The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

Chaophrya River at Pakkret.

 

Mirrored Buddha.

 

A happy photographer.

 

On the river.

 

Yours truly.

ONE DAY IN MY LIFE:

I was up and on the way to Ayutthaya at 4:00am the other morning to meet some photography buddies for a shoot of the ancient Thai capitol.  Ayutthaya is about an 80 minute drive north on the good super highway from my home in the northern suburbs of Bangkok.

 

We all met up at an old traditional Thai teak house just across from the Ayutthaya Historical Park.  It was still quite dark when we arrived, but the main temple structures were bathed in orange light.

 

Everyone had a tripod, but me.  I'm pretty good with my hand held trusty Canon 5D Mark II and Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens. What a beautiful sight.

 

Slowly, slowly . . . . the morning light arrived in blues.

 

The sun gradually  rose and cast it's light upon the ruins of the ancient city.

 

Though it was still quite dark, there was so much of interest to see and photograph.

 

The five of us fanned out in different directions, with our curiosities diverging.

 

As one of three Buddhists in the group, I went looking for the Buddha images.  This one was magnificent.

 

Very old Buddha image.  Ayutthaya was a major  city between 1350 and 1765 (when it was sacked by the Burmese).  It is estimated that Ayutthaya was a city of 1,000,000 people by 1700.  These ruins are from the royal Buddhist temple.

 

We managed to be in pretty much the right place when the "magic light" showed up.

 

Beautiful morning light to shoot these awesome monuments.

 

These gigantic chedis may have held Buddha relics or the remains of beloved monks or abbots.

 

Interestingly, these chedis and Wat structures had not been rebuilt or restored by archaeologists, but have been continuously free-standing since the 14th century in the state you see here.

 

 

Although we started off in different directions, we all converged at about the same time at the famous Buddha head engulfed by a tree.  This image is so connected to Thailand that it could easily become the national symbol.  It is one of the most photographed objects in the world, no doubt . . . but that does not lessen the visual and spiritual impact of seeing it in the real.

 

It was getting lighter and the warm morning sun was beginning to find it's way under the large trees.  I took around twenty shots of the Buddha head at many different f-stops, shutter speeds, and ISO settings trying to find the best solution to capturing the mood of this place.  These two photos stood out from among the many I took.

 

Not fifty meters from the Buddha head in the tree is this wonderful monument and Buddha image.

 

The Ayutthaya-period Thais had a distinctive architectural style.

 

Sacred Lord Buddha.

 

We all moved on to the incredible main, central structure: Wat Ratcha Burana.

 

Phra Prang Prathan.

 

The temple architecture is unique to Ayutthaya.

 

There are so many chedis in and around Phra Prang Prathan that any window frame you walk by yields a great photo.

 

This area was the center of a city of one million inhabitants in 1700.

 

Phra Prang Prathan.

 

The sides of Phra Prang Prathan chedi are still covered with the original bas relief Buddha panels.

 

The carvings and other decorative details of Phra Prang Prathan are still in excellent, unrestored shape.

 

Part of the vast temple and royal grounds of Ayutthaya.

 

On the climb up of the chedi, there were great views of the temple complex.

 

Once up the many chedi steps and inside, we all contorted ourselves to capture every small and interesting detail of this ancient structure.  The textures were remarkable. (Here: "BASIL THE CONTORTIONIST")

 

While in the upper inner chamber of the Phra Prang Prathan chedi we were confronted by a perturbed park ranger who asked us to leave immediately.  It seems the park does not open until 8:00am.  Oops!  NOT!  We walked back out through the old royal buildings that were now streaked in light and shadow.

 

Timelessness.

 

Looking back in the Wat compound and reflecting on what a great morning it was.

 

The ancient ruins of Ayutthaya are not just some destination for tourists, a lost civilization.  They are still revered and pilgrims still come her to worship.  They are a living monument to a living spiritual practice.

 

A picture post card.

 

The wear on the ancient Wat walls carry the patina of time.

