tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318505912024-03-07T13:11:12.934+07:00FunkyPix2Everything from social commentary to personal journal updates, all studded with funky photos. Reminder: you can't unsee photos, even if sometimes you wish you could.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger258125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-63949977544709662082021-11-07T16:07:00.554+07:002021-11-16T18:18:12.438+07:00Chiang Mai Condo photo essay, 2010-2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbi7Xj2_6aRo3vi4DDlwbHRaioe_Q6nvl0ZJb4atzFCfBCPyHy8pq7On74dk9fbELZwMmY8wWaUf7zMMO94WwpAhpOQsCAd4g8WsAfL6pXZtXvyV-QoanMus_fm7qYTC20MSge/s2048/Nakornping+Condominium%252C+Huay+Kaew+Rd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbi7Xj2_6aRo3vi4DDlwbHRaioe_Q6nvl0ZJb4atzFCfBCPyHy8pq7On74dk9fbELZwMmY8wWaUf7zMMO94WwpAhpOQsCAd4g8WsAfL6pXZtXvyV-QoanMus_fm7qYTC20MSge/w400-h300/Nakornping+Condominium%252C+Huay+Kaew+Rd.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXReSCnN0S_7O4BSLqcai5ZDQkDkKdA40u1SKXLjkTL1hHstlVPgjBwIL5wakpcAkb3dxnpj4siImx-ydqj0Aj0Z1NB9u-YKFOAuCwHPuBLWzGGohITS5gaavFWZ6Snkeycs_m/s2048/Nakornping+Condominium2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXReSCnN0S_7O4BSLqcai5ZDQkDkKdA40u1SKXLjkTL1hHstlVPgjBwIL5wakpcAkb3dxnpj4siImx-ydqj0Aj0Z1NB9u-YKFOAuCwHPuBLWzGGohITS5gaavFWZ6Snkeycs_m/w300-h400/Nakornping+Condominium2.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This was our wing of Nakornping Condo, away from noisy Huaykaew Rd. “Nakorn” = city, and “ping” refers to the local Ping River… hence “Ping City”. Our apartment was 4 floors down on your far left... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iX_KdGpZG6feHHDnz7QMtS-ME3oDXXrw2EOML2OwinTc4oSM0Bc5eJ6ECfmLcxggNpbjFN9_7Gn45GtofIM-6f1O0hyphenhyphen-4Zm3b5Z15JB9iTv59UYmxno6f0aoxsg3O6LeY-kt/s1378/Nakornping+Condominium.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="1378" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iX_KdGpZG6feHHDnz7QMtS-ME3oDXXrw2EOML2OwinTc4oSM0Bc5eJ6ECfmLcxggNpbjFN9_7Gn45GtofIM-6f1O0hyphenhyphen-4Zm3b5Z15JB9iTv59UYmxno6f0aoxsg3O6LeY-kt/w400-h283/Nakornping+Condominium.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> The front door reception area is pictured below. The door to the guest bathroom (with its internally illuminated ceiling) can be seen just beyond the framed picture...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDJDJuppxEnVgYUUl0Yak7CV0Ianjrf7nA4QNLIUCiNzHMl_fkM99RD55ocMZHvsd2TMr037vjr31yPyAptoe-OvQqjy3zgi6Zqyu-Pt7zw6XoCfox-TujYuek-DLUF1mJf2v/s2048/front+door2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1580" data-original-width="2048" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDJDJuppxEnVgYUUl0Yak7CV0Ianjrf7nA4QNLIUCiNzHMl_fkM99RD55ocMZHvsd2TMr037vjr31yPyAptoe-OvQqjy3zgi6Zqyu-Pt7zw6XoCfox-TujYuek-DLUF1mJf2v/w400-h309/front+door2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlbVvsZCJFWGEXX4S0Ay7H48tRzf0eZularVEKMa-Gn1ewob-0_AynItIxqxewZ5ZEoJgRqwpsbcvK5w5ULuF78d4W9BIwEob6wmtcTYhss1_oCOtKxDjs50diqfqB2kNgKfM/s2048/entry+hall.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlbVvsZCJFWGEXX4S0Ay7H48tRzf0eZularVEKMa-Gn1ewob-0_AynItIxqxewZ5ZEoJgRqwpsbcvK5w5ULuF78d4W9BIwEob6wmtcTYhss1_oCOtKxDjs50diqfqB2kNgKfM/w300-h400/entry+hall.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> There was an internally-lit ceiling. These days we would have used LEDs, but fluoros were the only option back then...<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsdh86bzxcI-6c7PjyYyEm-YuRtvMpgaz9TcRKT0kr4rNFwU9LPw6o1Vy-IDNw_DTRMwbHOfIuU_lxmqRQm2JaYoeA3QKjNUZ_T6M3TRzXbzDOj_zIjn_r6p5YQ9FFOexO1xs/s2048/front+bathroom2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsdh86bzxcI-6c7PjyYyEm-YuRtvMpgaz9TcRKT0kr4rNFwU9LPw6o1Vy-IDNw_DTRMwbHOfIuU_lxmqRQm2JaYoeA3QKjNUZ_T6M3TRzXbzDOj_zIjn_r6p5YQ9FFOexO1xs/w300-h400/front+bathroom2.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYb3CpwkW5kw92lLySlgpFj1NUVJWjrR3do61hkCtceyEYM9lz4ngiDPjjYlv-1qJuzJjm_tqZlqRJfr2N2OLoU-dAGKWB9i5vjS2e_byNe_oXkZ0WqF9acRh7DlYDzV9Pkw99/s2048/front+bathroom3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYb3CpwkW5kw92lLySlgpFj1NUVJWjrR3do61hkCtceyEYM9lz4ngiDPjjYlv-1qJuzJjm_tqZlqRJfr2N2OLoU-dAGKWB9i5vjS2e_byNe_oXkZ0WqF9acRh7DlYDzV9Pkw99/w300-h400/front+bathroom3.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">and the room with antique Burmese teak shutters on the left we dubbed the "nook", an all-purpose space...<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iMZzMGDzSAUr9f2VndOK2V6RaUyTS0-DsVhqb-Dl70z4p2McBqd4Nz__OdzNhGzzCagrP_Ieh5emHKvaNjE4rWacvk8t0wdTlea8AezQJvQQp6jriaZsOKTtLEhTsQ28lOBL/s2048/1401+NOOK2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iMZzMGDzSAUr9f2VndOK2V6RaUyTS0-DsVhqb-Dl70z4p2McBqd4Nz__OdzNhGzzCagrP_Ieh5emHKvaNjE4rWacvk8t0wdTlea8AezQJvQQp6jriaZsOKTtLEhTsQ28lOBL/w400-h300/1401+NOOK2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAneIybkN0nHyajjXQ3AWb70f_mR95LzFAGMn6abR4_KXL-XL3mrVEi7QmpyZ2K2-jeaf9T2rPzk9KBYCVVtYu0IV_OX3cAF_mNs0bjZomG7nq_nfis7dphPuoFZn6-2jjdg0U/s2048/1401+table+in+dining+roomette.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAneIybkN0nHyajjXQ3AWb70f_mR95LzFAGMn6abR4_KXL-XL3mrVEi7QmpyZ2K2-jeaf9T2rPzk9KBYCVVtYu0IV_OX3cAF_mNs0bjZomG7nq_nfis7dphPuoFZn6-2jjdg0U/w400-h300/1401+table+in+dining+roomette.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFFucajiO6xpZBPTAsWb3UY57upi4FRB4OLDFVDXtfEpQ4v509nf-BcqX_fiXEKtebMO5nrCo8lLPQjcMtIXwbPqIj8-Nlg9q9VBBgawNWR-oF868XCl7r1ETxHst0SV2vOhv/s2048/Marie+at+work.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFFucajiO6xpZBPTAsWb3UY57upi4FRB4OLDFVDXtfEpQ4v509nf-BcqX_fiXEKtebMO5nrCo8lLPQjcMtIXwbPqIj8-Nlg9q9VBBgawNWR-oF868XCl7r1ETxHst0SV2vOhv/w300-h400/Marie+at+work.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0TZ-8dxl92p5VaLLOZJQ8c-zfBstQt8M8mebBweOcjKnEkqE9iAZfcnOhdcOy0ChSGgjniZFnFQE1vVkcXYDLzmOkePb5R-0B1EdsKak0QePlnckWlTCjITpWPy22JYJJk2d/s960/nook+shelves.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="717" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0TZ-8dxl92p5VaLLOZJQ8c-zfBstQt8M8mebBweOcjKnEkqE9iAZfcnOhdcOy0ChSGgjniZFnFQE1vVkcXYDLzmOkePb5R-0B1EdsKak0QePlnckWlTCjITpWPy22JYJJk2d/w299-h400/nook+shelves.JPG" width="299" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> After coming in through the front door, swing around to your right to see the raised teak floor of the
lounge with its panoramic view to Mount Doi Suthep and its famous golden temple in the distance...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETSJAiQqsFmlNaFDJS6ncs5XEbtG1S0p39IpqOWkW4SZ_Pgbnp4_bWGuYE3EaPWY0sWybnCYSYLh5mKudlauxK31BYGa8QzgFhjwyIzXrKEMf-IfHqq0oLhgUcFdmLwIya-8O/s2048/front+door.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETSJAiQqsFmlNaFDJS6ncs5XEbtG1S0p39IpqOWkW4SZ_Pgbnp4_bWGuYE3EaPWY0sWybnCYSYLh5mKudlauxK31BYGa8QzgFhjwyIzXrKEMf-IfHqq0oLhgUcFdmLwIya-8O/w400-h300/front+door.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiRRVUP-7n2NEz5Z8VY3uF20j1U23j0K1syvxmkjsDIrFBNQftBfpcdob3UICHv4P_N_O5wfvujRYsH86OSuxDpW9iW4CKdHnOsOojK1EwhCc0WLOwgaK_7Gtct-RehPeB9RC/s2048/view+as+you+enter2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiRRVUP-7n2NEz5Z8VY3uF20j1U23j0K1syvxmkjsDIrFBNQftBfpcdob3UICHv4P_N_O5wfvujRYsH86OSuxDpW9iW4CKdHnOsOojK1EwhCc0WLOwgaK_7Gtct-RehPeB9RC/w400-h300/view+as+you+enter2.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMgOfu9S_xtdlGI3btUiA1L5ONa0YZ5_mp1X9A1PzPS7pIVB-ikMu0drTU-DaNidIF9_Dkdkz-fwgje5aLZ0JJnWYQ_d7uh-VuA-3_BANdqxDFzk0ODf3U3e24X4DdeZBiXmQ/s2048/lounge836.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMgOfu9S_xtdlGI3btUiA1L5ONa0YZ5_mp1X9A1PzPS7pIVB-ikMu0drTU-DaNidIF9_Dkdkz-fwgje5aLZ0JJnWYQ_d7uh-VuA-3_BANdqxDFzk0ODf3U3e24X4DdeZBiXmQ/w400-h300/lounge836.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV680UykiG4vH_j_LmfO3LVqYWxJmXtvz6mSIBJhpdnf8nlhnK9kF44DOsloK6SjLNmYNbiR-c4fKKfWZJxzsZaV1CjB6owWlK3Moxte7vMIQyD2wqVkSEYmdMVSzAoXEvhoBt/s2048/003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV680UykiG4vH_j_LmfO3LVqYWxJmXtvz6mSIBJhpdnf8nlhnK9kF44DOsloK6SjLNmYNbiR-c4fKKfWZJxzsZaV1CjB6owWlK3Moxte7vMIQyD2wqVkSEYmdMVSzAoXEvhoBt/w400-h300/003.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">...and to the balcony. The antique brass Edwardian lampstand didn't seem out of place...<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkYKeHYQVux8105pSAZW5cg8YBp7_97Yg0WNmKAixd6YqGOqjyQmhMZ4Ylyi11NTghXsmEi_xTfCFptOeQfnVMbMjyEql-6leJikgWfQm1QoY-lJzthlm4Wb0gqkJ_d-ak4ms/s2048/looking+from+lounge+to+front+balcony.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkYKeHYQVux8105pSAZW5cg8YBp7_97Yg0WNmKAixd6YqGOqjyQmhMZ4Ylyi11NTghXsmEi_xTfCFptOeQfnVMbMjyEql-6leJikgWfQm1QoY-lJzthlm4Wb0gqkJ_d-ak4ms/w400-h300/looking+from+lounge+to+front+balcony.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIh7np98UvlbW34apRUAISzwITvApvyRRRI3_gLHbVubyNOupGJcOMRayLtMQhPU_2oUbJJQUvQiaTfadGQyapKN4Gq7TqHLg5auPnIFL-0sJ5rSBPW5nn9NGQCQQh2OOE8Zx/s2048/looking+from+lounge+to+front+balcony2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIh7np98UvlbW34apRUAISzwITvApvyRRRI3_gLHbVubyNOupGJcOMRayLtMQhPU_2oUbJJQUvQiaTfadGQyapKN4Gq7TqHLg5auPnIFL-0sJ5rSBPW5nn9NGQCQQh2OOE8Zx/w400-h300/looking+from+lounge+to+front+balcony2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkT2AL3Uw_ILig_fjSdJHYFFnHu4oMDJsEh0XfR_DTINPhvF7L-B9F05jrU3e4LDDRbeaXsp2-tsS0OvSK7zFOUn0Rvvo6UX_IWm1_ON447cktyZbaJ9NbstdpkTRh63nxTVb/s2048/shrine+on+front+balcony.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkT2AL3Uw_ILig_fjSdJHYFFnHu4oMDJsEh0XfR_DTINPhvF7L-B9F05jrU3e4LDDRbeaXsp2-tsS0OvSK7zFOUn0Rvvo6UX_IWm1_ON447cktyZbaJ9NbstdpkTRh63nxTVb/w400-h300/shrine+on+front+balcony.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> ...where Mount Chiang Dao, sacred to Buddhists, is visible in the far distance...<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiingWbQ4-vGkMzdU-5cs9eFyG49boIK_4zRvRp9elIDD9Aqjcq2KimBJdDJZCNKfTacY15ZJI0rCI2IFHav6Eqal6DLFNDyVpTWtGz4toxu9bUiWz7l_Pn_aOzl21GzJUyAM-h/s2048/Chaang+Dao+visible.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiingWbQ4-vGkMzdU-5cs9eFyG49boIK_4zRvRp9elIDD9Aqjcq2KimBJdDJZCNKfTacY15ZJI0rCI2IFHav6Eqal6DLFNDyVpTWtGz4toxu9bUiWz7l_Pn_aOzl21GzJUyAM-h/w400-h300/Chaang+Dao+visible.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyx9MgNd6wWLjni7LhJ2T3CbSShxarAqHMJieteYaxq5efJHx3R3oB0i4w3AnRvktgCwZPFY4zKxnaci1_fxkD7hInvinwXSS81Y3bXNSiMu-WAEye9Q-QyoA3AapwqO82NMG/s2048/011+view+from+balcony.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="2048" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyx9MgNd6wWLjni7LhJ2T3CbSShxarAqHMJieteYaxq5efJHx3R3oB0i4w3AnRvktgCwZPFY4zKxnaci1_fxkD7hInvinwXSS81Y3bXNSiMu-WAEye9Q-QyoA3AapwqO82NMG/w400-h299/011+view+from+balcony.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>...and a similar angle (from the front door) of the same view at dusk...<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE2ssVlS52NmCECK7_KMXZ8BasER6NiSLghxs8OOYS8I8j3-Xp9iPwcWBqFspg-gnY1D0C8XNfuojKDn8C0KKPxSMxsu04YEVKDY5TTt-zWaSxh0RLFNnviIK2aRks8bdT4cV/s2048/lounge+1401+dusk.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcE2ssVlS52NmCECK7_KMXZ8BasER6NiSLghxs8OOYS8I8j3-Xp9iPwcWBqFspg-gnY1D0C8XNfuojKDn8C0KKPxSMxsu04YEVKDY5TTt-zWaSxh0RLFNnviIK2aRks8bdT4cV/w400-h300/lounge+1401+dusk.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>A mud-map may help to orient you at this point. The ‘nook’ is the small room adjacent to the kitchen:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1j68Mh_AFzCfm-6XBYiZ0jcnIY4FKJSn9iWYvsXKnVR6sTRXKcu6AZNDCqH3JMSOEo6BdkIZqmpgR3X4rkeFJcET0CqEsgTzI0pE8MPL-m7eUvhdYcsPTq67Dsi_MwXMUrbk/s358/CONDO-4-B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="308" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1j68Mh_AFzCfm-6XBYiZ0jcnIY4FKJSn9iWYvsXKnVR6sTRXKcu6AZNDCqH3JMSOEo6BdkIZqmpgR3X4rkeFJcET0CqEsgTzI0pE8MPL-m7eUvhdYcsPTq67Dsi_MwXMUrbk/w344-h400/CONDO-4-B.jpg" width="344" /> </a> <br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-jUl2S2crgPRcKWXVTJGGfGcfn-6fPRjhwV_-yPF5mvJNZUysOz4SxNPiV5na3xGwY2MG0gGuidtqDmnXCPbjklTO2AHAx29So_D6wPEUV2F2xNPnnopSSYEHHc8vIRMlaKs/s2048/original+floor+plan+of+floor+14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="2048" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-jUl2S2crgPRcKWXVTJGGfGcfn-6fPRjhwV_-yPF5mvJNZUysOz4SxNPiV5na3xGwY2MG0gGuidtqDmnXCPbjklTO2AHAx29So_D6wPEUV2F2xNPnnopSSYEHHc8vIRMlaKs/w400-h281/original+floor+plan+of+floor+14.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBxzieXTINemK-A4y8mTx_bMrOMxW5D6riUUjgmD17FgyjXCL7VzqqdSvgzFffPd4MLQYOILatsaqCRc81yp9hWTQ5bxadbpmTAjR3Z6S9vnlD_Pir5pL9PkhciDm2D0tO-ax/s1007/pool+at+nakornping.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1007" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBxzieXTINemK-A4y8mTx_bMrOMxW5D6riUUjgmD17FgyjXCL7VzqqdSvgzFffPd4MLQYOILatsaqCRc81yp9hWTQ5bxadbpmTAjR3Z6S9vnlD_Pir5pL9PkhciDm2D0tO-ax/w400-h299/pool+at+nakornping.JPG" width="400" /></a></p><p>...and so to the Kitchen, which adjoins the balcony (protected by a white jade statue of Kwan Ying (Guanyin), the Chinese Goddess of Compassion... We bought her in Burma:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIQ0IXAuIdYVAKDKQhkwxvk9JD2PMxvvXmQeP0bTEal6oXdrS0sYLLN9R-ixtrfq9-n1uvD5VWvYMaXLBfrJ8hhkH4wIgZYqeKCrZbGJRZbbI8Nd7yuwCmkCltI4wUcAiyCfE/s2048/kitchen+seen+from+front+balcony2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIQ0IXAuIdYVAKDKQhkwxvk9JD2PMxvvXmQeP0bTEal6oXdrS0sYLLN9R-ixtrfq9-n1uvD5VWvYMaXLBfrJ8hhkH4wIgZYqeKCrZbGJRZbbI8Nd7yuwCmkCltI4wUcAiyCfE/w400-h300/kitchen+seen+from+front+balcony2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-pHDMR7AEAbc65TMUbTchZNIR0ASOKXTysQ1XMDD5z2SbJpddcPIHV_3PjsUGbI__ZThUU3iMBfWun85j1woIxHoopsSYyblfpAMbgduFIQW7ebpnu0IXsbhhHfNFIliW7Mb/s2048/kwanying+portrait.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-pHDMR7AEAbc65TMUbTchZNIR0ASOKXTysQ1XMDD5z2SbJpddcPIHV_3PjsUGbI__ZThUU3iMBfWun85j1woIxHoopsSYyblfpAMbgduFIQW7ebpnu0IXsbhhHfNFIliW7Mb/w300-h400/kwanying+portrait.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm_yfaY_biMBZoyXg8guItUKD0f_uzcsHHxtZgwG94ynqZMwVlSXq6fkI8h73IgoFHwoj43st3H3cFhZhRTpntMUAMLT9-_ggQUi2EcNuHfxcN6iLaumM-PiTA-wv_D0BNLzY/s2048/balcony.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm_yfaY_biMBZoyXg8guItUKD0f_uzcsHHxtZgwG94ynqZMwVlSXq6fkI8h73IgoFHwoj43st3H3cFhZhRTpntMUAMLT9-_ggQUi2EcNuHfxcN6iLaumM-PiTA-wv_D0BNLzY/w400-h300/balcony.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2t-Su9w-qFobrFzJkARATQgz3Rqnn0lZG22FMqvqpQ5yMm7Mo6a4wAUCbYbn2KMsV_zY0OM_zVD-z_3XhVhP3gW12Cuni0ImW2GQyzsigKsSKCmRbx6GKMUPledJ5SSVhRt8/s2048/004.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2t-Su9w-qFobrFzJkARATQgz3Rqnn0lZG22FMqvqpQ5yMm7Mo6a4wAUCbYbn2KMsV_zY0OM_zVD-z_3XhVhP3gW12Cuni0ImW2GQyzsigKsSKCmRbx6GKMUPledJ5SSVhRt8/w400-h300/004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVRSGZx0fIDjDVmZnc24lilKHaXsVJL6meWKFXQNgpzR1nGiOBIQXBccqN4n_7uazK0ERvrheU38HmYWzM8gbv-HJ0pHKgY4VCLJkyfLWrYoGJK5ze_BgVS-Q2hIdWkl1mJ1b/s2048/kitchen+bench2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVRSGZx0fIDjDVmZnc24lilKHaXsVJL6meWKFXQNgpzR1nGiOBIQXBccqN4n_7uazK0ERvrheU38HmYWzM8gbv-HJ0pHKgY4VCLJkyfLWrYoGJK5ze_BgVS-Q2hIdWkl1mJ1b/w300-h400/kitchen+bench2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>The view from the sink and stove...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuF54FiQG-A-AoMhV8WglxYwuIAPxbFhUaVdqAIDf_ZrEurXavQHbIHb317AgCx2kWErTe9FRqSiYmhyphenhyphenrpOoJPp_fpjnwiNYBpmjThbyF6aAbTmFewaexnwr7QCzaCw1QHGwa/s2048/bedroom+view+April+2009.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuF54FiQG-A-AoMhV8WglxYwuIAPxbFhUaVdqAIDf_ZrEurXavQHbIHb317AgCx2kWErTe9FRqSiYmhyphenhyphenrpOoJPp_fpjnwiNYBpmjThbyF6aAbTmFewaexnwr7QCzaCw1QHGwa/w396-h263/bedroom+view+April+2009.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsGNc7BEUsVZJJZMBpXsbIbPxzmCn8Zs5cDMYJQNykNTNxZCGzel-whD9moRQEw6O4QbbzGeTG05PBQaFeTiyfjCYus-nrfbrTSyB75vqWveEGAM18ITsogmrJLSNtgKv7UiL/s2048/kitchen+seen+from+front+balcony.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1525" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsGNc7BEUsVZJJZMBpXsbIbPxzmCn8Zs5cDMYJQNykNTNxZCGzel-whD9moRQEw6O4QbbzGeTG05PBQaFeTiyfjCYus-nrfbrTSyB75vqWveEGAM18ITsogmrJLSNtgKv7UiL/w298-h400/kitchen+seen+from+front+balcony.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j7q3uznL679Fs7NZbhGw6nN8y9gwcGQw-X8GlE5KN90l8wlRnz_eM2c16_FxbdEiwUii0QyhPFtnPo_yUogIkL2k9GjNHwsCErOuxQQ6SOVcL6FsoQpFIs2-ffgkTJlJxCPZ/s2048/kitchen+island.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j7q3uznL679Fs7NZbhGw6nN8y9gwcGQw-X8GlE5KN90l8wlRnz_eM2c16_FxbdEiwUii0QyhPFtnPo_yUogIkL2k9GjNHwsCErOuxQQ6SOVcL6FsoQpFIs2-ffgkTJlJxCPZ/w400-h300/kitchen+island.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>Come through the doorway on the left of the next pic and you will arrive in the bedroom<b>/</b>dressing room...<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6QC8Xo_YJbS6pJ4vmdJYfCdgK5lyphzfAAk_cHBQUeU6MP5nSYnkUFLWbaFr3r0FGad3vm109IkITDTFTeh3A3OC4F5WY1GIdfqGLsIVYfBtJ7D3Pp6wccabxA-k5bJel-d5/s2048/from+lounge+thru+to+TV+room.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6QC8Xo_YJbS6pJ4vmdJYfCdgK5lyphzfAAk_cHBQUeU6MP5nSYnkUFLWbaFr3r0FGad3vm109IkITDTFTeh3A3OC4F5WY1GIdfqGLsIVYfBtJ7D3Pp6wccabxA-k5bJel-d5/w400-h300/from+lounge+thru+to+TV+room.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15eATCWBF8ypiQ-Vb15BQHxDXmjFZOY1eeDlBjSDvtW3tXXxHSgN0y9FQBPF4Is-gNH3Lgjw-cOazVvOg-RwUEARAyxBQ4l2cD9KCJ9bTK9T7CqRBMZNjklY-FUPWQKZdS3iT/s2048/20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1454" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15eATCWBF8ypiQ-Vb15BQHxDXmjFZOY1eeDlBjSDvtW3tXXxHSgN0y9FQBPF4Is-gNH3Lgjw-cOazVvOg-RwUEARAyxBQ4l2cD9KCJ9bTK9T7CqRBMZNjklY-FUPWQKZdS3iT/w284-h400/20.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>...with its antique Burmese teak bed:<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9mn7BBIG0nsT32bEemtOCk-uihLPVgUl5qZpq7_V0zJ2YjKCb_NoPuQMMfHD8Md2PX0T8flMTWRW84KPJ-dsA8xGUCePRr4fIz-IdBZa-jmtXgK7NeoPNd2cY2yXJ3W-atBI/s2048/bedroom4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="2048" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9mn7BBIG0nsT32bEemtOCk-uihLPVgUl5qZpq7_V0zJ2YjKCb_NoPuQMMfHD8Md2PX0T8flMTWRW84KPJ-dsA8xGUCePRr4fIz-IdBZa-jmtXgK7NeoPNd2cY2yXJ3W-atBI/w400-h296/bedroom4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yce36F3cRAiStIHaUx1KOc3cc6XpdbCwR_nNqJmZIpPhEDLuO2exuBeLbZ1yKzKQyapIHLp-t-PuB4SlZanYNVQo5PHU1Tgb9wXmttkYtR9sB0G0nZaar_-c-r6OPMQCMxey/s960/bed+detail.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="960" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yce36F3cRAiStIHaUx1KOc3cc6XpdbCwR_nNqJmZIpPhEDLuO2exuBeLbZ1yKzKQyapIHLp-t-PuB4SlZanYNVQo5PHU1Tgb9wXmttkYtR9sB0G0nZaar_-c-r6OPMQCMxey/w400-h299/bed+detail.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaakaa_XfaLYvz12t9-LqMzronyz7cqtrX1m3jVJBxr9X4kL8H3bJt4jfHvlMhDtL9tXjWCiNnbrfH6MB0k3qnronL-c4xJZFduwfif5rJ_2cpRlxOV2rg6R5cr309nDOBo2Vu/s2048/bedroom.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaakaa_XfaLYvz12t9-LqMzronyz7cqtrX1m3jVJBxr9X4kL8H3bJt4jfHvlMhDtL9tXjWCiNnbrfH6MB0k3qnronL-c4xJZFduwfif5rJ_2cpRlxOV2rg6R5cr309nDOBo2Vu/w400-h300/bedroom.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3qbqCyL_S0RGxWcpIlUHoln1Olj9eBt0qXzvSgrEYYY_6I25uXrJA5rUQpKStRgVf8snquaosK9zmKnQQAb3g_zmAj9lvLgQZJCChsZe_oSDknCv330Sn3UNcwvlhoMYuSr0/s2048/bedroom3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3qbqCyL_S0RGxWcpIlUHoln1Olj9eBt0qXzvSgrEYYY_6I25uXrJA5rUQpKStRgVf8snquaosK9zmKnQQAb3g_zmAj9lvLgQZJCChsZe_oSDknCv330Sn3UNcwvlhoMYuSr0/w400-h300/bedroom3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>...and at the other end of the bedroom is the ultra-gothic dressing room...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5YwEUGVj5x7784N4pjT1aoAASJw3D05IKOmH4v_70nxMjlVNmGXnymd5ZcKYIq7_qsceSF_mKq357Ad_KI2T3h2XTUjj3U5FwDzBqiOMwnjSrAjgKtRXywJeC3JVukxbHhk2/s2048/bedroom9.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5YwEUGVj5x7784N4pjT1aoAASJw3D05IKOmH4v_70nxMjlVNmGXnymd5ZcKYIq7_qsceSF_mKq357Ad_KI2T3h2XTUjj3U5FwDzBqiOMwnjSrAjgKtRXywJeC3JVukxbHhk2/w400-h300/bedroom9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejEhF0T_DDB9uoyubov6rANQ82fnhPotFHSQfmbJGsXnd_MQRwiF8fP972sAyFD6z9j5d0JScsHmm53VZO1YZHofm1A5ADSYUY13TQjdS0gKy9aY_drDKLvUjNqByN_HeHHmC/s945/view+from+nakornping+dressing+room+to+bedroom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="945" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejEhF0T_DDB9uoyubov6rANQ82fnhPotFHSQfmbJGsXnd_MQRwiF8fP972sAyFD6z9j5d0JScsHmm53VZO1YZHofm1A5ADSYUY13TQjdS0gKy9aY_drDKLvUjNqByN_HeHHmC/w400-h319/view+from+nakornping+dressing+room+to+bedroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9Ijy9uT8mPQ_cJR1cGzeETELdJOPhjow9IxQMQKN4peDIm1TASNeSmSwKXTTAi2xdm7TKSV6JDk8oFMoKNO5AAq_IX-nSUljdq52Gt6xrSasUQL3ho5kIVD86l1N1-rUpupn/s2048/bedroom6.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9Ijy9uT8mPQ_cJR1cGzeETELdJOPhjow9IxQMQKN4peDIm1TASNeSmSwKXTTAi2xdm7TKSV6JDk8oFMoKNO5AAq_IX-nSUljdq52Gt6xrSasUQL3ho5kIVD86l1N1-rUpupn/w300-h400/bedroom6.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3eOxj_x6okFJ2wwl9e8FKBaNa4mQt48lPlxIGHtSfloMtGbdrYwL9a_h2zB8tFcHIFTs_qV6nGNLFNlNuM9k_HNhRFenGh1xshOpuwGaexy8bKBnIINJGp4HYXI4xt2ARJCM/s2048/bedroom7.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3eOxj_x6okFJ2wwl9e8FKBaNa4mQt48lPlxIGHtSfloMtGbdrYwL9a_h2zB8tFcHIFTs_qV6nGNLFNlNuM9k_HNhRFenGh1xshOpuwGaexy8bKBnIINJGp4HYXI4xt2ARJCM/w400-h300/bedroom7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1v6oy_cz6z42oVEeRVmJPQ4ElFYmFiW4nhNIptUo1gt2hEHFxqvV_BdGLrdY1sGwRgqD67Vcwhg8lErAdvagVkYf3Ww8Ed-7kxySpSc1wPnTYm0_ZgxtknMlI0k77cEVo37f/s1285/dressing+room+detail.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1285" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1v6oy_cz6z42oVEeRVmJPQ4ElFYmFiW4nhNIptUo1gt2hEHFxqvV_BdGLrdY1sGwRgqD67Vcwhg8lErAdvagVkYf3Ww8Ed-7kxySpSc1wPnTYm0_ZgxtknMlI0k77cEVo37f/w400-h299/dressing+room+detail.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNP4B32CfFr_RWvPGfcsTVRY8vmdAY2BMib2i2gk4c_07bCoPTcpVq3wjmj1PCOFCqW_OdzPzPqVEv30gh-V5CVvyxcOLIS3Wmjl-OS-9NxDnFr-6QE7pgeE2N1FInZMfdxSj/s2048/dressing+room2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNP4B32CfFr_RWvPGfcsTVRY8vmdAY2BMib2i2gk4c_07bCoPTcpVq3wjmj1PCOFCqW_OdzPzPqVEv30gh-V5CVvyxcOLIS3Wmjl-OS-9NxDnFr-6QE7pgeE2N1FInZMfdxSj/w300-h400/dressing+room2.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimukiN4AJMiHtbZYx3UQ6coDaPYZcprYLvW5_3SiaPw9Jk23fAUlO-iWeh5a6729GzOR1-HIl-iV_ULnPt1aBkO8bD6CFCcZQ_Cz4IkwxRFzD4FLntQ5WANKEL-DOOQpY-xbco/s2048/dressing+room4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimukiN4AJMiHtbZYx3UQ6coDaPYZcprYLvW5_3SiaPw9Jk23fAUlO-iWeh5a6729GzOR1-HIl-iV_ULnPt1aBkO8bD6CFCcZQ_Cz4IkwxRFzD4FLntQ5WANKEL-DOOQpY-xbco/w300-h400/dressing+room4.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuF_nyOfY9VQAULwZL3y_deXy0Y5wux6QSS7Vim7bnaJ1rv1xakDhqyLwx8D3_Dc9pQiijfmb9T2Chg9oH2c6ItQ_l6sHulQsLVvZJ1ynrGEyqY4yDRpyGur1oiLvCm0yl-Y8/s2048/dressing+room3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihuF_nyOfY9VQAULwZL3y_deXy0Y5wux6QSS7Vim7bnaJ1rv1xakDhqyLwx8D3_Dc9pQiijfmb9T2Chg9oH2c6ItQ_l6sHulQsLVvZJ1ynrGEyqY4yDRpyGur1oiLvCm0yl-Y8/w300-h400/dressing+room3.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64i60S-pCw1nQZFQSFQMD6EtMRwYd8KMiydHqE5val5WZlzDf_YEMUSVIL81Vz1NRdgWrZ6XjJjS3BEXaiHxXXAbufvPl1wotFM36CB83lKR-KDbThObDRCFJYlMlgZtJBGUu/s2048/Dressing+room.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg64i60S-pCw1nQZFQSFQMD6EtMRwYd8KMiydHqE5val5WZlzDf_YEMUSVIL81Vz1NRdgWrZ6XjJjS3BEXaiHxXXAbufvPl1wotFM36CB83lKR-KDbThObDRCFJYlMlgZtJBGUu/w400-h300/Dressing+room.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXd7CJ_8KqLXBsoycSaRFWD21e2LFzBxn9Hr6bDi947aiHf2WaqM_eoYZ6n8ipy7JOVFW17Wq3PW7Puas0cFLvEu96nQyiYT0MBe-_w11Zeianva1jUZRMphnmYD-99o25PQO/s2048/035.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1530" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXd7CJ_8KqLXBsoycSaRFWD21e2LFzBxn9Hr6bDi947aiHf2WaqM_eoYZ6n8ipy7JOVFW17Wq3PW7Puas0cFLvEu96nQyiYT0MBe-_w11Zeianva1jUZRMphnmYD-99o25PQO/w299-h400/035.JPG" width="299" /></a></div>And now to the study / TV room - which included the main bathroom...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldoeVX0xlDtKHKPlzQZ7oNkOmiUa0uUT5yV-txC1ahLJFRh-26MQpUxhTjUXouFoHdoondvcDqAO1jFvkRjSQFsw4c9L5RaE7VX5Wz8NtwIVjY4kph9KsGFxjnD8o5FdGqErL/s2048/TV+room+%25282%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1551" data-original-width="2048" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldoeVX0xlDtKHKPlzQZ7oNkOmiUa0uUT5yV-txC1ahLJFRh-26MQpUxhTjUXouFoHdoondvcDqAO1jFvkRjSQFsw4c9L5RaE7VX5Wz8NtwIVjY4kph9KsGFxjnD8o5FdGqErL/w400-h303/TV+room+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> In the next pic, the bathroom is behind the grille window, (<i>which has a hidden blind, in case you're curious. But hey, what does it matter?- we're married</i>). The golden mandala on the wall is actually a bank of wardrobes in disguise, as were the green glass cupboards...<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX2Tly5VBLwqeMDGEHRWJn9_N4bThV5b6idQGaD8H6X12uGWnM6Wuk76kNFNuyJg45cmnSeQ9qOGS2VA4MfgIQM-EIbA29kXm_wW5DwzbXvsqQBvB1aKJmKDHxTheDw7OG80a/s2048/TV+room+%25283%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbX2Tly5VBLwqeMDGEHRWJn9_N4bThV5b6idQGaD8H6X12uGWnM6Wuk76kNFNuyJg45cmnSeQ9qOGS2VA4MfgIQM-EIbA29kXm_wW5DwzbXvsqQBvB1aKJmKDHxTheDw7OG80a/w400-h300/TV+room+%25283%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaM7h-BAuTu5cxVmKYtaEs0RHA8nfi61K_A09p4EO4QhnRnFkcS9JwA9KFC6GqHKD6u7MYrNZ3ggD3rm-SXI0JPyShcSEatvmE7cNhsYJX5I0SZqOmmpQUscT1_X7RieCpZuD/s2048/TV+room+%25285%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1641" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaM7h-BAuTu5cxVmKYtaEs0RHA8nfi61K_A09p4EO4QhnRnFkcS9JwA9KFC6GqHKD6u7MYrNZ3ggD3rm-SXI0JPyShcSEatvmE7cNhsYJX5I0SZqOmmpQUscT1_X7RieCpZuD/w400-h320/TV+room+%25285%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigCmgyq-2ix737hBcep7bl2aHKBPfSAmrBQqHn8jfT4cWV4NVuPTCV6aNCHEcNXSmf7M23wYuLS6OPwojJiM24GtakNp6eEMrwHjuHESP-mS0yJhqRbocGqm98_Xbm-L5d0vU/s752/shower+nakornping+1404.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigCmgyq-2ix737hBcep7bl2aHKBPfSAmrBQqHn8jfT4cWV4NVuPTCV6aNCHEcNXSmf7M23wYuLS6OPwojJiM24GtakNp6eEMrwHjuHESP-mS0yJhqRbocGqm98_Xbm-L5d0vU/w300-h400/shower+nakornping+1404.JPG" width="300" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrYPQ-3VlTdf5S8RUrBfy10SPH93Bu9n75mUpOqBWQrm7kCEwKGPUjv10_img-hsAA-nkdiGi8fXAsk2h7NmvYC5k1dJzhCrQFiLPm8gTtTnxGujEHxoGMdfEpMOqkXwPf9nF/s2048/second+bathroom.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrYPQ-3VlTdf5S8RUrBfy10SPH93Bu9n75mUpOqBWQrm7kCEwKGPUjv10_img-hsAA-nkdiGi8fXAsk2h7NmvYC5k1dJzhCrQFiLPm8gTtTnxGujEHxoGMdfEpMOqkXwPf9nF/w300-h400/second+bathroom.JPG" width="300" /></a></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5GiLNe_2N2NHTLlA1kQKhNFKUYR1n8AfN0Jbtz31mhCaT_j4UJwnAWHw9reBZn3hJuGfiD5bEC9LGnOIHbNeTizygq6cDPdSKoeXQox6U9YmwYJPffi9E4MNwbdQ2J1pZ6yi/s2048/TV+room3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5GiLNe_2N2NHTLlA1kQKhNFKUYR1n8AfN0Jbtz31mhCaT_j4UJwnAWHw9reBZn3hJuGfiD5bEC9LGnOIHbNeTizygq6cDPdSKoeXQox6U9YmwYJPffi9E4MNwbdQ2J1pZ6yi/w400-h300/TV+room3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FrzIXLvBJOAA41secswIBkRNAMhpLEgCW-srAbgOfx_qYePMI56SfGML5wIE066MT_3yhCiQNZWpZaR5klpLTPGrcEkmMKhVmlhB-m8lxa4NZ5AeHe4ZfzGCN0brr-UVGRoK/s2048/TV+room+balcony2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1393" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FrzIXLvBJOAA41secswIBkRNAMhpLEgCW-srAbgOfx_qYePMI56SfGML5wIE066MT_3yhCiQNZWpZaR5klpLTPGrcEkmMKhVmlhB-m8lxa4NZ5AeHe4ZfzGCN0brr-UVGRoK/w273-h400/TV+room+balcony2.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><p></p><p>The reverse view back where you came from, through the bedroom to the lounge...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTu-yRbjZy5YkKxClS6SUiChrPCgj5hIW_nzOBL8re57bOfKMCRF9wS9cCV3BR8fy1E1nwPx4APflDShD4roIQwM8wGJAPn8645qzdYZ5UMEL1G8StQ0ggsXwc_P3NoMBgh1UO/s2048/view+from+TV+room.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTu-yRbjZy5YkKxClS6SUiChrPCgj5hIW_nzOBL8re57bOfKMCRF9wS9cCV3BR8fy1E1nwPx4APflDShD4roIQwM8wGJAPn8645qzdYZ5UMEL1G8StQ0ggsXwc_P3NoMBgh1UO/w400-h300/view+from+TV+room.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>and finally to Marie's own study/craft room, a separate but adjoining room...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdo4QjAtZyLBfnEYH6BBjRD8svlgk19wFOddbMhMY-wj5z5FGuGDC7KEV2Z4ZcNu3YMTsuJZq-TzVnijtHNoUOZxBWPfEQ1sj8GAs6u6HmwFrDQ4emEOMZqMIg-XStPB_YFwi/s2048/%255BAA%255D+1407+view+from+kitchen+to+balcony.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdo4QjAtZyLBfnEYH6BBjRD8svlgk19wFOddbMhMY-wj5z5FGuGDC7KEV2Z4ZcNu3YMTsuJZq-TzVnijtHNoUOZxBWPfEQ1sj8GAs6u6HmwFrDQ4emEOMZqMIg-XStPB_YFwi/w400-h300/%255BAA%255D+1407+view+from+kitchen+to+balcony.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmQBD-is7wBca9Bk7Dbn_cbT3h_JWJ18b86tjkwmQfAzWvTZyOXGoEatOeQSgLSTCwh29O2mjzU8fV73ssnn7skymFLTKY0gt4pIPGYDtfb5tV5qXcM24FSHvx_YzmK5OeLWm/s2048/lounge+1407+3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmQBD-is7wBca9Bk7Dbn_cbT3h_JWJ18b86tjkwmQfAzWvTZyOXGoEatOeQSgLSTCwh29O2mjzU8fV73ssnn7skymFLTKY0gt4pIPGYDtfb5tV5qXcM24FSHvx_YzmK5OeLWm/w400-h300/lounge+1407+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p> ...with a tiny mini-kitchenette...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxedy3d6bQdls4B3dNvfuQBSVDUl0J-Yi8Y4WM5cHNiNyP6S7xLuKmaQnTr7iyOTacy5teytiC0t62PGqbjbAI5CV-quNeOkfB1PfaFWF50gxmiyRLDO3Q0L-lPl2WMLuyNmI/s2048/1407+kitchen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIxedy3d6bQdls4B3dNvfuQBSVDUl0J-Yi8Y4WM5cHNiNyP6S7xLuKmaQnTr7iyOTacy5teytiC0t62PGqbjbAI5CV-quNeOkfB1PfaFWF50gxmiyRLDO3Q0L-lPl2WMLuyNmI/w300-h400/1407+kitchen.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>...and it had its own unique open-plan bathroom with carved teak panels and internally-lit ceiling...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynQxJb_RTvIohQfa8ty5nMrjR6-j3meZAJUwAytlYihkCH9DCZnHv2hJE-Qo_vKtoV3SFMwf-LEw7zW2kLyjP3iuuiUcx6RDOI1WZ5uSL4okn8jNRRv1ICm8depomFMTV5jPr/s2048/bathroom++1407+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynQxJb_RTvIohQfa8ty5nMrjR6-j3meZAJUwAytlYihkCH9DCZnHv2hJE-Qo_vKtoV3SFMwf-LEw7zW2kLyjP3iuuiUcx6RDOI1WZ5uSL4okn8jNRRv1ICm8depomFMTV5jPr/w300-h400/bathroom++1407+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lpgbo6vwsIHUMfTg3x0UPzUhXDM14bsRWK8IU21avHYz-U6avEUjT3s7THtsl9Gs7vYC7XAmWFXHb6V6bEJKfQ94gtnpJgQFw6ARDeJJgvuhHtr0OPYV6UgsaPc87uggqDmE/s2048/bathroom+1407+3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Lpgbo6vwsIHUMfTg3x0UPzUhXDM14bsRWK8IU21avHYz-U6avEUjT3s7THtsl9Gs7vYC7XAmWFXHb6V6bEJKfQ94gtnpJgQFw6ARDeJJgvuhHtr0OPYV6UgsaPc87uggqDmE/w300-h400/bathroom+1407+3.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsheJOhcJIla3OpllZuiBuSHkYbUI1EfGn6ZDRTh_2A5FQACQFmuoQ0FcLENhoUvhzZBvifjIni4bAATeDvcc733ffbODYbiGWyEOs7FGE01jGcrGhIQw5FxzYvH8z_hJD07GN/s2048/bathroom+1407+4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsheJOhcJIla3OpllZuiBuSHkYbUI1EfGn6ZDRTh_2A5FQACQFmuoQ0FcLENhoUvhzZBvifjIni4bAATeDvcc733ffbODYbiGWyEOs7FGE01jGcrGhIQw5FxzYvH8z_hJD07GN/s320/bathroom+1407+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p>Here is the floorplan showing the position of Marie's room relative to the others...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW6TT4XpMf9PimcmD6D0gi66p5mWRiJUeZjI8C_nc-70hUYG-OwKHgk916UzSSL5ZqVyNS13FPZb9CkNnlWXMLYx-oALYqS-p-KLJXQ2uYayY9pZAAYPNIozNNn34huDkWJJj/s2048/nakornping+floor+plan+1407.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1396" data-original-width="2048" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW6TT4XpMf9PimcmD6D0gi66p5mWRiJUeZjI8C_nc-70hUYG-OwKHgk916UzSSL5ZqVyNS13FPZb9CkNnlWXMLYx-oALYqS-p-KLJXQ2uYayY9pZAAYPNIozNNn34huDkWJJj/w400-h272/nakornping+floor+plan+1407.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>So this is how the entire apartment looked at night from the street. Starting from your left you see<p></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>1.</b> Marie's cave;</span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>2.</b> TV room;</span><b> <span style="color: #ffa400;">3.</span></b><span style="color: #ffa400;"> Bedroom; </span><span style="color: #f1c232;"> <b>4.</b> Kitchen/nook;</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"> </span> <b>5.</b> Balcony/Lounge</span><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6gqHaEVPPz1CRXrKQV3r81vNadrYYxe5id9AF3TbGGbo2I0ZhYJO5WOSmn4tgCOTzH6kvWt6aYNJ9vTPmCFfas7iP_2M9muwgPAEpNyzVps51D5XLryYPLbc2udyOEbTy8Tb/s2048/nakornping+night.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6gqHaEVPPz1CRXrKQV3r81vNadrYYxe5id9AF3TbGGbo2I0ZhYJO5WOSmn4tgCOTzH6kvWt6aYNJ9vTPmCFfas7iP_2M9muwgPAEpNyzVps51D5XLryYPLbc2udyOEbTy8Tb/w300-h400/nakornping+night.JPG" width="300" /></a></p>If you would like to peek at the renovation process, click here:<div><a href="http://eyrie2.blogspot.com/2008/09/amid-demolition-dust-there-arose-mighty.html?m=1">http://eyrie2.blogspot.com/2008/09/amid-demolition-dust-there-arose-mighty.html?m=1</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-33537158629687246582020-09-02T12:26:00.001+07:002020-09-02T12:36:22.449+07:00Duggan Drive photo essay 2001-2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTu7A0u3PTVFB9STgWtvAIAWBaZD8bzdX5hK82kxRcexEzk5wzyJ2U4Q4VFq2Hd8llHqeL0fmjdR2CS9sW4vIrAUO-i4LhD3K6gE6fjLMr4PwDEH4Wcb9XVCHl7aZBcuHhtZa/s1600/DiningRoom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTu7A0u3PTVFB9STgWtvAIAWBaZD8bzdX5hK82kxRcexEzk5wzyJ2U4Q4VFq2Hd8llHqeL0fmjdR2CS9sW4vIrAUO-i4LhD3K6gE6fjLMr4PwDEH4Wcb9XVCHl7aZBcuHhtZa/s320/DiningRoom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4jlnMuriZhn25nTtHHtDxqM5FaRrXmOGOGsLfFNoGZzbm1FnVGEBx7R8PyBfkUlKGoRG0hVFalkyqzeUzLDpAjfiDg56kAUi7BYW6RH49VUfFP0hwY_ZoMcAzBRL4oXOpg7J/s1600/duggancourtyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4jlnMuriZhn25nTtHHtDxqM5FaRrXmOGOGsLfFNoGZzbm1FnVGEBx7R8PyBfkUlKGoRG0hVFalkyqzeUzLDpAjfiDg56kAUi7BYW6RH49VUfFP0hwY_ZoMcAzBRL4oXOpg7J/s320/duggancourtyard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5yXmhmW8EuKPG1bm7ebYtnBJZAxSXJz-W51S2NHBRLjP7_yvl-f9onenZ-BzujVdayEZz9ZcFXbBr1S0QLVKfq2at7v4gGG8iZ-I_HCyChPBnAakVEJDTBV83eG90MWFxSQh/s1600/DugganLounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5yXmhmW8EuKPG1bm7ebYtnBJZAxSXJz-W51S2NHBRLjP7_yvl-f9onenZ-BzujVdayEZz9ZcFXbBr1S0QLVKfq2at7v4gGG8iZ-I_HCyChPBnAakVEJDTBV83eG90MWFxSQh/s320/DugganLounge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjverScJX1RlcTE1SKHjspzykalTRA7S_AJS_nRzy30RKIPRXCmSVxQVm4SXf8SNfhJIHxqVbG-xpS6KMReK41UTDFqQRj46FrXghVfmSr9455DKb2JRAIdnltB-2vYhK9WxCz8/s1600/dugganpool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjverScJX1RlcTE1SKHjspzykalTRA7S_AJS_nRzy30RKIPRXCmSVxQVm4SXf8SNfhJIHxqVbG-xpS6KMReK41UTDFqQRj46FrXghVfmSr9455DKb2JRAIdnltB-2vYhK9WxCz8/s320/dugganpool.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkENUJce-FdaR03Kmw_ILCHpupwIXsIOGOeZ1j2sE385Q97ErfnyCkWaI-FnizhB4vTfMOTVaOiMYFeE1cpdjSuO4GW9sdLmJdFmv4q2BzAXcWzcVCew3a4Fq83sWnTHxuJfHS/s1600/GarageSaleDuggan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkENUJce-FdaR03Kmw_ILCHpupwIXsIOGOeZ1j2sE385Q97ErfnyCkWaI-FnizhB4vTfMOTVaOiMYFeE1cpdjSuO4GW9sdLmJdFmv4q2BzAXcWzcVCew3a4Fq83sWnTHxuJfHS/s320/GarageSaleDuggan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzMLIZCIfe7MpF_i1hzNhD3Xr38j4k0qnbRrJbsAKhupMyT2F9FyfufttNMOzrkWKpn-D6VRiC0luds6ELpBlZc5JgCB3-4UvJi1LjY8cB-SKYczO-kVhPlxGpjzAclZY213I/s1600/GFbubbleCurtainToKitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzMLIZCIfe7MpF_i1hzNhD3Xr38j4k0qnbRrJbsAKhupMyT2F9FyfufttNMOzrkWKpn-D6VRiC0luds6ELpBlZc5JgCB3-4UvJi1LjY8cB-SKYczO-kVhPlxGpjzAclZY213I/s320/GFbubbleCurtainToKitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ULiVbivgsqFjIupBvT8-GcoUb4jrHwCyJYcq08B-f_QHI8DUFchfmQ0FmIo5lu9mNIupqnsQKjC4Xno2bSIsIke7HTGYeNQOeZ-zU5DORERz9ZWKBymP2TI1109xTjsgKcRe/s1600/GFkitchen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ULiVbivgsqFjIupBvT8-GcoUb4jrHwCyJYcq08B-f_QHI8DUFchfmQ0FmIo5lu9mNIupqnsQKjC4Xno2bSIsIke7HTGYeNQOeZ-zU5DORERz9ZWKBymP2TI1109xTjsgKcRe/s320/GFkitchen1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_b7OArBrIzBXvo1cYQ3vMyMu1htrTBVqfC5-R3X2V_HxFHs9V6B8t1FRZhDvqx58SfrVLeiUfHGMBY3eJU5-dj724OrsKFCW_S5iuj20gaBbKfgwSg229PnM4RQmi575lP0f/s1600/GFkitchen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7_b7OArBrIzBXvo1cYQ3vMyMu1htrTBVqfC5-R3X2V_HxFHs9V6B8t1FRZhDvqx58SfrVLeiUfHGMBY3eJU5-dj724OrsKFCW_S5iuj20gaBbKfgwSg229PnM4RQmi575lP0f/s320/GFkitchen2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoGbVf6HnJK32kSl2Wq7jUgKtfSAh67CpH7_W6H9gz_41Ie8IhVwA54dFQ3UIeFth_v8hra4N2GQB4VINcUqKg_CjwwUXkN0t1o4XmXN30gB613ZLOe8sLoH1KY8MsU77zHfT/s1600/GFlounge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="640" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsoGbVf6HnJK32kSl2Wq7jUgKtfSAh67CpH7_W6H9gz_41Ie8IhVwA54dFQ3UIeFth_v8hra4N2GQB4VINcUqKg_CjwwUXkN0t1o4XmXN30gB613ZLOe8sLoH1KY8MsU77zHfT/s320/GFlounge1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUyE9qqdGdHzeWXm_UQTilqoiQKJeUcvLgnUIy421fbKKEZMl7-yZ1VEbcEeNLnGTPdd0AG088pQ6Y481P_f1CwKGmh35VaKTxn6Cr3R49QNhN1s4jzzMYzr5aUNNUnRY-6D1/s1600/GFlounge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUyE9qqdGdHzeWXm_UQTilqoiQKJeUcvLgnUIy421fbKKEZMl7-yZ1VEbcEeNLnGTPdd0AG088pQ6Y481P_f1CwKGmh35VaKTxn6Cr3R49QNhN1s4jzzMYzr5aUNNUnRY-6D1/s320/GFlounge2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRPjDJ9OD8IanAvMtccxcG4vX6QND9WpO04zAFshQCc8tc6X-9q43ntnTTlAmkven2qU_5H9Z_6BJWm-uAZWlW1gGqxCpVZdxE24of2GU46aNyRvKwh0Px4isnmPSJNd89SCv/s1600/GFoffice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="640" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRPjDJ9OD8IanAvMtccxcG4vX6QND9WpO04zAFshQCc8tc6X-9q43ntnTTlAmkven2qU_5H9Z_6BJWm-uAZWlW1gGqxCpVZdxE24of2GU46aNyRvKwh0Px4isnmPSJNd89SCv/s320/GFoffice.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJrxQyJRimeEbCYsFI-kl_36BT0Sx2D4qJgpJd3uz8UPz7hLnkJk884RHgWeziPRoKSjqaW9LwlcC7NMJeFHr_iSx91xFCSNsLc8krttcavqfdUDj-b9WLDDQUxg-JowD6hs2/s1600/grinnyflit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJrxQyJRimeEbCYsFI-kl_36BT0Sx2D4qJgpJd3uz8UPz7hLnkJk884RHgWeziPRoKSjqaW9LwlcC7NMJeFHr_iSx91xFCSNsLc8krttcavqfdUDj-b9WLDDQUxg-JowD6hs2/s320/grinnyflit1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclf9GU575tfDnNCAigYctCjitOa03wZbfcH29KCrldOmeO8hXLN1wl6RGVFoBISuFQ5fOUkE4cpzJB2eJ1H996qUCP6N823yeH03P_THsyjmlE1I6llx2PxolpAuw6CGzE92A/s1600/grinnyflit2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="640" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclf9GU575tfDnNCAigYctCjitOa03wZbfcH29KCrldOmeO8hXLN1wl6RGVFoBISuFQ5fOUkE4cpzJB2eJ1H996qUCP6N823yeH03P_THsyjmlE1I6llx2PxolpAuw6CGzE92A/s320/grinnyflit2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNV0v7f6ntGkM05aVt_zVTnOf_vDChgTdGJWYFjqONkkwh3avmY0KCafcZv6VwYsTSy7tCE2ixLtVOmK7am_5A5uFDNvrooNQmSomitFIJaP0sqMbk39GeuoQwR-LlrFc2UlB1/s1600/InstrumentWall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNV0v7f6ntGkM05aVt_zVTnOf_vDChgTdGJWYFjqONkkwh3avmY0KCafcZv6VwYsTSy7tCE2ixLtVOmK7am_5A5uFDNvrooNQmSomitFIJaP0sqMbk39GeuoQwR-LlrFc2UlB1/s320/InstrumentWall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5g-kcNxF0waeq_nn-mzp8r1fjC2SLroP6jC96IfPr500MgeYNpwhCV_G0Vt1PiEKa5sOG_OjSBe7NNos4zEe_FX8dAkOGbgmqJZJrAoFp4F3XEYOb_jnWKCBEXvnyYvJYbSo/s1600/KitchenViewOfLounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5g-kcNxF0waeq_nn-mzp8r1fjC2SLroP6jC96IfPr500MgeYNpwhCV_G0Vt1PiEKa5sOG_OjSBe7NNos4zEe_FX8dAkOGbgmqJZJrAoFp4F3XEYOb_jnWKCBEXvnyYvJYbSo/s320/KitchenViewOfLounge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjT2XVgTV3BUQ94BpEHzDO-BQZfHOf6R5w_20nDS84DbiI0pmlR5jquYUyqLxlpHcjOHL1NS5UiGXgaK1MJQzoXek-qFQ5rp9ozZGtl16VcZusYWut374QocvXJ50XIEMZ9OS/s1600/LadyRee%2527sLounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjT2XVgTV3BUQ94BpEHzDO-BQZfHOf6R5w_20nDS84DbiI0pmlR5jquYUyqLxlpHcjOHL1NS5UiGXgaK1MJQzoXek-qFQ5rp9ozZGtl16VcZusYWut374QocvXJ50XIEMZ9OS/s320/LadyRee%2527sLounge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbtdnfTmoMVnX27Y8b4OCBzp6urs-7Yy7Tkl2kModpy_SMcnfDfSnD8vWlRk5-YAvDEcyZq6vAFISTHGRgX1wzf1G6Yu07UjvTp4tYhJY1LIY7kQ8eIIEM7FZdIUEjF-6XF3N/s1600/packingDuggan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbtdnfTmoMVnX27Y8b4OCBzp6urs-7Yy7Tkl2kModpy_SMcnfDfSnD8vWlRk5-YAvDEcyZq6vAFISTHGRgX1wzf1G6Yu07UjvTp4tYhJY1LIY7kQ8eIIEM7FZdIUEjF-6XF3N/s320/packingDuggan0001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QR_T0FfH-RP40Ch6KYxeRzG75ppCjklWfRNXf-lRjF2cwxwZvR2JBH3DGkRqGYj6HmVU68inFMEtzn8g_132s9FYe0xtVwmUfnWLrOAxjVzFk7JmWFmPBfJVvKJk9QD6V8ea/s1600/ThaiSetting1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QR_T0FfH-RP40Ch6KYxeRzG75ppCjklWfRNXf-lRjF2cwxwZvR2JBH3DGkRqGYj6HmVU68inFMEtzn8g_132s9FYe0xtVwmUfnWLrOAxjVzFk7JmWFmPBfJVvKJk9QD6V8ea/s320/ThaiSetting1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq5ELo1TyV8SJ09O7Pt2ELRhESSST8-pY2GSVH2eJh4_DzDAKWPSfWowokhYyRbE141WB_8CNm9L88vTfZOTkx90ahsP_TNZEIS0AokOV9bfYKOY6ZkjjhTuBzTIaRyl-J_zI/s1600/ThaiSetting2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="640" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZq5ELo1TyV8SJ09O7Pt2ELRhESSST8-pY2GSVH2eJh4_DzDAKWPSfWowokhYyRbE141WB_8CNm9L88vTfZOTkx90ahsP_TNZEIS0AokOV9bfYKOY6ZkjjhTuBzTIaRyl-J_zI/s320/ThaiSetting2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtea2-B54xHS9hpzw-iIEnn2rYrHmIEbyZzKCL_a1pzlIDGm7XeHisn9V8yzrp0Ol9qEp-Y4oLi8KbGVElI9t4XvPrtHJM-BIo18ieUPQjum1-STSzLGpfCg1xxdBHONVDZJ3/s1600/ThaiSetting3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtea2-B54xHS9hpzw-iIEnn2rYrHmIEbyZzKCL_a1pzlIDGm7XeHisn9V8yzrp0Ol9qEp-Y4oLi8KbGVElI9t4XvPrtHJM-BIo18ieUPQjum1-STSzLGpfCg1xxdBHONVDZJ3/s320/ThaiSetting3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMEUL1zZdvD1H19IrQwytHRwHyRdrEvFZ1fipAqAzJmsXA2TJ7w2PohpXN-XA4rkghvIU9TOG7EFxYXJz8IzFrEay2YXFpm-OjIiQD3sjbDFZoXcP8MFf198iYh9yN2tlkyYA/s1600/vegiegardenmorning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMEUL1zZdvD1H19IrQwytHRwHyRdrEvFZ1fipAqAzJmsXA2TJ7w2PohpXN-XA4rkghvIU9TOG7EFxYXJz8IzFrEay2YXFpm-OjIiQD3sjbDFZoXcP8MFf198iYh9yN2tlkyYA/s320/vegiegardenmorning.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcihkox6WWRuwtJqua1gON-TQBRcVY_eVRoyVJu3OETH3DelVqbBH3BRwXoVUE6K09kHZgK1Y99ihwBuH8wsGT_lYpNUr7Hey7gGCqrOFE5xdvPc1fSt9h_VtZqX3PGoaCb8XS/s1600/ViewFromGFroof1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcihkox6WWRuwtJqua1gON-TQBRcVY_eVRoyVJu3OETH3DelVqbBH3BRwXoVUE6K09kHZgK1Y99ihwBuH8wsGT_lYpNUr7Hey7gGCqrOFE5xdvPc1fSt9h_VtZqX3PGoaCb8XS/s320/ViewFromGFroof1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn8F34TTUYsIxGHaUIrqRyUEulQxFyc5q6tJZprlgLqxmHeAZy4ixRPaTxTPOz7hgZ60bgbDg4heaKQkSYdGIorDr5Ru4MkwvFJP-Vrb6g6yTkiik6LMcPHCo3LdfS-ae_g28/s1600/ViewFromGFroof2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJn8F34TTUYsIxGHaUIrqRyUEulQxFyc5q6tJZprlgLqxmHeAZy4ixRPaTxTPOz7hgZ60bgbDg4heaKQkSYdGIorDr5Ru4MkwvFJP-Vrb6g6yTkiik6LMcPHCo3LdfS-ae_g28/s320/ViewFromGFroof2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqN8U-uNzIWM1oagkoo0AM9U7MKtQoZDdCd2yZ-4eh3vF1iFf06HWBlVbg9gtOz8GG7DubFU6qi_IXal1VK1hxqhX-eXvRHn2-GibZHSmW56gs49vSUy6aDiIrN_4s0wyCq3Q/s1600/DotGoesSwimming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqN8U-uNzIWM1oagkoo0AM9U7MKtQoZDdCd2yZ-4eh3vF1iFf06HWBlVbg9gtOz8GG7DubFU6qi_IXal1VK1hxqhX-eXvRHn2-GibZHSmW56gs49vSUy6aDiIrN_4s0wyCq3Q/s320/DotGoesSwimming.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wTwFRpzQHejsPtt16VWkwN_8uUxBfS77sWWSjMS7xAfqoLFzLQIUnwuR8s0MvaKMTDsr4Jyh7rywfrCefol30rLp3STRHoJFSmPunM74fZny4rppg8FuhRa11E3Xmnv9oHNi/s1600/ReeMowingLongGrass1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wTwFRpzQHejsPtt16VWkwN_8uUxBfS77sWWSjMS7xAfqoLFzLQIUnwuR8s0MvaKMTDsr4Jyh7rywfrCefol30rLp3STRHoJFSmPunM74fZny4rppg8FuhRa11E3Xmnv9oHNi/s320/ReeMowingLongGrass1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1tsIfr2hcsw7b-m0ueeEx8fyjRlm0BqGvzClCZJw0z86tKFTeN0yR9bjP1J37bnaajZIO-ni0IQGAFDP1_M3O1xNefp7TvxRTr6kJLDYO9cN9dxeMVow81XOfVX9WSX1eeiQ/s1600/ReeMowingLongGrass2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1tsIfr2hcsw7b-m0ueeEx8fyjRlm0BqGvzClCZJw0z86tKFTeN0yR9bjP1J37bnaajZIO-ni0IQGAFDP1_M3O1xNefp7TvxRTr6kJLDYO9cN9dxeMVow81XOfVX9WSX1eeiQ/s320/ReeMowingLongGrass2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSZGJBg-QW-jr36FSQ6eNxwpmVQsM6QRPEtydOh3cKuuAxilyfhxBXzw-pkjY3043lKF2C17ZpMMPHTcVtLcLoIe-ahQUj9vDZrSDV3f69trpucZrJoYh_ZXq-DYHIYc2hjvT/s1600/young+Rollinia+Tree+2.5metres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSZGJBg-QW-jr36FSQ6eNxwpmVQsM6QRPEtydOh3cKuuAxilyfhxBXzw-pkjY3043lKF2C17ZpMMPHTcVtLcLoIe-ahQUj9vDZrSDV3f69trpucZrJoYh_ZXq-DYHIYc2hjvT/s320/young+Rollinia+Tree+2.5metres.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-66766830421262010782020-09-02T12:10:00.001+07:002020-09-02T12:22:52.422+07:00Woopen Creek photo essay 2003-4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUNZIaRXcGBdan1c2Uy4KEvW03CrKnE7CJdZ0kFIvcgd81uaoWSkMsbZz_7RC9EDePUFziqcI3ltUoLLWXo263we-7C4CcKkkmmdv3PQ9nsXA-2-T7dhnwmPfRHkrrM4OOOXG/s1600/Woopen+Creek+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUNZIaRXcGBdan1c2Uy4KEvW03CrKnE7CJdZ0kFIvcgd81uaoWSkMsbZz_7RC9EDePUFziqcI3ltUoLLWXo263we-7C4CcKkkmmdv3PQ9nsXA-2-T7dhnwmPfRHkrrM4OOOXG/s320/Woopen+Creek+House.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO0N99R2XQs3mpklb861gvdmQI5VLowT_np-d7vLuHC5k182-1LAxMsk328JyhihSsVZXFJmarIMubMAZDddaG2ZjIhuUk5OCZXaIWmmoLHJarMfD1NBFWDO6liY6kBrsrgsY/s1600/above-mangosteens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidO0N99R2XQs3mpklb861gvdmQI5VLowT_np-d7vLuHC5k182-1LAxMsk328JyhihSsVZXFJmarIMubMAZDddaG2ZjIhuUk5OCZXaIWmmoLHJarMfD1NBFWDO6liY6kBrsrgsY/s320/above-mangosteens.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy979wYxki_r8OXgAqqHDaRDrFDLTiqEXS_-_UC70OPXnCI_b-m4TQQh6ZMXJKcHN-knChCktnnt9SlEAlrHyTWruTATd2tQPbINMOJBJnKnr_YmcgqGR2Ra1PPiskpE5fkU8i/s1600/back-steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy979wYxki_r8OXgAqqHDaRDrFDLTiqEXS_-_UC70OPXnCI_b-m4TQQh6ZMXJKcHN-knChCktnnt9SlEAlrHyTWruTATd2tQPbINMOJBJnKnr_YmcgqGR2Ra1PPiskpE5fkU8i/s320/back-steps.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlurv1i1zP4HA3mi_KwFyILaBgNxZEJ9myDTQQn-IOOrMWxyPepvQWdPPDh4Rs5QzKbuY9XZcK3VqgbYbdPG6qUi_ULR5bZdSzZfd7bD62CIRBchtNDsmxGMNDk5bQhPgtaYLd/s1600/Chocolate-box+view+of+Russell+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlurv1i1zP4HA3mi_KwFyILaBgNxZEJ9myDTQQn-IOOrMWxyPepvQWdPPDh4Rs5QzKbuY9XZcK3VqgbYbdPG6qUi_ULR5bZdSzZfd7bD62CIRBchtNDsmxGMNDk5bQhPgtaYLd/s320/Chocolate-box+view+of+Russell+River.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DvU-iO44Z_3rutuCU5qUqZnoqehideZlbvsrEWdAJqSAeJvlPnuKkAkmhsizehMzlORbWQXve8RStW1gwF-sSbDYIGn9cAlQR31g388menKp_8czbawydRghGKgHUoPyzsou/s1600/detail-of-bedhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DvU-iO44Z_3rutuCU5qUqZnoqehideZlbvsrEWdAJqSAeJvlPnuKkAkmhsizehMzlORbWQXve8RStW1gwF-sSbDYIGn9cAlQR31g388menKp_8czbawydRghGKgHUoPyzsou/s320/detail-of-bedhead.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk686GUVEn1BHlORwCnOxZUHHfH-o6-xm1501ceKp4tM_Tz7QE-uAKJoZecWWFqipiOcdk7MCZGHVpDu7CWR_jaGTHz9iNGj9nYOqM1PBqwOyxeT-lesCelBz_Zi0h-pqJoaEg/s1600/dining+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk686GUVEn1BHlORwCnOxZUHHfH-o6-xm1501ceKp4tM_Tz7QE-uAKJoZecWWFqipiOcdk7MCZGHVpDu7CWR_jaGTHz9iNGj9nYOqM1PBqwOyxeT-lesCelBz_Zi0h-pqJoaEg/s320/dining+room.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-g3FBtpvj6nkSYJ7OIjO8ACqKygAIlVI9UqZbsliM45ihK4QkxduF4VWg5oX8dUyZLUrw8-cGsevDnw24OfBJlSJdFq6X9Ytoa4UQzYgIyTFp_ZWQjfQ-plFSTbv7ytufnCty/s1600/dining-table%255Bmain%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-g3FBtpvj6nkSYJ7OIjO8ACqKygAIlVI9UqZbsliM45ihK4QkxduF4VWg5oX8dUyZLUrw8-cGsevDnw24OfBJlSJdFq6X9Ytoa4UQzYgIyTFp_ZWQjfQ-plFSTbv7ytufnCty/s320/dining-table%255Bmain%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV1XastPKvC3QxBUd8-cHEEN7Pp0y5mYJn2cgQZHE9XkpJ3kk4L5iOn1ypnZ8hSoTsX6AfYG2R1b556D7FRacjpV5ugoe92xizTdHAK8tsbUeGMC-c8b8r2uH5LInzt7yqYdG/s1600/drivewayGrotto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFV1XastPKvC3QxBUd8-cHEEN7Pp0y5mYJn2cgQZHE9XkpJ3kk4L5iOn1ypnZ8hSoTsX6AfYG2R1b556D7FRacjpV5ugoe92xizTdHAK8tsbUeGMC-c8b8r2uH5LInzt7yqYdG/s320/drivewayGrotto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlUuV9WW737nGngnEgWeop_BhNY4_64Rv_tM8kOzEFR5yv0zdhgv9GRFIfKGjPhy7AuyZzzjYZ8OgOUFFjWsBbm9eGIVGVfUtAS0vr7uuK5oMyN-hGfh6eWkicqGAXlYEUt1q/s1600/Edwardian-Satinwood-Bureau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlUuV9WW737nGngnEgWeop_BhNY4_64Rv_tM8kOzEFR5yv0zdhgv9GRFIfKGjPhy7AuyZzzjYZ8OgOUFFjWsBbm9eGIVGVfUtAS0vr7uuK5oMyN-hGfh6eWkicqGAXlYEUt1q/s320/Edwardian-Satinwood-Bureau.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iW7h9ke5AnRWB9yBnSQZ10O8fJtLCHCevkUw8SpPxtPA_1Arn1HaoezaQBTOetJhG4PF14ddhp26XzjGThVoY8g-iicZFcmnejsyUGg7MadIXoyRs2lQ-W2qAVTTwpRdc7S4/s1600/emerituschairofpoetry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iW7h9ke5AnRWB9yBnSQZ10O8fJtLCHCevkUw8SpPxtPA_1Arn1HaoezaQBTOetJhG4PF14ddhp26XzjGThVoY8g-iicZFcmnejsyUGg7MadIXoyRs2lQ-W2qAVTTwpRdc7S4/s320/emerituschairofpoetry.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RS7hnkZQ2EFpDttrHb4-TuTf43sf-1CjtyJ1Poy5WfSqeuxYJ14N8-P_qmfeYbq7SKuHT-94CD3V0QTzH7JoRwIDEkH2HAlXGV6pQaqOBy-08voYgTp6XJIsudZt4o20B2-D/s1600/facade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="400" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RS7hnkZQ2EFpDttrHb4-TuTf43sf-1CjtyJ1Poy5WfSqeuxYJ14N8-P_qmfeYbq7SKuHT-94CD3V0QTzH7JoRwIDEkH2HAlXGV6pQaqOBy-08voYgTp6XJIsudZt4o20B2-D/s320/facade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwovhhLgCkr0zkX57Zwd_dMm6VNAh2EjGERffngVsu5lEnGQoLQOhuHboEvBocYHhK1el2EosVARZ1Cgza8_U-ooL50Zy1S34pFctCAsP6xlFXpGrTJVPBMKaEUAiYTEYMb49p/s1600/front-gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwovhhLgCkr0zkX57Zwd_dMm6VNAh2EjGERffngVsu5lEnGQoLQOhuHboEvBocYHhK1el2EosVARZ1Cgza8_U-ooL50Zy1S34pFctCAsP6xlFXpGrTJVPBMKaEUAiYTEYMb49p/s320/front-gate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlJqs0hpMwpRc2onFaY9-x45rBG1jDyAY9UMvxnJiQD25yVZ2Yrc_QcsLqABN7YASLDlI92uXOOCRkpXkrA9mozDynBOHjWsszyMl0xkS5g0sZ9pxwPvK8W6XrksZ-ZPR1PNp/s1600/front-porch-into-lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlJqs0hpMwpRc2onFaY9-x45rBG1jDyAY9UMvxnJiQD25yVZ2Yrc_QcsLqABN7YASLDlI92uXOOCRkpXkrA9mozDynBOHjWsszyMl0xkS5g0sZ9pxwPvK8W6XrksZ-ZPR1PNp/s320/front-porch-into-lounge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4V8yS-lML1SkU4LART-Vlmt-hWvO-9nhJAZqaIJS8v-rsvlxnxr5YMN2OhZEINWdCGMfa7XYra5QYoXMD8nKT8wFDSDeuZcO21LfEwFRcfIahzlRxqu6fyfFLIRMB_k5viJE/s1600/gardenpath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4V8yS-lML1SkU4LART-Vlmt-hWvO-9nhJAZqaIJS8v-rsvlxnxr5YMN2OhZEINWdCGMfa7XYra5QYoXMD8nKT8wFDSDeuZcO21LfEwFRcfIahzlRxqu6fyfFLIRMB_k5viJE/s320/gardenpath.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgit9eh3cd7WQsQopibJk3Vk5ZPlj8eEE8IVH6_9SW9QwU5uyejhN-aVNXUI-NUyPHFLQ87TpiT5drE7gpuJZwCVUvBmRS9lPPiJ4RP5FN9XwE6cscbxAUirWnjQgawvMQKhM88/s1600/GoldenHole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgit9eh3cd7WQsQopibJk3Vk5ZPlj8eEE8IVH6_9SW9QwU5uyejhN-aVNXUI-NUyPHFLQ87TpiT5drE7gpuJZwCVUvBmRS9lPPiJ4RP5FN9XwE6cscbxAUirWnjQgawvMQKhM88/s320/GoldenHole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPNpszAGBoudEdy01KlauiKAFPcnKZg-3nC0hwrY5lp0JFxxP3IfL5RD5es2QVFIbrfoFhyphenhyphen88mZSyNwyiWfp-oLBjNExQn0t0-W9pWEV1ma9ccm-wDFNoBXGnpPS9a00WqTPh/s1600/incipientfoyerforest2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPNpszAGBoudEdy01KlauiKAFPcnKZg-3nC0hwrY5lp0JFxxP3IfL5RD5es2QVFIbrfoFhyphenhyphen88mZSyNwyiWfp-oLBjNExQn0t0-W9pWEV1ma9ccm-wDFNoBXGnpPS9a00WqTPh/s320/incipientfoyerforest2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnZERjlGFr_0F-EtnXtbGFbmUUgyT-Yr4vyo4j-ZrefY3aIMimLk2jekWjKDSa634-tl50Glgu6gquB_DZiIUm2G89100gNN2zP1WbaBwtvjw2K7Grv6uHYVoNOCvYN22SWPf/s1600/inspection+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnZERjlGFr_0F-EtnXtbGFbmUUgyT-Yr4vyo4j-ZrefY3aIMimLk2jekWjKDSa634-tl50Glgu6gquB_DZiIUm2G89100gNN2zP1WbaBwtvjw2K7Grv6uHYVoNOCvYN22SWPf/s320/inspection+house.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvq2Vz4V3nnodbEP-6WLim10ubgUf37yHeEMPsfZv6__WT221Yd2wgBYsR34r8948jS-R5mBGK1fWlrzezUYESHHzpEZG2LiTUgSwtp0ddewSz2IFsclumgAuFagLF8Oyhqhp/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvq2Vz4V3nnodbEP-6WLim10ubgUf37yHeEMPsfZv6__WT221Yd2wgBYsR34r8948jS-R5mBGK1fWlrzezUYESHHzpEZG2LiTUgSwtp0ddewSz2IFsclumgAuFagLF8Oyhqhp/s320/kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3O0kvnyxNiH_iW8nEiCJ7sxG3KYaxm915AGOQYhFeoOBnbjC5fpjYcdjj7vhjufKeuLabnb48Az92AP8dGWRaFFO49uhbD1ajBEsYj-uz0F3sidHiy3Dt5kOFVeAKzIdaEUmb/s1600/longan-orchard4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3O0kvnyxNiH_iW8nEiCJ7sxG3KYaxm915AGOQYhFeoOBnbjC5fpjYcdjj7vhjufKeuLabnb48Az92AP8dGWRaFFO49uhbD1ajBEsYj-uz0F3sidHiy3Dt5kOFVeAKzIdaEUmb/s320/longan-orchard4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjjvJRH983gMkj4nxsXXYub3TAnOQT6A0SgpKTj8aPUT9yYCY0r_XIpnaZQwBQOB0TSVVsMJcvM4eLoO0NScWfv9Rpu1R74LdqyLSfdhXiuXwqCX97feM8TFcvWDZomQoSqA2/s1600/lookingintostudy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjjvJRH983gMkj4nxsXXYub3TAnOQT6A0SgpKTj8aPUT9yYCY0r_XIpnaZQwBQOB0TSVVsMJcvM4eLoO0NScWfv9Rpu1R74LdqyLSfdhXiuXwqCX97feM8TFcvWDZomQoSqA2/s320/lookingintostudy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgxO5sekU31r9Tjat_gw5yrNqB8sub9KNQyFdISr45mFjZUa665APBSTBoa3tr0shbfFjILf7-cVh0dtpvbLGHmErpvwZyXCZ6i90e8pcEMmOtuvcaguXNVf-3-uFzYoUCP32/s1600/lounge+again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgxO5sekU31r9Tjat_gw5yrNqB8sub9KNQyFdISr45mFjZUa665APBSTBoa3tr0shbfFjILf7-cVh0dtpvbLGHmErpvwZyXCZ6i90e8pcEMmOtuvcaguXNVf-3-uFzYoUCP32/s320/lounge+again.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJc5n_m7d9TN1U8u0Q1IwFj_rMpewYCyF2h4kwLG__AY0e5DDcMBeVUHcqUAtBgjycpuSAztEzCv-Q4N8OkUMmlWXCO1q-pdKcqtiP92AApBdR3QfTtz2KEsMnA0qKNIsKqQX/s1600/lounge+ceiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJc5n_m7d9TN1U8u0Q1IwFj_rMpewYCyF2h4kwLG__AY0e5DDcMBeVUHcqUAtBgjycpuSAztEzCv-Q4N8OkUMmlWXCO1q-pdKcqtiP92AApBdR3QfTtz2KEsMnA0qKNIsKqQX/s320/lounge+ceiling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65V3dDZ9ao60fbe-in8BGFCkOwcfSviDqNruO3chcopOVvfWVomID54JTQdAk2gQ9Vz5zKLjD2fIjDCig_YFXQhrdffOqddL3anuxvKwN-Jf_Rc6Nlu46ivhIASwiYzNVypls/s1600/lounge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi65V3dDZ9ao60fbe-in8BGFCkOwcfSviDqNruO3chcopOVvfWVomID54JTQdAk2gQ9Vz5zKLjD2fIjDCig_YFXQhrdffOqddL3anuxvKwN-Jf_Rc6Nlu46ivhIASwiYzNVypls/s320/lounge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68iJbGAtvJgsSHVdw15q6ymV15nkqiXOS7VmQdz1IXeyxoA_2UnygjZ1X527PbYMKrBE09hawBI-e0IBYRN5zcpGoIlBlNH4-2rHvUuIFmsNV03_GvLJMz7s1DuMsQYI_kiks/s1600/lowroadcreekWetseason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68iJbGAtvJgsSHVdw15q6ymV15nkqiXOS7VmQdz1IXeyxoA_2UnygjZ1X527PbYMKrBE09hawBI-e0IBYRN5zcpGoIlBlNH4-2rHvUuIFmsNV03_GvLJMz7s1DuMsQYI_kiks/s320/lowroadcreekWetseason.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLyDmwPj94n63HoZ9AfPxpcXcPjKnDmonrugbTNi9DOiPEO_oU_vJQr0mEd8KSlv4enBMBmD3tWZ6N5-tgfOM8lmDULsoqXLUNW5kzPc2jFLYJbezLcyOpJ5muFfCkpE_4-8_/s1600/main-bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLyDmwPj94n63HoZ9AfPxpcXcPjKnDmonrugbTNi9DOiPEO_oU_vJQr0mEd8KSlv4enBMBmD3tWZ6N5-tgfOM8lmDULsoqXLUNW5kzPc2jFLYJbezLcyOpJ5muFfCkpE_4-8_/s320/main-bedroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQ0Sy2uRduV45-LKl4T6zPEq-eMpdz0Whcpw7YwdWWhp2hkm83yoCZAeOzmZXxqaWUxkvTfICCF_pxnIpMq3_VUIO-OYsJqWeJvHW-8rhMkW_S-0p-ih3b5rL24FcxZcKlzS2/s1600/mangosteen-trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQ0Sy2uRduV45-LKl4T6zPEq-eMpdz0Whcpw7YwdWWhp2hkm83yoCZAeOzmZXxqaWUxkvTfICCF_pxnIpMq3_VUIO-OYsJqWeJvHW-8rhMkW_S-0p-ih3b5rL24FcxZcKlzS2/s320/mangosteen-trees.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4zv6vIVqc-Fpci2JYfKqMZJXVnyU1Cq9nonLosWt04_mBS-ewv8Kdob97jX31HxYjno66jl9mWufxBo_rH9gh6qtux3b3uSFoltU2J3Tj-6hbaa-tACbFX8I8XiL_XnoP4Kb/s1600/mangosteens%252Bbamboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="400" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4zv6vIVqc-Fpci2JYfKqMZJXVnyU1Cq9nonLosWt04_mBS-ewv8Kdob97jX31HxYjno66jl9mWufxBo_rH9gh6qtux3b3uSFoltU2J3Tj-6hbaa-tACbFX8I8XiL_XnoP4Kb/s320/mangosteens%252Bbamboo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0nGBBIclRSYP_DyvUrw5mAI14z1Q7r1z4xa8cqkVMHCI95MEjENcwlCdNEb43N_AF5dLX7N_oudDhM1uDCmg-5rPmm8xiKHNb2BQryLBWxyqShmn9BFVz5KmmOaUV7gP9pre/s1600/orchard+behind+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT0nGBBIclRSYP_DyvUrw5mAI14z1Q7r1z4xa8cqkVMHCI95MEjENcwlCdNEb43N_AF5dLX7N_oudDhM1uDCmg-5rPmm8xiKHNb2BQryLBWxyqShmn9BFVz5KmmOaUV7gP9pre/s320/orchard+behind+house.