Cool Dog

Cool Dog, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

You have all heard of a hot dog and here you have an extremely cool dog. WHen I first saw this dog he was asleep and I just thought someone had put these glasses on to take a photo. However, he woke up, looked around for a few minutes, showed no inclination to remove the sunglasses and promptly went back to sleep again. He was seen in Bangkok on the steps of the National Stadium MRT station, where he was the source of great amusement.

Vintage Car Exhibition

Triumph, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

The Paragon Centre in Bangkok hosted a vintage car exhibition last week. There were over 200 cars of differing ages including 2 cars that my grandfather once owned - a Ford Popular and a Triumph Mayflower. Some of the cars were quite spectacular with quite a collectionof one of my all time favourite cars - the E type Jaguar. This one is a beautiful Triumph which had a dickie seat. I have owned 2 Triumphs myself - a Spitfire and a Dolomite. I loved them.

The Fruit Season, bangkok

The Fruit Season, bangkok, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

It is officially summer in Thailand whci means amongst other things, that it is the fruit season. The markets of Bangkok are full of delicious fruit brought in from the surrounding areas. In addition to the exotic fruits that can be found here such as dragonfruit, lychees and guava, oranges, apples and bananas are also in plentiful supply. Many street vendors sell freshly squeezed orange juice which seems to me, to be particularly delicious at this time of year.

Flame tree, Bangkok, Thailand

Flame tree, Bangkok, Thailand, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

May is the time of year when the flame tree flowers. These are very spectacular trees and grow quite large. It is failrly obvious to see why they are called flame trees.

Apparently flame tree is a monika given to several species of tree in different parts of the world. I believe that the Thai version is the Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia).

Thay are quite beautiful.

Stand for the King

IMG_0609, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

The King of Thailand is revered by his people. He is now 80 years old and has been on the throne for over 60 years during which time he has gained the unwavering respect of all his people due to his commitment to them. The respect in which he is held can be witnessed every day in Bangkok at 8am and 6pm. In public places the National Anthem is played and everyone (and I mean everyone) stops what they are doing and stands still. This show of reverence is heartfelt as is displayed by the people in this picture. Taken in Lumpini Park, Bangkok.

Contortionist, Lumpini Park, Bangkok

IMG_0612, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

Wandering through Lumpini Park this weekend, I came across this guy with his leg behind his neck. I am willing to bet that with a bit of practice he could kick ass - his own ass!

Beaches of Thailand - Nai Yang Beach, Phuket, Thailand

Nai Yang Beach, Phuket, Thailand, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

Nai Yang is very close to the airport and there are 2 separate areas that are part of a National Park which hopefully will preserve its natural status to some extent. There are a couple of hotels but it is generally a fairly quiet beach, especially at its northern end. The water here is shallow and there are wide expanses of sand when the tide is out. There is also a reef which despite the shallowness of the water makes for good snorkeling. This beach has long been a favourite destination of ours for lunch. Beach restaurants serve some very good seafood.

Balloons on legs

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A colourful and slightly humorous picture snapped in Bangkok. I am sure this guy was feeling quite light on his feet.

Bangkok's Street Vendors - Satisfying the Thai passion for eating

I have been using Google Documents which allows you to create text documents, spreadsheets or presentations and store them online. As it is possible to embed these documents in a blog posting, I thought I would try it, and this is the result.

The embedded presentation contains several photos I have taken in Bangkok of street vendors. I find them a fascinating subject for photographs.The Thais love to eat and as every visitor to Bangkok knows, street food is everywhere. Some of it is very good and while visitors often doubt the wisdom of eating off the street, it can be very rewarding for the taste buds. It is easy to tell if the food is fresh and if a stall is busy you can almost guarantee that it is good and you will suffer no ill effects.

Sunsets of Thailand - Layan Beach, Phuket

Sunsets of Thailand - Layan Beach, Phuket, Thailand, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

Layan Beach is not particularly well known on Phuket. It lies at the northern end of Bang Tao Bay. There is not much development up to now and part of the area is designated as a National Park. It is actually quite popular with the locals who can be seen swimming on their days off. New developments are in the pipeline however so I am sure it will become increasingly popular. For now, it is a great beach for a leisurely walk wihtout crowds. There are a couple of local bar/restaurants from which to admire the sunset.

Myanmar

Temple in Rangoon (Yangon), Burma(Myanmar)" , originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

Myanmar (Burma) is again in the news for the wrong reasons. This time, the country has been hit by a fierce cyclone that has devastated much of the country, killing thousands and leaving many more thousands homeless. Having visited Myanmar, I have some understanding of the conditions there. This event will have hit them very hard.
This picture is of the Sule Pagoda in the centre of Rangoon.

Basket Case, Hanoi Vietnam

Basket Case, Basketware Vendor, Hanoi , Vietnam

Basket Case, Hanoi Vietnam, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

It sometimes seems that life in Hanoi, Vietnam revolves around people selling things. The streets are thronged with shops, markets, street and mobile vendors. It is sometimes quite amazing at what the Vietnamese can carry on a bicycle or motorbike. This particular vendor was pedalling (excuse the pun) basketware and made for an interesting photograph. I have many such photographs as I am quite intrigued by the mobile and street vendors that populate the South East Asian countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand

Thunderstorm over Phi Phi Island, Thailand

Thunderstorm over Phi Phi Island, Thailand, originally uploaded by HellonEarth2006.

The south of Thailand is particularly prone to thunderstorms and these can occur at any time. They are often also very localised. There can be a huge storm and yet a couple of miles down the road it can be bright sunshine. This is particularly true in Phuket. and the surrounding area. This photo of a thunderstorm over Phi Phi Don island illustrates the point very well. We were on a ferry on the way to Phi Phi and it was a beautiful day. Clearly, there is a thunderstorm raging over the island, but when we arrived there was not a sign of it. These storms, although short in duration, can often be quite violent accompanied by torrential rain, high wind and thunder and lightning.