 

Here and there traces of ancient inscriptions can be made out, along with shards of Chinese ceramics embedded in the ancient walls.

 

There is a beautiful monument at each gate, corner, and change of direction along the old walls.  Strong morning light illuminated all the detail.  Nice.

 

A decorative wall monument, Ayutthaya Historical Park.  We left the Historical Park central area and went in search of the giant reclining Buddha.

 

The entire area, for many kilometers, is all chedis and old royal Thai structures.

 

After a while of walking around in a constant state of wonder at these huge and beautiful chedis, I was left in a photographers quandary: what to shoot?  There is too much of interest here . . . and what will I do with 100 photos of chedis, albeit wonderful chedis?

 

I shot the incredible ensembles and arrangements of chedis . . .

 

I shot the details of the chedis . . . . .

 

I tried not to shoot the same chedi too many times . . . . the light was so perfect for this kind of large architectural structure.  Magnificent!

 

I love this magnificent colossal Thai style.

 

Magnificent!

 

More chedis . . .

 

There are so many royal and Buddhist sites in and around Ayutthaya.  We stopped here to marvel at the three enormous white chedis.

 

We encountered very few tourists on this Wednesday in mid-June, but the few we did encounter, like this busload of Japanese tourists, were very well behaved and quiet.

 

Basil and I had fun taking photos of each other in interesting locations.

 

We left the chedi enclosure and walked to a nearby Wat to see what marvels it held.

 

The Wat was, of course, filled with marvelous images.  Here a "tree of donation receipts" and an old Buddha with a perectly lit wall.  Yummy!

 

The effect of the whole wal with the natural window lighting.  (NO, the darkened corners are not an artifact of the lens . . . it looked that way!)

 

The Wat held a Buddha Colossus . . . but just.  It also held many very old relic Buddha heads from ancient Wats that no longer exist . . . that were incredibly lit by the reflections of the colossal Buddha and a very red carpet (see below).  FANTASTIC!

 

The giant Buddha image sat upon a magnifiscent base.

 

Ancient Buddha head relic bathed in reflected light from a red carpet in the sunshine.  Incredible!

 

Ancient Buddha head relic bathed in reflected light from a red carpet in the sunshine.  Incredible!

 

Ancient Buddha head relic bathed in reflected light from a red carpet in the sunshine.  Incredible!

 

Ancient Buddha head relic bathed in reflected light from a red carpet in the sunshine.  Incredible!

 

Ancient Buddha head relic bathed in reflected light from and open window on one side and a red carpet in the sunshine on the other.  Incredible!

 

Ancient Buddha head relic bathed in reflected light from and open window on one side and a red carpet in the sunshine on the other.  Incredible!

 

Ancient Buddha head relic bathed in reflected light from a red carpet in the sunshine.  Buddhist pilgrims to sacred Wats place/stick gold leaf squares on revered Buddha icons as a devotional act, these catch and reflect the light.  Incredible!

 

Red carpet reflections on a gold leaf'ed Buddha.  fantastic!

 

Buddha image framed by pink donation strips . . . . beauty.

 

There was much to see and photograph in Bo Phit Buddha Wat, like these colorful breeze-blown festoonments.

 

 

Young novice Buddhist monks and their teacher arrived for meditation and  prayer.

 

Buddhist monk in meditation.

 

After meditating, the monks walked around the large Buddha image three times clockwise.

 

The old teaching monk engaged his young novices in spiritual talk from he Buddhist sutras.

 

Very few tourists meant a not very well developed tourist industry.  There were very few curious shops, and no touts at all pestering us.  Thank you Thailand.

 

Strangely, recent construction was rapidly disintegrating in the harsh tropical climate, but only a few yards away were works and constructions from many hundreds of year ago still standing.

 

We left the amazing Wat and walked back a different path through the chedi complex to my truck.

 

Basil and I decided to have a competition to see who could take a photograph worthy of a Hallmark Schmaltz Award.  This is my candidate.

 

We spotted this Buddha in a window frame and knew the view from the other side would be remarkable.

