Photoclubalpha

I got back from the week in Sapporo yesterday so finally I have a chance to post about the recent Thailand trip. Last month we returned to Japan from a month in Thailand. It was my 5th time there since 1985. We flew into Bangkok and stayed there for a week before flying up to Chiangmai. By the way, how in the world, I wonder, did this city get the name Bangkok? Bangkok certainly is suggestive. Photos are in the Thailand album:

http://www.bakubo.com/Galleries%202/index.html

Used Olympus E-M5 + 14-150mm f4-5.6 + 9-18mm f4-5.6 + 25mm f1.8 + 9mm f8 fisheye.

We had dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Chiangmai one evening. The owner and all the workers appeared to be Arabs. While there I overheard a woman at the next table say to her mates, "Oh look, the waiter is on the floor over there exercising.". I was wondering if the waiter was doing pushups, situps, pilates, or what? I sort of discreetly turned to look and saw he was on the floor facing Mecca and praying. One of her friends said, "Shhh, he's praying."

I have met Longneck Karen women before in northern Thailand in years past. The older a woman is the more rings she has around her neck and the more her neck is stretched.

Those brass neck rings were a natural defense for the notorious vampires who inhabit the mountain areas in the north of Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Works great! It only took a few broken teeth for the word to get out on the internal vampire network. Longneck Karen women are no longer victims. Grrl Power!

She motioned for me to get closer and then she whispered in my ear, "Hey Hon, take a walk on the wild side." At my age I figured I wouldn't likely get that sort of proposition from a hot longneck chick again so next thing I knew I was longnecking!



Sleep when and where you have the chance



Selfie time in Chiangmai!



Boy at night in Chiangmai

Wonderful photos. Yes your neck does look longer, amazing. I notice in the first photo that the building material is the same as here in Colombia i.e. split bamboo (machimbe).

As usual some great street shots Henry. I'm curious about one thing though. Do you plan on adding any more rings to your neck as you age?

There is a saying in the uk when some one is so confident they are a bit cheeky they are said to be "brass necked" - I not sure which of you was more brass necked, Henry
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/diction ... brass-neck

Looking forward to having a proper look through the album later.

Pitter wrote:Wonderful photos. Yes your neck does look longer, amazing. I notice in the first photo that the building material is the same as here in Colombia i.e. split bamboo (machimbe).

Thanks, Pitter! Yes, split bamboo is used a lot in Thailand.

the_hefay wrote:As usual some great street shots Henry. I'm curious about one thing though. Do you plan on adding any more rings to your neck as you age?

Well, that photo was a bit before my birthday last month. Awhile later on my birthday morning I woke up and discovered my neck had grown another centimeter! A new ring is being fashioned for me right now and installation will be coming soon!

Birma wrote:There is a saying in the uk when some one is so confident they are a bit cheeky they are said to be "brass necked" - I not sure which of you was more brass necked, Henry
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/diction ... brass-neck

That is interesting. I hadn't heard about that before. Cheeky is my middle name.

U.S. Marines are known as Leathernecks. Here is some info about the origin of the name:

https://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck ... eck-legacy

Lou Reed forever.
Nice tour.

bakubo wrote:I got back from the week in Sapporo yesterday so finally I have a chance to post about the recent Thailand trip. Last month we returned to Japan from a month in Thailand. It was my 5th time there since 1985. We flew into Bangkok and stayed there for a week before flying up to Chiangmai. By the way, how in the world, I wonder, did this city get the name Bangkok? Bangkok certainly is suggestive. Photos are in the Thailand album:

Great picture story, Henry, as usual.
Well, what do you expect a name for the capital of "Thighland"?
With due apologies to all the wonderful Thai people. Absolutely no offense meant.

With best regards,
Sury

jbtaylor wrote:Lou Reed forever.

Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KaWSOlASWc

jbtaylor wrote:Nice tour.

Thanks for taking a look!

sury wrote: Great picture story, Henry, as usual.

Thanks, Sury!

Hilltribe girl verbally abusing her friends



Hoisting bundles up to the second floor, Chiangmai



Ping River, Chiangmai

Wow. The third one is just fantastic.

Sury

Great shots. Lots of expression in the first two. That last one is superb with the boat breaking up the reflection.

Just for grins, here are a few from earlier trips to Thailand.

During a sudden, heavy rain downpour in Bangkok I saw this young woman quietly standing under some plastic sheeting as people all around her were rushing for cover. Notice the position of her feet. She is trying to keep her right foot out of the rain. Fortunately, I too, had found some cover a few feet away.



While trekking in the hilltribe area of northern Thailand and staying in a hilltribe village I met this kind woman and child



Me with trekking group cooling off in a waterfall in 2006 The Thai guy in the middle was our trekking guide. I met him again last month and went on a trek with him again. He is older and has short hair now.

Thai men know how to live.



"No way! Keep your stinking hands off 'em!" French man and his French-Spanish wife at night while on a 3-day trek in the hilltribe area of northern Thailand in 2006. I think the Thai influence had gotten to him.



She's a strong lady so he likely didn't get his hands on them that night.