on to Vientiane

After Luang Prabang, I flew to Vientiane. Many hours at
Wat Sisaket. The predominant colour is a pale saffron-ochre,
with many levels of age showing, wonderfully satisfying
proportions, numerous buddhas ~ really gorgeous.

I've altered the colour enough for you to see it, though the
effect on the ground is more faded & dusty & intensely textural.
But in a way that makes me stop until I can see the palimpsest
of centuries. Almost one can see events & people from other times.

An interview with Wong Kar Wai, a favourite director

yellow days

One day I was speaking with a shopkeeper who let me photograph
his great-grandparents; many shots like these don't work well
because of low light & glass. Very occasionally, out of focus
turns out better than expected.

Some days I see more of one colour than another.
Taking a lot of photos, I begin to see patterns & correspondences.
It's very interesting to me, how different our 'eyes' are.
All.. these .. different.. expressions...

across the Mekong

One day we took a boat across the river, & were adopted by some
young monks; they cross to Luang Prabang for english lessons.
It's as much a way to be educated, as it is buddhist training.
What happens for the girls, though? You can see how far the
tourist dollar goes ~ it doesn't cross the river. I think the fee at
many of the wats doesn't make it to the temples, either.

Did you know there are still millions of unexploded bombs there?

Lao people

I'd have liked to take more photos of the beautiful Lao people.
It feels so intrusive unless there's been some interaction.
In neighbouring Cambodia, the UN backed trials of some
Khmer Rouge officials were in progress . See the Big Picture

Last year I visited the museum in Cambodia that commemorates
those horrendous times, with rooms of photos of some
of the people the Pol Pot regime tortured & killed, in the same
building where some of those crimes took place, in the 70's.
A deeply effecting experience. As you can see, many were children.

light

Even doing much the same every day, it was possible to see
different things; morning or evening light, the monks would be
sweeping or gardening, laughing or studying, or invisible.
Walking around, enjoying it all. I missed a lot too.

Not much time on the net, here's a few links I bookmarked
earlier: gardens, landscape art, portraits. The latter's photos
remind me of that beautiful movie Since Otar Left.

produce market

This market (still in Luang Prabang) was early in the day, lots
of produce both vegetable & animal that was new to me.

Often, as a tourist, there's that strange discomfort of being really
interested, taking photos, & being aware of the market people
being a little tired of of us.

I need to get some publicity out there, about our book. Today I was
searching on suitable magazines ( any suggestions welcome)
& came across Intelligent Life: one article about a nun going to
art school after 50 cloistered years; another on a very interesting
subway artist. Not much progress on likely book reviewers.

restoration

For several days the small temple near the Phousi steps (still
in Luang Prabang) was always locked ~ I'd remembered the
paintings ~ then one day it opened. The light was very low,
didn't want to use flash, they are old. Beautifully restored, by
the Chiang Mai university, according to a most enthusiastic
ex-professor who also visited that day.
The fine arts department restored what was still visible,
& halted the decay in other parts without filling/guessing.
The artists show both delicacy & humour. I love them.

Far away in New York there's a sensational interpretation
of Bosch's great Garden of Earthly Delights.

taste

Taste is a strange animal, mine is kind of omnivorous, if that's
the word, I loved the recycled beercan tuk tuks, & the naive
stucco pictures, & much of the 'vernacular'; there were skillful
copies of photos & other works that worried me.

Such exquisite refinement in some temples, as well as the
mosaics in Luang Prabang's palace (no cameras)
( & a Vientiane museum with an absolutely great black Buddha
in the rain bringing mudra ~ why no cameras?)
as well as the verve of some naive art: it's all food & drink.
& the faces, the people ! This young man a standout.

There's a jump between temple stencils & here, here or here.
Or is it just the focus ?

looking & seeing

Powerlines in Thailand & Laos are everywhere.
After a few weeks, I realised I was excising them from the view.
We edit so much of what we feel, see, hear etc, don't we ?

