My last trip through Thailand was for work. We had a classical music duo here from the States that we took on a tour through Thailand, going to Thailand's northeast (Isaan--Khon Kaen, Sakhon Nakhon & Nakhon Phanom) and north (Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai). Jere are some of the pictures from that trip. This album unfortunately is not complete, as I just remembered to take my camera out in a few select places.
In Nakhon Phanom, also known as "the End of Siam," we stayed on a hotel right on the Mekhong River with beautiful views over into Laos.
We also visited Wat Phra That Phanom, which originally dates back to 535 B.C. and is one of the iconic temples of the Isaan region.
On the drive from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, we stopped at a roadside flower stand specializing in orchids.
Outside of Chiang Rai, we stopped at Wat Rong Khun, "the White Temple," a recent creation from Thai artist/architect Chalermchai Kosipipat. Beautiful and bizarre all at the same time...
(potted hanging heads)
(hands symbolizing 'desire')
(even the men's room was over the top)
To balance things out, from there we went to Baan Dam, "the Black House," one of the residences and also an installation/museum of another Thai artist Thawan Duchanee. The grounds feature several houses, festooned with all types of wood carvings and animal bones and hides, along with living animals such as snakes and horses.
(live python crawling across the skin of a dead python)
(intricate but huge door carving)
(another python slithering across the grounds)
(water buffalo horn sculpture)
(another elaborate door)
Finally, we visited a more traditional temple, Wat Phra Kaew. This is the temple that the Emerald Buddha, Thailand's most sacred Buddha, was purported to be found hidden in a plaster shell 700 years ago. The real one is now at Bangkok's Grand Palace, but they have replaced it with a replica.
(temple turtles)
(Emerald Buddha replica)
(temple pillar)