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-pArlvaHswZl97mqUfs0mb-vxL2HlEEp7Z2couRk4pFzxVaahPoZfgbrOqZqFEevCFfGfn_nPpov3EX5jOShDX02rbge-TdXiN6zc7Z-4WT4hyphenhyphenBkwchfJWSVsRs9LntAzLlx/s1600/pond2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-pArlvaHswZl97mqUfs0mb-vxL2HlEEp7Z2couRk4pFzxVaahPoZfgbrOqZqFEevCFfGfn_nPpov3EX5jOShDX02rbge-TdXiN6zc7Z-4WT4hyphenhyphenBkwchfJWSVsRs9LntAzLlx/s320/pond2.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYICI1Mat_v805RPE5ENpeE8dyOkvbhceq6w_4oLaqBCeyK4wl4X_ZTLaJM18Xre6-Imh2HLDztSA9tohmowJN9TwFtoQBjJ-ZRWw4TYSlrZdI8bRccEMrPWTe9-RGu-_Izwuq/s1600/porch-view-of-mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="417" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYICI1Mat_v805RPE5ENpeE8dyOkvbhceq6w_4oLaqBCeyK4wl4X_ZTLaJM18Xre6-Imh2HLDztSA9tohmowJN9TwFtoQBjJ-ZRWw4TYSlrZdI8bRccEMrPWTe9-RGu-_Izwuq/s320/porch-view-of-mountains.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPeuakjZyPpoyH0-3OY3hFwvxajLQX32ot1VacBEdy_xOSUmAzM0m8NIUeFxXs2TxizhKOextuF99gccbFoCqeA6XjMnaq6gt8M2KpXtkBWwYWeuTlVx5ACRQIxlMSXmqu8jS/s1600/RetroAfternoonTea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPeuakjZyPpoyH0-3OY3hFwvxajLQX32ot1VacBEdy_xOSUmAzM0m8NIUeFxXs2TxizhKOextuF99gccbFoCqeA6XjMnaq6gt8M2KpXtkBWwYWeuTlVx5ACRQIxlMSXmqu8jS/s320/RetroAfternoonTea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPf_DtvnEu-GquPcIdGz9vZXwW5z6XpBFb_1wqJigw4e995pEezmG5XaKDsM-wxeE_K6dUt4UkUCVfv0-zvNTzQQTfaaY78u5J4ptALvWIC8dl6KW0AxIZchufjgj5F6Pjb2Q/s1600/road-near-front-gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPf_DtvnEu-GquPcIdGz9vZXwW5z6XpBFb_1wqJigw4e995pEezmG5XaKDsM-wxeE_K6dUt4UkUCVfv0-zvNTzQQTfaaY78u5J4ptALvWIC8dl6KW0AxIZchufjgj5F6Pjb2Q/s320/road-near-front-gate.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXVZ2kfIr4JYnkTkVVYA_prux0Xtrv0jjlYOmkrS40kbuTdVajzJSrbi5ZFiEj_MOJuSrHB0yHy7xjHTAoAniz7AY1XrEfuNeEC4JaNMfGCkkO5DDmA54QM9kAgAFqME2g9mA/s1600/roadtoneighbour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXVZ2kfIr4JYnkTkVVYA_prux0Xtrv0jjlYOmkrS40kbuTdVajzJSrbi5ZFiEj_MOJuSrHB0yHy7xjHTAoAniz7AY1XrEfuNeEC4JaNMfGCkkO5DDmA54QM9kAgAFqME2g9mA/s320/roadtoneighbour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1CJHwmNu2y1ziF4O-fDycvMxFi5U8EKnQuqeis7hbyHAfWqaBlqYfi75-wvWiKBr9r2URu08Lrmq3xUmN6_Khp6VYY1UKYpvkmGRevXBYOtCRTMGOt1Tdyq8FbisbYXw6XZt/s1600/Russell+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1CJHwmNu2y1ziF4O-fDycvMxFi5U8EKnQuqeis7hbyHAfWqaBlqYfi75-wvWiKBr9r2URu08Lrmq3xUmN6_Khp6VYY1UKYpvkmGRevXBYOtCRTMGOt1Tdyq8FbisbYXw6XZt/s320/Russell+River.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHYMk4yv1tq4mPVb8DExYO7XaZB9KKPHjVZVoBclgGN1INekhKZsd9qlVdZidTKpeq2cX62-sFYw2UnojrGR-Kn4V4js4X2IvaVczAIc2UdVxzzBURLXCEDvsOMR8MMUFESH1/s1600/stairs%2526gardensetting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHYMk4yv1tq4mPVb8DExYO7XaZB9KKPHjVZVoBclgGN1INekhKZsd9qlVdZidTKpeq2cX62-sFYw2UnojrGR-Kn4V4js4X2IvaVczAIc2UdVxzzBURLXCEDvsOMR8MMUFESH1/s320/stairs%2526gardensetting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9N8b5602rNNAkYRygTJz4jOlhhQKHBYegtvdxHXOSV8Zo_YQueujcbzbktUSy6s6aHMxFk7deYFVs0JYGNBmPV_25Pnj9EEctW9qYo9GJzMzQAqJNBv1aNvV-chRZUi76PDM/s1600/study2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9N8b5602rNNAkYRygTJz4jOlhhQKHBYegtvdxHXOSV8Zo_YQueujcbzbktUSy6s6aHMxFk7deYFVs0JYGNBmPV_25Pnj9EEctW9qYo9GJzMzQAqJNBv1aNvV-chRZUi76PDM/s320/study2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWr2rXs3VP8o70O4vRFOh92jyLYkyPxtgnrVN2fDsOpuZfLUC1RWQYJki07g_MZTZ9MYSwwuA3k2UW5IMYMzid7ejTWVIwIpL114yoHlwb4fEXu_VgTjWWOswxMkJ97j9GIpi/s1600/top+of+driveway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWr2rXs3VP8o70O4vRFOh92jyLYkyPxtgnrVN2fDsOpuZfLUC1RWQYJki07g_MZTZ9MYSwwuA3k2UW5IMYMzid7ejTWVIwIpL114yoHlwb4fEXu_VgTjWWOswxMkJ97j9GIpi/s320/top+of+driveway.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPsb9ttqXIWU3Or_bRWH1izfyJoDVmUWCAHbWGcD-3ha0oPrwjw5hKcuPy4dKsRFjYPV78T-T534hWdXzXlwQBeWTkSN1qJ2opTceboCj9DD-auAxqJOSXVYxWw7590fARsRN/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPsb9ttqXIWU3Or_bRWH1izfyJoDVmUWCAHbWGcD-3ha0oPrwjw5hKcuPy4dKsRFjYPV78T-T534hWdXzXlwQBeWTkSN1qJ2opTceboCj9DD-auAxqJOSXVYxWw7590fARsRN/s320/untitled.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCw0BTi5rF6bj55cFy4S9_vMNBukF_8DwtZdUiSAzHvezamNwkkrVWEV717thrLakFoLGW7V1kc-oxOrriv1sSbA4KXYDlmgfIHW5-CwRSH6QPSjTiIFTBH4F45TOQ04sycK7/s1600/View+from+Bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCw0BTi5rF6bj55cFy4S9_vMNBukF_8DwtZdUiSAzHvezamNwkkrVWEV717thrLakFoLGW7V1kc-oxOrriv1sSbA4KXYDlmgfIHW5-CwRSH6QPSjTiIFTBH4F45TOQ04sycK7/s320/View+from+Bedroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xIbW-GJyhz0TdPbwUFq98SdS4HywWibckcBWazdj4SzCYvZeG-vMLw-0sS-GLZi6uNyShmuEe62HUtJLMENUnIeww1-wQbyoGbEPJgscbR414PEn49ClBi_riuzdySgP6_3F/s1600/view+of+ther+Russell+river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xIbW-GJyhz0TdPbwUFq98SdS4HywWibckcBWazdj4SzCYvZeG-vMLw-0sS-GLZi6uNyShmuEe62HUtJLMENUnIeww1-wQbyoGbEPJgscbR414PEn49ClBi_riuzdySgP6_3F/s320/view+of+ther+Russell+river.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFhmW9o0BS-GsE82kqQTzWUOkFtwOufIh5EnCkrMgjpQcZQ_vrtoNSGLdR8t4DZ18S8eWRiCGVkwlbW6a_I1ffeitUi32s0ZyZ6KyGkHODVhVTI83nIyyzHnEralwlD230UtP/s1600/ViewfromJosephineFalls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="400" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFhmW9o0BS-GsE82kqQTzWUOkFtwOufIh5EnCkrMgjpQcZQ_vrtoNSGLdR8t4DZ18S8eWRiCGVkwlbW6a_I1ffeitUi32s0ZyZ6KyGkHODVhVTI83nIyyzHnEralwlD230UtP/s320/ViewfromJosephineFalls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2cvV4qp_EsxKxkOqZJjYeW0M1EBSFGELS8vhTx8_OJ7tK_tP6LvwM7RUkmjVoC8gWUrxeG3aFx0IGQUEWKl0TJhsG5FansT6OBQTdbtiqG0XkkjsQGVAkvG0wybcwqRLqTq8/s1600/viewofmangosteenorchard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="400" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU2cvV4qp_EsxKxkOqZJjYeW0M1EBSFGELS8vhTx8_OJ7tK_tP6LvwM7RUkmjVoC8gWUrxeG3aFx0IGQUEWKl0TJhsG5FansT6OBQTdbtiqG0XkkjsQGVAkvG0wybcwqRLqTq8/s320/viewofmangosteenorchard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrd2wXOXPn5O535L_VMW0gYHrGP079KQK6uDj6UDdBCzVsxn5JXj0e93fQiPNUQIgW2feZ6Gu7eFNjqPrTYxMErCa3dj287nSZ_9WHThipUbRw0DEFZhIwiUgR-Ia88uYPzex4/s1600/4-panel-carved-teak-screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrd2wXOXPn5O535L_VMW0gYHrGP079KQK6uDj6UDdBCzVsxn5JXj0e93fQiPNUQIgW2feZ6Gu7eFNjqPrTYxMErCa3dj287nSZ_9WHThipUbRw0DEFZhIwiUgR-Ia88uYPzex4/s320/4-panel-carved-teak-screen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjST6IV0qXHYu9XIEZoQqk47c1DjhhrtbvseG5-pnm4DbMpuneTU7vK60oqDEwcVHyLPB3vZqNRFCYLQ-NVu8pVS4nT1VjMJmVqehw836nyE8M142hhZG1BqhfCZG9NpMUEJHe1/s1600/bedhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjST6IV0qXHYu9XIEZoQqk47c1DjhhrtbvseG5-pnm4DbMpuneTU7vK60oqDEwcVHyLPB3vZqNRFCYLQ-NVu8pVS4nT1VjMJmVqehw836nyE8M142hhZG1BqhfCZG9NpMUEJHe1/s320/bedhead.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEific73KjYRGn9jbAY3wt5IxNFv88B6iQuZZ0LjR3_E6dn_y1AY7BEQ0QdRKvzZjQlF-q-flRKeTRbV_jI4pvjTAzXYy_u-87mF5bNLYbAwecs0Gqy0rivCtP1PBP96a4XntjPE/s1600/buddha1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEific73KjYRGn9jbAY3wt5IxNFv88B6iQuZZ0LjR3_E6dn_y1AY7BEQ0QdRKvzZjQlF-q-flRKeTRbV_jI4pvjTAzXYy_u-87mF5bNLYbAwecs0Gqy0rivCtP1PBP96a4XntjPE/s320/buddha1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6vnCjlFlhNhQ91zPVa2DCu_8LmtHhJWvTLTJ7HqElnNeiRd0EQu3z0fl0jOVBgMlyduioQWNkE7vQvgu03wSbu-Bfn14GBudoTmjDPGgp1B5t4-1uK7Y_kB4FXt8SMTOl7MR/s1600/buddha-portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6vnCjlFlhNhQ91zPVa2DCu_8LmtHhJWvTLTJ7HqElnNeiRd0EQu3z0fl0jOVBgMlyduioQWNkE7vQvgu03wSbu-Bfn14GBudoTmjDPGgp1B5t4-1uK7Y_kB4FXt8SMTOl7MR/s320/buddha-portrait.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA0ONeHktJGNnL5AIzNpbLj6U5OkZI94VdJZ03Jhp02RT0YAdede3XKIzohhF8gX6l4rk9_sEToQ_nnY3b8nkCGc9d2KykUrzqLrIqqT5R85HS29edoAtiDm9mJcqiKbDHyMr/s1600/cabinet5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeA0ONeHktJGNnL5AIzNpbLj6U5OkZI94VdJZ03Jhp02RT0YAdede3XKIzohhF8gX6l4rk9_sEToQ_nnY3b8nkCGc9d2KykUrzqLrIqqT5R85HS29edoAtiDm9mJcqiKbDHyMr/s320/cabinet5.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZyaTWBu3vfcDKKGcG0Pweb5QizPq0NCd5q37CFWKt2MzlUl6tRDbOdNK_6pi7gBttWiwrA1v_4WQrB2bqpaTxq793CaXrU_GYZYnYB9qJf16KhbhwDcj6iCzKggAa3ZYzQ4u/s1600/carvers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZyaTWBu3vfcDKKGcG0Pweb5QizPq0NCd5q37CFWKt2MzlUl6tRDbOdNK_6pi7gBttWiwrA1v_4WQrB2bqpaTxq793CaXrU_GYZYnYB9qJf16KhbhwDcj6iCzKggAa3ZYzQ4u/s320/carvers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-7EaDUKAvJuSYjXJqDxwvgHXJLMMSfTe_1SbKFpBRQsHJ9b9eXicCeHePhyphenhyphenQbhEw0x_TzswWDaQTU9idWnsO5AMs81tbOu2ugj2HIeG3jIp_oiKzUVF-Rfari_Cma21iy-co/s1600/colonial-3pce-suite1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-7EaDUKAvJuSYjXJqDxwvgHXJLMMSfTe_1SbKFpBRQsHJ9b9eXicCeHePhyphenhyphenQbhEw0x_TzswWDaQTU9idWnsO5AMs81tbOu2ugj2HIeG3jIp_oiKzUVF-Rfari_Cma21iy-co/s320/colonial-3pce-suite1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7VSrvzJ79rdyziaTSQpkcCdC9bC_fF_gbCP9GaQQmvMTIklyZZgUrCD1YguLtSL3bFetbVN6ts_1ddzwDWq3BkuoUgm58c-c4gUYsy-NP9K0Tdb618FI-S-_hSgXGYZgG4eJ/s1600/detail-of-aust-cabinet1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7VSrvzJ79rdyziaTSQpkcCdC9bC_fF_gbCP9GaQQmvMTIklyZZgUrCD1YguLtSL3bFetbVN6ts_1ddzwDWq3BkuoUgm58c-c4gUYsy-NP9K0Tdb618FI-S-_hSgXGYZgG4eJ/s320/detail-of-aust-cabinet1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqybYxg0wGbHyQR2VKKycSpuhFhZetux92rfRXqaD44AzA6s5o4Xdo-ekkHxjogPCwdLc9mc_zw5SuINFNlVPWhxg-2WmYPuxy7jy5-ncKBcKBxTDfHHmew3S8MHnVG9G7tc15/s1600/detail-of-aust-cabinet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqybYxg0wGbHyQR2VKKycSpuhFhZetux92rfRXqaD44AzA6s5o4Xdo-ekkHxjogPCwdLc9mc_zw5SuINFNlVPWhxg-2WmYPuxy7jy5-ncKBcKBxTDfHHmew3S8MHnVG9G7tc15/s320/detail-of-aust-cabinet2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03kMfAi1YaCBCaB6OrVXf-VczsZ_3eMezMeNRlzgNDFgaaWYw8gC1dk19yTgY75np7h04U0q_0lDfkP2lD-NEWE1wQBwWzbhshVetIXz70eH1WIsiYu3S_TJhT6BG7562_MVM/s1600/detail-of-bedhead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh03kMfAi1YaCBCaB6OrVXf-VczsZ_3eMezMeNRlzgNDFgaaWYw8gC1dk19yTgY75np7h04U0q_0lDfkP2lD-NEWE1wQBwWzbhshVetIXz70eH1WIsiYu3S_TJhT6BG7562_MVM/s320/detail-of-bedhead.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwynVJA-LQ2YIZX1F8GdJmjAs03qsTZ7JGaIm_VIBTV9mKT3nbQJUsZMJ5xMENlAVuImWDtRvxlgxgyU19IppyRVgBg6tYTm7Q8-J_lGVW9ITbKcW2P1WmYvQ0B09A_nKp7TDH/s1600/detail-of-colonial-suite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwynVJA-LQ2YIZX1F8GdJmjAs03qsTZ7JGaIm_VIBTV9mKT3nbQJUsZMJ5xMENlAVuImWDtRvxlgxgyU19IppyRVgBg6tYTm7Q8-J_lGVW9ITbKcW2P1WmYvQ0B09A_nKp7TDH/s320/detail-of-colonial-suite.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0kU-DR1CnMR2pt9sgFA4HmU_CIbiqge3DQEJhgpuctF1dEn4wb8BwGcqhPz3nOxQQszFCDM29C78sWiRPtHvXPhWk5JFhNYK3pkiPj-kmVUGIe9DEJE7nwOojZdCrD1ALwoD/s1600/detail-of-Edwardian-bureau1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0kU-DR1CnMR2pt9sgFA4HmU_CIbiqge3DQEJhgpuctF1dEn4wb8BwGcqhPz3nOxQQszFCDM29C78sWiRPtHvXPhWk5JFhNYK3pkiPj-kmVUGIe9DEJE7nwOojZdCrD1ALwoD/s320/detail-of-Edwardian-bureau1.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwGdb0RcOQcfqcBXJDaYAdwBNsMFvyzgxXYUT8gLPwyuIlIS75ddVrEpASwTaB7vHk5_gSSuegmkGXekexLMNxI1fW9-n59HzsbnR0kKENKMOKvr76uTXDs_AuBMga9CAKYmX/s1600/detail-of-Edwardian-bureau2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwGdb0RcOQcfqcBXJDaYAdwBNsMFvyzgxXYUT8gLPwyuIlIS75ddVrEpASwTaB7vHk5_gSSuegmkGXekexLMNxI1fW9-n59HzsbnR0kKENKMOKvr76uTXDs_AuBMga9CAKYmX/s320/detail-of-Edwardian-bureau2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRd5LTABy8AY7pbdFSfYrMMDgMs5sZ4TmIMAINWu_N-eRQdXVhmP8z7fkXIQVI211e_lsE2RMIqOcjc-bQcLBD9K_xswvpsKoiKqcGu39VkL0gpsPEhqxPgXnVnGCWRyxoxWh/s1600/detail-of-Edwardian-bureau10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="419" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRd5LTABy8AY7pbdFSfYrMMDgMs5sZ4TmIMAINWu_N-eRQdXVhmP8z7fkXIQVI211e_lsE2RMIqOcjc-bQcLBD9K_xswvpsKoiKqcGu39VkL0gpsPEhqxPgXnVnGCWRyxoxWh/s320/detail-of-Edwardian-bureau10.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ7LzigVU_IH1BaAgp2unzy4VfJWT_mYaGLH72-aHSsW1wX28jS9rTAXT3QGNWoX8IwbjygGKIoLRmhNW3uXXdyU2MvvE248dFw3OvZmqaYZG3-_wX5uxgRevDD7p_WOXc72f/s1600/detail-of-orn-cabinet2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ7LzigVU_IH1BaAgp2unzy4VfJWT_mYaGLH72-aHSsW1wX28jS9rTAXT3QGNWoX8IwbjygGKIoLRmhNW3uXXdyU2MvvE248dFw3OvZmqaYZG3-_wX5uxgRevDD7p_WOXc72f/s320/detail-of-orn-cabinet2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gdBaaJFr7ixD3Q9UZSTb2bjW0ez-2ti7JGL35ROkBrCOAtY9Oecsuc1AkNX_l1p3p9axEaiuXyYZUdRiLCdJ4Hxzt9_X_riAeCdliy7Y7Vb44kIinZ5p7LNS5A-Xeql_6ymp/s1600/detail-of-orn-cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gdBaaJFr7ixD3Q9UZSTb2bjW0ez-2ti7JGL35ROkBrCOAtY9Oecsuc1AkNX_l1p3p9axEaiuXyYZUdRiLCdJ4Hxzt9_X_riAeCdliy7Y7Vb44kIinZ5p7LNS5A-Xeql_6ymp/s320/detail-of-orn-cabinet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2xBuCOhAmSB7lTHqtl2KDr9dJ_FEytRx3iH3Q3HB7UUaiiNPkg2kXjjBfGW3_uSl2oqZyj_29LY42z73lcoQ9C012zNuDQ5P8U31j18opMmsWYELr5XaASrB5u-5OwDQ9SDZ/s1600/detail-of-teak-screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2xBuCOhAmSB7lTHqtl2KDr9dJ_FEytRx3iH3Q3HB7UUaiiNPkg2kXjjBfGW3_uSl2oqZyj_29LY42z73lcoQ9C012zNuDQ5P8U31j18opMmsWYELr5XaASrB5u-5OwDQ9SDZ/s320/detail-of-teak-screen.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TouDkUas1pS4byZFBIBgZ7k9JX65oyEqAKGdGs5uKYCqMUX3eT7lbkt2HaLnGYkejdZJ2vZL76fA8tQcuyz51HjGfetNXsvlGVoNWMEGtJe-Nf3O8OrZwRdd02SoDviDiOav/s1600/detail-of-Xframe-seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TouDkUas1pS4byZFBIBgZ7k9JX65oyEqAKGdGs5uKYCqMUX3eT7lbkt2HaLnGYkejdZJ2vZL76fA8tQcuyz51HjGfetNXsvlGVoNWMEGtJe-Nf3O8OrZwRdd02SoDviDiOav/s320/detail-of-Xframe-seat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-60Q80rVQI3RODzaIp3yL5lVjBGTgzLO9h2kc9W8ZmBiqTiwgPDqyOgW-CXe14bW2DYVUFIkpECHXQJ7m_JxPw5zoG76c0beW6AtNMekFIKFNuOc0KwV-H7Ur4ZobVEYOlYu/s1600/dining-table3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-60Q80rVQI3RODzaIp3yL5lVjBGTgzLO9h2kc9W8ZmBiqTiwgPDqyOgW-CXe14bW2DYVUFIkpECHXQJ7m_JxPw5zoG76c0beW6AtNMekFIKFNuOc0KwV-H7Ur4ZobVEYOlYu/s320/dining-table3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSssY8rHdrE-aIAG7F-8lo8lPejbP15E8AfbWmrJyyz36jL0Gz6FB-68945NLDZKBpCNVkfqdvGqsoOn9NTCv4dpl706PO3uzshgSOVVcLpC_Yn5emMjQ_L6IfdBUc4jUL4Ho/s1600/dining-table%25255Bmain%25255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSssY8rHdrE-aIAG7F-8lo8lPejbP15E8AfbWmrJyyz36jL0Gz6FB-68945NLDZKBpCNVkfqdvGqsoOn9NTCv4dpl706PO3uzshgSOVVcLpC_Yn5emMjQ_L6IfdBUc4jUL4Ho/s320/dining-table%25255Bmain%25255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yGaKSaFLDZpjc2k-JiZtgWRif6TgOS4lVL5SnobNXZVfD82-H9SABVwFLmdaijqK1JKWaehziHoMcdbj588XCDFid44U695Mq6ZxwfdfzKNG5y8TiqsArDyGMcX8zt5VVT1_/s1600/dining-table-no-chairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yGaKSaFLDZpjc2k-JiZtgWRif6TgOS4lVL5SnobNXZVfD82-H9SABVwFLmdaijqK1JKWaehziHoMcdbj588XCDFid44U695Mq6ZxwfdfzKNG5y8TiqsArDyGMcX8zt5VVT1_/s320/dining-table-no-chairs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsev8TOZi6weaHJDXS6MLlA_KbLPhyphenhyphenRSMrULFE7T-2kWOl61wYlw0ouPYPH7hLComEmlh2OIN7r1qyl1l6-9_A1jJkXBIy0z0KM9RRW4PdalcipMzF5X6ObEUTkKq9C4eGF8OG/s1600/Edwardian-Satinwood-Bureau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsev8TOZi6weaHJDXS6MLlA_KbLPhyphenhyphenRSMrULFE7T-2kWOl61wYlw0ouPYPH7hLComEmlh2OIN7r1qyl1l6-9_A1jJkXBIy0z0KM9RRW4PdalcipMzF5X6ObEUTkKq9C4eGF8OG/s320/Edwardian-Satinwood-Bureau.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1eQ3hK8bil8frAJlN6l_ME7yrDN6sjWPwLguq6R3oTpgVe70t07_iC_uWHr6EDRuAZDBImhrsOL4sidXZMBVWmTss8L4absYfeyIgaN6civsKb0WYGeqpt31zfY8IG8TPb_t/s1600/French-19thC-display-cab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1eQ3hK8bil8frAJlN6l_ME7yrDN6sjWPwLguq6R3oTpgVe70t07_iC_uWHr6EDRuAZDBImhrsOL4sidXZMBVWmTss8L4absYfeyIgaN6civsKb0WYGeqpt31zfY8IG8TPb_t/s320/French-19thC-display-cab.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKP5Nx9RznWMbOd7zpBXcBtrn1UrXYuByGWvN8xBTs6g_hp6O-IlQdxGXqvmT6kIYXLYgjbSc_M5EKIdxLOBaoV_5yiGCYcSS2lzMjeJF5erDCvXihweOmxt9q57Az_mVgPuY/s1600/Georgian-dropflap-table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKP5Nx9RznWMbOd7zpBXcBtrn1UrXYuByGWvN8xBTs6g_hp6O-IlQdxGXqvmT6kIYXLYgjbSc_M5EKIdxLOBaoV_5yiGCYcSS2lzMjeJF5erDCvXihweOmxt9q57Az_mVgPuY/s320/Georgian-dropflap-table.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTi7sIA-t5cv-TK3uN1yDlTKgHRDFcwg9FOpsrhjQGYZDTPVQdnvXjg592XFK9hvQpTUIUO8x6WekspUNJkefHb-moJPbayOigRHTQhFbZVtM5wuCbUp8zhJ1TqEZmsjpNDYD/s1600/Georgian-Tallboy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTi7sIA-t5cv-TK3uN1yDlTKgHRDFcwg9FOpsrhjQGYZDTPVQdnvXjg592XFK9hvQpTUIUO8x6WekspUNJkefHb-moJPbayOigRHTQhFbZVtM5wuCbUp8zhJ1TqEZmsjpNDYD/s320/Georgian-Tallboy.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNJzn60hrA4B1aSdeXnDq63jTFK8Nqi4RePkAhgq_JBQLR5YRhCMdsq1Drr_3FP-2p60BUGeGScxv-yKSJ-Ruz0w4p14dGsyU3kdTjKD9dKf8e2YRdX4L-frpS1LVAik3P45_/s1600/ornate-teak-cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNJzn60hrA4B1aSdeXnDq63jTFK8Nqi4RePkAhgq_JBQLR5YRhCMdsq1Drr_3FP-2p60BUGeGScxv-yKSJ-Ruz0w4p14dGsyU3kdTjKD9dKf8e2YRdX4L-frpS1LVAik3P45_/s320/ornate-teak-cabinet.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5IDazJjhN0lndDtcY59yr7lHwgZRw6frpQa6CCQj70PUrMAUjT2vmnQ9_ey-E2mGoysL1dEVkGefKr5NNf8QxuHHELb7RNN-s_85AaX7XhxZjHe330PvlZtr03h4LvQwmMl0/s1600/pedestal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="418" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5IDazJjhN0lndDtcY59yr7lHwgZRw6frpQa6CCQj70PUrMAUjT2vmnQ9_ey-E2mGoysL1dEVkGefKr5NNf8QxuHHELb7RNN-s_85AaX7XhxZjHe330PvlZtr03h4LvQwmMl0/s320/pedestal.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Fhe00TOSx2H_nplBB6zwGvHWGUHOI7U0NBnCq3I9Ne-YA1XMVCxuQNoL8cN2jmcOr31V_I6YH_qoOHfihdT0l5flkhV9bX0JD3RKOT6MkqrPxOH-2y7uibUkD3yHtUjVbkOt/s1600/SideboardAustralianOak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Fhe00TOSx2H_nplBB6zwGvHWGUHOI7U0NBnCq3I9Ne-YA1XMVCxuQNoL8cN2jmcOr31V_I6YH_qoOHfihdT0l5flkhV9bX0JD3RKOT6MkqrPxOH-2y7uibUkD3yHtUjVbkOt/s320/SideboardAustralianOak.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1mujfaxcJte5FyJQXkkiXPY8eBAwjQDIGd2fLeltaK7bsyFBaGekx8anhCJ_0FymWgmQSHOVMYSg8_HZtp43OfJ76YnM3gwJ5jqKEU4KTVIZUd0E0nI4eZGCDkknTh5kJo21/s1600/solicitors-chair2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1mujfaxcJte5FyJQXkkiXPY8eBAwjQDIGd2fLeltaK7bsyFBaGekx8anhCJ_0FymWgmQSHOVMYSg8_HZtp43OfJ76YnM3gwJ5jqKEU4KTVIZUd0E0nI4eZGCDkknTh5kJo21/s320/solicitors-chair2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fs6p9YY7oGZIFbYxj-KaT2r7fJzcyEuLHD6juj1gxHA7tNm2gCCOppVqcPDzP9YrA5pXGhNT_t0q8KLonMOHHWynq8Ie7CrR6LNTIzIxeFfw9s63_neiGomDDxWGWDDAXokP/s1600/Solicitors-chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fs6p9YY7oGZIFbYxj-KaT2r7fJzcyEuLHD6juj1gxHA7tNm2gCCOppVqcPDzP9YrA5pXGhNT_t0q8KLonMOHHWynq8Ie7CrR6LNTIzIxeFfw9s63_neiGomDDxWGWDDAXokP/s320/Solicitors-chair.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR71nv2fRljJK-bvUCu27K2puSAn6UUV0vHe7KH9kqg3PKoIChFpH7N64CARzAcrR4bYGK1C6CttDwvw8LZ7u3w3pOqu-xkQ06BpkIDJ-aogXbzZrLPA3tf9PgSx3pcxjiihqY/s1600/Victorian-mirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR71nv2fRljJK-bvUCu27K2puSAn6UUV0vHe7KH9kqg3PKoIChFpH7N64CARzAcrR4bYGK1C6CttDwvw8LZ7u3w3pOqu-xkQ06BpkIDJ-aogXbzZrLPA3tf9PgSx3pcxjiihqY/s320/Victorian-mirror.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSmMHCmCnJrt3LdMyOMlcGw1hgrao3Rj8lukiWH6tHEzWUI74MkpmoBt4yR0DisJtm9Wy3yDhoPBFURozkWojnNA9-U6oyDQrhO7-DeEUXDRZZ11Ypj9S5zWFTuiHWVi2k9fo/s1600/X-frame-window-seat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUSmMHCmCnJrt3LdMyOMlcGw1hgrao3Rj8lukiWH6tHEzWUI74MkpmoBt4yR0DisJtm9Wy3yDhoPBFURozkWojnNA9-U6oyDQrhO7-DeEUXDRZZ11Ypj9S5zWFTuiHWVi2k9fo/s320/X-frame-window-seat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-20967031366519733062016-09-08T16:35:00.003+07:002016-09-08T16:41:48.116+07:00Returning for 2 weeks holiday to Chiangmai, June 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B9h_dV_CJFjYiNIFKdvwL-HD9CX-CWmnPR_BsmcyTeAsVu3bvEPm265iPX3iN2jgNeGcnuMS3jN1Br2Y5SI4PDLrs6RKo29ahBXDTgToYyA65az3YsqPA8HHoLTdnN20hnEe/s1600/road2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B9h_dV_CJFjYiNIFKdvwL-HD9CX-CWmnPR_BsmcyTeAsVu3bvEPm265iPX3iN2jgNeGcnuMS3jN1Br2Y5SI4PDLrs6RKo29ahBXDTgToYyA65az3YsqPA8HHoLTdnN20hnEe/s400/road2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Traffic's just as bad as ever in Chiangmai. No, wait... it's worse. I'd forgotten just how long the traffic lights at the Huaykaew/Nimmanhemin intersection were.<br />
<br />
I'll upload these pix in random order to save time. Some were in Bangkok. Like these, er, handbags...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfXTkMUqa0xogLetHmxjCyCpA1CKbC_te0HJvSLe9n9R-rragqkqA3rINN6VsOiYku5Te2yj06SRHYBEO1itfQlp8yi9mw-ApobQK5G3xvj-cXgN7nEp091-jKmVi51tzyvM5/s1600/bags.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfXTkMUqa0xogLetHmxjCyCpA1CKbC_te0HJvSLe9n9R-rragqkqA3rINN6VsOiYku5Te2yj06SRHYBEO1itfQlp8yi9mw-ApobQK5G3xvj-cXgN7nEp091-jKmVi51tzyvM5/s640/bags.PNG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
...and endless bling... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1iphMMMnufdyyBrcZrS-UpMAS5tNkQeLx04ZwIcjIAneEPoMfN4lPpYktRHcvjvzBUfRfT8BuelaZmU-MCq3z911vgQeWkBtnTm-EDQOuAcoa_BQ2Ee5BYja8fytFGxI83RV/s1600/bling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1iphMMMnufdyyBrcZrS-UpMAS5tNkQeLx04ZwIcjIAneEPoMfN4lPpYktRHcvjvzBUfRfT8BuelaZmU-MCq3z911vgQeWkBtnTm-EDQOuAcoa_BQ2Ee5BYja8fytFGxI83RV/s400/bling.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The old boat motif so commonly seen in restaurants...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViyPTRZD0VQhNMi74FMUKyDSM_83QpJ_-61eFtFIS2YjQUCGh9mN-aIfwwHKt8F-l-tetn47dJFFhPf-wST_nb3lyRYs2wjOSy0yS2kdDEz3_f-uo85u0rILIBqv7ApVtDDo-/s1600/boat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViyPTRZD0VQhNMi74FMUKyDSM_83QpJ_-61eFtFIS2YjQUCGh9mN-aIfwwHKt8F-l-tetn47dJFFhPf-wST_nb3lyRYs2wjOSy0yS2kdDEz3_f-uo85u0rILIBqv7ApVtDDo-/s400/boat.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
...also appears in high end retail architecture:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9VZ_0nEgqNJ28yBJKIc9URGxZaA9PtRQNYhGpo5SHz0JqVFru9-OrADjishKRf8igKZDV2kANa_8zBgEOZjeA4l6H7xORCCciPUCft5MCGJl5Ah7wXteoWWLCRlBSw_WW18L/s1600/boat+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9VZ_0nEgqNJ28yBJKIc9URGxZaA9PtRQNYhGpo5SHz0JqVFru9-OrADjishKRf8igKZDV2kANa_8zBgEOZjeA4l6H7xORCCciPUCft5MCGJl5Ah7wXteoWWLCRlBSw_WW18L/s400/boat+%25282%2529.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgi8rbS9Ozr_nB4C-8P2QZ_eGzOVcvz7wPk9CLnSzvPM7DMlEtb7yXVFwUn8LR_wcetgYbKM1cez7JupCqLYuzfQVsT__J2Q9lr6td3WMDXelU1hg9Eaa0nOzfAhUal6yGV6X/s1600/houses.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgi8rbS9Ozr_nB4C-8P2QZ_eGzOVcvz7wPk9CLnSzvPM7DMlEtb7yXVFwUn8LR_wcetgYbKM1cez7JupCqLYuzfQVsT__J2Q9lr6td3WMDXelU1hg9Eaa0nOzfAhUal6yGV6X/s400/houses.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWVchESz34x57XOPzZsLtHPuZ7HCud7Q-IgS4LbRvpjWlC-ivEekRXXiY673NQ98_P-QPDIvdDMdrq4BQsNfg_iJaXt645zBRHb3vxOeQ5QtFUhlKe7cZTyWlM1sbZIroRUpt/s1600/thiong94.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWVchESz34x57XOPzZsLtHPuZ7HCud7Q-IgS4LbRvpjWlC-ivEekRXXiY673NQ98_P-QPDIvdDMdrq4BQsNfg_iJaXt645zBRHb3vxOeQ5QtFUhlKe7cZTyWlM1sbZIroRUpt/s400/thiong94.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
Large plastic 'things' are multiplying outside shops to attract attention... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxxIVwigF76WsHvXicqKxCp2d7QgLQlIdZAnC51V4sxoK7n-3j14dOVwnxO7MkbaZru_i9xoRpXiBkUDozfJtxMIcWMCaj1ydJRDVFBIRNIIe8oaaInv4TAV5fJHhYLivklYT/s1600/chemist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxxIVwigF76WsHvXicqKxCp2d7QgLQlIdZAnC51V4sxoK7n-3j14dOVwnxO7MkbaZru_i9xoRpXiBkUDozfJtxMIcWMCaj1ydJRDVFBIRNIIe8oaaInv4TAV5fJHhYLivklYT/s400/chemist.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaY5vltBJanLp3xpqsShlpS_mSyIONtzBKvKu-XXUXZGDJKgTm9Yt5lO70a0oirf2ujEdePgh0I9iAWJ03KgR81AJAy3Vx3bmyVdfaSIY1q2dbhC8WnOzhArB9iNBTJclj8SG/s1600/thingo0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaY5vltBJanLp3xpqsShlpS_mSyIONtzBKvKu-XXUXZGDJKgTm9Yt5lO70a0oirf2ujEdePgh0I9iAWJ03KgR81AJAy3Vx3bmyVdfaSIY1q2dbhC8WnOzhArB9iNBTJclj8SG/s400/thingo0376.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
...and the Chinese tourism boom continues, even though Thais don't much like them. Outside Maya Mall is a large 'lucky Chinese cat' waving its arm tirelessly to rake in profits...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd2SwdNAvdpF058yHK_VFkjQOybKSlRG9YlQRCVHqjIeKVn2BP4GSGVx9H6O1Y25Q338tjLbR2QQ2-gPo-d864LRar1hZismK9TNOz8XShTHpdGj6a2rg8FImTTBbDDDFxBx4/s1600/cat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd2SwdNAvdpF058yHK_VFkjQOybKSlRG9YlQRCVHqjIeKVn2BP4GSGVx9H6O1Y25Q338tjLbR2QQ2-gPo-d864LRar1hZismK9TNOz8XShTHpdGj6a2rg8FImTTBbDDDFxBx4/s400/cat.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByRRPJVNdFhyphenhyphenFcUze6anjXRz9FEnHqO5SLVUEXGvU1NLlNgVXovzricxoAadIp1AN90ejNUcNbWxA14ZISPE7M_wDptse1XCx0uhqd_bJLV7XaJj2OSCI2H6nSSBXnbR8Q4bp/s1600/thing2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByRRPJVNdFhyphenhyphenFcUze6anjXRz9FEnHqO5SLVUEXGvU1NLlNgVXovzricxoAadIp1AN90ejNUcNbWxA14ZISPE7M_wDptse1XCx0uhqd_bJLV7XaJj2OSCI2H6nSSBXnbR8Q4bp/s400/thing2.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W2I4cupFR8CwtrhB4k-Eh5POwmITM0R3XEFMX8yhqpKoqrIFyRX5rh2qqMvNHPC8gmKun-SRWtNXO14oqX59lgotKS0MV9OmTPg88aRAbAlg1EC62JrXvb60ElJmQRyKLckQ/s1600/coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W2I4cupFR8CwtrhB4k-Eh5POwmITM0R3XEFMX8yhqpKoqrIFyRX5rh2qqMvNHPC8gmKun-SRWtNXO14oqX59lgotKS0MV9OmTPg88aRAbAlg1EC62JrXvb60ElJmQRyKLckQ/s400/coffee.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Deliveries are no longer by boats on canals. The canals are all filled in and turned into roads... and the authorities are mystified why flooding is worse in the monsoon season... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDzCt9e1wR8Dhpb9iatDlAYC-JdRIhbJKPWltPV17LFYMI_W40knfRBSB9cj2IOiKauMQlWF2YNbAPMjclpb5F2xSG0HLMKUpNe20HqBpDQYwqLGKZdPJAF90EmQFtQ4NS9H8/s1600/eggs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDzCt9e1wR8Dhpb9iatDlAYC-JdRIhbJKPWltPV17LFYMI_W40knfRBSB9cj2IOiKauMQlWF2YNbAPMjclpb5F2xSG0HLMKUpNe20HqBpDQYwqLGKZdPJAF90EmQFtQ4NS9H8/s400/eggs.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The creative use of a plastic bottle to create a waterproof connection...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYnUL7z4pNhyphenhyphenQTIr-8x8uxegIXy4uQfsL6Elkjt3gYFmGnvHhf9tcRjkALKevaOF_MziNHmXzoXWmPbw29LHOTSxkLeBD5X6rT9z7NqjBlv2A6QaIVS682DiKhrSnoUzRLsYS/s1600/wires.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYnUL7z4pNhyphenhyphenQTIr-8x8uxegIXy4uQfsL6Elkjt3gYFmGnvHhf9tcRjkALKevaOF_MziNHmXzoXWmPbw29LHOTSxkLeBD5X6rT9z7NqjBlv2A6QaIVS682DiKhrSnoUzRLsYS/s400/wires.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
...and a loose wire hanging at child height in a Bangkok river ferry...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYXt4WsFzchPrtSN0AkRgum7Hpqhr6uDZqxXWVmxcdPEYaa8G4P6cdekGEgucPgcDNHj3WYurjl923Ft_MrrtSQIwyJHeNCCaAyyoHUuqKYP0_N6Sv4arVNdvJ1VE4zM1L892/s1600/electrical.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYXt4WsFzchPrtSN0AkRgum7Hpqhr6uDZqxXWVmxcdPEYaa8G4P6cdekGEgucPgcDNHj3WYurjl923Ft_MrrtSQIwyJHeNCCaAyyoHUuqKYP0_N6Sv4arVNdvJ1VE4zM1L892/s400/electrical.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Took a wander thru Bangkok's flower market...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMCIsCfplrJgwyuFnTSlbFg_rSGWQbKENIUL9rHlgHafp1etcLst-_uR0Fi208WQ22NmHY_hHL0QzlsVYXdHpPCUgFYwdCVLxzKWejKr6VkhOJMdwWCmmZFlxNoSmfrtgkjXH/s1600/flowers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMCIsCfplrJgwyuFnTSlbFg_rSGWQbKENIUL9rHlgHafp1etcLst-_uR0Fi208WQ22NmHY_hHL0QzlsVYXdHpPCUgFYwdCVLxzKWejKr6VkhOJMdwWCmmZFlxNoSmfrtgkjXH/s400/flowers.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Mondays are yellow bcoz that's the King's colour and his birthday is on a Monday:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq9O65wm-Pocl63Lxhe8rYgi-3JNmpHK_OkvrDUOo0eyPRmJ2_84PaUrxgKXZ7DAJHHQlfDkuNH9eHDOi-QgbANxk8cAOjJNS2LJsnNohLSumDFNtatQyYf9QVzlc932ufYOt/s1600/flowers1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq9O65wm-Pocl63Lxhe8rYgi-3JNmpHK_OkvrDUOo0eyPRmJ2_84PaUrxgKXZ7DAJHHQlfDkuNH9eHDOi-QgbANxk8cAOjJNS2LJsnNohLSumDFNtatQyYf9QVzlc932ufYOt/s400/flowers1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNBd1nqFb90hR_ZMfLfJX30jYKqurJ4mSEtB72L782BCdW2qrL-XV8RAOfDBHLOj4ZJUfFiBso89WiRVPxP2rLok_dB5aWNLm8YVULRWbNsTPbzCg4FN-T9HdBe9-XtBFsgQF/s1600/insex.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNBd1nqFb90hR_ZMfLfJX30jYKqurJ4mSEtB72L782BCdW2qrL-XV8RAOfDBHLOj4ZJUfFiBso89WiRVPxP2rLok_dB5aWNLm8YVULRWbNsTPbzCg4FN-T9HdBe9-XtBFsgQF/s400/insex.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
You can buy ANYTHING at the Chatuchak market...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkKwgj9H38NuJFj4_iLMjfcwST8G4QZAMDHFagNV8oLFpmINhNKnxDXjWxf_1drCxOuZyNPcy1a43Uvms-nCginh9qCSJn7VO4uplQRWHXmdv_WfwPvjTbqZHm1UZIxbxGvj2/s1600/glasses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkKwgj9H38NuJFj4_iLMjfcwST8G4QZAMDHFagNV8oLFpmINhNKnxDXjWxf_1drCxOuZyNPcy1a43Uvms-nCginh9qCSJn7VO4uplQRWHXmdv_WfwPvjTbqZHm1UZIxbxGvj2/s400/glasses.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTxFyemlaxC-Pa4TmHRFmfyrN8alnWhGXK2RKmvO90SyVfviyan8_fvtGvJdMBQWzDN8yDVZZizDNRvc9OHZSJ4FXAdfFurUmUiJV1JhD6WFm-RyH4w9ejkArPCX7aCAaVaG3/s1600/mrs+world.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTxFyemlaxC-Pa4TmHRFmfyrN8alnWhGXK2RKmvO90SyVfviyan8_fvtGvJdMBQWzDN8yDVZZizDNRvc9OHZSJ4FXAdfFurUmUiJV1JhD6WFm-RyH4w9ejkArPCX7aCAaVaG3/s400/mrs+world.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DR292ra1XZbtXcx0QnfKleojeiSyo6ur3c1osuAsWKhDhDi5iu4ca-8Hcn4LQLLdG5F1jXWQXEMegX2gQionkl1TLZOPlW7LHdsZDKJB_Bx2S_MWNNwQqjNZCRzgjEabh5Wj/s1600/mrs+world2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DR292ra1XZbtXcx0QnfKleojeiSyo6ur3c1osuAsWKhDhDi5iu4ca-8Hcn4LQLLdG5F1jXWQXEMegX2gQionkl1TLZOPlW7LHdsZDKJB_Bx2S_MWNNwQqjNZCRzgjEabh5Wj/s400/mrs+world2.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpF7rc9MfpIOw9Bto7Pp0PGTdVuOvL-vMBVfc0I68D2YEKa1SpWJnKL1X-H0zl2cTV3io_Cp7mzm47AqzTRTf8r5G78s4k7PPhPa5L547Cb3x9Fhj-ajnWlcq1dkVA6EgW8QhN/s1600/mrs+world3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpF7rc9MfpIOw9Bto7Pp0PGTdVuOvL-vMBVfc0I68D2YEKa1SpWJnKL1X-H0zl2cTV3io_Cp7mzm47AqzTRTf8r5G78s4k7PPhPa5L547Cb3x9Fhj-ajnWlcq1dkVA6EgW8QhN/s400/mrs+world3.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizY6fJ67SsnnyKa0BAp_xW8koTIxZptpdFzoCOf5H5-RwQD_06IS5DLUCPC2bYMk1Ve3f6bVILirVLtrojurVNEhuNZZlcYhs23nT_gN7e_J7e4RhsZvz9xfkC4dPI5fdJ0HB/s1600/mrs+world4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizY6fJ67SsnnyKa0BAp_xW8koTIxZptpdFzoCOf5H5-RwQD_06IS5DLUCPC2bYMk1Ve3f6bVILirVLtrojurVNEhuNZZlcYhs23nT_gN7e_J7e4RhsZvz9xfkC4dPI5fdJ0HB/s400/mrs+world4.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQNSsZ8nVcByk4-PeGFjvl6xPu4TtTH5TZmBgi5GbPgIu9TQv7ppRcEQUDE7nqVCr8_chDt-1q6C-X9Mi_8yiHnEH4FmlbxwoTDEFutIixRri48KscOgN9U_daImYmXR2LVEI/s1600/p4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQNSsZ8nVcByk4-PeGFjvl6xPu4TtTH5TZmBgi5GbPgIu9TQv7ppRcEQUDE7nqVCr8_chDt-1q6C-X9Mi_8yiHnEH4FmlbxwoTDEFutIixRri48KscOgN9U_daImYmXR2LVEI/s400/p4.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHjQy2SQNc5je7dllcoUbFzZPDWmQ6Q4uauAGdKxJWqvBJNVrOyu5fT73bYDRWmBR_rMDiqoGbEmL9KhGSFLfNRrauH3kYUisplZYnwPt2TaKC4cxn3XX0QgRcnGg3lJqhPs_/s1600/p42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHjQy2SQNc5je7dllcoUbFzZPDWmQ6Q4uauAGdKxJWqvBJNVrOyu5fT73bYDRWmBR_rMDiqoGbEmL9KhGSFLfNRrauH3kYUisplZYnwPt2TaKC4cxn3XX0QgRcnGg3lJqhPs_/s400/p42.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Santichai Prakan park, where [according to propaganda] the British Navy was repulsed<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
from Thailand. Not. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULb8z6R3ScIzogo1JipiKAixChxRbTD42NjtKMvQp9g4WL9TAWhxWCoEAnZTdrMgmxW-p-wiK5jbMQwMlIlxcJ_NlmQ5_a83H_dY6goGqEGk45TqICjWgPWPBnuMebKdRfBeT/s1600/Santichai+Prakan2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULb8z6R3ScIzogo1JipiKAixChxRbTD42NjtKMvQp9g4WL9TAWhxWCoEAnZTdrMgmxW-p-wiK5jbMQwMlIlxcJ_NlmQ5_a83H_dY6goGqEGk45TqICjWgPWPBnuMebKdRfBeT/s400/Santichai+Prakan2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2k04j5lqfilsOwlzJ3_VBon5eGlyqI9WUX8X5uAtkaZ4VVRW9nS1EnrmpoNu5hfLwZk-ioO0S0_E-35GbNJtNHobo9sDb_XXIxQAU5i2xkPd-q8iaH38HlOQiEsXBQ8GpuH9/s1600/Santichai+Prakan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2k04j5lqfilsOwlzJ3_VBon5eGlyqI9WUX8X5uAtkaZ4VVRW9nS1EnrmpoNu5hfLwZk-ioO0S0_E-35GbNJtNHobo9sDb_XXIxQAU5i2xkPd-q8iaH38HlOQiEsXBQ8GpuH9/s400/Santichai+Prakan.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Good thing the Brits didn't take over... or we might never have had shoes like these...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkFqUA7YYYAF8Zx9aDych771mvbmAOGUyutI6AHidoZy2XgHQkGFwxe6ngVsZd8FbSkMUdTQcoPlpQ26oyE2LEdVV59r5XEQcwBESW8quBKguVG8eGMw0zROr4IOL2hrSeJHO/s1600/shoes+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkFqUA7YYYAF8Zx9aDych771mvbmAOGUyutI6AHidoZy2XgHQkGFwxe6ngVsZd8FbSkMUdTQcoPlpQ26oyE2LEdVV59r5XEQcwBESW8quBKguVG8eGMw0zROr4IOL2hrSeJHO/s400/shoes+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
...or a mock-up library with books full of fresh air...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomxTQJZNLj-aBrnVWE8qNgyjfkqA43gvCLgRCzb5ubP-1k-Hxun6cLF32jBWgFJlVtzH-f9uUGZzvon3UPSf-0XEyhhDV7nAuHVvqjE1Ybog22FVj3KHIzqfVwL1Qrf6Xv18G/s1600/library.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomxTQJZNLj-aBrnVWE8qNgyjfkqA43gvCLgRCzb5ubP-1k-Hxun6cLF32jBWgFJlVtzH-f9uUGZzvon3UPSf-0XEyhhDV7nAuHVvqjE1Ybog22FVj3KHIzqfVwL1Qrf6Xv18G/s400/library.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
I'd better stop now.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-71907708210099716082016-09-08T16:35:00.000+07:002016-09-08T16:37:44.774+07:00Returning for 2 weeks holiday to Chiangmai, June 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B9h_dV_CJFjYiNIFKdvwL-HD9CX-CWmnPR_BsmcyTeAsVu3bvEPm265iPX3iN2jgNeGcnuMS3jN1Br2Y5SI4PDLrs6RKo29ahBXDTgToYyA65az3YsqPA8HHoLTdnN20hnEe/s1600/road2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2B9h_dV_CJFjYiNIFKdvwL-HD9CX-CWmnPR_BsmcyTeAsVu3bvEPm265iPX3iN2jgNeGcnuMS3jN1Br2Y5SI4PDLrs6RKo29ahBXDTgToYyA65az3YsqPA8HHoLTdnN20hnEe/s640/road2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Traffic's just as bad as ever in Chiangmai. No, wait... it's worse. I'd forgotten just how long the traffic lights at the Huaykaew/Nimmanhemin intersection were.<br />
<br />
I'll upload these pix in random order to save time. Some were in Bangkok. Like these, er, handbags...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfXTkMUqa0xogLetHmxjCyCpA1CKbC_te0HJvSLe9n9R-rragqkqA3rINN6VsOiYku5Te2yj06SRHYBEO1itfQlp8yi9mw-ApobQK5G3xvj-cXgN7nEp091-jKmVi51tzyvM5/s1600/bags.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihfXTkMUqa0xogLetHmxjCyCpA1CKbC_te0HJvSLe9n9R-rragqkqA3rINN6VsOiYku5Te2yj06SRHYBEO1itfQlp8yi9mw-ApobQK5G3xvj-cXgN7nEp091-jKmVi51tzyvM5/s640/bags.PNG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
...and endless bling... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1iphMMMnufdyyBrcZrS-UpMAS5tNkQeLx04ZwIcjIAneEPoMfN4lPpYktRHcvjvzBUfRfT8BuelaZmU-MCq3z911vgQeWkBtnTm-EDQOuAcoa_BQ2Ee5BYja8fytFGxI83RV/s1600/bling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1iphMMMnufdyyBrcZrS-UpMAS5tNkQeLx04ZwIcjIAneEPoMfN4lPpYktRHcvjvzBUfRfT8BuelaZmU-MCq3z911vgQeWkBtnTm-EDQOuAcoa_BQ2Ee5BYja8fytFGxI83RV/s640/bling.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The old boat motif so commonly seen in restaurants...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViyPTRZD0VQhNMi74FMUKyDSM_83QpJ_-61eFtFIS2YjQUCGh9mN-aIfwwHKt8F-l-tetn47dJFFhPf-wST_nb3lyRYs2wjOSy0yS2kdDEz3_f-uo85u0rILIBqv7ApVtDDo-/s1600/boat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViyPTRZD0VQhNMi74FMUKyDSM_83QpJ_-61eFtFIS2YjQUCGh9mN-aIfwwHKt8F-l-tetn47dJFFhPf-wST_nb3lyRYs2wjOSy0yS2kdDEz3_f-uo85u0rILIBqv7ApVtDDo-/s640/boat.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
...also appears in high end retail architecture:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9VZ_0nEgqNJ28yBJKIc9URGxZaA9PtRQNYhGpo5SHz0JqVFru9-OrADjishKRf8igKZDV2kANa_8zBgEOZjeA4l6H7xORCCciPUCft5MCGJl5Ah7wXteoWWLCRlBSw_WW18L/s1600/boat+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9VZ_0nEgqNJ28yBJKIc9URGxZaA9PtRQNYhGpo5SHz0JqVFru9-OrADjishKRf8igKZDV2kANa_8zBgEOZjeA4l6H7xORCCciPUCft5MCGJl5Ah7wXteoWWLCRlBSw_WW18L/s640/boat+%25282%2529.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgi8rbS9Ozr_nB4C-8P2QZ_eGzOVcvz7wPk9CLnSzvPM7DMlEtb7yXVFwUn8LR_wcetgYbKM1cez7JupCqLYuzfQVsT__J2Q9lr6td3WMDXelU1hg9Eaa0nOzfAhUal6yGV6X/s1600/houses.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgi8rbS9Ozr_nB4C-8P2QZ_eGzOVcvz7wPk9CLnSzvPM7DMlEtb7yXVFwUn8LR_wcetgYbKM1cez7JupCqLYuzfQVsT__J2Q9lr6td3WMDXelU1hg9Eaa0nOzfAhUal6yGV6X/s640/houses.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWVchESz34x57XOPzZsLtHPuZ7HCud7Q-IgS4LbRvpjWlC-ivEekRXXiY673NQ98_P-QPDIvdDMdrq4BQsNfg_iJaXt645zBRHb3vxOeQ5QtFUhlKe7cZTyWlM1sbZIroRUpt/s1600/thiong94.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXWVchESz34x57XOPzZsLtHPuZ7HCud7Q-IgS4LbRvpjWlC-ivEekRXXiY673NQ98_P-QPDIvdDMdrq4BQsNfg_iJaXt645zBRHb3vxOeQ5QtFUhlKe7cZTyWlM1sbZIroRUpt/s640/thiong94.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
Large plastic 'things' are multiplying outside shops to attract attention... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxxIVwigF76WsHvXicqKxCp2d7QgLQlIdZAnC51V4sxoK7n-3j14dOVwnxO7MkbaZru_i9xoRpXiBkUDozfJtxMIcWMCaj1ydJRDVFBIRNIIe8oaaInv4TAV5fJHhYLivklYT/s1600/chemist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxxIVwigF76WsHvXicqKxCp2d7QgLQlIdZAnC51V4sxoK7n-3j14dOVwnxO7MkbaZru_i9xoRpXiBkUDozfJtxMIcWMCaj1ydJRDVFBIRNIIe8oaaInv4TAV5fJHhYLivklYT/s640/chemist.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaY5vltBJanLp3xpqsShlpS_mSyIONtzBKvKu-XXUXZGDJKgTm9Yt5lO70a0oirf2ujEdePgh0I9iAWJ03KgR81AJAy3Vx3bmyVdfaSIY1q2dbhC8WnOzhArB9iNBTJclj8SG/s1600/thingo0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaY5vltBJanLp3xpqsShlpS_mSyIONtzBKvKu-XXUXZGDJKgTm9Yt5lO70a0oirf2ujEdePgh0I9iAWJ03KgR81AJAy3Vx3bmyVdfaSIY1q2dbhC8WnOzhArB9iNBTJclj8SG/s640/thingo0376.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
...and the Chinese tourism boom continues, even though Thais don't much like them. Outside Maya Mall is a large 'lucky Chinese cat' waving its arm tirelessly to rake in profits...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd2SwdNAvdpF058yHK_VFkjQOybKSlRG9YlQRCVHqjIeKVn2BP4GSGVx9H6O1Y25Q338tjLbR2QQ2-gPo-d864LRar1hZismK9TNOz8XShTHpdGj6a2rg8FImTTBbDDDFxBx4/s1600/cat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd2SwdNAvdpF058yHK_VFkjQOybKSlRG9YlQRCVHqjIeKVn2BP4GSGVx9H6O1Y25Q338tjLbR2QQ2-gPo-d864LRar1hZismK9TNOz8XShTHpdGj6a2rg8FImTTBbDDDFxBx4/s640/cat.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByRRPJVNdFhyphenhyphenFcUze6anjXRz9FEnHqO5SLVUEXGvU1NLlNgVXovzricxoAadIp1AN90ejNUcNbWxA14ZISPE7M_wDptse1XCx0uhqd_bJLV7XaJj2OSCI2H6nSSBXnbR8Q4bp/s1600/thing2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByRRPJVNdFhyphenhyphenFcUze6anjXRz9FEnHqO5SLVUEXGvU1NLlNgVXovzricxoAadIp1AN90ejNUcNbWxA14ZISPE7M_wDptse1XCx0uhqd_bJLV7XaJj2OSCI2H6nSSBXnbR8Q4bp/s640/thing2.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W2I4cupFR8CwtrhB4k-Eh5POwmITM0R3XEFMX8yhqpKoqrIFyRX5rh2qqMvNHPC8gmKun-SRWtNXO14oqX59lgotKS0MV9OmTPg88aRAbAlg1EC62JrXvb60ElJmQRyKLckQ/s1600/coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1W2I4cupFR8CwtrhB4k-Eh5POwmITM0R3XEFMX8yhqpKoqrIFyRX5rh2qqMvNHPC8gmKun-SRWtNXO14oqX59lgotKS0MV9OmTPg88aRAbAlg1EC62JrXvb60ElJmQRyKLckQ/s640/coffee.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Deliveries are no longer by boats on canals. The canals are all filled in and turned into roads... and the authorities are mystified why flooding is worse in the monsoon season... <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDzCt9e1wR8Dhpb9iatDlAYC-JdRIhbJKPWltPV17LFYMI_W40knfRBSB9cj2IOiKauMQlWF2YNbAPMjclpb5F2xSG0HLMKUpNe20HqBpDQYwqLGKZdPJAF90EmQFtQ4NS9H8/s1600/eggs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDzCt9e1wR8Dhpb9iatDlAYC-JdRIhbJKPWltPV17LFYMI_W40knfRBSB9cj2IOiKauMQlWF2YNbAPMjclpb5F2xSG0HLMKUpNe20HqBpDQYwqLGKZdPJAF90EmQFtQ4NS9H8/s640/eggs.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The creative use of a plastic bottle to create a waterproof connection...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYnUL7z4pNhyphenhyphenQTIr-8x8uxegIXy4uQfsL6Elkjt3gYFmGnvHhf9tcRjkALKevaOF_MziNHmXzoXWmPbw29LHOTSxkLeBD5X6rT9z7NqjBlv2A6QaIVS682DiKhrSnoUzRLsYS/s1600/wires.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYnUL7z4pNhyphenhyphenQTIr-8x8uxegIXy4uQfsL6Elkjt3gYFmGnvHhf9tcRjkALKevaOF_MziNHmXzoXWmPbw29LHOTSxkLeBD5X6rT9z7NqjBlv2A6QaIVS682DiKhrSnoUzRLsYS/s640/wires.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
...and a loose wire hanging at child height in a Bangkok river ferry...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYXt4WsFzchPrtSN0AkRgum7Hpqhr6uDZqxXWVmxcdPEYaa8G4P6cdekGEgucPgcDNHj3WYurjl923Ft_MrrtSQIwyJHeNCCaAyyoHUuqKYP0_N6Sv4arVNdvJ1VE4zM1L892/s1600/electrical.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYXt4WsFzchPrtSN0AkRgum7Hpqhr6uDZqxXWVmxcdPEYaa8G4P6cdekGEgucPgcDNHj3WYurjl923Ft_MrrtSQIwyJHeNCCaAyyoHUuqKYP0_N6Sv4arVNdvJ1VE4zM1L892/s640/electrical.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Took a wander thru Bangkok's flower market...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMCIsCfplrJgwyuFnTSlbFg_rSGWQbKENIUL9rHlgHafp1etcLst-_uR0Fi208WQ22NmHY_hHL0QzlsVYXdHpPCUgFYwdCVLxzKWejKr6VkhOJMdwWCmmZFlxNoSmfrtgkjXH/s1600/flowers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMCIsCfplrJgwyuFnTSlbFg_rSGWQbKENIUL9rHlgHafp1etcLst-_uR0Fi208WQ22NmHY_hHL0QzlsVYXdHpPCUgFYwdCVLxzKWejKr6VkhOJMdwWCmmZFlxNoSmfrtgkjXH/s640/flowers.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Mondays are yellow bcoz that's the King's colour and his birthday is on a Monday:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq9O65wm-Pocl63Lxhe8rYgi-3JNmpHK_OkvrDUOo0eyPRmJ2_84PaUrxgKXZ7DAJHHQlfDkuNH9eHDOi-QgbANxk8cAOjJNS2LJsnNohLSumDFNtatQyYf9QVzlc932ufYOt/s1600/flowers1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq9O65wm-Pocl63Lxhe8rYgi-3JNmpHK_OkvrDUOo0eyPRmJ2_84PaUrxgKXZ7DAJHHQlfDkuNH9eHDOi-QgbANxk8cAOjJNS2LJsnNohLSumDFNtatQyYf9QVzlc932ufYOt/s640/flowers1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNBd1nqFb90hR_ZMfLfJX30jYKqurJ4mSEtB72L782BCdW2qrL-XV8RAOfDBHLOj4ZJUfFiBso89WiRVPxP2rLok_dB5aWNLm8YVULRWbNsTPbzCg4FN-T9HdBe9-XtBFsgQF/s1600/insex.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNBd1nqFb90hR_ZMfLfJX30jYKqurJ4mSEtB72L782BCdW2qrL-XV8RAOfDBHLOj4ZJUfFiBso89WiRVPxP2rLok_dB5aWNLm8YVULRWbNsTPbzCg4FN-T9HdBe9-XtBFsgQF/s640/insex.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
You can buy ANYTHING at the Chatuchak market...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkKwgj9H38NuJFj4_iLMjfcwST8G4QZAMDHFagNV8oLFpmINhNKnxDXjWxf_1drCxOuZyNPcy1a43Uvms-nCginh9qCSJn7VO4uplQRWHXmdv_WfwPvjTbqZHm1UZIxbxGvj2/s1600/glasses.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkKwgj9H38NuJFj4_iLMjfcwST8G4QZAMDHFagNV8oLFpmINhNKnxDXjWxf_1drCxOuZyNPcy1a43Uvms-nCginh9qCSJn7VO4uplQRWHXmdv_WfwPvjTbqZHm1UZIxbxGvj2/s640/glasses.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTxFyemlaxC-Pa4TmHRFmfyrN8alnWhGXK2RKmvO90SyVfviyan8_fvtGvJdMBQWzDN8yDVZZizDNRvc9OHZSJ4FXAdfFurUmUiJV1JhD6WFm-RyH4w9ejkArPCX7aCAaVaG3/s1600/mrs+world.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTxFyemlaxC-Pa4TmHRFmfyrN8alnWhGXK2RKmvO90SyVfviyan8_fvtGvJdMBQWzDN8yDVZZizDNRvc9OHZSJ4FXAdfFurUmUiJV1JhD6WFm-RyH4w9ejkArPCX7aCAaVaG3/s640/mrs+world.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DR292ra1XZbtXcx0QnfKleojeiSyo6ur3c1osuAsWKhDhDi5iu4ca-8Hcn4LQLLdG5F1jXWQXEMegX2gQionkl1TLZOPlW7LHdsZDKJB_Bx2S_MWNNwQqjNZCRzgjEabh5Wj/s1600/mrs+world2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DR292ra1XZbtXcx0QnfKleojeiSyo6ur3c1osuAsWKhDhDi5iu4ca-8Hcn4LQLLdG5F1jXWQXEMegX2gQionkl1TLZOPlW7LHdsZDKJB_Bx2S_MWNNwQqjNZCRzgjEabh5Wj/s640/mrs+world2.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpF7rc9MfpIOw9Bto7Pp0PGTdVuOvL-vMBVfc0I68D2YEKa1SpWJnKL1X-H0zl2cTV3io_Cp7mzm47AqzTRTf8r5G78s4k7PPhPa5L547Cb3x9Fhj-ajnWlcq1dkVA6EgW8QhN/s1600/mrs+world3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpF7rc9MfpIOw9Bto7Pp0PGTdVuOvL-vMBVfc0I68D2YEKa1SpWJnKL1X-H0zl2cTV3io_Cp7mzm47AqzTRTf8r5G78s4k7PPhPa5L547Cb3x9Fhj-ajnWlcq1dkVA6EgW8QhN/s640/mrs+world3.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizY6fJ67SsnnyKa0BAp_xW8koTIxZptpdFzoCOf5H5-RwQD_06IS5DLUCPC2bYMk1Ve3f6bVILirVLtrojurVNEhuNZZlcYhs23nT_gN7e_J7e4RhsZvz9xfkC4dPI5fdJ0HB/s1600/mrs+world4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgizY6fJ67SsnnyKa0BAp_xW8koTIxZptpdFzoCOf5H5-RwQD_06IS5DLUCPC2bYMk1Ve3f6bVILirVLtrojurVNEhuNZZlcYhs23nT_gN7e_J7e4RhsZvz9xfkC4dPI5fdJ0HB/s640/mrs+world4.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQNSsZ8nVcByk4-PeGFjvl6xPu4TtTH5TZmBgi5GbPgIu9TQv7ppRcEQUDE7nqVCr8_chDt-1q6C-X9Mi_8yiHnEH4FmlbxwoTDEFutIixRri48KscOgN9U_daImYmXR2LVEI/s1600/p4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQNSsZ8nVcByk4-PeGFjvl6xPu4TtTH5TZmBgi5GbPgIu9TQv7ppRcEQUDE7nqVCr8_chDt-1q6C-X9Mi_8yiHnEH4FmlbxwoTDEFutIixRri48KscOgN9U_daImYmXR2LVEI/s640/p4.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHjQy2SQNc5je7dllcoUbFzZPDWmQ6Q4uauAGdKxJWqvBJNVrOyu5fT73bYDRWmBR_rMDiqoGbEmL9KhGSFLfNRrauH3kYUisplZYnwPt2TaKC4cxn3XX0QgRcnGg3lJqhPs_/s1600/p42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHjQy2SQNc5je7dllcoUbFzZPDWmQ6Q4uauAGdKxJWqvBJNVrOyu5fT73bYDRWmBR_rMDiqoGbEmL9KhGSFLfNRrauH3kYUisplZYnwPt2TaKC4cxn3XX0QgRcnGg3lJqhPs_/s640/p42.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Santichai Prakan park, where [according to propaganda] the British Navy was repulsed<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
from Thailand. Not. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULb8z6R3ScIzogo1JipiKAixChxRbTD42NjtKMvQp9g4WL9TAWhxWCoEAnZTdrMgmxW-p-wiK5jbMQwMlIlxcJ_NlmQ5_a83H_dY6goGqEGk45TqICjWgPWPBnuMebKdRfBeT/s1600/Santichai+Prakan2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULb8z6R3ScIzogo1JipiKAixChxRbTD42NjtKMvQp9g4WL9TAWhxWCoEAnZTdrMgmxW-p-wiK5jbMQwMlIlxcJ_NlmQ5_a83H_dY6goGqEGk45TqICjWgPWPBnuMebKdRfBeT/s640/Santichai+Prakan2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2k04j5lqfilsOwlzJ3_VBon5eGlyqI9WUX8X5uAtkaZ4VVRW9nS1EnrmpoNu5hfLwZk-ioO0S0_E-35GbNJtNHobo9sDb_XXIxQAU5i2xkPd-q8iaH38HlOQiEsXBQ8GpuH9/s1600/Santichai+Prakan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2k04j5lqfilsOwlzJ3_VBon5eGlyqI9WUX8X5uAtkaZ4VVRW9nS1EnrmpoNu5hfLwZk-ioO0S0_E-35GbNJtNHobo9sDb_XXIxQAU5i2xkPd-q8iaH38HlOQiEsXBQ8GpuH9/s640/Santichai+Prakan.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Good thing the Brits didn't take over... or we might never have had shoes like these...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkFqUA7YYYAF8Zx9aDych771mvbmAOGUyutI6AHidoZy2XgHQkGFwxe6ngVsZd8FbSkMUdTQcoPlpQ26oyE2LEdVV59r5XEQcwBESW8quBKguVG8eGMw0zROr4IOL2hrSeJHO/s1600/shoes+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkFqUA7YYYAF8Zx9aDych771mvbmAOGUyutI6AHidoZy2XgHQkGFwxe6ngVsZd8FbSkMUdTQcoPlpQ26oyE2LEdVV59r5XEQcwBESW8quBKguVG8eGMw0zROr4IOL2hrSeJHO/s640/shoes+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
...or a mock-up library with books full of fresh air...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomxTQJZNLj-aBrnVWE8qNgyjfkqA43gvCLgRCzb5ubP-1k-Hxun6cLF32jBWgFJlVtzH-f9uUGZzvon3UPSf-0XEyhhDV7nAuHVvqjE1Ybog22FVj3KHIzqfVwL1Qrf6Xv18G/s1600/library.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhomxTQJZNLj-aBrnVWE8qNgyjfkqA43gvCLgRCzb5ubP-1k-Hxun6cLF32jBWgFJlVtzH-f9uUGZzvon3UPSf-0XEyhhDV7nAuHVvqjE1Ybog22FVj3KHIzqfVwL1Qrf6Xv18G/s640/library.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
I'd better stop now.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-58215642856903728192013-11-12T15:08:00.001+07:002013-11-13T12:52:19.546+07:00Gujarat trip and more, October 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoYVNSk2T9WzgiZ5H8kMki5PXIZqAd4xTyPej-SyoiP52oHsxmqiNXQyP5zg0oxutJQG4kC26v2RYibxMvOZ4mDgSMNGRGCyshV6HMbHlfDdmes6JkMQNaI2e1ekZtwfrLco_/s1600/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoYVNSk2T9WzgiZ5H8kMki5PXIZqAd4xTyPej-SyoiP52oHsxmqiNXQyP5zg0oxutJQG4kC26v2RYibxMvOZ4mDgSMNGRGCyshV6HMbHlfDdmes6JkMQNaI2e1ekZtwfrLco_/s400/075.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"><em>Marie enjoyed hanging around in Ahmedabad.</em></span> </div>
<br />
We spent a month galavanting around remote bits of the north-western Indian state of <strong>Gujarat</strong> (including out near the Pakistan border), less remote bits of <strong>Rajasthan</strong> like Jaipur and Delhi, and some positively <u>un</u>-remote bits of <strong>Kolkata</strong>. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://gujarat-trip-2013.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Click here</span></a><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span>to see our extensive photo-blog (which will open in a convenient new window - but get yourself a coffee first... it's <em>big</em>).<br />
<br />
Marie was on a personal quest to learn as much as possible about Indian block-printing, and I (as usual) was on the hunt for an elusive East India Company colonial ancestor. <br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-47123581921111188622013-06-05T19:04:00.001+07:002013-11-13T12:52:04.460+07:00Trip to Uttarakhand (Nainital, Haridwar, Dehradun, Rishikesh), April-May 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bTNSxeP5aj0oNreM3QdbAZm8aRtfoujSfsaaWixaEJIqY8clvNkXmVF_wT5liPBZrKp153ABlk3pw4htCFGoH-yum0CXzZQCdK37YqKEx8r0mjS5Lex3_t7Re9YNJkcQpbCA/s1600/213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bTNSxeP5aj0oNreM3QdbAZm8aRtfoujSfsaaWixaEJIqY8clvNkXmVF_wT5liPBZrKp153ABlk3pw4htCFGoH-yum0CXzZQCdK37YqKEx8r0mjS5Lex3_t7Re9YNJkcQpbCA/s400/213.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"><em> Peter meets one of Nainital's former residents, fully house-trained (the tiger, not Peter).</em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">It lived in one of the houses that belonged to my great-great grand-uncle in the 1870s.</span></em></div>
<br />
<em>Are we crazy?</em> After having <span style="color: black;">travelled to<span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2012/09/funkypix2s-trip-to-sri-lanka-august-2012.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Sri Lanka last August</span></a><span style="color: black;">,</span> then <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2013/04/india-again-january-february-2013.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">India in January</span></a> this year, blow me down if we go and <strong>DO IT ALL AGAIN! </strong>Totally <em><strong>NUTS!!</strong></em> But this time, admittedly, there were differences. Anna came with us to<span style="color: black;"> </span><a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2013/06/sri-lanka-trip-march-2013-with-anna.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Sri Lanka in March</span></a><span style="color: black;">,</span> then</span> Marie and I <span style="color: black;">went to <a href="http://uttarakhand-nainital-trip-april-2013.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Uttarakhand in April</span></a>, </span><span style="color: black;">a northern Indian state we'd never been to before.</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> </span><br />
<br />
In Uttarakhand we spent a week at <strong><span style="color: #990000;">Nainital</span></strong>, a chilly hill-station in the foothills of the Himalayas, with the hope of finding evidence of the presence of my great-great grandfather from the 1870s. Not only did we find evidence, but (to our great delight) we found a <u>lot</u> of it. Also visited a delightful new school being established in a small village an hour outside the state capital Dehradun. Between Nainital and Dehradun we met a lot of new friends and fine people. <br />
<br />
Get the full Uttarakhand <a href="http://uttarakhand-nainital-trip-april-2013.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">story and pictures here</span></a><span style="color: black;">.</span><br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-27993036948011316812013-06-04T15:14:00.001+07:002013-11-13T12:51:47.728+07:00Sri Lanka trip, March 2013 with Anna<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-0e2dUrVtfDnu8L9d_esMyuKqtURLplq9Xk5FxKea4g6tmKSh1dJv3TERd315due6lFgvBY2JmxYjW8ii9usAMbn_xrtS_25S5U0hyphenhyphenZPUSCLuj2BNXzhjUX41X6Wqr40soPe/s1600/120.+Law+Courts,+Galle+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-0e2dUrVtfDnu8L9d_esMyuKqtURLplq9Xk5FxKea4g6tmKSh1dJv3TERd315due6lFgvBY2JmxYjW8ii9usAMbn_xrtS_25S5U0hyphenhyphenZPUSCLuj2BNXzhjUX41X6Wqr40soPe/s400/120.+Law+Courts,+Galle+Fort.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Marie explores the Law Courts at Galle Fort, southern Sri Lanka, a place doubtlessly familiar to her great-grandfather who was a Colombo attorney. We went there with our daughter Anna in March 2013. Also visited the Kandy elephant poo competition, a two-thousand year old airport, hunted wild animals and whales, and flew in a hot-air balloon. <br />
See all the scoop pictures <a href="http://sri-lanka-march-2013-with-anna.blogspot.com/2013/06/cooks-tour-of-kandy-polunaruwa.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HERE</span></a>!<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-90271714860852662752013-04-06T02:12:00.000+07:002013-11-13T12:51:22.744+07:00India ...again! ...January-February 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhkVD6MB1H7fyP0Wjci7E6z-wAGlP0m0yjpJAjAxlq8ewEyi_lZDaEYRRmuHOwF-CyJNRL4PB82ki_SmDe0YOjUY_6iUBDHl1xgB1_i-Zixq8ouFpAVZv0rdh9j9V-s00J7wS/s1600/096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirhkVD6MB1H7fyP0Wjci7E6z-wAGlP0m0yjpJAjAxlq8ewEyi_lZDaEYRRmuHOwF-CyJNRL4PB82ki_SmDe0YOjUY_6iUBDHl1xgB1_i-Zixq8ouFpAVZv0rdh9j9V-s00J7wS/s400/096.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
Yep, we've been to India yet again - and nope, that's <u>not</u> moi in the photo (you can tell cuz the beard's the wrong colour). Been indulging ourselves in a little Hindoo-Voodoo out of Africa, attending the Jaipur Literature Festival for the third time, and beseiging sixteenth-century forts. <br />
It can all be yours <a href="http://india-jan-feb-2013.blogspot.com/2013/06/january-2013-kerala-jaipur-literature.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a> (it will open in a new window for your convenience).<br />
<br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-40468417484561361032012-09-05T20:08:00.001+07:002012-09-05T21:24:37.036+07:00FunkyPix2's trip to Sri Lanka, August 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnr7FVaOX7bH-YHJx0KbQS_PMdbcvKSEeTqTXUPCgLb72Y4eTR0RzKMQXEk4-NsgW1sl0GLo_O1ELhYfooTcnJjj8621QVVzjzg8T4NdLFV589eTx3-9f_HIA6Fm66tQ8Q1Da1/s1600/001+soi+auschwitz.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnr7FVaOX7bH-YHJx0KbQS_PMdbcvKSEeTqTXUPCgLb72Y4eTR0RzKMQXEk4-NsgW1sl0GLo_O1ELhYfooTcnJjj8621QVVzjzg8T4NdLFV589eTx3-9f_HIA6Fm66tQ8Q1Da1/s400/001+soi+auschwitz.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We're never short of surprises here in Chiangmai... </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Welcome to Soi Auschwitz near our condo, for example...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
