Saturday, December 25, 2010

BKK Xmas !

    Merry Christmas from Bangkok!!

Night Market Pics

Some pics from Chiang Mai's amazing Sunday Night Walking Market.  Click here for a short video of the music, and here for a video of the Buddhist chanting that was going on in one of the adjacent Wats..

there are many Wats and shrines around this market, down a long main street...
I always love when I come upon huge GONGS.
Click here for the video of this chanting

right in front of the Wat:
and Tarot card readings happen out front!

this popular 4-stringed instrument is called a pín.

there's definitely a carnival atmosphere at this type of night market:






and of course, there's always a massage available in Thailand:

Sangdee Gallery

I visited the beautiful Sangdee gallery (it means good light) in Chiang Mai, and, thru Philip "Very Thai," I met Marisa the curator who used to live in NYC.  I also met Julia, an artist in residence at Chiang Mai University (for 1 year!).  She's from NYC too so it was "Very Cool."





  
  
the gallery is down the block from the insect museum which was, unfortunately, closed. 

Doi Suthep

This huge Wat is in the mountains above Chiang Mai - the specific location was chosen by an elephant in an elaborate ritual.  There's a lot to see here...  
















this dog thinks he's a buddha statue or something (they all do)...

apparently school groups come here... 
elephants are just about everywhere... 

this Wat is so hih up in the mountains that the view of Chiang Mai is a bit small!