The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

The first Khao Yai week-end . . . . small roads and beautiful temples.

As my university has called off live, in-person instruction, I have been making my lessons at home and posting them online.  This has had the hidden benefit of allowing me to physically be wherever I want to be, as long as I have a computer and a good internet connection. So twice in the last month my wonderful wife and I have gone up to the mountains of Khao Yai, 2 1/2 hours northeast of Bangkok.

 

We visited friends at Toscana Valley in Khao Yai.

 

Khao Yai is a region at the western end of Sankamphaeng Mountain Range and is a heavily wooded area with a fair amount of natural environment still with wild animals, such as elephant and tigers, in the Khao Yai National Park.

 

Although Khao Yai is known for the National Park, much of the region is developed for weekenders from Bangkok to escape the city hear (especially in the 'cool season').  There are many, many small resorts and tourist activities sprinkled around the beautiful countryside . . . as well as an interesting assortment of Buddhist Wats.

 

So, while my wife played golf at the beautiful courses in the area, I explored the small roads to see what I could see. . . . 

 

I had fun following 'points of interest' signs . . . and seeing if I could get to the hilltop temples I could see here and there in the landscape.

 

Wat Sanaamsai is a giant white Buddha statue on top of a hill.  To get there you have to climb up hundreds of stairs.

 

Hundreds of stairs and hundreds of bells to be rung.

 

I am often amused by the cartoonish monks who adorn Buddhist shrines and altars in Thailand. I decided to light some incense and candles before I embarked on the hundreds of steps.  Fortunately, some nice people pointed out that I could drive all the way to the top if I wanted to.  So I drove up.

 

In addition to a fine mandala, there was a wonderful view across Khao Yai from the top of the stairs.

 

I was glad that I hadn't walked up the stairs!

 

A fantastic giant Buddha image looking out over the valley.

 

I loved this row of Buddha statues in the many symbolic poses.

 

So many beautiful Wats in rural Thailand, and it seemed like there were more than the average number here in Khao Yai.

 

Such a pretty setting for this hilltop Wat.

 

Back out driving on the small farm roads through a great variety of agricultural crops.  These were planted in quite a few fields . . . but I have no idea what they were for.

 

Even out on the smallest rural roads there are little stalls for Thai street food.

 

I saw a temple on a hill top and drove along very small rural lanes until I found the entrance.

 

I eventually found the Wat entry . . . and drove up the steep hill.

 

The road did not go all the way to the top.  I parked and found the steep steps to the top.  I opted to take a service path that wound along the side of the steep hill.

 

The walk up to the temple had wonderful views out over the surrounding farm land.  Some say this area looks like the Italian countryside around Tuscany.

 

I arrived at last on top to discover a very fine, new Wat.

 

Magnificent. Wat Pa Phu Hai Long.

Buddhas of all kinds atop the hill.

 

A grand view.

 

I love these stone balls that have been covered in gold leaf by pilgrims.

 

Such an interesting contrast of shapes and textures . . .

 

I left a donation at the beautiful altar.

 

I was sorry I had to leave this wat . . . it was so beautiful up on the hilltop.

 

I enjoyed my walk back down the hill from the temple . . . and admired the view.  Many people say this region of Thailand reminds them of Tuscany in Italy . . . yes, it does.

 

I saw this little fellow near the car park.

 

We stayed at the guest house at the Tuscana Resort, an Italian-themed development for mostly Bangkok week-enders.  Beautiful.

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A Second Week-end Trip to Khao Yai: A Buddha Cave and a Floating Market Garden

Another week-end out and about on the country roads of Khao Yai while my wife played golf.

 

Just a village Wat along a country road.

 

Such a wonderful, and brand new temple.  So new, in fact,  there was no sign and no marking on GoogleMaps.

 

There are an abundance of Wats to see in Khao Yai.  This one on the way to the Magic Caves.

 

A beautiful multi-roofed staircase leading to a hilltop Chedi and temple . . .

 

I opted not to walk up the hundreds of steps to the top of the hill. The caves beckoned.

 

My GPS took me to this place.

 

My GPS makes perfect artistic decisions sometimes, for next to the hill was this fantastic corrugated building hung with an aging banner of some long forgotten festival.  Textures to dream about!

 

Road dust obscuring a sitting monk image . . . and corrugation . . .

 

The other end of the banner held another fabulous image.

