The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

Although the city/region of Chachoengsao is not far from Bangkok, I had never visited this part of Thailand in the 20+ years I have lived here.

 

PART ONE: A RURAL ANCIENT MARKET

Our first stop, based on a roadside sign, was to the Chachoengsao Ancient Market.

 

The market is on a klong system which has many old houses alongside.

 

This very photogenic fisherman and his dog appeared as if from nowhere . . .

 

My friend John Stiles went with me on this ramble . . . and took this photo of me enjoying myself and my new Fuji X-T2 camera.

 

82 years old and a regular betel-nut user . . . she was very glad to chat with us while she visited her friend next door.

 

Next door was the old woman's 'home' -- a hovel along the klong.  Abject poverty.

 

The market is opened only on week-ends, but we were there on a Monday, and glad of it.  The old wooden structures built on stilts over the klong made a picturesque environment.

 

Lanterns from last years' Chinese New Years still festooned the old market.

 

A klong boatman, Chachoengsao.

 

The old market looked like it had seen better days: here an old stage for ceremonies and performances.

 

Although the market was closed, some of the vendors live permanently at the site.  This man sold lunch to the local residents.

 

Taking an order.

 

Life along the klong . . . at lunchtime.

 

A fisherman and his dog.  We did not see him catch any fish . . . he said there weren't very many to catch, when asked.

 

The old weathered wood and sharp light made for some nice 'minimalist' photos.

 

Light, shadow, texture . . . a bridge.

 

There was some aquaculture along the klongs . . . frog farming.

 

And, as always, the ubiquitous spirit houses.

 

The doors of the closed market shops were in themselves things of beauty.

 

We walked around for several hours finding an endless number of interesting things to photograph.

 

Sun behind a lantern.

 

Signs of coordinated development: the market was lined with these very attractive street lights.

 

I bought a leather pouch for my sunglasses and the seller put my name on it with these old tools.

 

A wall in the leather shop with framed photos of the owner's wife's parents.  Very touching.

 

The leathergoods shop had these for sale, but I could not figure out what they were for.

 

There were a number of empty, abandoned houses.

 

A lovely morning spent along the old klongs of rural Thailand.

 

I could have stayed all day in this peaceful place . . but we moved on up the road.

 

PART TWO: A RURAL WAT

We set the GPS to the town and headed up the road . . . and missed our turn and instead discovered this wonderful Wat.

 

This Wat was a long way from any village or town . . . a very peaceful place.

 

The Wat was at the beginning phase of erecting a colossal Buddha image.  It was interesting to see the rebar mesh getting ready to be plastered.

 

A beautiful rural wat under a giant sky.  We are all so small in the scheme of things . . . if there is a scheme.

 

PART THREE: A CHACHOENGSAO NEIGBORHOOD WAT

We got a little lost in the small lanes the GPS decided to send us on . . . until we spotted a giant Buddha up between the trees . . and followed an ally to where we thought it might be . . . it wasn't the 'right' Wat, but it was very interesting in its own right.

 

It was an interesting old wat that backed up to a klong . . . a klong that separated us from the giant Buddha we spotted from the road.  We decided to walk and see if there was a bridge . . .

 

Our walk took us through a cemetery next door to a school.

 

The school kids found us very interesting.

 

My first thought was . . . this is what happens if you let your granddaughter choose your crypt color . . . you get a pink crypt!

 

I asked John if he thought someone had busted into these crypts . . . or busted out?  He said he didn't want to think about that.

 

I speculated that a family had gone 'upscale' with their ancestor burials . . . meaning they came into some money, or moved from the area, and wanted to move the Dearly Departed to a new grave site.  I hope I'm right.

 

We didn't find a bridge over to the giant Buddha, but we did find some beautiful scenes.

 

There was no way through the swamp to the other side.

 

So, John and I decided to get in my truck and see if we couldn't find the giant Buddha.

 

PART FOUR: CHINESE CULTURAL CENTER

At last!  We found the Chinese Cultural Center . . . just opened last year . . . and brand spanking new.  Beautiful!

 

We paid a small donation and a guide took us around to the various altars and showed us the ropes.

 

Gorgeous colossal statuary.

 

I was especially excited about this temple because I am a follower and admirer of my old buddy Ji Gong, the idiosyncratic Chinese monk who was a defender of the weak against injustice.