Most Lao wats use repeating patterns from similar templates, &
I saw several of these inventive hangings fashioned from money.
Lots of funny looking dogs, not always friendly.
How to look without our usual assumptions?
Maybe that's a big reason why travel is so appealing ~ there is
a sensory overload, we have to be right here, right now ~
where in truth we always are.

the light

In February, the haze in Thailand & Laos - from burning rice
stubble - gave me red eyes; also it often softened the light,
I took many shots of shadowed walls.
& lots of monks, in the early morning, in Luang Prabang.
It was lovely to be there for 10 days.

another view, from friends.

eating

Except for a few places, where the food was 'authentic', my
eating experiences on the trip were pretty average.
In the main tourist areas, the food tended to bland
I like hot & spicy. The best Thai meal: a stall in the temple
grounds, not far from the awful Kaosan Rd.
In Laos: the Tamarind in Luang Prabang was great.
I really enjoyed seeing the multitude of wheeled food stalls.
The differences, regional & personal. Try this soon !

Another beautiful friend in Byron Bay
Oh, yes, there is now paypal for our book on shantipress

fashions

Some of the strange clothing displays
might have been generations old.
At others, I wondered who wore this stuff ~ but then I've had
that query in Paris, New York, Munich et al.
I did notice that tailor shops often had a sad tableau;
& once, a bevy of 6 fluffy white poodles ~ watch dogs?

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai worked on me slowly, by the Sunday market
I liked it a lot, there are still
quiet small streets caught in the time warp I favour,
& many lovely wats. A surprisingly large city.
By this time I'm tired of all the shopping opportunities.
A very pleasant guesthouse.

Sukhothai

Visited Sukhothai for 4 days, the ruins are lovely peaceful places,
& I also enjoyed the town; with tractor dealers in the main street,
it seemed a 'typical' country town.
It's already a month ago, the awful bushfires were happening in
Victoria. Stayed at a very nice guest house.

tables & stalls

Wherever there was food, there were tables & stalls, some
fully portable, with roof & wheels, some left stacked neatly
overnight; I love catching the differences. Some of the best
food I ate was at a stall in temple grounds, just off a busy road,
a certain hush with the soft evening light.

Took many photos on this subject, they do lack a little
without the smells, sounds, temperature, the vibe of the cook..
here's one, two, three food blogs.

mysteries

Was that fruit or sweets? In one wat only, this extravagantly
flowering tree; it's name? Where do we buy golden bodhi leaves?
What were the messages written on this stack of old tiles?
Is gold leaf burnished fully, later, or what?
I recall the unanswered questions when I see the photos again.

Who are these people looking out at us from another age?
Can people place their statues anywhere, or must
they first be blessed? &, again & again: what is the story here?
Language isn't the only barrier ~ it's quite difficult for me
to approach a person or group & say I'd like to meet them.
Sometimes a mutual interest, & we exchange smiles.

shrines

Almost every building seems to have a shrine, or spirit house.
Previously, the latter were often made from timber,
now the concrete ones are ubiquitous. In larger sites, like
temples & ruins, people leave smaller figures, & flowers.

Near Sukhothai, my next stop after Bangkok, when the tuk-tuk
driver realised I take photographs of 'everything', he showed
me a place where you can leave old spirit houses or statues,
as you're not supposed to just destroy them.
Since my budget didn't run to guides, there were many mysteries..

the grand palace

How really grand it is! Thais revere their royal family
like nowhere else. There are big crowds, from everywhere.
Even so there is something calm among the glittering gold.
I always notice something more, or different when I visit.
I asked where to find gold leaf, one day, the lady didn't quite
understand, told me I could find yellow flowers over there..

looking & looking

Wat Arun, another of my favourites, across the fascinating river.
The inspired decoration, also echoed in the surroundings,
seems somehow to come from quieter times.



There was a special event happening, all through the complex.
In Thailand that usually includes food.

In Chinatown, a quiet temple; outside it was hot, intense,
close to frantic, also exciting.

weekend market

The weekend market in Bangkok: Chatuchak ~ what a
market! Huge, varied, intense crowds & smells,
all the senses engaged, ready or not.
I went to Wat Arun on the first day, but didn't save
the photos properly on my storage device, fortunately I
could return, & their festival continued.

home again

I'm back ~ more or less. Not sure all of me has arrived.
Had a terrific trip, took many photos,
will post more in coming weeks. This is me at Wat Pho,
I love the temples in Thailand & Laos, & the people.

A favourite was Wat Si Saket in Vientiane, it's about 450 years old
& is crumbling in such an elegantly picturesque way.
But I liked them all, including the garish new ones full of
kitch, they are an integral part of each community ~ alive.
My friends' blog: http://siamlaos2009.blogspot.com