Thailand Naturally (page 7 of 13)

My zen moment of the day! 😏

A plantation of large trees, including a patriarch, can be seen between two villages. The spot is popular with locals since small shops are set up near the entrance. It’s a great opportunity to try some homemade products, like a medicinal tea made from bark and sweet treats crafted from the trees’ fruits.





Once you reach the base of the massive tree, there’s no doubt—it’s a real beauty. It even serves as a home for a few bee colonies. While it’s lovely to admire, it’s just as fun to watch the antics of people taking photos with it—and of course, we’re invited to join in. You take my picture, I take yours, we take one together, and then we all take a group shot. All in good spirits and with lots of laughter!















We end our day at a temple dominated by a majestic 52-meter-tall seated Buddha. But what we’ll really remember are those interactions with the people there, all surprised to see us show up. The photo sessions turned out to be a blast.

You didn’t tell us what you thought of the homemade products, like the tea!

In the morning, we take a look at another temple in the city, whose yellow chedi has recently been restored. The basin there was used for the coronation ceremonies of Kings Rama VI and Rama VII. There are also some ancient Buddha statues (up to five centuries old). A somewhat peculiar monk approaches us and gives us plenty of explanations. It's the downside of knowing a few words and phrases in the local language: some people think you understand everything. Unfortunately, we only have the vocabulary of a five-year-old and are still far from being perfectly acclimated. But it turns out this monk is really quite unique. Not quite here, not quite there yet. Still, we got along well and managed to wrap up his lecture and slip away without too much trouble.











Under the scorching heat, we take a walk along the river. Uthai Thani is known for its floating houses, whose residents still live off fishing or fish farming.

A plantation of large trees, including a patriarch, is worth observing between two villages. The site is frequented by locals since small shops are located near the entrance. It's a great opportunity to try some homemade products, like a medicinal tea made from bark and sweet treats crafted with the trees' fruits.

The patriarch in question seems to be a type of milkwood tree, given the aged shape of its trunk. You can certainly use its bark, but doesn’t the fruit in the photo come from a sugar palm? Gorgeous province of Uthai Thani.

There isn't always an obvious connection between the text and the photos. Usually there is, but not this time.

We opted for a small tray of sweet desserts, but it wasn’t possible to get a detailed explanation we could understand. All we were told was that everything was made from trees. Of course, all the sweetness comes from palm trees.

The tree really does look like a kapok tree. That said, readers of my travel journals know full well that my knowledge of botany is pretty limited 😉

There must have been people who came from Laos long ago and settled in the region, judging by the "sins" worn by the women in this photo. Plus, it’s written "Talat lao viang" (Lao village market).

Thanks for this extra bit of info we wouldn’t have found on our own.

There must have been people who came from Laos in the past and settled in the region, judging by the "sins" (traditional skirts) the women are wearing in this photo. Plus, it’s written "Talat lao viang" (Lao village market).

Hi,

Just to add, Viang is the name of the village: "Lao market of Viang" (or maybe Vieng?).

This tree is majestic! And Françoise's photos are once again breathtaking. You had a really great route this year! !

We’re planning to visit the sites where the ancient city once stood. The current temple also oddly serves as a parking lot for buses. We were lucky enough to run into kids with their teachers. Many of them gave us a charming little wave.













A short distance away, a memorial stands near a chedi and stupas from the Ayutthaya period that are still standing strong after a restoration a century ago.

Whenever I read a travel journal about Thailand, I’m still amazed by the number of temples you come across in the country—it’s really impressive! 🙂

This tree is majestic! And Françoise's photos are once again breathtaking. You had a really great route this year!

In Tak, next to the natural park we visited, there’s another much larger park where you can see the tallest tree in Thailand. There are also several waterfalls and a monumental stone arch carved by nature. It’s a huge park, and visiting it requires good physical condition.

True, it’s been a great route this year, and I guarantee you’ll have several more extraordinary days ahead. Previous years haven’t been any less interesting for us—otherwise, we wouldn’t have come back so easily. What makes a difference is our growing experience of this country and the fact that we’ve gotten better at researching.

There are still many things we don’t show, especially regarding our interactions with people. It’s a deliberate choice—maybe that’ll change if we decide to offer travel journals that aren’t always the same and can appeal to readers each time.

Hello. A thousand thanks for this new tale.

When I read a travel journal about Thailand, I’m still amazed by the number of temples you come across in the country—it’s impressive! 🙂

At the rate they’re building, we’re only going to be more surprised. What amazes us is the sheer number of interesting temples to visit. We’ve already featured nearly 130 right here—wonder how many we’ll have when we’re done...

130 temples😮! Are you the Indiana Jones of the forum?

Some really beautiful photos 😊

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Thierry.Fostier.photographe/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1695173267249534

A little further on, the new temple stands alongside the two older ones, the oldest of which has been in ruins for a very long time.



The top of the latter is carefully preserved and protected from the elements. The monks invited us to enter the building reserved for them. In a small side room, the Buddha from the old temple is kept while waiting for the new construction to be finished, and for now, it keeps company with a mummified monk preserved in his glass coffin. Some signs indicate that a religious festival is approaching.

Thanks for this little hidden gem. Fewer fairy tales this year, maybe a bit more next year? 🙂

Hope they restore the old paintings—their simplicity is so touching! Every day brings a new discovery/pleasure in this travel journal.