...but inside the gates, it's all friendly and fuzzy.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZ8SLHw7o8MHHuzxqkz_29idcQfXZa570j0qkX6qLTsau_TXH9-lEl9FYfPko2P_15Q3c0jrEVE01WgUDer60nHmcpJAgy86Jx8vLLicLlExF-IcR1WL67ftnEHVk4eYhKwFk/s1600/001a+inside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZ8SLHw7o8MHHuzxqkz_29idcQfXZa570j0qkX6qLTsau_TXH9-lEl9FYfPko2P_15Q3c0jrEVE01WgUDer60nHmcpJAgy86Jx8vLLicLlExF-IcR1WL67ftnEHVk4eYhKwFk/s400/001a+inside.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It reminded us that we were about to visit Sri Lanka again (<a href="http://srilanka-trip2012.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6;">click here</span></a> to jump to our travelogue). This was despite the moral decrepitude of its Rajapakse regime. As with the two photos above, there's a dark authoritarian side to Sri Lanka's personality, not the least demonstrated by ruthless repression of political opposition. A dozen journalists have been <a href="http://groundviews.org/2012/08/30/a-disappearance-every-five-days-in-post-war-sri-lanka/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">disappeared</span></a> in the last year alone, and the leader of the opposition spent time in prison on what were clearly bogus charges. Plenty more examples at the Sri Lanka Campaign <a href="http://www.srilankacampaign.org/welcome.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">website</span></a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Prime Monster Rajapakse, however, has his nose to the wind of public opinion. He is wary of the power of example set by the Arab Spring, and a mere three days after the backlash against Putin after the jailing of Pussy Riot, this sweet-talking benign little article appeared on the front page of a local newspaper, addressed to the Inspector-General of Police:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XjW4cCE0VVDENZN0w_TesfojRpDHzuMPeJHKQhTcNBnk17tYibFNzsD_bpw7HC2a6BDWYuGxcfxtjGGXwcmHhmPgdIo3_pTFFI-73kIqpJepm9UBgg5r4qBkDi6ujdYBAAdP/s1600/168+3+days+after+pussy+riot+verdict+and+reaction.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XjW4cCE0VVDENZN0w_TesfojRpDHzuMPeJHKQhTcNBnk17tYibFNzsD_bpw7HC2a6BDWYuGxcfxtjGGXwcmHhmPgdIo3_pTFFI-73kIqpJepm9UBgg5r4qBkDi6ujdYBAAdP/s400/168+3+days+after+pussy+riot+verdict+and+reaction.JPG" width="345" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;"><em>Scarf stained by blood of his own people?</em></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
If you trust what he says you might be a tad naive. Beware of snakes-in-the-grass. Sri Lanka's 'democracy' has a long way to travel before it matures. The social inequalities against which the Tamils were fighting are <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-backs-push-to-say-no-to-flood-of-sri-lankans-20120903-25ajs.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">still there</span></a>, evidence for which may be intuited from the following <a href="http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2012/08/26/fea03.asp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">article</span></a> in which the writer - obviously a Rajapakse mouthpiece - berates the Tamils for daring to express their (democratic!) dissatisfaction with ongoing unfairness. This is not independent journalism, it's government stenography:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaMJVoBfWGhzo71BlNhX0s3XJjqaEHijflDR7AfLuoDn3PU3fPIBli2QbTqiM0N71KwTJXtJnBrvdMyQQP_cqJNJ64JZjSOyzNiaeWmi9OPKjpo9emZXu2t87ObCediDSzo1w/s1600/169+Accusing+Tamils+of+being+resentful....JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaMJVoBfWGhzo71BlNhX0s3XJjqaEHijflDR7AfLuoDn3PU3fPIBli2QbTqiM0N71KwTJXtJnBrvdMyQQP_cqJNJ64JZjSOyzNiaeWmi9OPKjpo9emZXu2t87ObCediDSzo1w/s400/169+Accusing+Tamils+of+being+resentful....JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">You can embiggen any picture by clicking on it.</span></div>
<br />
To be fair, though, there was gross inhumanity on <em>both</em> sides during the 25-year civil war. Anyway, as with all visitors to Sri Lanka, we had to weigh up these moral issues, but decided to go anyway on the grounds that as Australian citizens we could talk with people and at least confirm that not all Australians subscribe to the <a href="http://www.hrlc.org.au/content/coalition-policy-on-sri-lankan-asylum-seekers-would-violate-international-law-4-sept-2012/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">heartless policy of the Coalition towards asylum seekers</span></a>. And indeed, that we felt seriously embarrassed by both Gillard <em>and</em> Abbott. Have either of them ever met a Sri Lankan person for a chat over a bowl of curd and kittul? <br />
<br />
<a href="http://srilanka-trip2012.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Click here</span></a> to read about our recent spin around Colombo, Kandy, Polunnaruwa, Anuradhapura and Galle.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-36772051243274365582012-07-25T17:26:00.001+07:002012-08-15T17:18:24.624+07:00Dear Diary: it's the dampish-and-not-too-wet-yet season in Chiangmai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwc0YDb63y9qssNRo2476EZoVwizhcy6ggkATgAZMueVP7aNwAYss2vU0FN3DHuVc47GUtbRyeHjTgWXLUeRAgebxM96ggfYoHZnzmCu_jFjxeq-9iyA7XIuu1YDBFFTCZRXN/s1600/Chiangmai+mangoes,+May.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwc0YDb63y9qssNRo2476EZoVwizhcy6ggkATgAZMueVP7aNwAYss2vU0FN3DHuVc47GUtbRyeHjTgWXLUeRAgebxM96ggfYoHZnzmCu_jFjxeq-9iyA7XIuu1YDBFFTCZRXN/s400/Chiangmai+mangoes,+May.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #990000;">OK I'm beginning to panic...mango and lychee season is coming to an end here in Chiang Mai. Guess we'll just have to fall back on emergency supplies of papaya, mangosteen, grapes, bananas, strawberries, custard apples, watermelon, purple figs, passionfruit, avocadoes, dragonfruit, kiwifruit, persimmons, pineapples, mulberries, sapodillas, jackfruit and durian ...plus the odd guava or longan<em> (sigh)</em>.</span> </div>
</blockquote>
</span><strong>This is just a brief catch-up on our latest exciting (legal) activities around Xiengmai and Huahin (yes, Huahin</strong> <strong><em>again</em>!). Not a heavy Wet so far this year, even though it sometimes looks promising. </strong> <br />
<br />
Here, for example, is what is commonly known as a 'scattered shower':<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PG8HSdIIJi7Qowa6TcVjGQv-NoY6uxp1yRSDmkO0UbIXe3xJBmmrDhhqAK8BbIQn66hBNpi6xakpSjAb6vNW3AChRv6zrvDRXsZ911CstOEnSKN8RlGXmbw0ex0qAZXiATQW/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PG8HSdIIJi7Qowa6TcVjGQv-NoY6uxp1yRSDmkO0UbIXe3xJBmmrDhhqAK8BbIQn66hBNpi6xakpSjAb6vNW3AChRv6zrvDRXsZ911CstOEnSKN8RlGXmbw0ex0qAZXiATQW/s400/062.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Now - continuing with the food theme - the latest <strong>Sticky-rice Burger</strong> with a finger-lickin' chicken-and-msg pattie, and other delicacies for when you're feeling a little squiddish: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeetPmdTAbbUA_qenqodRhKW93SFlkDFnq9804p4DKWrH5zMCdnBjOPm6nRdAjBBaIHN4sLWETMOubfY0Rv_bBu-SUJ-NwsB1QY1ROw2Rz4Gwg6hSJPZo47oMATa49u_44X1sj/s1600/Sticky+rice+burger%E2%80%8F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeetPmdTAbbUA_qenqodRhKW93SFlkDFnq9804p4DKWrH5zMCdnBjOPm6nRdAjBBaIHN4sLWETMOubfY0Rv_bBu-SUJ-NwsB1QY1ROw2Rz4Gwg6hSJPZo47oMATa49u_44X1sj/s640/Sticky+rice+burger%E2%80%8F.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik37fUsumquXnLHETQYkGVVIUGdDgiQSzx61UChbdcUfVVtheOJ1bci6WEXxK3bI1xJ_3AQpnm1HFJTU23RWRPvu5DpKm2mfwvH5_6Va31wc2mbw9h9DlDg6HG2tuEKD0EX4ys/s1600/mr+squid.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik37fUsumquXnLHETQYkGVVIUGdDgiQSzx61UChbdcUfVVtheOJ1bci6WEXxK3bI1xJ_3AQpnm1HFJTU23RWRPvu5DpKm2mfwvH5_6Va31wc2mbw9h9DlDg6HG2tuEKD0EX4ys/s640/mr+squid.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;"><strong>WARNING: contains "pure evaporated cane juice"</strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
...and of course it's just fine to install a hairdressing salon smack in the middle of a supermarket food aisle... well,<em> isn't it?</em> What could possibly be wrong with <em>that?</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsutxmOIwga_8kce1R8oJMBIlFli_xCUyIwC1elsg-umglMKostTY3_Sejny6JZNth0IeBRfKzLaw6ZprYvzsEL0kFUMBBdEaL5qmG6serXimia3TN0EZHw3eC6TKzsgHKmDT/s1600/hair+supermarket.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKsutxmOIwga_8kce1R8oJMBIlFli_xCUyIwC1elsg-umglMKostTY3_Sejny6JZNth0IeBRfKzLaw6ZprYvzsEL0kFUMBBdEaL5qmG6serXimia3TN0EZHw3eC6TKzsgHKmDT/s640/hair+supermarket.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<br />
Well yeah, food <em>needs</em> decoration to make it tastier:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ODeW0vHfJXC6gz13VVn8htSLr5Q1sNh2GveC_m6GtXImTH-aC1UuGDgABEsBxMh0ZnPaJ0986hetAueqGZxuCO4cgJPgjMOca6cH4Mfq1zAWdeyk9c9gIIveCN-SdQk59Dr6/s1600/Tops+display%E2%80%8F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ODeW0vHfJXC6gz13VVn8htSLr5Q1sNh2GveC_m6GtXImTH-aC1UuGDgABEsBxMh0ZnPaJ0986hetAueqGZxuCO4cgJPgjMOca6cH4Mfq1zAWdeyk9c9gIIveCN-SdQk59Dr6/s640/Tops+display%E2%80%8F.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<br />
...and there's colourful wine for the kids as well:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUu4BS0_h-MljNK_w_0MrKteHTzy2FX74MPbi8wNMTcfZSxCCL-4hGtZh41HoyDFrqaGcgsWRRktfXQLrsc9ZH1ZcLt8xLH49Dk6eHhW0C84_T7JrHm-F3XwF6_t5klvXzmT2n/s1600/wine+for+kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUu4BS0_h-MljNK_w_0MrKteHTzy2FX74MPbi8wNMTcfZSxCCL-4hGtZh41HoyDFrqaGcgsWRRktfXQLrsc9ZH1ZcLt8xLH49Dk6eHhW0C84_T7JrHm-F3XwF6_t5klvXzmT2n/s400/wine+for+kids.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
Then it was off in the Little Blue Bobble-mobile up north to <strong>Maesai</strong> because Nic needed to do a 'visa run', crossing over briefly into Burma (formerly 'Myanmar' :) Stayed overnight at our usual thatched hut balanced on stilts over the river:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPM0i7jVmjOZyfKVimD8H16Al4rQA9YMo44vNBzJOKC1MXz2isqavUJ5qv-i7-WYnGNIpGWqpVqpMHbBwWb_sA63B_cYpaBcaEuWUb0rzyzsmxbavaAU8Msme44MKjw7b7NKA/s1600/maesai1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPM0i7jVmjOZyfKVimD8H16Al4rQA9YMo44vNBzJOKC1MXz2isqavUJ5qv-i7-WYnGNIpGWqpVqpMHbBwWb_sA63B_cYpaBcaEuWUb0rzyzsmxbavaAU8Msme44MKjw7b7NKA/s400/maesai1.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It rained hard all night, and the river rose spectacularly high and fast. Next morning, it was not possible for the usual crowds of illegal border crossers to wade accross. On a dry day, it's a very porous border indeed.<em> Visa? What visa?</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFyzpIrzXQcKEaB-yhKHFzwP6fS1zCeTYe_24xfUBa3fDiYrCQpeHlNhLGmj3D6RVDB-6NgVNx3rWc_fDRMdpT6S_tNXO-EQZ7IusWznCv6uyTp8bi7UjauPhF3EBHmi2qTZa/s1600/maesai2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFyzpIrzXQcKEaB-yhKHFzwP6fS1zCeTYe_24xfUBa3fDiYrCQpeHlNhLGmj3D6RVDB-6NgVNx3rWc_fDRMdpT6S_tNXO-EQZ7IusWznCv6uyTp8bi7UjauPhF3EBHmi2qTZa/s400/maesai2.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-small;"><em> Illegal?</em> What am I <strong>saying?</strong> It's not possible for <em>any</em> human to be 'illegal'.</span></div>
<br />
Chiangmai's scrambled egg trees are blooming:<br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(photo sneakily stolen from Galen Garwood... thanky you, Galen):</span></em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTu8PUYmi_No0Uqqt2AIMyK9u3lDPXr62a1RmwQ3N2JMKPGjnCF8UjQTpguXmDv_LIgW8ijTkpFxTUFArp8SvSaDkKBa9riPIHLdL1AYFBdR8oJQpMU6ka3muJE8kf31CzFt7/s1600/scrambled+egg+tree.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTu8PUYmi_No0Uqqt2AIMyK9u3lDPXr62a1RmwQ3N2JMKPGjnCF8UjQTpguXmDv_LIgW8ijTkpFxTUFArp8SvSaDkKBa9riPIHLdL1AYFBdR8oJQpMU6ka3muJE8kf31CzFt7/s400/scrambled+egg+tree.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
...but they do seem to attract tiny Predator Drones: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQXnBEH6amr9ELLhefHvT3JVsNsM4hbFAkPQypXxit3jI9NwLEZF2Fk11nA9T4KB-VKdQMUEEfvE7I4tpo9Fubyin9J6zHQ8SWaJvoWpcrL0auf-bH0TKqUInR5hk2occDY_j/s1600/what+the+statue+sees.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQXnBEH6amr9ELLhefHvT3JVsNsM4hbFAkPQypXxit3jI9NwLEZF2Fk11nA9T4KB-VKdQMUEEfvE7I4tpo9Fubyin9J6zHQ8SWaJvoWpcrL0auf-bH0TKqUInR5hk2occDY_j/s400/what+the+statue+sees.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;">The view of Mount Doi Suthep from our balcony.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All that yellow probably made the local Redshirts feel uneasy, so they had a little strut around town, making a <u>lot</u> of noise with their Grateful Dead speaker-stack on a truck. They're upset because the Constitution Court just told them they couldn't single-handedly change the Constitution without a referendum. These guys don't want to understand democracy or the rule of law because they want their criminal leader (whose name begins with T) brought back and 'forgiven' for stealing billions of their own money. <em><strong>Huh?</strong></em> They are an embarrassment to Thailand in the eyes of the world:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjs_BYV3bhdpabzjR136yKGL3tHRP8g6l3zFimlp3VO-yD7AAeKVJmUQzp48askK0towm3N6sfsQWy41zu8IGDYMcTbvQ0-JB_SJ2HSj-XdpJA1VD-HR8UCF5xLfdshgmVv1hJ/s1600/red+north.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjs_BYV3bhdpabzjR136yKGL3tHRP8g6l3zFimlp3VO-yD7AAeKVJmUQzp48askK0towm3N6sfsQWy41zu8IGDYMcTbvQ0-JB_SJ2HSj-XdpJA1VD-HR8UCF5xLfdshgmVv1hJ/s400/red+north.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
..and wouldn't you know it - as soon as we arrived in Hua Hin (the beach two hours south-west of BKK), who was the very first person we bumped into (in a fashionably <em>ses<u>see</u></em> shade of red)? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4inlPVVub2enQ49WP7kPrmeOwgA_RUDgp7C30XDh7TU_q1v1BuuL90T5Iv4xsZLM7O3EtkBKGSQFo-v4U_3qGUUv9rM6KnpJ0IAzOkpb6mujVWj-qdLUBSZbQVREtrCYVm0-Y/s1600/yingluck+huahin+mkt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4inlPVVub2enQ49WP7kPrmeOwgA_RUDgp7C30XDh7TU_q1v1BuuL90T5Iv4xsZLM7O3EtkBKGSQFo-v4U_3qGUUv9rM6KnpJ0IAzOkpb6mujVWj-qdLUBSZbQVREtrCYVm0-Y/s640/yingluck+huahin+mkt.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;">The Thai caption reads: "Angel" </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
For about 0.2 of a second I imagined this frothy kid's outfit on our granddaughter in Straya... but then, thankfully, the feeling passed:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZf3Q5dupbBrxBBgLvXfg5KlPJNPsKf6j9UIKjPkAVPcCwCMWtjvCDWSf1p8EZc6UNkw00lt1pP_ErO0xMiQD8GI8YLutG9BS1KSCYqtfHqKicFgri_qM19OfvEtnVF9zpIEIa/s1600/Thai+outfit+for+dk%25E2%2580%258F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZf3Q5dupbBrxBBgLvXfg5KlPJNPsKf6j9UIKjPkAVPcCwCMWtjvCDWSf1p8EZc6UNkw00lt1pP_ErO0xMiQD8GI8YLutG9BS1KSCYqtfHqKicFgri_qM19OfvEtnVF9zpIEIa/s640/Thai+outfit+for+dk%25E2%2580%258F.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We can reccommend the foodcourt at Tesco Huahin. This stall gets top marks for value and taste. $2 will get you a large and yumacious feed:</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vEKF4UiPR5hIXj-tkVwC7n26Sf0v4gJr_3JAfc7ZGEeyQ4vvGP-KtuU6gxfbVU9mB3mcXFEOtUvWEPCSTfubHMl8D-f-JsGIxG7CIkT2oELE9luvSAk87j_RhDd6qCvnnNUv/s1600/Market+Village+food+court,+Huahin+60+baht+big+feed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vEKF4UiPR5hIXj-tkVwC7n26Sf0v4gJr_3JAfc7ZGEeyQ4vvGP-KtuU6gxfbVU9mB3mcXFEOtUvWEPCSTfubHMl8D-f-JsGIxG7CIkT2oELE9luvSAk87j_RhDd6qCvnnNUv/s400/Market+Village+food+court,+Huahin+60+baht+big+feed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hua Hin's seafood is to-die-for, cuz it's freshly caught and never frozen. Here's some of it at the <strong>KO Restaurant</strong> in the Huahin nightmarket, where $6 gets you a sizzling hotplate of the best and freshest spicy fried seafood <u>ever</u>. Get some before you drop off your twig:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdnkIqU80bw3zEm_5P03VJijiLFbfimWZ1k6QKtD5qYmJjSZ-HTjUZtUBXoFbh4o2r49Qhhdtst2KUyCAVrB6Fzs9xv9CETw4BQmcnhT-E5RWZPMixq29kI2RT1LrKGAbLxbD/s1600/KO+restaurant+prawns,+Huahin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdnkIqU80bw3zEm_5P03VJijiLFbfimWZ1k6QKtD5qYmJjSZ-HTjUZtUBXoFbh4o2r49Qhhdtst2KUyCAVrB6Fzs9xv9CETw4BQmcnhT-E5RWZPMixq29kI2RT1LrKGAbLxbD/s400/KO+restaurant+prawns,+Huahin.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-small;">'KO' is pronounced 'gor' and means 'island' - as in Ko Samui.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Huahin's Scandinavian-Danish controlled real-estate market seems to still be doing OK, but we thought this was not a particularly auspicious spot to put an ad for a luxury condominium:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4UFTLSTUOwyjxU75FBTgTPILCzr13IdNj55nQ3ALTlhncDVUrhZSvXuyp5egX5Ou-BF_Pv6jLPuSWocaeo4sXO7QR7QBnKcM3iAJL4x7Qm0EPhccB7LzWH4O1rT1l1TlTb14/s1600/Hillside+living+sign%E2%80%8F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4UFTLSTUOwyjxU75FBTgTPILCzr13IdNj55nQ3ALTlhncDVUrhZSvXuyp5egX5Ou-BF_Pv6jLPuSWocaeo4sXO7QR7QBnKcM3iAJL4x7Qm0EPhccB7LzWH4O1rT1l1TlTb14/s400/Hillside+living+sign%E2%80%8F.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
...and speaking of luxury, how's this for an expensive-looking chrome Thai-style gate with pretensions and false promises? You should see the <em>fence!</em> Yep, it's the Catholic Church at Huahin, where the church building is cunningly multi-roofed ...in fact, disguised just like a Buddhist Temple:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02X_OxLA7W4xd9NjHDXTOTWih95zcE6SriGYs01W0b-h15GBQByZh6VqlHJrLni3SqiE4LhL1Xd-FaPc_Ink-nIAVYoeP7B-6135mpcZ4SMZxQxxDq_cDN_gewz1no2-evUn9/s1600/Church+gate+hh%E2%80%8F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02X_OxLA7W4xd9NjHDXTOTWih95zcE6SriGYs01W0b-h15GBQByZh6VqlHJrLni3SqiE4LhL1Xd-FaPc_Ink-nIAVYoeP7B-6135mpcZ4SMZxQxxDq_cDN_gewz1no2-evUn9/s400/Church+gate+hh%E2%80%8F.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Back home again to Xiengmai to check on the progress of the new 8-storey building going up in front of Anne's cafe near the entrance lobby to our condo building. This funky pic was taken from the lift lobby on floor 14... What does it <em>want</em>, a cup of <em>coffee</em> or something?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJH0lJZgw9V7fAdxGnGhyphenhyphen88OwCGzEl44AVI27ptWsFEJFmRXi2d737jpg-Q5wjCkVlGcjqkrNKt9NM6iAnGrYjG3IlmvXdw7czFxaBFOBrXvFub0dStPhyphenhyphenb2A1zmBGmbLSgQvY/s1600/crane.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJH0lJZgw9V7fAdxGnGhyphenhyphen88OwCGzEl44AVI27ptWsFEJFmRXi2d737jpg-Q5wjCkVlGcjqkrNKt9NM6iAnGrYjG3IlmvXdw7czFxaBFOBrXvFub0dStPhyphenhyphenb2A1zmBGmbLSgQvY/s640/crane.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
...and a new shop display window:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIM38KhgtOkzNKCxJJFyKEgQtswTThizx3shuAeU73DhljiRK9DS62I6r9liXJ5gAtSjbA7BGO1YT64gpPI6_FISLZ9Qo_z0-CTv7OQEtpRUx92wA9seFztVGHxrTSVAooome/s1600/book+wing+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIM38KhgtOkzNKCxJJFyKEgQtswTThizx3shuAeU73DhljiRK9DS62I6r9liXJ5gAtSjbA7BGO1YT64gpPI6_FISLZ9Qo_z0-CTv7OQEtpRUx92wA9seFztVGHxrTSVAooome/s640/book+wing+pic.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
They drive among us...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQHDBftqPjA5Ydjm4aLvxKyqVHDyHa3fjHIP1rv0_F7aQ5ljNm4NT8Xth39fpVDwSnSSvTSO-UG75cX6ge1BgJLrTJhCp3Seqx9BHHqDxn8-c-Trvt_dwgZxzxNsjr5O1Lvrt/s1600/biker+gang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQHDBftqPjA5Ydjm4aLvxKyqVHDyHa3fjHIP1rv0_F7aQ5ljNm4NT8Xth39fpVDwSnSSvTSO-UG75cX6ge1BgJLrTJhCp3Seqx9BHHqDxn8-c-Trvt_dwgZxzxNsjr5O1Lvrt/s400/biker+gang.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
School bus in Thailand...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHtZwo_adK16KaJsLb1DuY-mVMOPrG2eHBpu-3uOCjBs-9duXdsQEgbISgQ5xLgh_ww1BP6Cz2BJ9TvZTKfQl3haCegOSyVsOP3VNxa8Sqx8CrVAzx8XFMbvmOsdZHCCSB1gl/s1600/school+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZHtZwo_adK16KaJsLb1DuY-mVMOPrG2eHBpu-3uOCjBs-9duXdsQEgbISgQ5xLgh_ww1BP6Cz2BJ9TvZTKfQl3haCegOSyVsOP3VNxa8Sqx8CrVAzx8XFMbvmOsdZHCCSB1gl/s400/school+bus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<hr />
<strong><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: large;">Finally, my usual 'Politics Postscript'...</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></strong><br />
First... Banksy's honest take on the Olympix:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIu_X2FkW1TooymejE6vflznU4rnMUhl67ktOtrCkpht0D7MKd4nT5uucoccH95oMf0lpKoDmbStW0rFara1j_P0A78Kdwz-1E9JFiKcuWa4vrI88Kf0wanp48vITjzuda7bt/s1600/Banksy's+take+on+the+Olympics.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIu_X2FkW1TooymejE6vflznU4rnMUhl67ktOtrCkpht0D7MKd4nT5uucoccH95oMf0lpKoDmbStW0rFara1j_P0A78Kdwz-1E9JFiKcuWa4vrI88Kf0wanp48vITjzuda7bt/s320/Banksy's+take+on+the+Olympics.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Second... an observation. Next door to us in <strong>Burma</strong>, things are alleged to be "normalizing" - if you choose to believe Americanized corporate hookers like Rupert Murdoch and his propaganda brochures like 'The Australian' newspaper.<br />
<br />
In fact, things are <em>FAR</em> from what we think of as 'normal' for ethnic minorities like the Kachin, Rohinga etc, in fact most of the Burmese ethnic sub-groups ...except the Burmans themselves - the "aristocracy", in effect. During our five visits to Burma over the years we have observed both ends of Burma's social spectrum, but the most dodgy areas were carefully witheld from us... <em>"Not allow go further, sir. Muss go back now".</em> Roadblocks prevent independent tourists from going to trouble-spots "for our own good". Yeah, right. Group-tour operators know not to bother.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KiOchntt97ndE-ruoOSDccmg25A9TT-4Qmveu0_WWp4laXhqYs0HOJPuNrOkvvdvHW-5Ii8a_FFk_n196BuSMvKglwXdxhHFys_kuLmMVwuCaXf8R1lYurionX9bdfhkpt8N/s1600/burma+killings.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KiOchntt97ndE-ruoOSDccmg25A9TT-4Qmveu0_WWp4laXhqYs0HOJPuNrOkvvdvHW-5Ii8a_FFk_n196BuSMvKglwXdxhHFys_kuLmMVwuCaXf8R1lYurionX9bdfhkpt8N/s320/burma+killings.PNG" width="212" /></a></div>
Seveny-eight were killed in Burma's Rakhine State (mostly Muslim, near the border with India) just a few days ago in yet another episode of ethnic cleansing. I know only because I subscribe to local Twitter and sms feeds here in Thailand. However, the only thing that got to the <em>mainstream</em> News that day was the announcement of the huge new port at Dawei (Tavoy), near Rangoon. The Burmese know <em>exactly</em> how to use media smokescreens to distract Joe Public's attention.<br />
Timing is everything. <br />
<br />
<em>It ain't over till the skinny lady sings.</em> <br />
(Same deal in Sri Lanka with the Rajapakse dictatorship).<br />
<br />
The West is selectively blind when it comes to neo-colonial exploitation, and Burma is a seductively low-hanging fruit with plenty of resources and (above all) a non-unionized labour force that is willing to work for even fewer peanuts per day than Chinese workers. Unfortunately, few of the benefits and even less of the money/capital inflow will filter down to ordinary citizens, especially in the less-touristed and remote "no-go" insurgent areas where even Phillip Morris and Nike won't be allowed to build their sweat-shops.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You <u>know</u> who is going to benefit. T'is <u>we</u> who are fast becoming Burma's Big New Problem.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Corporations (ie, you and me) take by far the biggest slice, the Burmese military and fat-cat elite take a decent portion, and some among the Burmese middle-class will be handed a few symbolic crumbs whenever cameras are rolling:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrQqPV-ZEB4Kf4kusBSp2MFWVW-xB9bAAJ8CG6_SJQyo0WSZZkytTmVSB3_tPrMI_aWZjt5Hl3R9lW1u8aHMGWzICMU8sGbSIy_f5rq9M4P03cRxjquYsr-tRCkXzQKBJ7brq/s1600/corporate+raiders+toon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrQqPV-ZEB4Kf4kusBSp2MFWVW-xB9bAAJ8CG6_SJQyo0WSZZkytTmVSB3_tPrMI_aWZjt5Hl3R9lW1u8aHMGWzICMU8sGbSIy_f5rq9M4P03cRxjquYsr-tRCkXzQKBJ7brq/s400/corporate+raiders+toon.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
STUPIDLY LETTING OTHER REGIMES CAPITALIZE</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
formerly known as SLORC</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Burmese elite 1% understand very well that once the process of 'opening up the country' has begun, greedy western corporations and politicians will smell big profits. They know that the last thing any lobbyist wants at this stage of the cut-throat game of Burmese 'Monopoly' would be to have to defend its corporate investments against accusations of human rights violations. So <u>somethin</u>g has to be made invisible to the media (or "disappeared") - either the <u>investments</u> or the <u>violations</u>. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Go on, guess which.</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-38176463536828808042012-04-10T13:26:00.003+07:002012-04-25T18:31:51.973+07:00Dear Diary: HELP! Chiang Mai is too polluted to breathe. Gotta escape!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PHxOhjoPEcPUWpc0rRcIlHUFH32vu29HXgOIdOZFImeQ2pSn29Li5dP3Z-NQTU6qZnAoztPu0PQCx_uMge2bXT-PtYoEP-JyreOkHx4m6J4CiTUSLm19IAx3x461IjyI08ac/s1600/CM+smog+March+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PHxOhjoPEcPUWpc0rRcIlHUFH32vu29HXgOIdOZFImeQ2pSn29Li5dP3Z-NQTU6qZnAoztPu0PQCx_uMge2bXT-PtYoEP-JyreOkHx4m6J4CiTUSLm19IAx3x461IjyI08ac/s400/CM+smog+March+2012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">The dots indicate where Mount Doi Suthep used to be.</span></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCbmvfsH_ONrnfW0tyN3pKk2Dxz2pu3UdcvkbJX9ykUNxxzIXCDvo-aNmc4cvJLAUKnNrqW2738PLlNt1Pa2Iq5_e8JkPDJi66UsIGfN2UgDCN5dkJD1WKIprfj-HrHAZhqVL/s1600/CM+smog+mar+2012.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCbmvfsH_ONrnfW0tyN3pKk2Dxz2pu3UdcvkbJX9ykUNxxzIXCDvo-aNmc4cvJLAUKnNrqW2738PLlNt1Pa2Iq5_e8JkPDJi66UsIGfN2UgDCN5dkJD1WKIprfj-HrHAZhqVL/s200/CM+smog+mar+2012.PNG" width="200" /></a><strong>After getting back from India, it was immediately obvious we wouldn't be able to stay in Chiangmai. The smoke pollution came even earlier this year. We lasted 2 days before evacuating. </strong><br />
<br />
<div style="border: currentColor;">
A popular place for many Chiangmai smog refugees is the fishing-village-cum-tourist town <strong>Hua Hin</strong>, the beach south-west of Bangkok. The beach is pretty good, the sky blue, the air clear. It's not a den of crime like Pattaya or Phuket, although you could probably find some if you went looking, no doubt. <br />
</div>
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FZZtM-qj4ldz2kiSTKSGTicAByiVSXwL0Qy-cBo_J6DDcnmym258RDFerHhVhTZFTjTvk6BV3bgNWzSiun0EIYwpx-ctMf93mAFEaV3AOdlVSsvod4yt2NlracUclh9ADky4/s1600/mr+ead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6FZZtM-qj4ldz2kiSTKSGTicAByiVSXwL0Qy-cBo_J6DDcnmym258RDFerHhVhTZFTjTvk6BV3bgNWzSiun0EIYwpx-ctMf93mAFEaV3AOdlVSsvod4yt2NlracUclh9ADky4/s200/mr+ead.JPG" width="200" /></a>Like everywhere, there are scams for the unsuspecting - for instance, don't have anything to do with the tour/taxi agent Mr Ed at his tacky little desk on the corner of Naret Damri Road, near World News Coffee. It's usually next to the motorcycles in this photo at left.</div>
<div style="border: currentColor;">
</div>
<div style="border: currentColor;">
Hua Hin's Scandinavian/Danish-controled real estate scene is a bit more expensive than Chiangmai, but for the 2 months you need to flee the smoke, it works out cheaper to take a contract on an apartment or town-house than to stay in a hotel. How can you afford it, I hear you ask. Simple answer: we simply can't afford <em>not</em> to - health is paramount, so we budget for time away each year in March-April. Gee, if Chiangmai can't control its pollution, it <em>deserves</em> to lose people and their cash. And we don't mind some time at the beach during the hot season anyway... a holiday from retirement <span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">:-)</span></div>
<br />
Some of the condos along Hua Hin beach flaunt themselves grandly as 'resorts', but really they're just condos with attached pool. Several are built in the profile of the prow of a ship. To their credit, they generally look after their little patch of beach quite well, some even raking it smooth each morning:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRuZlb24F3xhayj57H6cilea_RteiZX_NImcMsHgeCUJoReFiPhXo7a1TVd0Xmi1cD4FCeb2aQ-psdMeK2XyB_qHmQJwciD3948MQ4GfoCShhA0mFu4QGeDq9v_cm9-wt6pUB/s1600/beach+ironed+HHin2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRuZlb24F3xhayj57H6cilea_RteiZX_NImcMsHgeCUJoReFiPhXo7a1TVd0Xmi1cD4FCeb2aQ-psdMeK2XyB_qHmQJwciD3948MQ4GfoCShhA0mFu4QGeDq9v_cm9-wt6pUB/s400/beach+ironed+HHin2012.JPG" uda="true" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> Sometimes the 'Condo Rules' signs are fun, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">eg </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"><em>"Skateboards are not allowed to play in the building".</em></span></div>
<br />
After Chiangmai's smoke, it's cleansing to walk on the beach and trail the toes in the clear and comfortably-cool ocean, despite the occasional sea creature venturing out of its comfort zone:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipHS2Cufk6-ULtp865f-kvCCJkcmQeGhJQcV_N7hQiTQlTe6f0lX7I7v6QAWvtNtc97sBJXBQaR2cPZNqUH4AycnnCQovkbuUul8OM9_0ko129Ceoqg7jKNUuh005Bk_PgUoo/s1600/jellyfish+HH2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipHS2Cufk6-ULtp865f-kvCCJkcmQeGhJQcV_N7hQiTQlTe6f0lX7I7v6QAWvtNtc97sBJXBQaR2cPZNqUH4AycnnCQovkbuUul8OM9_0ko129Ceoqg7jKNUuh005Bk_PgUoo/s400/jellyfish+HH2012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0yVAgzHdxjgmMDWD_09XPJQDvJDqKYOQ7_-dOE7LdsKgRP1KnDrTmMQP-4KSWtRA1qclnhmCcM1zRNk9yRxqXBUxQKbRQe31pmaU1gSRl3O-DWHc6stlgROiRbWdUjVGXSWZ/s1600/squid1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0yVAgzHdxjgmMDWD_09XPJQDvJDqKYOQ7_-dOE7LdsKgRP1KnDrTmMQP-4KSWtRA1qclnhmCcM1zRNk9yRxqXBUxQKbRQe31pmaU1gSRl3O-DWHc6stlgROiRbWdUjVGXSWZ/s400/squid1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0jacFFKX6wDHrTTimYOVC6AcZRY75_Wjl4ci4SR21wgIdtbAIhdYYeGOvKz-O8S-cTfkEI0T5ccZE_HxT4Ag_KRCQqJNA3Qk0OyEizyCcM3DJPsegyri_GY6BAG-5N7Vr_08/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0jacFFKX6wDHrTTimYOVC6AcZRY75_Wjl4ci4SR21wgIdtbAIhdYYeGOvKz-O8S-cTfkEI0T5ccZE_HxT4Ag_KRCQqJNA3Qk0OyEizyCcM3DJPsegyri_GY6BAG-5N7Vr_08/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
...and we note that this year's unusual storms wreaked quite a bit of damage:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePB_qqYqRyxFgkR-LLZ5rAb9kZh2QVm_Vlo3UxcfHrzMVe3UzogOBLa2oZY2izAzfMOcRFO1lL7wLlFF05iplM72XFU48DrUy5-L3Xe6GcgLZ43y_eDlF91LzWXc1BSFjncPS/s1600/beach+damage3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePB_qqYqRyxFgkR-LLZ5rAb9kZh2QVm_Vlo3UxcfHrzMVe3UzogOBLa2oZY2izAzfMOcRFO1lL7wLlFF05iplM72XFU48DrUy5-L3Xe6GcgLZ43y_eDlF91LzWXc1BSFjncPS/s400/beach+damage3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVapOORp5WQqo5iYbXHzip912zkJ4cfcnvFr13L3tuN6kW7bIQnX-qE6crCcuKdFF_056eY-MRGqWGdIzdoJKSbgIQPWOe8xmbo7taSivx3NYOa_Jl5vMSGvMwlDZ0QvVXX77a/s1600/beach+damage+HH2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVapOORp5WQqo5iYbXHzip912zkJ4cfcnvFr13L3tuN6kW7bIQnX-qE6crCcuKdFF_056eY-MRGqWGdIzdoJKSbgIQPWOe8xmbo7taSivx3NYOa_Jl5vMSGvMwlDZ0QvVXX77a/s400/beach+damage+HH2012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
And while we're on the subject of Climate Change, <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/12/bangkok-2011-floods-and-armageddon.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">my predictions from 2007 that Bangkok is sinking and must be moved elsewhere soon</span></a> are all coming true. Hey, Yingluck, if Bangkok is going to be re-located, can Chiangmai please inherit its Skytrain?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTNucpFjAAU2Fh_2nEZyl971zQydE6_X_ewRLSYSK-HtRoVUT64PbVwsxlrYA79qnrzARyYfokUmLnYO324kgXO1zuIOeONn6piAdb_cpQrpqYYmdXj11QLIesK5RHrdfFzwh/s1600/relocation+of+bangkok.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTNucpFjAAU2Fh_2nEZyl971zQydE6_X_ewRLSYSK-HtRoVUT64PbVwsxlrYA79qnrzARyYfokUmLnYO324kgXO1zuIOeONn6piAdb_cpQrpqYYmdXj11QLIesK5RHrdfFzwh/s400/relocation+of+bangkok.PNG" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />There's a slow collision happening, a struggle for co-existence between Huahin's traditional Fishing industry and the inexorable advance of Tourism. Here on the sandy front line, battalions of beach umbrellas and an army of aggressively-marketed sun-beds confront a stranded and defenceless fishing boat...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBVMo-AUXO_Emwef9792Pzi78PmcEZLT2wZR3vJvyKsIAp9AF9Y0I_OWijp1Nm6JmcV5kPsZ9hSnMN-d2X3JP5Cf_cDdYK75xMRdYZzcpIb_sY4IYNjpFpfB33RHvXV8sMWPx/s1600/HHin+beached+boat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBVMo-AUXO_Emwef9792Pzi78PmcEZLT2wZR3vJvyKsIAp9AF9Y0I_OWijp1Nm6JmcV5kPsZ9hSnMN-d2X3JP5Cf_cDdYK75xMRdYZzcpIb_sY4IYNjpFpfB33RHvXV8sMWPx/s400/HHin+beached+boat.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
...and Tourism's proving to be the victor, hands down.<br />
<br />
Kite-surfing's big these days (yep, we over-optimistic starry-eyed geriatrics tried it out back in 2010... <a href="http://huahin-escape-april-2010.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">oops</span></a>):<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXPuOYYH6RmZrW7GIxGjUX-akwAK37617DRY2dcr6sKQMcSO2pzvbT9wQ5Sy5JLrHgYTRNg6yV50SOVuWJ1_k0XYMcvHpDkzF35zqgW01AbnufnLjThFlLkXi0_0Fglxv96Aw/s1600/kitesurfing+HHin2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXPuOYYH6RmZrW7GIxGjUX-akwAK37617DRY2dcr6sKQMcSO2pzvbT9wQ5Sy5JLrHgYTRNg6yV50SOVuWJ1_k0XYMcvHpDkzF35zqgW01AbnufnLjThFlLkXi0_0Fglxv96Aw/s400/kitesurfing+HHin2012.JPG" uda="true" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXWhF6pVldAtcAkTAbiNlbOhIO1434Mp1EjxXEhEmP6JGUz1IzEQr1lMc8NrFcSWQ50ZcSQ00eLWN1gV62IZWmtNO33TSAxxwsUz0YCV5HcV3TjnBSRt0Z-4lZzeJOj7XbjA_/s1600/burger+king+sign+HHin2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXWhF6pVldAtcAkTAbiNlbOhIO1434Mp1EjxXEhEmP6JGUz1IzEQr1lMc8NrFcSWQ50ZcSQ00eLWN1gV62IZWmtNO33TSAxxwsUz0YCV5HcV3TjnBSRt0Z-4lZzeJOj7XbjA_/s640/burger+king+sign+HHin2012.JPG" width="497" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhld4kg9yHuwNpZrpFNEu6txdPiXMT88TOA2xnjAQH9uux2UHDLe1REf3AfL4bRHOXbFTAuGIEghlz3FnRMyUjK2EZ_7aRiyJc7rRpAxt7aegPW8CVq4nzd1CkfqRKNyMLOP9An/s1600/massage+brochure+HH2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhld4kg9yHuwNpZrpFNEu6txdPiXMT88TOA2xnjAQH9uux2UHDLe1REf3AfL4bRHOXbFTAuGIEghlz3FnRMyUjK2EZ_7aRiyJc7rRpAxt7aegPW8CVq4nzd1CkfqRKNyMLOP9An/s640/massage+brochure+HH2012.JPG" width="352" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /> ...and, of course, when Santa Crore visits Thailand, he should paint his beard gold, put loads of whitening cream on, and come prepared for Thai Boxing. As he does every year. In April:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bL66wMirNyImHZ5hYhxS-2VWP9E9DSwqdfBYWvI0PrgY8LmqpIu1giA17-tDG2Zi3hpvOZZ5yL3n_RxLmUbfme4veEefvWWoOFIW1Hs4U4E91ezeWg7f4DrGkwrpDoSAuJhG/s1600/fadda+kalitmat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4bL66wMirNyImHZ5hYhxS-2VWP9E9DSwqdfBYWvI0PrgY8LmqpIu1giA17-tDG2Zi3hpvOZZ5yL3n_RxLmUbfme4veEefvWWoOFIW1Hs4U4E91ezeWg7f4DrGkwrpDoSAuJhG/s400/fadda+kalitmat.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /> There are still signs of the old Hua Hin, though, like this charismatic little bay cosying up to the town's tourist waterfront. However, the ricketty old fishing jetties have now evolved into restaurants and 'hole-in-the-wall" backpacker hostels which gently sway and creak whenever a high tide coincides with a heavy swell:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaFCu4Wm79e9mk6Pr4Chg7-Bap_P2RcbFoy88HvrSQM2-JGp5Mk2Y73XQEThihATu9YkiOhU5bEOkNrxuED_ioLmc4xiusMrdcoGuni8sPUhvV5qzwqq4yFCrdWifZkGOESmF/s1600/squid+drying+jetty+HHin2012.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaFCu4Wm79e9mk6Pr4Chg7-Bap_P2RcbFoy88HvrSQM2-JGp5Mk2Y73XQEThihATu9YkiOhU5bEOkNrxuED_ioLmc4xiusMrdcoGuni8sPUhvV5qzwqq4yFCrdWifZkGOESmF/s400/squid+drying+jetty+HHin2012.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
FYI, here's an old photo showing the very same jetty in the days when it served as a massive squid-drying rack. These days, we haven't seen any boats as large as this one:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcCUM3nAEErsWS7iuYrQyHxLD_90ImUp2hbq19BDnUMyr1Uduv_HOPJWaqfYcCP1GgVD4nLKWdLVDt5fNQbe-cW-NGJb7Zr8_XnG85cchOnA2oAymSy9h1bX46ym2aqyu2FKj/s1600/Pic4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjcCUM3nAEErsWS7iuYrQyHxLD_90ImUp2hbq19BDnUMyr1Uduv_HOPJWaqfYcCP1GgVD4nLKWdLVDt5fNQbe-cW-NGJb7Zr8_XnG85cchOnA2oAymSy9h1bX46ym2aqyu2FKj/s400/Pic4.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today the town's esplanade, just behind these jetties, looks like any other tourist-oriented street in Thailand, complete with its looming Hilton Hotel in the distance...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmLZfZclbT__ifptlLSvoGOXUmLUWRzzG4EdyqnztdNCvGhS_6MyOTTa4HrFBdZUwUwpbJbXYpsy55PY8E-LCuN91FzwJppiSB5j0x5Sa3WNYFNcI4bBBnMcC0mIzyBck6RG8/s1600/Huahin+esplanade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmLZfZclbT__ifptlLSvoGOXUmLUWRzzG4EdyqnztdNCvGhS_6MyOTTa4HrFBdZUwUwpbJbXYpsy55PY8E-LCuN91FzwJppiSB5j0x5Sa3WNYFNcI4bBBnMcC0mIzyBck6RG8/s400/Huahin+esplanade.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br />
...except that instead of lanes [<em>'sois'</em>] running off to the side, you have a thicket of higgledy-piggledy jetties. This is free-enterprise architecture gone mad. Sadly, one day I can forsee the whole lot being demolished and subsumed under one large co-ordinated modern re-development. Some of the wooden stumps look as if they're already approaching their use-by date. See it while you can:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vwIu0uXXJkwiMt0BsWJrw9k4yZY0WP2SgDHCsSO4L6sMzJHI6lUl4P9DmTyrm2nKA1CtPk62eCig5G5uwzUPICF-APZHGrCcHUCnknWaipyMaDfQBQnxlEghzX0bqPt4xZUO/s1600/jetties+on+esplanade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vwIu0uXXJkwiMt0BsWJrw9k4yZY0WP2SgDHCsSO4L6sMzJHI6lUl4P9DmTyrm2nKA1CtPk62eCig5G5uwzUPICF-APZHGrCcHUCnknWaipyMaDfQBQnxlEghzX0bqPt4xZUO/s400/jetties+on+esplanade.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br />A few fishing boats, relatively small, were still moored along the beach along from our condo...</div>
<div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5VP3vg1jVGHHqDP_ttt2dluKKbSV3nSGvWj8VOC4_mME_aVLz460HdbkTHc438CT3y7Yd5TF4X6bsZH_CUmVpr9_tZaiV_Y8WcEl_3HdA3eHxNa20TNP37rMZaYP4h8iEdWI/s1600/fishing+boat+fleet+HHin2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5VP3vg1jVGHHqDP_ttt2dluKKbSV3nSGvWj8VOC4_mME_aVLz460HdbkTHc438CT3y7Yd5TF4X6bsZH_CUmVpr9_tZaiV_Y8WcEl_3HdA3eHxNa20TNP37rMZaYP4h8iEdWI/s400/fishing+boat+fleet+HHin2012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
...but no longer in the same numbers as in 'Songkrans Past':</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgve9QGLlaGSGDdcaprEuZzTecfn7QDLcOn5LAhE-hSRJifX9cEmd1IuNi6lACRIlqBZAEyFrbgsj6xdgo-z8itDThFLePPmom5EivsCny0HcRecYSA954772St5LfMdWWu2QBS/s1600/Pic9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgve9QGLlaGSGDdcaprEuZzTecfn7QDLcOn5LAhE-hSRJifX9cEmd1IuNi6lACRIlqBZAEyFrbgsj6xdgo-z8itDThFLePPmom5EivsCny0HcRecYSA954772St5LfMdWWu2QBS/s400/Pic9.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div>
<br />
These days, to the north of Huahin at Cha-Am, the shoreline is dotted with huge condo buildings. Not so in the past, with its sandy foreshore of she-oaks, villages and palms:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2c8NBAHh6paHXy6K7eke9MVDWt_1amh8nj_9wmd8Pee1L5QyQyigDJrqTMGpSftPlgVoMroF78kiBXgglnQGIGpNGv_tMY3Zi_NsuXSaAiXHatXD5YQf4gDDHnxgMMd5_nyEa/s1600/Pic7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2c8NBAHh6paHXy6K7eke9MVDWt_1amh8nj_9wmd8Pee1L5QyQyigDJrqTMGpSftPlgVoMroF78kiBXgglnQGIGpNGv_tMY3Zi_NsuXSaAiXHatXD5YQf4gDDHnxgMMd5_nyEa/s400/Pic7.jpg" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
...and oh yeah, I forgot... there are some bits of the beach like the following 'khlong' [drain] outlet which are not quite (shall we say) 'pristine', but tourist operators bravely persist in the hope that some people won't notice the dodgy smell. Dogs do enjoy snoozing there, though, as you can see... and hey, it's a cool spot to park your boat where people are less than likely to interfere with it:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p6grzSUiagvvu3FhnekQsgUxSS8AgXwwW1keb6eYgNeNxhrgEPIRVVn75dfvjO6fS0GOuJCXg3e7TJG4XEcccgCxVXKl3LlI1dBQD-ZhYjye68maT-aRAo86Jv_RmpjDH98N/s1600/Sewer+Resort+HH2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p6grzSUiagvvu3FhnekQsgUxSS8AgXwwW1keb6eYgNeNxhrgEPIRVVn75dfvjO6fS0GOuJCXg3e7TJG4XEcccgCxVXKl3LlI1dBQD-ZhYjye68maT-aRAo86Jv_RmpjDH98N/s400/Sewer+Resort+HH2012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">(No, it's not a big surfing beach like those along the Andaman Sea)</span></div>
<br />
In spite of this, I have to say that Hua Hin has the best quality seafood I've tasted <em>anywhere</em>, even prime Australian seafood at many times the price. And Thai chefs sure know how to prepare it. Before you drop off your proverbial twig, may we suggest you sample the exquisite French seafood buffet at the Centara Hua Hin, or (for a far more budget-friendly price) the KO Seafood Restaurant in the Huahin Night Market. Seafood to dine for. QED.<br />
<br />
This was the view of the beach and ocean from our table at the Centara seafood BBQ, with the green neon lights of fishing boats dotting the distance:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBVL8Pk6ii57Z8OLk2zGSd4fPkuDfhX4PtDX2V4JxN6sFtaHUgSDz-EHs4zJrL9vmNjEYPLduIjNg-DFA9VbJmk7z8iNt2Chf0wUihMmNib1W3DiiNGzZpqlCFQozOOcvLNW4/s1600/Centara+seafood+buffet+HH2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBVL8Pk6ii57Z8OLk2zGSd4fPkuDfhX4PtDX2V4JxN6sFtaHUgSDz-EHs4zJrL9vmNjEYPLduIjNg-DFA9VbJmk7z8iNt2Chf0wUihMmNib1W3DiiNGzZpqlCFQozOOcvLNW4/s400/Centara+seafood+buffet+HH2012.JPG" width="296" /></a></div>
<br /> One old favourite restaurant is still the one we nickname the 'Brown Restaurant' near the night market area, although it has become a little jaded over the years. On the ground floor of an old teak building on a street corner, it developed many years ago as an amalgamation of street cart food vendors who collectively needed a space for customers to sit down to eat. The food is still largely prepared by the street vendors who trundle their carts into position at about 6pm when the place opens its doors. Foreigners hardly ever eat there unless they venture in with a Thai spouse, preferring to patronize the posh jetty restaurants and pay three times the price for inferior food. Good quality, genuine Thai food, <em>m<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>i paeng,</em> but this time we went, the Songkran crowd overwhelmed the staff and things weren't so good:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihveZmoH7HcVhTl2M2ICWRSDuixiA8jrIt8ub84Igs6cX6C8DhmAc8j3RbSIj1TWzj68NaRXok_uM_mQkLrxpDYAdESfJjRImD5HvjAZY6Cw3eu68saYK2MZCLE4dTDbNTY60n/s1600/brown+restaurant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihveZmoH7HcVhTl2M2ICWRSDuixiA8jrIt8ub84Igs6cX6C8DhmAc8j3RbSIj1TWzj68NaRXok_uM_mQkLrxpDYAdESfJjRImD5HvjAZY6Cw3eu68saYK2MZCLE4dTDbNTY60n/s400/brown+restaurant.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> The <strong>KO Seafood Restaurant</strong> in the Night Market is even better these days.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyicGxtKg3UWJyU7mOju95mxmV8vbyNPdLq3zSR_9n9Q_yxheQyJNjpe-rZFBH5YZEzO9j5mVdxF4-ZRXB359e37PPWOSR5T6HBSPvrWtiiZMwKV5NeIPT1YikECcz9vrYh_Vz/s1600/loo+brown+restaurant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyicGxtKg3UWJyU7mOju95mxmV8vbyNPdLq3zSR_9n9Q_yxheQyJNjpe-rZFBH5YZEzO9j5mVdxF4-ZRXB359e37PPWOSR5T6HBSPvrWtiiZMwKV5NeIPT1YikECcz9vrYh_Vz/s400/loo+brown+restaurant.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> The notice in the loo at the Brown Restaurant... in case you missed the point.</span></div>
<br />
While we were waiting for our meal, a Thai football team (pron: 'Fooseborn Tim') pranced in a stylized way down the main road chanting slogans while wearing pink and holding hands in a human chain. Supporters trotted alongside waving flaming torches. Can't quite see the Brisbane Broncos doing that along Queen Street, somehow...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv42xZez4xMyodZKkt4uN7xAfbgXzomcOY-GzH-VaH1lhbtNouXau3sFLouXvdA56I2XWH_bGxe42j52oXb4OdzQ9xDfJZWNT3weFBHQykR4jI0lrEE_IfUJMELOFxjCShXKJ8/s1600/phuket+tsunami+sign+rusted.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv42xZez4xMyodZKkt4uN7xAfbgXzomcOY-GzH-VaH1lhbtNouXau3sFLouXvdA56I2XWH_bGxe42j52oXb4OdzQ9xDfJZWNT3weFBHQykR4jI0lrEE_IfUJMELOFxjCShXKJ8/s640/phuket+tsunami+sign+rusted.PNG" width="425" /></a></div>
While we were in Hua Hin, there were several small earth tremors further south near Phuket. Looking at the photo in the above tweet, I'm beginning to feel less safe. Since then, scare-mongers and other seismological experts have tried to claim there's going to be a giant quake which will cause the entire island of Phuket to disappear beneath the briny... the Atlantis of Asia. Yep, I'm off to buy some Water-Wings.<br />
<br />
Yep, it's on this year, I'd say. <em>He's coming ba-a-a-a-ck!</em> None other than Mr Thaksin 'Squareface' Shinawatra, Thailand's self-exiled criminal fugitive ex-prime monster, popped in to the Hua Hin night-market for a surprise visit. At least he wasn't wearing a red shirt. He wouldn't dare - Hua Hin is a mostly monarchist town because it is the location of the King's summer palace on the beach, just to the north of here. Our condo security man quipped: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Thaksin m<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>i dii for Thailan. M<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>i chawp. </em></span> Thaksin's T-shirt (yes,<em> Made in China</em>) mockingly reads something to the effect that he needs the help of Thai people, the unspoken bitter joke being the worn-out trousers: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4damgPL4j-746cllrk_vSx-B7JW_-MKQ0wdAEeinxTKBwLSsAjGZebggX8SdflfDW6einjMSCHWrc1OjLrItIc2q-BC6NVS7ZWhypkHOAomjFBo3RHk4glcwqPk2uHbyrIfy/s1600/thaksin+tshirt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4damgPL4j-746cllrk_vSx-B7JW_-MKQ0wdAEeinxTKBwLSsAjGZebggX8SdflfDW6einjMSCHWrc1OjLrItIc2q-BC6NVS7ZWhypkHOAomjFBo3RHk4glcwqPk2uHbyrIfy/s400/thaksin+tshirt.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
This year, Thaksin didn't appear on the Forbes list of the world's 1226 billionaires, probably because he had embezzled most of his money from the Thai people. He became "unusually wealthy" while in office, the usual Thai jargon for "corrupt". Yet the Redneck poor, his rural victims who suffered <em>most,</em> now want him back as their leader...<em> duh. </em><br />
<br />
This from Wikipedia, which glosses over Thaksin's human rights record of more than 2500 extrajudicial street murders during his "War on Drugs" (which, incidentally, his Redshirt supporters want to revive):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Thaksin government faced allegations of corruption, authoritarianism, treason, conflicts of interest, acting non-diplomatically, and muzzling of the press. Thaksin was accused of tax evasion, lèse majesté (insulting King Bhumibol), and selling assets of Thai companies to international investors. Independent bodies, including Amnesty International, criticized Thaksin's human rights record. Thaksin was also charged for concealing his wealth during his premiership ... The Assets Examination Committee froze Thaksin and his family's assets in Thailand, totaling 76 billion baht ($2.2 billion), claiming he had become unusually wealthy while in office. Thaksin and his wife had declared assets totaling 15.1 billion baht when he took office in 2001, although he had transferred many of his assets to his children and associates before taking office ... Thaksin was accused of concealing shares by transferring Shin Corp </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">shares to his drivers and maids. Thaksin tearfully told the Constitutional Court that it was an honest mistake before the Court acquitted him from the charges.</span></div>
</blockquote>
Thaksin's disorganized step-niece Yingluck Shinawatra, propelled into power as the proxy prime minister, is having a tough time, and probably can't wait to get him back into Thailand to take over the reins again. Here's an extract from a tweet indicating she was having yet another bad day in office...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcY7gqOCe1LdvZluFOJO4ob-8oh7DCct9klvEAmpnykVycefDCshplzJMsgw7R-cyH34ojnNR_wVbHHL57jultQPZ7GZ_b-p366rRUNWuOm4ecf_rA9YAsTChb51VjivY6utyX/s1600/yingluck's+failed+speech.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcY7gqOCe1LdvZluFOJO4ob-8oh7DCct9klvEAmpnykVycefDCshplzJMsgw7R-cyH34ojnNR_wVbHHL57jultQPZ7GZ_b-p366rRUNWuOm4ecf_rA9YAsTChb51VjivY6utyX/s400/yingluck's+failed+speech.PNG" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
<em><strong>Enough!</strong> Politics, get thee gone!</em> <br />
<br />
We briefly had to go to Australia on a mission of sad <a href="http://noreen-stokes.blogspot.com/2012/04/noreen-stokes-oam-obituary.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">family business</span></a>. While there, we visited Anna and Stuart, and (as is our intractable habit) went walking along various Adelaide beaches. <br />
I saw two derros begging at Glenelg:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJG_LKOcpo9x-rV7nFq-UtGn6yHLhhddejrOcWtwvLZvavckhmlKegKLtOKHxxKKVCuK4r7eAbnJT4fRykrQTdibjqP4AEnxAlzPgL9uTEBUV9OCWIJXEuFO1gx0VspOX4JZO/s1600/Anna+and+Ree+at+Glenelg+March+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJG_LKOcpo9x-rV7nFq-UtGn6yHLhhddejrOcWtwvLZvavckhmlKegKLtOKHxxKKVCuK4r7eAbnJT4fRykrQTdibjqP4AEnxAlzPgL9uTEBUV9OCWIJXEuFO1gx0VspOX4JZO/s400/Anna+and+Ree+at+Glenelg+March+2012.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
They sample exotic local Australian (ie, Italian/Greek/Lebanese) food, prepared by the Refugees and Boat-people who comprise earlier generations of Australians:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYEWMZLCWBH8GnRVG8QaQm3bUMDdjLg3qdL19qUtBRQ3IDgccIuPEqVUI9isiqgBpRulUjLAJMj0wDyZNC1475bVussQg7q6hU24wCL2xKk8pFTYz-Zrd60gQSjOTVRBtKXmS/s1600/pigout+at+mama's.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYEWMZLCWBH8GnRVG8QaQm3bUMDdjLg3qdL19qUtBRQ3IDgccIuPEqVUI9isiqgBpRulUjLAJMj0wDyZNC1475bVussQg7q6hU24wCL2xKk8pFTYz-Zrd60gQSjOTVRBtKXmS/s400/pigout+at+mama's.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Two Boat-people sampling tucker prepared by other Boat-people.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Other times they pick <em>really</em> Ozzie dishes - like Pizza, Yiros, Kebabs, or Fried Rice.</span></div>
<div align="left">
<br />
...and - <em>finally!</em> - evidence in Adelaide Central Market that <em>some</em> Strayans are beginning to realize that their stereotypical diet is severely inhibited and terminally boring:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFi1DhSVuUQe-gnXqkgLeqF8EbW0RIsFyNSagG89fQSNlyaDN1eTCbRSteu5nT8ahz6CZ3b0FtSwKCvSpGriXFBRtOlUch53FSKeFxnoY-9erw7j0ggloLdfIqHBqxAG8BDekd/s1600/specialty+butcher+Adelaide+central+market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFi1DhSVuUQe-gnXqkgLeqF8EbW0RIsFyNSagG89fQSNlyaDN1eTCbRSteu5nT8ahz6CZ3b0FtSwKCvSpGriXFBRtOlUch53FSKeFxnoY-9erw7j0ggloLdfIqHBqxAG8BDekd/s400/specialty+butcher+Adelaide+central+market.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Then (with relief and a quick <span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Gaeng Khiaw Waan </em>curry</span>) it was back home to our lovely Thailand...<br />
<br />
This was a handbag shop in Bangkok - there was a small illuminated Buddhist shrine inside the tuk-tuk's windscreen. The auspicious numberplate alludes to the Buddha's Eightfold Path of Enlightenment - and, presumably, might (with any luck) invoke a decent day's takings in the shop till. Thailand just wouldn't be the same without glaring philosophical contradictions:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOkkDfpdXQMg7xnLASGn60wj25ktXuimyDtxSrq61aHf0Y2llbmix0jy9K8ifLXob8tVUzkrd2tty7a00kqwea9HN1dFi-PUxlCGp0p6n6REsf2uCBTS6hvR7Fqr0ydv70VOG/s1600/shop+tuktuk+BKK.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOkkDfpdXQMg7xnLASGn60wj25ktXuimyDtxSrq61aHf0Y2llbmix0jy9K8ifLXob8tVUzkrd2tty7a00kqwea9HN1dFi-PUxlCGp0p6n6REsf2uCBTS6hvR7Fqr0ydv70VOG/s400/shop+tuktuk+BKK.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">For me, "shopping" is usually more about looking <u>at</u> the shops, not what's <u>in</u> them.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbweGTTaoKE0UpyiE7hWFrS_7s-j5OefgJptMgJKipT-Jvby-DBUuPj28GZPy7lfM6PxCcvvrwAMpvRIJObmquhvhyphenhyphenUj9zzw2zO5e96Mzu-hE5ow8P8j8Qg-Vr2CSaNII1JZkw/s1600/BKK+central+world+furniture+shop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbweGTTaoKE0UpyiE7hWFrS_7s-j5OefgJptMgJKipT-Jvby-DBUuPj28GZPy7lfM6PxCcvvrwAMpvRIJObmquhvhyphenhyphenUj9zzw2zO5e96Mzu-hE5ow8P8j8Qg-Vr2CSaNII1JZkw/s400/BKK+central+world+furniture+shop.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">A furniture shop in Central World, the mall burnt down by Redshirts last year. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Looking at this stuff, I'm beginning to understand...</span></div>
<br />
Bangkok, apparently, is planning to remove its phone booths because mobiles have become the medium of choice. So I thought I'd photograph these booths in Chinatown in case they disappear forever. So you see, my dear grandchildren, this was what technology looked like in my day (and those funny little three-wheelers used to run on something called 'petrol'... <em>remember <strong>petrol </strong></em>?): <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGVRKN_vlNQBWO7ZPSu9HKNVE4k6ZaLlS6C-PgWQ8nOVqCep_KKWa_rpBBIfTehmdJj9-4L4ZCiG8iJ-byrBZNVqgsRHWesyMSuZb-dsc56lAFHszVjf3bTad1OPNfeO6NAi6/s1600/BKK+Chinatown+phone+box1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGVRKN_vlNQBWO7ZPSu9HKNVE4k6ZaLlS6C-PgWQ8nOVqCep_KKWa_rpBBIfTehmdJj9-4L4ZCiG8iJ-byrBZNVqgsRHWesyMSuZb-dsc56lAFHszVjf3bTad1OPNfeO6NAi6/s400/BKK+Chinatown+phone+box1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So - now that Chiangmai's air is blessedly beginning to clear at last (due to 'rain'... <em>remember</em> <em><strong>rain </strong></em>?), we're planning on going back - but only <em>after</em> the Songkran festival. Here in Hua Hin, the water-throwing madness only goes on for one day, as opposed to four or five in Chiangmai (AKA "Songkran Central"). Most of the people of our age who we know, Thai and foreigner alike, bunker down indoors for the day. <br />
<br />
That's ironic - Songkran actually began life as an alcohol-free festival to honour <u>us</u>, the elderly of society. In sober and respectful ceremonies, the young would gently pour symbolic water over the hands of their elders followed by the customary <em>wai</em> gesture (putting palms together). These days Songkran has morphed into Godzilla - uncontrollable street warfare with an avaerage of 35+ road deaths per day ...caused mostly by alcohol-affected young men on motorcycles:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Qacs9xBb92tsdPWGbFyXuUDAIEwAhG8w_puJ8pB3hlpL3GYMTeLenzSu_hkitF5ALeLRitOinRd25S1_0lWIdzkGSdbe_5QN8qu1t1dhY_pAyd9vbzahhBdqNs17OEMHWuJE/s1600/songkran+746353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Qacs9xBb92tsdPWGbFyXuUDAIEwAhG8w_puJ8pB3hlpL3GYMTeLenzSu_hkitF5ALeLRitOinRd25S1_0lWIdzkGSdbe_5QN8qu1t1dhY_pAyd9vbzahhBdqNs17OEMHWuJE/s400/songkran+746353.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Catharsis by any other name.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqElIFd5eCheprxW5Q6FLGoCavwm3iAEqRHnRwECI1EsVlGc7wcNW7C3Ub1xtNgpfsZ3Bi1-MkFwgp4F6JiBag5VO0GV6gW8ZCIF5ix-5_vO0XtESBEA7ZPb8jA2dYKsOTd8bl/s1600/foam+party.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqElIFd5eCheprxW5Q6FLGoCavwm3iAEqRHnRwECI1EsVlGc7wcNW7C3Ub1xtNgpfsZ3Bi1-MkFwgp4F6JiBag5VO0GV6gW8ZCIF5ix-5_vO0XtESBEA7ZPb8jA2dYKsOTd8bl/s400/foam+party.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> Foam Party (the foam machine is in the far right corner)</span></div>
<br />
We stocked up the apartment with food supplies and spent a quiet (foam-free and dry) Songkran day at home. Yep, it's possible to have way too much fun... <em>*curmudgeonly grimace* </em> <em>bah humbug</em> etc. <br />
<br />