MAGIC CAVE LAND

After snooping around for a while I found the cave entrance located inside Wat Tham Trai Rat, a woman approached me and showed me a card that said she was an official guide for the Magic Cave Land.  I asked how much it cost (in Thai)" and she answered in English, "Something or nothing." She took out her keys and we walked in the cave.

 

And down we went under the Earth into a colorful and wondrous world.

 

Not long after the Buddha altar grottos began to appear. Magnificent!

 

Ad on in to the cave we walked. Of course there were colored psychedelic lighting throughout!

 

Buddhas, monks, and hermit statuary throughout.

 

Some of the Buddha altars were more formal . . .

 

I'll bet this place was on the Hippie 'must see' list!

 

It seemed like wherever you looked there would be a Buddha statue in a nitch in the rocks.  Wonderful.

 

Although the cave is not completely full of amazing rock formations, there are enough to make anyone with an interest in geology interested.

 

There were some fascinating flowing rock formations.

 

After about 39 minutes of walking and stooping through narrow and low passages, a sign in the dim shadows appeared . . . I thought, "this is going to be interesting" . . . 

 

"Interesting" is an understatement.  Truly a wondrous thing to see deep in a cave in Thailand.

 

Not only 'cave man bones' but the bones of animals and perhaps other humans were embedded in the stone display.

 

We caught up with a big family here . . . they were rubbing the bones and then spreading the 'bone spirits' around their heads . . . so, of course, I did the same. Very therapeutic.

 

As there always are, pots for making donations to the upkeep of the caves and nearby wat. I left coins in each.

 

At one point there was an opening in the cave ceiling and a perfect light shaft shown through . . . I wished it had fallen on a golden Buddha . . . but it didn't.

 

My favorite Buddha altar in the cave. Magnificent.

 

Astonishingly beautiful cave Buddha altar.

 

Colorfully lit passages . . .

 

Passing from underground room to room and 'discovering' new vistas and Buddha altars.  Extraordinary!

 

After a 90 minute 'tour' underground we at last came to the stairs leading out.  It was a very interesting experience in a low key kind of way.  The cave was very low key, not at all an over-developed tourist attraction.  It is, after all a Buddhist temple.

The Khao Yai Floating Market

I stopped in at the Khao Yai Floating Market and was greeted by this old Chevy pick-up.  Nice.

 

Another nice, funky old Vespa with a side-car at the entrance.

 

Although it would be fair to say that the Khao Yai Floating Market is a bit of a 'tourist trap' . . . it is not without its charms, beauty, interest, pretty gardens, and photo opportunities.

 

You enter the 'floating market' through pleasant gardens before walking 100 meters down a hill to the pond (not a river) they dug for the water feature.

 

I didn't have a map of the layout, so I followed the signs . . . OH! COFFEE! I'll have to check it out . . . but first . . .

 

I started along this wooden boardwalk to explore the old buildings. Very pretty.

 

The actual 'floating market' does not actually float.  It is a manufactured replica of a traditional Thai floating market [my photos of a real floating market can be found here].  It looks nice, but is not authentic.

 

Before the pandemic, one assumes, Bangkok week-enders would flock here for food, a little shopping, and to enjoy the gardens.

 

At 10:00am on the morning I visited the Khao Yai Floating Market I was the only patron.

 

Fortunately there was ONE little food stand open selling my favorite papaya salad (sum-tam).

 

A side order of sticky rice and puffed rice cakes (and a CokeZero) made a nice snack.  It was delicious.

 

I cold see that it would be nice to while away a hot afternoon in a hammock here . . .

 

There were a few antique items setting around to create an old-timey feel.

 

The wooden boardwalk was a thing of beauty (to me!). It was a little strange to be in this place all alone . . .

 

I was fascinated by this old barber shop . . . I wondered if a real barber occupied it as a business during more touristy times.

 

All the little shops along the boardwalk were closed . . . on to the gardens.

 

This is good. I love flower gardens.

 

A vast and wonderful hillside garden greeted me!

 

They had a good eye for color.

 

I followed a black butterfly around for a while . . .

 

Sunflowers are such a happy sight . . . always.

 

A sunflower is an amazingly complex thing.

 

A sunflower is one big flower filled with many, many smaller flowers opening up in rings around the center.  WOW!

 

Each sunflower is quite unique.

