2014, Day 363 - Surmounted

There are so many great temples in Thailand.  The first time I went was in 2010 and I had an amazing time exploring them because, no matter the size, they're all different.  This is Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon amd even though it was our first stop it was already crawling with tourists.  I had to wait at the bottom of the stair to get a picture with only a few people but I like them because they add a sense of scale.  This temple is relatively simple, just two levels with a stupa at each corner on the first and then the pagoda in the center.  From the first level you can see the valley of Ayutthaya below and see countless temples dotting the landscape.  We only had time to see a handful but they were each a little bit different and all had a story of their own.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f5.6, 1/1000 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 356 - Sentinel

The shining white structure below is the Cave Temple of Dambulla.  There are five caves with both statutes and paintings depicting the life of the Buddha though a holy site was not their first use, rather the caves were once used as dwellings as burial sites over 2,700 years old have been found in the complex.  The cave temples date back to the first century BC and are now a World Heritage Site.  It was here that we were blessed by the monk you can see just to the left of the nearest central arch.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 23/f1.4R
23mm, f2, 1/350 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 343 - Beacon

This is Wat Chedi Luang and it is located in the center of Chiang Mai's old city.  Construction was started in the 14th century but the temple was not completed until the middle of the 15th century.  By the time it was finished this was the tallest building in the Lanna kingdom.  Today it is beautifully illuminated at night and, if you look carefully, you can see little points of light behind and to the right; those are hundreds of sky lanterns being released in the distance.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f1.4, 1/80 sec @ 3200 ISO

2014, Day 332 - Serene

It seems odd that I should be comforted by the presence of Buddhist monks and nuns but find most members of the clergy from western religions unsettling.  I wonder why that is...

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
24mm, f5.6, 1/60 sec @ 3200 ISO

2014, Day 312 - Enlightened

Today we availed ourselves the driver's services but before Josh was to pick us up we went into town for a quick breakfast.  Many restaurants are closed on Sunday but there is a nice little vegetarian place adjacent to the market that was, with a little prodding from Francene, open for breakfast.  We had a nice array of dishes and scampered back to the hotel before Josh arrived.

Our main objective was to head up to Doi Suthep, a beautiful mountain temple initially constructed in the 14th century.  It was a busy day on the mountain but we had a nice time exploring the temple and were even blessed a couple of times by different monks.  Even with the crowds of people there is a feeling of serenity at Doi Suthep.

Once we extricated ourselves from the crowds we headed down the mountain and at the bottom Josh took us to a restaurant which he declared made the best khao soi, a curry dish with egg noodles that is common in Chiang Mai.  It was immediately apparent that none of the staff spoke English and were afraid to take our order until one was obviously instructed to do so.  It took a little time with the English and Thai menus but we got our orders placed and were eating in no time.  It was a nice meal and cost us less than three dollars each.

Next we tried a visit to JJ Market.  Not a produce market but more a local antique mall, unfortunately most of the shops were closed because it was a Sunday but we find that there was an exhibition of orchids in one of the courtyards.  From massive plants to tiny specimens there was a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

I think we've all been feeling a little ragged and the additional heat today didn't make things any better so we decided to head back to the hotel a bit early today.  After a little cool down in our rooms and some quality time catching up on the news of the world we decided to cool off in the pool.  The water was colder than I anticipated but very refreshing and we all stayed in until we were nice and wrinkled.

For dinner we headed out to the night market but, as with much of the city, many businesses were closed.  We finally got desperate and decided to sit down at the nearest restaurant.  Dinner was a bit of a disappointment but, as Melissa noted, we've had so many amazing meals we were due for a bad one sooner or later.  So we ate our flavorless food and decided to have a little ice cream before heading back to our lodging.  Tomorrow afternoon we leave for Sri Lanka so we will have a nice relaxed morning before heading to the airport.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 56/f1.2R
56mm, f1.2, 1/160 @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 223 - Danger

This was the first old temple we visited in Cambodia.  Located outside of Battambang it was a nice place to visit but so much smaller and less ornate than the temples we would see in Siem Reap.  We didn't know just how much this would pale in comparison and were so thrilled.  It makes me glad we stopped here first because otherwise it would have been underwhelming and I don't think we would  have appreciated the visit quite so much.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, and 1/30 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 218 - Perception