 

Ji Gong, my old buddy. (Ask me why I always say 'my old buddy' when I mention Ji Gong next time we meet.)

 

My old buddy, Ji Gong.

 

I went into the Ji Gong shrine at the base of the giant statue and paid my respects.

 

Showing respect to my old buddy, Ji Gong.

 

The guide showing John the proper ceremonial details.

 

I go to many Chinese religious temples in Bangkok, but this was not an old temple as I as used to . . . it was brand new!

 

Fascinating images inside the shrines.

 

Temple Buddhas.

 

The back of a temple Buddha.  John and I placed a square of gold onto several Buddhas here . . . they were included in the cost of the donation.

 

After showing respect at the shrines, our guide instructed us to ring the big bell . . .

 

. . . and bang the big drum, each three times.  We duly complied.

 

After we completed the proper ceremonies at the giant statues, they gave us some free ice water and said we were free to explore the temple buildings on our own.

 

And my-o-my!  The temple interiors were fantastical.  Enjoy the following photos!

 

After wandering around for some time in these fantastic temple interiors we both realized we were hungry and decided to head into the old Chinese quarter of Chachoengsao along the river.

 

I paid my last respects to my old buddy Ji Gong and we were on our way again.

 

PART FIVE: THE OLD CHINESE QUARTER OF CHACHOENGSAO

We drove into the old Chinese quarter and looked for a place to park.  The architecture reminds me a lot of Penang, Malaysia.

 

My current old school 'muscle car' project in mid-modification (V8, shortened, narrowed chassis, tubbed, big-braked, and custom-painted) on the streets of Chachoengsao.

 

We found a nice noodle shop for our first course . . . .

 

After a quick snack, we headed out on a walk around this fascinating old town.  Here, the 100+ year old town market.

 

The old city market interior . . . still in use.

 

There were just too may photographic subjects to cover . .  we were just a couple street shooters snapping on the run.

 

The light in the old market spaces was marvelous.

 

At some point in the past these old shops must have been very successful, being located next to the town market.

 

The oldest shops in the city.

 

Some of these old shops are still in use by traders.

 

We stopped for fresh fruit juice smoothies.  I had a carrot and apple one.

 

There is a growing obesity problem in Thailand (pun intended).  It's no wonder . . . look at the chip and snack wholesaler's shop.

 

These well-worn shop doors were things of beauty.

 

The shopkeepers here told us that this shop had been operated by their family for over 100 years.

 

We stopped in at this riverfront restaurant for a full Thai meal that couldn't be beat. Ate way too much, but was happy.

 

Your intrepid photographer out and about . . . and getting ready to have a wonderful meal.

 

Before our meal arrived, I took the liberty to look around the old atmospheric wooden building.

 

The restaurant interior was amazing . . . and very artfully done.

 

An interior wall at the restaurant.

 

The view from our diner table!

 

After our big late lunch we went out walking again . . . what did we see? More food!

 

The vendors were all busy getting ready for the evening rush.

 

We asked this shopkeeper how long he had been sitting there . . . he said, "62 years."

 

Tai street food is delicious . . . but we were already too full.

 

We walked around a working town . . . an iceman packing his product with help.

 

An old shop house in the city center of Chachoengsao, Thailand.

 

Chachoengsao riverfront.

 

Such a beautiful place . . . but time to leave this part of town . .  we still have a famous Wat and Buddha to see.

 

PART SIX: Wat Sathorn Wararam Worawihan

Wat Sothonwararam is located near the river in another part of Chachoengsao.  It is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in the world, and is also possibly the largest Buddhist temple in the world.  The temple has the ‘Luangpho Phuttha Sothon,’ the revered Buddha image.

 

One of the most beautiful, and unique Buddhist Wats I have seen in Thailand.

 

Many golden salas surround the Wat.

 

The Wat is under royal patronage.  Here: a photo of the new King of Thailand.

 

We had come to see the famous Buddha likeness inside, but, alas, we were too late . . . it closed at 5:00pm.  What to do now?  Let's go see some bats!

 

PART SEVEN: A BAT TEMPLE

John read online that there was a Buddhist temple on the way back to Bangkok that had a mass flight of fruit bats from it's trees every evening and if we hurried we could see it.  So we went on some very small rural roads and arrived just as it turned dark.  A beautiful Wat . . . I took photos of the Buddhas first.