 

The scenes inside the ancient Thai Royal quarters was astonishing.

 

Beautiful framing.

 

We left the main Historical Park and headed out into the town.  Aided by my GPS, we fund the giant reclining Buddha.

 

I performed a devotional ceremony at the golden Buddha altar.  It was a fantastic day.  The reclining Buddha is one of my favorite Buddha poses.  He is relaxing, at peace.  I went in for a closer look at the yellow draping cloth.

 

The found the strong light and strong transparent yellow color against the ancient weathered surfaces fascinating.

 

Amazing textures, patterns, color, and light.

 

The carved garments of the giant Buddha overlaid with the yellow garments of todays' followers.

 

Patterns upon textures, upon age itself.

 

Beautiful abstract images found.

 

I was reluctant to leave the reclining Buddha, but it was  time for lunch . . . and maybe a massage before moving on to the King's Summer Palace.

 

We drove into Ayutthaya proper looking for fried chicken . . . and found it, and alot more.

 

Street food vendor's arraying art.

 

The Thais hae steadily substituted materialistic consumerism for their Buddhism, and this photo perfectly captures the current state of affairs in Thailand.  Buddhism hangs on in many important ways, but it is in decline.

 

We managed to endure 90 minutes of head, neck, and leg massage.  We suffer, don't we?

 

We left our massage lightheaded, as usual, set the GPS for the King's Summer Palace, and hit the road.  We arrived at the Summer Palace at 3:50pm and were greeted by a sign saying "Closed at 16.00" and a guard waving his finger back and forth, "No No."  So we decided to go home.  I set the GPS again to take us home the long way, next to the river.  Along the way we spotted a red colossal monk on the horizon and turned down the small farm road to see if we could fid it.  We passed a forlorn looking Wat with crematorium and pulled in to take a look. 

 

The Wat had a creepy feeling about it, but some very beautiful Buddha images outside.

 

We walked around the outside until we found a door next to yet another ancient Buddha.

 

We went inside and this is what we found:  a great effort had been made to save the collapsed original Wat with elaborate steel girders supporting the original walls.  Around all of this, a new shelter had been erected to keep the old Buddhas out of the weather.  There was a very strange feeling inside, like we shouldn't be in there.

 

A fine old Buddha.

 

After first complaining that the light was "bad," we realized there were some fantastically lit old Buddha images after all.  We rushed about taking photos, in a hurry to get out.

 

Wonderful light indeed!  Unfortunately a cat sauntered up to Basil and bit him on the leg.

 

Our bright orange shirts were reflecting the "bad" back lighting, so we carefully positioned ourselves to get the best lighting.

 

We rushed around taking photos when we realized there were red ants falling on us from above.  We left the Wat in a hurry with a feeling that there was "bad gamma" associated with the place . . . and the dogs looked like they would bite.

 

We drove a few more kilometers on a dirt road and finally found our Mega Monk in a Mega Wat along the Chao Praya River . . . a Mega Wat in the same sense of a Mega Church in the USA: wildly over built, with facilities and parking for thousands of people.  This Wat was a huge investment for someone!

 

We walked around the Megsa Wat taking only a few photos as the light began to fade into dusk.

 

I found this lovely Bikku in the pose of receiving understanding from the Buddha Siddhartha.  I walked to the river to see if there would be a sunset to redeem this otherwise disappointing side trip.

 

I found a pier along the river and was confronted with many barge trains being pulled down the river by there rumbling tugs.

 

A river barge train in the fading light.

 

I left the river and went looking for Basil with the idea of just going home . . .when I looked up and thought, "this could be an interesting sunset" . . . .

 

. . . . it's getting better all the time . . . .

 

. . . . and an interesting sunset it turned out to be!

 

A sunset like this, experienced at a Buddhist Wat, is very spiritual.

 

The sunset kept getting better and better . . . .

 

. . . . I was stuck in a perpetual OH WOW! moment for the longest time . . . .

 

We took our last photos and got in the car, sustained by the spirit of that sunset, and drove back into the madhouse Bangkok traffic . . . and home.  It was a wonder-full day.

