tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116175452024-03-14T16:21:01.843+08:00thewanderingstraycatUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger436125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-81462558290629495962012-08-17T12:38:00.000+08:002012-08-17T12:38:57.172+08:00Chiangrai bus station timetables- errors, suggestions & contributions, kindly contact: wanderingstraycat at gmail dot com
- if you wish to duplicate this info, please acknowledge & link back to the source
- thank you to Captain Bob
- created on 31 Dec 2010; last updated 17 August 2012
Chiangrai inter-province bus station
aka. new bus station/ท่ารถใหม่ (tha rot mai), Chiangrai bus station 2/ขนส่ง 2 (khonsong sawng)
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-82220139017892667502012-03-01T20:03:00.000+08:002012-03-01T20:05:37.489+08:0027-290112 Ban Maejantai - 02Random pics from around the village...Water filtration system by Engineers Without Borders USA's California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo student chapter:Small world - the cat has passed through San Luis Obispo before. A source of clean water makes a huge difference. Especially for women & girls, who bear the responsibility of fetching water & collecting & carrying firewood down Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-18451008787662774082012-03-01T19:45:00.000+08:002012-03-01T19:47:00.860+08:0027-290112 Ban Maejantai - 01Ban Maejantai - Moobaan 25, Tambon Tha Kor, Amphoe Mae Suay, Chiangrai province:25 might be the largest หมู่บ้าน moobaan (administrative village) number the cat has come across to date - it usually sees numbers smaller than 15. At 30+ households, Ban Maejantai is slightly smaller than Ban Apa (40+ households). With a population smaller than the minimum required (500 people?) for moobaan status, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-38855039024620546882012-02-29T15:39:00.000+08:002012-02-29T15:40:08.966+08:00270112 Mae Tam to Huay Nam KhunWaiting in front of the temple:Last view of flat land from the bed of a twincab:The nice paved bits:The unpaved sections weren't as dusty as expected (no place can beat Sayabouly in Laos when it comes to dust anyway), but it was clear that Coffee Journeys wouldn't be possible during the rainy season.Lookout point:Familiar landscape - very little primary forest left, most of the existing forest isUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-64269579911556895362012-02-29T15:23:00.000+08:002012-02-29T15:24:51.781+08:00270112 Wat Mae TamWhere the road to Ban Huay Nam Khun & Ban Maejantai branches off from HWY 118...'Indian-style' temple murals in the Chiangrai countryside:The paintings in many temples in Thailand & Laos tend to show the same characters in the same scenes from the Buddha's life story with local (Thai or Lao) facial features, hairstyles & dress...when all those events took place in India.Rather unique Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-54762031521131635952012-02-29T15:17:00.000+08:002012-02-29T15:20:16.462+08:00270112 Chiangmai to Wiang Pa PaoBreak from normal programming...in late January 2012 the cat went on a 3D2N trip with 20+ other people to an Akha friend's village & coffee farm in Chiangrai province.Coffee Journey with Akha Ama to learn how this happens - the entire process from seed to cup:A stranger busy filming the cat as it walked down Hussadhisawee Soi 3 towards Akha Ama Cafe...?? Turned out that a production crew was Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-61281959767541430252012-02-28T01:00:00.000+08:002012-02-28T01:01:20.028+08:00north thailand 2012
17 Jan - SIN > BKK > Chiangmai
18 Jan - Chiangmai > Mae Sariang
19 Jan - Mae Sariang (Pha Mor Lor)
20 Jan - Mae Sariang > Mae La Noi
21 Jan - Mae La Noi (Tham Kaew Komol)
22 Jan - Mae La Noi > Khun Yuam
23 Jan - Khun Yuam