 

Very old and revered Buddha images.

 

More revered Buddha images at the bat Wat.

 

The trees were hung with hundreds of very large fruit bats!

 

The bats flew around so fast, and it was getting so dark, that it was almost impossible to photograph them . . . but I managed this one shot I like.

John and I had a wonderful day trip out of Bangkok.  We left at 6:30am and returned to Bangkok at 8:30pm.  What a day!

As I often do, I tag along with my wife when she goes somewhere interesting to play in golf tournaments.  This past week-end it was in the beautiful surrounds of central Scotland: Pitlochry and the tiny village of Moulin nearby.  This is a quaint cottage in Moulin.

 

The village of Mulin is build around a square with the church and graveyard on one side and the Moulin Hotel (c1665) facing it.

 

Built on the site of the 1165 chapel, in 1873 the original church was gutted by fire and the present building was constructed. In 1989 the church was closed and became a community center.

 

These old rural graveyards are very interesting to me.  I find the old 'furniture' and features sad and enlightening.

 

There are some fine, sweet cottage gardens in Moulin.

 

A lush garden in late summer.

 

The old hotel was dressed in beautiful flowers.

 

I left the village to explore the country above the town of Pitlochery.

 

Tree-lined country lanes . . . .

 

I walked along a trail at the base of Craigower Hill with an eye to walking to the top.  Some ladies at the golf course said there was a wonderful view from the summit.

 

The trail began adjacent to the Pitlochery Golf Club.

 

It was a perfect day for a trail walk - the warmest day of the year and clear sunshine!

 

The trail began at a gradual incline . . .

 

. . . and ran under varying stands of trees.

 

But the trail became much steeper the closer to the summit I came.  The trees thinned and the bugs increased.  Unfortunately, I forgot to put on any repellant (SkinSoSoft).  I got a number of midge bites here.  Itchy!

 

Nearing the top.

 

The view back down the Tummel Valley, and the town of Pitlochery, from the summit.

 

A panoramic view from the summit of Craigower Hill.

 

There were some big patches of purple heather on the top.

 

I walked back along a different trail to where I had parked the car, and drove up this avenue of trees to pick my wife up at the golf course.

 

The village of Moulin through the trees across the field.  After a delicious Sunday Carvery at the clubhouse, we took the long way home from Pitlochery to Aberdeen along the A93 up a Highlands pass on the Old Military Road.

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The road from the Spittle of Glenshee to Braemar is a stunner.

 

Fast moving clouds in the strong late afternoon light left constantly moving dark patches across the Highlands landscape.

 

The heather was in full purple bloom up in the Highland passes.

 

Sheep grazing in the summer light.  This pass is deep with snow all winter.

 

Scottish roads, a Wonder of Nature around every corner.

 

The deep shadows of late afternoon along a Highlands road.  Magnificent.

 

Coming down from the summit of the pass we came onto small crofters patches.

 

Picture perfect . . . a perfect day.

We were just back form our vacation in Poland and my wife had a golf tournament in Angus, Scotland at the Brechin Golf Course. GREAT!  I let her off at the course and headed the few miles down the road to the fascinating village of Brechin.  It was a windy and overcast day, typical of the "summer" we have had in Scotland this year.  I love the color of the fields when they begin to turn from greet to yellow.

 

You see the most interesting monuments out in the countryside of Scotland.  At first glance I thought this could be one of the ubiquitous WWI monuments or a Queen Victoria marker.  I'm not really sure what it was, it had an Angus Utilities marker on it, but also this memorial to the Police Commissioners.

 

The village of Brechin had a lot of Old World 12th century charm. 

 

The main attraction in the village is the Brechin Cathedral and Round Tower.  The Round Tower dates from the year 1000 and the Cathedral from the 13th century.

 

A grey and cloudy day is not  bad time to take photographs in the Cathedral graveyard.

 

There were some very photogenic lichen and moss encrusted old stones here.

 

These weathered and worn grave stones convey the passing of time better than a pristine and dated stone.

 

Wonderful surface . . . telling the story of nature and man's place in it.

 

What can I say . . . I love these old grave stones as visual objects of beauty above and beyond their symbolic or 'religeous' identities.

 

I took many photos of these grave stones in the cloudy gloom when I arrived, only to re-shoot them when a patch of bright sunlight passed over the great cathedral.

 

Sweet angle.