If you are ever in or around the Charoen Krung Road area of Bangkok (near the Shangri-La and Oriental hotels), pop in the Harmonique Restaurant . . . one of the most visually interesting restaurant in the world . . . and very good traditional Thai food.  Bring your camera!

 

The Harmonique is located down a dark alley, literally . . .

 

. . . but a look in the front window will reveal a warm and welcoming enironment.

 

You'll be spiritually safe within, as the space over the front door has the complete set of spirit chasers in place.

 

The entry way in seems like something out of a 19th Century novel.

 

The restaurant is actually a 19th century Chinese family home, converted to a restaurant in the 1950s,  with all the original architectural details intact to this day.

 

The lighting creates an extraordinary ambiance.

 

There are tables in small inner rooms, and some in an open air courtyard.  We sat inside a lovely room, as there was a light rain falling.

 

The view from the inside looking out is just as interesting and complex.

 

The spaces are decorated with an abundance of interesting old Thai arts and crafts.

 

Some arrangements were absolutely amazing . . .

 

. . . and some were very humorous.

 

I find the live electrical wires interesting . . . it is worth a walk around to study the details of this old Thai house.

 

I discovered these restaurant awards.

 

An old family friend, Khun V, acted as the perfect host. We were out on the town with a visiting friend from Hong Kong, Vicky

 

We had a wonderful meal . . . a nine dish set of traditional Thai delicacies . . .

 

. . . I loved these . . .

 

. . . and these were delicious.

 

My wife enjoyed the coconut ice cream with mango slabs. 

 

We paid up at the front (reasonable cost) and headed out into the alley.

 

We were greeted by a friendly Thai tuk-tuk tout, but we had driven.

 

I enjoyed the walk down the dark alley to our car: a chance to test the low light capability of my new Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens.  WOW!

 

Our little reptilian friends work day and night to keep the mosquito population down.  Thanks little buddy!

 

Although this alley might seem a little spooky at night (it wasn't), by day it is full of kindergartners from this charming old school.

 

I glanced over and looked down a walking path and saw this golden Buddhist chedi buried in the urban mesh of a Bangkok night; a fantastic vision.  This is one of the things I love about Bangkok: the things you see are always surprising.

 

The free vinyl stickers of the Big Cola advertisers make for good home repair material.

 

We made it to our car at the end of the alley.  A good time was had by all.  There are always people out and about in Bangkok at all hours of the day and night.  Civic culture to be enjoyed, and witnessed.

THE THAI-CAMBODIAN BOARDER TOWN OF HAT LEKKhlong Yai District is a narrow strip of land along the northeast shore of the Gulf of Thailand.  It is a rarely visited region of Thailand and mainly serves as a route to the Cambodian Boarder at the small town of Hat Lek.  Khlong Yai and Hat Lek are fishing ports for the Thai fleet of shrimpers, squiders, and general market fishing.

 

Hat Lek is a boarder post between Thailand and Cambodia.  It is a bustling little place where tradesmen scurry abut with carts full of produce bound for the Cambodian side.  We did not pay the fee for a Cambodian Visa, so only saw the Hat Yai, on Thai side.

 

Beautiful, and busy, downtown Hat Lek, Thailand.

 

Hat Yai was crawling with Durians.  Apparently it is a good time to send Durians from Thailand to Cambodia.  We got there early, around 7:30, but we were already too late for the morning market, which seemed to be already closing up.  I find these dray carts ("a strong low cart or carriage used for heavy burdens.") fascinating

 

There were still many dray carts heaped with Durians when we got there . . . and plenty of buyers.  Personally, I LOVE Durians and consider them the very best fruit on Earth.  They are known as The King of Fruits by those, like me, who crave them.  However, about half of our planet's population consider Durians the most disgusting and sickening fruit in this quadrant of the universe.  The human being is completely split about liking or hating Durians!

 

Durians, Durians, and more Durians.  Yum, Yum, and more Yum!