24 Jan - Khun Yuam > Mae Hong Son
25 Jan - Mae Hong Son
26 Jan - Mae Hong Son > Chiangmai
27 Jan - Chiangmai > Ban Maejantai
28 Jan - Ban Maejantai
29 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-28801637191542003352011-11-21T20:23:00.000+08:002011-11-21T20:24:09.807+08:00north thailand 2010
16 Dec - SIN > BKK (Pratunam, Siam)
17 Dec - BKK (Rattanakosin) > Chiangrai
18 Dec - Chiangrai > Ban Apa
19 Dec - Ban Apa > Chiangrai (Rai Mae Fah Luang, Wat Dam) > Ban Apa
20 Dec - Ban Apa > Chiangrai > Chiangmai
21 Dec - Chiangmai > Phrae
22 Dec - Phrae
23 Dec - Phrae
24 Dec - Phrae > Chiangmai
25 Dec - Chiangmai (Wualai walking street)
26 Dec - Chiangmai (Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-52968984458558684062011-11-21T20:13:00.000+08:002011-11-21T20:14:15.986+08:00hokkaido 2010
04 Jul - SIN > NRT > CTS > Sapporo
05 Jul - Sapporo (Odori Park, Maruyama Park, Hokudai, Sapporo TV Tower) > Wakkanai
06 Jul - Wakkanai > Rebun-to (Kafuka, Shiretoko, Motochi, Momoiwa, Funadomari)
07 Jul - Rebun-to (Sukoton-misaki, Gorota-misaki, Tetsupu, Nishi-uedomari, Sukai-misaki, Hamanaka, Kushu-ko, Funadomari)
08 Jul - Funadomari > Kafuka > Rishiri-to (Kutsugata, Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-73178361732802352672011-11-21T19:27:00.001+08:002011-11-21T19:48:37.650+08:00north laos + thailand 2009
27 Nov - SIN > KUL
28 Nov - KUL > VTE (Talat Khua Din, Wat Hay Sok)
29 Nov - VTE
30 Nov - VTE
01 Dec - VTE
02 Dec - VTE
03 Dec - VTE > Bor Nam Oun
04 Dec - Bor Nam Oun > Luang Prabang
05 Dec - Luang Prabang
06 Dec - Luang Prabang
07 Dec - Luang Prabang
08 Dec - Luang Prabang > Oudomxay
09 Dec - Oudomxay > Boun Neua
10 Dec - Boun Neua > Ou Tai
11 Dec - Ou Tai > Ou Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-67330166625563295212011-09-18T22:15:00.001+08:002011-09-18T22:15:45.215+08:00280707 That Luang - 11 kiteOnce upon a time, the cat played with kites made from plastic bags, garbage bags & newspapers too :)
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-86983530667640394792011-09-18T22:13:00.000+08:002011-09-18T22:13:57.033+08:00280707 That Luang - 10 KingAll photos in this post by K-san
King Setthathilath, the guy who built That Luang:
In the shadow of the King:
Who are these blue shirts?
Blue shirts buying offerings of marigolds from blue shirts - interesting how the boy at right is wearing a cross:
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-36681895256020068912011-09-18T16:58:00.000+08:002011-09-18T16:58:26.212+08:00280707 That Luang - 09 monochromeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-6624414945224021542011-09-18T16:56:00.000+08:002011-09-18T16:56:59.590+08:00280707 That Luang - 08 more offeringsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-65306369556964318782011-09-18T16:54:00.000+08:002011-09-18T16:54:35.507+08:00280707 That Luang - 07 offeringsNaga diet - sticky rice...& chocolate wafers garnished with marigold flowers...& banana leaves, jasmine flower buds & plain water (they do drink from cups):Phansa candles:BIG FAT candle meets tiny thin counterparts:Hanging mobile made by tying coloured thread on an asterisk-shaped bamboo frame - they are usually diamond-shaped & this is the first hexagon-shaped piece the cat has Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-21384827243769066272011-09-18T16:51:00.000+08:002011-09-18T16:52:44.148+08:00280707 That Luang - 06Photos from 300707:At the back/eastern side of the stupa:A little stupa:Think it is the That Si Thamma Hay Sok:Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-64577036228639390592011-09-10T22:07:00.001+08:002011-09-10T22:08:23.468+08:00280707 That Luang - 05 parts of that
There are 30 of these 'spires' surrounding the actual stupa:
Each one represents a parami (บารมี barami - Thai, 波罗蜜 bo1 luo2 mi4 - Chinese), the perfection of a virtue that is part of the path to enlightenment:
