Blogs from Phayao, Northern Thailand, Thailand, Asia

Our plan for today is not too strenuous, for a change. We started the day with a visit to a local temple, Wat Si Khom Kham, on the lake shore. There are actually two temples side by side here, in the same complex, each with large golden Buddhas in beautifully decorated buildings. One of the temples is built on stilts in a small artificial bay. All very nice, but the interesting thing about the place isn't the temples themselves but the gardens in the complex. One of them in particular. In one small area of the temple grounds are a collection of sculptures that depict a very graphic and gruesome version of Hell, complete with demons, tortured people being beheaded or boiled in a pot, creatures attacking people who are trying to escape by climbing thorny ... read more

On my way to Phu Chi Fa, famous for its sea of fog view over Laos from a peak in Thailand, I witnessed a mobile corn factory working its way along the mountain road, processing corn just purchased. I was told the laborers were primarily university students on break from study in Laos. They let me photograph them after I asked for permission. They even invited me to join in the backbreaking labor. I wanted to focus on photographing them so I declined, but if I could do it again I would join them. The only one who really spoke to me was a very cute Thai woman who seemed to be overseeing everything. She said that corn prices were double what they were last year at this time, from near 3 baht (per kilo- I ... read more

4.Lahu tanfi, februar 7-19, Laurinoval. Ismet rekordot dontogeto letszammal talaltuk szembe magunkat a talalka helyen, 44 diak utazott fel, 5 autoban, 9 tanarral, es egy jo par lahu csaladdal, akik kihasznaltak a lehetoseget, es lejottek bevasarolni a varosba. A csapat az eddigi legizgalmasabb csoport volt, mar az elso talalkozaskor oldott, joszivu, baratsagos hangulat... ugy latszik thaifoldon Laurino vonzza a legjobb fej jogikat. Kis korokban uldogeltek a talalka helyen, es bekes beszelgetes, bandazgatas ment...rengeteg gitar, acroyogi, mosoly a csapatban... alig vartam hogy fenn legyunk a faluban egyutt. Megerkezett Pau baratunk is, a pesti acroyogik guruja, moszkvaban kirobbantotta a forradalmat egy acro workshoppal, majd israelben folytatta, a telepesek konfliktusainak megoldasaval. Jo volt latni ismet, jo eroben, jokedvuen. Nemsokara Mika is megerkezett, a regi indiai tanfolyamok k... read more