Thailand Naturally (page 8 of 13)

Restoring... they already struggle to maintain things, so... Everything that's been blessed remains for eternity—you can bet they'll preserve those.

Thanks for the renewed encouragement! 🙂

Thanks Joel for this beautiful travel journal and these stunning photos I’m discovering after my vacation :)

I can tell how passionate you are about the details of the temples, the grand Buddhas, the intricate frescoes, but also the markets, the children’s smiles, and the flowers (unless I’m mistaken, is that your wife Françoise?).

I really should make up my mind to explore northern Thailand one day... (I’m usually more of a southern islands and snorkeling person.)

Best, Deborah

Account of our trip to Bulgaria this summer: https://voyageforum.com/discussion/recit-voyage-3-semaines-en-bulgarie-aout-2019-d9745203/

Hi there, In Thailand, temples are rarely, if ever, "restored."

One reason is that the construction of a temple generally stems from an individual donation (to earn merit—similar to what was called "indulgences" in medieval Europe, though in a different context). Therefore, it’s unthinkable to donate money to restore someone else’s temple. Instead, donations are used to build a brand-new reinforced concrete temple, often kitschier than the one already built 50 meters away the previous year—a monument with a metal framework and tiles—while letting the old wooden or brick temple with its mural paintings crumble right next door.

Restoration is also a very "European" perspective, where churches and cathedrals—and all religious art—are now seen purely from a tourist or artistic angle, rather than as religious sites.

But there are many other reasons—cultural, religious (like the rejection of attachment to earthly possessions), financial... It’s a vast topic...

Thanks for the details—it’s really interesting! I wasn’t familiar with the dowry system. Every culture is different, but I love the idea of preserving certain traditions from the past, both for their visual appeal and historical curiosity. Have a great day! Chantal

On the west side, the region is stunning with its karst formations scattered randomly.





In 1979, a monk walking through the hills spotted the entrance to a cave. After crossing it in complete darkness for a few dozen meters, he discovered two twin valleys where likely no one had ever set foot. The sun only illuminates them for three hours a day, creating a microclimate that fosters the growth of the plants living there—and thus their size. That’s how the place earned its nickname as Thailand’s Jurassic Park, thanks to these palm trees with leaves that have grown to an enormous size.

The site has been developed quite well. The 93 steps to climb and then the 127 steps to descend are, for once, human-sized, and the flashlight for crossing the tunnel is provided by the cashier.











It’s safe to say the experience is unique. It’s beautiful and majestic. You find yourself in a world apart, where, aside from the song of a few birds, absolute silence reigns. You almost expect a feathered, sharp-toothed creature to appear at any moment...

Head in this direction:

Thanks for the compliment, Michael. We try to present something... presentable. It’s not always easy.

Good evening!

What a beautiful travel journal! I almost missed it. Just discovering it now. Such a pleasure to read...

Hi!

Yes, that’s Françoise, my little private photographer! I’m just the assistant.

I won’t be long before diving into your travel journal, of course! For now, I’m working on the next post for today.

Just so you know, aside from the islands, there’s also a lot of coastline, and aside from the north, there’s the rest of the country too. You just have to decide to mix it all up, so you don’t miss anything!

Sawadee kha Françoise and Joël!

Thank you for sharing this new post! ;) It made me realize I was 4 pages behind on reading your travel journal. Shame on me (we spent 2 weeks in Provence, almost completely disconnected, for some real rest—it’s not something we do often!). And now I’ve dived right back into it! I ended up reading and reading… until the very last line!

I’ve just savored, once again, Joël’s impeccable and superbly documented story (the time it must take!). His finely crafted way of telling it makes me even more eager to discover these lesser-known spots that farangs rarely visit—and they’re calling to me, even after 11 wonderful trips of several weeks each in the Land of Smiles.

And what can I say about your photos, Françoise… wow! Still so beautiful, so tempting, with videos that bring back the sound of cicadas and insects in the forest, the rushing waterfalls—all telling me just one thing: come back!

