well after these experiences from Bangkok and Chiang Mai was a good time to leave Thailand. I was full of new experiences fascinated by Thai people.
Singapore
The journey from Chiang Mai to Singapore was a little bit difficult because I didn’t plan visit Singapore, but my friend talked my, that I must go there if I’m going to Kuala Lumpur. Well followed his advice and I decided going to Singapore.
I booked accommodation maybe ten minutes walk from Marina Bay. It was definitely a good decision. First night I was made a photos of laser show in Marina Bay and walk around skyscrapers.
Singapore - Little India
Next morning I decided to visit Little India and Chinatown. It was only two kilometers from my accommodation it means maybe 20 minutes walk. For a first time in my live I visited a Hindu temple. It was totally amazing - sculptures of goodness, hindu monks and that atmosphere ! I wasn’t sure if I can go inside of one of Hindu temple. There was a procession but I went there. Well I don’t have a right words for my feelings. It was a very strong for me. Semi naked people painted by white lines, live music, sculptures of hindu goodness with bloody hands and knifes and also a lot of noise around me - just amazing ! It was really powerful !
I visited buddha temple in Chinatown. There is a big differences between Thai and Chinese representation of sculptures of Buddha. In Thai buddhist temples are Buddha slim and in Chinese buddhist temples are Buddha represent like a overweight man.
After visited various kind of temples - Hindu temples, Buddha temples started a big storm. I must went back to accommodation.
Singapore - Marina Bay
After a big storm I leave the accommodation about 9 PM - that was time for shooting a second Laser show in Marina Bay. The laser show in Marina Bay is usually twice a day. I shooted some photos from river side near Lion sculpture. Lion is symbol of Singapore City. Than I walked around Theatre to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. You can go there to roof of this mall. Than you can continue from roof of this mall to Marina Bay Sand Hotel by footpath over a highway placed may be in highest of sixth floor. You can just continues with this walkthrough Marina Bay Sand Hotel. There is the next one footpath over a highway followed you directly to Gardens by the Bay. I arrived here about 11PM and that was just amazing ! When I walked throw footpath over highway on the Gardens shone amazing blue Supertrees. Supertrees are tree-like structures that dominate the Gardens' landscape with heights that range between 25 metres and 50 metres. That is the most beautiful building which I have ever seen. But my impressions were squared by midnight atmosphere. There was only a few people and relatively silence. There was only big blue shining Supertrees. It was like from Avatar movie ;o)
Well Singapore city is in general full of contrasts - HIndu procession or Little india in general and Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.
Singapore is definitely in the list of the cities which I must visited again. There are a lot of different things in small place - I really like this kind of cities ...
Next morning I went to Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur. Our flight which had last only one hour had a six hours delay. Well sometimes shits happends. That was a first time when I decided to travel by plane only in shorts. I was a totally frozen after three hours of waiting for the flight ;o)
Kuala Lumpur
After six hours flight delay I arrived to Kuala Lumpur hotel about 2AM and I just asleep. Next morning I visited Petronas Towers and continue to Batu Cave the most popular Hindu shrines outside India. One of Hindu monk pray for my protection from devils. I also like various sculptures of Hindu goddess like cow torso with tail of peacock, wings, women tits and a human head. This things are totally different and it’s hard to understand for me what this sculptures exactly represent. Definitely this experiences are for me very beneficial and this kind of experiences inspired my to educate and travel a lot around various cultures and explore it.
After visiting of Batu Cave I visited Kuala Lumpur Tower and then the Little india in Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur Tower is 421 meters height and this tower offer an amazing views to Kuala Lumpur City. I really enjoy the view to Petronas Towers, because you have a feeling that you are a little bit higher than Petronas Towers.
I visited Hindu procession in Sri Maha Mariamman Temple where I captured a short movie from this procession. It was a strong experience again.
In truth, I choose a bad order of visiting these two amazing cities - Singapore left inside my a stronger feeling than Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur was perfect - Batu Cave, Sri Maha Mariamman Temple etc. but the cultural contrast of Singapore between HIndu and China culture near Marina Bay and skyscrapers are totally amazing - a lot of changes in 30 minutes of walk thru Singapore ...
Well, after this twice “two night stay” in each city was a right time go back to Bangkok for last two nights ;o)
Bangkok again !
I used to stay in Bangkok a few days after arriving to Asia and also I spend there last few days. In this time I stay ther for last two nights. After whole trip I don’t want to making more photos or visiting some other sights. I just walked thru Khaosan Road, I visited Chatuchak Weekend Market for last shopping and last night the small jazz club in Bangkok without tourist and I enjoy live Thai Jazz concert in company of thai people.
This trip was totally amazing full of a lot contrasts and different cultures. I really enjoy this kind of “colorful” experiences.
But as a last time when I come back from Thailand, the really strong cultural shock I experienced when I come back to Europe. Angry people without smiles totally bored by their lives - that was first european people who I met - staff in airport, or staff in our domestic restaurants etc. … that was a horrible and the biggest shock ... ;o)
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