 

Someone thought it was a good idea to plant sunflowers in the rose garden . . . it sorta worked . . .

 

Many different flower beds winding up the hill to what I hoped was an open coffee stand.

 

Beautiful colored whispy fronds.

 

The flower gardens were quite extensive and well-maintained, considering the wet season had yet to begin.

 

Up on the hill were a row of lounging huts . . . places to spend the day.

 

The coffee shop was open . . . and the coffee was delicious.  There were pleasant places to relax while enjoying the coffee (and a brownie) too.

 

Two couples in their 20s showed up and took photos of each other in this heart-shaped 'frame.'

 

It was hot, and it was time to leave.  I walked back down the hill under the cover on these wonderful stairs.

 

Shadow and pattern . . . on the stairs down . . .

 

I passed this along the way . . . I have no idea what the plan was for it . . . but it was very interesting.

 

And back along the pond . . . 

 

 . . . and across a very rickety bamboo bridge . . .

 

For some reason, there was an old fashioned schoolroom set up.  I suspect the developers were collectors of all kinds of old stuff, and this project was a good place to display it.

 

And at last I was back to the Strawberry People and the park exit. It was worth the nominal entry fee for a nice morning of photography and coffee.

 

And we finished the day at our friends house for a magnificent BBQ in Toscana.

Khao Yai (literally, "large mountain" in the Thai language) is a region of Thailand about a three hour drive northeast of Bangkok.  It is thought of as an area with a national park, mountains,  and nature, although the mountains are really just tall hills. There is a lot to see in this part of rural Thailand . . . and one very special temple: Wat PA Phrom Prathan (last half of this entry).

While my wife played golf with her golfing gang, I escaped to the small back roads.  There are always Buddhist temples (wats) every 4-5 kilometers along almost every road in Thailand.

 

I stopped in at many of these roadside wats and walked around and took a few photos.  I have lived in Thailand for a very long time and have been in literally many hundreds of these Thai wats.

 

Rural Thai wats can be very similar, but there are always surprises and idiosyncrasies.  This wat was in the process of building a new temple building.

 

Pre cast decor waiting too be added to the exterior of the new wat structure.

 

This Buddha image was very unusual for Thailand! It seems more Japanese . . .

 

You have to remember that what is found inside a Buddhist temple was put there by the donors, not necessarily by monks who live there.  This is a grotto dedicated to a Hindu guru.  It is not uncommon to see Hindu gods and iconography in Thai wats.

 

Having been a sponsor of the construction of a wat myself, I am always excited to see a new wat being built . . . I especially enjoy the interiors . . . . a wonderfully naive Buddha statue awaiting a gold leaf covering, I assume.

 

The wat did not have a proper temple building.  This is the altar the new building will replace . . . just a covered portico.

 

This wat had a line of gilded revered monk statues.  Very powerful:  These Guys Made It All The Way And You Can Too!

 

There are non-Buddhist, but old spiritual practices to be found in Thai Buddhist temples.  These are for use in a numerological system for fortune telling.  Beautifully  weathered.

 

"Welcome to make merit for your Zodiacal Birthday" . . . . and a little something for the days of the week too!

The hillside wat had a beautiful staircase up to the new wat location.

 

The same staircase looking down.

 

The monks live in a variety of accommodation: sometimes they have their own 'hut' or cabin, like this one. Sometimes these can be very nice, and sometimes very austere dormitories.

 

This monk keeps an interesting and cluttered front yard!

 

I found this wonderful altar in a sala out in a wooded area of the wat.

 

There always some amazing things to see on the grounds of Thai Buddhist wats!

 

At another wat along a country lane . . . a bell and drum tower and very large outdoor Buddha.

 

Such a serious-looking Buddha . . .

 

I loved this statue of the Buddha as a wondering monk . . . which he was.

 

Sometimes my small rural lanes would come to a dead-end . . . as it did here in a farmers field.

 

Many small work sheds dot the agricultural landscape in this part of Thailand.

 

It was a beautiful day to be out rambling in the Thai countryside.

 

I stumbled upon this big greenhouse operation raising roses.  Big agribusiness out in the deep forest.

 

A bamboo pump house.

 

More rural agribusiness . . . lettuce.

 

Being only 3 hours to a city of 13 million people, this kind of big agribusiness was to be expected.

 

This old teakwood shack was occupied . . . rural splendor?