It seems funny to see obvious signs of maintenance in such an ancient place.  While there are people who sweep and keep the temples clear of refuse it is these little signs of devotion that I find most touching.  They're not surprising given how many monk live within the complex and how many more travel from all over Asia to see the wonders of Angkor.  That's another sight I loved, the awestruck monks wandering through the temples getting their traveling companions to take their pictures.  It turns out that even the spiritual amongst us are susceptible the majesty of Cambodia's temples.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
31mm, f8, merged layers of 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and 1 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 217 - Junction

I like to see how things work and these crumbling walls give a nice cross-section view of what the hallways looked like and how they were constructed.  It has taken hundreds of  years to fall into this state of disrepair which is remarkable considering that many of our cities would have long since crumbled to nothingness in four or five hundred years after they were abandoned.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f11, merged layers of 1/20, 1/10, 1/5, 0.4, and 0.8 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 215 - Day to night

I remember quite vividly visiting Banteay Samre, it was the only temple in Angkor where the staff told us we could not use our tripods because they were a hazard.  It seemed silly, especially because we were the only people there, but they asked and we weren't about to disregard their request which was made quite politely.  So all my shots were hand-held which I dislike, especially with architecture, but there was nothing to be done about it.

It was a hot afternoon with high wispy clouds so when I looked at these images again this evening I decided to fight the setting and go for a cool tone.  That decision was probably due in part to the heat we're experiencing now and I will freely admit that I am pleased with the result.  It is more dramatic and I think helps to highlight the textures of the carvings.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
24mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1/640, 1/320, 1/160, and 1/80 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 214 - Playing favorites

Banteay Srei is often cited as one the favorite temples amongst visitors to Angkor.  The red sandstone is intricately carved and it is one of the best preserved and restored temples that you can find in Cambodia.  That being said the structures are small when compared to the other edifices in the area and that is where it falls short in my opinion.  Not that it isn't beautiful, it is amazing, but I don't feel either the sense of awe or antiquity that I felt at the other temples.  It is amazing but perhaps it is the perfection that I object to, I like my temples flawed, eaten by the jungle, a little more mysterious and dangerous.  Banteay Srei is just to serene for me.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, merged layers of 1/1250, 1/640, 1/320, 1/160, and 1/80 sec @ 125 ISO

2014, Day 211 - Webbed

When most of the trees tear the temples apart this one is holding this wall together.  With time it will eventually constrict around the stone blocks and reduce them to rubble but work is underway to try to prevent that from happening.  I doubt that this will be the site of a restoration project because so much of this complex is so far gone but maybe in a few decades it will have its turn.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
22mm, f8, merged layers of 1/160, 1/80, 1/40, and 1/20 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 210 - Sentinel

I have no idea where all these stones came from.  Perhaps there was once a wall that surrounded this tower that has since toppled but it seems to sit at the pinnacle of a hill of tumbled blocks.  I love the settling, it is like discovering a wonderful treasure when you come upon a site like this when there is no one around.  That usually means getting up well before dawn but it quickly becomes habit.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
22mm, f11, merged layers of 1/10, 1/5, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 61 - Pinnacle

I usually don't go this many years into the past but I delved into the archives this evening to revisit Thailand.  With a few friends there now or in the recent past I've been feeling nostalgic so I reprocessed this photo taken at Ayutthaya in black and white to highlight the texture and framing.  Ayutthaya was the former capital and it enjoyed prosperity though the 18th century when a massive army from Burma laid siege and eventually sacked the city.  The ruins remain and are stunningly beautiful in their current state of disrepair and one can only imagine the striking beauty of this city in its prime.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, 1/640 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 58 - Pocked