Next year, we’ll have to settle for a little less adventure since out of our 6 weeks of travel, 4 will be spent welcoming our children and grandchildren to a villa we rented in Koh Lanta (which will be a joy in itself, of course). That leaves us with just 2 short weeks to explore the north (Chiang Rai for the 8th time… yep, we’re totally "hooked"; and Chiang Mai for the 4th time).

So, I’m already jotting down all these places we haven’t had the chance to discover yet (our Thailand checklist is far from complete, and that’s a good thing!) to add to our list for… winter 2021. Meanwhile, my husband, Michel, has actually started learning Thai (every day for almost a year now), and he can’t wait to put it into practice. He’s already doing really well with speaking, but understanding what people say back… well, that’s a bit trickier! Still, the smiles and joy of the Thai people are already a wonderful reward for his efforts (and mine, to a lesser extent).

Immersing ourselves in these off-the-beaten-path places will be another joy! Thank you both for this new gem of a travel journal—I’m devouring it without restraint!

That's it exactly: to make up for being naughty, I’m trying out travel journals to hopefully make it up to you! 😇

You’re right, it does polish your image ;) (Nice journal, by the way—it helps us "get to know" you a little better.

We indulged ourselves by crashing the largest and oldest buffalo market in Thailand.

Maybe we managed to capture a snapshot of a time (almost) gone—or at least of an era that will soon be a thing of the past. Mechanization is speeding up, and it turns out that buffaloes, such iconic animals of Asia’s wildlife and agriculture, are gradually being sought more for their meat than for the work they help accomplish. So much so that this market, which used to be held twice a week, now only takes place once a week.

Needless to say, we had a blast. Throughout the morning, pick-ups, trucks, and other hybrid vehicles unload their goods. Deals are discussed, haggling happens. The show is also in the crowd that gathers around this meet-up. Some folks come from the deepest countryside and probably rarely leave their village or farm. Françoise, for one, was eyed with... *intense* curiosity. Some were clearly wondering what on earth we were doing there.

When it comes to Thailand in the raw, you could say we hit the heart of the matter.







While it’s rare to see a two-headed animal, it’s even rarer to come across two one-headed ones!!

Thanks for your nice message. So, we're sure you won't miss the rest! 😉

"We invited ourselves with a certain delight to Thailand’s largest buffalo market."

I can just picture it!

While it's extremely rare to see a two-headed animal, it's even rarer to come across two animals with just one head!!



Siamese buffaloes, of course.

I can smell it from here

Anyway, it couldn’t have smelled like roses… 😉

I spotted an "e-tan" with a gorgeous windshield 😎

The little ones stick close to their mother and let out a heart-wrenching bellow when they momentarily lose sight of her; some powerful and wild males, unaccustomed to crowds, get nervous. Several animals really don’t feel like getting out of the truck—so there’s pulling, pushing, and shouting going on. It’s common to pay 50,000 baht for a well-built buffalo. We don’t know where to look first, and time flies by without us even realizing it.



Going the wrong way down a one-way street

























In the end, we even ran into the Daltons!!

That's it exactly: to make up for being naughty, I’m trying out travel journals to hopefully please you! 😇

You’re right, it does polish your reputation 😉 (Nice journal, by the way—it helps us "get to know" you a little better.

Of course, you had to dig up the one sentence I blurted out in a moment of weakness! - Anything you say can and will be used against you. 🤪

Thanks for stopping by! And we feel like we know you better too, especially since you switched from back to profile view! 😛

Greetings, PDS friends, In Vietnam, our perfectly French-speaking guide was the son of a farmer. He gave us a comparative study between the price of a water buffalo and that of a motorized tiller... the machine is cheaper to buy but will be more expensive to maintain and won’t last nearly as long! Like in Thailand, farmers choose the cheapest option in the short term. I’m following along in a region I don’t know... and I’m thinking of Nan, where we were the only Westerners during a trip 30 years ago. For us next year, it’s all about relaxation in the south. Take care!

I love my little critter... and I'm VERY VERY proud of it.

Okay, I might consider parting with it... but folks, that'll cost you 100,000 baht!

https://youtu.be/I-sTwiikjZY