 

The cart porters were obviously NOT paid by the cart . .  but by the piece!

 

There were all kinds of dray carts toting all kinds of goods both ways across the boarder with Cambodia.  You can see the Durian traders in the background.

 

Packed, loaded, and headig for the Cambodian boarder.

 

If you have spent any time in my photo blog, you know I have more than a passing interest in push carts, dray carts, and street peddlers carts.  These carts are obviously purpose-built for this situation: transporting goods to and from Cambodia.  The porters were also fantastically photogenic!

 

Many of the dray-men were pushing the heavy loads were women, er, dray-women!  As is often the case in Thailand (and around Southeast Asia), women who work in the sun take every measure to keep from getting dark skin.  Dark skin is a sign that one is a manual laborer and not a "refined lady or a "HiSo lady."

 

A happy dray man.

 

Hat Lek must be the Durian capitol of the world! 

 

I would love one day to fill a gallery with these cart portraits . . . with one room dedicated only to Durian dray carts.  The Durian seems to me to be the best eidence that extra-terrestrials have visited our home planet.  The visiting aliens siply dropped the seeds of these amazingly yummy fruits after eating the box lunches their spouses packed home for the trip.

 

The women porters' hats and masks made them very mysterious indeed.

 

It got rapidly hotter as the morning grew shorter.  The merchants withdrew to the shade and under parisols.

 

I ran into the Porter in Blue later in the morning sitting with her young child in the shade.  She consented to be photographed.

 

One particular Durian porter caught out eye, not least for her bloodied hands from handling Durians without the thick leather gloves used by the other porters, but because she was so very beautiful.  Movie star beautiful!

 

The dray women of Hat Lek, Thailand.

 

Hat Lek is on the Gulf of Thailand, so after exploring the boarder trade in Durians we explored the little town . . . only to discover a Buddhist Thanksgiving ceremony dedicated to the sea presided over by seven chanting monks.

 

The villagers were tending hand made sand chedis along the beach.

 

It was an idyllic setting, on a perfect day.  I gave thanks as well for the bounty of the sea.

 

A perfect morning to commune with The Buddha and with nature.

 

Hat Lek also had a small fishing port.  We stood in amazement as the fishermen unloaded their boats by throwing pink baskets full of fish up to the waiting buyers on the stone jetty.

 

Although it was only 8:30am, it was very hot already.  The boatmen worked very hard.

 

Like everything we encountered on the Khlong Yai coast, the colors were vivid and bright.  Each fish buyer brought with him his own color-coded plastic boxes and baskets.

 

As we were watching the fishing boats being unloaded, a boy and his father slowly glided into Hat Lek port.

 

KHLONG YAI DISTRICT COMMERCIAL FISHING PORTAbout 20 kilometers south of Khlong Yai we passed this interesting roadside sign . . . and were immediately thrown into a perception of ourselves on a map as seen from above . . . a fun awareness shift!

 

One of several commercial fishing ports along Thai Highway 318.

 

Between Hat Lek and the fishing port of Khlong Yai, there are several commercial fishing docks.  We stopped at one and spent some time photographing the colorful scene.

 

The port was a busy place: loading ice onto ships after they have been emptied and readied for a quick turn-around, and back out to sea.

 

It was over 100f (39c) on this day.  Loading ice into the ship's hold must have been refreshing.

 

The ice workers had the best job, that's for sure.

 

Oh to be an Iceman's helper on a day like this!  Easy money!

 

Some of the 'catch of the day.'

 

This picture takin' thing ain't all that hard!  It's as easy as shootin' fish in a barrel . . .  literally!

 

The docks were full of wonderful images, like this corroded old anchor . . .

 

. . . . and the light bulbs use to attract squid to the boats at night.

 

The dock and fisheries workers did not mind being photographed.

 

Taking a smoke break among the fish crates.

 

KHLONG YAI TOWN AND PORT

We drove North on Thai Highway 318 back to the town of Khlong Yai.  We arrived in the late afternoon and headed immediately for the port . . . and the magic light that precedes the sunset.