 

Wonderful stone work.

 

Sweet light.

 

With the wind blowing and a few errant rain drops falling, I decided to visit the Cathedral interior.

 

I walked around the exterior of the great cathedral and saw many wonderful things.

 

13th century stonework.

 

13th century door handles?  Perhaps.

 

A side door into the Brechin Cathedral.

 

A empty medieval stone sarcophagus alongside the cathedral.

 

The  door to the Brechin Tower was about 7 feet off the ground . . . to make it difficult to storm.  They had some good ideas in 998.

 

The cathedral had some wonderful architectural features.  I have a big interest in the aesthetics of these old doors.

 

The sun came out, at last.  What a magnificent Medieval cathedral.  Time to see what the interior is like.

 

The cathedral main entrance.

 

The interior was sumptuous.

 

Beautiful interior detailing and architecture.

 

Brechin Cathedral is known of its fine original Medieval stained glass windows, some of the finest in the UK.

 

A steady stream of pilgrims/tourists came and went.  It was absolutely silent in this space.

 

The cathedral is an active church and the out buildings act as administrative offices for the northeast of Scotland.

 

The proportions and dimensions of this cathedral are impressive.  The longer I stayed inside the more I appreciated it.

 

Wonderful stained glass framed by the pipe organ.

 

I decided to change lenses from my 18-55mm to a much wider 10-24mm to see if I couldn't get more of the interior in . . . the effect was amazing, as you can see from this shot at 10mm.

 

The wide angle lens takes in so much more . . .

 

Even though it was quite dark in the cathedral (and it was cloudy outside), I was able to brace the camera against one of the pews to steady this shot up into the rafters.

 

The pews in magic light.

 

I had a good time figuring out my camera settings in this challenging light.

 

I spent nearly an hour inside the Brechin Cathedral framing photos and sitting quietly in Buddhist meditation.

 

I waited around outside the cathedral for quite a while with the wide angle lens on for a passing splash of sunlight to get this photo.

 

After a wonderful hour spent in and a  round the amazing Brechin Cathedral and tower, I decided to go freewheeling around the old village.

 

Like so many villages I've visited in Scotland, Brechin was beautifully maintained and clean for the most part.

 

Such a quaint down town!

 

It is a little odd to find a vet supply house in such a small town . . . and in such a small building!

 

Walking from the old town center towards the countryside, I saw a row of abandoned buildings.  This is not a bad thing . . . if you like old restored buildings you have to keep the old unrestored buildings around!  These places will live again.

 

One can only guess what has taken place in the Brechin Arena . . .

 

I love the ambiance of these old towns in rural Scotland.  On one side of the street are dilapidated buildings, and on the other . . .

 

. . . colorful row houses.

 

Brechin is built atop a hill and has many steep hills.

 

Built of pinkish stone, Brechin exudes a sense of its own history.  Also note the huge security camera . . . the UK has more security cameras per capita than any country in the world . . . .

 

Staying the same while always changing . . . The Swan  . . . Tandoori . . .

 

I walked back up the hill and through the town and noticed that there was definitely a poor part of town and a rich part of town.  Interestingly, this house engraved both the dates of its construction (1781) . . . and the date it was extended (1911).

 

Lovely old town. The ornate building in the background has had several lives: community center, high school, and now the Mechanics Hall.

 

I walked as far as the Brechin Castle gate.  I hoped to walk up the drive to see the castle, but there were private property signs posted. I ran into an old retired man on the street late who told me  I should have ignored the sign.  He admired my camera and we chatted about photography for a while.

 

The Brechin Castle gate house was fabulous!

 

The castle gate house had a lovely . . . er . . . gate.

 

There are always many 'still life' studies to be found in these old towns.

 

Mid summer greenery.

As always, it's great to see old friend visit.  It's an opportunity to catch up . . . and to take a romp around the western end of Aberdenshire to see what we can see . . . yaking all the way!

An Aberdeenshire Road in July . . . a bit of a chilly day with the sun sharing the sky with threatening clouds.

 

The countryside here is very dreamlike . .  the clouds being pushed and rolled up in the face of an approaching storm front.

 

As is always the case when driving around the small roads and farm lanes of Aberdeenshire, there is inevitably a sign point to a castle.

 

Today it was out good luck to 'discover' Craigievar Castle - the family home of the Forbes clan for 350 years (acquired in 1610).