Instead, Marie spent the day designing her new Summer Collection. Here's one of the predicted top-sellers, with its subtle hint of Songkran:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduMqocq6-fDaj6DpAy7_JI3yCAkMFLGsAhrjc-PH-azyKpuhNyiuTBvVeulasuGzlrV19mrlFoXX3YyUcO3_gUqmT51Rqdig7GFQXJh8syKUxHAQ6hb1E3IMDO08CaehaocCE/s1600/ree+songkran+collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhduMqocq6-fDaj6DpAy7_JI3yCAkMFLGsAhrjc-PH-azyKpuhNyiuTBvVeulasuGzlrV19mrlFoXX3YyUcO3_gUqmT51Rqdig7GFQXJh8syKUxHAQ6hb1E3IMDO08CaehaocCE/s400/ree+songkran+collection.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.breathecampaign.net/sign-our-petition/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sign this petition</span></a> by the <strong>Breathe Campaign</strong> to put pressure on Chiangmai to improve its air quality (This link will open in a new window).</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-64786530575187198792012-02-29T15:23:00.000+07:002012-03-06T21:14:11.681+07:00Jaipur Literary Festival 2012, then a whistle-stop tour of southern India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinS1n2pgYcohU0GLqt2rocsJ_DhSpbdRaEBZXuZeclJKH91kPcmf_4z0a4C_6AKMmXWDTWAOVdsSbU88FmCRtp7DBmt6PnSiHgCGY629R1JF1t3u-uJcCcvAqyLVCCtSxf4u2z/s1600/337+step+1,+give+coin,+Sri+Ranganataswamy+temple,+Trichy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinS1n2pgYcohU0GLqt2rocsJ_DhSpbdRaEBZXuZeclJKH91kPcmf_4z0a4C_6AKMmXWDTWAOVdsSbU88FmCRtp7DBmt6PnSiHgCGY629R1JF1t3u-uJcCcvAqyLVCCtSxf4u2z/s400/337+step+1,+give+coin,+Sri+Ranganataswamy+temple,+Trichy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
During our recent trip to the <strong>Jaipur Literary Festival</strong> (followed by a 3-week spin around southern India and Orissa), Marie was blessed by a temple elephant of Hindu persuasion. But first she had to pay the wee beastie a two rupee coin: see the above pic. If you would like to see how the elephant completed its holy duties, read on. But do make yourself a coffee first - there are <u>three</u> Episodes.<br />
<br />
Click to continue to<span style="background-color: #ffe599;"> </span><a href="http://all-around-southern-india-2012.blogspot.com/?view=classic" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Episode 1</strong></span></a> (from Kolkata to the Jaipur Festival. When you get to the end of that page, you'll be offered the next link to continue on to Episode 2, and so forth).<br />
<br />
(If you happen to prefer to skip ahead without first seeing Jaipur, you can go direct to either<br />
<br />
<a href="http://hampi-bangalore-mysore-2012.blogspot.com/?view=classic" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Episode 2</strong></span></a> <em>(Goa, Hampi, Bangalore, Mysore)</em><br />
<span style="color: white;">m </span>or <br />
<a href="http://from-trivandrum-to-puri.blogspot.com/?view=classic" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>Episode 3</strong></span></a> <em> (Kollam, Trivandrum, Madurai, Trichy, Rameswaram, and Puri).</em><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">(Any link in funkypix2 will open in its own new window for your convenience).</span><br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-37102612676932454162012-01-12T11:44:00.000+07:002012-03-06T21:15:35.509+07:00Dear Chiangmai Diary - our Capitalist Elitist politically-correct edition<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKdKRGvwzVmjJ3j3w_-0wwxrosJDqcPb5um4p_72qsNKLQqqOniRFGLRW-ZhAmyTOK6v5uvGAdX3Mz2aqup-k1uRi_5l4Qk_AziMwAnHYBFun1VGt769eVhBYiW3EFHSDJftL/s1600/iberry+dog+in+sunnies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKdKRGvwzVmjJ3j3w_-0wwxrosJDqcPb5um4p_72qsNKLQqqOniRFGLRW-ZhAmyTOK6v5uvGAdX3Mz2aqup-k1uRi_5l4Qk_AziMwAnHYBFun1VGt769eVhBYiW3EFHSDJftL/s640/iberry+dog+in+sunnies.JPG" width="475" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Chiangmai's iBerry mega-mutt has acquired sunnies.</span></div>
<br />
<strong>Dear Reader</strong>, this post is a just a rag-tag collection of Updates and Oddities from our home-base in Chiang Mai for your visual delectation and delight. After this, I'll moth-ball FunkyPix2 until we get back from our forthcoming trip to southern India. Yep, Marie feels the urge to sample some <em>Ganesh Chaturthi, Churmi Laddu, Puli Keerai</em> and other dishes so familiar to you all. <br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
While we're on the topic of large animals, here's a nauseating sight from the local department store in Chiangmai:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5aYSYdfPSEW62XjwT6gbNI13J9X0RysB5FufYqH4NPz9EFz8PKH7hfIQz-B3etXb0H7Qu3krQpr6PGBexatYD5AhjQqXKoP9fW00mlR5ZMoakAvOE03-oU5TmIBoXRylKP05/s1600/animal+graveyard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB5aYSYdfPSEW62XjwT6gbNI13J9X0RysB5FufYqH4NPz9EFz8PKH7hfIQz-B3etXb0H7Qu3krQpr6PGBexatYD5AhjQqXKoP9fW00mlR5ZMoakAvOE03-oU5TmIBoXRylKP05/s400/animal+graveyard.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Better than the Chiangmai Night Safari, actually...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">...less smelly, and free.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span></div>
...and now for the Chiangmai Weather Report. Here's another scattered storm, seen from our balcony. This one missed us...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-3dQXInsP6SkAjXKQeWzKaAEzf3JOMDo68cnMbiKwutfNSnA_7dPHvLcZPGk63wkM-w6aWkDwj5JPQdzV6lNAxYtMkqasRvo9DKlRqLsQE8HlLdUO3OJ0dnleDQVmidETU1D/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-3dQXInsP6SkAjXKQeWzKaAEzf3JOMDo68cnMbiKwutfNSnA_7dPHvLcZPGk63wkM-w6aWkDwj5JPQdzV6lNAxYtMkqasRvo9DKlRqLsQE8HlLdUO3OJ0dnleDQVmidETU1D/s400/062.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">That's our kitchen window on the right.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">spacer</span></div>
All you weird foreigners, like those Strayans in the remote colony <em>Deown Under</em> can marvel at the following disaster msg I got on my iPhone a few weeks ago. Melbournites should maybe consider asking Ms Gillard for disaster relief funds, come July, based on the Thai precedent:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzP0Esde3G6YINi5HszYClnOQ12AhDi0BfV589ZEkObbCu22mYh3BmVz2nQLcQbDwQbgkH97LxPGuPreHDyp5lO679B4B3SKyHijYhyphenhyphenqCut7OWYdn20VkEg6FO3ZRHnt8t2oS/s1600/disaster+zone+freezing+cold.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzP0Esde3G6YINi5HszYClnOQ12AhDi0BfV589ZEkObbCu22mYh3BmVz2nQLcQbDwQbgkH97LxPGuPreHDyp5lO679B4B3SKyHijYhyphenhyphenqCut7OWYdn20VkEg6FO3ZRHnt8t2oS/s400/disaster+zone+freezing+cold.PNG" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Thaivisa.com is a useful news source for expats in or out of Thailand.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">spacer</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">...and while we're in the political Twittershere, here's an iPhone screenshot of a "say-it-all" tweet from wlfriends.org:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kkn8_4g51whHFk31WrGsfxqdw5UbmF_RsFZ-oXdX75mIZUYRuB3UJohr_RGQywBNQQCLWkDrnjuMY0nVwTD2YUkdsJRUdFh9tDvAgipw_aKx87VEEPkVbKA04GKHuxfcrIfy/s1600/wiki+blackout+sms.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kkn8_4g51whHFk31WrGsfxqdw5UbmF_RsFZ-oXdX75mIZUYRuB3UJohr_RGQywBNQQCLWkDrnjuMY0nVwTD2YUkdsJRUdFh9tDvAgipw_aKx87VEEPkVbKA04GKHuxfcrIfy/s400/wiki+blackout+sms.PNG" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: xx-small;">spacer</span><br />
<em><strong><span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">"It is the absolute responsibility </span></strong></em><br />
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8;"><em><strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">of </span></strong></em><em><strong><span style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">everybody in uniform </span></strong></em><span style="color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><strong>to </strong></em></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><strong>disobey an order that is </strong></em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #9fc5e8; color: red; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em><strong>either illegal or immoral".</strong></em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;">(US General Peter Pace, Feb 17, 2006).</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: red;">Therefore, all charges against Bradley Manning </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="color: red;">and </span><span style="color: red;">Julian Assange have to be dropped. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="color: red;"><u>The</u>y </span></span><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: red;">deserve a Nobel Peace Prize, not that </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: red;">disappointing drone-monger Berreck Obomber.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<hr />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiASziT_yKRTm9lLy4So_erGU9JpgRH77DPLma64qwk3Ud081s45PsfUnl0Hz9rFHzPZFD-gRFzq2cLmDLf3gJRPhWk2wleqv5nIIHjGDBneLCOqKHg3asztO93eFTe0znBu0/s1600/bo_bumper_sticker.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiASziT_yKRTm9lLy4So_erGU9JpgRH77DPLma64qwk3Ud081s45PsfUnl0Hz9rFHzPZFD-gRFzq2cLmDLf3gJRPhWk2wleqv5nIIHjGDBneLCOqKHg3asztO93eFTe0znBu0/s200/bo_bumper_sticker.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;">I just <em>cannot</em> let the racist Australian Liberal Party MP <strong>Theresa Gambaro</strong> get off scott free for accusing migrants of having body odour and needing to be trained to stand in queues. She's the party's <em><a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2007/01/australian-citizenship-test-leaked.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Citizenship Spokesperson</span></a></em>, for goodness sake! For such hatespeak, may her political career go rapidly south, despite her belated attempt at an apology. It showcases her fundamental lack of understanding of her job. May I politely remind Ms Gambaro that Australia welcomed new European arrivals, <strong><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">some of whom were probably named Gambaro</span></strong>, to Australia in the post-WW2 decade. As a child, I recall the taunts and name-calling (<em>'dagos'</em>, and later, <em>'wogs'</em> etc) along with cruel accusations of garlic-breath from then-new strange foods like pizza, lasagne and spaghetti, without which Australians of 2012 would all but starve to death. Back in the fifties and sixties, Italians were also unfairly singled-out for their body-odour. One generation on, and nothing has changed. <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2007/02/briefe-historie-of-recent-racism-in.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Racist John Howard</span></a> re-ignited it. Racist mud sticks. <strong><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">FAIL</span></strong>. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">This mini-poem (by Leonard Robbins) succinctly makes the point:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>How a minority</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Reaching majority</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Seizing authority</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Hates a minority.</strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpAJe15ZFFrlFW1fmOiYm1iEwkGF3XTn8sYVWnqqk-VpFfLhywlr0BK3OK0qFORbNrxb3KarlqJ7gzDcnFSAn8w2uz_rWPupfXG9wavSkFqgGkJmH5avne3AKXasYiH1orhgo/s1600/minority+hate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpAJe15ZFFrlFW1fmOiYm1iEwkGF3XTn8sYVWnqqk-VpFfLhywlr0BK3OK0qFORbNrxb3KarlqJ7gzDcnFSAn8w2uz_rWPupfXG9wavSkFqgGkJmH5avne3AKXasYiH1orhgo/s1600/minority+hate.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6azX2BwvmI8yfpyVzVW-sDyeLiuDHf3jnheuSazXO5JJValWv3ucPtjKhWkJ7v4iSjpanL0rV27ZuRoPYik0Nm2SM8RM33a9Q-0BaZxP9Ob9oRyeHckwkcwJq8PMSLEVFQqx/s1600/Tony+Abbott+%2528Mr+Rabbit%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6azX2BwvmI8yfpyVzVW-sDyeLiuDHf3jnheuSazXO5JJValWv3ucPtjKhWkJ7v4iSjpanL0rV27ZuRoPYik0Nm2SM8RM33a9Q-0BaZxP9Ob9oRyeHckwkcwJq8PMSLEVFQqx/s200/Tony+Abbott+%2528Mr+Rabbit%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"> I also remind the good readers of Funkypix2 that Australia is the only country in the world where the word <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2007/06/john-howards-coalition-is-not-liberal.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">'Liberal' means 'Conservative'</span>.</a> In fact, the very name "Liberal Party" is a <span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><em>Big. Fat. Lie.</em></span> But one might expect no less from a corporate suck like Tony Rabbit. </span><span style="color: black;">I only wish I could un-see that disgusting image of Mr Rabbit in his Speedos. Never again, please... just <em>don't</em>.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: black;">OK, politics finished! On with matters more domestic. Thailand's economic recovery is being led by secondhand dress/bag/shoes sales:</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKi48EQfxOcYl3eTf-oMWw_Jbv-BGCeIS20C5gOUBenxb_8DcRd2S9ntJEZ2fVGS7FXJtEGEyrYAPdy0d0U_RdqzVnTI2s3yz40a22FFYJY2zg-r3RHMpCJelTXVFD9Hl7sdO/s1600/Funky+Bitz+ree-incarnates.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKi48EQfxOcYl3eTf-oMWw_Jbv-BGCeIS20C5gOUBenxb_8DcRd2S9ntJEZ2fVGS7FXJtEGEyrYAPdy0d0U_RdqzVnTI2s3yz40a22FFYJY2zg-r3RHMpCJelTXVFD9Hl7sdO/s400/Funky+Bitz+ree-incarnates.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Marie volunteered to assist at a Thai friend's market stall. It all rapidly outgrew the <span style="font-family: inherit;">umbrella, but <em>m<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>i</em> <em>bpen rai,</em> it was a fine day anyway, <em>chok-dee ca.</em> The ghost of the Funky Bitz North Queensland Marketing Empire</span> lives on. And yeah, thanks, my back's recovered now.<br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
Speaking of commerce, a new dress shop opened on the ground floor of our condominium last week. Every good Thai shop needs to be consecrated by Buddhist monks, and we attended the ceremony:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tyb19wQv0vJIr1WDue5uCLa5updY-z2cs6-J7SpY1Y77OE33uaLAIeXKq2fAXcZPIcUVJF9NAC9PUcsPbssWor2TN90vXWzmdZEFEIPAHp-EjaT5XPFTQwNgYZ62MoSHYmWK/s1600/peung+shop+consecration.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tyb19wQv0vJIr1WDue5uCLa5updY-z2cs6-J7SpY1Y77OE33uaLAIeXKq2fAXcZPIcUVJF9NAC9PUcsPbssWor2TN90vXWzmdZEFEIPAHp-EjaT5XPFTQwNgYZ62MoSHYmWK/s640/peung+shop+consecration.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
Lots of chanting, food, prayers, food, incense, drinks, food, prayers, then we finished with a big Thai meal in case any passers-by felt hungry. An elderly Japanese couple had turned up for the proceedings in their little white jalopy:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MYVvRFXZTLl7jEYrIPMbtcb6c55lUFuf4jaQ3YoLVZkC3WEiz8XFyJay8aIY6NmjE46q9aH7UdSKrNsq9MJXOrbGZDQRPUqezVMKAwR8qCG1CqMN0shmJHAzIQ3aQaknCuQv/s1600/mitsuoka+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MYVvRFXZTLl7jEYrIPMbtcb6c55lUFuf4jaQ3YoLVZkC3WEiz8XFyJay8aIY6NmjE46q9aH7UdSKrNsq9MJXOrbGZDQRPUqezVMKAwR8qCG1CqMN0shmJHAzIQ3aQaknCuQv/s400/mitsuoka+4.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO5yCGt324yMouQ6fq_RpEDviEEKJxSpAQcR3cZiPH_h3SPL6iwVktyFDbvUQB3D1KllY0V1HQ7ixlraGgB3wME7Btc6OgL4WIUHcD2hFvc-YGmT6tE8TF2nCJsBLlEKzyHRl/s1600/capitalism+crisis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO5yCGt324yMouQ6fq_RpEDviEEKJxSpAQcR3cZiPH_h3SPL6iwVktyFDbvUQB3D1KllY0V1HQ7ixlraGgB3wME7Btc6OgL4WIUHcD2hFvc-YGmT6tE8TF2nCJsBLlEKzyHRl/s200/capitalism+crisis.JPG" width="200" /></a>Undoubtedly, having a big Mitsuoka Sports parked immediately outside might well help to attract promising financial karma to the shop. The owners weren't reticent about telling everyone how much their car cost, either. A paltry 3.5 million Baht... or was it Yen? Hell, who cares? <em>[pout].</em> We're now members of the OCCUPY HUAYKAEW ROAD MOVEMENT. Please donate to our cause... we wanna join the Nouveau One-Percenters. Yeah, sure, our other car is a Honda Jazz, fully equipped with steering wheel and cigarette lighter that works, so there... even though we <em>[ahem]</em> don't even smoke. Ain't <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2010/03/bank-bailout-bingo-101-socialize-losses.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Capitalism</span></a> grand?<br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
Nic and Joe, still proudly in the 99%, are here for a few months to work. Here they are at Chiang Dao in a staff meeting, being photographed incognito with their iced mango juices by the FunkyPix staff photographer:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUpu_VFDF-Oqz6LBQD-XQFPiLCmR0LKtxHud-Kimmlc2jiSHs_k41GLFOq1V2NJlw5c1ZTSpIGVisPPSaMfY5sY2HXADS7XVFa-1pJS92So5TQjkCR2v0vLjNRmz62685MPtr/s1600/ree+snapping+nic+joe+at+nest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUpu_VFDF-Oqz6LBQD-XQFPiLCmR0LKtxHud-Kimmlc2jiSHs_k41GLFOq1V2NJlw5c1ZTSpIGVisPPSaMfY5sY2HXADS7XVFa-1pJS92So5TQjkCR2v0vLjNRmz62685MPtr/s400/ree+snapping+nic+joe+at+nest.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
...and here's the view of Chiang Dao mountain from their breakfast table - yes, I agree, it was a rather smoggy day. Farmers, as usual at this time of year, had been burning off old stubble in rice paddies:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYSi8tfV3djdnx4_YahBzF2lFWasngCSYfUtqlvr3GIAatnRmPemNyhTkZAN_W9hoqu2xWLmkLLdSiY9OaSRYtLpuHXM8O-BHT-S4yz0oPeVjb7X0JdujbVjHRAt1rrbjeoPH/s1600/chiang+dao+from+the+nest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYSi8tfV3djdnx4_YahBzF2lFWasngCSYfUtqlvr3GIAatnRmPemNyhTkZAN_W9hoqu2xWLmkLLdSiY9OaSRYtLpuHXM8O-BHT-S4yz0oPeVjb7X0JdujbVjHRAt1rrbjeoPH/s640/chiang+dao+from+the+nest.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
Of course, when at Chiang Dao, do visit the limestone caves:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-MiwjlOAnnbo-jKC-hyFnrjUBTqJjTHMbhmmqFJxR1z5czAkCog0J5S_xCELo0HBpT2jjlQmjmsKwmKJhVgCnC9uuObndsEOJtLfpYO_E6qEXwUj3l7tK4grbt24o181TduL/s1600/chiang+dao+cave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-MiwjlOAnnbo-jKC-hyFnrjUBTqJjTHMbhmmqFJxR1z5czAkCog0J5S_xCELo0HBpT2jjlQmjmsKwmKJhVgCnC9uuObndsEOJtLfpYO_E6qEXwUj3l7tK4grbt24o181TduL/s640/chiang+dao+cave.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
South of Maesai there is a temple cave with the usual <em>de rigeur</em> covered staircase leading up the mountain to the cave. But what particularly caught our eye was the unexpected crowd of people grimly hanging on by their fingernails from the Buddha statue on top of the pillar. <br />
My oh my, Enlightenment sure is hard-earned if you're a 99-percenter:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoL8aEc71MS-u-nz8CXRuI8K6h-WbudAhAUHunZ1jZCbdwZ4xULrbt14qADX9v4BE7tFn3dH9M7aQvuzMP9FQij20-6nlTPGUqO0w-CBArzWycNB3FVb0uM7i56Lu9XEWqWpB/s1600/south+of+maesai2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoL8aEc71MS-u-nz8CXRuI8K6h-WbudAhAUHunZ1jZCbdwZ4xULrbt14qADX9v4BE7tFn3dH9M7aQvuzMP9FQij20-6nlTPGUqO0w-CBArzWycNB3FVb0uM7i56Lu9XEWqWpB/s400/south+of+maesai2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">(You can embiggen any photo by clicking on it)</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<em><strong>Ta-daaa !!!</strong></em><br />
Episode Two of the <strong>Redshirt Army Propaganda Chronicles</strong>:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XhhEQeGNzPxKBNdw7xT7TsR-X5eu22cIkJEubTLgoZntnsOHupUd8OQEJu2z_UDON2y2cWRCwOMiaE10ykMtm4A0lF5Mb8zsNt2M8OFmU5kg0sycoqkcH3vILpqTYi1tZfT_/s1600/samlor+redshirt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XhhEQeGNzPxKBNdw7xT7TsR-X5eu22cIkJEubTLgoZntnsOHupUd8OQEJu2z_UDON2y2cWRCwOMiaE10ykMtm4A0lF5Mb8zsNt2M8OFmU5kg0sycoqkcH3vILpqTYi1tZfT_/s640/samlor+redshirt.JPG" width="528" /></a></div>
<em><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">spacer</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">(<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><strong>Sound FX</strong>: threateningly low-pitched sub-tone to play during this paragraph)</span></span></em><br />
It was <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvqbIn7oupE3QhVWX3yGIpJpz-zxQq-yS3Cv3fOqgpPOwuTm4llcNwWmGSKysZGEjWTUe0v0IWEi1GCZEfl4-qzd3_i3JKQlSBzNwP_2b0AUfMKzJ5L2SYDaE4ML2AAh58mtRlg/s400/red+army+near+Shin+HQ.JPG" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">previously spotted</span></a> outside Thaksin Shinawatra's Silk Shop near our condo. This time the dreaded Redshirt rickshaw, still festooned with pictures of the new (Redblouse?) prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, made a cameo appearance at Chiangmai's "Three Kings" monument, perhaps in an attempt to score good historical karma. Ah, but serendipity had cunningly conspired to park it next to a politically loaded NO LEFT TURN sign. Not only that, but also in a NO PARKING zone, as designated by the red/white kerb. Curiously, as suggested by Thai legal precedent, it's OK to break the law if you are a <em>bonafide</em> member of the Shinawatra clan ...or on its defacto payroll (<em>aka</em> "perhaps-to-be-rewarded-later-after-the-boss-gets-back" list). <br />
<em><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #999999; font-size: x-small;">(Sound FX fade out)</span></em><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
Meanwhile, back at home on our balcony, our marble statue of the <em><strong>Quan Yin</strong></em> [goddess of mercy] has finally got its act together and started giving the thirsty naga-dragon its long-awaited drink:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsBJ__-mls2iJ0UQpj5WFWFtCYKuQK96N7_C-1Lp9Wv3l3FkCuqSz4KV40fOrYf-5kw9rhELKtUbmOSjDWWbGArjzViKO1QbG-TBKY9DMgCZpsBFPj-uRPGPgUYMXHyC1oH-9/s1600/fountain+balcony.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsBJ__-mls2iJ0UQpj5WFWFtCYKuQK96N7_C-1Lp9Wv3l3FkCuqSz4KV40fOrYf-5kw9rhELKtUbmOSjDWWbGArjzViKO1QbG-TBKY9DMgCZpsBFPj-uRPGPgUYMXHyC1oH-9/s400/fountain+balcony.JPG" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
Finally, for your eternal amusement, we present some odd sights spotted around Chiangmai:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuO78cJI_ihsQ3vB7IcTzGKqMqVGbyr3DgYhtrsiY2rP3JyoHkJYb1-YU0GD03133aKrSD2agSC25jjw5thDw4mGBOFhkAIjYelSGz1PEDj5TiWMmS76FqdNFMMhCZoKyqtMS/s1600/and+your+final+destination+today%252C+sir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuO78cJI_ihsQ3vB7IcTzGKqMqVGbyr3DgYhtrsiY2rP3JyoHkJYb1-YU0GD03133aKrSD2agSC25jjw5thDw4mGBOFhkAIjYelSGz1PEDj5TiWMmS76FqdNFMMhCZoKyqtMS/s400/and+your+final+destination+today%252C+sir.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;"><em><strong>"...and your final destination today, sir?"</strong></em></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhoE_J-ovZMGVwkXdaRq6or0U2Si7yhWo7sMmmEJUJEkX22QPcH53tjvYaU493DEqGz_Ox_wHRcN-_MBBTHd0CNVsrIWX_C2c-7qiPLnPvJTlcHCpC5mERXtOLDkof0hXyQl6/s1600/fat+sport.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhoE_J-ovZMGVwkXdaRq6or0U2Si7yhWo7sMmmEJUJEkX22QPcH53tjvYaU493DEqGz_Ox_wHRcN-_MBBTHd0CNVsrIWX_C2c-7qiPLnPvJTlcHCpC5mERXtOLDkof0hXyQl6/s400/fat+sport.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LoCJQ6QcTHGMMAEWKG-V3IvR-JnARBlvUqfRuQb6xp8k2nnqx1k8sCtLhbr2q_TPHOm93R_Shaw3wMlUI9KNPNOoM_o5TKDVmSh9sfFvrb0v3IK0OdAVv6k4tbyMCKt54z3C/s1600/ground+differs+level+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LoCJQ6QcTHGMMAEWKG-V3IvR-JnARBlvUqfRuQb6xp8k2nnqx1k8sCtLhbr2q_TPHOm93R_Shaw3wMlUI9KNPNOoM_o5TKDVmSh9sfFvrb0v3IK0OdAVv6k4tbyMCKt54z3C/s640/ground+differs+level+sign.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">"Ground differs level" (code for 'ramp')</span></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtr6we_N-z_CwkzvrAZNfi7LuEi7-5Jiuzkbpv9eb02qSoXQyWE5kjoxB6aw_pu0kEqpxFX69IXQ2j-vNqvP1CZc0WkHGtEqH74dfvbE7mKwniJi9cIalZqID_xt0BKp7Th-Gn/s1600/partridge-quail+eggs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtr6we_N-z_CwkzvrAZNfi7LuEi7-5Jiuzkbpv9eb02qSoXQyWE5kjoxB6aw_pu0kEqpxFX69IXQ2j-vNqvP1CZc0WkHGtEqH74dfvbE7mKwniJi9cIalZqID_xt0BKp7Th-Gn/s400/partridge-quail+eggs.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">"Partridge eggs". Possibly Quail? <em>Any other bids?</em></span></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa9kAM_7I08RNjFGLJ3weXO38JJAlD7iJNT5tEDBA8aX6zraF2RTKNS5TeXii-z13EWx78c_3p6BKASkanD5MP2Ji4drWxQUPYhc6io-OpL9mcdkW4IJes0Or1tT8uJPtJODp/s1600/poo+mobile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa9kAM_7I08RNjFGLJ3weXO38JJAlD7iJNT5tEDBA8aX6zraF2RTKNS5TeXii-z13EWx78c_3p6BKASkanD5MP2Ji4drWxQUPYhc6io-OpL9mcdkW4IJes0Or1tT8uJPtJODp/s400/poo+mobile.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">...and welcome to Nature In Motions, the logical sequel to Poo Mobile:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflk9zmSXs4FWttLh-xmgBcV-xdPDYe3q796gvFkx64q0BL4RI2ewStv6lCFz17FsDyDHpEMm-uI3GnH5Ax8btYp70_9aiMP1Mco6rHPNL5B7t7EVBvAtZ-Y0R0Usa10dUS8oJ/s1600/nature+in+motions+santa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhflk9zmSXs4FWttLh-xmgBcV-xdPDYe3q796gvFkx64q0BL4RI2ewStv6lCFz17FsDyDHpEMm-uI3GnH5Ax8btYp70_9aiMP1Mco6rHPNL5B7t7EVBvAtZ-Y0R0Usa10dUS8oJ/s640/nature+in+motions+santa.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Coin-in-the-slot "Santa Crore" stays there all year, </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">but the Muzak continues to crank out carols only until about June. </span></div>
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8CXnroBgkLVwNxxlPfBewBr6Fa1xHDuFN-KM30ZkDKMXNn7KW9w1tAxCzBzuUCuA0yMo_6HzqbQU8i6U96RiRfMghSf41zgzyYJj2PWmry1B6VlQZuSicosGaHo33ZdTiM51/s1600/no+sepper.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8CXnroBgkLVwNxxlPfBewBr6Fa1xHDuFN-KM30ZkDKMXNn7KW9w1tAxCzBzuUCuA0yMo_6HzqbQU8i6U96RiRfMghSf41zgzyYJj2PWmry1B6VlQZuSicosGaHo33ZdTiM51/s400/no+sepper.JPG" width="353" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><strong><span style="color: blue;">Seize you later, after we gets back from outback India.</span></strong></em></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-1917669337890747162011-12-05T23:27:00.024+07:002011-12-19T21:53:29.635+07:00Bangkok, the 2011 floods, and premonitions of a watery Armageddon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zgX1dFaiE62XiauK0SNc6rhTh56NnyCHPb39ecx_xsVqqigta78CoCGfoOLRAw4jdk0T5P0rBznrn-TV182q94XilO2v-pe91g7EMgO51duAD3ragWAsX1vukQCzbQz47Tbe/s1600/flood+bangkok+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zgX1dFaiE62XiauK0SNc6rhTh56NnyCHPb39ecx_xsVqqigta78CoCGfoOLRAw4jdk0T5P0rBznrn-TV182q94XilO2v-pe91g7EMgO51duAD3ragWAsX1vukQCzbQz47Tbe/s400/flood+bangkok+2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br />
<strong> <span style="color: black;">This recent photo is a sadly humorous hint of the looming threat to Bangkok's very existence. Bangkok's Watery Doom may well creep up silently in the next 10 years, perhaps 15 (if luck holds). The city is only one metre above sea level (on <em>average</em>), and has been sinking by about 10cm per year. <em>Oh bittersweet Arithmetic! thy name spells Truth.</em></span></strong><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">If you click on</span> <a href="http://flood.firetree.net/?ll=13.7187,100.5077&z=9&m=0" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this</span></a> <span style="color: black;">link, you will get an interactive flood map (flood.firetree.net) which will look something like this:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_B70A8qiJ_A5FMcOLZ4Cl6ntMOnHXaSXOuJ7DWGvDWjOmwHeE2y7mSUiFxttJHNGThAwXrDj8r1VkTEsFE0byz52f_ghTBpL2wkvPlYjhubcdzPGm4a1RYQBuWmiDXuxVzy3/s1600/gulf+thailand+map.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_B70A8qiJ_A5FMcOLZ4Cl6ntMOnHXaSXOuJ7DWGvDWjOmwHeE2y7mSUiFxttJHNGThAwXrDj8r1VkTEsFE0byz52f_ghTBpL2wkvPlYjhubcdzPGm4a1RYQBuWmiDXuxVzy3/s400/gulf+thailand+map.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">(You can biggen any photo by clicking on it)</span></div><span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Your family can have hours of fun mercilessly flooding the entire city of Bangkok with whatever depth of water you choose. Whee! It's just as if you're playing some silly computer game, except that, like, this is for real, dude... The map</span><span style="color: black;"> represents average Sea Level under normal conditions at present. But with a mere click of your mouse, you can raise Sea Level by any depth you dictate - simply click the drop-down menu at the top left of your screen. Watch what happens to the entire Bangkok river delta. <em>Ouch</em>. </span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Note, though, that some areas on the coast near Bangkok, notably Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan, are <em>already</em> regularly under seawater at high tides. They're an omen of things to come.</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Or you can zoom in to visit whichever specific part of Bangkok you want to inundate. To zoom in to the glitzy shopping tourist area around Pathumwan, Silom and Siam Square, for instance, click the <strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">+</span></strong> (the slider at the top left corner of the map) about 4 or 5 times. You'll arrive at a screen which looks like this:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkNUEdrRWrKNcjamaXnTyUy1FM-Y4FUWFhjEoNyUiEB5Lw3vAl4bS0JoK8dlv1_ZC876JsywzxwGpRXZHh-6dNqAIFISLCphvsTTc2qZTiaxdJc1md3szUWr9JW1251rHFico/s1600/bkk+zoom+x+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkNUEdrRWrKNcjamaXnTyUy1FM-Y4FUWFhjEoNyUiEB5Lw3vAl4bS0JoK8dlv1_ZC876JsywzxwGpRXZHh-6dNqAIFISLCphvsTTc2qZTiaxdJc1md3szUWr9JW1251rHFico/s400/bkk+zoom+x+4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">You may notice, however, that the deeper you click your desired flood-depths, the more the central area of Bangkok (around Pathumwan, Silom, Siam Square, etc) appears to remain stubbornly and reassuringly dry. But no, it's <em>not</em> perched on a hill, nor protected by dyke <span style="font-family: inherit;">walls <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>à la Holland.</em> Even if you increase flooding to, say, as much as TWENTY metres deep, there are <em>still</em> apparently some spots which remain dry! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>So... can the technology be so wrong??</em></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong>Simple explanation</strong>: the central city area is extremely highly built-up, with large trees frequently filling gaps between buildings. The mapping satellite necessarily understands the <strong>tops</strong> of these buildings and treetops as representing <strong>ground</strong>-level, thereby considerably <strong>under-estimating</strong> realistic flood depths. Only in larger open flat areas - such as Benjakiti Park (just to the east of Lumphini Park) - is the terrible and soggy truth more accurately revealed. Some <em>twenty million</em> environmental refugees may need to re-locate - quite soon. That's a <em>monumentally</em> more massive evacuation than George Dubya Bush's tiny dress rehearsal at New Orleans. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">George? Remember George?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Mu5qdZGtMJ5JzeQTFVzkcWDaxSsUToi1iuaFNeAwRUlFrDiIn0r2Ge73gRUeeIeQ3xCCd1uBJgaMxVG5PJhjs41-mnagZmls89lRQCBJ4y2bb8kmqLZB3lxmg5fa84Ohv-h/s1600/bkk+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Mu5qdZGtMJ5JzeQTFVzkcWDaxSsUToi1iuaFNeAwRUlFrDiIn0r2Ge73gRUeeIeQ3xCCd1uBJgaMxVG5PJhjs41-mnagZmls89lRQCBJ4y2bb8kmqLZB3lxmg5fa84Ohv-h/s400/bkk+night.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">spacer</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Many people - initially those with means - are already choosing to abandon Bangkok in search of drier areas. Prices for nearby elevated land - what there is of it - are truly skyrocketing out of reach of all but the One-Percenters. One of the logical and eligible new places to colonize, at first glance, might appear to be <strong>Kanchanaburi</strong>, to Bangkok's north-west. But that may well be a case of "out-of-the-frying-pan-into-the-fire". Kanchanaburi is on a known earthquake </span><a href="http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/58081-earthquake-warning/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">fault-line</span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">, yet boasts a huge dam whose wall is already</span> </span><a href="http://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/userpics/10078/SrinakarinDam-03.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">visibly damaged</span></a><span style="color: black;">. </span><span style="color: black;">A major breach could wipe out no fewer than <u>13</u> provinces, <em>including</em> Bangkok. The wall is rated as "safe" only for quakes up to 7.5 on the Richter Scale. <em>Er, now what were those principles we were supposed to have learned from Fukushima?</em></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">spacer</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">But do I note (with some surprise, I must confess) that the Thai parliament has (as I <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2007/05/bangkok-is-sinking-while-sea-levels-are.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">suggested</span></a> back in 2007) cautiously raised the sensitive <a href="http://www.the9billion.com/2011/11/28/bangkok-may-become-first-coastal-megacity-to-relocate-to-higher-ground/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">possibility of re-locating Bangkok</span></a> in its entirety - <em>wow. </em>At last, someone's waking up! </span><span style="color: black;">A move like this, as it happens, would actually be a continuation of an ancient Thai tradition. The Thai capital has been shifted several times over its history (eg <a href="http://tripping-northern-thailand.blogspot.com/2009/06/sukhothai-si-satchanali-sawankalok-oh.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sukhothai</span></a>, Ayuthaya, etc), but that was well before the era before concrete skyscrapers, Skytrains and other recent idiosyncracies such as "permanency". Traditional Thai teak houses were once designed without nails to be dimantle-able and easily relocated. I suspect this latest timid hint about shifting Bangkok will promptly get shunted sideways - these are fragile political/economic times. Sure, the proposal seems to have submerged into political oblivion already - it's all too hard - but there can be no doubt that the 2011 Big Flood will change the Thai national conversation forever. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Besides, there will soon be precious little choice.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPtNeOVGehR35vaiy1CjevHf3hKrqEDCu8jyxYaSccu1irW-mzXvoswXb2_ElS9kjzJP7j8IZluEwpcmcCHSTKubGcceJYTNd-GUI756l0hUaCVIpnw7485b0qxpOgDkycfEs/s1600/boat+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPtNeOVGehR35vaiy1CjevHf3hKrqEDCu8jyxYaSccu1irW-mzXvoswXb2_ElS9kjzJP7j8IZluEwpcmcCHSTKubGcceJYTNd-GUI756l0hUaCVIpnw7485b0qxpOgDkycfEs/s400/boat+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> Ironically, a traditional symbol threading itself through the silken fabric of Thai </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">society </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">is </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">that </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">of the <strong>Boat</strong>. Bangkok in particular used to be very much a water-</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">based culture </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">('Venice of </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">the </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">East'), </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">with food-vendors paddling canoes from house </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">to house along </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">endless networks of </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">canals.</span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> These days, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">antique "noodle-vendor </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">canoes" </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">are frequently </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">featured in restaurants, even </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">way up on dry land, as </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">prestigious historical evidence of the establishment's 'food pedigree'.</span></div><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: black;"><strong>OK... let's talk Causes. <em>Why </em>does Bangkok flood?</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Firstly</span></strong>, filling in Bangkok's networks of canals to create roads was a bad call - FAIL - and has contributed in no small part to the city's current flood woes. These days, floodwater now has nowhere to spread out when a monsoon flood does come down the river delta - as it <em>always</em> has - from the north. Bangkok was built on a huge swampy drain, let's face it (another bad call: FAIL). Suvarnaphumi Airport, for example, was built on an area formerly known as 'Cobra Swamp' (<em>n</em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ŏ</span><em>ng nguu hao</em>). It is still one of the lowest areas in all Bangkok, but now has a 3.5 metre dyke wall all round to keep floods out (and the cobras in??).</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Secondly</span></strong>, unregulated massive pumping up of groundwater (for both commercial and domestic use) is contributing to the entire cityscape sagging loosely downwards under its <em>hugely</em> heavy load of concrete and steel... FAIL. (Get a load of</span> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ehIh7MWNi8dgqF8tLpbn-ztNHbHP6qxSQ6FCEQ-YgzeN90bb6uSeicD2Cukov4_oz7f-0mBxwuiS50ftavBf2YEwosBc3w-fvJ3vB5YCXKF-Kl6iUDK2NGBvclUC9Nj3Jdqk/s320/Siam+Square2.JPG" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this pic</span></a> <span style="color: black;">of the Skytrain near Siam Square, </span>or <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_N7RP8_j1E10/TPEDMkoCE3I/AAAAAAAAAR4/X3OGpyFJnUU/Ratchaprasong%20Junction.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a> <span style="color: black;">at Ratchaprasong intersection. Imagine the foundations). Bangkok literally floats on a giant waterbed - Thai people are quite <span style="font-family: inherit;">blas<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">é </span>about</span> fresh cracks appearing in walls or floors... <em>m<span style="font-family: inherit;">âi bpen rai.</span></em></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><strong><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">And thirdly</span></strong> (but hardly least), do I need to mention those pesky rising sea-levels due to <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2009/12/2066-and-all-that-dear-copenhagen-there.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Global Warming</span></a>? Note also that Bangkok's Chao Phrya river is tidal for quite some distance inland, therefore can virtually stop flowing at times of very high tides, thereby severely increasing the back-flow into the few remaining canals. Even back in 1992, while I was staying at a friend's house in Bangkok, he warned me that the downstairs toilet only flushed properly at low tide... and yep, you bet, that failed too <span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><strong>:-(</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">spacer</span><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">So - how much longer can Thai people continue to look away, citing Severe Chronic Cognitive Dissonance Syndrome? Bangkok, which is slowly succumbing under this gigantic environmental pincer effect, is even now being unwillingly forced to revert to its traditional boating habits:</span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MciAuFMwUok-AiinhCXu3jkieFeXTI7tkt2IMFcoITh9tjYkqODsKIv4Rvs93oEQvxe7YiCUaDJzJSH55hr_GokAHt5VEAf6OyYyfLmVTzhnqFyBiaCnVv9HwRw2DmuyV3Fv/s1600/canoe+boat+bangkok+floods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MciAuFMwUok-AiinhCXu3jkieFeXTI7tkt2IMFcoITh9tjYkqODsKIv4Rvs93oEQvxe7YiCUaDJzJSH55hr_GokAHt5VEAf6OyYyfLmVTzhnqFyBiaCnVv9HwRw2DmuyV3Fv/s400/canoe+boat+bangkok+floods.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"><strong>What will this Bangkok street look like by 2020?</strong> </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"><em>Hey, but at least canoes don't emit<span style="color: #990000;"> CO</span></em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Calibri;"><sub>2 </sub><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>;-)</strong></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">spacer</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LkQIsfHIdrFZMtrHYadLjzGda5J_u9i1wui2tJqPmVfHSjL1r0kUSUlUBowTSTzrY-0I5GeNZ1c77xkZHS6famfQNbfu4BG0RRDqXmuCAAXs96D3H2SdcE_oHdht5KCURzcL/s1600/the+end+was+near.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LkQIsfHIdrFZMtrHYadLjzGda5J_u9i1wui2tJqPmVfHSjL1r0kUSUlUBowTSTzrY-0I5GeNZ1c77xkZHS6famfQNbfu4BG0RRDqXmuCAAXs96D3H2SdcE_oHdht5KCURzcL/s320/the+end+was+near.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">After you're done flooding Bangkok, why not navigate the </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">map </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">to check </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">the flood status of your own country/town/street? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Good luck (in Thai: <strong>c<em>hok-dee</em>). </strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;">spacer</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: black; font-size: x-small;">Site sponsored by </span><a href="https://funkypix2-real-estate-bargains-4u.com/"><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: black; font-size: x-small;">https://funkypix2-real-estate-bargains-4u.com</span></a><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: black; font-size: x-small;"> </span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: black; font-size: x-small;"> a warm & fuzzy subsidiary of Halliburton Corporation Canoe-Sales Division.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: black; font-size: x-small;">Proudly supporting Vulture Capitalism, World Bank Bailouts, </span></em><br />
<em><span style="background-color: #cccccc; color: black; font-size: x-small;">& Compassionate Rendition to countries of your choice. </span></em></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-55907418273102057462011-08-25T14:24:00.011+07:002011-09-07T13:47:34.333+07:00Dear Thailand Diary...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC06rh_IR5b9QQ6tlsDIfGTC7tH4paR63wlYwDNDJpls30LlASdGJFm2XBk0p46XzjOhPT-Z7u4xyJnNDgEI05sKU9ieoXty2U8cRUl74tz2EwrnZqylfz03qp3BxUrQwN8FMH/s1600/camel+inactive.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC06rh_IR5b9QQ6tlsDIfGTC7tH4paR63wlYwDNDJpls30LlASdGJFm2XBk0p46XzjOhPT-Z7u4xyJnNDgEI05sKU9ieoXty2U8cRUl74tz2EwrnZqylfz03qp3BxUrQwN8FMH/s400/camel+inactive.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Camel Inactive</strong>. This weird papier-mache beastie confronted us for a few weeks as we </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">did our twice-daily Jolly Geriatric Walk (Hobble?) around the nearby shoppimg centre.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Having just returned from an <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/02/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-first-part-of.html">Oddysey in Rajasthan</a>, it was all a bit too <em>deja-pas-vu</em>.</span><br />
<span style="color: white; font-size: x-small;"> jj</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #351c75; font-size: x-small;"><strong>PS</strong> - I've created a new search category called "<strong>Dear Thailand Diary</strong>". </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #351c75;"><em>Stay-at-home</em> posts such as </span><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">this one can henceforth be conveniently </span></span><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">found </span></span><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">grouped </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">there, as distinct from those under </span></span><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">"Thailand Culture"</span></span><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">or "Travels Outside Thailand". </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">See all your search options under "<strong>Browse by Category</strong>" in the sidebar <strong>>>></strong></span></span></span></div><span style="color: white;"> jj</span><br />
<strong>We've actually stayed put in Thailand for a few consecutive months now... almost a record for unrepentant travel-addicts such as we. Various friends and family have been a part of it all, and our collective misdeeds are documented below in a scrambled sort of fashion for your amusement/amazement...</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76QuYvcuA3EmGIBVj8CtOZa6A2CpZ_ynWOW-b5fOgspqdBn32X99QR9g51Dn2Dh39XcirryU96clVEU968T2ufI7tdYvZyDxEJV3Kr-SO4GLG4aJZs-0lg_ZzNwyGRiFPBjgG/s1600/baiyoke1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76QuYvcuA3EmGIBVj8CtOZa6A2CpZ_ynWOW-b5fOgspqdBn32X99QR9g51Dn2Dh39XcirryU96clVEU968T2ufI7tdYvZyDxEJV3Kr-SO4GLG4aJZs-0lg_ZzNwyGRiFPBjgG/s400/baiyoke1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> Kuhn Anna prepares her trusty iPhone for her fearless assault on Bangkok's 84-storey Baiyoke Tower. Yep, amazing how all the abseiling ropes can get squeezed into such a tiny device - and she still managed to txt msg us on the way down. <br />
Then she donned her pith helmet, climbed aboard a water-buffalo, and went exploring the 700 year old ruins of Sukhothai, one of Thailand's numerous former capitals:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiX9UDglHPeuLKZQGTtY5LTNqNHWsvWJA7RCZ1D1ibVxHCZly7s7qJsBsGngQZdJSaXGE4HwreMtg_5eB9l7WGW5Wb0fJVZoAY7qI3dEsgrKzuOCbDBgDizGlu067RBds7KlP7/s1600/Sukhothai6+April+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiX9UDglHPeuLKZQGTtY5LTNqNHWsvWJA7RCZ1D1ibVxHCZly7s7qJsBsGngQZdJSaXGE4HwreMtg_5eB9l7WGW5Wb0fJVZoAY7qI3dEsgrKzuOCbDBgDizGlu067RBds7KlP7/s400/Sukhothai6+April+2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">...and at Si Satchanali, site of some of Asia's most ancient pottery kilns:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ukvJXk_nbDS1-QE0fWx1ZLE0J_26qAeKoh388ENWVGafsNuDnfX06VcZ8rxavak2YVacvHmRZu3jq0vMrDOxMU3pDnnjZaYoCPVGuiRWCC5RoD-k2Gb3craBUHwfcfSHoYrL/s1600/Si+Satchanali3+April+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ukvJXk_nbDS1-QE0fWx1ZLE0J_26qAeKoh388ENWVGafsNuDnfX06VcZ8rxavak2YVacvHmRZu3jq0vMrDOxMU3pDnnjZaYoCPVGuiRWCC5RoD-k2Gb3craBUHwfcfSHoYrL/s400/Si+Satchanali3+April+2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhiNa4s89MiuTdsxb4DJvk3YAAuv0pUiFP0AZGRMCgawQtDmKboMLAt84HEFZwQnrwe9Bt5kkOIpH3RXscYjzwMZ1LBhuyDRWiHq8SodeH3qMXxULOpw4bzRSF-ntGySGzqcb/s1600/Anna+Denchai+April+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhiNa4s89MiuTdsxb4DJvk3YAAuv0pUiFP0AZGRMCgawQtDmKboMLAt84HEFZwQnrwe9Bt5kkOIpH3RXscYjzwMZ1LBhuyDRWiHq8SodeH3qMXxULOpw4bzRSF-ntGySGzqcb/s640/Anna+Denchai+April+2011.JPG" width="480" /></a></div> Walking under the belly of the giant elephant (at the northern town of Denchai) traditionally confers great powers on you. Mr Thaksin always made a point of doing it oh-so-humbly, but only ever bothered if TV cameras were rolling. <br />
And speaking of Matters Political, here are a few of the posters from the recent election. Yup, things <em>are</em> different in Thailand...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oey6aDVX-wslPXviLilrdpNUytmDGDXEZerOFUQPU1w_C5mBwDUkk2M_nL5GuO3jwryG6Qjz16dkGsWnCRNoHNaWNLc3_m7d5oLMrRrkUKmuxoPtxeRZ3Xzf3UtrRBOQ__Sk/s1600/election1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oey6aDVX-wslPXviLilrdpNUytmDGDXEZerOFUQPU1w_C5mBwDUkk2M_nL5GuO3jwryG6Qjz16dkGsWnCRNoHNaWNLc3_m7d5oLMrRrkUKmuxoPtxeRZ3Xzf3UtrRBOQ__Sk/s320/election1.bmp" width="211" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-oey6aDVX-wslPXviLilrdpNUytmDGDXEZerOFUQPU1w_C5mBwDUkk2M_nL5GuO3jwryG6Qjz16dkGsWnCRNoHNaWNLc3_m7d5oLMrRrkUKmuxoPtxeRZ3Xzf3UtrRBOQ__Sk/s1600/election1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;">(Our visiting friends Kevin and Trish learned a few important political </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;">pointers which I trust they plan to transmit to Australia's Mr Rabbit.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOlT09-W1XykxIiflMxcRyXlgUFyXrDQ9vx8Hn8vTHf5RORhXARtrKHMj8zQ0mf5QMjzZPVdXZhudTvTgeQKp9xiMpK0czqfLkTgkoikXHTUNAX7DYUjWWoPmNaZTfNeywKYC/s1600/election2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZOlT09-W1XykxIiflMxcRyXlgUFyXrDQ9vx8Hn8vTHf5RORhXARtrKHMj8zQ0mf5QMjzZPVdXZhudTvTgeQKp9xiMpK0czqfLkTgkoikXHTUNAX7DYUjWWoPmNaZTfNeywKYC/s320/election2.bmp" width="212" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMDgq9NRgqcTasMXjW_uYTZq84dshgyf_b4Z3Md1YxBu5FJ9J3gkquYJ0Ri8KdZ3Nx0YUZku57TrIp-jbUisOKPMapU91dkyh-su57SKkj6ZE7DtAC4hWDAASuNdO7HwDegEo/s1600/ATM+poster%252C+Nimmanhemin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMDgq9NRgqcTasMXjW_uYTZq84dshgyf_b4Z3Md1YxBu5FJ9J3gkquYJ0Ri8KdZ3Nx0YUZku57TrIp-jbUisOKPMapU91dkyh-su57SKkj6ZE7DtAC4hWDAASuNdO7HwDegEo/s320/ATM+poster%252C+Nimmanhemin.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhokET9VJnU57gXd8KLr658UYOIUm1DPrEoyw4Yt9K8gE0eNkpJVMMDqhorEC82v4mFcqFC12OIpxakW6Z0qCEa6P114gHd05onE9IA8OkC54V2WmACMCj5RICJIj8oF_X45g/s1600/Googooporn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhokET9VJnU57gXd8KLr658UYOIUm1DPrEoyw4Yt9K8gE0eNkpJVMMDqhorEC82v4mFcqFC12OIpxakW6Z0qCEa6P114gHd05onE9IA8OkC54V2WmACMCj5RICJIj8oF_X45g/s320/Googooporn.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>Sure, Thailand now has yet another government it deserves. But until the Thai education system undergoes a transformation and weans its students off rote-learning in favour of analysis and critical thinking, simplistic unfundable campaign promises from <em>both</em> parties will continue to sway sucker voters. How about a 25% increase in the basic wage? <em>Yeehah, why the hell not?</em> Or maybe free tablet computers for 800,000 children. <em>Yippee, freebies!</em> Duh, and when all the cheering died down after the election, somebody noted that there was no porn filter, and, <em>um</em>, who was gonna pay for those increased wages? Stay tuned for the predictable back-flips, folks.<br />
<br />
