Thailand Naturally (page 11 of 13)

We’re spending a lovely evening at a restaurant that’s also the kind of exceptional spot Thais love—we know it well: the space is huge, the food is really good and cheap, and there’s live music.

But what’s really striking is that the owner is a true collector at heart. We’re basically in an open-air museum—the show is everywhere. The clues are obvious: this is a millionaire with a soft spot for the Western-country trend.

Now this is a seriously unique spot! You really can expect anything in Thailand!

The museum was awesome, but who would’ve expected to find a museum glorifying Uncle Sam in this part of Thailand? 🙂

Oh wow, yeah—totally unique but gorgeous based on the photos! 😎

Oh yes, all three of us!

But before we saw it for ourselves, we’d learned about it thanks to the legendary forum veterans already mentioned at the start of our travel journal.

We didn’t have time to snap a photo, but in the middle of the afternoon at a busy intersection, who was selling flowers to drivers? Well, Iron Man, of course!

Otherwise, you’ll come across the occasional Swiss-themed park or Dutch farm here and there.

Nothing surprises us anymore, but if something still does, you can count on us to show you! 🙂

Early in the morning, we visit a small, humble temple nestled in the hills and receive our fourth blessing for four weeks of happiness and freedom.

As we cross a national park where the road is littered with huge droppings over quite a distance, we realize we just missed some herds of elephants. Luckily, so we don’t leave empty-handed, a few red-faced macaques make an appearance.











Well, yes, there are also vineyards in Thailand. And these ones in a particularly pleasant landscape.

















You wouldn’t find pineapple fields next to vineyards back home.

Around a bend, a group of farmers was washing their vegetables in a small lake: it was a whole array of colorful spots that caught our attention. Then came snack time.

















In the region, how could we not stop at this temple, which is the object of great devotion since it’s dedicated to one of the country’s most famous monks.

BONUS: BANGKOK



We’re far from done with the planned visits in the capital, but the provinces are giving us so much satisfaction that we’re limiting our time in Bangkok for now.

Just barely spared from the city’s hustle and bustle, two houses built in the late 1930s still stand peacefully. Left to the city by their owner, they’ve kept their old-world charm.

You’ll find an old-time medical office and water closets that were among the first installed in the city. Also worth noting is a four-poster bed... without the posts. Actually, those were removed in the early 1940s in anticipation of a possible Japanese invasion. It was crucial to be able to escape quickly without wasting time dismantling furniture.

Gorgeous, these two houses! 🙂

If you remember, we saw much more beautiful sights last year. But it’s still a nice visit, especially since it was supposed to be paid but actually wasn’t...

I’ll have to reread all your Bangkok travel journals before I leave! 😛

I’ll have to reread all your Bangkok travel journals before I go 😛

When are you planning to go to Thailand? We’ll probably go at the end of 2020—we’re really missing Asia 😉

Diving cruise in April 2020 (don’t you remember?) in Myanmar departing from Thailand, and on the way back I’ll take the opportunity to visit Bangkok :)

But I thought it was a different trip... just a stopover, yet there’s so much to see 🤪 Okay, I won’t clutter up Joël’s travel journal—he won’t like that 😕

At the end of the travel journal, we let loose!!😎

To wrap things up, we’d like to share Wat Ratcha Orasaram. It was the setting for our final visit of the year.

This first-class royal temple is located in Thonburi. With a Sino-Thai style, it houses a large reclining Buddha. It was the perfect way to end 2019, soaking up the sun and enjoying the khlongs.

Here’s a little assortment of photos we gathered along the way:

Thanks for this beautiful travel journal, Joël—always as enjoyable to read as it is to look at! 🙂

Thanks for this beautiful travel journal that let me dream while waiting for my trip! Happy future travels! Chantal

Hi Joël, Amazing travel journal and photos—so stunning they’re indescribable. It was a pleasure reading you.

Hello, I’m not usually a big fan of temples, but some of these photos almost make me regret it... 😉😉😉 Great shots indeed—lovely slices of life. Bravo on this travel journal.

Philippe