ISAAN PICS
HDR-toned June 2011
ISSAN. Sawasdee Crap. Welcome to my hoods! Isan; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issan, or Esarn is the northeast region of Thailand, located on the Khorat Plateau. Isaan is one of the most traditional areas of the country, with daily life based on agriculture and cottage industries. Old Thai customs remain relatively unchanged and the population is renowned for being friendly and polite, even though it is one of the poorest areas in the country. Additionally, its beautiful natural scenery and tantalizingly spicy cuisine, plus exquisite silk productions also entice many visitors to this part of the Kingdom.
Sawasdee Krap Welcome to Isaan
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Rice Farmer
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STICKY RICE Thailand is one of the Worlds largest producers of rice. In Isaan, sticky rce dominates. It is a special rice grown in a different way from what we are used to eat. Still the buffalo is used at work to sow and harvest rice. A family is considered wealthy if it features a buffalo in its possession.
Early morning Not long after 6 o’clock in the morning the monks stands in line to get their meal for the day. In some temples like forest temples in Isaan area, monks only eat once a day. Monks that do follow the Buddhist forest way are called “PHRA THUDONG”. But in temples where there are novices or where the Buddhist way is different, monks eat twice a day.
UBON RATCHATHANI -Khongjiam Early morning
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Family Three generations
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WAT - Tempel
Issan is well known for all the buitiful teples that are built all around the area. This picture is from Wat Tham Khuha Sawan.
Wat Tham Khuha Sawan
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Wat Thung Sri Muang
This building is the library. The building, almost 300 years old, was constructed during the early Chakri dynasty. Interior walls were beautifully painted, showing the culture and history of the ancient Ubon people.Trai, a scriptural repository made of teak, built in the middle of the pond, contains holy Buddhist books, inlaid with gold leaves.
Wat Thung Sri Muang
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Factory for big steel drums
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BUFFALO
The buffalo is used as a tool in agriculture. Often, for one can not afford to purchase expensive tractors. Owning a bufel considered that the family is wealthy. If you travel around in the area, you’ll see them lying in their mud baths to cool off.
The buffalo
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Yang Monks - Dek Wat
Until the latter half of 1900 began, most monks their career as dek wat (temple children). Dek Wat kids are not younger than 8 years and do some housework in and around temples. The main reason to become a Dek Wat is to get a basic education in reading, writing and learning the scriptures that are read up on ritual occasions.
Yang Monks -Dek Wat
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Hello you with the camera!
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Everywhere you meet people who always are in their best mood. Here we see school class with children who thought it was great to say hello to me, fun!
Isaan Rickshaw
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Early morning at the market
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If you get up early and heading to a market, you will experience the traditional Thailand. People who deals with everything from meat, fish or vegetables to clothes and shoes. Here we see Isaan national dish, sticky rice that you eat as a starter, main course and dessert with mango and coconut milk, for example. The dessert is called Khao Niaw Mamoang.
M od er n tim es B ef ore it w as ra re to se e a m on k sm ok in g an d ev en m ore ra re to se e th em ta lk in g on th e ph on e. N ow ad ay s, th ey liv e a bi t m ore lik e us . H ere w e se e a m on k w ho w as fa sc in at ed by th e w at er fa ll.
Tadton Waterfall Ubon Ratchathani
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Tadton Waterfall Ubon Ratchathani
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PHA TAEM CLIFFS To stand near the rock ledge is not for you who suffer from vertigo. There are also signs that say it is forbidden to push each other, okey good that they tell!
Pha Taem Cliffs
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PHA TAEM CLIFFS It looks like a face comes out from the rock. It also looks like it´s screaming. Maybe it was someone who was pushed out of the edge that got his ghost in the rock, what do I know?
Pha Taem Cliffs
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PHA TAEM CLIFF Prehistorical paintings. Some says that they are more than 3000 years old. In recent years they have been joined by much more recent paintings.
Pha Taem Cliffs Pre Historical paintings
Some nutcase has been there with red paint and left their hand prints to distort history and at the same time get to bask himself in the glow of this historical site. Today, there is therefore barbed wire and fences to protect from vandals.
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Centipede This centipede is not dangerous. There is one more orange and a bit less that you should beware of!
Pha Taem Cliffs
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Sao Chaling This place is scattered with natural mushroom-like piles of stone slabs with a large amount of shells embedded in their surface. The area is believed by geologists to be a long dried up seabed (over a million years ago).
Sao Chaling Ubon Ratchathani
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Sao Chaling sandstone rocks
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Longtail on Mekong River
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Longtail boat on Mekong River. Our long tail chauffeur for the day took us along the Mekong River with a skilled hand. The sky had decided that it would send a little water on us today but without water the river would dry out and it would not be good! I wonder what he’s using the big knife for?
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Pak Mun Dam. Here you see doors to the dam where the two rivers Mun River and Mekong River meets. If you look carefully you can see two colors of water. Mekong sandy brown and Mun Rivers more greenish color. It is said that as many as 20 000 people affected by dam construction because it interferes with fish migration. After years of demonstrations, protest marches, letter writing people reached a partial victory. In June 2001, the Thai government decided to keep the floodgates open four months a year.
Two rivers meets. Mun and Mekong river.
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Suspension bridge near The National park.
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For that you sho uld mis s that it is a sus pen sion brid ge in the pict ure to the left, we hav e clar ified that with this sign . You got it?
The sign.
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Wat Phra That Nong Bua. Ubon Ratchathani, the largest and one of the most important provinces in the region. It is rich in history and diverse in cultural attractions. During the Vietnam War it was an American airbase and has continued to grow in properity since then. Due to the large number of fascinating temples dotting allover the city, Ubon is a place of pilgrimage at the beginning of Buddhist Lent. The province borders the Mekong River in the east and features superb scenic views of Cambodia. Copple of years ago this tempelarea was renovetad and got new paintin on the beutiful chimmering pagodas.
Wat Phra That Nong Bua.
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Wat Phra That Nong Bua. Ă–veraallt we meet people who smile and are pleasant. Here, right by the bed to the Mekong River, I met these little kids. The boy was delighted when I would take the picture but his smaller sister looks frightened. Maybe I had a bad hair day !? On the other side of Mekon River you can catch a glimpse of Laos.
Happy children, or?
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Lao s Border con trol. The olde r lady may be goin g on a trip? She is stud ying the bus sche dule s. I boug ht a bunc h of lotus flow ers from her but anyw ay she wou ld not show her face in the pictu re for it!
Lotus flower sales lady at border to Laos
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Laos Once in Laos the Lotus Flower is still look the same, but they who sell them have changed shape a little. Next time, I just have to have such a hat, next time!
Lotus flower sales lady in Laos
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Laos rivers Barges that operats at rivers in Laos are usually filled to breaking point. But somehow they get it to work, almost always!
BANGKOK Royal Palace
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Laos rivers Smaller vehicles require less barge. Tourists, they always have the camera in their hands and take pictures of anything and everything;)
Laos river
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Wat Phu Laos If you are near the border with Laos, I can recommend a trip to the other side. Life seems a little different, people are different and that includes food and culture also. Here is the misty mountains to the ancient temple Wat Phu in Pakse, Laos.
Wat Phu, PaksĂŠ
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Ruins of Wat Phu, Paksé
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Buddha figures created in the rock
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Wat Phu Laos A lovely view from the mountain at temple Wat Phu. You can almost feel the historic wing-beat, although there are only a few measly blocks that once were grand buildings.
Wat Phu, PaksĂŠ
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