Now the new PM is caving in to pressure from Redshirts to restore the 1997 constitution. This parallels the urge of Australia's former Howard government to return to the 1950s...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYKVEgI4zQS4QhSRhEiprAD0A9ZQgcKi3E1GS4dhUokL4oYqDBvUgqo66B5YCL35JH4N0QdTUT3xz3CCmn2fhia0cIQo4przXjiyaeujyX4_r8Bea08qQgnmO4YmVpQnFxx5c/s1600/thailand+constitution.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYKVEgI4zQS4QhSRhEiprAD0A9ZQgcKi3E1GS4dhUokL4oYqDBvUgqo66B5YCL35JH4N0QdTUT3xz3CCmn2fhia0cIQo4przXjiyaeujyX4_r8Bea08qQgnmO4YmVpQnFxx5c/s400/thailand+constitution.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...and another iconic Thai metaphor, just for good measure:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrgZ7cf6F65GnznIRbbiPGYvg135jZNhWUIwXHGpgFWZSLRXbuBmbwbJU3tSMFLHnHApeX0-_cXjZVbW-MO0SxJ5I3Q8njT_drgRp0rnOx2Y64SFulnOoRXGwp9Bj89aHwEoU/s1600/TUK_TUK_ON_BRICKS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrgZ7cf6F65GnznIRbbiPGYvg135jZNhWUIwXHGpgFWZSLRXbuBmbwbJU3tSMFLHnHApeX0-_cXjZVbW-MO0SxJ5I3Q8njT_drgRp0rnOx2Y64SFulnOoRXGwp9Bj89aHwEoU/s400/TUK_TUK_ON_BRICKS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have to admit, though, that the chaos is fun. There's always a surprise around the next corner:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTGjQZzTpCnGMR6Fass5w7Wh_TBr2ax8t2w-w1mVGQdbwmcAkkR8MUP557cvjm1awZPMmWfbwpofs_lPS2MfNZOzyIFNB7nNxRX8ZtDHXK9Iox4e2wbx7m_hUk_RkebADZW1Z/s1600/equinequins+bangkok.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTGjQZzTpCnGMR6Fass5w7Wh_TBr2ax8t2w-w1mVGQdbwmcAkkR8MUP557cvjm1awZPMmWfbwpofs_lPS2MfNZOzyIFNB7nNxRX8ZtDHXK9Iox4e2wbx7m_hUk_RkebADZW1Z/s400/equinequins+bangkok.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj711hggVcgUTYlURGlcELyTp2uQqVxkfhP9qL2H5WE8Scs9APdzOfsNt1tPu9-at1mwffL0kiOaZQd5Rms5OcGWdPoZqJUwTQxe13LbGgF5G88E6zdckKmMxXubR5wZGMYCPgC/s1600/suandok+gate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj711hggVcgUTYlURGlcELyTp2uQqVxkfhP9qL2H5WE8Scs9APdzOfsNt1tPu9-at1mwffL0kiOaZQd5Rms5OcGWdPoZqJUwTQxe13LbGgF5G88E6zdckKmMxXubR5wZGMYCPgC/s400/suandok+gate.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Internally-illuminated statues near Chiangmai's 700 year-old Suan Dtok gate.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>We took a short holiday from retirement at <strong>Hua Hin</strong> beach (about 2 hours drive south of Bangkok). Ostensibly the sea air was to help Marie to recover from a viral flu, but in truth it was mostly an excuse to get back to the superlative seafood buffet (<em>drool</em>) overlooking the beach at the Sofitel Resort:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbSjXmdmC0jxlHh9GiZfhQGFUEx9oVNNs0M3HgKR9EY7mBk7OMPC2Qr5rjhZ_3HwMbAzyM-IZV9UJpwQOoCzkn0-pjIMOWA1f1HMhNIq09_3pHckvI_WUcY39nsdtsmywvia2/s1600/sofitel+dinner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbSjXmdmC0jxlHh9GiZfhQGFUEx9oVNNs0M3HgKR9EY7mBk7OMPC2Qr5rjhZ_3HwMbAzyM-IZV9UJpwQOoCzkn0-pjIMOWA1f1HMhNIq09_3pHckvI_WUcY39nsdtsmywvia2/s400/sofitel+dinner.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">M had a Gothic Moment in the lobby while recovering from the meal:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZlGKU8GPBxFNUZ46T867yT6bCmXT6ev6ROww66fSsv3AoPNTkyLOd8HhpjZEa60LeVmTi7nW6L-2r6stvjTRN0h31EUke2A7GjeLpsHlDEw8-iAxBEPiWThtgYQ4qPmOvfHj/s1600/sofitel+lounge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ZlGKU8GPBxFNUZ46T867yT6bCmXT6ev6ROww66fSsv3AoPNTkyLOd8HhpjZEa60LeVmTi7nW6L-2r6stvjTRN0h31EUke2A7GjeLpsHlDEw8-iAxBEPiWThtgYQ4qPmOvfHj/s400/sofitel+lounge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our walks we noted that the old Huahin is <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2008/04/escaping-songkran-water-wars-hua-hin-is.html">fast disappearing</a>. It used to be principally a fishing village - now it's morphing into a tourist town with fishermen attached. Traditional teak houses like this one are rare now...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwvRm6XamDXXBQg2QQ7IIU96MHg2Dd7cyPEvUYka4jT0K68g4gRcBU8uOEmYbjkDSiNOaQrVgecPaxYKHCCK1XEa8iJsllVG6w9DnU2OJCvWqKQ423ianElaIGZfIaHc131j7/s1600/huahin+teak+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwvRm6XamDXXBQg2QQ7IIU96MHg2Dd7cyPEvUYka4jT0K68g4gRcBU8uOEmYbjkDSiNOaQrVgecPaxYKHCCK1XEa8iJsllVG6w9DnU2OJCvWqKQ423ianElaIGZfIaHc131j7/s400/huahin+teak+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...while German, Danish and Scandanavian cultures are swamping the scene (hey, when Russians and/or Israelis come <em>en masse</em>, we'll go elsewhere. Some Thai hotels at the tourist beaches already refuse entry to Israelis as they are frequently problematic).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: white;">mm</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yep, road signs are different in Hua Hin:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUiT6VWoZ0-CIupcd_gCGGgvWfrGgYHCsPiuWDCfcgkeHaNaZhc7a0lZn1lMqPndZHrsuzsykJGU6wIfNe-yICrPJl43nRbzwXlaDCBJRvXZ1R2rlbsBk0efHWxEUmC2PxlpK/s1600/sausage+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUiT6VWoZ0-CIupcd_gCGGgvWfrGgYHCsPiuWDCfcgkeHaNaZhc7a0lZn1lMqPndZHrsuzsykJGU6wIfNe-yICrPJl43nRbzwXlaDCBJRvXZ1R2rlbsBk0efHWxEUmC2PxlpK/s400/sausage+sign.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alan, our sapphire-miner friend from Queensland, came on a 3-week dental holiday to the red north. Here he is at the Chiangmai Night Safari (he's the one in red):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TkWF7maQX_GWGegMmRi2kxOZuOaXijMWEI2sQhzFtUJVNIPKX04H_z2MLeJVjbaLOBpQ9to3wp1BNIqlBFnFI6vQXiIHSo-Ir7-oB4Qb4v0ZL_DtvPX3HT4N_9nw7PmCUtyE/s1600/CM+Night+Safari33.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TkWF7maQX_GWGegMmRi2kxOZuOaXijMWEI2sQhzFtUJVNIPKX04H_z2MLeJVjbaLOBpQ9to3wp1BNIqlBFnFI6vQXiIHSo-Ir7-oB4Qb4v0ZL_DtvPX3HT4N_9nw7PmCUtyE/s400/CM+Night+Safari33.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...and went camping in a wee hoosie ('sala'):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxSi2qAipqByN9wtroZH0ZcMkHBoZbi_iKu_MkpaNwfl2De7tzjKzOCcTa3WWHPsW065qLjYbVB7rPN8tW3y5XFo2Vw4NqPvMqmv_ySgU9x6sjZ_w_ZZUeaM-LiaYywbGG0sb/s1600/wee+hoosie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxSi2qAipqByN9wtroZH0ZcMkHBoZbi_iKu_MkpaNwfl2De7tzjKzOCcTa3WWHPsW065qLjYbVB7rPN8tW3y5XFo2Vw4NqPvMqmv_ySgU9x6sjZ_w_ZZUeaM-LiaYywbGG0sb/s400/wee+hoosie.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...and visited Chiangmai's silver wat (Wat Srisuphan) with its regulation standing portrait of the King:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NwG9qh7WV3jBuI3AeSB3wQl-l_kQ2J5sXUx4UAb5nhTM6XH9wdYmx2RJO-trKW7_QCcR8rQrI5GvBTr5-SmsfZxhqI46nQ-EWrHrQPBs89ltwJzX8z9ACsKjqYwevQ75ANls/s1600/Wat+Srisuphan3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NwG9qh7WV3jBuI3AeSB3wQl-l_kQ2J5sXUx4UAb5nhTM6XH9wdYmx2RJO-trKW7_QCcR8rQrI5GvBTr5-SmsfZxhqI46nQ-EWrHrQPBs89ltwJzX8z9ACsKjqYwevQ75ANls/s400/Wat+Srisuphan3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Marie's been going to Thai classes, and despite me trying to crib off her lessons, she's becoming completely incomprehensible to me. <em>Phuut chaa-gwaa daai mai khrap?</em> I'm just <span style="background-color: #d9ead3; color: #38761d;">jealous</span>. And lazy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here she is walkling to school while I continue to fritter my time away composing music - this is one of my infamous "Where's Wally" picture series:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-zQJYHWOaumEXrOvrXWR_W2PduDCvX8j0TL_5je2eY0v9eHI5zGJyzw5iZBW_kl85TaqqhGRyfsTp4ReJwzv0d-kDLhTQN6LN2RPlgoYth7QpZAJfJafGUjDHvngliyvOc_n/s1600/Marie.+Where%2527s+Wally.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-zQJYHWOaumEXrOvrXWR_W2PduDCvX8j0TL_5je2eY0v9eHI5zGJyzw5iZBW_kl85TaqqhGRyfsTp4ReJwzv0d-kDLhTQN6LN2RPlgoYth7QpZAJfJafGUjDHvngliyvOc_n/s400/Marie.+Where%2527s+Wally.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">You can biggen any picture by clicking on it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Here's the view towards Doi Suthep from the same balcony. First dry, then wet'n'windy:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrOmpLSHIyUu_PTBcl1lgSDyfS3pEqulVwZsQ51l6_6NKMpex7bZ03dyqbeVWgQHtUBrEbZeX3lr90snul0cjK2W4-KAC26KClvhYuJg8-zL37hA8UNUilB1p0LQS7ysEDjsa/s1600/nakornping+august+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrOmpLSHIyUu_PTBcl1lgSDyfS3pEqulVwZsQ51l6_6NKMpex7bZ03dyqbeVWgQHtUBrEbZeX3lr90snul0cjK2W4-KAC26KClvhYuJg8-zL37hA8UNUilB1p0LQS7ysEDjsa/s400/nakornping+august+2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1zwDZy_T2SSIJDJc-2rEBELsTtv2kClcvIlg9fYLis6_pWSWEd2RwMn_HlbruPF0zMQt55SiTzi07mEjz1-r14CBjStI13-nIHxyzkWsTPQCJ0Q5sK0Vwo6q8K_DaI0hwkUZ/s1600/rainstorm+aug+2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1zwDZy_T2SSIJDJc-2rEBELsTtv2kClcvIlg9fYLis6_pWSWEd2RwMn_HlbruPF0zMQt55SiTzi07mEjz1-r14CBjStI13-nIHxyzkWsTPQCJ0Q5sK0Vwo6q8K_DaI0hwkUZ/s400/rainstorm+aug+2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBEoDuH5c6Mn3MV9hIWzhbVfAT4YAkF1U58LXHambyNmyENuiA8MepbbMOEaYKD0rrwTGZlZT61Xd4ibGQCbhhU4LxgROSAcBZgPiQpetPTfXKp40tSvzLIki3eUdaQ4gORMv/s1600/storm+pan+from+balcony.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBEoDuH5c6Mn3MV9hIWzhbVfAT4YAkF1U58LXHambyNmyENuiA8MepbbMOEaYKD0rrwTGZlZT61Xd4ibGQCbhhU4LxgROSAcBZgPiQpetPTfXKp40tSvzLIki3eUdaQ4gORMv/s640/storm+pan+from+balcony.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...but on calmer nights (when you sneak out for a snack at the fridge, for instance),it looks more like this from the kitchen:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimktgDzr3Ijr25DLHMMbcDTc6LtOJzynFup6fyW4MX5Igsd8C_Vl8pq_flYJh_XuahPci_WibsPh34FzZxI8_C9Il2GCXHoFN_Ur1ZXgELku7pA6pz6T4pWe7kyY3H30qGDyKQ/s1600/kitchen-aug2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimktgDzr3Ijr25DLHMMbcDTc6LtOJzynFup6fyW4MX5Igsd8C_Vl8pq_flYJh_XuahPci_WibsPh34FzZxI8_C9Il2GCXHoFN_Ur1ZXgELku7pA6pz6T4pWe7kyY3H30qGDyKQ/s400/kitchen-aug2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">[see more pix of the <a href="http://eyrie2.blogspot.com/2008/12/finished-well-sort-of.html">apartment</a> and <a href="http://room-1407-rebuild.blogspot.com/2009/09/final-photos-let-writing-begin.html">Marie's cave</a>]</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDHbKGIOZ73QsKcPgJzCjG976ecclqhcLYXQcP8FPyEwR7-lbNqdT1NqqUoQl2fRIILqNQU2FwJ1p9isq_jb991wCXFyVfk8U7nuAjhgKONOYnWqcm-wQ96Zo4T2z0mxdml10/s1600/lounge-aug2011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDHbKGIOZ73QsKcPgJzCjG976ecclqhcLYXQcP8FPyEwR7-lbNqdT1NqqUoQl2fRIILqNQU2FwJ1p9isq_jb991wCXFyVfk8U7nuAjhgKONOYnWqcm-wQ96Zo4T2z0mxdml10/s400/lounge-aug2011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The balcony is our Social Central. Here's the occasion of Ronny's 80th birthday with a bunch of our Thai and Farang friends, with Ronny/Rani literally talking up a five-o'clock storm - which, because of R's eloquent oratory, no-one actually noticed:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jOH8ktsGP0fk3mQ6X0vPMjTtnfBXsW-6jB815KjTJ3csRatde6oRQ5K27L_APGWxFIVX9O5K_7oQOV2du1r2N5OW_KOf6x0QN6hIpd-ol1ImlUCcYwSVBgjKnuZIZqdFrSfb/s1600/Ronny+talks+up+a+storm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jOH8ktsGP0fk3mQ6X0vPMjTtnfBXsW-6jB815KjTJ3csRatde6oRQ5K27L_APGWxFIVX9O5K_7oQOV2du1r2N5OW_KOf6x0QN6hIpd-ol1ImlUCcYwSVBgjKnuZIZqdFrSfb/s400/Ronny+talks+up+a+storm.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In fact, the wet season is by far the best time of year for cool weather, flowering trees, avoiding crowds, etc. Just don't tell the tourists. We want it all for ourselves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And being kept indoors on your 60th is the perfect excuse, of course, to whip up a mini-trifle:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7cJRLzlQ-wwJKMirSvAO80oP6FBmvidQOJR4S1LVuV_1XdEZhwjbiDRVk0QPSEQDXKtoIINLrih06t0-2B43g_bPOK6_Re1Fl833deWk8ZKWZLGbQNtvbNN1NCXFoRvEKh5n/s1600/p4+trifle+60th+BD.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7cJRLzlQ-wwJKMirSvAO80oP6FBmvidQOJR4S1LVuV_1XdEZhwjbiDRVk0QPSEQDXKtoIINLrih06t0-2B43g_bPOK6_Re1Fl833deWk8ZKWZLGbQNtvbNN1NCXFoRvEKh5n/s400/p4+trifle+60th+BD.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...but you always have to be wary of raids from local ratbag sugarholic maniacs:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bKlX12dTqoj5eG9uWDfta6ptNOInPUMY2OIrGgZRRvzGq7IcQy0N73nHE0nul_XjakFuXt1xJjlzNdRQSvM3XUf7NcgzTKwOg6vFa14UGOp1RjMONSmuVdtF4dHlWNaAD1RN/s1600/p4+trifle+at+risk+from+Ms+Rat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bKlX12dTqoj5eG9uWDfta6ptNOInPUMY2OIrGgZRRvzGq7IcQy0N73nHE0nul_XjakFuXt1xJjlzNdRQSvM3XUf7NcgzTKwOg6vFa14UGOp1RjMONSmuVdtF4dHlWNaAD1RN/s400/p4+trifle+at+risk+from+Ms+Rat.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><burp>(burp)</burp></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbzuqs9-gUzMm8-2WWOTSK3NuiMG5rm0GFThQ0j1Lfa8146y5vxTQ04rn3SfTlgHAE7tYFEQogURdc5Mq4z1H8Bg5KIyXhYSHkymIGaQy5VdFDhIeKMf6WWd85uHWYsrFYIHC/s1600/King%2527s+picture+now+red.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbzuqs9-gUzMm8-2WWOTSK3NuiMG5rm0GFThQ0j1Lfa8146y5vxTQ04rn3SfTlgHAE7tYFEQogURdc5Mq4z1H8Bg5KIyXhYSHkymIGaQy5VdFDhIeKMf6WWd85uHWYsrFYIHC/s400/King%2527s+picture+now+red.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><burp>The threateningly red colour of the cherries on the trifle proved to be an ominous portent of the radical redecoration of the King's portrait on Huaykeaw Road, as storm-clouds gather on the distant horizon. <em>What is mean?</em> Passing in front is one of numerous new Fukushima refugees, gratefully lugging home some radiation-free shopping.</burp></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><burp><span style="color: white;">mm</span></burp></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><burp>Then we hopped a passing Lao Airlines twin-prop for the 1-hour flight from Chiangmai to Luangprabang for a quick sandwich:</burp></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwE-NP76ScV9r-Lydhvj8TH8vGiVtSiw123S2xqM_H7VCO71R4YKnmbeA1L3as5QT1LMIUAn8i4MGTA-mFUYuK_93GTU82KC_IVQt8BJjPwy54D9XCDcYIwIrvaA6TTBNERW3/s1600/luangprabang+approach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpwE-NP76ScV9r-Lydhvj8TH8vGiVtSiw123S2xqM_H7VCO71R4YKnmbeA1L3as5QT1LMIUAn8i4MGTA-mFUYuK_93GTU82KC_IVQt8BJjPwy54D9XCDcYIwIrvaA6TTBNERW3/s640/luangprabang+approach.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><burp><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">On the approach to Luangprabang, formerly the French colonial administrative capital. </span></burp></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><burp><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">The river is the </span></burp><burp><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Mae Naam Khan, which feeds nearby into the Mae Khong.</span></burp></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXPk1WCaOed1zbVQWtUvM7EuGP4JCxvig3DLN9IRY0aYxcdL53jIn4GoVZOgyzBYTsaY-657D84XWuANWqgoN6MrmI9k10EeN7RwAnPa7QN4SWistck56TjSeorXxw_aWXqbv/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiXPk1WCaOed1zbVQWtUvM7EuGP4JCxvig3DLN9IRY0aYxcdL53jIn4GoVZOgyzBYTsaY-657D84XWuANWqgoN6MrmI9k10EeN7RwAnPa7QN4SWistck56TjSeorXxw_aWXqbv/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><burp>Sisavangvong St, the main drag, hasa few more lights at night now, but they're all provided by privately-owned restaurants and shops, not government streetlights. Ironic, that, for a country which promotes itself as Asia's 'generator'. <strong>Huuuuge</strong> amounts of cash goes into the Lao government's pockets from selling hydro-electricity to Thailand, but ordinary citizens in the burbs continue to rely on self-funded kersene/candle-power and early bed-times.</burp></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TQOHsm6oiIOXCsM1IaS2bXVDI55pAmPPPRBvej_RM-g_WhnvxpqgK7cc_Mjc128y8Og74R5P38ACyc9rTlsCtt1D1SfBykyznTEjRNMUIulPzgA2TwPRpEQWf7JHlHKFtnMu/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5TQOHsm6oiIOXCsM1IaS2bXVDI55pAmPPPRBvej_RM-g_WhnvxpqgK7cc_Mjc128y8Og74R5P38ACyc9rTlsCtt1D1SfBykyznTEjRNMUIulPzgA2TwPRpEQWf7JHlHKFtnMu/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><burp><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">The night-market carries on as usual.</span></burp><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv6jbla6Ahup4uF8I2IqqTCKi_u_BNnUR1JbQ5KrSYgAYOAqwIMFARW-UysOFW29xVSupmqOIayHItCMCeAGnSnEpSGP0JzKTL3i8kRVchtM2MmpV3qD2sUEj3D12kxv-3V4q/s1600/LuangprabangBambooRio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv6jbla6Ahup4uF8I2IqqTCKi_u_BNnUR1JbQ5KrSYgAYOAqwIMFARW-UysOFW29xVSupmqOIayHItCMCeAGnSnEpSGP0JzKTL3i8kRVchtM2MmpV3qD2sUEj3D12kxv-3V4q/s400/LuangprabangBambooRio.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> A nearby building site uses thin strips of bamboo as internal reinforcement for a new concrete floor. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">Maybe they couldnl't afford rio bar due to corruption expenses.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Outside our hotel ('Luangprabang Residence'... excellent) was a daily morning market selling all manner of veg and meats, including live eels and frogs, unidentifiable parts of un-named animals, plus a clearly identifiable calf foetus, complete of course:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9u5yzm3WdgNn9uK_xbi8F8sPPBe7I7WNKpPpuiTKN4qvMVpWwCJahNkxtI7VC8yz26pLyT2rFTURSC8ymXhURgegK_A1ixMZs7lpJEceAwD0nKw8WcGLalpy-S4wCt8E1-1w/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9u5yzm3WdgNn9uK_xbi8F8sPPBe7I7WNKpPpuiTKN4qvMVpWwCJahNkxtI7VC8yz26pLyT2rFTURSC8ymXhURgegK_A1ixMZs7lpJEceAwD0nKw8WcGLalpy-S4wCt8E1-1w/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEJj9Qnfd3ghyphenhyphenYkqDiNWPGV11BqnR69EWWeNDXVWhwBLUectjudwOIam6fCXU8zGLBnxcEDQ5EZM-Ay-MlR0F42enKRfhgrCuSMovgrka5HEc5MOQrqBD7_RASUpFfYcpQM0l/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEJj9Qnfd3ghyphenhyphenYkqDiNWPGV11BqnR69EWWeNDXVWhwBLUectjudwOIam6fCXU8zGLBnxcEDQ5EZM-Ay-MlR0F42enKRfhgrCuSMovgrka5HEc5MOQrqBD7_RASUpFfYcpQM0l/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept5.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> A child enjoys the sensations of paddling his toes among a seething mass of squirming eels.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvZnVynmv1ynWghiT_vpSSzPZP6HpYnXFJWa3QOzNrsES7oZMQOdzG-YRlYZpuN-bJ5gbrvINF2ArMc_4L_O-d0OkEnGW4z3ihU-XPMpfTfGEFHXCJ3cKnPbso4h-3NL69jg7/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvZnVynmv1ynWghiT_vpSSzPZP6HpYnXFJWa3QOzNrsES7oZMQOdzG-YRlYZpuN-bJ5gbrvINF2ArMc_4L_O-d0OkEnGW4z3ihU-XPMpfTfGEFHXCJ3cKnPbso4h-3NL69jg7/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> A signature Laotian condiment is the so-called Buffalo Jam. Help yourself to packets</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> of dried buffalo skin, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">the key ingredient. Hey, it works for me... quite nice, actually.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Off to school again, this time to a class in Laotian cookery. Marg and Andy happened to be there. The chef is closely inspecting how Marie is folding her spring rolls... perhaps he's picking up some tips:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6YT8FJV1AZ61CyE7c2gTwDjY_AxAejnWz14quEKCA8tWBvmM7lfkGAoMfgQMZxihvtMXzNXHfFCtU86EC1GiktibYqhYmhV7Sl_Y9f69ZKvedSjgytzjeez_gXGXvJ6j21rx/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6YT8FJV1AZ61CyE7c2gTwDjY_AxAejnWz14quEKCA8tWBvmM7lfkGAoMfgQMZxihvtMXzNXHfFCtU86EC1GiktibYqhYmhV7Sl_Y9f69ZKvedSjgytzjeez_gXGXvJ6j21rx/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept15.JPG" width="297" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLaX5FpOKTg8_z3rWKakMDByoLTTDmdopuFUCQDGAuLVW3npI70Vrc0KzIaRKZ_UGSGXrboybk-SJeAXR-lRAN7fTbwkD6vMfQNzNlf0In-RF0Grv0DVX5J25Ggdn8l4iMmvD/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLaX5FpOKTg8_z3rWKakMDByoLTTDmdopuFUCQDGAuLVW3npI70Vrc0KzIaRKZ_UGSGXrboybk-SJeAXR-lRAN7fTbwkD6vMfQNzNlf0In-RF0Grv0DVX5J25Ggdn8l4iMmvD/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept18.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_K_5adlvrLHO9z3g2u06aJwqPFBjnRg3ThdNgSwXtUjufnWvEX-p8sBbwNBljz3RBdGNYp2TNTSOSi_WIytjSVC5TnuyN6NrnHmzzpM4BIS3t14BUw_tZavGzzdvtaerQ3-XG/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_K_5adlvrLHO9z3g2u06aJwqPFBjnRg3ThdNgSwXtUjufnWvEX-p8sBbwNBljz3RBdGNYp2TNTSOSi_WIytjSVC5TnuyN6NrnHmzzpM4BIS3t14BUw_tZavGzzdvtaerQ3-XG/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept19.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JvlQV2hmseA2yHmsrEmB8t0r9ha5F2EOGJzZ0o1t-xuLnx0RIzBeirFVlBlZvE02pn8pfaMVB8HgiISxVwbrH0gpkW6LAr690t0qG7iyNpVteeecZrwrhCE7QKL9zIm_z08A/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1JvlQV2hmseA2yHmsrEmB8t0r9ha5F2EOGJzZ0o1t-xuLnx0RIzBeirFVlBlZvE02pn8pfaMVB8HgiISxVwbrH0gpkW6LAr690t0qG7iyNpVteeecZrwrhCE7QKL9zIm_z08A/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept21.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZZw440xMAATVwVAmLg4aMo5hwZ9x0k9SfbJuYDCCf95ud87OHa1Rob4Ei2zaNmgN2zatQ6VqPkoONndJnlUE4vbgnYUYzXqBLUySOiNKknwzmghvyM0xkM10G1e9iID9Cyb8/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZZw440xMAATVwVAmLg4aMo5hwZ9x0k9SfbJuYDCCf95ud87OHa1Rob4Ei2zaNmgN2zatQ6VqPkoONndJnlUE4vbgnYUYzXqBLUySOiNKknwzmghvyM0xkM10G1e9iID9Cyb8/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept23.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> (Beware the scarecrow in the fake rice paddy... he reputedly adores sweet & sour fish)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG86PnFaxWuMZAMdWWdvn9soPrtRwlW9L95Cj8z9_XnYbAy0msdb_JRECDgB6qbnngaLUsTpv0nO1Gl1YLiF0APDxM6SY2X2DUW20ZwHz_yhUzh1tKRVGfa3Zvr6mhSKoNBzjw/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG86PnFaxWuMZAMdWWdvn9soPrtRwlW9L95Cj8z9_XnYbAy0msdb_JRECDgB6qbnngaLUsTpv0nO1Gl1YLiF0APDxM6SY2X2DUW20ZwHz_yhUzh1tKRVGfa3Zvr6mhSKoNBzjw/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept26.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;"> Laotian Desserts 101. Sticky rice with mango. </span><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-small;">We pigged out over lunch. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">That evening we ate out... no we didn't cook it... local specialty dishes inclding a rather tasty Mae Khong Terapia:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hO-y2SC11ak-ztYFPdM9ONGwDcOhuuAttMdzvDUKSFqAf2KJ1skBUq9TKN77oDTe3-xSMO9ksdrwDRojAZv8gN4piDA-8Ciqkdk40vJ7S6VEjQa8sD_3Br5STa0WBuGMF0ZU/s1600/Luangprabang2011Sept30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hO-y2SC11ak-ztYFPdM9ONGwDcOhuuAttMdzvDUKSFqAf2KJ1skBUq9TKN77oDTe3-xSMO9ksdrwDRojAZv8gN4piDA-8Ciqkdk40vJ7S6VEjQa8sD_3Br5STa0WBuGMF0ZU/s400/Luangprabang2011Sept30.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><burp>Watch this space [<span style="background-color: #fff2cc; color: #fff2cc;">----------</span>] for a link to our forthcoming trip to Oz. </burp></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><burp><em>Oo-roo, seer mite.</em></burp></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-33914210287154939372011-03-18T23:30:00.003+07:002013-11-13T13:50:13.092+07:00Indian Odyssey, Xmas 2010 (Part 1 of 4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span id="goog_94464137"></span><span id="goog_94464138"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2rjBYYXy7ms58fnJVgpiPqW6LpYwUdgWBjg7avxdEpSMNsMZtqqrz5Hju4CbaFZR9g-pvoanoNcfqPhDuXXNCMnDD8geUfxaonhDcnnXWgIxEfFlQ7RP0awcZRICGMQuaBvQ/s1600/Manvar+Camp+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2rjBYYXy7ms58fnJVgpiPqW6LpYwUdgWBjg7avxdEpSMNsMZtqqrz5Hju4CbaFZR9g-pvoanoNcfqPhDuXXNCMnDD8geUfxaonhDcnnXWgIxEfFlQ7RP0awcZRICGMQuaBvQ/s400/Manvar+Camp+10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">"Camel-thorn" treat for Kalu the Camel, in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>At last - our account of the eight weeks spent traveling through northern India, plus one week in Sri Lanka. <em><u>Where to start</u>??</em> Right here in Part 1 is a good spot. When you complete Part 1, you'll get a link to continue to Part 2, and so forth.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></span></span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #6aa84f;"><strong>Part 1</strong></span> </span><span style="color: black;"> Bangkok, Kolkata, a wedding in Delhi, Headhunting in Nagaland, Darjeerling, Agra, Orcha Fort, Khajuraho, Varanasi, Sarnath.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<em><span style="color: black;">On the other hand, you may care to leap direct to Part 2, 3, or 4 via the following links:</span></em><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-part-2-of-3.html"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Part 2</span></a> <span style="color: black;">Goa, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Ellora & Ajanta Cave Temples, Delhi.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-part-3-of-4.html"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Part 3</span></a> <span style="color: black;">Mt Abu, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Deogarh Palace, Rohet, Manver Camp.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-part-4-of-4.html"><span style="background-color: #fce5cd;">Part 4</span></a> <span style="color: black;">Johdpur, Mehrangarh Fort, Jaipur, Amber Fort, Mandawar, <em>as well as</em> both the Jaipur & Galle Literary Festivals.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">These four posts are consecutive, making it a rather long read in total, so you may prefer to read only one of the 4 at a time. Either way, grab yourself a coffee and settle in. Film clips are all quite short so shouldn't take long to load. Any photo can be enlarged by clicking on it (after viewing it, click your 'Back' button).<br />
If you came here specifically to look at any of our earlier posts, don't spend time scrolling down: it's simpler to use the links in the sidebar under <strong><u>Browse by Category</u></strong> or <strong><u>Browse our Archives</u></strong> <strong><span style="color: red;">> </span></strong></span><br />
<br />
And now we depart from home in Chiang Mai:<em><span style="color: #999999; font-size: x-small;"> (streamers, tears, hankies)</span></em><br />
<span style="color: white;">mmmm</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue;">Brief stopover in<strong> Bangkok</strong></span> </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Air Asia hostess announcements: <em>"Prease present your boring pus"... "Thank you for your tension".</em> <br />
In a Bangkok dress shop, Marie detected a new goth-sensationalist trend in mannequin styles:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8BCoy8p3R6b4yzGCyDGGRqZxMCHAthrVJjjwVGZMm8ku8RI-3pr_WadUR0YeoQHZCFth9630lPYCH9vsHf-ZqzjM57J06CLf5MtlgIl2Cmue23ygfV5IGAz1giqObph7UM_I/s1600/5.+Bangkok.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8BCoy8p3R6b4yzGCyDGGRqZxMCHAthrVJjjwVGZMm8ku8RI-3pr_WadUR0YeoQHZCFth9630lPYCH9vsHf-ZqzjM57J06CLf5MtlgIl2Cmue23ygfV5IGAz1giqObph7UM_I/s400/5.+Bangkok.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i>...and found a new musical friend outside Siam Paragon:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VeXlhlI35ze9aui8cwWzpvMBG-QggzTOxhtbddRHJuq3M-gplRSHB-__kimHDBt2OMFuwQtXJ6DFxJg4ZRYYe-raIEflGN9mBYs6qzaZ8PmtutNgGw2ZEw4l-8gpF5cQtG86/s1600/6.+Bangkok+Siam+Paragon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VeXlhlI35ze9aui8cwWzpvMBG-QggzTOxhtbddRHJuq3M-gplRSHB-__kimHDBt2OMFuwQtXJ6DFxJg4ZRYYe-raIEflGN9mBYs6qzaZ8PmtutNgGw2ZEw4l-8gpF5cQtG86/s400/6.+Bangkok+Siam+Paragon.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"> Next morning, after observing a whole batch of lottery tickets being blessed by a Buddhist monk, we took an early Indian Jet Airways fright to Kolkata <em>(Announcement: "Grew indoo bosition for dake-off"). </em>The plane was peppered with Thai pilgrims in identical white outfits and gnome-like white knitted beanies, heading off to Sarnath and/or Bodhgaya. Yep, we'd be seeing Sarnath soon, too.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"> mmm</span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Kolkata</span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">The first thing that strikes you about Calcutta is the NOISE level. Then the amount of poverty. Sure, I'm aware of the current fascination with perving on other peoples' misfortunes ever since <i>Slumdog Millionaire</i> (sometimes dubbed 'Poverty Porn'), but the squalor certainly did hit me in the face. We're just naive people who live in modern luxuriousThailand. Here's a Kolkata shoe-repair shop:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFS71cTtcSoYMZBkywO78N9oyamKQBmdaZe029P9BI0Q_JE3p1uW2ky9un2x68UVJXLXwK-ZLXg4_M8wHjOSxGVqHbcN96H-TRttoeFHbSvdoa0b-XcIifrpKwUGhmC0gmOhmb/s1600/Kolkata+cobbler.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFS71cTtcSoYMZBkywO78N9oyamKQBmdaZe029P9BI0Q_JE3p1uW2ky9un2x68UVJXLXwK-ZLXg4_M8wHjOSxGVqHbcN96H-TRttoeFHbSvdoa0b-XcIifrpKwUGhmC0gmOhmb/s400/Kolkata+cobbler.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> ...and here's a family home with street frontage and a water feature:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh6RYoGd2-0EgCQuWLjzL47OCKQjll04NuD-OlE4SdIrhHRZTJJC15WyKYiLtTfaEJiEdxpDPb_k0BYm5KTQyNjq5CVwu3WGwfor7k6oiKtNSYn2zmbrMDGcn0MnKBr49kjx5/s1600/Kolkata+pavement+home+with+water+feature.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibh6RYoGd2-0EgCQuWLjzL47OCKQjll04NuD-OlE4SdIrhHRZTJJC15WyKYiLtTfaEJiEdxpDPb_k0BYm5KTQyNjq5CVwu3WGwfor7k6oiKtNSYn2zmbrMDGcn0MnKBr49kjx5/s400/Kolkata+pavement+home+with+water+feature.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">But having said all that, there <u>is</u> now a rapidly rising middle-class with disposable income - we're certainly seeing increasing numbers of them as tourists in Thailand. But - <em>caveat emptor</em> - India's caste system is still a controlling feature of the social landscape, but determined individuals CAN escape its vice-like grip if both motivated and lucky... and it's usually to do with the Lure of the Rupee, of course... <br />
Here's a pedi-rickshaw with a customer ostentatiously brandishing his mobile phone - big status symbol:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTneinsUlRwn0SdQy-lNiWoY8_zYb1scZ_wr9h9QjSSfeu5irQ5b4kL7sWFwM-wXj2b1Sy322bKNn57QStkCA-EVSbYI9-8_louoKWL4yhR4gcPNKF_P7puaKMu1apMWTyWUcS/s1600/Kolkata+pedi-rickshaw+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="292" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTneinsUlRwn0SdQy-lNiWoY8_zYb1scZ_wr9h9QjSSfeu5irQ5b4kL7sWFwM-wXj2b1Sy322bKNn57QStkCA-EVSbYI9-8_louoKWL4yhR4gcPNKF_P7puaKMu1apMWTyWUcS/s400/Kolkata+pedi-rickshaw+2.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Kolkata's traffic noise (mainly horns) has to be experienced ...but maybe once is enough:</span><i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FihIa8mis_Y?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FihIa8mis_Y?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">A typical night market street in a more middle-class area of Kolkata:</span><i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nvuvyp0iD_M?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nvuvyp0iD_M?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"></span></i><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>A Family Wedding</b></span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;"><em> <span style="color: black;">...</span></em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">in Delhi</span><em> </em></span></span><br />
<i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">(Thanks Rajika, Michael, Nick & Penny! It was all great fun :-) </span></i><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i> </i>One of Marie's relatives got married in a full Hindu ceremony in the Delhi Military Cantonment.<br />
The brass band played on... gosh, this is a class act:</span></span><br />
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9uTKrngxgVM?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9uTKrngxgVM?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i><br />
<br />
...then the bagpipers arrived...<br />
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/09DIoMe_0TQ?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/09DIoMe_0TQ?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">...and kept bonging on till the wedding party arrived...<br />
<i></i></span></span><br />
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5HiUE6xLWgo?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5HiUE6xLWgo?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtSLudJXqqwlxGlYXkV9pnWwWoNO2D2gJDayrB_W8sr1zzmFeIKX6led1GvLEcc_aGMiyaK5gSyIeT6dA7ez5QG3WTmKQ7l9Z8j7BEbihTBWxnbdoQyqMNdtWq2sR8dI8DiaC/s1600/Wedding+reception+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtSLudJXqqwlxGlYXkV9pnWwWoNO2D2gJDayrB_W8sr1zzmFeIKX6led1GvLEcc_aGMiyaK5gSyIeT6dA7ez5QG3WTmKQ7l9Z8j7BEbihTBWxnbdoQyqMNdtWq2sR8dI8DiaC/s400/Wedding+reception+7.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Marie chats with cousin Rajika Horsburgh</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-g27SinA_CCZbmJmepxfdGgiWuEdiqXzcLBnRnxiPBitERRzJLxL2yH2Brp9-yCxmOxmm_M71Ha2Rl5orEcfU4ULAZsuH6dG6WPVUFNonoSLxDYEpy93gCO34pOASnHi43Uuk/s1600/Delhi+wedding+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-g27SinA_CCZbmJmepxfdGgiWuEdiqXzcLBnRnxiPBitERRzJLxL2yH2Brp9-yCxmOxmm_M71Ha2Rl5orEcfU4ULAZsuH6dG6WPVUFNonoSLxDYEpy93gCO34pOASnHi43Uuk/s400/Delhi+wedding+2.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> All I need is a colourful turban thingo, a bejewelled plastic sword, </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">and... oh yes, a Hindi phrasebook.</span></div>
<br />
<b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Nagaland and the Hornbill Festival 2010</span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">After a return flight to Kolkata to listen to the next movement of its <i>Symphony for Horns</i>, it was another early morning flight to Nagaland. In ignorance, we made the near fatal error of choosing Air India. <i>Oh dear.</i> After a five-hour delay then 15 minutes in the air, the ricketty old twin-prop had to return to the airport with oil leaking from one engine. Then the compensation bun-fight began... accommodation overnight to be arranged and paid for by Air India... guarantee of a (different!) flight next day... <br />
<br />
For your interest, here's a brief video clip of the ensuing scene at the Air India Customer Service Desk (I missed the most violent bits because I was wedged against people and couldn't safely get my camera out). To get the most realistic effect, turn up your volume...</span><br />
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IYt7NXXiaC0?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IYt7NXXiaC0?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Dimapur (the capital of Nagaland) was nothing special, but I do fondly remember an excellent Mutton Keema curry. It nearly converted me to Indian food. Mutton = goat, throughout Asia. I reckon I ate my way through most of a goat during the 2 months in India... <i>yum</i>. Bleat. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Nagaland is a newly-established state of India to the north-west of Bangladesh and abutting Burma. It's as far east as you can go in India. In reality, it is a bureaucratic amalgamation of many different sub-groups of Naga tribes, not all of whom have always been on neighbourly terms or respect borders. Competitive head-hunting was their favourite sport in the 19th century, but Baptist missionaries put a stop to that. Now that they're converted to Christianity, they've switched to soul-hunting instead. Not really all that different, methinks. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Anyway, once a year in November they all gather for a dance, music & culture expo to attract much needed tourist dollars. There isn't really much of that, however - last year there were only 1400 foreign tourists visited Nagaland, and I estimate most of those would have been during the week of the festival. Hotel accommodation is woeful because [a] they have little experience of western-style hotels, and [b] they couldn't afford to build infrastructure for the 51 weeks of the year when the place was empty. Tourism is awkward because travellers need to apppy to Delhi for a Restricted Area Permit at least 2 months in advance, and are required to travel either as a married couple or in a group of at least four. It is also mandatory to have an official guide 24/7. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">But it's worth the trouble if you can stand the 'hotels' and lack of electricity. Maybe better to avoid the <em>Solitary Rice Hotel - Foodings & Lodgings,</em> for instance. Menu items - "Fresh Crim & Pie", or perhaps "Baby & Capsicum Fish" <em>(huh? are they still hunting heads?). </em>But the festival itself is certainly worthwhile and unique in a 'staged' kind of way... it has its own dedicated cultural 'village' site centered on a performance ring - a bit like a large open-air circus:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHzTLHFRc_17wCPmifRfMKEr8TAR5XLp7hum-3J0xDdXA3eviHtzVZbwe_cFI8QvMjE2tESibeZWvt975tgoNX3JwftwPJw3gzEOu2BwWYc8o_MPUVE5S1wK_vHasVnd05veW/s1600/Nagaland+42.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHzTLHFRc_17wCPmifRfMKEr8TAR5XLp7hum-3J0xDdXA3eviHtzVZbwe_cFI8QvMjE2tESibeZWvt975tgoNX3JwftwPJw3gzEOu2BwWYc8o_MPUVE5S1wK_vHasVnd05veW/s400/Nagaland+42.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> </i><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Hornbill feathers are a prominent symbol among Naga tribes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JqlwijPa_HlcHVL1pmMXiKUK6tFcEVaie8Ot_tqumFFcye6K7HhgTDBlQQaDZUc6pihQZEj8vFNyBNuFAkb308WIA9AkOwbozcXY8E_Sh5bwXXxbQc_mSIfnF4uthK_ox7Q3/s1600/Nagaland+50.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JqlwijPa_HlcHVL1pmMXiKUK6tFcEVaie8Ot_tqumFFcye6K7HhgTDBlQQaDZUc6pihQZEj8vFNyBNuFAkb308WIA9AkOwbozcXY8E_Sh5bwXXxbQc_mSIfnF4uthK_ox7Q3/s400/Nagaland+50.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Some of the many tribes arrive...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BpLDl530l8w?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BpLDl530l8w?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...and wait their turn to perform...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/A-JZX32A-MA?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/A-JZX32A-MA?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...and later return from their performance...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/986j_-0Tcq8?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/986j_-0Tcq8?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Performance on a log drum:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dRZndwcJu2I?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dRZndwcJu2I?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Male dancers/singers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">(Musicologists alert! Here are some genuine home-grown whole-tone harmonies...)</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fOmyu5z3O08?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fOmyu5z3O08?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...and some female dancers:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J5cYrWsPg0c?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J5cYrWsPg0c?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...and a male/female responsorial song:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DbPQvZZlGyA?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DbPQvZZlGyA?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Spot the Odd-One-Out:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjel8kuy32QrWNZtdnXphB5KCxKbxrBMhMUChHqovcjl2l5I1Ir_HWvo6gclUdVdT8bxjIrJlDM77OGNUF6-J5TSw9Oj-kZVaAPU2WEsekluxFaaRS7Umv55r08Ehg2hN4CMaKd/s1600/Nagaland+117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjel8kuy32QrWNZtdnXphB5KCxKbxrBMhMUChHqovcjl2l5I1Ir_HWvo6gclUdVdT8bxjIrJlDM77OGNUF6-J5TSw9Oj-kZVaAPU2WEsekluxFaaRS7Umv55r08Ehg2hN4CMaKd/s400/Nagaland+117.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> Marie likes red. She blended in well, but was a tad wary of the spears.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Nearby, in the Gents loo, I saw "Please Flash" scribbled in marker pen above the urinal.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...and a few photos from around Kohima. Bear in mind it is considerably more elevated than Dimapur, so is quite cool:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUCTf4ZFV4ngFQ0STTUoscUTPPZ33BT0gtdR-j9LZbzTiMDvQjpQXdv5a_iQ-sQ3TuNicmJSSCcDYIVEMi9AE03aoBxr2rCCb3Y-UK5j2Pv1TnQLnaLFYHlpYXndkJw4fx7r7/s1600/Nagaland+123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUCTf4ZFV4ngFQ0STTUoscUTPPZ33BT0gtdR-j9LZbzTiMDvQjpQXdv5a_iQ-sQ3TuNicmJSSCcDYIVEMi9AE03aoBxr2rCCb3Y-UK5j2Pv1TnQLnaLFYHlpYXndkJw4fx7r7/s400/Nagaland+123.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju511zrT68PCKbsGQwRLUsGfn10O_s-6x6-aJbvj5dYGkluOH3tmSg5jyAIJYHDWugLQX2ljn1JdxyiH_msoxxksTt6uHMaL8P_DJ1gpr9N976kj4wYESflkUiOyt_HIzyQAVe/s1600/Nagaland+127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju511zrT68PCKbsGQwRLUsGfn10O_s-6x6-aJbvj5dYGkluOH3tmSg5jyAIJYHDWugLQX2ljn1JdxyiH_msoxxksTt6uHMaL8P_DJ1gpr9N976kj4wYESflkUiOyt_HIzyQAVe/s400/Nagaland+127.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><i>(</i>Sign<i>: "Not all men clean their cities but real men do")</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZVUxQCWVVRH0umjijQ5hPc0jDLp5kHuHR3R3JouFoia673_8dJaLDyWpgDHHK-mgHxpNrSFMNDymiRaOvh6-0Ya1R-XsNdHP15Rv4SFdoVg-8dPAVqodD9RYtTlcH9n2FJxl/s1600/Nagaland+134+Kohima+%2527%2527hotel%2527%2527+%253D+teashop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZVUxQCWVVRH0umjijQ5hPc0jDLp5kHuHR3R3JouFoia673_8dJaLDyWpgDHHK-mgHxpNrSFMNDymiRaOvh6-0Ya1R-XsNdHP15Rv4SFdoVg-8dPAVqodD9RYtTlcH9n2FJxl/s400/Nagaland+134+Kohima+%2527%2527hotel%2527%2527+%253D+teashop.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Marie and Ellen after a comfortingly hot masala tea plus samosas. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Soon after that we walked past the "Merry Marble" headstone shop.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUNkfVCPoLHxEtm0wtGUvoq2qkRvmN6E6XNaB9r9e-yNtIppodTbb_zfXdrtjEK_g2N0YzG04h0o7eQGFSpiRlJDIo0gy1RGYPqs_R0lupL1tm2vqyNriWxcVHF5fe1SJBJKi/s1600/Nagaland+141+Kohima+men%2527s+toilet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUNkfVCPoLHxEtm0wtGUvoq2qkRvmN6E6XNaB9r9e-yNtIppodTbb_zfXdrtjEK_g2N0YzG04h0o7eQGFSpiRlJDIo0gy1RGYPqs_R0lupL1tm2vqyNriWxcVHF5fe1SJBJKi/s400/Nagaland+141+Kohima+men%2527s+toilet.JPG" width="318" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Main street, Kohima</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeR6fKVRcH4Wd3uLVRfbhqY4rNfdb6lZnjrzLRf2FCwydB9llHJyZaAJJ-GEdL0XTonOj1GnDHeuGfgct76PRWYiACDWDEtZwIGmrdOCSVuPdGQVu65LmxC4R5cCoG7mJBv-q-/s1600/Nagaland+96+Seyie++gets+her+rock+off.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeR6fKVRcH4Wd3uLVRfbhqY4rNfdb6lZnjrzLRf2FCwydB9llHJyZaAJJ-GEdL0XTonOj1GnDHeuGfgct76PRWYiACDWDEtZwIGmrdOCSVuPdGQVu65LmxC4R5cCoG7mJBv-q-/s400/Nagaland+96+Seyie++gets+her+rock+off.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Seyie, our official guide, proudly shows us a sacred magic stone, believed by locals to have</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> fallen from heaven. <em>What goes on in the minds of ex-Headhunter Baptists?</em> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrns29wzXSH884pspua7VU8OOlEf1yQeecm-VjP81e6Tynso-9xrnlSHwNtb7O6h3pXGFo-tMnamafJpNGKZAkncJOJO-pNaBa1oUkWdCO_6CbJiu1wMxZqF4q3IjeojwCfCTk/s1600/Nagaland+155+Kohima+internet+options+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" j6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrns29wzXSH884pspua7VU8OOlEf1yQeecm-VjP81e6Tynso-9xrnlSHwNtb7O6h3pXGFo-tMnamafJpNGKZAkncJOJO-pNaBa1oUkWdCO_6CbJiu1wMxZqF4q3IjeojwCfCTk/s400/Nagaland+155+Kohima+internet+options+2.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> It can be tricky to track down internet services in downtown Kohima.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Darjeerling</span></b> <br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">From Kohima we drove to Dimapur where we said goodbye to our driver Bablu, and took a 5hr train to Guwahati. After a brief sojourn in the cloth markets, we caught a SpiceJet flight to Bagdogra. Here was our view of the Himalayas poking through the clouds. Jaws dropped. Where exactly do clouds stop and snow begin?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzX3hyphenhyphenvHtJIvzzPG-2Skr1Kl_CX5CJvzw_OojzT3i9cFlcgFogyqU14gamnhrPjC2mZYHBtBCTpQqdubiUA45Rb8exErOp-PukP5lQuD96NFhLhrvpE2jab41i84lmJRV9vr89/s1600/Himalayas+-+Guwahati+to+Bagdogra+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzX3hyphenhyphenvHtJIvzzPG-2Skr1Kl_CX5CJvzw_OojzT3i9cFlcgFogyqU14gamnhrPjC2mZYHBtBCTpQqdubiUA45Rb8exErOp-PukP5lQuD96NFhLhrvpE2jab41i84lmJRV9vr89/s400/Himalayas+-+Guwahati+to+Bagdogra+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">From nearby Siliguri we expected to ride to Darjeerling on the ancient British narrow-guage miniature 'Toy Train', as we had previously bought online tickets for the cute little 8-hour trip...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhShL0tf7yfa8vR4XBgKcIcTUm3YwMHTQBetfQAJMfe8rNxrE4kLdmewrRBbeSk2JvgKLNHJhJeUyFzH9duXoQ2DHtkvA2ejhenPSDI3Jk33idn2Mex0ZClCSb4m20VxKI8kNp/s1600/toy+train+darjeerling+loop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhShL0tf7yfa8vR4XBgKcIcTUm3YwMHTQBetfQAJMfe8rNxrE4kLdmewrRBbeSk2JvgKLNHJhJeUyFzH9duXoQ2DHtkvA2ejhenPSDI3Jk33idn2Mex0ZClCSb4m20VxKI8kNp/s400/toy+train+darjeerling+loop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYi8eF6J6QBJ9eFOqmSZdtfsTb2vstf1tyu-OBWf8JoPk5h7n1f3PeBQpS98y05faKd04crv9oWiYf2fv4a_90VXFAhowHCZfY96yt-UaDrHVTZFao8PGI1c-R-RCPsAUXlxc/s1600/toy+train+darjeerling+loop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> T</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">he Toy Train on its infamous "Loop". </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div style="border: currentColor;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> ...but ah, the best laid plans! It had been cancelled that day due to security precautions. So we drove up the mountain in 2 hours, roughly following the same path as the train would have taken. Halfway up we were, indeed, delayed by a noisy demonstration by Gorka separatists agitating for the establishment of Gorkhaland (Gurkaland) as a separate state of India. Not really a viable project in my opinion, but hey, who am I to meddle? </span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Here's a 7-second clip of the demo, sufficient to give you the idea:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LRaO6D_xrmM?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LRaO6D_xrmM?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">They had the propaganda well under way:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhfdIGYRySBIs7cyJAgeW1d8RtY0G1NdjU2qflhN6nwNfDV5xLlMU3gIo8Cef3OTncQDAlNPaqyr43lhML41Yl6v6J9tpNIYHhZIcJv_vc2Jz9nGEq0zuNznz-LNIG1MFBlIm/s1600/Bagdogra+-+Darjeerling+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhfdIGYRySBIs7cyJAgeW1d8RtY0G1NdjU2qflhN6nwNfDV5xLlMU3gIo8Cef3OTncQDAlNPaqyr43lhML41Yl6v6J9tpNIYHhZIcJv_vc2Jz9nGEq0zuNznz-LNIG1MFBlIm/s400/Bagdogra+-+Darjeerling+5.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLO60__xY9vFJbQxeBUcnCu3MIk88OijsiCxkNIIQDZatxfhxGpcEtGI-UH39-bJqGfeMXRwZX6X-60RyIoqO0AujD0hGvBVCFL_SWQwOh7IIQFPZKEzp-_FULhoBc5bhX2_o/s1600/Bagdogra+-+Darjeerling+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLO60__xY9vFJbQxeBUcnCu3MIk88OijsiCxkNIIQDZatxfhxGpcEtGI-UH39-bJqGfeMXRwZX6X-60RyIoqO0AujD0hGvBVCFL_SWQwOh7IIQFPZKEzp-_FULhoBc5bhX2_o/s400/Bagdogra+-+Darjeerling+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The view down from the passenger window. It was getting colder by the minute.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Darjeerling was f#*king cold to say the least. No wonder the Brits chose it as their preferred 'hill station' in the 19th century. It constitutes, after all, the foothills of the Himalayas:. In this pic you are standing (well rugged up) at 2200m; the range in the distance is 8300m.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDTuJVg6QK8A0kM9mGj7aIIUGWKsHnE4hyphenhyphenLHQwvtAcV2umc7S6DXbYRWbNQOrFUvRSlJ9WleUtczMjy6gN4EXM3vAOzHjBLdsWENHXCnnfbuGfMjWV5IEd6yQfP-jPko3mNM_/s1600/Darjeerling+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDTuJVg6QK8A0kM9mGj7aIIUGWKsHnE4hyphenhyphenLHQwvtAcV2umc7S6DXbYRWbNQOrFUvRSlJ9WleUtczMjy6gN4EXM3vAOzHjBLdsWENHXCnnfbuGfMjWV5IEd6yQfP-jPko3mNM_/s400/Darjeerling+9.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuAVaGyRIJWJUcz29oOtyAVmmMsZ4Zgroj5GZdKIY4jOa1SfJVHbn2odB9lNLTKWtNuKg1WEWoxhjUfJmT5VGPpmIw5NX-MxZDM_AqllSfWnLmYRkXDnYBqo55xVeW0HANRcL/s1600/Darjeerling+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuAVaGyRIJWJUcz29oOtyAVmmMsZ4Zgroj5GZdKIY4jOa1SfJVHbn2odB9lNLTKWtNuKg1WEWoxhjUfJmT5VGPpmIw5NX-MxZDM_AqllSfWnLmYRkXDnYBqo55xVeW0HANRcL/s400/Darjeerling+11.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">I stayed chained to the heater in the Snow Lion Homestay. </span></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Some oh-so British architecture:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jJV14AiZ1plXrYAt1grChC4LI87_fE6BxQsbtsDAXO5WTOQA0Qcf7LEjyxdGYwqi7amUauftVYMOUvrWJrolc4cI5CQ4g1JhyphenhyphenUeE-58cN6BxTy0fX2cUB3Al2r5WdWbTxVNj/s1600/Darjeerling+3+clock+tower+etc.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jJV14AiZ1plXrYAt1grChC4LI87_fE6BxQsbtsDAXO5WTOQA0Qcf7LEjyxdGYwqi7amUauftVYMOUvrWJrolc4cI5CQ4g1JhyphenhyphenUeE-58cN6BxTy0fX2cUB3Al2r5WdWbTxVNj/s400/Darjeerling+3+clock+tower+etc.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...and some 'gee-wiz' Indian infrastructure:</span> </div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDwAOT6xalRtWNtQZQZDmhSptp25F1Mxe47AuDCXk0cKlDwjRNS71Baz2kCXxLnXdxhCEJlXtnn2CyG3Z4f1dOD-u_w414fmHj_iOOeBRNION85dqop-RBAWODjzcpg3u9BKA/s1600/Darjeerling+2+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyDwAOT6xalRtWNtQZQZDmhSptp25F1Mxe47AuDCXk0cKlDwjRNS71Baz2kCXxLnXdxhCEJlXtnn2CyG3Z4f1dOD-u_w414fmHj_iOOeBRNION85dqop-RBAWODjzcpg3u9BKA/s400/Darjeerling+2+%25282%2529.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJTvuEFKAIDRB04z9Preokg_Agl5wBhT8S8aZtz_TP8Zbq80893GVGllt8ZGiRvEQWwoDAeu8EXGbdvrvNVLT5afj-ygs00e_K3eAh7hEAbFm_74nz04FPCr-VggUjCjhbhyphenhyphen5/s1600/Darjeerling+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJTvuEFKAIDRB04z9Preokg_Agl5wBhT8S8aZtz_TP8Zbq80893GVGllt8ZGiRvEQWwoDAeu8EXGbdvrvNVLT5afj-ygs00e_K3eAh7hEAbFm_74nz04FPCr-VggUjCjhbhyphenhyphen5/s400/Darjeerling+2.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Darjeerling's water reticulation system. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">As u can see, all the joins leak after cars back onto the pipes.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">On the way down from Darjeerling (a day early, to escape certain death by freezing), there were Tea Fields Forever... like this one near Siliguri:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHf0plAhQ25wUGYUxmus7EGfxs_z_gDyi8VlHvbMeZkEBgsrncXd74gayfp3LDipaPR-G3ijORmu9pFxnuiGL-NoVCSgtfpxG5BnGNt5riXLDxl61whFUeUoHEBucse4R_0xT/s1600/Darjeerling+-+Siliguri+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="283" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHf0plAhQ25wUGYUxmus7EGfxs_z_gDyi8VlHvbMeZkEBgsrncXd74gayfp3LDipaPR-G3ijORmu9pFxnuiGL-NoVCSgtfpxG5BnGNt5riXLDxl61whFUeUoHEBucse4R_0xT/s400/Darjeerling+-+Siliguri+2.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Agra</span></b><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Flew from Bagdogra to Delhi [yes, again, but this time as tourists, not wedding guests], then drove to Agra. Too many places to describe fully - have a look at some pix instead, starting with the Agra Fort:</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAv-gXKhMrIPhIVXKOq6LBGHoRD0pPaIxYk1TyW-inKyBhP9E4_ui3_10GoW4YfZFBUE7umwNfZBMWNBORy2l0fnXnLa46Tdd5ph2Ip6GkB52FY-FBYmBi4I3JFNrUbj9K4Pw3/s1600/Agra+5+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAv-gXKhMrIPhIVXKOq6LBGHoRD0pPaIxYk1TyW-inKyBhP9E4_ui3_10GoW4YfZFBUE7umwNfZBMWNBORy2l0fnXnLa46Tdd5ph2Ip6GkB52FY-FBYmBi4I3JFNrUbj9K4Pw3/s400/Agra+5+Fort.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwNlJ2tOXyuHiiSMucBZFbnWQAB8T5HcX0oY4Y_FwH6u7oGf77tKQtdeXes61_sq4_CbIAJHydstlCCARKsVxuZbBjdCS7hy818lZb0xXRfafL5vmqEUp_3KjFyxBOPzf_bsP/s1600/Agra+11+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwNlJ2tOXyuHiiSMucBZFbnWQAB8T5HcX0oY4Y_FwH6u7oGf77tKQtdeXes61_sq4_CbIAJHydstlCCARKsVxuZbBjdCS7hy818lZb0xXRfafL5vmqEUp_3KjFyxBOPzf_bsP/s400/Agra+11+Fort.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazRqaICWGdV6946QTzzR4H6mB4W8DnuJCxjlG4NOIoXtJ_AfAa6FQhD1BLHlSOXCuwOWa0kwhMAfxzfX9rcYeoPWsG0GJKnHne6DwDuCc74vSCCrshC7212jpj74uVWHXDWRj/s1600/Agra+31+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazRqaICWGdV6946QTzzR4H6mB4W8DnuJCxjlG4NOIoXtJ_AfAa6FQhD1BLHlSOXCuwOWa0kwhMAfxzfX9rcYeoPWsG0GJKnHne6DwDuCc74vSCCrshC7212jpj74uVWHXDWRj/s400/Agra+31+Fort.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_a363MeUx2v9W3JkPhQ53racHg-QOcJ7V-_fQYzAbe5Y0Ubt9U8ktt7Lqj0nCdFtykfL04A5IgCxKTEREqvL-UvGe7PSlugbTfaUw9tan4QLpdxsA2E1gylUGwMapQti1rbD/s400/Agra+24+Fort.JPG" width="300" /> <span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">(yes, marble)</span></i></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqjyuANkiz_k3DknEoJzXjGhMfaJCKCugMqrFnfdKw9mcwwdoYH9KwAotz0OOvBfJDP5aPXb1KB_RqHU7L-RpC8gQFSou4NW8WfCTIiRKG7K7bodwWiWYpSeaft2ioIlKxfum/s1600/Agra+17+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqjyuANkiz_k3DknEoJzXjGhMfaJCKCugMqrFnfdKw9mcwwdoYH9KwAotz0OOvBfJDP5aPXb1KB_RqHU7L-RpC8gQFSou4NW8WfCTIiRKG7K7bodwWiWYpSeaft2ioIlKxfum/s400/Agra+17+Fort.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The mesh breeze-screens are marble too. They used to hang wet hessian over them for air-con. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> In the distance looms the Taj Mahal.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">The gateway into the Taj Mahal's grounds would be impressive all on its own:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRb_9cT90cCK9EwoTJ9eSi1EquiTsloaBi-0EJZIpdCrw_S3Yp66M0l5OXr1RriMNOzT1B6deneOJHgVJS7KKujg8Pvoc1s7H-eEJ_AyIULq6qdQXUxAJdm1cFaIHbCQs_wyIT/s1600/Agra+39+Taj+Mahal+entrance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRb_9cT90cCK9EwoTJ9eSi1EquiTsloaBi-0EJZIpdCrw_S3Yp66M0l5OXr1RriMNOzT1B6deneOJHgVJS7KKujg8Pvoc1s7H-eEJ_AyIULq6qdQXUxAJdm1cFaIHbCQs_wyIT/s400/Agra+39+Taj+Mahal+entrance.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><i> </i>The Sanskrit inscriptions get progressively further apart the higher you go, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">in order to all look equally spaced from ground level.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE3bsQ3v0pfljCu0v8ceqF_1vQs17jT9eyrbDIIBo-XiewNQvEUQ6cUfJt6-7xt6RmgOIrGn5ecBoEs7PbzgXGPrCByu8QKQPVCa1CNAdGobDmQuwc0YnITka_GyNxKwy702D/s1600/Agra+43+Taj+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="313" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE3bsQ3v0pfljCu0v8ceqF_1vQs17jT9eyrbDIIBo-XiewNQvEUQ6cUfJt6-7xt6RmgOIrGn5ecBoEs7PbzgXGPrCByu8QKQPVCa1CNAdGobDmQuwc0YnITka_GyNxKwy702D/s400/Agra+43+Taj+Mahal.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18ep2lSSHS2p0WDzImKLuPKiAwQAfXhjvCbLYNJ9V2ZsjhRuoZqskSSDkXeuVFjcgeDYH-1DiaxfrxAL4S05DmGBqBUBjooAAfHYVNq0cn0uk-hMwj_1_B6MlyKbDYHC7ifCK/s1600/Agra+45+Taj+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="295" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18ep2lSSHS2p0WDzImKLuPKiAwQAfXhjvCbLYNJ9V2ZsjhRuoZqskSSDkXeuVFjcgeDYH-1DiaxfrxAL4S05DmGBqBUBjooAAfHYVNq0cn0uk-hMwj_1_B6MlyKbDYHC7ifCK/s400/Agra+45+Taj+Mahal.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Marie with Baldy. Well, ya can't <i>not</i> take this shot, <i>can</i> ya?</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">There are two small mosques either side of the Taj Mahal (which is actually a tomb, not a mosque). Perspective dictates that they look small by comparison, but in actual fact, they're big too. Clever architectural sleight of hand. The postcard sunset was free:</span></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCSSeEjIJBABxhszVB_IwuWdHamp_XqU8E1ugN-fdBqr-B5u2LXaLDl-_EUARvLhSz6gGiWDXNukToqUNdjhf6HyzgVyBZxaeChGDiO7ynx6wOeWIIDJAQPzYWaIXvN02tmoQ/s1600/Agra+50+Taj+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCSSeEjIJBABxhszVB_IwuWdHamp_XqU8E1ugN-fdBqr-B5u2LXaLDl-_EUARvLhSz6gGiWDXNukToqUNdjhf6HyzgVyBZxaeChGDiO7ynx6wOeWIIDJAQPzYWaIXvN02tmoQ/s400/Agra+50+Taj+Mahal.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">No photos allowed inside the Taj, but much of it was inlaid and patterned intricately with inlaid semi-precious coloured stones. Afterwards we went to a marble showroom (tout-code for "shop") which employed workmen doing the same sort of inlay work. This marble really is extremely hard. Here's a 14" piece they wanted to sell to us for a trillion rupees, plus a 4' Ganesh, which, er, cost a bit <em>m-m-more</em>... delivered to your door, of course:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><img border="0" height="310" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqGmEHrQiwZ-mL6HGeVsG8LDZeSjyMQlieas1nAf1vtnry_cmAleTcUDNhPuGGpYHdoO-s2XdN5wgpzd_RL2EfY4Z0_vb1GAANlxF38XhHMiF503Qq7SV0px6QPvXjTQ2ADJ_/s400/Agra+53+marble+inlaying+shop.JPG" width="400" /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLAOVkWevv2sMlHPzHbMPeKQJFyYPHC3HQ6z2_JvBP2YCZB5EgpmwiBpxU0UUG9mDOyHqobPne5Bze-OS7z_KP2ne2ANOYGFWz4TsKzGOt453QxohmUlOHWjxPZGVH2nCCqXZ/s1600/Agra+54+marble+inlaying+shop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLAOVkWevv2sMlHPzHbMPeKQJFyYPHC3HQ6z2_JvBP2YCZB5EgpmwiBpxU0UUG9mDOyHqobPne5Bze-OS7z_KP2ne2ANOYGFWz4TsKzGOt453QxohmUlOHWjxPZGVH2nCCqXZ/s400/Agra+54+marble+inlaying+shop.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">An early morning shortcut to the train station took us through some truly slummy lanes. In the Stygian pre-dawn misty darkness were blanketed people huddled close around cow-pat fires on the mud-flats, or sleeping wrapped close to each other for warmth. Cattle wore blankets. These are the shots you regret missing... From the train, moonscapes of erosion with interspersed fields of yellow mustard crops. <em>So verry many mustards, sirrh.</em></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> Next,</span> <b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Orcha</span></b>, <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and its <b>Jehangir Mahal</b> (Mahal = Palace):</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ranGnLIiNpAGQBPkNuzRKgrIQUF5925pF3mH0xOyRe4zicraYAdq0RYdBdRmrj8VPb5_nQlNG9HhVNIHgJ_i4FdAnXHyAM-7oODs-2v2f8Br37SpnmbYfdwy1gSJlkInZU9h/s1600/Orcha+1+Jehangir+Mahal+%255B%253Dpalace%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ranGnLIiNpAGQBPkNuzRKgrIQUF5925pF3mH0xOyRe4zicraYAdq0RYdBdRmrj8VPb5_nQlNG9HhVNIHgJ_i4FdAnXHyAM-7oODs-2v2f8Br37SpnmbYfdwy1gSJlkInZU9h/s400/Orcha+1+Jehangir+Mahal+%255B%253Dpalace%255D.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000;">Mr Annan chats with Marie while the photographer <strong>:)</strong> zips around...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-QEKrvVPgTXAkL_T1FZDgkUeuV1dgSTl_QRTWxs7q9ej-SWFTl3ygTatw70b4hmZGI9FTjZa21R2Q3Eb7EEY5gR0W2CQCwcGsvETg3EHT1HoNRKtgWWfyIIpjhMN51OgpRv-/s1600/Orcha+12+Jehangir+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-QEKrvVPgTXAkL_T1FZDgkUeuV1dgSTl_QRTWxs7q9ej-SWFTl3ygTatw70b4hmZGI9FTjZa21R2Q3Eb7EEY5gR0W2CQCwcGsvETg3EHT1HoNRKtgWWfyIIpjhMN51OgpRv-/s400/Orcha+12+Jehangir+Mahal.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ttj_kE4uf0?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6ttj_kE4uf0?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...and the same area, but seen from downstairs:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nK8zLpJP2cQ?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nK8zLpJP2cQ?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCQ1WwvB9_pLmZSHVaN-my8dQ_6l_ekYdURbyR4YZLfRtaXRBV_Q8HWN-3ml2O1Dl1eTDGSlSYKMTJ1V8p__M_PBSukDi1KdOVYxsIK0igERvBsWq-3xYZo_6WrM1W-YnILDb/s1600/Orcha+10+Jehangir+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCQ1WwvB9_pLmZSHVaN-my8dQ_6l_ekYdURbyR4YZLfRtaXRBV_Q8HWN-3ml2O1Dl1eTDGSlSYKMTJ1V8p__M_PBSukDi1KdOVYxsIK0igERvBsWq-3xYZo_6WrM1W-YnILDb/s400/Orcha+10+Jehangir+Mahal.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNEW9GCAlHCmdr8mVL9TVSximQr4GRc5LoQBDh6mR4X6-PKluga1XWl8LpPmLTFKgCQA-aSo1hUayLNtieB8Iy1FwqpgLWt8bZuqhzwE9VC77P5yR3kApJmJpbDRbbZEhc2PY/s1600/Orcha+25+dance+floor+for+king%2527s+concubines.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqNEW9GCAlHCmdr8mVL9TVSximQr4GRc5LoQBDh6mR4X6-PKluga1XWl8LpPmLTFKgCQA-aSo1hUayLNtieB8Iy1FwqpgLWt8bZuqhzwE9VC77P5yR3kApJmJpbDRbbZEhc2PY/s400/Orcha+25+dance+floor+for+king%2527s+concubines.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Dance floor for the Maharajah's concubines: Marie does an impromptu Riverdance. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">This was strictly a 'women only' zone, except for the Maharajah and some eunuch guards.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD33ITLujl9mMl5qrI7GTcBtEwhnAWXaSjfXRoKoDOv09oerbVrGVzSTiE2kXV5aeGj6Nhg2RXvOphVfJL1vT3o5zEv6bPBBRfu0Rnzg_kOmyDZOhQWcAw_KM8Xnt4pWK-Ka5H/s1600/Orcha+22+-.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD33ITLujl9mMl5qrI7GTcBtEwhnAWXaSjfXRoKoDOv09oerbVrGVzSTiE2kXV5aeGj6Nhg2RXvOphVfJL1vT3o5zEv6bPBBRfu0Rnzg_kOmyDZOhQWcAw_KM8Xnt4pWK-Ka5H/s400/Orcha+22+-.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">We were treated to an expert description of the Nine Incarnations of Vishnu. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Charles Darwin would probably have approved.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...and finally, the impressive exterior. This was both fort and palace:</span><br />