10 parami - dana (ทาน taan 布施, generosity - from which the practice of giving alms stems), sila (ศีล siin 持戒, virtue - observing the precepts), nekkhamma (เนกขัมมะ Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-57518711935136949002011-09-07T21:49:00.001+08:002011-09-07T21:50:07.900+08:00280707 That Luang - 04A lot more of That Luang - photos from 280707, 300707 & 010807:
Does look a bit like Vientiane's secret stash of nuclear warheads :PUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-24549548443253968952011-09-07T21:47:00.000+08:002011-09-07T21:47:45.259+08:00280707 That Luang - 03Google map satellite view of Pha That Luang - Laos is where lines
are not always perfectly straight, pillars & stupas not always
perfectly vertical, doorways & arches not always perfectly
symmetrical, & squares not always perfectly square:
Main/front
door at left (west) faces the back of King Setthathilath's statue,
shadow of stupa points towards Wat That Luang Neua, & Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-78168351408314206702011-09-04T20:24:00.000+08:002011-09-04T20:24:42.811+08:00280707 That Luang - 02The symbol of Laos in what might be the cleanest outdoor public space in Laos:
If only the rest of Laos was just as litter-free :P
Where's the Lonely Planet logo at the upper left of the real thing? :P
(Warning: if that
is how you use guidebooks to find the right place, the cover of the 6th
edition is going to lead you to nowhere & the 7th edition to
Wat Xieng Thong in Luang PrabangUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-20292974479684951792011-09-04T01:35:00.000+08:002011-09-04T16:37:46.068+08:00280707 That Luang - 01Across the road from Wat Nong Bone:
Photo by K-san
Arrived after closing time:
So that's all for today - nice doors!
What stands behind...
...has to wait for another day:
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-11749694333958391332011-08-21T16:53:00.000+08:002011-08-21T16:54:05.545+08:00280707 + 021209 Wat Nongbone - 05 miscThe place where cremations were held, as mentioned here:
Photo by K-san
The coconuts must be good, for 'rungs' to be nailed on the trunk for easy access?
A peaceful respite in central Vientiane - this section has the feel of a 'wat pa' (forest temple):
Remains of a stupa?
Perimeter wall:
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-39879903848802726312011-08-21T16:51:00.000+08:002011-08-21T16:52:56.732+08:00280707 + 021209 Wat Nongbone - 04 Pha Lak Pha LamPaintings on two of the buildings at the back of the temple compound:
Green monkey flanked by two mermaids:
In front of the other stairs:
With discus & trident in hand, against a backdrop of what looks like the top half of the Singapore flag, albeit missing one star:
Lao meow in Lao wat:
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-53500494001490342222011-08-21T15:49:00.000+08:002011-08-21T15:50:37.627+08:00021209 Wat Nongbone - 03 new simNot sure if this is a new building or the complete makeover of an old one. For some reason it faces the perimeter wall (towards Pha That Luang) - away from all other buildings in the temple - & with just a few metres between its front entrance & the wall. In July 2007 it was all bare concrete, in December 2009 some progress had been made:
Emaciated Buddha on the rear gable:
At one point Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11617545.post-8203858766920922852011-08-21T15:47:00.000+08:002011-08-21T15:48:09.011+08:00280707 Wat Nongbone - 02 pavilion + drum towerPavilion:
Monks' quarters:
Temples in Vientiane & Huay Xai have huge multi-storey drum towers, unlike the small little single-storey ones in the temples of Luang Prabang:
Photo by K-san
It was 4:00PM:
Photo by K-san
While hunting for the sim (main chapel) we found these bits & pieces lying around & signs of construction work in progress:
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0