Not much I like better than mooching round in a different land, absorbing the culture and checking out the sights of the sites.
Architecture, art, people, culture and strange different things to look at. Markets are good!
A walk around Phuket!
Phuket – Up in the Hills – Serenity and peace.
Up in the hills it felt very peaceful – beautiful.
Heading to Buddha.
We headed out from the Wat Chalong Temple heading for the giant Buddha on the hill. As we approached we passed what looked like a school trip for young Buddhist acolytes.
The Wat Chalong Temple – Thailand – Phuket
We went in and out of the various temples and looked out at that giant Buddha on the hill. The temples were full of gold Buddhas and art.
Phuket – Thailand – The Wat Chalong Temple
It was a fabulously colourful temple.
Thailand – Phuket
We approached the tropical paradise of Phuket in the early morning. The sky was blue. Felt fabulous. We were off to explore.
The place seemed to consist of a number of emerald green islands lush with vegetation. On a distant hill, we spied a giant Buddha.
We had to check that out!!
Phuket – Views over the island of Phuket from the Big Buddha.
The Big Buddha was built on top of a hill overlooking the whole album. The views were incredible.
On one side there was a view down to the town. On the other, there are views over the tropical landscape.
Phuket – The Giant Buddha – A gaggle of trainee monks
As we parked and walked around the side of the massive Buddha a great gaggle of monks came along all draped in their saffron robes.
A lot of the monks were school kids. They seemed to be marshalled along by some older monks.
The kids were laughing and joking around like any other kids out on a school trip.
They seemed to be wearing name tags!
Some were pretending to be proper monks.
They looked sweet – but I really do not like the idea of young kids being taken and indoctrinated into any religious or political doctrine – no matter how benign that ideology may be.
Thailand – the Giant Buddha at the temple of Wat Phra Yai – Photos
Ever since we sailed into the bay at Phuket I was intrigued by the giant Buddha on the hill overlooking the bay. It was in the temple of Wat Phra Yai. The Buddha is 45 metres tall and made of white marble. Very impressive.
Our first glimpse of it was driving up the windy road.
It is surrounded with other shrines and offerings.
We started off investigating the chambers underneath the statue.
Thailand – Phuket – Wat Chalong Temple
Wat Chalong Temple – all glittering gold, elephants and orchids.
The locals were out, offering incense, prayers and flowers.
The images of Buddha presided.
The artwork and the colours were amazing.
An incredible place.
I wondered what these beehive structures were. Then I found out and nearly jumped out of my life. They throw big firecrackers in there and it exaggerates the noise so that it sounds like explosions.
Opher's World 