At one time East Mebon was on an artificial island surrounded by East Baray, the water supply for the surrounding community.  It was designed by the only known Khmer architect of this period Kavindrarimathana and it was dedicated to its patron god in 953.  If you look closely at the towers you can see the holes that were drilled to support the stucco that once covered them; they have since been denuded of their finish and we can only imagine what further details and grandeur were lost due to a combination of neglect and exposure to the elements.  I can still vividly remember the afternoon that we visited this site as it was scorching hot and we were exhausted but we didn't want to miss any opportunities and made only a brief stop before seeking out food and shade.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f11, merged layers of 1/500, 1/250, and 1/125 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 57 - Entombed

This was once the temple city of Pre Khan and at its peak perhaps one hundred thousand people lived here to serve the needs of the temple and its rulers.  Now it is a ruin, the jungle has returned and that which it cannot tear down it encapsulates.  Where once there was a thriving city the sound of the drone of the cicadas and the song of the birds is broken only be the wind rattling the leaves and chirping of bats that now roost in the remaining structures.  It is beautiful place that reeks of adventure; I can still remember the excitement of my visit and the awe I felt at this amazing place.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f8, merged layers of 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, and 1/4 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 54 - Decisions

I will never forget our first glimpse of Angkor Thom.  We took a taxi from Battambang to Siem Reap where we dropped our bags off at the hotel, met up with the rest of our travel buddies, and headed out for our first look at the temples of Angkor.  It was afternoon and even though the sun was getting low we were eager to see one of the fabled temples so we stopped at Angkor Thom where the smiling faces carved into the stone greeted us.  It was beautiful and as we wound our way through the temple I stopped to take just one more photograph from a different angle.  There are so many amazing vantage points it is hard to decide which you like best.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, merged layers 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, and 1/13 sec @ 320 ISO

2014, Day 43 - Forest of stone

This is the Templo de los Guerreros, the Temple of the Warriors, at Chichen Itza.  The central pyramid is surrounded by stone columns carved to resemble warriors.  It was a stormy morning but we stayed ahead of the rain for most of the day and were rewarded with some beautiful dramatic clouds.  We had arrived early and, like the rain, we managed to stay ahead of most of the big groups of tourists.  At times it was like we had our own sections of the archeological site to ourselves, it was very pleasant.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
17mm, f4, merged layers of 1/1600 and 1/400 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 42 - Conquered

Today I decided to return to Cambodia and the awesome temple that is Beng Mealea.  There is something magical about this place, the jungle has returned and reduced a large portion of this once beautiful site to rubble.  But somehow it still manages to be enchanting.  Out of the ruins of the temple are giant trees with extensive root systems that have torn apart the heavy stone blocks.  I love this return to nature and today I wouldn't mind the balmy warmth of the jungle either.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
22mm, f2.8, merged layers of 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, and 1/30 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 354 - Sneaky guide

When we visited Teotihuacan we were the first people to arrive.  It is always nice to beat the crowd and when we got out of the car this little man was waiting for us.  He was all smiles and kept bouncing in circles around us as we walked eager to have friends visit.  While touring the first part of the archeological site he followed us, ran ahead of us, climbed pyramids with us, and kept checking to make sure we were coming.  He was such a happy guy and I like this picture of him, his spots blending in with all the little rocks set in the mortar by archeologists to show that they have already investigated and restores those areas.  After being gone for a couple weeks it was nice to have a dog friend even if it was just for the morning.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
34mm, f4, 1/320 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 320 - Refreshing

This was the latest of our mornings to meet our guide Rosalia.  She was generous enough to let us sleep in as we weren't meeting up with her until seven o'clock.  Well, really, she is doing as we asked because we wanted to avoid the crowds as much as possible and on Sunday's the archeological zones are free to Mexican citizens so they can get quickly become overrun as the day wears on.

So we dragged ourselves out of bed yet again and hurried out to door.  Rosalia greeted us with her customary smile and we set off south to Tulum.  On the way there was a partial road closure for the cycling leg of a triathlon but it did little to slow our progress.  Tulum was a major trading center and reached the height of influence from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries.  Built at the top of a oceanside cliff, the rest of the city is encompassed by defensive walls.  The god most favored here is the descending god and he is featured more prominently in Tulum than anywhere else.  Scholars have pointed out the architectural similarities to Chichen Itza though this is a much smaller site and as such is scaled down appropriately.