 

Craigievar Castle is said to be one of the finest examples of the 'tower' types of castles still remaining in Scotland.  We did not take to tour . . . .

 

Lovely scene.

 

My scouser friend enjoyed it, but said it was "not really a castle by British standards" but only a "keep."  He may have a point.

 

The grounds were beautiful too . . . with gates, paths and hidden gardens.

 

Peeking into the castle gardeners cottage.

 

Craigievar Castle stands on a hill, of course, and has a commanding view of the shire.

 

Sometimes you spot something interesting from the road and pull over to investigate.  As it turned out, this is the early 19th century Ladymill Farm, a candidate for official listing.

 

With the sunlight coming and going, I had to work fast to get these shots of the charming old farm buildings.

 

I indulged my fascination with old doors and . . . .

 

. . . and windows.

 

This may have been my favorite photo of the day.  Scrumptious.

 

Of course, Ladymill was a mill . . . and a few of the old machine parts were scattered here and there.

 

I took a walk around the back of Ladymill and was greeted with this vision from a dream: the perfect countryside scene . .  light dancing across the fields of green.  Extraordinary beauty.

 

We left Ladymill just ahead of a downpour . . . .and went looking for a place to eat.

 

There is so much to photograph in Aberdeenshire.

 

We stopped at several roadside hotels and tea houses but for some unknown reason they all had signs posted saying "Closed on Tuesday."  Why?  We followed a small road for a few miles to "Leith Hall and Tea Room."  We arrived in a driving rain only to discover it was closed too.  Leith Hall was a private estate built in 1650.  Leith Hall is said to be haunted by a ghost:  "The hall is reportedly haunted,^[3][7] and has been subject to an investigation by Most Haunted. This ghost is believed to be Laird John Leith III who was killed on Christmas Day in 1763 in Aberdeen at Archie Campbell's Tavern in the Castlegate during a drunken brawl in which he was shot in the head, after he reacted angrily to a fellow diner who accused him of adulterating the grain sold from Leith Hall.^[3][7] The ghost of John is said to appear in great pain with a dirty white bandage over his head and covering his eyes, wearing dark green trousers and a shirt.^[3] In 1968, one guest awoke during the night to see John in highland dress, his head covered in bloody bandages, standing at the foot of the bed.^[3] Other apparitions have also been sighted. Several writers who've stayed at the manor have reported seeing paranormal phenomenon. Elizabeth Byrd wrote about her experiences in her book A Strange and Seeing Time and describes the time that she rented the East Wing of Leith Hall with her husband in 1986.^[3] Alanna Knight has also written about her ghostly encounters at Leith Hall."

 

If you look closely through the trees, sometimes you can see an old castle ruin.  Aberdeenshire!  This is Corse Castle, c. 1581.  We finally decided to drive to the proper town of Huntly where I knew there would be an open restaurant.  We did, and it was.

 

After a fine greasy spoon lunch in a cafe nest to the Huntly Police Station, we consulted the GPS for the nearest distillery . . .  it would be a shame for my friend to visit Scotland without going to a distillery.  Our luck was good:  the GlenDonronach Distillery was nearby.  Being too late for the tour and tasting (it closed at 4:15pm!!), we instead took the very helpful gift shop lady's suggestion and bought a mini-bottle of their 21 Year Old Parliament . . . and WOW!  Delicious . . . and I do not drink whiskey! My friend IS a whiskey drinker and proclaimed it a 97 out of 100.  "Matured in a combination of the finest Oroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for a minimum of 21 years, the 'Parliament' continues the great GlenDronach tradition of offering fruit-laden intensity in its single malts.  Bottled at 48%, the 'Parliament' is non chill filtered and of natural color.  Highly recommended, even if you do drink whiskey!

 

After the distillery we headed back home to Aberdeen.  We spotted a grand church up on a hillside and went up a farm lane to take a look.

 

A beautiful road and church.  St Margaret's Episcopal Church was built in the mid 19th century by architect William Ramage.

 

The church had some fine old gravestones.

 

Wonderful patterned symbol.

 

There were some broken stones in the cemetery that had had the pieces sweetly leaned against each other.

 

I couldn't tell if these stones had been vandalized or broken by falling tree limbs.

 

The view from the cemetery.

 

It had been a wonderful day of just driving around talking in the car . . . through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

 

Aberdeenshire.