Buddha Park is the creation of a self styled styled mystic called Luang Pu (Venerable Grandfather) Bunleua Sulilat, who according to legend, fell into a cave while on an stroll in Vietnam where he met a Hindu hermit, who became his spiritual mentor.
Hopefully on a beach somewhere.. instead of behind a desk
Join me on my trip around South East Asia, Oceania, and wherever else I end up!
The White Temple and Black houses of Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Chiang Rai is home to two unusual creations both built recently by Thai artists turned architects.
The White Temple
The Black Houses
The tattoo artist monk
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I’ve never been a big fan of tattoos – mainly because most that I’ve come across on people either don’t really seem to have much significance or are plain ugly. However, my interest was peeked when some fellow travellers mentioned they were travelling out to a rural temple where was monk reportedly performing Sak Yant tattoos – geometrical designs believed to posses magical powers of protection, inked onto the skin using a bamboo needle.
This practice has often been used for Muay Thai fighters, becoming common among travellers too, with Angelina Jolie’s decision to get one no doubt contributing to their increasing popularity.
Kuala Lumpur’s poop restaurant
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Wondering through the third floor of the Sungei Wang Plaza mall in Kuala Lumpur, I found myself staring in amazement at rows of toilets which appeared to have been left for the general public to do their business right out in the open?! Surely not.
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Posted from Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand.
Hitchhiking New Zealand
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Hitchhiking in New Zealand is quite common, as it has a reputation for being a relatively safe place to do so, few highways, friendly locals and fellow travellers. In fact, it’s so popular it was common to see hitchhikers on the same road several times a hundred meters apart from each other.
With so much competition, it pays off to try and stand out some way. My inspiration came from an unlikely source. While taking the boat across to the South Island, there was a Mr Bean film playing where he goes on holiday in France. Despite my low expectations, the film turned out to be an interesting story, and I think all the passengers came away having learnt something about life, love, knowledge and the pursuit of something greater than oneself (ok maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but in all seriousness it was not such a bad film).
Mr Bean in the movie showed me the optimal hitchhiking strategy – dancing around like an idiot to get people’s attention. Suffice to say that it paid off – I never had to take the bus and got three separate rides- an old couple with a jack russel terrier (their son also happened to have been at the same wedding as me a week earlier!) from picton to blenheim, a newly married couple to kaikoura and a courier driver on to christchurch.
Total time spent waiting only 30 minutes!
Souvenirs d’un voyage a Bali
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For English speaking readers: This is an email I wrote to a friend of mine considering moving to Bali some day – written in French as she doesn’t speak too much English, I thought it would be worth including here. You can use google translate to read it in English if you like.
Pour les Francophones: voici un extrait d’un email que j’ai ecrit a une amie qui pense de peut etre s’installer a Bali un jour.. (desole pour les accents qui manquent, mais c’est difficil avec le iphone ou le clavier australien..)
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My first (slightly drunk) Muay Thai fight
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On the Island of Koh Phi Phi where they filmed the Beach, there’s a bar called Reggae Bar where they appear to have successfully monetized backpacker bravado by encouraging customers to enter into either of two challenges.
Never one to shy from a challenge, I did both.
Musical flip-flops
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As soon I was leaving my first beach party on the island of Koh Phangan, I had to deal with the loss of my cherished blue hawaiana flip flops bought in Brazil, after someone with the same foot size must have run off with mine. I then ran off with someone else’s. By the end of my stay on the island I’d been through 3 pairs.
Banging out the ones and twos at the full moon party
Buying a tailor made suit in Thailand
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Buying a suit in Bangkok is a popular activity for many travellers passing through, with its reputation for kick ass threads and comparatively cheap prices to what they can buy back home. There is an abundance of tailors to be found in many parts of the city, and there will be no shortage of salesmen trying to get you into their shop at any given opportunity.
Having read the excellent advice given here, and researched independent reviews, I decided to go with Excelsior tailors. Their shop is somewhat well hidden off one of the main roads in Silom, so this was already an indication that they were a different class from the rip-off merchants found hustling customers on Kho San Road.
The owner, Sonny, of Indian descent was very welcoming, accommodating and arranged a free pick up from my hostel to take me to the shop.
The shop, Sonny and me
On inspection of the photos on the wall I noticed that celebrities including Elijah Woods had frequented the tailor (apologies for the fuzzy picture below, unintentional!), and I suppose that with my visit they’ll have a new addition to this collection. Read the rest of this post
Posted from Mueang Phuket, Phuket, Thailand.