We spent a nice morning wandering the manicured grounds.  It is so tidy it has the look of a golf course but with the remains of an impressive Mayan city on the green.  There are iguanas everywhere and they were basking in the warmth of the early morning light.  I, of course, recruited them into my army to overthrow the dictatorial management of our hotel and when the cause was explained they readily agreed to help.  There really are some beautiful vistas at Tulum and we got to enjoy most of them before too many people arrived.  There are also two beaches that are part of the grounds but only one is accessible and only by a long winding set of stairs.  The other beach is closed to the public as it is a favorite nesting site of sea turtles and, to preserve the integrity of their nests, it is off limits.

By the time we were gearing up to leave hordes of people we pouring through the entrance.  It was like an infestation, swarms of visitors descending on the grounds and the four of us fled.  Once back to the car we started out to visit another cenote.  There are countless cenotes that dot the Yucatan peninsula and they are connected by an underground river system.  Explores have been able to swim from the ocean back to the ocean although there are many that are branches off the main waterway and hence only partially connected.  Our destination was Cueva Blanca, part of the Sac Ac Tun cenote system.

We left the highway and pulled into a paved parking area which Rosalia drove through at a controlled access point.  From there it was a bouncing ride down an unimproved road for fifteen to twenty minutes.  Along the way was passed signs for a number of other cenotes but we kept on going.  Finally, at the end of the road, there was a small parking lot in a verdant section of jungle where we stopped.  We put our belongings away, grabbed a mask and life jacket, and started a short walk into the trees.  Soon we cam upon what looked like a hole in the ground about the size of a well and a ladder going almost straight down.  Without hesitating we made the descent and emerged in a large cave with a wooden dock from which to make out entry into the clear turquoise water.

It was, initially, rather chilly in the water but we quickly acclimated and it went from cold to comfortable very quickly.  There was a nice relaxing drip drip drip of water as it fell from the stalactites and the high pitched twitter of bats darting through the air to eat the odd insect.  We even saw a few swallows skimming over the water and making the small fish scatter as they passed.  It was much more lively than I had expected.

So we floated around, I didn't wear my life jacket but used it occasionally to steady myself to take a few pictures.  It must has been close to an hour relaxing and exploring the cenote.  Eventually we started swimming through the low areas and followed it for quite a way until we emerged in a little lagoon with a bit of jungle within the cenote and another dock to extricate ourselves from this sliver of subterranean paradise.

When we dried off it dawned on us that we had eaten almost nothing all day so Rosalia suggested a place that is known for the fish tacos.  Those two magic words were enough for me and I jumped in the car eager with anticipation.  It was a small place right on the highway and they had a big bar of condiments, a indisputably good sign.  We placed our orders and I had to order a little bit of everything including fish tacos and a chile stuffed with fish, battered, fried, and served on a couple of tortillas.  When our food arrived it was off to the condiment bar for shredded cabbage and carrots, avocado habanero sauce, and some fresh onions.  The food was great and the pile of fish and tortillas slowly dwindled as time passed.  It was a perfect way to end our travels with Rosalia as we have seen the sites most important and distant from us.

With our plated cleaned we started our return trip to our hotel.  It took about an hour and was mid-afternoon when we arrived.  Fortunately Rosalia hadn't left yet when we discovered we were locked out of our room.  Francene had to book a week at a time and today was the expiration of our first week so the staff kept thinking we were checking out.  Although we made a point to talk to them yesterday afternoon and again last night they still changed the lock on our room so Francene and Evi went to the lobby with Rosalia's assistance to get new keys.  Apparently it wasn't a problem because they quickly returned and we returned to our air conditioned sanctuary.

The last few days have been very full and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening relaxing, reading, and chatting.  We are here for a couple more days and we don't have much by way of plans for the remainder of our stay.  I think perhaps we should consider this the vacation portion of our adventure and take it easy so we don't get home overtired and cranky as sometimes happens.  Below is a picture of our starting point at Cueva Blanca, if you've never been it might not look inviting but knowing what a relaxing place it is I am already yearning to return.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, HDR of 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, 6, and 13 sec @ 100 ISO