 

Khlong Yai is a bustling little authentic Thai port town that the tourists have ignored.

 

We were greeted with more colorful and fascinating, and supremely photogenic, Thai fishing village scenes.  I never get tired of these scenes . . . and took thousands of photos. 

 

The sunlight, and the water, flattened as the afternoon wore on.  I was happy to walk along the docks taking photos.  I was in a perpetual "Oh WOW!" state of wonder. "Basil, look at THIS!  Basil, look at THAT!"

 

The people of Khlong Yai were very friendly and open.

 

Old, weathered wooden warehouses and brightly painted boats reflected in the inlet.  Photographers' Heaven.

 

So many interesting textures and patterns . . . and evocative images.

 

Basil, an excellent photographer and teacher, gave me many tips on composition and how to get more out of my camera and lenses.  Thanks Basil.

 

Wash day on the docks.

 

We walked further out on the quay and noticed the buildings on the other side were dilapidated, unoccupied, and in many cases heavily damaged.  Perhaps there had been a big storm or tsunami . . . or somebody is behind on their mortgage.

 

The abandoned green room (above) cast an amazingly abstract reflection on the water.  A little color enhancement and brightening in post-production makes for a very beautiful abstract photo.

 

There was no shortage of photo opportunities of my favorite subject; the  textures of dilapidation.  I think of it as "Old Space."

 

At some point the houses along the pier were no longer grounded on terra firma.  The mudskippers were up and about in the afternoon light making trails in the mud under the houses.  Mudskippers are fish that have adapted legs and gills for living outside the water . . . . just like the first animals that came out of the sea billions of years ago.  My advice:  Go back!

 

The sun was beginning to set, which meant it was getting near dinner time.  I found this scene amusing; Mom had obviously sent the son out under the house to catch an ingredient needed for tonight's meal . . . no doubt sum tam with small crabs.

 

The fading sun cast an eerie glow on the buildings.

 

The sunset lit up an approaching storm approaching from over Cambodia.

 

We reached the end of the pier, quite far out into the Gulf of Thailand.  Across the inlet was another pier.  What a scene!

 

The sunset did not disappoint. "That cloud look like a horse!"

 

Golden sunset light on an old building.

 

We walked out back along the same pier, completely engrossed in the light.

 

 The port was beautiful in the dying light.

 

We walked back into the little town looking for something to eat.  We stopped in a small shop for water and asked where a good, air-conditioned restaurant might be found . . .  and were told that there wasn't one in the entire town.  Gotta love that!

 

We spent the night in the only hotel in town - the Khlong Yai City Hotel (not mentioned on the Internet - how is that possible?).  They seemed completely unprepared for the arrival of guests!  Although the air-conditining did work, I would not necessarily recommend this hotel . . .  but if you need a roof over your head after a hot and wonderful day, it will do.  We woke early and drove north to another fishing village, Mairood.

 

                                                                                                                                                       WikiMap

Songkran is the actual Thai Buddhist calendar New Year holiday . . . and the third New Year celebrated each year in this wonderful country (the others are January 1 and the Chinese New Year). I had a ten day holiday from work (in Bangkok) . . . so I hit the road.  The first four days in Hua Hin, and the next five days on a road trip through Trat Province to Khlong Yai District and then on to the Cambodian boarder (Hat Lek) at the furthest Southeast point in Thailand.  I will be putting up all my best photos from this trip over the next few weeks, as time allows, so keep checking back.   Photos from the Hua Hin part of my holiday follow this blog entry here.

 

Trat and Khlong Yai Provinces boarder the Gulf of Thailand, so there is no shortage of tropical vistas.

 

The topicality was ubiquitous . . . as these back lit palm trees against a blue sky testify.

 

EXPLORING the MAIROOD FISHING VILLAGEThe main attraction of the Khlong Yai coast are the many small fishing villages built on pilings in the estuarial mangrove inlets.  The good thing about having your own vehicle is taking the small seaside roads so you can check out any "local attractions."  This is Mairood Fishing Village.  We stayed here for two days and two nights.  it was a photogaphers paradice . . . . completely unspoiled by mass tourism . . . and beautiful colors.

