Thailand |
Thailand |
November 1995 February 1999 |
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If it hadn't been for Peter and his 60th birthday party on December 6, 1995 in Phuket, my last few years would have turned out quite differently. I had travelled a lot before, but never to Asia - it seemed so remote. But in May 1995 my friends Peter and his wife Anneliese (Peter lives in Bangkok and Phuket, Anneliese in Germany) were visiting me here in New Jersey and invited me to the party. Instead of going to just Phuket, I took along my friend Robin along and we traveled around the world. In February 99, I stopped there again for another week with my friend Billi. Anneliese was there too. Just like the first time, Peter gave us his car and driver and off we went, shopping, shopping and sight-seeing. |
Phuket |
Birthday toast to Peter, the lovely lady on his lap is Anneliese. |
During our first visit the Thais celebrated their beloved kings Bumipol's 50 anniversery of his reign, plus his birthday. His posters were everywhere. |
Must see in Bangkok - the Palace, you will never see anything like it anywhere. You are confronted with a huge compound of buildings, temples and stupas in an amazing array of colors (mostly gold), tiles, patterns and mosaics, no decorator would ever believe that all this would go together, but it does. The result is overwhelming. |
This friendly, smiling god greats you at the entrance |
Airial view (from a postcard) of the temple and palace area |
Pots with water lilies everywhere |
These strange creatures gard the buildings |
Other guard creatures to keep the evil spirits away |
Stupas - these bell-shaped buildings can't be entered but somewhere in their cores they hold holy reliques |
And wherever the stupas are, they are again protected or held up by these strange looking guards. |
