During the day, Silom is a business district with office workers filling the streets. At night it’s still a business district but the industries have changed. One of the sois is home to the infamous Pat Pong sex tourist haven and the whole main road is lined with small shops selling… pretty much everything. Souvenir […]
Music and Dance
It’s the last day of Bisket Jatra today. Or second to last, I lost track. In comparison to huge chariots, even bigger poles and pools of chicken blood, today was almost mundane. Devotees of the various gods and goddesses walked through the streets, visiting their favourite temples. Many of them were wearing traditional Newari dresses […]
Dust
Bagan is a dusty place – and this is just the end of the rainy season! Under the shower the water quickly turns brown and when I open the computer, I have to give it a quick wipe first. During sunset the haze does add to the spectacle though. I’ve started the day with another […]
Bhaktapur Bricks
During my stay in Bhaktapur, I’d like to volunteer with a local organisation that needs support with their online systems. The main project coordinator wasn’t around today, but one of the staff members gave me a first briefing. It didn’t take too much time, so I had ample opportunity to roam around the old part […]
Yoshin Pole
It’s New Year’s eve today (in the local calendar) and as part of the celebrations, a huge pole was erected on Bhaktapur’s pottery square. The small square was jam-packed with locals and a couple of visitors. More than a hundred people were working on erecting the pole with ropes and supporting tree trunk constructions. Even […]
Going remote
In Thailand the usual treks to hill tribe villages go along a well beaten path. The country sees a massive amount of visitors and the locals have adjusted to that. Far fewer people visit Laos and even fewer take it on them to walk for hours through the jungle to reach a remote village. We […]