 

Thai fishermen paint their photogenic boats amazing colors.

 

The fishing villagers were very friendly.  This fisherman called out to us to join him for an evening's trawl!

 

All the villages had an array of boats in all sizes and configurations.  it was a photographer's heaven . . . and hell: how to choose between so many fascinating images?  We stayed at the fantastic, and rustic, Mairood Resort which you had to walk through hte village to get to!

 

The wooden houses of the fishing villages were connected by old wooden boardwalks above the muddy mangrove bays.

 

Although I am sure the occupants would want "better," the colors and textures of this house are something fantastic. I might be interested in trading homes.

 

With all the un-air-conditioned houses packed so closely together, everyone must get along.  Three generations enjoy a mid-day meal in 40+ heat.

 

There are bits and pieces of adornment here and there throughout the village.

 

An old fisherman swelters in the heat, kiddie fan in hand.

 

 A fisherman's shack, Mairood, Thailand.

 

This jaundiced old bachelor fisherman kept a messy shack.

 

Rusty corrugated "tin" roofing has become the icon for degradation. Why?  It is so beautiful.

 

Most of the fishermen and their families keep a tidy, clean, and spare house.  They all live on the floor; there was hardly a chair in the village.

 

Life within the village.

 

Incredible line, pattern, and shadow.

A benefit of building your home over the estuary is the convenience of casting your nets from your front porch.

 

The irony of this photo was not lost on this old fisherman.

 

Apparently the fisherman (above) had not tended his spirit house properly.  It is interesting that his spirit house was made of the same materials as his home.

 

Most houses had a spirit house . . . often in a better state of repair than the main house.

 

No matter where I have been in my life, there has always been a house made into art.

 

Most residents of these fishing villages spend the hot part of the day sitting in their open-fronted houses looking out over their dock and boat.

 

The dock poarchs are the workplaces of the fishermen.

 

The docks are used for a variety of purposes.  Here shrimp are drying.

 

Some docks are very busy places in preparation for the coming night's fishing foray.

 

Very clever: shells used as net weights.

 

Neatly stacked stuffed shell net weights.

 

There is a system of colored flags to identify each owners' nets when deployed at sea.

 

Bright net flags.

 

A wide variety of colored flags are used, making the fishing village a very colorful place indeed.

 

The bows of the fishing boats are festooned with colorful flower bouquets, gossamer bunting, and garlands for good luck.

 

There was no hiding the colorful boats!

 

The Everyday here seemed bright and profound: the Supra Mundane of the Buddhists.

 

Although remote and undeveloped, the villagers are not cut off from the modern world: I saw many iPhones here . . .  and notice the satellite dishes atop the shacks.

 

There were many elderly people in the village.

 

I thuroughly enjoyed photograaphing the corregated art of Mairood Village.

 

The area around the village, and the Mairood Resort, was sandy Mangrove marsh and beaches.

 

Mangrove plants are very strange . . . they throw up shoots in the lagoons . . . and knees in the swamps.

 

The villagers abandon worn out boats in the lagoon . . . but not forever, it seems.  Many of the houses seem to be build of disassembled fishing boats.

 

Out on the beach this man came up to us eager to share his amazement, and good luck, about the bee hive rich in honey he had just robbed across the lagoon.

 

While the open fronts of the houses face the estuary and docks, the backs of their homes are in the mangrove swamp.

 

The mangrove swamp is full of interesting, and photogenic, things.

 

It would be wonderful to be a child in this environment . . . the opportunities to  fantasy play in the mangroves is limitless.  It reminded me of the several years I lived, and played, in the Sabine River swamps of Louisiana in my own childhood (1958-1960).

 

I found these girls among the mangroves . . . on some kind of a lark.

 

My cabin at the Mairood Resort was as comfortable as it was beautiful . . . and a stone's throw from the mangrove swamp, beach, and fishing village.  Perfect!

