Last two weeks, on 18 July 09, my friend (Leo) and I took part in the Scott Kelby’s 2nd Annual Worldwide Photo Walk. Briefly, the photo walk is a social photography event where photographers get together, usually in downtown areas, to walk around, take photos and generally have fun with other photographers. We joined in a group of the three groups of the Chinatown route in Bangkok this year.

My group photo, one of three teams of the Chinatown walking route

Chinatown walking street

Chinatown map

We spent about two hours from 4-6pm. Walked along the pathway from Wat Trai-mitr to a main business road, Yaowarat Road, and meandered to many alleyways till we finished the walk at a seafood local restaurant for gathering moment and grabbed some dishes to fill up our stomach.

Well, I have to say it was the first time and probably only once time in my life that I had a chance to roaming around and taking photos in Bangkok Chinatown like this occasion. It was really fun and I will keep looking forward to the next year event.

Here… they are some photos from my own viewfinder.

A vespa

A worker at back door

A motorbike in alley

A thirsty cat

We spent about an hours at the temple and then moved on to another site. However, we drove pass the Pre Rup Temple again on the return. At the moment we looked at the Pre Rup Temple while our car was moving, a group of yellow tone appeared in our eyes. There was a group of Cambodian monks were getting their group photo in front of the Pre Rup site. We knowed that it was going to be beautiful color in photos, yellow color together with the reddish and brownish stone. Without a reluctance, the car was pulled over and we quickly got off it. The rest was the moment of compensating sunny shine that we missed in the early morning there and yes, we were satisfied!

Yes, that was what I felt when I walked into the Ta Prohm Temple.  Even the walkpath to the Ta Prohm  Temple nowadays does not look like what I let you imagine. But you would feel that when you visit there.

Ta Prohm, intentionally left as it was found in the 19th century, appears enveloped by massive tree roots, tentacles that hold it in the convoluted grip of monstrous nature. Distorting the stonework in a way that creates a surreal effect.

Recently I did travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia again after my first trip to the town in last few month ago.  I did not have a chance to visit the Angkor Temples at that time. I then expected that I could have a chance to see the temples during my second visit. Lucky, this time I stayed at a hotel which is not too far from the Angkor Temples. Thus, my friends and I managed ourselves to explore the magnificent archaeological monuments in very early morning and some days in late afternoon.

Angkor literally means “city”, the Khmer kings built their successive capitals and ruled over the greatest empire Southeast Asia has ever known.  For more than 600 years, from the early 9^th century to when it was finally abandoned in 1431 in the face of Thai onslaughts, Angkor was the heart of a rich and sophisticated civilization.

I will be posting more on the Angkor Temples. Please stay tuned and I hope you will enjoy the great explorer here.

Here are photos compared size by size of these two bags.

Front - 5MDH vs 6MDH

Side - 5MDH vs 6MDH

Like brother and sister

In addition, I also have a few photos to show you what photo gears the 5MDH can hold.

5MDH can hold all these gears

Size shape when the gears loaded

Taking a boat from the Laem Sala Beach is the easiest way to go to the cave. After 10-15 minutes riding a boat and landed on a beach, a short distant walking through the rainforest  leads you to a sign of another path to the cave. A 430m steep uphill mountain trek is the real way to take you to the cave. 

Approching a beach in front of the cave entrance

The Kuha Karuhas pavilion built for a visit by King Rama V in 1896.

The beautiful Thai-style Royal pavilion

Limestone wall in the cave

In this year 2009, the Songkran festival had become notable periods for Thailand, not in a good way though. I will not go into details of the chaos in Bangkok and Pattaya. Those matters are not considered as the “Worth” in my own blog theme. 

None of Thai people would like to experience the Songkran celebration like what we just had either in Pattaya or Bangkok recently, I dare to say this!  The only war we are keen and looking forward to is a battle of water gunfires, not tear gas…

“Sawasdee Pi Mai Chao Thai” = Happy New Year to Thai People.

May the force be with you-

Here are some photos taken on a boat trip to Pak Ou Caves.

Boats at Pak Ou Caves

Paddling boat on the Mekong