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bN2l3oRlUGY?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bN2l3oRlUGY?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Meanwhile, back in the more prosaic town square near the "Pompous Tea Emporium" and a door with a sign "Harvard Playgroup":</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvUitPO6ATK3Xe7hHcOFY8sA3O_o8_p-rasAO1EVbw5ZMlfasb3bAjP1kAeYX1hWnZSaGC117_wfoWVrUbOhCJevPXYLCL87h4UiXYIjUIS8V291Qrx6A46HFmsOOGbQ-T-B3/s1600/Orcha+37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="270" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuvUitPO6ATK3Xe7hHcOFY8sA3O_o8_p-rasAO1EVbw5ZMlfasb3bAjP1kAeYX1hWnZSaGC117_wfoWVrUbOhCJevPXYLCL87h4UiXYIjUIS8V291Qrx6A46HFmsOOGbQ-T-B3/s400/Orcha+37.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwcChsDX0K7Z9-VbgnkOKknyV9mH0sOjSIe2wNfWIPtpOYceQ8d7zunoPK8wLGcRPE5MRdjB1Tt7r0tGg3ke7x5R4nK8EYOkeUyNwDmOnVsQm2Z4WASd8Tnteqrh6-p-AtNoe/s1600/Orcha+36+sadhu+snooze.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="263" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwcChsDX0K7Z9-VbgnkOKknyV9mH0sOjSIe2wNfWIPtpOYceQ8d7zunoPK8wLGcRPE5MRdjB1Tt7r0tGg3ke7x5R4nK8EYOkeUyNwDmOnVsQm2Z4WASd8Tnteqrh6-p-AtNoe/s400/Orcha+36+sadhu+snooze.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> I'm sure I'd make a fine Sadhu... my forehead's got a bigger paintable area than his.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Khajuraho</span></b></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><em>Psst! Want erotic carvings??</em> Khajuraho has every variety carved into its temples. Amazingly good condition for having been in the weather for 1000 years. The worst damage happened during the Moghul Empire in the 15th century when Muslims went around smashing a lot of it - especially faces - because the Koran said representations of the human body or animals were improper. Therefore these temples are officially 'dead' in Hindu terms. They can be preserved 'as is', but can no longer be used for official religious purposes.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Here's the Goddess Temple. That day, lucky for us, the giant 12-foot Goddess was at home:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrutRmwiP_JKwRw1GGr4ACM5Nhzb4JXwuB0aNvAFIFmxdSknxPaVhs6szoBpz-XdRE7jB37Bv_w70-Kk7WZhdHTKaDMN1lATC93kg2L_uiYxuPamzSa21wV50JP0RoR5gPEFaS/s1600/Khadjuraho+1+goddess+temple.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrutRmwiP_JKwRw1GGr4ACM5Nhzb4JXwuB0aNvAFIFmxdSknxPaVhs6szoBpz-XdRE7jB37Bv_w70-Kk7WZhdHTKaDMN1lATC93kg2L_uiYxuPamzSa21wV50JP0RoR5gPEFaS/s400/Khadjuraho+1+goddess+temple.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7jj9HbBcHXgmAlJ8YNRgAqs6F3W1JVUzAq4yNXyRiIOB6GENj5WBdWYF-6Do7dJfFImYtLHs0Bo00ylVcOQHxvll_fPeA0BZ4V7dOrrMDLi9VbhJCURDBG2VtlBqFAU7KJ4F/s1600/Khadjuraho+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7jj9HbBcHXgmAlJ8YNRgAqs6F3W1JVUzAq4yNXyRiIOB6GENj5WBdWYF-6Do7dJfFImYtLHs0Bo00ylVcOQHxvll_fPeA0BZ4V7dOrrMDLi9VbhJCURDBG2VtlBqFAU7KJ4F/s400/Khadjuraho+13.JPG" width="287" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZazs0wtZfBIstSYVTL3wCm1sFn4VqnwPvpQasa5NxDPeGu7nJyEy0aqq5rh1jPLjKcNxhgAlpZKJLP0F8ibqwpWyeuL_DWXPoQQkxwpGAAMd5CU1WOwdHQM21hGyVnuRJIZth/s1600/Khajuraho+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZazs0wtZfBIstSYVTL3wCm1sFn4VqnwPvpQasa5NxDPeGu7nJyEy0aqq5rh1jPLjKcNxhgAlpZKJLP0F8ibqwpWyeuL_DWXPoQQkxwpGAAMd5CU1WOwdHQM21hGyVnuRJIZth/s400/Khajuraho+7.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">There's a row of elephants along one wall, all looking primly pachydermal. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">But this one is turning around and grinning as it peeks at a pair of lovers.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0nY71MCccOxBBWxXNV_J7ybxx_qmAq5fiodqkSg29HiUY7nazTByReUFBUerDcqIsWgDYth31oQ00O6Q8R5kL0FzxRV8JloeOQDyYQrSY8WhDb6DPxmwxAEv6iW6HC0ZAdOX/s1600/Khajuraho+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe0nY71MCccOxBBWxXNV_J7ybxx_qmAq5fiodqkSg29HiUY7nazTByReUFBUerDcqIsWgDYth31oQ00O6Q8R5kL0FzxRV8JloeOQDyYQrSY8WhDb6DPxmwxAEv6iW6HC0ZAdOX/s400/Khajuraho+9.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> It all got too much for us...</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPVu6MQcHxkbkZqxc1MhOonfihFir7iXJGRvUkko6j7h4M2tpK2em82BTBJvNbpIqFyj_bVVW_wCbBNUUmC-t5MsRbYRnTI678lBbldZmuAjEXHOIsSrMd34nkZwJrVH65Y1R/s1600/Khajuraho+31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="310" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPVu6MQcHxkbkZqxc1MhOonfihFir7iXJGRvUkko6j7h4M2tpK2em82BTBJvNbpIqFyj_bVVW_wCbBNUUmC-t5MsRbYRnTI678lBbldZmuAjEXHOIsSrMd34nkZwJrVH65Y1R/s400/Khajuraho+31.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70iyNJ6zUMcEhm_i0yk03TVWac4BYnxxii053nf0rcxhNsfkTClh_cUd2QPWCC1akH7sh8Sy50OJ7I01vxGnNXcVCAIFhh0FRUoG0MQZUD5JEHfR4uRUk8hZXJ9JWtDfc0BxT/s1600/Khajuraho+21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70iyNJ6zUMcEhm_i0yk03TVWac4BYnxxii053nf0rcxhNsfkTClh_cUd2QPWCC1akH7sh8Sy50OJ7I01vxGnNXcVCAIFhh0FRUoG0MQZUD5JEHfR4uRUk8hZXJ9JWtDfc0BxT/s400/Khajuraho+21.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> Khajuraho has jollies for everyone. Hours of fun for all the family.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yj3oldQIkO8?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yj3oldQIkO8?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i><b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Varanasi</span> </span></b> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">...the throbbing heart of Hindu India. </span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSWUr_74LxWrAnvuP4nztMeFD-Y-gzulyfI2dgH0SxHkH8QvtHiaTvaneArugMgR3jblPOKzNmX0h3tRQEhsd9C7HHasNJf3I5OlCUOM9-_xRmfOqEA5pxsS7KU6AcYoleFkG/s1600/Varanasi+49+down+to+the+ghats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSWUr_74LxWrAnvuP4nztMeFD-Y-gzulyfI2dgH0SxHkH8QvtHiaTvaneArugMgR3jblPOKzNmX0h3tRQEhsd9C7HHasNJf3I5OlCUOM9-_xRmfOqEA5pxsS7KU6AcYoleFkG/s400/Varanasi+49+down+to+the+ghats.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">I must go down to the Ghats again</span></i></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">To the lonely Ghats and the cows...</span></i></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Varanasi turned out to be my real India, though... rather like stepping into pages of grubby old copies of National Geographic (plus scratch'n'sniff, plus soundtrack). Some cities boast impressive monuments, but Varanassi has Humanity, and a lot of it. Sensory overload: smells, hooting, crowds, pedi-rickshaws, monkeys, beggars. Festering black drains. Mazes of sunless cobbled lanes, redolent with urine and dog/cow shit, gravitate erratically down towards the banks of the Ganges. Personal space is an irrelevant western folly here - be it between cows, goats or people. </span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Cows are respected and granted freedom of the city because they are believed by Hindus to be in their penultimate incarnation before rebirth as a human. They are Future Humans... although we did find a few cafes selling Future Human Curry with nan-bread. Not Hindu ones, though.</span></div>
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudKQI_oaazANstMqND0f7pawkZU4_YY8RCHBAuknD7nCSk_YNyX-mm47S1LJ2TDwmoUuM1XR0NiMwrabR_f433hSw-37fm0QBZvsrvj_5BSUtMkG3hr0Y445dcSF-MXvXzSJd/s1600/Varanasi+42+cows+eat+from+rubbish+carts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="285" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgudKQI_oaazANstMqND0f7pawkZU4_YY8RCHBAuknD7nCSk_YNyX-mm47S1LJ2TDwmoUuM1XR0NiMwrabR_f433hSw-37fm0QBZvsrvj_5BSUtMkG3hr0Y445dcSF-MXvXzSJd/s400/Varanasi+42+cows+eat+from+rubbish+carts.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div align="left" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Cows, along with dogs, pigs and monkeys, scavenge left-over morsels from Varanasi's rubbish carts.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Varanasi is a living holy city by comparison to some of its lifeless predecessors - I can still hear Angkor's spooky silence. Varanasi's evening Hindu rituals along the chilly Ghats of the Ganges beggar all the senses. Chanting, incense, clattering choruses of brass bells, candle offerings gliding slowly past your boat... Loy Kratong every single night. Old Sadhu dressed in orange, carrying a Shiva trident draped with marigolds. Here comes an itinerant cow with blue horns (I'd guess in honour of the god Shiva, the Destroyer-cum-Recycler. Dozens of cremation wood-fires studded amid the orange smoky glow of sodium lights give the Cremation Ghats an other-worldly Dante-esque feel. But it is very much <u>of</u> this world... fortunately the breeze wafted the odours in the other direction.</span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX_TDvVolz9KOoSDXWALpFm1PRk7iaH8LYwBryTmlmZLM5tDIvkoPWk6WYS0AwotxsMgPBQI5l9-D9odquBn_7x3CpV23fiP3LdZ3UZzFP6FVNUuuXgO86KIG4UVCW2YdYEt2/s1600/Varanasi+16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="316" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX_TDvVolz9KOoSDXWALpFm1PRk7iaH8LYwBryTmlmZLM5tDIvkoPWk6WYS0AwotxsMgPBQI5l9-D9odquBn_7x3CpV23fiP3LdZ3UZzFP6FVNUuuXgO86KIG4UVCW2YdYEt2/s400/Varanasi+16.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Charon the Boatman conveys us towards some of the night cremations on the banks of the Ganges</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiH6u_F-D9BuSJSljCeIl0daWosJxUm2Bxhu06v56fz7cf43HT3ZUNQYjHqLAB-Q96UoloqvikFlDw-dhtouOSqA52AK_yNhur1WY7c6-FqIo00kKm3j-fP_9GqVDB2ogfv-gg/s400/cremation+ghat+night.jpg" width="400" /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: black;">[file pic]</span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Pilgrims row towards the <em>Ganga Aarta</em> ceremonial area:</span><br />
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/61a36851TEA?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/61a36851TEA?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Further upriver, boats jostle for position to view the evening Hindu religious ceremonies:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CW8SIMAZpQw?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CW8SIMAZpQw?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Hindu evening rituals, Varanasi Ghats:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WsG67LSSsGk?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WsG67LSSsGk?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP93hsuLKnrPPiuGhYJXAW2zmO9SODClacgd0l0ZtuqVw9swM27Il3H4XPRxpXMoLyjTiCLrWKowlIx42KT_0UG4XiCoJVZF5nGzf3RbC-igEhP0osrEaB1E7ZKTe1pVaEmKGf/s1600/Varanasi+87+Hindu+priests.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP93hsuLKnrPPiuGhYJXAW2zmO9SODClacgd0l0ZtuqVw9swM27Il3H4XPRxpXMoLyjTiCLrWKowlIx42KT_0UG4XiCoJVZF5nGzf3RbC-igEhP0osrEaB1E7ZKTe1pVaEmKGf/s400/Varanasi+87+Hindu+priests.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> Further along next morning, in the river-misty cold colourlessness of first light, is the first cremation of the day on the greenish-grey mud near the water's edge. A mere twenty metres downstream, loin-clothed dhobi-wallahs do their thwackety-thwack laundry in the opaque sewage-coloured water. Yep, <u>down</u>stream. Having had some laundry done, we may well now be wearing traces of fresh human ash. After a body is burned, the ashes plus most remaining bones are swept into the water <i>(what the *%! does the bottom of the river LOOK like??),</i> then small barefoot 'untouchable' boys compete to retrieve any unburned fragments of wood for the next customer. And thus the karmic wheel slowly but inexorably turns, hundreds of times, until very late every night. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Dhobiwallahs working near a morning cremation. The body is wrapped in gold foil:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EEzE3KcOa50?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EEzE3KcOa50?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">A quiet morning on the Varanasi Ghats - exotic and novel for us, but this is the daily routine reality for countless thousands:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ova6ncdaPaQ?hl=en&fs=1"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ova6ncdaPaQ?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Ironically, municipal signs next to colossal stacks of firewood implore citizens to 'Keep Varanasi Clean & Green'.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi5wBvnKRcWHhH5g7VmA0hjS-7LiEDMarUk_BTsKge6r0Iq1GlXrDMOnH2Iao93lqNSSeM-8A026gqogbC-qMndIy2feJyrImmA9UmEi0m2dKQNpoLyLYan6gjfb-LNYdK-Qz/s1600/Varanasi+31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi5wBvnKRcWHhH5g7VmA0hjS-7LiEDMarUk_BTsKge6r0Iq1GlXrDMOnH2Iao93lqNSSeM-8A026gqogbC-qMndIy2feJyrImmA9UmEi0m2dKQNpoLyLYan6gjfb-LNYdK-Qz/s400/Varanasi+31.JPG" width="332" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> It pays, however, to ignore the bloated cow half-submerged in the grotesque band of anaerobic green slime, discarded marigold garlands, and plastic bags along the river's holy bank. Overheard a guide telling his clients that the Ganges' water <em>wasn't</em> over-polluted - because it was full of minerals. Yup, sure. Everywhere, piles of plastic bags/bottles and rubbish smolder, a metaphor for the cremation of the Oil Age itself, perhaps. So far, our lungs are holding out... <i>but maybe not for long, forlorn falangs..</i>.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">More quotidien scenes in the lanes near the Ganges at Varanasi:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIkYWlwHtHBzDUdQEtyY923IBQ8MeuxAOIhA3RKi17UDvL38OqPwPSOX2-Nd269IalgRICZLqLbOdWnL3PF-wEVvV_xhaO-oad8NMy8HHCgL5fnXcc3UB8p2aQ8PKavN9YQkN/s1600/Varanasi+39.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="290" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkIkYWlwHtHBzDUdQEtyY923IBQ8MeuxAOIhA3RKi17UDvL38OqPwPSOX2-Nd269IalgRICZLqLbOdWnL3PF-wEVvV_xhaO-oad8NMy8HHCgL5fnXcc3UB8p2aQ8PKavN9YQkN/s400/Varanasi+39.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Also spotted a government "Bhang" shop selling happy chocolate.</span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSc8LC-l3vwqmAxFPlk8QTye_ecUA7RoTxadPJVZ12F6VTd3KFPf6nThPt7RmqAhbT7v-O6w-_7ZZqP0Pa4KNxISa7EqNdQ_5nncNCMGkgZ4rlF83ZZVbxCweU_YBN7uuEyBz/s1600/Varanasi+27.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSc8LC-l3vwqmAxFPlk8QTye_ecUA7RoTxadPJVZ12F6VTd3KFPf6nThPt7RmqAhbT7v-O6w-_7ZZqP0Pa4KNxISa7EqNdQ_5nncNCMGkgZ4rlF83ZZVbxCweU_YBN7uuEyBz/s400/Varanasi+27.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Pilgrims in the early morning. The seagulls(!) migrate here annually, escaping the Mongolian winter.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNbKdrc6QxmnmEnMeSWsNll7sdJ2PsuEg_bVzq5DItv_Sn8jOEdhKVSWgpy5Pgu2Ez3ssGKl1BWbX662SRpl3FgjqCBP6rtcnfXeaR8nz0TcxiNCcTSeVp7J0S-xlKfbmorJ8/s1600/Varanasi+40+Hello+again%252C+Mr+Sadhu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNbKdrc6QxmnmEnMeSWsNll7sdJ2PsuEg_bVzq5DItv_Sn8jOEdhKVSWgpy5Pgu2Ez3ssGKl1BWbX662SRpl3FgjqCBP6rtcnfXeaR8nz0TcxiNCcTSeVp7J0S-xlKfbmorJ8/s400/Varanasi+40+Hello+again%252C+Mr+Sadhu.JPG" width="280" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVo-EbCCLn991IVFn8xnQ3K0yE0U3p9xcqAKUUvNYtgYqXxNwg-lQGIZQoW00ervcZGcXAGeyy5DsobKQED-oh0pGhiq8CLP0nV3bRBaItQ3AdXDiyAZpPBpRTJgUdZ3xAX6O/s1600/Varanasi+46+Sadhus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVo-EbCCLn991IVFn8xnQ3K0yE0U3p9xcqAKUUvNYtgYqXxNwg-lQGIZQoW00ervcZGcXAGeyy5DsobKQED-oh0pGhiq8CLP0nV3bRBaItQ3AdXDiyAZpPBpRTJgUdZ3xAX6O/s400/Varanasi+46+Sadhus.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Sadhus pass an old tree shrine, 200m from the Ganges. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pR20VWGKm2RjhhE8PQO_CKdYtrc6oxFUAyyf5OqYzyeAkZVbK63pwyzzNnkokHEFmagAPK90qm6HRSCSWZHOey6v9JUrb-VLQ33y-mglRALmNP9O4dveBsKci5T6xve1e542/s1600/Varanasi+85+baby+goat+finds+a+feed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="280" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pR20VWGKm2RjhhE8PQO_CKdYtrc6oxFUAyyf5OqYzyeAkZVbK63pwyzzNnkokHEFmagAPK90qm6HRSCSWZHOey6v9JUrb-VLQ33y-mglRALmNP9O4dveBsKci5T6xve1e542/s400/Varanasi+85+baby+goat+finds+a+feed.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Baby goat discovers a feed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKV0P7gQxoMu1fiENIIvdhymLfRYxyV8axUbf838Jy25CAPfUHTvTCEfqIaEaIXSiFeuVaei9cI3j7v_xABAph5tIO2ILF0HiAZ9owEsTvSXl2Pa4ul_Yxo-g8BvgAs-F-zmr/s1600/Varanasi+84.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="300" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKV0P7gQxoMu1fiENIIvdhymLfRYxyV8axUbf838Jy25CAPfUHTvTCEfqIaEaIXSiFeuVaei9cI3j7v_xABAph5tIO2ILF0HiAZ9owEsTvSXl2Pa4ul_Yxo-g8BvgAs-F-zmr/s400/Varanasi+84.JPG" width="400" /></i></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">School buses (above, and below)</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CWcWhqUgjHY24jm8EKzv3nLpfvwH64heupXb5IxPVz7GdVyrHA0hszIzgIhktRzx7dcRsUSS-FI6dDZ-6KvGDfmxZJzcCP0L5U4aqh9ic3K7mTy3D_5NpfamQijsNZuCebNP/s1600/Siliguri+8+school+bus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CWcWhqUgjHY24jm8EKzv3nLpfvwH64heupXb5IxPVz7GdVyrHA0hszIzgIhktRzx7dcRsUSS-FI6dDZ-6KvGDfmxZJzcCP0L5U4aqh9ic3K7mTy3D_5NpfamQijsNZuCebNP/s400/Siliguri+8+school+bus.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<i></i><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-small;">Sign outside Benares University: </span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-small;">"Donate generously to the free meals scheme for the poor meritorious students"</span></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPiuU3g1R0LCmKCaepZUEwIUX5yaykFAyRgFyMdaX7W-tzv5xnk2lQQoin81Btr7hyphenhyphensINZ4Atp8eQgu26bcbovyKu_C9KQ4-T7L_nZ2ame1pB8-0IqL8cSX4jEcyTGRtsruFY/s1600/Varanasi+82+morning+milk+market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPiuU3g1R0LCmKCaepZUEwIUX5yaykFAyRgFyMdaX7W-tzv5xnk2lQQoin81Btr7hyphenhyphensINZ4Atp8eQgu26bcbovyKu_C9KQ4-T7L_nZ2ame1pB8-0IqL8cSX4jEcyTGRtsruFY/s400/Varanasi+82+morning+milk+market.JPG" width="300" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Fresh unpasteurized milk is distributed from Varanasi's early morning milk market.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><br />
</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlgVNpk6GiKu_jtezpXQj1kbx2VBCAEVFKzY460EWqmk5jfQeXzc4xNAuwhZFS0R-LNujAgf-hPUKpaWtfdsYEblYhWkEa95LXPu5UgDWtqeqUMCRIuYI8kt3dl3UCKFm599q/s1600/Varanasi+59+Sarnath.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlgVNpk6GiKu_jtezpXQj1kbx2VBCAEVFKzY460EWqmk5jfQeXzc4xNAuwhZFS0R-LNujAgf-hPUKpaWtfdsYEblYhWkEa95LXPu5UgDWtqeqUMCRIuYI8kt3dl3UCKFm599q/s400/Varanasi+59+Sarnath.JPG" width="315" /></i></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Near Varanasi is <strong>Sarnath</strong>, where the Buddha delivered his first sermon. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Not a spectacular place. Quite ordinary, really. Perhaps that's part of Buddha's message.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> But he might not have anticipated the sheer numbers of pilgrims by 2011,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> nor the establishment of accommodation such as the <em>Holi Day Inn.</em></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Plus... <em>The Lord Buddha English School. </em></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"> Thus ends Part 1. </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Click</span> </span><a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-part-2-of-3.html"><span style="font-size: small;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: black;">to bring up Part 2 in its own window. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">In Part 2 you will visit </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><strong>Goa, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Ellora & Ajanta Cave Temples, and Delhi.</strong></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-32124268984265996882011-03-18T23:25:00.001+07:002011-03-18T23:19:41.309+07:00Indian Odyssey, Xmas 2010 (Part 2 of 4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strong><span style="color: black;">In the exciting</span><span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/02/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-first-part-of.html">first episode</a></span> <span style="color: black;">our heroes braved Bangkok, cruised Calcutta, went to a wedding, navigated Nagaland, dallied in Darjeerling, Agra, Khajuraho and Varanasi. Please join them again here as they go gaga in Goa...</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"><strong>Goa</strong></span> - <span style="color: black;">welcome relief from the cold of Darjeerling.<br />
Now for a week's 'holiday-from-a-holiday' at the Portuguese-tinted state of Goa - much warmer and definitely more of a tourist 'scene', although numbers are well down this year due to economics and the recent Varanasi bomb. We chose this Christian state for the Xmas period (even though we're not at all of a Christian persuasion) because we just wanted to observe how locals celebrated... and also needed a break from the cold.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44PwZANAFggHcDzhid3IeFI1SxaBg3s17HYl4fFqiPAqpn8sP4ZlJv3OVn-HLaTEFa7tPZhISGL9fZr-COqfAVDZujO1iuPzAAKZo7e5rGqp1HIRqBUTNK6WhaeO4eJfrNHKz/s400/Goa+47.JPG" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Illuminated stars are all the rage here during Xmas. Goans hold an </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">annual </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">crib competition. </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">In this photo, onlookers check out Mary and </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Joseph, the </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Three Wise Men, and (of course)</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> a model Portuguese </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">galleon listing heavily </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">to one side. <em><strong>But wait! ...the crib is empty! </strong></em></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Fear not, Ye Doubting Thomases, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">a holy plastic doll (presumably male) </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">will magically appear</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> by Xmas morning, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">so no brainwashed kiddies need be disappointed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Everywhere there are crumbling 500 year-old churches:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRjyJECU4QTImNmY0DW-lSldtLJ5fzt1c3nPwELGdRD4n2qEkWVJn1MzrOPuZFLALi41_jAD6W5NnfOhUrIplUFqKw4Utt0kx8b2jGXsB_4qRx4EUNg1_6RPbqUztqGhj-IzS/s1600/Goa+34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRjyJECU4QTImNmY0DW-lSldtLJ5fzt1c3nPwELGdRD4n2qEkWVJn1MzrOPuZFLALi41_jAD6W5NnfOhUrIplUFqKw4Utt0kx8b2jGXsB_4qRx4EUNg1_6RPbqUztqGhj-IzS/s400/Goa+34.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: black;">...one of which is the St Francis Xavier Church. Uncle Frank gazes imperiously down at you from the row of glass peep-holes provided for him in his private loft: </span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Yztbs4lsIbA" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: black;">Close by, incongruously, the <em>Francis Xavier General Store</em> trades busily. Crucifixes painted on prows of beached fishing boats. A quarry truck named <em>Infant Jesus.</em> Hotel named <em>Villa Immaculata...</em> Sunset walks along peaceful Benaulim Beach, a refuge from the doof-doof younger scene of the North Goan beaches. Tourists go paragliding: we sense a slow-burning tension between the fishing and tourism industries here. Cows sleepily chewing their cud on the beach - between the lifesaver flags, sensibly. Toilet pigs... don't ask.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcdTt0Z2IaCRnFuaIUZntbsniIvBrc53Lv5m545ZehV7Pp8FCjZlpoNqJuEHOAmOFuOb_KQjYWqIg4gqblEb4auYdQcoSIht_av_RuN00Tt7uULiO1xi8AtzZ5BdTchvkgQFz/s1600/Goa+6+Benaulim+Beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcdTt0Z2IaCRnFuaIUZntbsniIvBrc53Lv5m545ZehV7Pp8FCjZlpoNqJuEHOAmOFuOb_KQjYWqIg4gqblEb4auYdQcoSIht_av_RuN00Tt7uULiO1xi8AtzZ5BdTchvkgQFz/s400/Goa+6+Benaulim+Beach.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: black;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/U3uuG4rc3kI" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">Marie alternately toasted on the beach then dipped gingerly in the surprisingly cool Arabian Sea, and I retreated to a cancer-free muzak-free zone to sample some Goan kingfish curry and mango lassi and to scribble down more music. In due course we fully expected to encounter some 17th century Portuguese soldiers with rusty muskets, or at least some rogue colonial spice traders driving locals in chains...</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Our quest led us to Goa's Anjuna Market with all its hippies (mostly Western) still trapped in the 1960s and ageing disgracefully in tragic period outfits. The tourist-targeted stalls were, of course, charging lethal prices:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYeDKxYauLqRvbmAQlBmVgNmmDkL-RufImxtKpLc7-COvUq6B9lW0VUJ1X5hDVezkRic-JN7Wxn9qGUZsVYTespzOT8Zu2BqHwZWf6X1Ekc8tznliDShJ0brEanl_ZWOtsHe8/s1600/Goa+36+Anjuna+market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYeDKxYauLqRvbmAQlBmVgNmmDkL-RufImxtKpLc7-COvUq6B9lW0VUJ1X5hDVezkRic-JN7Wxn9qGUZsVYTespzOT8Zu2BqHwZWf6X1Ekc8tznliDShJ0brEanl_ZWOtsHe8/s400/Goa+36+Anjuna+market.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sign on a market stall: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><em>Customer is King. </em></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><em>King never bargains.</em></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhChDP0y4tDrCODnJrBN0yawyX0CiAPkiCbpN30cyxCZWb4GvLoln2A8j7n_65_4BdHQwp7JSFuzhr-lIJigUjffjbW3DZxB6NgEd5RznU4nC8A9a6RMFXiG1jkZsiiIxvZvt/s1600/Goa+39+Anjuna+market.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhChDP0y4tDrCODnJrBN0yawyX0CiAPkiCbpN30cyxCZWb4GvLoln2A8j7n_65_4BdHQwp7JSFuzhr-lIJigUjffjbW3DZxB6NgEd5RznU4nC8A9a6RMFXiG1jkZsiiIxvZvt/s400/Goa+39+Anjuna+market.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">No need to travel to Rajasthan - it all comes to Goa.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbipSfAZXIxvuGP3E0vif1DvlUegnQCFPKKm1Z8pC6i9idw_oxMDE_y4dAdUXg7kdCD-WagUfT7HNEEYHFldktHToYZkn6jYjjB1pnkKTMmDcSyGLvCiW5_aZZTs6d9f3HGEy/s1600/Goa+37+Anjuna+market%252C+where%2527s+wally.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbipSfAZXIxvuGP3E0vif1DvlUegnQCFPKKm1Z8pC6i9idw_oxMDE_y4dAdUXg7kdCD-WagUfT7HNEEYHFldktHToYZkn6jYjjB1pnkKTMmDcSyGLvCiW5_aZZTs6d9f3HGEy/s400/Goa+37+Anjuna+market%252C+where%2527s+wally.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><em>Where's Wally?</em></span></div><br />
<span style="color: black;">...and there were a lot of well-preserved old Portuguese-era houses:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrowmRXSrNUdTYSYfLPnyK5e2kJO8mhOFkeggcZL3CUDhngNFgv0RuaBYM0XzfSjmErpSCPPwqPC0qqrnq-RI2GFgMcJsH0avaWy9WcjTwbJOgXuUTLoKF5ihRZvBUmddBD4W/s1600/Goa+44+Portuguese+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXrowmRXSrNUdTYSYfLPnyK5e2kJO8mhOFkeggcZL3CUDhngNFgv0RuaBYM0XzfSjmErpSCPPwqPC0qqrnq-RI2GFgMcJsH0avaWy9WcjTwbJOgXuUTLoKF5ihRZvBUmddBD4W/s400/Goa+44+Portuguese+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">(Note the tres cool name above the window arch. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">To biggen the photo, click on it. After, click your 'Back' button).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAKz5NRDCBrj8r8ANHGY07Tw12iYHE1tVha7g7B2ufRLdyQdHeIzMXvCxVw0j4KdK68YckhlsL3ISXPf995HxuprkFpZhmkmo22MFqaASyBhpIBCsp8xZT2DluZzkVNLPc32y/s1600/Goa+22+Portuguese+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAKz5NRDCBrj8r8ANHGY07Tw12iYHE1tVha7g7B2ufRLdyQdHeIzMXvCxVw0j4KdK68YckhlsL3ISXPf995HxuprkFpZhmkmo22MFqaASyBhpIBCsp8xZT2DluZzkVNLPc32y/s400/Goa+22+Portuguese+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGmvWnvarMOR2i1pa9BzpNhU6mnCQTAlfOYHi6DSUrqnNengC5hgorV4FJfT7UIJ2NJq-zBvM1Y0fBPNnRcg3SP13F8xlEAPGQkpmMqTwzVrbdXjUriVnM9TjZCpS233SLDts/s1600/Goa+13+Portuguese+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGmvWnvarMOR2i1pa9BzpNhU6mnCQTAlfOYHi6DSUrqnNengC5hgorV4FJfT7UIJ2NJq-zBvM1Y0fBPNnRcg3SP13F8xlEAPGQkpmMqTwzVrbdXjUriVnM9TjZCpS233SLDts/s400/Goa+13+Portuguese+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: black;">No glass. Window panels were made of slivers of sea-shell to admit light. I recalled mediaeval windows in Sussex which used stretched rabbit skins for the same purpose:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6YJJA1K8pJhhDZXTJy32NrGsBnnYxOKLTvaJhm2jBvQQJdPdz4Mn76VP9Tf3ggZl-QaBs3QMO-KSAZa83KmPD02OYjVvN64eggc81sqVpWMWrjofphtz9jnty7azC5GFacvr/s1600/Goa+8+Portuguese+house%252C+shell+windows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6YJJA1K8pJhhDZXTJy32NrGsBnnYxOKLTvaJhm2jBvQQJdPdz4Mn76VP9Tf3ggZl-QaBs3QMO-KSAZa83KmPD02OYjVvN64eggc81sqVpWMWrjofphtz9jnty7azC5GFacvr/s400/Goa+8+Portuguese+house%252C+shell+windows.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: black;">...and we sent another parcel back home to Chiangmai, this time the winter clothes we would no longer need. Here a tailor at Margao stitches the required cloth wrapping over our scrounged cardboard box:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYoQIDFzfIg03-C4hUiOGzts0MEWJpL49iTmHAQhaZHk26InSAKfi0DKU6Ve4od87QpGCz-7TIAPvkFbdXm9r54yFlxKhscC7vNHsf8nwFLlnM2UaHrXprEeyHZppcyVuiIak/s1600/Goa+7+parcel+stitcher%252C+Margao.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYoQIDFzfIg03-C4hUiOGzts0MEWJpL49iTmHAQhaZHk26InSAKfi0DKU6Ve4od87QpGCz-7TIAPvkFbdXm9r54yFlxKhscC7vNHsf8nwFLlnM2UaHrXprEeyHZppcyVuiIak/s400/Goa+7+parcel+stitcher%252C+Margao.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">Mumbai</span></strong><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><em>Saturday Sunday Mumbai Tuesday... </em><br />
<br />
Announcements from crew of Jet-Lite flight:<br />
<span style="color: white;">mm </span><em>"Dee aeroblane is being helmed by Gaptain Zanjay..."</em><br />
<em><span style="color: white;">mm </span>"Blease upright your zeat, sirrh".</em><br />
<br />
The 'Fort' district of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is an island museum brimming with stunning (if now sometimes shabby) architectural relics of the British Raj era. It's almost as if London's Leadenhall Street district (the Wall St of the 19th century) had been convicted, picked up bodily, and transported to India to atone for colonial atrocities committed by its own Royal Evil East India Company:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVRwkLWMBg9UXCBDKIpxF2OTMufQkveWNd0bGR11loHVq4A5XvpiXUTvxLa8E3PVZpJKeXWzCkkEQxkrz5LA_qzmNMNM3jGOux0VqVXSmo4I9iz_eqUwKl4GFhhFq1Kqzu9wj/s1600/Mumbai+Fort+32+Victoria+Station.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiVRwkLWMBg9UXCBDKIpxF2OTMufQkveWNd0bGR11loHVq4A5XvpiXUTvxLa8E3PVZpJKeXWzCkkEQxkrz5LA_qzmNMNM3jGOux0VqVXSmo4I9iz_eqUwKl4GFhhFq1Kqzu9wj/s400/Mumbai+Fort+32+Victoria+Station.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Yet even London can hardly compete with the flippant magnificence of Mumbai's old British High Court with its playful corkscrew towers, or the deliberate gothic extravagance of the Victoria Terminus railway station. These were clearly intended to be psychological tools of colonial intimidation, massively overwhelming anything built previously by Indians. <em>"Take note: we are now your new bosses... see, even our railway stations are more majestic than your puny Princes' palaces":</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6aZRQ1HPCILjdBwU7GCihFvlIGpI3a2FhV9x_8-uXVn3saQXJhyphenhyphencYQOV4uOqLjxCzWS1APkZmHjkccP-fkfjCiamdgwrG-33JlC2uqmqs0AVqr3k8SLEkn1uIv5aZ2pyJD1X/s1600/Mumbai+Fort+25+Victoria+Station.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6aZRQ1HPCILjdBwU7GCihFvlIGpI3a2FhV9x_8-uXVn3saQXJhyphenhyphencYQOV4uOqLjxCzWS1APkZmHjkccP-fkfjCiamdgwrG-33JlC2uqmqs0AVqr3k8SLEkn1uIv5aZ2pyJD1X/s400/Mumbai+Fort+25+Victoria+Station.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-3MuNBsO1Lk" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Dh4Kw5oxTd_B9Q5wvPz342hREvYsoY7bh-CETrIwTVWqf8elg1NkRxMWyeqopDnxFS4leXeE36K3LjWt-Vvx_xb_QFExl-wkkvoHgJ_JFcpmZtc1kuenUho0wbeDawW2Yaaw/s1600/Mumbai+Fort+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Dh4Kw5oxTd_B9Q5wvPz342hREvYsoY7bh-CETrIwTVWqf8elg1NkRxMWyeqopDnxFS4leXeE36K3LjWt-Vvx_xb_QFExl-wkkvoHgJ_JFcpmZtc1kuenUho0wbeDawW2Yaaw/s400/Mumbai+Fort+10.JPG" width="286" /></a></div>Nearby, Mumbai's millions seem flatly lifeless as they ply zombie-like through the choking smog of the streets. They have dead eyes even though they can see, dead spirits which accept that stinking squalor and eye-stinging pollution are their binding destiny. But hey, I also found my first excellent coffee since arriving in India a whole month ago. And one might spot an occasional silver Mercedes coupé ostentatiously strutting through the honking herds of cheap yellow & black taxis. Yes, in Mumbai (India's financial nerve centre), those who can afford to pay can have it all - while hundreds of thousands of others sleep on gritty pavements amid their own excrement. Money is their god, the street their temple. But unlike Varanassi, there are no itinerant cows allowed here - they've long since been encouraged to graze their way out to rural areas where they won't dent as many car doors and raise insurance premiums.<br />
<br />
Lack of local language can impede things. My conversation with waiter:<br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: white;">===</span> "Is this mutton boneless? ...or does it have bone inside?"</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: white;">===</span> "Yes, sirrh"</span> </em><span style="color: #999999;">[slight head wobble]</span><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: white;">=== </span>"Er... does that mean 'bone' or 'no bone'?</span></em><em><br />
</em><em><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: white;">===</span> "No boneless, sirrh"</span> </em><span style="color: #999999;">[increased wobble]</span><br />
<em><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: white;">===</span> "Um, is that "No, boneless", or "No boneless"?</span></em><em><br />
</em><span style="color: purple;"><em><span style="color: white;">===</span> "Yes sirrh" </em></span><span style="color: #999999;">[wobble-panic ensues]</span><em><br />
</em><span style="color: blue;"><em><span style="color: white;">===</span> "OK, I'll have it </em>"</span> <span style="color: #999999;">[sigh...]</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Aurangabad, Ellora & Ajanta Cave Temples</span></strong> <br />
<br />
Aurangabad: a generic dusty inland Indian industrial city which has long since squeezed past the confines of its tumble-down city walls. But it boasts hidden treasure - the jaw-dropping complex of 34 Cave Temples near the village of Ellora make the 30km bumpy road trip worth every rupee. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgRSr3zHMHANya7fBjN-SMEaOxm13zm97T8MkFGbdnF0bESm_WOLvEX_XmKSkcvpMSoZAxj-anHAGqO0cKs-NBgOtINaiXKwl6q8N4OprYky600XtG7P3TVsS2OU8bWQuJ6XZ/s1600/Kailasanatha+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgRSr3zHMHANya7fBjN-SMEaOxm13zm97T8MkFGbdnF0bESm_WOLvEX_XmKSkcvpMSoZAxj-anHAGqO0cKs-NBgOtINaiXKwl6q8N4OprYky600XtG7P3TVsS2OU8bWQuJ6XZ/s400/Kailasanatha+Temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The Kailasanatha (Kailash) Temple</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Standing on the hillside at the approximate spot where King Krishna dreamed up the</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> idea </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">of this temple, you begin to comprehend just how much rock had to be removed.</span></div><br />
Twelve centuries ago, King Krishna stood on the slope of a basalt mountain and imagined an enormous Hindu temple carved out of the rock - right underneath his feet. He marked out the lines and over three generations, thousands of workmen chipped straight down through the solid rock with handtools, cutting out a colossal wedge like a huge slice of pie removed from the side of the mountain. I estimate it to measure at least 80m deep, 90m wide, and 120 metres from front gate to rear wall, About 200,000 tons of rock had to go, they estimate. In the centre the king preserved a massive chunk of rock, one-and-a-half times as high as Greece's Parthenon, which stonemasons began shaping into what is now a multi-storey solid-rock temple representing Mount Kailash, Lord Shiva's mythological Himalayan abode. It is exquisitely carved with scenes from Hindu mythology, and its perimeter guarded by stone elephants:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBFFWVsjRlWnok1ZGlcwi-0qPRmCSssUpO8TxJHLwUUo4RL8HvOUPwJc3L739waUin6X6ddNYqQHXdjCxKV3wwRA5cRZU7nmjftYU0U6atKpMNPMQAQGKojl31yaM5AhxBXPa/s1600/Aurangabad+Ellora+13+Kailash+temple.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBFFWVsjRlWnok1ZGlcwi-0qPRmCSssUpO8TxJHLwUUo4RL8HvOUPwJc3L739waUin6X6ddNYqQHXdjCxKV3wwRA5cRZU7nmjftYU0U6atKpMNPMQAQGKojl31yaM5AhxBXPa/s400/Aurangabad+Ellora+13+Kailash+temple.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Looking along the rear wall of the Kailash temple.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">(I took the following movie from near the guard elephants) </span></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zs2lkidwBBM" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
In this next movie, Marie is underneath the temple building, photographing the Hindu demon Ravana shaking Mount Kailash: <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tTAJw5r-VxY" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
...and here is a pan of the Kailash temple from just inside the front entrance... spot the two larger-than-life trunkless elephants, and a cameo appearance by Dr. Marie Livingstone:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GoQjYeEdhTU" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
Some of the older temples date back to the last centuries before Christ and belongs to Hinayana period of Buddhism in later part of 2nd century AD. Buddha images here at Ellora date from the era when Buddhism first began practising adoration of images. The next photos (and movie) shows an example of whole monasteries, complete with meditation cubicles, dug into the side of the mountain:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-RgRFEgD3xG_E2d0tvKNS3-z75WbZQlzeYzBmUSpDfGMpjd1DHmVf4GhR2YwCErVhpOQebtqa8pFqPDGqrol2agOIOT6XRa4bMEBqaesoq1elKOk3k_wiaUpJs3MAFCRiIPP/s1600/Ellora+21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-RgRFEgD3xG_E2d0tvKNS3-z75WbZQlzeYzBmUSpDfGMpjd1DHmVf4GhR2YwCErVhpOQebtqa8pFqPDGqrol2agOIOT6XRa4bMEBqaesoq1elKOk3k_wiaUpJs3MAFCRiIPP/s400/Ellora+21.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <em><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Might this have been a prototype of our Nakornping Condominium??</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoDb5Khnk62tOYgoxkiJWKXaal17o5PrbIR76QpTWHCxdy2I7qPZatNHRf5NN0w5CjvHlkQcGek0gWIgkF7TQE_6Ctm_9Os4haX94NsvOeOaU5wMF0CkhGfwMHmEbLR5Ncakg/s1600/Aurangabad+Ellora++8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoDb5Khnk62tOYgoxkiJWKXaal17o5PrbIR76QpTWHCxdy2I7qPZatNHRf5NN0w5CjvHlkQcGek0gWIgkF7TQE_6Ctm_9Os4haX94NsvOeOaU5wMF0CkhGfwMHmEbLR5Ncakg/s400/Aurangabad+Ellora++8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zo0w4qzYfao" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">By contrast, the Ajanta Caves are a series of 33 temples and monasteries dug laterally into the face of a long curved cliff. Like their elder siblings at Ellora, the Ajanta temples were all built by simply removing any unwanted rock that didn't look like temple material: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_xtanopu4k6GQQgkVAGbee4YxeaGwyWF7pIq8mKFKhq4JcYqXvFH1_-MLWtWaqsNSjHJBfm3SSiUR-aOB1dGhWV8N-Zaojv-dB-A44ttBP5VF3q2iwOi3R54eW8b3yNHgz7r/s1600/ajanta+caves+aerial+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_xtanopu4k6GQQgkVAGbee4YxeaGwyWF7pIq8mKFKhq4JcYqXvFH1_-MLWtWaqsNSjHJBfm3SSiUR-aOB1dGhWV8N-Zaojv-dB-A44ttBP5VF3q2iwOi3R54eW8b3yNHgz7r/s400/ajanta+caves+aerial+pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwul1cFYPcFdTb1idkd3cUTAzglmAvXwft0Kwsc9Cc-RFLPslAAHkZiye8JS0Ti07s0nEGM4UI9dLIyvW-ypqn09sBJOMm8iWzNMJtP2TZO_TFtxZxTGa9kSLWBX4sZkiehRqL/s1600/Ajanta+7a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwul1cFYPcFdTb1idkd3cUTAzglmAvXwft0Kwsc9Cc-RFLPslAAHkZiye8JS0Ti07s0nEGM4UI9dLIyvW-ypqn09sBJOMm8iWzNMJtP2TZO_TFtxZxTGa9kSLWBX4sZkiehRqL/s400/Ajanta+7a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhic3USCzAed5wU1td-1-PLxzcK85f4GY4Z38q68etBo7dW8bKEAlXNZc3FWq5-95SJiCAO7CQSY2x9LehQmEvlpTe7iNWDqXut045EILlbSr88Oc51kNn3UTKA090VuJvlQqp8/s1600/Ellora+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhic3USCzAed5wU1td-1-PLxzcK85f4GY4Z38q68etBo7dW8bKEAlXNZc3FWq5-95SJiCAO7CQSY2x9LehQmEvlpTe7iNWDqXut045EILlbSr88Oc51kNn3UTKA090VuJvlQqp8/s400/Ellora+6.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJrq8jl5LzNyK2Nywlz71tlDFIOjM2R7hq730e_xku0qsoJIKhjTk86fcVgh5TATceXOBBf943GwHEwfNaTvQqMIqzV4-uvSWtfWsKsHa7x7-Fzm9HDlEPfx06OFurO_we5l5/s1600/Ajanta+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJrq8jl5LzNyK2Nywlz71tlDFIOjM2R7hq730e_xku0qsoJIKhjTk86fcVgh5TATceXOBBf943GwHEwfNaTvQqMIqzV4-uvSWtfWsKsHa7x7-Fzm9HDlEPfx06OFurO_we5l5/s400/Ajanta+5.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBQULIb-k-JCLcBkVfKTohUwrSzMWBwy294O2-1ZG0amZr1tG-WuTVUnTa7joVG-JoYpNen-KeeIgpJOkjTyhNeyh_HoyS7Dw4MlkTcXAE305n9E8amyBrqK_uVDvc6NRRbK0/s1600/Ellora+15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBQULIb-k-JCLcBkVfKTohUwrSzMWBwy294O2-1ZG0amZr1tG-WuTVUnTa7joVG-JoYpNen-KeeIgpJOkjTyhNeyh_HoyS7Dw4MlkTcXAE305n9E8amyBrqK_uVDvc6NRRbK0/s400/Ellora+15.JPG" width="293" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The deep ribs forming the ceiling of this cathedral-like cave not only offered </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">strength but a place to insert richly carved wood panels, long since disappeared.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> There are still some traces of coloured paint on the walls and pillars.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-6O7AAEa_unCcoA_PYXyhBw8-XcGNZTj_8pe00IxsQ1SZAQ2LWnqCCT7w1uXUND_2PoCWMxZ4_8QT5XGc-DHzkUTse2FXw-EjDdZirWivA5t1EJmbS83lcj78VH62iwuostK/s1600/Ajanta+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-6O7AAEa_unCcoA_PYXyhBw8-XcGNZTj_8pe00IxsQ1SZAQ2LWnqCCT7w1uXUND_2PoCWMxZ4_8QT5XGc-DHzkUTse2FXw-EjDdZirWivA5t1EJmbS83lcj78VH62iwuostK/s400/Ajanta+9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">On the walls of one of these caves resides India's most ancient Hindu art, kept nowadays in almost total darkness to preserve the remaining colours. This is India's Sistine Chapel ...but the noise level from the hordes of rampaging garlic-breath schoolchildren on the day of our visit was anything but religious or respectful:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ_bq-1RbJl6mrOGDt7iiKPVYsSiyBuDQHjswiEEHnm3EYW9NpmKVpQ2UB7MQVK3wQnp5QZ8cnreWjjge3SCWUiCqWzRhRHKqIntMnNOIVnM3zm8pC1KKAxKhdgbzMf9_t3nA/s1600/Ellora+26.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ_bq-1RbJl6mrOGDt7iiKPVYsSiyBuDQHjswiEEHnm3EYW9NpmKVpQ2UB7MQVK3wQnp5QZ8cnreWjjge3SCWUiCqWzRhRHKqIntMnNOIVnM3zm8pC1KKAxKhdgbzMf9_t3nA/s400/Ellora+26.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Very dark location for this ancient painting? fresco? Difficult to see<em> in situ</em></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> ...so later</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> I light-enhanced the photo a little so I could check for myself what it had looked like.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCi2ltkIEkOHywOSbtrYrtSfhkInbfNF-BKnvqaJfOjk_pcF2r9KXR6b6TXUXrG9HCyw0aHuU_1UnvfZQUFmmtE5oghcmgJSEosabfRFVqYIgmXI-Xd_vZx79X5ufBC_lBLURo/s1600/Ajanta+15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCi2ltkIEkOHywOSbtrYrtSfhkInbfNF-BKnvqaJfOjk_pcF2r9KXR6b6TXUXrG9HCyw0aHuU_1UnvfZQUFmmtE5oghcmgJSEosabfRFVqYIgmXI-Xd_vZx79X5ufBC_lBLURo/s400/Ajanta+15.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">This facade had a little accident at some point. Indian civilization had </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">discovered gravity</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">some 500 years before Britain's Celts were running around painted in woad.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Might this temple have been India's equivalent of Newton's apple??</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here in India, it was <u>we</u> who were the exotic minority. Countless people wanted to have their photo taken with us, the tattooed lady and the white-bearded giant. One request was memorable:<em> "I vould like to gapture with you".</em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Delhi </span></strong>...yes, Delhi again, briefly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Things are getting greener in Delhi. There's obviously been a push to plant trees and control rubbish. Buses run on LPG. Car horns are thankfully under control. And Marie found an electric rickshaw:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyeeG-xARcd8SKDQCwHQDCSmzxYg5aSB_dLZZNe3ep8p4OrjEOMXlDaAofKgvOEcj-CcSHT-psYG0-n3E2K7EP3hArrreZU73bt5u1rjD5QIVCRZmE3ZZnkgBCbN6h1y12bol/s1600/Delhi+electric+rickshaw+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyeeG-xARcd8SKDQCwHQDCSmzxYg5aSB_dLZZNe3ep8p4OrjEOMXlDaAofKgvOEcj-CcSHT-psYG0-n3E2K7EP3hArrreZU73bt5u1rjD5QIVCRZmE3ZZnkgBCbN6h1y12bol/s400/Delhi+electric+rickshaw+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Near Delhi's famous <strong>Qutab Minar</strong> [sandstone tower], there were many spider-like ricketty structures assembled in almost random patchwork styles by the Moghuls from assorted wreckage of exquisite Hindu temples they had destroyed. More interesting/curious/strange in some ways than the tower itself:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnH8rYR0UepKtF4pz-OxoSunTRrC2Qp9ktmuPDK8NmLU94BSi7p6LpF-khaDWBOXUHCbZ-E91TxXOmc5Yhcej0TNSKTiI5wWLxP87Jc40qaZgkVPqwtkDUgbpe_5bAk4MfkfW/s1600/Delhi+Qutab+Minar+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmnH8rYR0UepKtF4pz-OxoSunTRrC2Qp9ktmuPDK8NmLU94BSi7p6LpF-khaDWBOXUHCbZ-E91TxXOmc5Yhcej0TNSKTiI5wWLxP87Jc40qaZgkVPqwtkDUgbpe_5bAk4MfkfW/s400/Delhi+Qutab+Minar+11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lzv39X6AfeAFdVUdONSQL4fHMLp0cj8r8kPsMTFDhxDE0eDKt7dAzXSgz1qmqcfWLpJk_oVhHDUGNCGN84_UctF6CqaJLhobThkWjqBNej3Fqa9B2tpn4y3F4vuJjvxjMdOg/s1600/Delhi+Qutab+Minar+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lzv39X6AfeAFdVUdONSQL4fHMLp0cj8r8kPsMTFDhxDE0eDKt7dAzXSgz1qmqcfWLpJk_oVhHDUGNCGN84_UctF6CqaJLhobThkWjqBNej3Fqa9B2tpn4y3F4vuJjvxjMdOg/s400/Delhi+Qutab+Minar+5.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Thus ends Part 2. Click <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-part-3-of-4.html">here</a> to bring up Part 3 in its own window. <br />
<br />
In Part 3 you will visit <br />
<strong>Mt Abu, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh,</strong><br />
<strong> Deogarh, Rohet & Manver Camp.</strong></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-51732117144265872422011-03-18T23:20:00.005+07:002011-03-21T22:34:44.872+07:00Indian Odyssey, Xmas 2010 (Part 3 of 4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strong>In <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/02/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-first-part-of.html">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-part-2-of-3.html">Part 2</a> of "Indian Odyssey", our two Weary Explorers conquered central and north-east India. In the next exciting episode, they tackle various impregnable forts dotted around the desert state of Rajasthan in the far north-<u>west</u> of India. First, though, they discovered a delightful secret hidden away in remote Mount Abu...</strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Mount Abu </span></strong> Rajasthan's only hill-station. <br />
We stayed at the residence of one of the local maharajahs - the pink/yellow mahal on the hill in the photo. It seems these days like almost everyone claims to be a maharajah, a maharajah's brother-in-law, etc, especially since the British offered them an annuity in lieu of continuing their 'royal' status after Independence in 1947...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuaDvJgy6iUnKCHQqwiXItzoG8YTTEeN4SVIMBwPIHzu1MmkaDnMMr7Ef3oQ4yntEkpZ44AHt2FcGO12lcXryKMscraTJdESdntxvnWN7zmeXqQH9C4pbf6EAU0BeHUdjtXjZ/s1600/Mt+Abu+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuaDvJgy6iUnKCHQqwiXItzoG8YTTEeN4SVIMBwPIHzu1MmkaDnMMr7Ef3oQ4yntEkpZ44AHt2FcGO12lcXryKMscraTJdESdntxvnWN7zmeXqQH9C4pbf6EAU0BeHUdjtXjZ/s400/Mt+Abu+6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;">Legend has it that some Hindu god made this lake by scraping it out with his fingernails. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;">The lake is <strong>awfully</strong> green, and there's a simple reason for that, but hardly appropriate</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"> for </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;">genteel conversation on this wholesome family website. But it's to do with shit.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm49AQYRe0blGfD6-fqBHXmrQhP_vWIVwk9L1EkfjTtefsLCmmVzE1vWS4T_FwNt6uCrmQqBy3euEzldCRKZqUHOwM0OTEH6K5iMo-1PyCOxoA3ZxpOZea_N_fVdSwkrifZzlD/s1600/Mt+Abu+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm49AQYRe0blGfD6-fqBHXmrQhP_vWIVwk9L1EkfjTtefsLCmmVzE1vWS4T_FwNt6uCrmQqBy3euEzldCRKZqUHOwM0OTEH6K5iMo-1PyCOxoA3ZxpOZea_N_fVdSwkrifZzlD/s400/Mt+Abu+4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Our balcony at the palace-cum-hotel. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><em>Fine, OK, but the beds were hard and the heater wholly inadequate...</em></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNKMQc781CbFxE4_AX7f1HSdv9NVfGMCpKHlvmuwQd80kasuqAFaanmN-PQ-PyVV3HEAadL6YOVUPeQ4c_tmihQYrDF6JxSrnJbf9FvDSO20Mk-i0qOItySWt_U41PjvRBg6r/s1600/Mt+Abu+2+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNKMQc781CbFxE4_AX7f1HSdv9NVfGMCpKHlvmuwQd80kasuqAFaanmN-PQ-PyVV3HEAadL6YOVUPeQ4c_tmihQYrDF6JxSrnJbf9FvDSO20Mk-i0qOItySWt_U41PjvRBg6r/s400/Mt+Abu+2+%25282%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><em>What a winner.</em> Mt Abu can boast what I consider to be the highest quality (if physically smaller) Jain temple we saw on our entire trip, the Dilwara temple, built between 11th and 13th centuries. The marble is truly white and clean, and the carving is unbelievably detailed and fine. Marble roses have near-transparent petals. Fingernails show tiny cuticles. But sadly, no photos are allowed - it is a "living" temple and flash would disturb worship. But, um, here are a couple I didn't take:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HpPZIs5J_AZJaBWyoiFnX0_UonYvwo8D4XRZI0I-c_NScKUcfs_zWhGqZ67oI7AkycrBUetmKyznRS-WP_dszB6GD8t32A6Jk7_ZNiu8NziL-Kqi4ifn-U1YWCEimoJwGolL/s1600/abu790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HpPZIs5J_AZJaBWyoiFnX0_UonYvwo8D4XRZI0I-c_NScKUcfs_zWhGqZ67oI7AkycrBUetmKyznRS-WP_dszB6GD8t32A6Jk7_ZNiu8NziL-Kqi4ifn-U1YWCEimoJwGolL/s400/abu790.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Designed, I think, to give the other-worldly impression that the the </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">roof domes float on air and that the stone isn't heavy at all.</span></div><span style="color: #660000;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPvGhmeCO6GiAghjhdoVg2eT8lH-Ho1Uo9WSOod1os5L11MEMzbh464KdtWyqytkoeizj8cHtypkUZws0ZS0W_MCqgEyb8anw0a-_ULMXwG0LZof0oBqkek64L6HAy9ehndRB/s1600/mt+abu+ceiling+panel+3x3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPvGhmeCO6GiAghjhdoVg2eT8lH-Ho1Uo9WSOod1os5L11MEMzbh464KdtWyqytkoeizj8cHtypkUZws0ZS0W_MCqgEyb8anw0a-_ULMXwG0LZof0oBqkek64L6HAy9ehndRB/s400/mt+abu+ceiling+panel+3x3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">This is an upwards shot of a marble ceiling panel. The countersunk section</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">measures about </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">3 feet square,</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> and, unbelievably, is all a SINGLE PIECE of </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">marble. This 3D panel, as well as the </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">amazing </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">central rose panel (out of sight</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> at the apex of the dome in the previous photo) had to be</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> carved</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> <em>in situ </em></span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">by </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">the sculptor lying on his back. The usual system of carving-then-positioning </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">wouldn't</span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> work (the carving here was too fine and the elephant would likely </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">have </span></span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">wrecked it during</span></span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> the final heavy</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">lift). This depth of carving was </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">achieved by </span></span><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">scraping and filing rather than chipping.</span> </span></div><br />
<span style="color: black;">Otherwise, Mt Abu doesn't have a lot to offer except relative peace and quiet, and walks around Fingernail Lake. Here are few snaps taken around town, beginning with porters who enthusiastically offer to push/pull you (plus your luggage) in their trendy air-conditioned taxi-wheelbarrow:</span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aJbXgBQwYIE2lnaUikTRb_vg90eP22Lt5psLp0s3E5lcSgo7A9lIcqetPS57zj1XNhVZ2yHX4Ie708gsC2PnqYwhBw0ao45hIqbuSKoJ-7i4iWJmPHB7H-u-vThV9r9IEZPw/s1600/Mt+Abu+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aJbXgBQwYIE2lnaUikTRb_vg90eP22Lt5psLp0s3E5lcSgo7A9lIcqetPS57zj1XNhVZ2yHX4Ie708gsC2PnqYwhBw0ao45hIqbuSKoJ-7i4iWJmPHB7H-u-vThV9r9IEZPw/s400/Mt+Abu+9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3HJOG7dDsfz7RKYp1fJsgkMtfrtr989Ez7XC-WfkNE0inTGpRCDqnp2W-Jg69afGooeWN7tIwJOGmTGN-wnyd2S_RAA_PwOhZhgQl5rllG-KgeWnj-tnbSpxuum0vqXxwpeJ/s1600/Mt+Abu+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3HJOG7dDsfz7RKYp1fJsgkMtfrtr989Ez7XC-WfkNE0inTGpRCDqnp2W-Jg69afGooeWN7tIwJOGmTGN-wnyd2S_RAA_PwOhZhgQl5rllG-KgeWnj-tnbSpxuum0vqXxwpeJ/s400/Mt+Abu+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> Hobbitts be here inside this boulder</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKQH0OyQRuDiPiCAnBFCGiHQ0CrB8UhZnMEibIein2vvKO50ITz5n1Y2fFEuQdaw-v3_nM6rRMM8wpJWtLYj3XhcMJhCABeuh48DrgtuP7HCwpnVyr_wN_OqLcExniVHdomBc/s1600/Mt+Abu+1+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKQH0OyQRuDiPiCAnBFCGiHQ0CrB8UhZnMEibIein2vvKO50ITz5n1Y2fFEuQdaw-v3_nM6rRMM8wpJWtLYj3XhcMJhCABeuh48DrgtuP7HCwpnVyr_wN_OqLcExniVHdomBc/s400/Mt+Abu+1+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"><strong>Udaipur<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></strong></span><span style="color: black;">City of palaces, tourists, and a fake lake.<br />