 

This photography stuff is difficult . . . and hot!  Poor me . . . . I had to spend the afternoon at the Mairood Resort pool.

 

The grounds and gardens of the Mairood Resort are beautiffly landscaped.

 

EARLY MORNING MAIROOD, THAILANDWe woke very early one morning to go out on the docks to see the Buddhist monks on their morning alms rounds.  It was quiet, calm, and clear as the village awoke.

 

A few people were up and starting their day . . . . but no monks.

 

The fishing boats sat  still in their morning moorings.

 

The village was still asleep.

 

We walked to the bridge where we would walk the road to the nearby Buddhist temple.  There was one dockside shop open selling vegetables and fruit.

 

A part of Mairood is firmly planted on the ground. 

 

As we walked toward the Wat, the morning light started to pour in.

 

An eager shopkeeper opening early (6:00am) on what promised to be a fiercely hot day.

 

The local hardware store opened early too.

The walk to Wat turned out to be three kilometers.  The scenery was breathtaking; the light perfect.

 

We saw a great variety of spirit houses along the way.  Some home made . . .

 

. . . and some store bought.

 

But all the spirit houses were serving their purposes well: to house the spirits in nature that were displaced when the humans came and cleared land and built houses.

 

Many people were out in the "cool" morning air (it was 28c at 6:00am!) tending small garden plots.

 

As we walked along the country road taking photographs, these monks caught and passed us on their way back to the Wat.

 

We followed this young monk to his Wat.

 

 

The monks, young and old, arrived back at the Wat with the morning's alms.  Th Abbot told us they will eat only once a day.  Monks continued to arrive in small and large groups.

 

It was a very spiritual morning.

 

The Wat bell . . . used to call the monks to meditation and study.

 

A peaceful and tranquil place.  The rural Wats are more serene than the noisy and dog-infested Bangkok counterparts.

 

Yep, all roads lead here . . . that's a certainty.  The Wat crematorium stained with the soot of those once alive.

 

We arrived at the fantastic Mairood Wat and were greeted by very friendly monk who showed us around and explained its history and pointed out some of the building projects going on which he was in charge of.

 

Sorry.  I took about twenty perfect photos of this Wat and could not decide which to post . .  so here is another.  Incredible beauty.

 

Self portrait at the Mairood Wat.

 

It was the perfect morning to wear your new dress while riding your new bicycle before it got too hot.

 

We walked back to Mairood village in time to see some boats coming back in from the over night  fishing.

 

The colors of the village, fishermen, and boats were vivid.

 

This was the fish of the day being offloaded.

 

What's for lunch?  Not seafood AGAIN! The poor children.

 

The simple beauty and charm of home made spirit houses, recently tended, was touching.

 

Mothers and children awaited the return of the fishermen with news of the catch . . . and their safety.

 

A Mairood Sunset

 

As we walked around the  village we noticed the sun was getting low.  Villagers were beginning to prepare the evening meal:  seafood, what else!

 

 As the sun began to set, and he heat and humidity began to subside, the village children came out to play.

 

Sometimes it seemed like the children were posing . . . it was such a perfectly beautiful evening.

 

Magic light . . .

 

During and after the Killing Fields of Pol Pot, this part of Thailand was a haven for Cambodian refugees.  many of the residents of the Mairood Village are of Cambodian nationality, like this little girl.

 

A boy lost in play among the thick hyacinth tangle at sunset.

 

This girl and her dog were inseparable.

 

And, my oh my, what a sunset it was!

 

For the boys it was time to climb up onto a squid boat . . . .

 

. . . . and play pirates in the squid rigging.

 We were at the estuary outlet one sunset.

 

Children were out playing in the fading light.

 

This boy was very sad: he had just learned that his family as going to move to "the city" from Mairood village.

 

There is so much to do and to explore in a young world.

 

Young Sisyphus.

 

Sunset Boyplay.  When and where indelible memories are made.

 

With the last of the light fading, more and more boats left Mairood port for a night's fishing n the Gulf of Saim.