Asian Images

Chiang Mai Scrapbook

A small gallery of eclectic images snapped in Chiang Mai.

 

Buddha images surrounding the central Chedi of the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

A Buddha image under the sheltering naga.

 

 
  

White Elephant monument at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

Yellow bamboo.

 

A mythical creature with the form of five animals - Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

 

Hanuman - a Hindu deity from the Ramayana.

 

Myhtical creatures lurking in the hotel gardens.

 

 

This 'old salty' slithered out of the rice paddies - fortunately he turned to stone before causing any trouble!

 

Winner of the 'Ms.Thai Rice Farmer Pageant' - July 2010!

 
  
 

Buffalo Gallery

Two water buffaloes were permanent residents of our Chiang Mai hotel.

These two animals had won the buffalo lottery of life and enjoyed a hedonistic lifestyle - personal valets, two baths a day, unlimited grazing and a private 2-bed barn for the night. In return for this pampered existence the buffaloes were only required to saunter around the hotel grounds twice a day and endure a long rest stop in the shade of the hotel lobby.

A well contented buffalo with not a care in the world!

 

Kathleen getting to know the rare albino water buffalo!

Have you ever seen a better groomed buffalo - Kathleen looks good too!

Doing what the buffaloes did best and often - nibbling the tender grass in the landscaped grounds of the hotel!

Water buffalo in Asia are typically a rice farmer's beast of burden and there is rarely much meat to be seen on the hard working animal's bones. By contrast the hotel buffalo were plump with nary a bone to be seen under their scrubbed hides.

 

On the deck of the private barn - a final snack before bedtime.

 
  

Even the hotel's objet d'art buffaloes were overweight!

 

High in Thailand

Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand and it had to be conquered!

After a leisurely buffet breakfast at the hotel base camp in Chiang Mai, we fearlessly departed on the first stage of the Doi Inthanon expedition in a rather comfortable 4WD vehicle with a 'sherpa' driver and local mountain guide. The drive to Camp 1 was a leisurely two hours and perfect road conditions allowed for easy back seat snoozing.

Fortified with freshly brewed coffee and pastries at Camp 1 we were ready to tackle the more dangerous final approach up the treacherous south face of Doi Inthanon. Thirty minutes later our determination and mountaineering prowess were finally rewarded - our 'sherpa' driver carefully applied the brakes and we gently came to a stop in the summit parking lot.

We had 'bagged' the highest mountain in Thailand at 2,565 meters (8,400 feet). It was a tough climb from the back seat of the car!

Wet and cool at the highest 'spot' in Thailand!

Looking up into the misty canopy.

 

 

Waterfalls cascade down all sides of Doi Inthanon.

Camp 1 on the trail to the summit! Excellent coffee al fresco.

 

 
 
 
A well earned gourmet lunch box after an exhausting drive to the summit of Doi Inthanon. The champagne and caviar were missing!

'Macro Man' - a serious Thai bird photographer discovered in the middle of a tourist trail just below the summit of Doi Inthanon. His giant 600 mm macro lens was focused on a small, unidentified bird that looked similar to an English robin. 

A fuzzy image of the 'Macro Man's' bird taken with a 200 mm lens, at an ISO of 3,200  and with no tripod. There's a reason that 'Asian Images' doesn't feature too many bird images!  

Yellow 'trumpet' flowers.