Thailand 2005

Ommigosh, I forgot that I went backpacking in May 2005! Here are some bits and pieces of juicy memory from the trip.

Taken at the Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) in Bangkok. It's located at the opposite bank of Bangkok's metropolical nexus. The whole thing was built and stacked up with chinaware (fragmented). Either the King had porcelain fetish, or he's merely recycling those broken bowls and plates that he had bought from China.

Well, this old steam locomotive we found it somewhere next to the Phitsanulok station. It's merely a small town serving as the major vegetables collection center before they get transported to Thailand.

Well, standing and posing on the Kanchanaburi's Death Railway, made famous by the movie Bridge Over River Kwai. During WW2, prisoners of war were captured and coerced to build this railway track from Kanchanaburi to somewhere in Burma. Well, lots of people died of course. A tragic story.

Well, on the streets on Bangkok there are bushes of mini-elephants. Cute, so we took a snapshop of each of them, since Thailand is rather infamous of its elephants (and also con-men).

Hellfire Pass. Another fragment of the WW2 tragedy in Kanchanaburi. Prisoners of war were also made to dig up this pass. Sigh.

Another famous landmark in Ayuthaya Historical Park. Somehow the head of a Buddha's figure landed up under a tree and its roots entwine around it. Cute.

An old stupa ruin in Ayuthaya Historical Park. This site was actually photographed in Mortal Kombat, the movie. You know, the place where they battled each other and where there are 3 huge stupas... Sigh, forget it. Nobody knows.

Well, this corn-like pagoda is another landmark in Ayuthaya Historical Park. We actually sneaked in without paying the entrance fee, since we got fedup of paying RM3 for every single landmark in the park. That's bloody slaughter! You have gotta be smart if you wanna survive in this cruel world!

Well, a sign of victory after an ardious hike up the pagoda. There's actually a tomb in the heart of the pagoda, but it was already sacked by grave diggers and all was lost. Sigh. Greed.

A photo on Chiang Mai's old ruins. This wall was supposed to protect Chiang Mai from its enemies. It did, for a few decades, before it succumbed to age. Now it's just a demarcation for old and new Chiang Mai. What is nice is that you sit on top of it and admire the tranquility of the city and its marvellous sunset (of course when it's not scorching hot and the air is clean!)

Her Royal Majesty's Rose Garden in Phuphing Winter Palace ,Chiang Mai. Well, believe it or not, the entire hill is filled with ROSES! All sorts of roses! Well, the queen loves roses, so they gave her all the roses and made stupid tourist pay RM10 to visit it. How smart.

One special characteristic of Sukhothai Historical Park's Buddha figuerine is that of the Walking Buddha. I can't find it in somewhere else. Hmm.

King Ramkamkhaeng's statue in the middle of Sukhothai National Park. Legend said that he was a wise ruler who actually brought the Sukhothai kingdom to its height during his reign. After his death, the Burmese kingdom, like usual, sacked it of it's gold and riches.

Well. At the airport, before departing to Thailand. I must have got it jumbled. Well, glad that I've made it. 23 days of backpacking in Thailand sure has made me grown up a little. So what's next? Lots of plans, but no holidays for me.