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WAT PA PHROM PRATHAN

This small sign caught my eye . . . It must be a wat . . .

 

While driving into the wat grounds I did not notice anything unusual at first.

 

For such a deeply rural wat in a forested area, the salas and monuments seemed especially wonderful.

 

Such a wonderful Buddha sala . . .

 

I found a place to park and as I stepped out of the car this is what I saw!  Remarkable!

 

There was a powerful spiritual presence in this place.

 

I sat here for quite awhile . . . and lost myself . . .

 

After sitting . . . I went for a walk to appreciate the spiritual environment I had fortunately found.

 

When I spotted this inviting road, I had to find out what was up there . . .

 

What I found at first were several very sweet monks' houses set in the trees.

 

A simple, but attractive, monks quarters.

 

This remarkable Buddha was outside one of the modest monk's quarters.

 

My long walk up the hill was rewarded with this view of a new wat building nearing completion.  A brand new Thai Buddhist Temple, Wat PA Phrom Prathan.

 

The new wat sat high on a hill over the valley.  I walked around the site several times marveling at its fresh, pristine beauty.

 

I noticed that the inner spaces of the wat were not swept or tiled . . . I knew this meant that they had not officially moved in . . . they were still working on it.  The door was ajar, so I peaked in . . . 

 

And this is what I saw when I opened the door . . . an artist on scaffolding painting an amazing mural on the far wall.  WOW!

 

The artist at work.

 

The artist came down off the scaffolding to offer me some water.  I declined as I had my own.  We chatted for a while.  He said he had been working on that wall for three years already and that there were two or three more years left to finish the rest of the interior.

 

This altar faced the wall he was currently painting.  He said that this wall only took six months to paint.

 

The artist's work and workmanship were masterful.

 

The huge mural depicted Buddhist and Thai iconography, as well as scenes from the life of the Buddha Gotama.

 

After we spoke he climbed back up to his platform and resumed painting. I sat watching him paint for quite awhile.

 

Standing outside the new wat enjoying the hilltop view out over the agricultural landscape of Khao Yai.

 

I walked back down the wooded land past the many monks cabins.

 

On the way back down I stopped at the tail of the many-headed dragon-snake that had welcomed me when I started up the hill.

 

Back where I started, at the tree sheltered Buddha altar.

 

Extraordinary 'bodi' trees at this wat.

 

These trees!!!

 

I strolled around the rest of the temple grounds and came upon these monks' cells.  I assume this was a wat that took in novice/new monks and trained them here.  Very austere  . . .

 

Someone had built a very nice sala with statues of three ancient Thai Kings.  Sweet.

 

What I assumed to be the head Abbot's house getting the finishing touches on a new roof.

 

The current main hall where the monks daily meet to meditate and chant. The door was open and I went in.  I had been looking for the donation box and I found it here.  I left a substantial donation toward the construction and maintenance of this wonderful place.

 

I left this wat after many hours exploring its beauty and spirituality.

 

Only two hours drive from Bangkok are the "mountains" of Khao Yai; a region of vineyards and craggy hills.

Lovely morning light on the PB Valley Vineyards, Khao Yai, Thailand.

Is this France or Thailand?

Napa Valley maybe?  maybe not.

It was harvest time.

It is the beginning of the "Damn Hot and Damn Dry Season" in Thailand. When we left Bangkok it was still "only" in the upper 80s(f), but when we returned it was in the upper 90s(f).

After the sun set, a full tropical moon rose.

I rose before dawn to feel the environment, thick with humid mist, come alive.

The morning light revealed some new natural wonders.

Morning dew on red hibiscus.

Translucent yellow in the morning dew.

Jasmine: sweet smelling morning bloom.

The area around our bungalow was nicely planted with a variety of beautiful plants.

As the first light struck them these blossoms opened before my eyes.

Everywhere floral beauty!

The morning sun came through the garden at a steep angle, sometimes lighting the flowers from behind.

What amazing ideas this plant has about reproduction!

The day eventually brightened.

How we spent Saturday morning: Offerings.

Old Monk.

We stayed with friends in their mountainside retreat.

Our architect friend's front door!

The interior of their mountain cabin was absolutely beautiful.

The cabin interior.

Pretty little touches everywhere.

The guest bedroom.

And a place to wash up before diner.

An amazing air fern garden!

A giant white orchid growing out doors.

Simple beauty around the cabin.