I'll begin with an aerial shot which I nicked from a brochure - it gives a fair idea of the artificial lake for which the heart of Udaipur is known. Competing for space along its banks are various palaces built shoulder-to-shoulder by generations of Maharajahs:</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbmzrUuhomuQFJduYPAajTK0ZvlQ8LfS6mUdEF_Sw-DoI6zsQzrZvXJGXw_299W9ogWjsf_d7PZ6xFzNLvk9Fp7KxFHYYFO8Jyl4MWhTWhBjyULFFZXokjemLcTo3eGvR8FZ2/s1600/Udaipur+lake+and+palaces.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbmzrUuhomuQFJduYPAajTK0ZvlQ8LfS6mUdEF_Sw-DoI6zsQzrZvXJGXw_299W9ogWjsf_d7PZ6xFzNLvk9Fp7KxFHYYFO8Jyl4MWhTWhBjyULFFZXokjemLcTo3eGvR8FZ2/s400/Udaipur+lake+and+palaces.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ht-ydxmrNX5sWh6gQ2hJamkInGYBb3e_rZ4AqW3ZH9ZWsO-KyQ_RnjhueZaA6FlGfBPBkmBdbFjRxifQwg1Wz-J8MnoqkNYIMjknJ9kPDDHYT9n2CwL0Y_3myFFi_jFzUh-D/s1600/Udaipur+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ht-ydxmrNX5sWh6gQ2hJamkInGYBb3e_rZ4AqW3ZH9ZWsO-KyQ_RnjhueZaA6FlGfBPBkmBdbFjRxifQwg1Wz-J8MnoqkNYIMjknJ9kPDDHYT9n2CwL0Y_3myFFi_jFzUh-D/s400/Udaipur+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDuNcQtwjlr3iVQ7esEO6E4lVXPJVTha1UVDvxYao1uwn4UwI6vzjQKT_oX8x73VdzVWGPCzSSiQRmGdNNUQYipQvrvTadQGnuWAg1MN_p99FvA-DX4FcMTcptvWblkxKluVp/s1600/Udaipur+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDuNcQtwjlr3iVQ7esEO6E4lVXPJVTha1UVDvxYao1uwn4UwI6vzjQKT_oX8x73VdzVWGPCzSSiQRmGdNNUQYipQvrvTadQGnuWAg1MN_p99FvA-DX4FcMTcptvWblkxKluVp/s400/Udaipur+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">...and now come for a stroll into the internal courtyard:</span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dQxM6SGG72U" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH20piE-JN-2nR4JvV67n5MWw_2TGRTfUFWWgF-LmgCrIpVkDIFVuDz2sebf58Bq-O1_E9SqSC7rzyJUoKQuL18ppwLfi-EgxhmE7U9F5YagJsLuPUBB2xIYFztJ5fVM9N0L3g/s1600/Udaipur+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH20piE-JN-2nR4JvV67n5MWw_2TGRTfUFWWgF-LmgCrIpVkDIFVuDz2sebf58Bq-O1_E9SqSC7rzyJUoKQuL18ppwLfi-EgxhmE7U9F5YagJsLuPUBB2xIYFztJ5fVM9N0L3g/s400/Udaipur+8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Imagine how this looked when it still had all its coloured glass inserts.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhSMAklwUNZr31yIP4FNwCdyh2DBRlUgq2cXlv-nEnUqIbXYsX1ljMrNGdkFV2R7U7hnJ6lcbbMa6Z4NMT-C7TlQYJ5vDgO_3E2yugBTXVu8joNdydi8FmVTls2KjNUOIr5Ei/s1600/Udaipur+18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhSMAklwUNZr31yIP4FNwCdyh2DBRlUgq2cXlv-nEnUqIbXYsX1ljMrNGdkFV2R7U7hnJ6lcbbMa6Z4NMT-C7TlQYJ5vDgO_3E2yugBTXVu8joNdydi8FmVTls2KjNUOIr5Ei/s400/Udaipur+18.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN6PSh1FbtGEfkPWXhVQlpq5LFPhnqMn4N-OPjKgQepc4GhDNgrjICsKQ7wQydofwIiN-eTyPOoII9ykvoAfY_8rf3ZXg6BNnILMZDizxaQWCQx6DcSWjwx4F_9Qcbnnqdane/s1600/Udaipur+24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN6PSh1FbtGEfkPWXhVQlpq5LFPhnqMn4N-OPjKgQepc4GhDNgrjICsKQ7wQydofwIiN-eTyPOoII9ykvoAfY_8rf3ZXg6BNnILMZDizxaQWCQx6DcSWjwx4F_9Qcbnnqdane/s400/Udaipur+24.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHw-mOo2Fu-z6WlX7guWvsjGB2B2AHgQIGk8rxbnG0H2cS_NITFw1GOSxiLbd16TDrm5qNvlW8ja9_izZ6qm_jiKh0cCsnB5R0qtLwmSbxiynoE3M9gXD1oK9taypuypnBBLGl/s1600/Udaipur+25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHw-mOo2Fu-z6WlX7guWvsjGB2B2AHgQIGk8rxbnG0H2cS_NITFw1GOSxiLbd16TDrm5qNvlW8ja9_izZ6qm_jiKh0cCsnB5R0qtLwmSbxiynoE3M9gXD1oK9taypuypnBBLGl/s400/Udaipur+25.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">A swinging chair for the Maharani's idle hours on Farcebook</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYroyS-O8klgN_Sns2M1ICc3P2MYQqGvqt3Nvdreyulsi5n10uvIalgdL8wklN8uHWDRjX2UXfMWu9WgPyL5Z1FrEWiW0F_099P4rraJsOtZ01Aq131pAlVZN8lQrKdgiIkXao/s1600/Udaipur+19+where%2527s+wally.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYroyS-O8klgN_Sns2M1ICc3P2MYQqGvqt3Nvdreyulsi5n10uvIalgdL8wklN8uHWDRjX2UXfMWu9WgPyL5Z1FrEWiW0F_099P4rraJsOtZ01Aq131pAlVZN8lQrKdgiIkXao/s400/Udaipur+19+where%2527s+wally.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Where are the Wallies?</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FD77_sYym7VqkMcN0uQV7vIzARJ9Bc9IT9zknvYoQO3gaNMX8q7ulgnul7EC80HZHOv0L4xzWbtQEfCDLU1tc8oZEXBPd8DvmfgsIEnrNg-9Sins5h2x0irj_hV2mj9EK3t4/s1600/Udaipur+19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FD77_sYym7VqkMcN0uQV7vIzARJ9Bc9IT9zknvYoQO3gaNMX8q7ulgnul7EC80HZHOv0L4xzWbtQEfCDLU1tc8oZEXBPd8DvmfgsIEnrNg-9Sins5h2x0irj_hV2mj9EK3t4/s400/Udaipur+19.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">A kerosene fan in the Udaipur Palace Museum <strong><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">:-)</span></strong> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Of course I was inspired to go one better, and immediately invented the kerosene laptop. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKvq99rBfPWVDckCJafrxlhsBbmOLTPnH1phFHuFhL5D3PZIwZas_fyjgNRSt5zLwEUDEOQnXGpQEYlGuOQNbxSvH3I8CIltAb1RkwMba_iXdxp4n80IOy6AbKqOJ5_j7v5kR/s1600/Udaipur+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKvq99rBfPWVDckCJafrxlhsBbmOLTPnH1phFHuFhL5D3PZIwZas_fyjgNRSt5zLwEUDEOQnXGpQEYlGuOQNbxSvH3I8CIltAb1RkwMba_iXdxp4n80IOy6AbKqOJ5_j7v5kR/s400/Udaipur+6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Speaking of inventiveness, this horsiphant (elephorse?) successfully confused </span></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">enemy elephants. </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Elephants instinctively protect their young. </span></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The trunk probably </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">also suppressed any urge on the </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">part of the horse</span></div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> to indulge in impulse grazing during the heat of battle.</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlPtAWEVeHYQQcvyM2JZtYqW0SSin5igHE36ktrCUu5V-e9cMFfhllTadarvZ_9CiU5wCE_AE2idgyFrLOecyZZDY4TPtz79zkDKrwVcPM78-8WTSL9M1toCEj0X-eCohIvjH/s1600/Udaipur+29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlPtAWEVeHYQQcvyM2JZtYqW0SSin5igHE36ktrCUu5V-e9cMFfhllTadarvZ_9CiU5wCE_AE2idgyFrLOecyZZDY4TPtz79zkDKrwVcPM78-8WTSL9M1toCEj0X-eCohIvjH/s400/Udaipur+29.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YdduMjnthSlsmE5UdOTrxmfNhuZ4sfNtyI8IeBgKvDiAHYqJ7UXMaDa2TJg58L7-GV6PvMl9ZQbKGOcdr6UF3FJmmlXEtkNMrcbtAcFCsX12kFcb9eQ450eQTLk3u1eZahky/s1600/Udaipur+40+Maharajah%2527s+car+collection.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YdduMjnthSlsmE5UdOTrxmfNhuZ4sfNtyI8IeBgKvDiAHYqJ7UXMaDa2TJg58L7-GV6PvMl9ZQbKGOcdr6UF3FJmmlXEtkNMrcbtAcFCsX12kFcb9eQ450eQTLk3u1eZahky/s400/Udaipur+40+Maharajah%2527s+car+collection.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">One Maharajah's vast collection of vintage Rolls-Royces. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Yep, his other car is probably a Honda Jazz.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuKJqwM5iaQNU8dv6qWpFH87WePa2_jpuUcMxGtbuJdbEV_Ek_JIvwvl2MRJkzygYcKHRZDoVOCgxXRrmsWBDya58-LeCLnLaoVq6EkzGyTb61Fi_vKloXMYUbpNgIfeTBIGf/s1600/Udaipur+36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuKJqwM5iaQNU8dv6qWpFH87WePa2_jpuUcMxGtbuJdbEV_Ek_JIvwvl2MRJkzygYcKHRZDoVOCgxXRrmsWBDya58-LeCLnLaoVq6EkzGyTb61Fi_vKloXMYUbpNgIfeTBIGf/s400/Udaipur+36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">...and in the street outside the palaces, the Rolls-Royce of the Desert (4WD)</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: black;">In Udaipur's Botanical Gardens ("Women Only"; made originally for the <em>Maharani</em>) we were treated to an exuberant folk dance. I suspect, however, there were men involved:</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0TM8LOr_tU8" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<span style="color: white;">mmm</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"></span><strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Chittorgarh Fort</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">(a short-ish drive from Udaipur)</span> <br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">This fort was substantially destroyed by the Moghul emperors. They didn't actually want to occupy it, but destroyed it as an act of power to break the defeated Hindu enemy's spirit. Chittorgarh is but a shattered shadow of its former self. One photo should suffice:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLceAyWSkE9ajPsIO8YXgU3sDUBIGOeiP8NRbwclTs9o66qChyphenhyphen6klgmP6jeWyn_c4Q5stBgJdvbjoIc4Qt765VupJki9wLp9vgsDOF8jn2cwWbcVtL1DcgukKJj7yemNv5jd4X/s1600/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLceAyWSkE9ajPsIO8YXgU3sDUBIGOeiP8NRbwclTs9o66qChyphenhyphen6klgmP6jeWyn_c4Q5stBgJdvbjoIc4Qt765VupJki9wLp9vgsDOF8jn2cwWbcVtL1DcgukKJj7yemNv5jd4X/s400/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">The "Tower of Victory", naturally, was defaced as well:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4EEvCaekrmopJA5g0-LXYlXzHPrunc3TMfaILK4ATZZRI4pKoQ5df6Z3qHNv0a0D-sgd3HHqaEj1FaLSUcg7nIrnXHj5ciinH5rwSFU7GqeLPsCbHgyhw13ZPA3zyEhWUjsl/s1600/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+24+Tower+of+%2527Victory%2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4EEvCaekrmopJA5g0-LXYlXzHPrunc3TMfaILK4ATZZRI4pKoQ5df6Z3qHNv0a0D-sgd3HHqaEj1FaLSUcg7nIrnXHj5ciinH5rwSFU7GqeLPsCbHgyhw13ZPA3zyEhWUjsl/s400/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+24+Tower+of+%2527Victory%2527.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNpT2m-AK-HC3MOqDNl5iA7wwUXm_UlpR9LSxZrivjdVEtfOTsDVz5niS6WCWjgEDuKHUmpTJ8jQkASWP7zyLAZR-4jn4W26RYX_5tbJzw5KqJvgJOuBgXtWSOqE5ZZ1YxkOu/s1600/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+25+Tower+of+%2527Victory%2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNpT2m-AK-HC3MOqDNl5iA7wwUXm_UlpR9LSxZrivjdVEtfOTsDVz5niS6WCWjgEDuKHUmpTJ8jQkASWP7zyLAZR-4jn4W26RYX_5tbJzw5KqJvgJOuBgXtWSOqE5ZZ1YxkOu/s400/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+25+Tower+of+%2527Victory%2527.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Of more interest was a sandstone Jain temple, although not as finely carved - or as white - as the one back at Mt Abu. Although defaced, this was still being used as a "living" temple. India abounds with contradictions.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B9tzCTMXziUeVaMzCPZht4pflk-AHAMnFlDqLjjsDfqIK6UtUPhNjMYF9rp_C4DRcPYN9TlYIkea5O9btHDzLECVK4jHvO6zZN3UqDruDS4JREKXTwP2KZAJo93YQzZRbXVj/s1600/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+15+Jain+temple.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B9tzCTMXziUeVaMzCPZht4pflk-AHAMnFlDqLjjsDfqIK6UtUPhNjMYF9rp_C4DRcPYN9TlYIkea5O9btHDzLECVK4jHvO6zZN3UqDruDS4JREKXTwP2KZAJo93YQzZRbXVj/s400/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+15+Jain+temple.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">On the way back there were more tribal nomads on the road. Gaily-caparisoned camel trains of nomadic gypsies ply four-lane highways, an incongruous confluence of ancient and modern. The camels drip tassels of rainbow colours and sequins. Rajasthani colour serves as a cheery counterpoint to the uniform prickly drabness of the desert, but also can denote caste, occupation or social status:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxuy7HBXR2YgACyRi232u0dwD61HQwm8Xmvwjf1MLFkNbZagAE93gobrZ_ucNpD8BDlIDjfZmVmubMxI2Rf9Tg2JbYnV0kIUvrXEAk30lkCATu2kAZ0aSPaniAHeBDvWONRGi/s1600/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+28+nomads.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqxuy7HBXR2YgACyRi232u0dwD61HQwm8Xmvwjf1MLFkNbZagAE93gobrZ_ucNpD8BDlIDjfZmVmubMxI2Rf9Tg2JbYnV0kIUvrXEAk30lkCATu2kAZ0aSPaniAHeBDvWONRGi/s400/Udaipur+Chittorgarh+28+nomads.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jGn3PThnf-MoKt7hdFUufNlvWpJAvOXLUvWxqIdgT1x8qMDPqjNPK8CrJNHTGXMmUwjgnSf3w7FVeOBEIa35ClzHrVuq4I-9GVdDdknNaZZbOZfAciDZMQp0NOmrqpXzEJOd/s1600/Kumbhalgarh+to+Deogarh+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jGn3PThnf-MoKt7hdFUufNlvWpJAvOXLUvWxqIdgT1x8qMDPqjNPK8CrJNHTGXMmUwjgnSf3w7FVeOBEIa35ClzHrVuq4I-9GVdDdknNaZZbOZfAciDZMQp0NOmrqpXzEJOd/s400/Kumbhalgarh+to+Deogarh+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRFcIs1L53_wQSnM-cd01kwnj2ZItx_yYhW6QAcxxJHW5oKwVGJsr2HzjisjYxL28Rtfrt79VvqY8RbY8J1Rs3puLkdyx33n88gAB1qXfoWYQOk82mrwhDQpQHfKMAJJOPcU8/s1600/Ranakpur+to+Kumbhalgarh+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRFcIs1L53_wQSnM-cd01kwnj2ZItx_yYhW6QAcxxJHW5oKwVGJsr2HzjisjYxL28Rtfrt79VvqY8RbY8J1Rs3puLkdyx33n88gAB1qXfoWYQOk82mrwhDQpQHfKMAJJOPcU8/s400/Ranakpur+to+Kumbhalgarh+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The women generally do the gathering and carrying of firewood.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Out here in the north-western desert, people are gnarled, brown and tough but kind and accepting. Women sari-clad mostly in brilliant day-glo pinks, oranges, reds and yellows, glitter head-to-toe with silver sequins and studded brass nose-rings with small bells, carrying strapped bundles of firewood or shiny water-pots on their heads. Faces often modestly veiled with transparent flimsy material. Men, dustily barefoot or sandalled, wear bulbous brightly coloured turbans and once-white linen dhotis, gathered between knobbly knees.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Ranakpur Jain Temple</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">...was by far the largest Jain temple we saw. Fifteenth century. Every one of its <strong>1,444</strong> white(ish) marble columns is carved uniquely, and its area of 48,000 sq ft and 24 domes meant, of course, that I got thoroughly disoriented and lost inside. I suffered 'supermarket syndrome'. Marie's head, however, contains a built-in GPS, so I got out OK, <em>thank Shiva...</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjss5Sn6oRQv4P0MaevcnuMrQTnzk89XiWCaqW5Q-HKZyXjqbEll_jXPHku6x5Cs43Enfyx2PB7ZcyHV3bPE2FG8XXUk7qIuyvjRqvn13z4ZDVQWmK4JQ8Y9YdBgWLEpV4vzQ1X/s1600/Ranakpur+7+Jain+temple.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjss5Sn6oRQv4P0MaevcnuMrQTnzk89XiWCaqW5Q-HKZyXjqbEll_jXPHku6x5Cs43Enfyx2PB7ZcyHV3bPE2FG8XXUk7qIuyvjRqvn13z4ZDVQWmK4JQ8Y9YdBgWLEpV4vzQ1X/s400/Ranakpur+7+Jain+temple.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> Where's Wally?</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WTRRgAggD6g" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLBMS1SmKdiFAOB0QICRqUP9yBEsPN582L987Rf1zlPVfR9py9kbGWbuSNwAWQtqOGMWPeA5GOegmkItqOvj-AE0okS_rzvWxDh0hCKIUv4GpfeiGd_IZQwH8pIDhaOUbev-X/s1600/Ranakpur+19+Jain+temple.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLBMS1SmKdiFAOB0QICRqUP9yBEsPN582L987Rf1zlPVfR9py9kbGWbuSNwAWQtqOGMWPeA5GOegmkItqOvj-AE0okS_rzvWxDh0hCKIUv4GpfeiGd_IZQwH8pIDhaOUbev-X/s400/Ranakpur+19+Jain+temple.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYcqICWpxMBxkAcHQhhtR1ZbwaEqooVZVPIkHrMvKcgzI53IDgSv7WeVBjsuENK_PLWFzyfWfLpfMKVvGZw0TCKtoG9xrRbW2vw9IqLpABmqEstyxroLUT9h30rgih8SXSh7S/s1600/Ranakpur+11+Jain+temple.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYcqICWpxMBxkAcHQhhtR1ZbwaEqooVZVPIkHrMvKcgzI53IDgSv7WeVBjsuENK_PLWFzyfWfLpfMKVvGZw0TCKtoG9xrRbW2vw9IqLpABmqEstyxroLUT9h30rgih8SXSh7S/s400/Ranakpur+11+Jain+temple.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"> Kumbhalgarh</span></strong> <span style="color: black;">('garh' = fort)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Surly and sulking on a forbidding ridge, Kumbhalgarh Fort is smaller than Chittorgarh had been, but it holds its head proud and mightily high. Unlike Chittorgarh, it was never properly conquered by the Moghuls.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Kumbhalgarh Fort, seen first from the approach road:</span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MMsxWBnZtMU" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy7cfeLyjhC8KK6UZAVpMCI5KU0244CLXXOxGrDuBYLS7FbYcUuJGP0YMdL8tL8XbJ6tTmjoTUbfnPgv_lkeFc4IuP8r5axpxcxwwGiVH91rntAK9wqU1GpS1aYuiqWoxZp-m/s1600/Kumbhalgarh+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy7cfeLyjhC8KK6UZAVpMCI5KU0244CLXXOxGrDuBYLS7FbYcUuJGP0YMdL8tL8XbJ6tTmjoTUbfnPgv_lkeFc4IuP8r5axpxcxwwGiVH91rntAK9wqU1GpS1aYuiqWoxZp-m/s400/Kumbhalgarh+12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Kumbhalgarh's first gate: (yep, that's a child leading the cattle)</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Trudge your way steeply up up up through an impregnable series of massive stone gateways, some bristling with sharpened metal anti-elephant spikes. Such gates were usually positioned just after a sharp corner so that a charging elephant couldn't get up any speed:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCoVDuYWJjil4Mm0vVx3hBcbXz00IButeRC9AYuX_YuVX8Yzh72remlbYbm591fGFu1oDChfh0xkTEeOo_-a-m-p7PqKcKuYpRo4nBCTVv6ozUjbSf-nvzb7NSrxF6EflWYKz/s1600/Kumbhalgarh+35.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCoVDuYWJjil4Mm0vVx3hBcbXz00IButeRC9AYuX_YuVX8Yzh72remlbYbm591fGFu1oDChfh0xkTEeOo_-a-m-p7PqKcKuYpRo4nBCTVv6ozUjbSf-nvzb7NSrxF6EflWYKz/s400/Kumbhalgarh+35.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnzt51x-O5QxgfcSEA3yFJepsb7GTaNbWX-9mhsuG7HDVuyO26xb-mpk8kqwrVTPju-TDPwQxcb2JxrjADiFZwqXgBCO9HRzn9Lob4WfJdi1ci-S9ZiQvkXIY-aJmvSHnx1UB/s1600/Kumbhalgarh+16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnzt51x-O5QxgfcSEA3yFJepsb7GTaNbWX-9mhsuG7HDVuyO26xb-mpk8kqwrVTPju-TDPwQxcb2JxrjADiFZwqXgBCO9HRzn9Lob4WfJdi1ci-S9ZiQvkXIY-aJmvSHnx1UB/s400/Kumbhalgarh+16.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Up, up, ever up the flights of polished marble stairwells to the fluted domes on the highest ramparts. From up here you can look down on that approach road and any foolish invaders:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/649uDobHisk" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Outside the fort, the decimated remains of a buffalo carcass unnervingly remind one that <em>Leopards Be Here</em>. That night, out of reach of leopards, Marie recovers her nerve by whooping it up a bit with a rollicking Rajasthani maiden...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwXY2BI9njSQzJ3quoCtDc_HjfDok8C9t7yMeH5TdC1Simk-H4Y6CICmB-xzffyD9lI36nz__eBkUI44zX9DVIxd3EBSz2yOdiavWNUG36iXcGOPjnCcqzvw139Jp-4Cvkhkh/s1600/Kumbhalgarh+5+Aodhi+Lodge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdwXY2BI9njSQzJ3quoCtDc_HjfDok8C9t7yMeH5TdC1Simk-H4Y6CICmB-xzffyD9lI36nz__eBkUI44zX9DVIxd3EBSz2yOdiavWNUG36iXcGOPjnCcqzvw139Jp-4Cvkhkh/s400/Kumbhalgarh+5+Aodhi+Lodge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">...and later I relax with the Indian Sunday Times and discover a gratuitously doctored gory photo on the front page:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMzBDtS89XPQyDUpKLHdDWLMLq22uZIc3A07LHY7eoElSx_IUOkPG3DkyN6Gip1V70ndCG53n0yde7oKIBBFD6d2Hmqe7wF31fvCAQ3g8Xq8vAmB6uwAf9_j_lHUxqAsjs3Tv/s1600/Kumbhalgarh+3+Aodhi+Lodge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJMzBDtS89XPQyDUpKLHdDWLMLq22uZIc3A07LHY7eoElSx_IUOkPG3DkyN6Gip1V70ndCG53n0yde7oKIBBFD6d2Hmqe7wF31fvCAQ3g8Xq8vAmB6uwAf9_j_lHUxqAsjs3Tv/s400/Kumbhalgarh+3+Aodhi+Lodge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaV76K5EgMPflQIiQEjULj-_9wPn9SkIYCRIMW6yOAS9iQjq-jIUmuTaYgeQGo8xc599qmzoZt_STQVGZk6HishVUtK9OzL4fkb4zdHKqOCi95zJgJyXgDJbh0Flpx5STBsU9/s1600/Kumbhalgarh+8+Aodhi+Lodge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaV76K5EgMPflQIiQEjULj-_9wPn9SkIYCRIMW6yOAS9iQjq-jIUmuTaYgeQGo8xc599qmzoZt_STQVGZk6HishVUtK9OzL4fkb4zdHKqOCi95zJgJyXgDJbh0Flpx5STBsU9/s400/Kumbhalgarh+8+Aodhi+Lodge.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Wow, that's more sensationalist even than the most populist Thai newspapers! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Apart from the badly photoshopped blood, notice the report of the local temperature</span>.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"> Deogarh</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">It's certainly getting more parched round these parts. Wan slanting sunlight on a clear and chilly January morning. Dry bracken, an occasional scribbly grey-green tree, hunched against the cold. Lethargic cattle, grazing among scattered rubbish, claim their patch of sun. Brownly barren and jagged hills, eroding for aeons, punctuate an otherwise level or undulating sandscape. Some patches of low-crouching frothy acacias, curiously green. Dry stone wall fences meander aimlessly into the beige distance. As we drive through the dusty village and up the hill to the hotel, we enter an unexpected and different world: a converted former palace offering everything possible in luxury:</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZVOPJ3FdaVad1mnrycuf4a4eXVzlYVytAFk2FgmV_C74RElHwkuSPHPGrylHx9_le7uEZT0YokfDD9oVD9EDJeUs2N6mJycpPxQ95-Sg1n6sjaclIspA3Fmong4K81UZQbqo/s1600/Deogarh+7+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZVOPJ3FdaVad1mnrycuf4a4eXVzlYVytAFk2FgmV_C74RElHwkuSPHPGrylHx9_le7uEZT0YokfDD9oVD9EDJeUs2N6mJycpPxQ95-Sg1n6sjaclIspA3Fmong4K81UZQbqo/s400/Deogarh+7+Mahal.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">At Deogarh Palace, recently converted to a hotel by the 15th generation Ranak (king), we were housed in a 3-room apartment which was built in 1670. Originally a royal reception room (the "Kawandwara"), our bedroom walls were painted with fading 340 year-old originals of Lord Krishna, elephant battles etc. We could scarcely believe it - this was literally the most intimate possible encounter between Tourism and Culture:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtBcEACm4x_CiuUGWS92MLHtC7TKLhKunpxdLmF8AYxLdSkXp5LkmbfwMhtE_BlQV3bpRuvCKsxBgn-6YcWvWiOfd2T6cg7nHIh1s3acZNPb0DTpiS1x72nYcePArZ4qbFusX/s1600/Deogarh+9+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKtBcEACm4x_CiuUGWS92MLHtC7TKLhKunpxdLmF8AYxLdSkXp5LkmbfwMhtE_BlQV3bpRuvCKsxBgn-6YcWvWiOfd2T6cg7nHIh1s3acZNPb0DTpiS1x72nYcePArZ4qbFusX/s400/Deogarh+9+Mahal.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">For the sake of preserving the colours, I switched off the camera's flash</span>.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwVaemK3jh6_Iwcjno3A5lH6foHC1STHPBiCGrmyvzBNJaDtRiT0C8W7HCEBdVf44LSpI6ZyabfkXCNMoELsejwmdN8bYRGsdF2hfX92oKuu_SLwljU6vURgvg8UGOWqW5I8w/s1600/Deogarh+22+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwVaemK3jh6_Iwcjno3A5lH6foHC1STHPBiCGrmyvzBNJaDtRiT0C8W7HCEBdVf44LSpI6ZyabfkXCNMoELsejwmdN8bYRGsdF2hfX92oKuu_SLwljU6vURgvg8UGOWqW5I8w/s400/Deogarh+22+Mahal.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6DkVZWm9nY8texC7g8hULzyFQZzgM3I_ChB38gaAS5qEVOyZ00F22Ak9-sKTXIkf107OQ9l-1xwQCbM-di6FXUmBWNZ0Tc0CQO8IZgq5CfPLD70mTN5IS2hHyWvBxLmydjVF/s1600/Deogarh+12+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6DkVZWm9nY8texC7g8hULzyFQZzgM3I_ChB38gaAS5qEVOyZ00F22Ak9-sKTXIkf107OQ9l-1xwQCbM-di6FXUmBWNZ0Tc0CQO8IZgq5CfPLD70mTN5IS2hHyWvBxLmydjVF/s400/Deogarh+12+Mahal.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Come on a walk-thru tour of the apartment:</span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KqrtY5KLfus" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Deogarh's dance show:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/buceSFq1T3I" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyJY6Kgz-IsSUv-tsKdv94dXX8PAgk1Ex_xjWvbuuxW7tD36M9UxAdDVOBVJzVEAmMvM4K9DSktrD0Y6ktUqALaX6U3gbuYQw5-hEUv_8xgypkY2FwCiVTd5XV12k15zvo0it/s1600/Deogarh+20+Mahal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyJY6Kgz-IsSUv-tsKdv94dXX8PAgk1Ex_xjWvbuuxW7tD36M9UxAdDVOBVJzVEAmMvM4K9DSktrD0Y6ktUqALaX6U3gbuYQw5-hEUv_8xgypkY2FwCiVTd5XV12k15zvo0it/s400/Deogarh+20+Mahal.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlbr8NcxOzrbvhTZwRRyEE_7MAvgaCuXGubrMdMwY5P8WA_y3R7d-iBef-MOQsO3LZxp5UcznFE0ssnppSWAQIuUrP9jDcb8fnIj9SmrUyhoow5aUZAwea__Fd4WA17Bpm-lZ/s1600/Deogarh+24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlbr8NcxOzrbvhTZwRRyEE_7MAvgaCuXGubrMdMwY5P8WA_y3R7d-iBef-MOQsO3LZxp5UcznFE0ssnppSWAQIuUrP9jDcb8fnIj9SmrUyhoow5aUZAwea__Fd4WA17Bpm-lZ/s400/Deogarh+24.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlK2jvElVnPNZFncqeKYLNuAcNq5On0iF1_YkxMbpOJWgLZ7SMJxf3oZ4_WzD-co9JlnOAqcWzDlpbHLwpjX3mb7_XVVlvB8XJRMwwgZD-IuYf5LTCSnVSbQvSpNOGSWNzzcq/s1600/Deogarh+38+train+ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlK2jvElVnPNZFncqeKYLNuAcNq5On0iF1_YkxMbpOJWgLZ7SMJxf3oZ4_WzD-co9JlnOAqcWzDlpbHLwpjX3mb7_XVVlvB8XJRMwwgZD-IuYf5LTCSnVSbQvSpNOGSWNzzcq/s400/Deogarh+38+train+ride.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Steep descent along a ridge during a train joyride</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Xxv9WLkyCNDFiB2-F0H7KiqqyaF2pZMCQoe9h91S9aX1ex2OsttxCNnR0rLtICHfJgf5Gcqzjsl5IsMVMPGX2spPJ6_at_B0R_fKFHMSUCWsfvNU-Zn-etjtzgGRBJiP56I1/s1600/Deogarh+33+train+ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Xxv9WLkyCNDFiB2-F0H7KiqqyaF2pZMCQoe9h91S9aX1ex2OsttxCNnR0rLtICHfJgf5Gcqzjsl5IsMVMPGX2spPJ6_at_B0R_fKFHMSUCWsfvNU-Zn-etjtzgGRBJiP56I1/s400/Deogarh+33+train+ride.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgE-HCs-f7R31lHnAfpRpZMOoVZDoFRds1jcSS5hTY4kQGQlrqhpCjLoLh_tk9-I9ka5XqduHdaduAro7Ozp9_TPzRP9fjFhhpWim_vNDFolcka4qQMT2ADxEEOWp23H0bbdX_/s1600/Deogarh+37+train+ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgE-HCs-f7R31lHnAfpRpZMOoVZDoFRds1jcSS5hTY4kQGQlrqhpCjLoLh_tk9-I9ka5XqduHdaduAro7Ozp9_TPzRP9fjFhhpWim_vNDFolcka4qQMT2ADxEEOWp23H0bbdX_/s400/Deogarh+37+train+ride.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Give biscuit = friend forever.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> Black-faced Macaques will snatch cameras if they look vaguely edible.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"> Rohet </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Flat sparse desert around the village of Rohet, where we stayed at Rohetgarh Palace, yet <em>another</em> former royal abode. Ostentatiously over-restored place, clearly reliant on sweetheart deals with tour companies... otherwise how would they attract enough visitors way out here? </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">The jeep "safari" took us to see some antelope grazing in fields of mustard oil crops, then to a Bishnoi vegetarian village (Hindu) with its mud/cowpoo thatched huts:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_NpzC7j7pJ2Y1cdvk-Uwejc-QIObC7Aip6hYxMwHkmMU08XQGfa0NhtgZ0ZFwXU6qRPw8ubqdCNFA_lld3J7d8FbhCnr7FGvw2IShMbe9KMYjIEYhEuVQvD0QuRqBOH2-Urr/s1600/Rohet+4+Bishnoi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_NpzC7j7pJ2Y1cdvk-Uwejc-QIObC7Aip6hYxMwHkmMU08XQGfa0NhtgZ0ZFwXU6qRPw8ubqdCNFA_lld3J7d8FbhCnr7FGvw2IShMbe9KMYjIEYhEuVQvD0QuRqBOH2-Urr/s400/Rohet+4+Bishnoi.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTSVQqOk9aAL8vrpngbggIQ422z-lifIjdoN1rPZ0w0XV-1lnVEuBpwMSe2TN63LdzO7tK0ZePlpjPshsQ9mlL-4fqPY-HnuK6MnkE8KZFyBWpUY8F_jeiUXedukuNLVcxw-Q/s1600/Rohet+10+Bishnoi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTSVQqOk9aAL8vrpngbggIQ422z-lifIjdoN1rPZ0w0XV-1lnVEuBpwMSe2TN63LdzO7tK0ZePlpjPshsQ9mlL-4fqPY-HnuK6MnkE8KZFyBWpUY8F_jeiUXedukuNLVcxw-Q/s400/Rohet+10+Bishnoi.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><em>Posing for a living?</em> Gold is where you find it.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">The Bishnoi are vegetarian and actively protect the local wildlife. When the Indian filmstar Salman Khan shot a blackbuck antelope in their tribal territory, they got, like, <em>real</em> cranky. They made sure he got convicted, but even so continued to pursue him - almost like a fatwa (except they're Hindu). During a much publicised marathon in Jaipur, they harrassed the guy as he ran:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEYSn8E4xEBrYWdsE_u5hTd6GqvUjGm7D4oR_GJ-3cuN2PivhnaMYfh3-Kef9HHjYhbKE9uB88fASak8JNOa85dHpHp80TWc5_S3J1hVKqsWSP6wN9l1Dri4ikTYxovEAat5c/s1600/Rohet+27+bishnoi+dabaang+-+cropped.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHEYSn8E4xEBrYWdsE_u5hTd6GqvUjGm7D4oR_GJ-3cuN2PivhnaMYfh3-Kef9HHjYhbKE9uB88fASak8JNOa85dHpHp80TWc5_S3J1hVKqsWSP6wN9l1Dri4ikTYxovEAat5c/s400/Rohet+27+bishnoi+dabaang+-+cropped.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Click any photo if you wish to enlarge it. Afterwards, click your 'Back' button</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="color: black;">We were treated to an opium "Welcome Ceremony" in a Brahmin village - clearly a tourist whitewash to disguise the lucrative backroom trade <em>("Orpium nod do hyor grrowing, Sirrh". Grrow nearr Udaipurrh").</em> We could have a drink of mild opium if we wanted, offered to us direct from the host's cupped right hand. Bit like coffee - apparently:</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidFwNjVipMrzZyccB70Fso3_zWqD2_Hu0DgEm8bcmplkw524PXTT3-RP7pAyRqzmhoEMd64dzRX9GcFJq10DSJazKZQu-J4VwhRXgT67sGdcOxl4LM9F5I8NWbsYgkVycy5AG/s1600/Rohet+20+Bishnoi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidFwNjVipMrzZyccB70Fso3_zWqD2_Hu0DgEm8bcmplkw524PXTT3-RP7pAyRqzmhoEMd64dzRX9GcFJq10DSJazKZQu-J4VwhRXgT67sGdcOxl4LM9F5I8NWbsYgkVycy5AG/s400/Rohet+20+Bishnoi.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Marie tests an opium <em>karrel</em>. The blue wall indicates the house of a Brahmin caste, ie,</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> they probably </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">command enough clout to have done a cosy deal with the palace. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj101w8WkU_o13cT_AKpa7FSDO1IvZVrm3nuDAQkdZs4QSN0BrVkoGOwobwHu2nLpocHAojNQoLyXgFUp2Qnz3fOm1bsyaVngqkrfsB2fl1mvhK_VQaHsMhniFEcjsLol_CEnk2/s1600/Rohet+21+Bishnoi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj101w8WkU_o13cT_AKpa7FSDO1IvZVrm3nuDAQkdZs4QSN0BrVkoGOwobwHu2nLpocHAojNQoLyXgFUp2Qnz3fOm1bsyaVngqkrfsB2fl1mvhK_VQaHsMhniFEcjsLol_CEnk2/s400/Rohet+21+Bishnoi.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Whatever she had, I want some.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">There is a legal opium growing </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">license for 20 acres (for medicinal opium), </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">but they covertly grow 25, </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">so there are some handy</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> 'left-overs' which they </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">have </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">probably agreed to share. Everyone (except tourists) understands that.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Back at the palace, a post-dinner magic show was compelling - but (ironically) served to reaffirm that there isn't really a huge amount to do at Rohet that isn't illegal or fattening.</span><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;">Manvar Camp</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGc2_uzlwBYUyqrRUIz3aiL_lEXzArMliins4ufl9OX9nNOlA5OM-omT2Y1blNIDAnoKcwq_9h0DJ36qDbILM6_ObM5eAnjezYUilgFgEIC2FrfeFBCwqa3i2uI3UIqQ9JlU-/s1600/Manvar+Camp+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGc2_uzlwBYUyqrRUIz3aiL_lEXzArMliins4ufl9OX9nNOlA5OM-omT2Y1blNIDAnoKcwq_9h0DJ36qDbILM6_ObM5eAnjezYUilgFgEIC2FrfeFBCwqa3i2uI3UIqQ9JlU-/s400/Manvar+Camp+4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ-PoHgIaL6ML592dGwijsTotXfy7ihCp2FrlnTDs2qTkw0f4nd8ebF7UcAylPM43QBs4AX103KcJ5M2I-nmb5aV8GG27FwF7b_78jLcmTAHBIGUQfTWQ8ifgxN96QDb5tPE9/s1600/Manvar+Camp+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ-PoHgIaL6ML592dGwijsTotXfy7ihCp2FrlnTDs2qTkw0f4nd8ebF7UcAylPM43QBs4AX103KcJ5M2I-nmb5aV8GG27FwF7b_78jLcmTAHBIGUQfTWQ8ifgxN96QDb5tPE9/s400/Manvar+Camp+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Sands to the horizon in all directions - a Bedouin-style tent encampment, a five-star fairy-tale dream. We've stepped into the film-set of 'Arabian Nights'. <em>Maharajahs, we!</em> Elegantly turbaned chai-wallah brings a tray of hot masala tea in fine bone china cups... Both of us astride Kalu the Camel, lurching over sandhills towards the sunset... Silver service dinner of goat-meat and Tandoori Roti in the dining tent... Traditional musicians and dancers lit by log-fires... Wine and spiced paneer under a crisp diamond-sprinkled half-moon sky... Heated tent on our return... <em>and hot-water bottles!</em> Reality never gets this good. It's all romantic illusion, of course, but when they do it as sublimely as this, gee, all is forgiven:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxlvSVUGiaBe9RV4gDYPYmeue_GBa4c6cKRCk2QLmh5_lkiCFcp3KYXQVp3dh4s20yavTok4ZqVxS3pmINSkoztXrTrxEcPN3IaVETXVRUmhtJ460dg8op5LF7DXmf927tesu/s1600/Manvar+Camp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxlvSVUGiaBe9RV4gDYPYmeue_GBa4c6cKRCk2QLmh5_lkiCFcp3KYXQVp3dh4s20yavTok4ZqVxS3pmINSkoztXrTrxEcPN3IaVETXVRUmhtJ460dg8op5LF7DXmf927tesu/s400/Manvar+Camp.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdK1-VanuWfXGdS-Qhjkg__bLtFoiXhCOJfPpwNcrn_p_rBSiBLTxe8UwO2gyHKKOF_L1kWl2P2BiMsFZ4jYp8B3yCcT5NQckr-PEhPXhegtlyM9xwP2w4jg7jSA5TcXYHzwgE/s1600/Manvar+Camp+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdK1-VanuWfXGdS-Qhjkg__bLtFoiXhCOJfPpwNcrn_p_rBSiBLTxe8UwO2gyHKKOF_L1kWl2P2BiMsFZ4jYp8B3yCcT5NQckr-PEhPXhegtlyM9xwP2w4jg7jSA5TcXYHzwgE/s400/Manvar+Camp+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Kalu [left] apprehensively awaits us</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ai7Dvb8cYdJ8rZgV0gybfNZUKPJH37iXf-DGJLjnwWascnx9WgbkPot6OkfHoY-O9MJJkF4m8EEm3FqPuz62QHwZ7OtA9I_5coW42PyxP2wUvvZKEkozoPWLsyAC9EBk0r3k/s1600/Manvar+Camp+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ai7Dvb8cYdJ8rZgV0gybfNZUKPJH37iXf-DGJLjnwWascnx9WgbkPot6OkfHoY-O9MJJkF4m8EEm3FqPuz62QHwZ7OtA9I_5coW42PyxP2wUvvZKEkozoPWLsyAC9EBk0r3k/s400/Manvar+Camp+8.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Wgi9pZs4nrqJuQwztIaGuNa8MAQ18HoGzitFDjP1a2R3MTpZ_v_rf7LG3G09pkjcrHWkI9dVA64xTDp0fl5y0KmT-IhqTiDh5vIuTAWY_1oaqOvaYRA6R5l4yy15iZBKCCyK/s1600/Manvar+Camp+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Wgi9pZs4nrqJuQwztIaGuNa8MAQ18HoGzitFDjP1a2R3MTpZ_v_rf7LG3G09pkjcrHWkI9dVA64xTDp0fl5y0KmT-IhqTiDh5vIuTAWY_1oaqOvaYRA6R5l4yy15iZBKCCyK/s400/Manvar+Camp+11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> Sorry about the horizon. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">It's awkward to manage a camera with one hand while bouncing atop a camel.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eWvpy2d-6f1RTVAOwPniTjIQ_AjupQ81twQG4qjMuGVenQJLsVstoaAPc0WuHQ16tgYWhTC0kEUZCYuuQNwRPPIVHY3B9zDyWWBfZLIUDN-HeEmAmQRbGYmO-hqqRxlZtIvy/s1600/Manvar+Camp+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3eWvpy2d-6f1RTVAOwPniTjIQ_AjupQ81twQG4qjMuGVenQJLsVstoaAPc0WuHQ16tgYWhTC0kEUZCYuuQNwRPPIVHY3B9zDyWWBfZLIUDN-HeEmAmQRbGYmO-hqqRxlZtIvy/s400/Manvar+Camp+13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Kalu was jiggered after carrying two westerners, and was soon lulled</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> to sleep</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> by a musician who just happened to be busking nearby...</span></div><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FUG2zRVx4wU" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcIxONdUHaFZFi3vW2WD9D5j4EOEXfd6v5qDC42WF5_LGfqc2HsfIxJNolZrn4cfiZQ-_Z0BpZ5m9ntju6alREzKyEv5fAPJxF5krp0lc_PjF4v-s96EKoBJxaXBGoagyCpUw/s1600/Manvar+Camp+19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcIxONdUHaFZFi3vW2WD9D5j4EOEXfd6v5qDC42WF5_LGfqc2HsfIxJNolZrn4cfiZQ-_Z0BpZ5m9ntju6alREzKyEv5fAPJxF5krp0lc_PjF4v-s96EKoBJxaXBGoagyCpUw/s400/Manvar+Camp+19.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a2ngYlSq0HY?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a2ngYlSq0HY?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Thus ends Part 3. Now click <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-part-4-of-4.html">here</a> to view Part 4 (the final episode)<br />
<br />
In Part 4 you will visit <br />
<strong>Johdpur, Mehrangarh Fort, Jaipur, the Amber Fort, and Mandawar, </strong><br />
<strong>then see the Literature Festivals at both Jaipur and Galle.</strong></div></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-55216863727386898822011-03-18T23:15:00.003+07:002011-03-19T17:18:34.226+07:00Indian Odyssey, Xmas 2010 (Part 4 of 4), including the Jaipur and Galle Literary Festivals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"></span><strong>In our fourth and final exciting episode, our heroes complete their tour of the north-west Indian state of Rajasthan, then head off to TWO Literary Festivals at Jaipur (near Delhi), and Galle (in Sri Lanka). But first, grab your sword and don your armour for a trip back to old India...</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"><strong>Johdpur</strong> <span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: small;">and nearby Mehrangarh Fort</span></span><br />
Introductory local scenes around Johdpur...<br />
(Play the game called "Spot-a-Fort"...<em>I bet you miss this one)</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAx75185zBrR5jrM0svzat4_qSxkhEMcAjyRPcv-gpQNHl2CEKwAkasQzHBOjysBdGAQ5ETHY1dNTZKiBNZryC7H4eAS6Z9gT2vaiE3jr3HDNGcsWUDdq_M6GHA5YV_uLlJ-D/s1600/Jodhpur+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIAx75185zBrR5jrM0svzat4_qSxkhEMcAjyRPcv-gpQNHl2CEKwAkasQzHBOjysBdGAQ5ETHY1dNTZKiBNZryC7H4eAS6Z9gT2vaiE3jr3HDNGcsWUDdq_M6GHA5YV_uLlJ-D/s400/Jodhpur+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Mehrangarh Fort guards the city against its most currently feared enemy, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">known internationally as "A Drop in Tourist Numbers".</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJODvuJIj57OINNrH4M8YJO7J3vOJfamG8I_Amx-ZRR79xJVhqXsNc661tr3IieyisGh_iZDdDjK8RkIyA8jVaEMc0BDG5rBJGheUpYJvVivHY2C_Zrjw2y1SpMrnXngAnTJq/s1600/Jodhpur+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJODvuJIj57OINNrH4M8YJO7J3vOJfamG8I_Amx-ZRR79xJVhqXsNc661tr3IieyisGh_iZDdDjK8RkIyA8jVaEMc0BDG5rBJGheUpYJvVivHY2C_Zrjw2y1SpMrnXngAnTJq/s400/Jodhpur+10.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Boundaries & borders: the perfect metaphor for India's cultural-religious divide.</span></div><br />
Mehrangarh Fort near Jodhpur: just when you thought Indian architecture couldn't possibly provide any further superlatives, this 15th century fort/palace raises the 'wow' bar. Pictures shall tell the story...<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/O6bZ8cBg3IE" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vOKCEzFb5Rw" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU12Ha7aD6NN9VT6SBwerjPlrVWSThtFqhGZab9bpxhG7L9Ux5Pk2gpUCZghaOx9seZvSB8sEwEQW3a7Z_eD9yxjLJIBNGZWnkbYFgxi7FMlGQtgx8nTJ4W_x7ja5Vm-uPWjja/s1600/Jodhpur+69+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU12Ha7aD6NN9VT6SBwerjPlrVWSThtFqhGZab9bpxhG7L9Ux5Pk2gpUCZghaOx9seZvSB8sEwEQW3a7Z_eD9yxjLJIBNGZWnkbYFgxi7FMlGQtgx8nTJ4W_x7ja5Vm-uPWjja/s400/Jodhpur+69+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERfi5xVp6A_tlK1JlOsKz4e-NI2Yin1TSC9Q79l0sWPW9DvFKbMYolkcsi6ixVFvqS1yMNYxUgr90wuz5Ewl5MFRWBo3G-rfLRwI9Egd2_YHU-e8pJ4jaRbANXL3qb-Un7Fgn/s1600/Jodhpur+65+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERfi5xVp6A_tlK1JlOsKz4e-NI2Yin1TSC9Q79l0sWPW9DvFKbMYolkcsi6ixVFvqS1yMNYxUgr90wuz5Ewl5MFRWBo3G-rfLRwI9Egd2_YHU-e8pJ4jaRbANXL3qb-Un7Fgn/s400/Jodhpur+65+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9AJBNfiPteDqr6WAaPyBsa3bfDxwY8PSTgdke7PuXW-uQne5q4wIrWmybLyD1bYaUyEBE1Ffs6Y3-XRjB7WHJ9k-bc2YO3ya3TZyV6-c2-N5-F0H_QAdkiYEUtEcz1K5196H/s1600/Jodhpur+48+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9AJBNfiPteDqr6WAaPyBsa3bfDxwY8PSTgdke7PuXW-uQne5q4wIrWmybLyD1bYaUyEBE1Ffs6Y3-XRjB7WHJ9k-bc2YO3ya3TZyV6-c2-N5-F0H_QAdkiYEUtEcz1K5196H/s400/Jodhpur+48+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQAL8yWPTwc2CPo_cU35Kqkzj84eoGrNKCt7pKsl67ainNrMarLfD_QXQdE5k6jgXtJnnzp-SAo0tVggpFjL5I9iiEkl8TjOkpnDhwr1-Q3K5HvjBNa2DiEPItOTkzCvUOyIv/s1600/jodpur+mehrangarh+84674+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQAL8yWPTwc2CPo_cU35Kqkzj84eoGrNKCt7pKsl67ainNrMarLfD_QXQdE5k6jgXtJnnzp-SAo0tVggpFjL5I9iiEkl8TjOkpnDhwr1-Q3K5HvjBNa2DiEPItOTkzCvUOyIv/s400/jodpur+mehrangarh+84674+-+Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><em>Brahmin Alert!</em> Johdpur is known as the "Blue City".</span></div><br />
The Mehrangarh museum was genuinely interesting, clean and well-lit. There were many old palanquins, mostly equipped with a dicky-seat for the servant holding an umbrella and/or weapons to protect the royal passenger/s. This can be understood as the forerunner of 'Business Class'...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TFg0Ek_wP9n4wRoaR_k5IVgscywdAx5dL3ZV8ROZFFYnIq1Gl-qvjg0gAPmpDcRvIicpmRpLdf4vliDpIqtORhia5asp8-0161eZz2JHrYhLjp4i5S206wwd5IvoJzJ1vbbQ/s1600/Jodhpur+27+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TFg0Ek_wP9n4wRoaR_k5IVgscywdAx5dL3ZV8ROZFFYnIq1Gl-qvjg0gAPmpDcRvIicpmRpLdf4vliDpIqtORhia5asp8-0161eZz2JHrYhLjp4i5S206wwd5IvoJzJ1vbbQ/s400/Jodhpur+27+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgEsk6Gtdj3phgpRClw-mG-viv92PFr9CHe-FJxBkarTGDhZXY9vDTW8Oo8YYJ5qpwEVrXhzAusHq6y5EHcXYKR8-1RoXquSbzxSvvt2AFU80rXfXmG164a9el60U2_DPCN5K/s1600/Jodhpur+26+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgEsk6Gtdj3phgpRClw-mG-viv92PFr9CHe-FJxBkarTGDhZXY9vDTW8Oo8YYJ5qpwEVrXhzAusHq6y5EHcXYKR8-1RoXquSbzxSvvt2AFU80rXfXmG164a9el60U2_DPCN5K/s400/Jodhpur+26+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9p7B4IB5t79ecYSbGxdjcYSMBtXWGFU6IKI6lZuue6jbSuXlij5ijBlRQNP24WHePHiuR5sA4mQ9zGrxq2PCXN08uIaCIei0ZpvvwhASqU0_hwQhDYh0R4C1f-p-633cd8Iov/s1600/Jodhpur+34+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9p7B4IB5t79ecYSbGxdjcYSMBtXWGFU6IKI6lZuue6jbSuXlij5ijBlRQNP24WHePHiuR5sA4mQ9zGrxq2PCXN08uIaCIei0ZpvvwhASqU0_hwQhDYh0R4C1f-p-633cd8Iov/s400/Jodhpur+34+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> They made the next one specifically for the visit of Queen Victoria to India...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMQrwOf6Cv0_DczmpM3W5LQI_-tA_iZBy28y3HNLMaCBK117ofxQTe3M74A_2yUt_ZUzQj8PmZf9d928PMFbVw3zXJueEWnLGW701sIrkRquGja5-BIdz7pdf6Hjydimcj0Va/s1600/Jodhpur+32+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMQrwOf6Cv0_DczmpM3W5LQI_-tA_iZBy28y3HNLMaCBK117ofxQTe3M74A_2yUt_ZUzQj8PmZf9d928PMFbVw3zXJueEWnLGW701sIrkRquGja5-BIdz7pdf6Hjydimcj0Va/s320/Jodhpur+32+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">... but weren't warned about how fat she was - so quickly had to whip up <u>this</u> one::</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAja4Ey-gE9J_wXNVhj0wqJbPnxAMH3l7hKZ5xbZcrEG9wvinGToek78Vx0dSevmV3cKGMpw_hk0Su2a8xkxU6KoOCYrhQ-lbrfWQD36Wm05HxNcqpCmERSS3u4eIoqbtiRgMA/s1600/Jodhpur+30+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAja4Ey-gE9J_wXNVhj0wqJbPnxAMH3l7hKZ5xbZcrEG9wvinGToek78Vx0dSevmV3cKGMpw_hk0Su2a8xkxU6KoOCYrhQ-lbrfWQD36Wm05HxNcqpCmERSS3u4eIoqbtiRgMA/s400/Jodhpur+30+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Fifty Ways To Kill Your <strong>...........................</strong><br />
<em>[insert Relative of your choice]:</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCGIDUMtCdWv_3mQ_OWP_LoQX4ifcPhTmqu_n-qn9UUYOQid_5GAFFHQk5HFfGE808omD1V7KnK6_2qmm3iou-A8UQEN12GyxLqZ0Ji34enM9dnRsOTo2t_DSOjtNlZZOK9mM/s1600/Jodhpur+42+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmCGIDUMtCdWv_3mQ_OWP_LoQX4ifcPhTmqu_n-qn9UUYOQid_5GAFFHQk5HFfGE808omD1V7KnK6_2qmm3iou-A8UQEN12GyxLqZ0Ji34enM9dnRsOTo2t_DSOjtNlZZOK9mM/s400/Jodhpur+42+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Imagine the havoc this could wreak on the world gold price:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeZ22H1On1yKRO05GTgjFbBIkESDbiH6EFJh0PZ14hZ93EvWrTpzvWsbgXtWNHLM39_6cClYzo0piR61u2Ee29u1OHb87oNJohr4DWswtszinfTwiAxHcoJnPBUf4roD_60A2/s1600/Jodhpur+44+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJeZ22H1On1yKRO05GTgjFbBIkESDbiH6EFJh0PZ14hZ93EvWrTpzvWsbgXtWNHLM39_6cClYzo0piR61u2Ee29u1OHb87oNJohr4DWswtszinfTwiAxHcoJnPBUf4roD_60A2/s400/Jodhpur+44+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> No, that's <strong><em>not</em></strong> the Wallies</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQaxpKp0X_WXqSBmk7SfGXrw7EuhLUIFbm194ag09_jN91Iq1fa4VIkOqApnmV0LX6jolvsu6GQFXJNXTnrgMmzSNA2jFOG7lPMgyIZhXgc_lfA19Wp06ZZZQudYyP6DvqbkF/s1600/Jodhpur+46+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQaxpKp0X_WXqSBmk7SfGXrw7EuhLUIFbm194ag09_jN91Iq1fa4VIkOqApnmV0LX6jolvsu6GQFXJNXTnrgMmzSNA2jFOG7lPMgyIZhXgc_lfA19Wp06ZZZQudYyP6DvqbkF/s400/Jodhpur+46+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFzvEsnuvF77bAuPlOXsKbdLbu7O1eh7rq3VvTZb-C0SkMsMv9iKmNv30eviO_S7hptNTD0Nfa3Dd7xKQ66jfCwpSgfuoWlDGZ6sr-Ody6KdAuXNagfBVLMpBGRlds4iLTKg-/s1600/Jodhpur+49+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFzvEsnuvF77bAuPlOXsKbdLbu7O1eh7rq3VvTZb-C0SkMsMv9iKmNv30eviO_S7hptNTD0Nfa3Dd7xKQ66jfCwpSgfuoWlDGZ6sr-Ody6KdAuXNagfBVLMpBGRlds4iLTKg-/s400/Jodhpur+49+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L0XChjINficPDBUJCFKK2taVCgK4HdItjJ2HtoZMsaQtNb5QX4LNaHJKEa9hUS7Hv_0H72muEcQfMEnfvXpAq3z4htWwJYTZviM5AaeIZbi_cN_zizKQ_D-klJuFtRDAtwav/s1600/Jodhpur+57+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_L0XChjINficPDBUJCFKK2taVCgK4HdItjJ2HtoZMsaQtNb5QX4LNaHJKEa9hUS7Hv_0H72muEcQfMEnfvXpAq3z4htWwJYTZviM5AaeIZbi_cN_zizKQ_D-klJuFtRDAtwav/s400/Jodhpur+57+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...and the Ladies Quarters <em>[read: 'prison'?]</em> on the way to the Exit. The fine mesh screens are the giveaway - the architectural equivalent of a woman's face-veil:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6S5nBRgilxJipsZ9Cp74yLf9Txt0U7HpgSFm9hTdk5_7i1tzpVCKizxm0cSto2oSDImCGUyQ_fxSrIdsDo3AjObVbaKODMS-MK1ytnJ8zAsn4HOPdho8gU60eSf_-rC9cceA/s1600/Jodhpur+23+Mehrangarh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG6S5nBRgilxJipsZ9Cp74yLf9Txt0U7HpgSFm9hTdk5_7i1tzpVCKizxm0cSto2oSDImCGUyQ_fxSrIdsDo3AjObVbaKODMS-MK1ytnJ8zAsn4HOPdho8gU60eSf_-rC9cceA/s400/Jodhpur+23+Mehrangarh.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
...plus musicians busking. They may sound (to the unschooled western ear) as if they're freely improvising, but the voice is paralleling the instrument <em>(Ravanahatha<span style="color: #0b5394;">*</span>)</em> almost exactly. The woman rarely peeked out from under her veil:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1L1oc0JFT3s" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><strong>* Info about the bowed stringed instrument in the video, the 'Ravanahatha'</strong> (Wikipedia.com): "The primary version of the violin which the West boasts of to be their creation was first played by Ravana of Ramayana. History behind this string instrument is as follows:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;"><em>Ravana's mother Kaikasi, an ardent devotee of Shiva, was eager to go and live in the god's abode on Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. Ravana opposed the plan vehemently, but to please his mother he promised to bring Mount Kailash itself to Sri Lanka.</em></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>As Ravana was lifting the mountain, an angry Shiva trapped his 10 heads and 20 arms. Writhing in pain, Ravana prayed for mercy. When Shiva let him off, Ravana decided to sing his praise and instantly made an accompanying instrument using one of his heads, an arm and some of his hair. </em></span></span></span><span style="color: white;">mmm</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">mmm</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #ead1dc; color: magenta; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: #b45f06;">Jaipur</span> </strong></span> ...the 'Pink' City. <br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Maybe pinky-orange doesn't show the dirt as much as blue...</em></span> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiul-CP8hVb0WDcEbuIpoKeWdCtHVWYY9Czqon2WW150x2NOeq7JDqUd1_FkWwgDrQov4-7teHNYQ5Bv2RQeG_Eu1C0edHGj6oxh6yaa6jwMIblPwTRGYnzSWLImCYb-vCOJM/s1600/Jaipur+3+Amber+Fort+on+hill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWiul-CP8hVb0WDcEbuIpoKeWdCtHVWYY9Czqon2WW150x2NOeq7JDqUd1_FkWwgDrQov4-7teHNYQ5Bv2RQeG_Eu1C0edHGj6oxh6yaa6jwMIblPwTRGYnzSWLImCYb-vCOJM/s400/Jaipur+3+Amber+Fort+on+hill.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">(I trust you found the fort already?)</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby-rjCGmb2t0-BHE6Kb3UJOcoPKQ6ZEjec6dRHEKYN1JrqczGzDBciIpFmopoZoZhOzmnM9oTgpEbPGILVEnpIOd7xyjHN9WoC870miI_ORG9srdnpfrZVXEVYO5Qfgn-AgEi/s1600/Jaipur+15+Hawa+Mahal+%2528Palace+of+the+Winds%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby-rjCGmb2t0-BHE6Kb3UJOcoPKQ6ZEjec6dRHEKYN1JrqczGzDBciIpFmopoZoZhOzmnM9oTgpEbPGILVEnpIOd7xyjHN9WoC870miI_ORG9srdnpfrZVXEVYO5Qfgn-AgEi/s400/Jaipur+15+Hawa+Mahal+%2528Palace+of+the+Winds%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The Hawa Mahal ("Palace of the Winds/Breeze") is located in the town centre.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> From behind its 953 carved lattice windows, the royal wives/concubines </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">were permitted to perve on the daily activities of commoners. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">It was built </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">to imitate the shape of Krishna's golden crown.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y3EPunhRFKchyAu3z943-zTBlV6ualvH3U59m0iACQ3Hzfpw84H3-3bYC-VgRbAGzOzpfVIXL4g2MbBG48a0_bCtM9nG5zT8cZrnAnirdDKMqz7SgBhLQW6p89QzVJ90c02v/s1600/Jaipur+litfest+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y3EPunhRFKchyAu3z943-zTBlV6ualvH3U59m0iACQ3Hzfpw84H3-3bYC-VgRbAGzOzpfVIXL4g2MbBG48a0_bCtM9nG5zT8cZrnAnirdDKMqz7SgBhLQW6p89QzVJ90c02v/s400/Jaipur+litfest+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The famous deco-style Raj Mandir cinema, Jaipur, venue for many Bollywood hits</span></div><br />
Jaipur... rather prosaic, even unlovely, seen from the incoming train, but coyly begins revealing a few hidden assets. Draped over fifteen kilometres of rocky ridges, the 'Great Wall of India' encircles the iconic Amber Fort atop the mountain, and is still the home of the current (nominal) Maharajah. The carefully planned city is painted largely in a pastel shade of salmon-pink, but royal palaces try to distinguish themselves with amber yellow... perhaps suggestive of gold. Despite the Amber Fort's tourist reputation, I wasn't as overwhelmed as I was at Mehrangarh... but maybe after two months on the road I'm either suffering fort-fatigue or just becoming <em>[sigh]</em> more Indian. <br />
So I'll show you a pic of our hotel room instead ;-) <br />
<div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjYILdtnDhKGdau15sQufGY8oIZDt9539MOCBJrRWIvlBwbpGylqOrKq8MqvqGgMW24X7d3AWo4wInln3beYUXHwl89DSm8spAdsk5nhwmIMHO3Ji4-zSGB7zSl7OmUwwfDc2/s1600/Jaipur+Pearl+Palace+hotel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjYILdtnDhKGdau15sQufGY8oIZDt9539MOCBJrRWIvlBwbpGylqOrKq8MqvqGgMW24X7d3AWo4wInln3beYUXHwl89DSm8spAdsk5nhwmIMHO3Ji4-zSGB7zSl7OmUwwfDc2/s400/Jaipur+Pearl+Palace+hotel.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">We stayed here for several days and also throughout the </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Jaipur Literature Festival. The hotel's owner, a Mr Singh, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">complete</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> with turban, choofed off every </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">night </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">on his old </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Royal Enfield</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> motorcycle to listen to music at the Lit Fest.</span></span></div><span style="color: white;">mmm</span><br />
In this last fort pic [hooray], convoys of gaily-caparisoned and coulourfully painted elephants ferry tourists up and down the hill to the Amber Fort. In the distance is the so-called Great Wall of India, snaking over the mountains:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6-0rMuYSZnjVvXXkk8RK2itkJN5qnro4XvqiOgpWosVH5G9HyqAL5t2tLgb2y9zaqqweh_sev-AoJugJNshs7ELz6x3lGCa3DXq1z-D2cdXlD1tJ_-y46owWAPO3VN-emQtZ/s1600/Jaipur+28+Amber+Fort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6-0rMuYSZnjVvXXkk8RK2itkJN5qnro4XvqiOgpWosVH5G9HyqAL5t2tLgb2y9zaqqweh_sev-AoJugJNshs7ELz6x3lGCa3DXq1z-D2cdXlD1tJ_-y46owWAPO3VN-emQtZ/s400/Jaipur+28+Amber+Fort.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Meanwhile, back in town, an itinerant donkey (wearing a tie) eats a kite. Jaipur had its kite festival just 2 days before, and every tree and electricity wire was festooned with dead kites:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfAD4prSZ3xYftdFBaCTm3EXqwKDAeIo3x0YBMV8ln9YwB99n932G5MsBHmFFcRX8lhkvh8tXse66WMC7Uffwwygu33lEyoRSM1K3u3i2EUBahh9YMIPiYiK_pKxORjdFR2Li/s1600/Jaipur+9+donkey+eats+fresh+kite.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfAD4prSZ3xYftdFBaCTm3EXqwKDAeIo3x0YBMV8ln9YwB99n932G5MsBHmFFcRX8lhkvh8tXse66WMC7Uffwwygu33lEyoRSM1K3u3i2EUBahh9YMIPiYiK_pKxORjdFR2Li/s400/Jaipur+9+donkey+eats+fresh+kite.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorxkzMeLPDzsJb8-OiAGxr7CUniJMo_9V9jLKkf2W5aaSLvp3ZJVgk1mtGv60mEQnYxJm3mx4brJpiFM5DLugnD1Cz4Vh40ASRWEmCytLTyFz-RfcnCeql7mMazQYrrBi-iXD/s1600/Jaipur+7+walkabout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorxkzMeLPDzsJb8-OiAGxr7CUniJMo_9V9jLKkf2W5aaSLvp3ZJVgk1mtGv60mEQnYxJm3mx4brJpiFM5DLugnD1Cz4Vh40ASRWEmCytLTyFz-RfcnCeql7mMazQYrrBi-iXD/s400/Jaipur+7+walkabout.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">I'm inspired yet again. A kerosene iron.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jB63EAFnMegq7kKbtI9IA-JSxN4L8lIFGUBiNVDvPUWuMeMXdUKOOlkXl6Oye6jzkXBHr90ZOwcP8gcROugfvzIGcVeOGQVXt-UMiFx-bzRDWGVnM_zpeQJ-_wMuklFWdsb8/s1600/Jaipur+11+walkabout.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jB63EAFnMegq7kKbtI9IA-JSxN4L8lIFGUBiNVDvPUWuMeMXdUKOOlkXl6Oye6jzkXBHr90ZOwcP8gcROugfvzIGcVeOGQVXt-UMiFx-bzRDWGVnM_zpeQJ-_wMuklFWdsb8/s400/Jaipur+11+walkabout.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">I felt a mysterious empathy with the white cow.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmR4RLcBO_zSKjLffJ-ZOTmoKkxMyWSXRwaB6_FXZS64PoMvYtLJSexKmjUMWapzLq7u8Vz_1LW0d9-n5dW_Z52plItLEgdZdgwCQLbdnYvX_3CMQzMNl74cfv95s4Fe2c7wp/s1600/Jaipur+37+ganesh+parade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmR4RLcBO_zSKjLffJ-ZOTmoKkxMyWSXRwaB6_FXZS64PoMvYtLJSexKmjUMWapzLq7u8Vz_1LW0d9-n5dW_Z52plItLEgdZdgwCQLbdnYvX_3CMQzMNl74cfv95s4Fe2c7wp/s400/Jaipur+37+ganesh+parade.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Festive purple powder decorates the street as Ganesh arrives on a float... </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">...while a camel team stops to admire:</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7r0nxW80uQ6FsD5kXRgGbUTTOB424qWDEGFu82Qf8AN_Bjonkx1A8_Grci4j1zEpJZrnjv5sbxil5LmUfuNr7_nfalZ3PLJyMi6cxNx0Uve02AKg5w9zIwQ3cWCxyup9ll_PD/s1600/Jaipur+36.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7r0nxW80uQ6FsD5kXRgGbUTTOB424qWDEGFu82Qf8AN_Bjonkx1A8_Grci4j1zEpJZrnjv5sbxil5LmUfuNr7_nfalZ3PLJyMi6cxNx0Uve02AKg5w9zIwQ3cWCxyup9ll_PD/s400/Jaipur+36.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">A camel is a horse designed by a committee. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"><em>Sorry, Kalu, you deserved better.</em></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wLal38C8bp1txLs2MAlxbLeWNjckdW-R9nUcv7qH6lEgWxKFlIFVWcHFbIYFTMLGrIwnzwg6ZGiDGTjmIojqbdt-ESDSbi8JMZX2r9acN2XbXu6W73_4FaCQW8VVGmQ083i5/s1600/Jaipur+litfest+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wLal38C8bp1txLs2MAlxbLeWNjckdW-R9nUcv7qH6lEgWxKFlIFVWcHFbIYFTMLGrIwnzwg6ZGiDGTjmIojqbdt-ESDSbi8JMZX2r9acN2XbXu6W73_4FaCQW8VVGmQ083i5/s400/Jaipur+litfest+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpZUQipuZ46azaZ9kHhZ34OP-Fr1CBggFTMGZ_XVNryY0XQaLBGW6BssHJwDm7fHi-67jlMG9yAfU7EZHJdWdR5qOU1JLRI0uGLBMlrin4JZ5hEURf4CpoBR3gga5skc5mMey/s1600/Jaipur+litfest+13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpZUQipuZ46azaZ9kHhZ34OP-Fr1CBggFTMGZ_XVNryY0XQaLBGW6BssHJwDm7fHi-67jlMG9yAfU7EZHJdWdR5qOU1JLRI0uGLBMlrin4JZ5hEURf4CpoBR3gga5skc5mMey/s400/Jaipur+litfest+13.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
