Potrait

Potrait of Winnie during the canal cruise.

Introduction

Although I have been to Bangkok for many times for business, I have not actually spent some time touring around in Bangkok. It is because I had a package tour in 1996 and thought it was all about Bangkok. Some places I went this sometime were really out of my expectation;they are simply beautiful, they are more than Tomyam Gong.

This time my original intention was just to spend annual vacation for relaxation. So I did not put too high expectation on the photography. Some good pictures are really out of my expectation.... really. The way we tour Bangkok this time was also more focused and not too rush. So, we enjoyed the tour very much.

We had three separate tour days which was not booked in advance but those were bought only on the second day of our stay. They are cheaper than the internet ratess and the rates offered by our hotel. Let me tell you how it worked. At the airport, I booked a half day canal tour for THB520. During the tour, I negotiated with the tour guide for the following tours. We almost organised a private tour with the tour guide's husband which was supposingly cheaper. But due to some reason the car was unavailable for the days we wanted. We managed to get group tour from the original cost of THB5000 to just TBB3500 for each tour.


我到曼谷很多次了可是却没有一次真正的游玩。那是因为我在1996年时在曼谷旅游一次。那时并不觉得怎样。这次我带了老婆孩子去曼谷晚了五天。由于这样，在摄影方面我并没有抱太大的期望。有一些风景是出呼意料之外。

Day 1- Grand Palace

Grand Palace is the palace for the current Thai King. In the pictures, those are the magnificent temples which are open for public visit. The King and his family no longer live here due to the design of the palace looks like a coffin. The famous emerald Bhudda statue is sitting in one of the temple.

Day 1 - Canal Tour

Nice curly water reflection when the boat passing by,






When on tour, you can make some good portrait pictures for a stranger with very nice pose. This is a boat passenger sitting opposite us. The morning sun light framed up her face and body.

Day 2- Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

For floating market, I like this picture most. There is a big contrust between the bright area and the dark area with the nice texture of water reflection. It resembles a water colour painting work.

Journal:

We departed from Bangkok city at around 7:00am and reached the jetty where we board a long tailed speed boat. From there it took around 15 minutes to get to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. A long the way, we had a glimpse at the live of the traditional Thai people and it is also the life style of the old Bangkok people. According to tour guide, this area has not been modernised as compared to Bangkok and you find the same way where Bangkok was like before.

Floating Market has been in existence since more than 100 years and it has been unchanged (except there are tourists added to the crowd). In the market, you will find daily products like fruits, vegetables and cooked foods are carried on the small row boats. Of course, there are souvenirs for the tourists. During the peak hours from sun rise until noon, there is "traffic jams" in the narrow market on the canal. You can join the crowd by hiring a boat with rental like THB150 person.

第二天，我们一家大小的旅费是3500 泰铢。包括了水上市集，玫瑰花园，鳄鱼表演，大象表演，导游和一个自助午餐。大嫩沙多水上市集已有百多年的历史。这里保持了曼谷人昔日的生活面貌。玫瑰花园 （Rose Garden) 是一个文化表演的一个园区。表演包括了由大象表演讲述历史，大象特技表演，泰拳表演，文化舞蹈表演，婚礼表演，等等。当然，鳄鱼表演就是在鳄鱼口的惊险表演。水上市集最繁忙的时侯是早晨黎明到中午这段时间。这天我们七点钟从曼谷启程。约八十公里一个多小时的车程到达离开水上市集一刻钟船程的小码头。我们乘坐了长尾快艇直奔水上市集。一路上我们欣赏了当地居民的水边住宅和他们的生活。时而看见赶市集的小舟，缓缓的划行。凉风迎面吹来，好不写意。 我们付了一个人150 泰铢的船费，租了小舟在繁忙的水上市集里穿行。在这里有载着水果，小吃，纪念品，等等的小舟，熙熙攘攘的叫卖声。好不热闹。游了大约一个小时多后，旅游车就结了我们去玫瑰花园。由于我们还有时间，我们就停留在一个大象园区。骑大象需另付费。不管大人小孩每人600泰铢。我女儿最喜欢骑大象了。没办法，我陪我女儿骑大象。全程半小时，经过树林丛林和改过大象半身的水潭。在最精彩的大象表演和玫瑰园文化表演之前的节目有毒蛇表演和鳄鱼表演。每一项其实都很精彩。当然，这缉片子中还有木刻中心。看着每位师傅灵巧的双手，敲敲打打的完成每幅精致的作品。不能不佩服。

Day 2 -Wood Carving

Wood carving is a kind of traditional art of Thailand. Thai seems to be talented in this art. You see that the craftmen's gender touches with the carving knives make the carved woods.

Day 2- Rose Garden

Ho ho ho, merry christmas!

Elephant show is my children's favourite. Elephant is a holy animal in Thailand. They were used for war fare in ancient time and later put in the economic use i.e. towing the timber. Nowadays, elephant is no longer used for these purposes but for entertainment like in Rose Garden. It is a main source of tourism in Thailand today.

Rose Garden is a park where you will find amusing cultural shows includes traditional Thai dances, wedding, kick boxing, etc.

Day 2 - Elephant Ride

Elephant ride is Winnie's favourite thing to do. The ride took 1/2 hour though the bush and it feels kind of adventurous.

Our gang

Children

Day 4-Ayutthaya

阿育迪亚 -Ayutthaya

Thailand relocated her capital three times. It means that in its history, Thaoland has four capital cities. Bangkok is the current one. Ayutthaya is the second captial city of Thailand ( old name Siam) in its history. There had been brillian dynasty and gorgeous structures such as palances and temples. Ayutthaya is the capital city of Rama dynasty, situated by the side pfChoa Phraya River.

Established in 1350, during Ayutthaya era, there had been changes of the dynasty

泰国三度迁都。 阿育迪亚是暹罗（泰国旧称）第二个首都。那里有很辉煌的王朝和雄伟的建筑，王宫和寺庙。 这里是啦吗王朝的首都， 立于 Chao Phyraya 河畔。建都於1350 年。 在阿育迪亚作为首都期间的417年经过33个朝代。泰国是亚洲唯一不受外来殖民统治的国家。所以这里的建筑都是当地的建筑特色，除了国王以个人喜好融入了一些西方元素之外。还有就是一个庙宇，由于有中国来的移民和商人，在这里筑庙。因此你也看到中国一些特色的神像如四大天王，观音，门神。在1767 年被缅甸王国大军侵入后沦陷，然后被缅军 起火把主要的宫殿和寺庙烧掉。现在的遗迹於1991年被UNESCO 列为世界遗产。 在阿育迪亚许许多多不同设计的古寺庙。由于时间的关系，我们只能游一些主要的寺庙和乘船游览河边的风光。我想应该会有一些精彩的风光错失了。下次我一定再来，独自租一部自行车摄影。