A young man is contemplating the Buddha—or maybe wondering where he will go clubbing in the evening—in a quiet corner of Wat Umong in Thailand. A powerfully spiritual place, Wat Umong, and I am not a particularly spiritual guy.
Author: Steve Barru
Photographer, bookworm, traveler, born in the United States in 1949, left the United States in 1987, spent years in China, settled in Vietnam in 2016.
Bougainvillea
Wat Ban Den, Chiang Mai
Thai School Girls, Chiang Mai
I went on a photo trip this morning to a place called Wat Ban Den, a huge, well-known temple complex a few kilometers north of Chiang Mai. These girls were on a school field trip to the wat. They said hello to me and introduced themselves in English that was not at all bad. And after our mini-lesson was over, they were delighted to pose for a picture.
Wat Chang Taem, Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai Flowers
This colorful spray of flowers – it is no more than six or seven inches from end to end – was hidden along a small lane in Chiang Mai’s old city. I think the red flowers may be a type of miniature orchid, but am really not certain.
Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai
Wat Chedi Luang was established in the 14th century, but the 1990s reconstruction pictured here is controversial with some claiming the structure is not in the Lanna style of northern Thailand. Or so I have read.
TV Break, Chiang Mai
I am sure the monks are watching a devotional show! What else would adolescent boys watch?
Wat Pan On, Chiang Mai
The sun breaks through a mostly overcast sky washing Wat Pan On in soft, late afternoon light.
Feeding the Pigeons, Chiang Mai
Personally, being surrounded by a crowd of hungry pigeons is not my idea of a good time. But there were several people, this couple included, who had bought bags of seeds and were feeding big gatherings of pigeons. This small but rather elegant park in the southwest corner of Chiang Mai’s Old City is called Nong Bauk Hard Park. The place has a bit of the feel of the Public Garden in Boston.