One of the 19th century Maharajahs was a smart astronomer/astrologer. This huge sundial is one of the many interesting devices he made in a kind of theme park. It is accurate to 2 seconds per 24hrs:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrCg6lGXEaC2BGigc1rYynKLnM8ySL9xwDHIrY4ODm8KEBAcY0yv9iJn9yMK_PioJFvfVKz8mKJgYyLDh0H9EvXL1diZVKomllRImVddkA95bMAv21ZnBEGxyYlGE4DOUkM0h/s1600/Jaipur+44+Observatory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrCg6lGXEaC2BGigc1rYynKLnM8ySL9xwDHIrY4ODm8KEBAcY0yv9iJn9yMK_PioJFvfVKz8mKJgYyLDh0H9EvXL1diZVKomllRImVddkA95bMAv21ZnBEGxyYlGE4DOUkM0h/s400/Jaipur+44+Observatory.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2nC5sM9DPK7DK04U1sp1OI921wWhNtOGt6HAKDjPvMiDplY4AiMR1wurIScDc_CLWQmhsw5js6Sk1GvvvhBX4zr3zoIPAy5QNuBHLBcBzHtk6SpSRIM5wN-LWmVk1_7kwYuf/s1600/Jaipur+49.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2nC5sM9DPK7DK04U1sp1OI921wWhNtOGt6HAKDjPvMiDplY4AiMR1wurIScDc_CLWQmhsw5js6Sk1GvvvhBX4zr3zoIPAy5QNuBHLBcBzHtk6SpSRIM5wN-LWmVk1_7kwYuf/s400/Jaipur+49.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">One Jaipur Maharajah owned this prototype of the very first Honda Jazz Model-T.</span></div><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: blue; font-size: large;"><strong>Mandawar Desert Resort</strong></span><br />
We were decidedly underwhelmed by the Mandawar's 'Desert Resort', a classic tourist trap disguised as a rural Rajasthani village of round mud-brick/cow-poo thatched huts. The less said the better:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVfFM4QnCYTRlRsM0dgdPUkyw_-VAse9ge9RaBQkp9mxG1_7dm3BB9MNK1LBGmxAjTNfBnSLmZx_5Lp_MSLMZmBnqVh_GmQzcfWb5Xgm4mWl3xRacVJglKQ9bRyXbVWqAJPA9/s1600/Mandawar+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVfFM4QnCYTRlRsM0dgdPUkyw_-VAse9ge9RaBQkp9mxG1_7dm3BB9MNK1LBGmxAjTNfBnSLmZx_5Lp_MSLMZmBnqVh_GmQzcfWb5Xgm4mWl3xRacVJglKQ9bRyXbVWqAJPA9/s400/Mandawar+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXla9npoKuhE_kRwzPyFy6WNRzYufoCBjK1vYCU2ipvmLQHLXpkw9vSt1KaI7w99dXndqZeZAGmtPPjVvegu4hfbvfIDwO8KJMRXfdMEuWu4xsfsNpw3y8RJDe5Fd_pfy5NTK0/s1600/Mandawar+6+Desert+Resort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXla9npoKuhE_kRwzPyFy6WNRzYufoCBjK1vYCU2ipvmLQHLXpkw9vSt1KaI7w99dXndqZeZAGmtPPjVvegu4hfbvfIDwO8KJMRXfdMEuWu4xsfsNpw3y8RJDe5Fd_pfy5NTK0/s400/Mandawar+6+Desert+Resort.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Isolation encourages their restaurant to charge sadistic prices. Refusing to play their game, we simply slipped out to a chow-house in a nearby village and ate well for less than a quarter of the price. And although we were entitled to watch the resort's dance show while other guests ate dinner, we were made to feel so unwelcome that we bristled and turned on our heels. Why? They expected us to buy their obscenely expensive drinks. By their predatory attitude, Mandawar actively undermines the interests of Indian tourism. We left a day earlier than scheduled and headed back to Jaipur to prepare for the....<br />
<span style="color: white;">mmm</span><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: red;">Jaipur</span> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3; color: #38761d;">Literary</span> <span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Festival</span> </span></strong><em>...the contradictions continue...</em><br />
Jaipur... as much filth and degrading poverty as we've seen anywhere in India. Every morning, thousands of pavement families are sleep in rows, bundled side by side in dirty blankets, making streets resemble morgues. Human shit provides a daily-renewed obstacle path along most pavements ...or what's left of pavements. The confronting pungency of urine lances the nostrils. Even street dogs recoil from the stygian puddles of foul black ooze and trampled rubbish. <br />
<br />
Abruptly the pall of squalor melts away as the colourful entrance arch of the Jaipur Literary Festival (JLF) materializes before us. Stroll through this Indian Looking Glass into a world of wealth, erudition and incisive intellect. As always, India manages to contradict itself at every turn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVEuNB4ajg9MqAk7wLOdAUw-l5I3ip9k8NCusOsM485vY7Z_bK5VKWUgsLKQsCoZnEFa07vy7JthjCChyy4pzeqC3TRUYNY3HqZSJEVMMRha1NAnS2Db0JyQR8rM9_eHp_0d2/s1600/entrance-to-jaipur-literature-festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVEuNB4ajg9MqAk7wLOdAUw-l5I3ip9k8NCusOsM485vY7Z_bK5VKWUgsLKQsCoZnEFa07vy7JthjCChyy4pzeqC3TRUYNY3HqZSJEVMMRha1NAnS2Db0JyQR8rM9_eHp_0d2/s400/entrance-to-jaipur-literature-festival.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
A bagpiper welcomes visitors on the first day:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9BahooPIGuU" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
There are 4 venues, starting at the Front Lawns...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnym7Bq5ZZfxL13eyjJvvYI8PIobyiedEz2cJKuW0aEu8eFGnUvacMoJdoudhGx0-g5DLFOVYqf4QbzJZCFnIJ6WE-w6QmlV4Ix4Vx6INAtwfhaYKn9B_QPzoHZpYM_G4ifGl/s1600/Jaipur+litfest+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZnym7Bq5ZZfxL13eyjJvvYI8PIobyiedEz2cJKuW0aEu8eFGnUvacMoJdoudhGx0-g5DLFOVYqf4QbzJZCFnIJ6WE-w6QmlV4Ix4Vx6INAtwfhaYKn9B_QPzoHZpYM_G4ifGl/s400/Jaipur+litfest+10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
...two other similar tents, and the exotic Durbar Hall (which, curiously, resembled a expansive version of our hotel room)...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxwQwYd0MqjmwVM70NbZk8kU4V7aiXexSeDk3titj02gbYNSbMZaMzfEp5XdACPeLgvecmuRYsDzDCNgUF1hYRHVt0blk-zBj3UncwQtJetaMqEisX5ehs1VmztkEl_M0oU0A/s1600/Jaipur+litfest+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxwQwYd0MqjmwVM70NbZk8kU4V7aiXexSeDk3titj02gbYNSbMZaMzfEp5XdACPeLgvecmuRYsDzDCNgUF1hYRHVt0blk-zBj3UncwQtJetaMqEisX5ehs1VmztkEl_M0oU0A/s400/Jaipur+litfest+9.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
The sub-continent excels at Chaos, and the JLF is a noble example. The opening address begins a quarter of an hour late, unhinging the schedule for the rest of the day... and the printed programs have yet to arrive. Each of the four event venues is only half the size required, so competition for seats is intense. Many resign themselves to standing in the sun, listening from outside. Crowds shuffle in all directions simultaneously, vertical sardines squashed claustrophobically together in a vast slab of multi-coloured humanity, moving glacier-slow in a hapless attempt to reach the next venue on time. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12PHLfZR0GwfLGC9tHuf4Q6gKImGr75T_lWbvD75KNwJpqu7kSsgc_ubSc_HyAGgL5CbJ2b2Jv4nieYXervsXEVIuaNM9nzRMm-_p5Z3XliOLDp4uTxNiKeAClgJ4ESJxs0ly/s1600/chai+wallah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12PHLfZR0GwfLGC9tHuf4Q6gKImGr75T_lWbvD75KNwJpqu7kSsgc_ubSc_HyAGgL5CbJ2b2Jv4nieYXervsXEVIuaNM9nzRMm-_p5Z3XliOLDp4uTxNiKeAClgJ4ESJxs0ly/s400/chai+wallah.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Free masala tea from the chai-wallah, served hot in traditional recyclable clay cups<strong> <span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">:-)</span></strong></span></div><br />
Lunchtime: at the Festival's tiny cafe, it requires a full twenty minutes before an overwhelmed waiter takes your order - and eventually the (expensive) food arrives. They forgot the cutlery. But as I eat, my mind reluctantly wanders back to the hungry eyes and gaunt faces in the dusty streets outside this manufactured middle-class sanctuary. Do I feel Guilt? Shame? Gratitude? What is appropriate... or inappropriate?<br />
<br />
Having so comprehensively bagged the festival's organisation, I must say that some of the events themselves did provid satisfying moments of insight, wit and shared literary experience. Nam Le, Antony Loewenstein, Orhan Pamuk, Moshin Hamid, Kieran Desai, William Dalrymple, Marie Burrows, J.M. Coetzee, M.J. Akbar, Patrick French, Izzeldin Abuelaish, William Fiennes, etc. Dozens more, including many excellent Indian writers. Organised minds helped to counterbalance the craziness which otherwise raged around us. But as Indians themselves often dispassionately quip,<em> "That's India!".</em> And Festival Co-ordinator Patrick French has acknowledged the need for a larger venue next year. And - it's all free admission.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZhnuSAMw0dwhZezYv9c4GhAPTDM0ruIieyzf__P115aR7tinENm0w4WSNYeU82semd-lumqNCCr7AcCSFcMkG2l8CZySMUyrjs8Hl5GmhIl4jQS5-90iA8hcoCCmBiZhS7MA/s1600/Jaipur+litfest+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTZhnuSAMw0dwhZezYv9c4GhAPTDM0ruIieyzf__P115aR7tinENm0w4WSNYeU82semd-lumqNCCr7AcCSFcMkG2l8CZySMUyrjs8Hl5GmhIl4jQS5-90iA8hcoCCmBiZhS7MA/s400/Jaipur+litfest+12.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Irvine Welsh engagingly read an extract from an as yet unpublished book, </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">then discussed his style and influences in the Baithak tent. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Earlier, a special treat was hearing J.M. Coetzee read one of his works.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="color: black;">The</span> <strong>Galle Literary Festival</strong></span></span></span>, Sri Lanka.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Our SpiceJet flight wobbles late into Colombo at 2.30am after a turbulent flight from Chennai. Next morning, buy two simcards. Travel by car to a hotel at Unawatuna Beach in order to attend the Galle Literary Festival (GLF). En route, local election rallies periodically block progress <em>(grr),</em> armies of tuk-tuks bristling with loudspeakers and excited men (not <em>one</em> woman!) waving their preferred team colours. The new simcards turns out to have almost no coverage <em>(grr)...</em> buy new simcards <em>(grr).</em> An afternoon thunderstorm prompts leaks in the hotel room <em>(grr),</em> flooding the floor. Nothing seems to be going smoothly for us. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Perhaps these inauspicious happenings were just premonitions of the unfortunate literary turbulence here at the Galle Literary Flop. Many of the major invited writers boycotted it, either out of concern about the Srilankan government's shocking human rights record, or, according to rumour, due to visa problems. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In the recent past, many writers have rightly expressed particular concern over the unsolved 'disappearances' of more than a dozen local Srilankan journalists who had written critically about the autocratic regime of Mahinda Rajapakse, now a democracy in name only. We too had discussed whether or not to come to Srilanka, but had decided in favour on the grounds that a mute absence may actually be <em>less</em> effective a protest than a live and actively vocal presence. So we purchased only one day pass instead of our usual four, and told all and sundry in Galle and Colombo that this is our last visit... and openly citing Chairman Mah's bad behaviour as our cause célèbre.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyGZzT7zjW7yRwYdgRG-L7Gdm_bMKP0ny2bUmbKVW3FKeQZv0E68XtNkJpd40TH8lnTJKuAGFA0q3cHTCxyUpAAUBOJ_5hE0L9D9bFv-FxkXkgPTt5e6jXS9a0KRJWjcgmc67/s1600/Prageeth+Eknaligoda+24+Jan+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyGZzT7zjW7yRwYdgRG-L7Gdm_bMKP0ny2bUmbKVW3FKeQZv0E68XtNkJpd40TH8lnTJKuAGFA0q3cHTCxyUpAAUBOJ_5hE0L9D9bFv-FxkXkgPTt5e6jXS9a0KRJWjcgmc67/s400/Prageeth+Eknaligoda+24+Jan+2010.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">The wife and son of Prageeth Eknaligoda (the Sri Lankan journalist who disappeared </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">on 24 Jan 2010) made a highly courageous appearance at the Galle Literary Festival. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #660000;"><strong><em><u>BRAVO</u>!</em></strong> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">A group of ladies from the East Melbourne Book Circle, chatting nearby over </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">cups </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">of tea,</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> probably had no concept at all - or care - about the adrenalin-pumping </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">risk </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">this pair was</span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> taking. </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> Sri Lanka's present political environment can turn </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">deadly</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">poisonous if you cross Rajapakse, his family or cronies.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Local Sri Lankans who may be concerned are less at liberty to speak out. Most, however, are just seem relieved that the long un-civil war is finally over, and prefer to overlook any gory details as to how it was executed. It's always the victor who writes - and is privileged to selectively conceal - the "history". By way of footnote, I suspect the the Chairman is most grateful that so many of his potential critics at the festival have 'disappeared' themselves so willingly... with not even any need for him to waste precious bullets. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Also, due to the last-minute absence of star bills such as Orhan Pamuk, Kieran Desai and Damon Galgut, it turned out that only one day out of four was marginally attractive enough to us to merit attendance. Even so, we decided to skip one of the sessions, and departed Galle a day early. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Unsurprisingly, attendance was noticeably down compared to previous years, significantly among western visitors. This boycott represents a possible death knell for the festival as we know it, as customer trust is damaged if not destroyed. <em>Oh dear, "Brand Galle" is going down in flames</em>. It's a shame, because the boycott by the authors wasn't the fault of the festival committee - the authors have all had plenty of time to consider their political stance or visa status, and should have decided whether or not to absent themselves long before this (as indeed some more considerate ones had done). Doing a last-minute no-show like this constitutes a rude slap-in-the-face to the very people who are their most devoted readers and customers, people who have paid for international airfares, taxis, hotel rooms and meals, not to mention festival tickets. Do the sums. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Accordingly, we won't consider returning in 2012 unless (a) trust can be re-established, say, by means of writer contracts AND (b) a number of higher profile writers are engaged. Galle may morph into a good local Asian forum - we saw budding signs of that this year. Certainly the large majority of audience appeared to be the Colombo middle class, (ie, mostly mute or unaware apologists for Rajapakse). A former prime minister of Srilanka, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, visited this year's festival - how about <u>that</u> for government endorsement! It's all getting rather uncomfortably cosy and incestuous in here....</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Any serious literary festival professing to be of international status, however, will rise or fall depending on the variety and quality of its invited authors - assuming they can be motivated to actually turn up<em> (grr).</em> The GLF must now decide what it wants to be. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfbbYzy5BflKFrYo8ZxWXxn59r198SutL8sHCPxyeXXoOGFzFuLimCEtm-IvqbkQi5YUGkvrnZzChN4HVXDeuMgYszL-Ak7hXyuHVNEqGCV-rWiDic-rHv1labsGGyc3n0Su1/s1600/Galle+litfest+1+Unawatuna+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfbbYzy5BflKFrYo8ZxWXxn59r198SutL8sHCPxyeXXoOGFzFuLimCEtm-IvqbkQi5YUGkvrnZzChN4HVXDeuMgYszL-Ak7hXyuHVNEqGCV-rWiDic-rHv1labsGGyc3n0Su1/s400/Galle+litfest+1+Unawatuna+beach.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-small;"><strong>This nuclear sunset over Unawatuna Beach, just south of Galle on our </strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: x-small;"><strong><span style="color: red;">last day of the Festival, suggested an obvious metaphor</span>.</strong></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>Thus ends the 4th and final part of "Indian Odyssey".</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/02/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-first-part-of.html">here</a> if you would like to return to Part 1.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-xmas-2010-part-2-of-3.html">here</a> if you would like to return to Part 2.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Click <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2011/03/indian-odyssey-part-3-of-4.html">here</a> if you would like to return to Part 3.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-87431747697364665702010-11-20T22:09:00.008+07:002011-08-25T15:44:27.393+07:00A Chiangmai Loy Kratong 2010 update. It sounds like Baghdad outside tonight<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd3dz9xeUaGpbYR537qKC5bOPob-xwqGmemu-c80IDIjH1zLPkmNioQ4e3hkcKmNcqUQLIWN1rfEy7_TxySt2L1W1nTZ2D-h-spWLZUBb6fhmUvAVvQL0FBpCdqUFdH0osfET/s1600/nucleatte.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJd3dz9xeUaGpbYR537qKC5bOPob-xwqGmemu-c80IDIjH1zLPkmNioQ4e3hkcKmNcqUQLIWN1rfEy7_TxySt2L1W1nTZ2D-h-spWLZUBb6fhmUvAVvQL0FBpCdqUFdH0osfET/s400/nucleatte.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">While in Bali, I invented the Nucleatte Coffee. </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-small;">Goes off with a bang when you add cinnamon.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><u>A brief diary update</u>: We've been back in Chiangmai for a whole 3 weeks now after the Bali trip. Just settling in again... but we're off to India next week. <i>Hell</i>, two months of dosa masala & lentils - methane alert!<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKknO9PV4KaC2_1_usaG4Q8yGjgDp7U9ZfyFC23chcLdRRgDk4fGXjR9OsKlHgvpnLAat-9OnerOhq93RKsdVbV9mgYCMWuQVWaRVgUrp-fbcto530c_yNv3zVE7eWlDdPBPe/s1600/say+three+hail+maries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKknO9PV4KaC2_1_usaG4Q8yGjgDp7U9ZfyFC23chcLdRRgDk4fGXjR9OsKlHgvpnLAat-9OnerOhq93RKsdVbV9mgYCMWuQVWaRVgUrp-fbcto530c_yNv3zVE7eWlDdPBPe/s400/say+three+hail+maries.JPG" width="325" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #660000;">Marie after a Nucleatte Coffee</span></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The above pic, and the one below, were taken in the surrealistic shopping centre where we often do our daily geriatric walkercise tours:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXSuN_FA0G_3TjwDELpkVRtilcJF0rl-2sRC0APkSHq327QGAxTxFa8Jd-KUOB7B4FyTQ69lLFrz_56uNYURbpwBIZDJetRh3N7YX-Og2bcPqj4kF-28vIQZiI1Tic2CdZUYb/s1600/kad+suan+kaew+wonderland.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXSuN_FA0G_3TjwDELpkVRtilcJF0rl-2sRC0APkSHq327QGAxTxFa8Jd-KUOB7B4FyTQ69lLFrz_56uNYURbpwBIZDJetRh3N7YX-Og2bcPqj4kF-28vIQZiI1Tic2CdZUYb/s400/kad+suan+kaew+wonderland.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Until recently there was a 25-foot Tyrannosaurus Rex head just near here.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #660000;">We always expecting the White Rabbit to dart past. Or maybe a happy fish.</span></i></span></div><br />
Now it's the festival of <b>Loy Kratong</b> (I suggest doing a Google Image Search using the search terms<b> Loy Kratong Chiang Mai 2010</b>). This year there are lots of new molded plastic statues, all internally-lit, dotted around the old walled city and its 700 year-old moat. No doubt the statues will do their part to encourage all the bad luck and evil spirits to float off down the river with the hundreds of traditional floating candle 'kratongs', or to flee into the sky with the hot-air <i>yee-peng</i> paper lanterns:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKXlkmuN7ryjcio9KoFFkmq3nzlMmWCZ75AZbZ62evY2oB6tQxsTkAzQdHzpVreMFJqyQVEf555hT6rY-RtClYV9C-kmL01vjvoScnQj6yMPa80_tVXTqimwj74vH4yOaKqbs/s1600/suandok+gate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKXlkmuN7ryjcio9KoFFkmq3nzlMmWCZ75AZbZ62evY2oB6tQxsTkAzQdHzpVreMFJqyQVEf555hT6rY-RtClYV9C-kmL01vjvoScnQj6yMPa80_tVXTqimwj74vH4yOaKqbs/s400/suandok+gate.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn_9OG5UHNz4MSSDuEEDaVUKAaCTX2qS76GzYp8A9ZW1ssbwSG9HMF2hm7RlLdpVrgzTAuaxTKM4UJxDIeSJ0_qSDveKRVxRmUITQO_iM7m-VigYYG6RwiBi1W518lkyaKYQd/s1600/suandok+gate4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn_9OG5UHNz4MSSDuEEDaVUKAaCTX2qS76GzYp8A9ZW1ssbwSG9HMF2hm7RlLdpVrgzTAuaxTKM4UJxDIeSJ0_qSDveKRVxRmUITQO_iM7m-VigYYG6RwiBi1W518lkyaKYQd/s400/suandok+gate4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzM5QkZbASaBNUQVUEwRcmpXvmgmcCySwhFIP-wAwSt7I_TRjxOhplJDsr1OzLkQhy7RJbxqv7Aq3fEJ6a8cY0MP44w8X6uLuBcvtB7UJgh3HEd7GtynsjbVLePhqqLwANKuQq/s1600/suandok+loykratong4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzM5QkZbASaBNUQVUEwRcmpXvmgmcCySwhFIP-wAwSt7I_TRjxOhplJDsr1OzLkQhy7RJbxqv7Aq3fEJ6a8cY0MP44w8X6uLuBcvtB7UJgh3HEd7GtynsjbVLePhqqLwANKuQq/s400/suandok+loykratong4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
... and oh yes, of course, some internally-lit giant t-shirts for the God of Commerce...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_yTtSnfSBeaIJlkmTI297TOQkO9tW7muuTMwo4ozbInf1Hu8IXUqgD14TgKnbP51580_xXAUGFRdo-DxG-OiYSlOf-gBV5Wfgjk-2FD9qYGL-RW-K4erKdUWHrQf0fx_3h_P/s1600/t-shirts+huay+kaew.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_yTtSnfSBeaIJlkmTI297TOQkO9tW7muuTMwo4ozbInf1Hu8IXUqgD14TgKnbP51580_xXAUGFRdo-DxG-OiYSlOf-gBV5Wfgjk-2FD9qYGL-RW-K4erKdUWHrQf0fx_3h_P/s400/t-shirts+huay+kaew.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> ...and a shop-counter shrine to encourage the spirits to make customers spend lots of money. Apparently, the spirits apparently enjoy consuming red things (like Cherry Cheer or strawberry jelly), red being the colour that Chinese-Thai tradition equates with Power and Strength:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRsbG-4oCaGyZcvE68fxwlgW2OPErl53Si3dTYJQopDLFbpinI-mGSp6tAbFqLr49W2KmjnWv7WIGcT48KbLdpT9d9b369mYiThMfog9eaJq-pTowtm6uKFOovp7Uncas1jfa/s1600/greedy+spirits.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRsbG-4oCaGyZcvE68fxwlgW2OPErl53Si3dTYJQopDLFbpinI-mGSp6tAbFqLr49W2KmjnWv7WIGcT48KbLdpT9d9b369mYiThMfog9eaJq-pTowtm6uKFOovp7Uncas1jfa/s400/greedy+spirits.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #660000;">One fruit-juice stall sported a sign:<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #660000;"> </span><b style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #660000;">WE LOVE JUICE BEAUTY</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="color: #660000;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #660000;">Hmm... </span><i style="color: #660000;">what is mean?</i></span></div><br />
Meanwhile, down south, Bangkok is the ungrateful recipient of the north's secondhand floodwater. People in some parts of the city are having to get around on raised wooden footpaths - as in this <i>Bangkok Post</i> photo of the stairs at <i>Saphan Thaksin</i> SkyTrain Station:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-5wQ6qIaAb_SvS30dDPqHIgW47cT7oGKRbyOrY8m6DkRg2NhZon8KU4bqc8CSAQxBl4Uc9dcHlnWUgOiNXGnM_XsyqM-jt8tROU4OcfEVtQXKAhLh8yPUhuPSrWbQeY5_Gm-/s1600/floods2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-5wQ6qIaAb_SvS30dDPqHIgW47cT7oGKRbyOrY8m6DkRg2NhZon8KU4bqc8CSAQxBl4Uc9dcHlnWUgOiNXGnM_XsyqM-jt8tROU4OcfEVtQXKAhLh8yPUhuPSrWbQeY5_Gm-/s400/floods2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEmrlTyhGBOkajNvPVHxK_Oyrx1YxygAlQUvNAFsmn7z6RgrIWpu7VBBcFB8mKkDoRp8sRdpVXUtYYvqYK4Ztr1lTttEeCI41Wq-AespCV1PRChpJFwW57ZlNFWLd34AVU93V/s1600/floods4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEmrlTyhGBOkajNvPVHxK_Oyrx1YxygAlQUvNAFsmn7z6RgrIWpu7VBBcFB8mKkDoRp8sRdpVXUtYYvqYK4Ztr1lTttEeCI41Wq-AespCV1PRChpJFwW57ZlNFWLd34AVU93V/s400/floods4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i style="color: #660000;"> (I'm sure we can trust that the red shirt was an unfortunate coincidence)</i></span></div><br />
Bangkok, built inadvisedly on a river delta floodplain, will surely have a short life and a merry one. At the same time as Climate Change is creeping water levels ever higher, the sheer physical weight of the city is causing it to sink by about a centimetre per year. It might also help to mention that a lot of Bangkok's groundwater is being pumped out - not too smart. Have a squint at our <span lang="EN"><a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2007/05/bangkok-is-sinking-while-sea-levels-are.html">prophetic post</a> on this very blog from some years ago. And <i>psst</i>, don't be tempted to buy real estate in Bangkok. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #660000;">We shall try to keep y'all updated on our progress around India. First, it's off to Kolkata, a flashy Indian military wedding in Delhi, then to the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. <span lang="EN"><i>Where's Nagaland,</i> I hear you ask. OK, stay tuned to FunkyPix2 for news of the latest trends in head-hunting fashions.</span></div><div style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: black;"><span lang="EN"></span></div><div style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: black;"><span lang="EN"></span></div><hr style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: black;" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-91705739124229147282010-10-21T19:12:00.005+07:002010-10-21T22:00:53.386+07:00The 2010 Ubud Writers Festival ...and into the wild blue Bali of Beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpyRWqfWzYKrtJT92M6TQlOCG3ewYQv0Fbu9jci0Ko2OYaKfmkSWDuW4CuYjHhwcvJD-gaShoI2qUyj6DdFLuz38oBOY_VEEDHkLF85MrD40OarOEXoOQDwjCjejyYO364a4l/s1600/reenbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpyRWqfWzYKrtJT92M6TQlOCG3ewYQv0Fbu9jci0Ko2OYaKfmkSWDuW4CuYjHhwcvJD-gaShoI2qUyj6DdFLuz38oBOY_VEEDHkLF85MrD40OarOEXoOQDwjCjejyYO364a4l/s400/reenbow.jpg" width="337" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Marie </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">relaxes </span><span style="color: #351c75;">after </span><span style="color: #7f6000;">enjoying </span><span style="color: purple;">a </span><span style="color: #38761d;">special </span><span style="color: #990000;">Balinese </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">Mushroom <span style="color: orange;">Milkshake</span></span>. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #38761d;">No</span>, <span style="color: red;"><u>not</u> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">at </span><span style="color: blue;">Kuta </span><span style="color: #e06666;">Beach</span>, <span style="color: lime;">but </span><span style="color: magenta;">at </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">the </span><span style="color: red;">Ubud Writers Festival</span> <span style="color: #674ea7;">in </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Bali</span>.</span></div><br />
<b>Sometimes I need to remind myself sternly that we do actually live here in Thailand. But only 3 weeks after our return from a month in Burma, we flapped off to Bali for the Ubud Writers Festival and some undeserved R&R. </b><br />
<br />
More of that shortly, but first a brief report on events back home here in Chiangmai:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8MVFP4RJU4vwE7jmWI46u78bnvVqt8WJ1NhcHxtimeQol_VsV-825xsC8nqkjYP1_BU8vKKb_8Hv4WfR9MIhAHTLSbKMHCteUi-hpGkpKM-ZzfCJ6Vtg9KtHFP7LaUktXWls/s1600/P9190013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT8MVFP4RJU4vwE7jmWI46u78bnvVqt8WJ1NhcHxtimeQol_VsV-825xsC8nqkjYP1_BU8vKKb_8Hv4WfR9MIhAHTLSbKMHCteUi-hpGkpKM-ZzfCJ6Vtg9KtHFP7LaUktXWls/s400/P9190013.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Our pet vine (Srilankan Strangling Spinach) is aggressively colonising the balcony view, obviously enjoying the onset of the monsoon season.<br />
In fact, Chiangmai's floods were unusually deep this year... damned lucky the camera was waterproof:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ8AJYKRGe1XFRXzJEh0O93l7jGYqIgxYBbBHnudmBeMMoJacmgaQ5KdswmW08-mtUYfO18wD_A5V-yjn1q4M7LBWF7i-W6fRzHJ7O13mb1GSpH-FO0eKDdVXittPTEEZttDe/s1600/deep+this+year,+said+Hanraporn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZ8AJYKRGe1XFRXzJEh0O93l7jGYqIgxYBbBHnudmBeMMoJacmgaQ5KdswmW08-mtUYfO18wD_A5V-yjn1q4M7LBWF7i-W6fRzHJ7O13mb1GSpH-FO0eKDdVXittPTEEZttDe/s400/deep+this+year,+said+Hanraporn.png" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Marie models some of the latest fashions from the local Warrarot Flea Market:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTr_DQlx1uGBErYRhoE5KqnUv1_KcTx4keLEjS84Kna8cC-R_XvwZ_jGQUtJW4e4G2QLG0zrXCPZzCycoU4VtjDzjpekHw9KivBA5g5FPN9iegG8mSE4EfgQoQoF3ufOBWd1kb/s1600/ree+models.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTr_DQlx1uGBErYRhoE5KqnUv1_KcTx4keLEjS84Kna8cC-R_XvwZ_jGQUtJW4e4G2QLG0zrXCPZzCycoU4VtjDzjpekHw9KivBA5g5FPN9iegG8mSE4EfgQoQoF3ufOBWd1kb/s400/ree+models.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
And so to <b>Bali</b>. Here's the usual eye-massaging landscape of rice paddy terraces:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtATDCqfrfmhvhw-tptSA_TAjcmDt85e49k-DS2xNGIVbzY95E6j6t7rLD0zKpTYpdC50fdR5n8GuLdIGOB6Ujrtck07HmiD6OAYFWUtKQ9q-ziqtMZMmBemHiYmQD9UvtgeVt/s1600/rice+terraces,+Sidemen,+Bali.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtATDCqfrfmhvhw-tptSA_TAjcmDt85e49k-DS2xNGIVbzY95E6j6t7rLD0zKpTYpdC50fdR5n8GuLdIGOB6Ujrtck07HmiD6OAYFWUtKQ9q-ziqtMZMmBemHiYmQD9UvtgeVt/s400/rice+terraces,+Sidemen,+Bali.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
...and Marie demonstrates how to anticipate the arrival of a dish of <i>Beef Rendang</i>, a particularly apposite choice as this happened to be the district of <b>Rendang</b>. While waiting, she reached out with her marker pen and sketched in the outline of the volcano in the distance (<i>Gunung Agung</i>) as you might see it on a clear day. It killed 2,000 people in its last eruption in 1963, including the entire family of one of our taxi-drivers:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmTqCuLy6s3ccBu__nR4dK6NALftHbxDjbghr3UUVblrKCMec5Tx0fOhS6qq1QCQfkC1F9vWU0aN9-D_Of1pSIKs7K60US_HywN-wkh6D_UiR1ILE5WWEZ31Ag5Sv45eWFgyd/s1600/Mahagiri+Restaurant,+Rendang,+Bali2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmTqCuLy6s3ccBu__nR4dK6NALftHbxDjbghr3UUVblrKCMec5Tx0fOhS6qq1QCQfkC1F9vWU0aN9-D_Of1pSIKs7K60US_HywN-wkh6D_UiR1ILE5WWEZ31Ag5Sv45eWFgyd/s400/Mahagiri+Restaurant,+Rendang,+Bali2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The <b>Pura Besakih (Hindu) temple</b> is to Bali what St Pauls is to London. It was a wet day but hey, what's a few drops of water?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9q9TJ3eTJJdVGxg8TT2fN97NzBwc_qFMSLk4Al7pwIb8aY3VIn8DnJWvZYvN7URzUo2Z5JT7zxoF3FRTq7HYmWztbSCdDudTk3c_yDV1D7_M2Xtf_6_jb9EFGKpMBhyphenhyphen9YtziY/s1600/pura+besakih+temple+raindrops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9q9TJ3eTJJdVGxg8TT2fN97NzBwc_qFMSLk4Al7pwIb8aY3VIn8DnJWvZYvN7URzUo2Z5JT7zxoF3FRTq7HYmWztbSCdDudTk3c_yDV1D7_M2Xtf_6_jb9EFGKpMBhyphenhyphen9YtziY/s400/pura+besakih+temple+raindrops.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Bali insisted on presenting an array exotic old cars. There's a bit of expatriate money floating around, methinks:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNciSF5mf0YKjMtcJO9yYdKF9YvI82xFi7j9kojCFie1VtYw-YRsyNowRw60bH-CHEOHhqHyz5sJ-cUMUd-eIsK34L-Dn8QlBC2UIMaL5drT8XM7rdouCVIdQgx_8Mfr57A6l/s1600/car+mg+Sidemen+bali.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNciSF5mf0YKjMtcJO9yYdKF9YvI82xFi7j9kojCFie1VtYw-YRsyNowRw60bH-CHEOHhqHyz5sJ-cUMUd-eIsK34L-Dn8QlBC2UIMaL5drT8XM7rdouCVIdQgx_8Mfr57A6l/s400/car+mg+Sidemen+bali.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
And so to <b>Ubud</b>, that den of Literary Iniquity nestling among the mountainous landscape of central Bali. Here's a local man taking a bath in one of the many streams, just as we were walking to the opening session:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPk5_2wM40ytLtMmAWkMWQhQG6GybfHmUcmWYu5ql9hemXwYUyXxEB_D7jre67aytoo9Nsavo7RZgF5aUKUZAJ5PiDS-NGgvF47Ozhlp2CKP8XRVaRMDm0lnfbaGte4fW8Xthc/s1600/Ubud+forest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPk5_2wM40ytLtMmAWkMWQhQG6GybfHmUcmWYu5ql9hemXwYUyXxEB_D7jre67aytoo9Nsavo7RZgF5aUKUZAJ5PiDS-NGgvF47Ozhlp2CKP8XRVaRMDm0lnfbaGte4fW8Xthc/s400/Ubud+forest.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="background-color: #ea9999; text-align: center;"><br />
<blockquote><b>Many more photos, together with comments about the festival, </b><b>are available by clicking </b><a href="http://ubud-writers-readers-2010.blogspot.com/" style="color: red;"><b>here</b></a>.</blockquote><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-76076721158697936592010-08-09T22:27:00.000+07:002010-08-09T22:27:09.792+07:00Dear Diary: Dangers & Annoyances... Notes from our Burma/Myanmar Travel Chronicles, 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9UwxuktZZquyuW8f6816bz87mYd9MO_LwUYQPVg05dHkMekyeutj5zlNpJcp3QsCxN3UTez5VLf0dExmkpcXIyo1oAaxp2P13IWYdxPXEj9BYlGwPC4kKtyGPfoeeunChIon/s1600/P7110101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9UwxuktZZquyuW8f6816bz87mYd9MO_LwUYQPVg05dHkMekyeutj5zlNpJcp3QsCxN3UTez5VLf0dExmkpcXIyo1oAaxp2P13IWYdxPXEj9BYlGwPC4kKtyGPfoeeunChIon/s400/P7110101.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A typical banknote from Burma: limp, filthy, many patches, and needing more.</span></div><div style="color: #660000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That basically sums up the Burma of today.</span></div><br />
<b> Let's put it this way: traveling in Burma ain't for the faint-hearted. On our 5th trip <i>(yes, we are crazy)</i> we still made some wrong turns, dodgy decisions and hard yards. Tourist infrastructure just isn't set up for your imagined armchair ride. But now (after the event!) we consider it was all worthwhile, all weaving threads in the<i> (violins, please)</i> Great Tapestry of Life...</b><br />
<br />
Let's get the picture postcard thing out of the way first... <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNvwSnl61Rx15_XRrb0Vk_df_MVn3S3dM1h9h_npjMpKb3WRVocjy755N2BES42_30chPGBSqFPgpLEVB0jxY5NdUkrlKuX5P_umD2c6f5wkOvu0-URzNPTKjPu0WwsX44_su/s1600/Mingun+37+bell+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNvwSnl61Rx15_XRrb0Vk_df_MVn3S3dM1h9h_npjMpKb3WRVocjy755N2BES42_30chPGBSqFPgpLEVB0jxY5NdUkrlKuX5P_umD2c6f5wkOvu0-URzNPTKjPu0WwsX44_su/s400/Mingun+37+bell+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #990000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Buffalo taxi at Mingun, north of Mandalay.</span></div><br />
...and head straight to one of the upper middle-class streets in a classy area of Rangoon (Yangon, in Junta-speak). This lovely old building, like most, is being allowed to decay under years of grime and grunge:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MaEKC4UDrMGFrExoA9CO3myiWRLZeygIc5iAGoKYIJ87FSUeKN-lax0Og5vxXiUuK0WASM-1icvpOe98yRpTYboOsNDEUT7fMfisiWjmO-SVhT-LJS7a6iVaySDr9n4olvMk/s1600/yangon11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MaEKC4UDrMGFrExoA9CO3myiWRLZeygIc5iAGoKYIJ87FSUeKN-lax0Og5vxXiUuK0WASM-1icvpOe98yRpTYboOsNDEUT7fMfisiWjmO-SVhT-LJS7a6iVaySDr9n4olvMk/s400/yangon11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> And on the opposite end of the social scale is a shanty leaning against a tree on a public riverbank at Myitkyina, way up north in Kachin State:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AH6U3zTJXSvYRzhh1fS1qEwno3wAVi85pZy5IJc3swIgRwG2qNcehgWdY13PqKAJPY6IFjfvFCazFdavodEahMONdyfV1kuPJeVFrhu2DVjwMjnxjdV96X2xn7mkwQs6jNwO/s1600/Myitkyina+working+class+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AH6U3zTJXSvYRzhh1fS1qEwno3wAVi85pZy5IJc3swIgRwG2qNcehgWdY13PqKAJPY6IFjfvFCazFdavodEahMONdyfV1kuPJeVFrhu2DVjwMjnxjdV96X2xn7mkwQs6jNwO/s400/Myitkyina+working+class+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>But there were contrasts, too, of a different nature. In the ex-colonial British "hill station" town of Pyin U Lin, east of Mandalay, one could be forgiven for thinking that you'd suddenly been transported to rural Suffolk. This was pure John Constable, but twenty degrees warmer...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN1FNMj37Hu4wqspxVt2gFNWK6t-vUnJY_PL28nRXt2vaeaAcQBRmkcDDc_zBIvoNP6acbjXNMp-YjbyLKMELoOTw-Nl3Esuqj9dkbQ3JUgXhfJoMrYEHbvYkGd8gtdOXnZUz/s1600/Pyin+U+Lwin+11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDN1FNMj37Hu4wqspxVt2gFNWK6t-vUnJY_PL28nRXt2vaeaAcQBRmkcDDc_zBIvoNP6acbjXNMp-YjbyLKMELoOTw-Nl3Esuqj9dkbQ3JUgXhfJoMrYEHbvYkGd8gtdOXnZUz/s400/Pyin+U+Lwin+11.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="color: #990000; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">An ex-British mansion in the cool of Pyin U Lin. The Burmese Military has appropriated all of these for itself.</span></div><br />
For a photo-diary of the trip, click <a href="http://alice-in-burmaland.blogspot.com/">here</a>. It will open in a new window for your convenience, and take you through a nightmare river trip, a long limestone cave emerging into a fairytale valley, expose you to the delights of epicurean Nylon ice-cream, and lead you through the dark alleys of Rangoon's drug market <i>(yes we have no electricity again)...</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-6464592072977027332010-04-28T09:20:00.006+07:002011-08-25T15:44:27.394+07:00The "Hua Hin Solution" to Chiangmai's pollution... regardless of Takki Shinegra's Redshirts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxTWvOTHhgpYxX7q9GHmCdZ4cfgYcOcTTOM5Zs9nQCr3bTDEr870SHzg0RNcWI907qKWexlgV9UAP43LPE1Z8z1s4IdxdHgCUP6LdW9jMc_4W9tzHevAWvtEvIcYnk9qlFoC2/s1600/hellup,+it%27s+a+scallop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxTWvOTHhgpYxX7q9GHmCdZ4cfgYcOcTTOM5Zs9nQCr3bTDEr870SHzg0RNcWI907qKWexlgV9UAP43LPE1Z8z1s4IdxdHgCUP6LdW9jMc_4W9tzHevAWvtEvIcYnk9qlFoC2/s400/hellup,+it%27s+a+scallop.jpg" tt="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Queen Neptune Strikes Back - we join Snorkaholics Anonymous. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Honest, it's the best way to avoid getting soaked over Songkran.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Back home at Chiangmai it was dramatically evident what we had to do. ESCAPE. THE. SMOKE. POLLUTION.<em> </em> Promptly signed a 2-month contract (March/April) on an apartment on the beach at Hua Hin (south of Bangkok), and began to breathe normally.</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: lime;">*There were the snorkelling/canoeing trips to the islands of <em>Koh Talu</em> and <em>Koh Tao,</em> jostling for elbow room with 3 trillion fish and wall-to-wall tourists.</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: purple;">*There was the ill-fated but not <u>too</u>-embarrassing attempt to learn Kite-Boarding (think: "flop").</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">*There were mysterious (but undoubtedly tasty) menu items like <em>"Spicy Soured Cattle's Cleaning Cloth with Parch Rice"</em> and other gems to tempt your jaded palate.</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">*There were pointy-hatted gnomes on the white sand beaches attempting to catch up to speeding tanned Vikings brandishing ski-poles.</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">*There was a Successful Pre-Emptive Retail Strike deep into the heartland of enemy Redshirt Territory in Bunker-kok<em> [FX threatening music]...</em> </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">...and the Glorious Adventures kept coming.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>All this</strong> - <em>and more</em> - can be yours merely by clicking</span><span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://huahin-escape-april-2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/hua-hin-escape-2010-seafood-feasts-kite.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></a></span><span style="color: black;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">Go on, you know you want to: it'll come up in a new window for your convenience ...and it's guaranteed 100% carb-free.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31fauVZWMWPSaccSJkrfMM5kJL5kE-ELEf3B0nIyav5ZQddyLxl2aeWcAYtNQUoTaVRShfkAGPs97AJZ_G2q-g06K6KzlyxtanBTdoSqS7i5WnPNY_g4nyyD2BRsIgXm8Ksso/s1600/Jane+Bond2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31fauVZWMWPSaccSJkrfMM5kJL5kE-ELEf3B0nIyav5ZQddyLxl2aeWcAYtNQUoTaVRShfkAGPs97AJZ_G2q-g06K6KzlyxtanBTdoSqS7i5WnPNY_g4nyyD2BRsIgXm8Ksso/s400/Jane+Bond2.jpg" tt="true" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jane Bond Does Huahin</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31850591.post-862323444961183272010-03-10T20:08:00.023+07:002011-08-25T21:58:29.379+07:00BANK BAILOUT BINGO: "Socialize the losses, but quietly Privatize any gains".<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajabrec2TWpoyOsXDd5L8Fy0RPLmuwrdt-VVo6Z9dcHZVZCN9epNjYcX1whTsfl152NfeICQBXfY_CS-sGm_a_XhP0DwO951TuThKDgwKLk0JRfzOY0xAv4KRjjE1Bo79uuym/s1600-h/capitalism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajabrec2TWpoyOsXDd5L8Fy0RPLmuwrdt-VVo6Z9dcHZVZCN9epNjYcX1whTsfl152NfeICQBXfY_CS-sGm_a_XhP0DwO951TuThKDgwKLk0JRfzOY0xAv4KRjjE1Bo79uuym/s320/capitalism.jpg" vt="true" /></a></div><b>When wealthy people and CEOs stuff up, they can expect cushy government (tax-funded) handouts. When poor people stuff up, it spells stress and poverty, plus offers lucrative new opportunities for lawyers, Real Estate tycoons, trauma and marriage counsellors. It appears that taxation revenue flows mainly <i>uphill</i>, towards the big end of town.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTs45pPUpgWsUljBAMSc162mcDd-13mnAy0WbbZ7gpRF5GenDcTkSpG6f73PlME42mjrPgA2z7Zb24nlaGXd3pj0JOg3K0f_0lVzX1_zaOcJUkm2qQJSxf6sWUBq-M8INwrq_t/s1600-h/squeeze+planet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTs45pPUpgWsUljBAMSc162mcDd-13mnAy0WbbZ7gpRF5GenDcTkSpG6f73PlME42mjrPgA2z7Zb24nlaGXd3pj0JOg3K0f_0lVzX1_zaOcJUkm2qQJSxf6sWUBq-M8INwrq_t/s320/squeeze+planet.jpg" /></a></div>Now that the Big Bailout Bucks have topped up the coffers of the financial giants again, I note with cynical sideways glance that corporate fat-cats are (once again) slyly receiving their millions in bonuses and perks, just like before. This is symptomatic of the underlying purpose of <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2007/04/capitalism-freedom-is-headed-for-train.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Capitalism</span></a> (a.k.a. <i><b>Compassionate Conservatism's Poignant Concern for the Extremely Wealthy</b>).</i> Hey city hall, bail <i>me </i>out too! All I want is less to do, more time to do it, and higher pay for not getting it done. My point here is this - I'm not personally ready yet to dive back into the stockmarket big-time. It's not over till the fat CEO sinks. The other elephant in the room is the Yuan/Dollar stand-off... something's gotta give, and when it does, whoa, stand back!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Some facts:</span></b> </div><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">*</span></b> in the West, about <b>1%</b> of the population of wealthy countries control <u><b>95</b></u>% of the wealth; <i>and</i><br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">* </span></b>in those wealthy countries recovering <i>fastest </i>from the 2009 economic meltdown, there is now a significantly <u>increasing</u> proportion of people falling below the poverty line...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxZqvJspL2WzcWJ-F7ILgcXpS0UkVH68V98fHZzV8YS_N_Sm7kr32iw4WJH6Iuj3sgcxAaqFhzKmsW2-Wdndwf6OK2QFaNQhPTZvtl4LZplfFF1rok4ykIAI4gseCYaPEAPVL/s1600-h/van+park3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBxZqvJspL2WzcWJ-F7ILgcXpS0UkVH68V98fHZzV8YS_N_Sm7kr32iw4WJH6Iuj3sgcxAaqFhzKmsW2-Wdndwf6OK2QFaNQhPTZvtl4LZplfFF1rok4ykIAI4gseCYaPEAPVL/s400/van+park3.jpg" vt="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusions:</span></b></div>Capitalism is not only achieving its goal of making the Very Rich even richer, but now it's even causing <strong><em>increased poverty</em></strong> <b><i>within wealthy countries</i> <i>themselves!</i></b> Wealth and power are concentrating in the hands of fewer and fewer people, to no-one's advantage but their own:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRBloZVFIAiCZ5B43KnOHuYX6AtVK7VfKW5zH1eY4tYrbjT0iCl5-BG_BnPNcHeC5taWviCh-Xk2IX1NEY7D1sQ1H-Phh2rA_qdK50xPgh5JKPMM9PTj9ko21qOGKX5ihoUFa/s1600-h/media-owners1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRBloZVFIAiCZ5B43KnOHuYX6AtVK7VfKW5zH1eY4tYrbjT0iCl5-BG_BnPNcHeC5taWviCh-Xk2IX1NEY7D1sQ1H-Phh2rA_qdK50xPgh5JKPMM9PTj9ko21qOGKX5ihoUFa/s400/media-owners1.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0otyXh4NYREs8s8Q3J8cRUAM6Zqri_1tPnSsJQzQ39PyUPeiuSH0J5vi336IpS4kg_SziAfNcte3uFccijOcCDqTtAMS5AbQUxuIysZSI6oXjoRMaoMw4PhhFz_jXMG94yHK/s1600-h/invisible+homeless+beggar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0otyXh4NYREs8s8Q3J8cRUAM6Zqri_1tPnSsJQzQ39PyUPeiuSH0J5vi336IpS4kg_SziAfNcte3uFccijOcCDqTtAMS5AbQUxuIysZSI6oXjoRMaoMw4PhhFz_jXMG94yHK/s400/invisible+homeless+beggar.jpg" vt="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAALqrshAjz5NBkVx0LJe7KZvWFVwipILVBWkt98V93kYnBEmb20fiGtnGrXRVYtiB8lPpuUqqL2tfn7z1MPRneAoVlEGHqSUmGWa3hyphenhyphensFq9uplvcQhr-t0UgUluMSjAQCTVv/s1600-h/pig+chauvinist.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAALqrshAjz5NBkVx0LJe7KZvWFVwipILVBWkt98V93kYnBEmb20fiGtnGrXRVYtiB8lPpuUqqL2tfn7z1MPRneAoVlEGHqSUmGWa3hyphenhyphensFq9uplvcQhr-t0UgUluMSjAQCTVv/s320/pig+chauvinist.bmp" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYsfJTh0HbDS-rkO50mB_TZugg0uPKxwtvWbLeTgqNwIHWKAS0BbfAcuz2hbn6_i6y84gGyJTq5RdcMrKimSuUhSQvoPOBTldjajYgPYXTbCRxwn3ApDhzroyOQ5iKBq64Bgv/s1600-h/gagged+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYsfJTh0HbDS-rkO50mB_TZugg0uPKxwtvWbLeTgqNwIHWKAS0BbfAcuz2hbn6_i6y84gGyJTq5RdcMrKimSuUhSQvoPOBTldjajYgPYXTbCRxwn3ApDhzroyOQ5iKBq64Bgv/s320/gagged+small.jpg" /></a>According to the present <b>Rules Of Capitalism</b>, disadvantaged people are expected to lose in order to make those profits possible. Observe, for instance, how rich folks are quickly moving in to buy up thousands of cheap "bank-owned" homes which have sadly flooded the real-estate market <i>(do I sufficiently conjure up the image of tears?)</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8L_e1vzgXWCc6gf4ANt9zLaT6ycNoSjfJUh1I-gztLcBNQo7ivokuCFFzv3DRIEO8beoWk8jm_1f-1BX-My6b52g7T7zABUa6z79XRq67MHKEl3mGXLXtxCFhNLgGOzGVnPV/s1600-h/air-con+car+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-8L_e1vzgXWCc6gf4ANt9zLaT6ycNoSjfJUh1I-gztLcBNQo7ivokuCFFzv3DRIEO8beoWk8jm_1f-1BX-My6b52g7T7zABUa6z79XRq67MHKEl3mGXLXtxCFhNLgGOzGVnPV/s400/air-con+car+home.jpg" vt="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
...and how the corporate sector expressed such unbounded glee (behind closed boardroom doors) that <a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2009/12/2066-and-all-that-dear-copenhagen-there.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Copenhagen was such a successful failure</span></a>... Their anti-Climate lobbying cost them millions, but hey short-term corporate profits should be maintained at <i>all</i> costs...<br />
...um... <i>shouldn't</i> they?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyol_iHc_O7nD1YJJL35JV6kVT0w5scI1bYKl0ipWER5EL4JZvNAdSIjS1pkgn-YiH66Zz8k1W7mWdtbBTggDAUkOi2PcdnEDaV1Kqt70MR5xBLvYJpF4Sj4MguuE3EVfUSu6C/s1600-h/Oil+cola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyol_iHc_O7nD1YJJL35JV6kVT0w5scI1bYKl0ipWER5EL4JZvNAdSIjS1pkgn-YiH66Zz8k1W7mWdtbBTggDAUkOi2PcdnEDaV1Kqt70MR5xBLvYJpF4Sj4MguuE3EVfUSu6C/s400/Oil+cola.jpg" vt="true" width="297" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: red;"><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">...and now, HOURS of fun for all the family ...even better than The Simpsons!!</span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b><span style="color: black;"></span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;">Presenting Fat-cat FunkyPix2's</span></b><span style="color: red;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Dictionary of Right-wing/Conservative Terminology</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"><b>is <u>sure</u> to assist you to win your next game of Bailout Bingo</b>: </span></div><blockquote><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">alternative energy sources</span></b> /n./ New locations to drill for gas and oil.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">bankruptcy</span></b> /n./ A means of escaping debt available to corporations but not to poor people.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">class warfare</span></b> /n./ Any attempt to raise the minimum wage.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">God</span></b> /n./ Senior Pentagon adviser (war is Her way of teaching geography to Americans)</span></blockquote><blockquote><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">growth</span></b> /n./ 1. The justification for tax cuts for the rich. 2. What happens to the national debt when policy is made according to Definition 1.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">healthy forest</span></b> /n./ No tree left behind.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">honesty</span></b> /n./ Lies told in simple declarative sentences <i>(e.g., "Freedom is on the march.").</i></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">House of Representatives</span></b> /n./ Exclusive club; entry fee: $1 million to $5 million (See: Senate.)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">insanity</span></b> /n./ See: staying the course. May also apply to otherwise sane liberal presidents.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">laziness</span></b> /n./ When the poor are not working.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">leisure time</span></b> /n./ When the wealthy are not working.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">liberal(s)</span></b> /n./ Followers of the Antichrist. (Note that in Australia, the major conservative right-wing party named itself the "<a href="http://funkypix2.blogspot.com/2007/06/john-howards-coalition-is-not-liberal.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Liberal Party</span></a>". <i>For starters, how's <u>that</u> for a Big Fatcat Lie?</i> The party's now led from behind by that God-bothering Catholic fanatic, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqRxGHhDefn2axt9uomgLH8ZkPVb5TlPU9DfopbG0_kXRU9W59IvLbdNCHmiCOeB3QK-x61LazeWTxy0ohV2yhJopVUrDHcJSiIOxvB5QaK7UcC06dEIak6OemUVRCa_shqst8w/s1600-h/tony+abbott+australian+opposition+leader.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Mr Rabbit</span></a> (See: 1. pro-life, and 2. woman.)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">No Child Left Behind</span></b> /riff./ There are always jobs in the military. </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">pro-life</span></b> /adj./ Valuing human life up until birth.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">Senate</span></b> /n./ Exclusive club; entry fee: $10 million to $30 million.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">staying the course</span></b> /interj./slang./ Continuing to perform the same actions and expecting different results (See: insanity.)</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">shit happens</span></b> /interj./slang./ I don't have to live in Baghdad.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">voter fraud</span></b> /n./ A significant minority turnout.</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">*</span> <span style="color: red;">woman</span></b> /n./ 1. Person who can be trusted to raise a child but can't be trusted to decide whether or not she wishes to have a child. 2. Person who must have all decisions regarding her reproductive functions made by men she wouldn't want to have sex with in the first place. </span></blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div><hr /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">FunkyPix2's Thought of the Day</span></b></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><i>And those who were seen dancing were thought <br />
to be insane by those who could not hear the music.</i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue;">(Friedrich Nietzsche)</span><br />
<hr /></div><span style="color: #38761d;"></span><br />
<div style="color: #38761d;">Here's Michael Moore's entertaining trailer to his film <b><span style="color: #274e13;">Capitalism: A Love Story</span></b>. Often, I find Moore's jargonistic style annoyingly American, but gee the guy's heart is in the right place when it comes to supporting the underdog against exploitation by the Super Well-Heeled. He keenly laments that whatever hits the fan will probably not automatically be distributed evenly (eg health care) so he's taking active steps to improve things... I can only respect that.<br />
<br />
PS: note the dramatically gloating manner in which George Dumbya Bush announces the words "global meltdown", as if he were somehow <i>pleased </i>about the crash... Um, <b><i>was he?</i></b> Could it all have been manipulated deliberately? The principal beneficiaries of a financial spring clean are always going to be the already-wealthy classes.</div><br />
<object height="202" width="330"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JeROnVUADj0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JeROnVUADj0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="330" height="202.5"></embed></object><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #073763;"><b></b><br />
<hr /><b>...and lastly, here's FunkyPix2's footnote to the foolishly fatal financial fuzziness of federal fiscal fantasy. Apart from stuff like "the cheque's in the mail", here's <u>ALL</u> you need to know about <span style="color: #4c1130;">Stimulus payments, Bailouts, Tax rebates</span> etc:</b></div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><b>Q:</b> What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?</div><div style="color: #741b47;"><b>A:</b> It's money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><b>Q:</b> Where will the government get this money?</div><div style="color: #741b47;"><b>A:</b> From taxpayers.</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><b>Q:</b> So the government is giving me back my own money?</div><div style="color: #741b47;"><b>A:</b> Only a little of it. Just the part you overpaid to start with.</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><b>Q:</b> What's the purpose of this payment?</div><div style="color: #741b47;"><b>A:</b> The plan is that you'll use that money to buy a high-definition flat screen TV set, thus stimulating the economy.</div><div style="color: #073763;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #073763;"><b>Q:</b> But isn't that stimulating the economy of China?</div><div style="color: #741b47;"><b>A:</b> Shut up.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0