The Bagan Archaeological Zone consists of thousands of temple ruins.

Waiting for the Sun: My Freewheeling First Day in Bagan

July 08, 2017 in Travel

Bagan was founded in the second century A.D on the banks of the Irrawaddy River...Like so many other photographers before me, I came to photograph the epic sunsets and sunrises over the scattered ruins Bagan (unfortunately, the hot-air balloons were only operate during the peak season in mid October through mid-March.) But I had to work through some rigamarole before I would get the opportunity…

The diaphanous Wat Rong Khun (left) and sinsiter Baan Dum house (right) are both Thai modern architectural masterpieces.

Of Shadow and Light: Expressions of Contemporary Thai Artistry in Chiang Rai Province

June 16, 2017 in Travel

Chiang Rai, Thailand northernmost province, is home to two remarkable expressions of Thai contemporary art, each wild and bewildering in its own way...

During my visit to the 40-story Buddha at Wat Huai Pla Kung, a break in the clouds occasioned these heavenly rays.

40-Story Buddha, Chiang Rai

June 15, 2017 in Travel

Short post, just to share images of this epic 40-story Buddha I happened across in the area sounding Chiang Rai, in Northern Thailand. The Buddha, located at Wat Huai Pla Kung, just north of Chiang Rai City, was only completed in 2017. You can even take an elevator up into a room behind the Buddha’s face, and peer out through the eyes of the Buddha. Windows to the back of the room provides a view of the landscape of rolling hills and small villages...

Young Thais hanging out on the banks of the Nan River, eating traditional foods and drinking watered-down whiskey.

Phrae and Nan Provinces, Thailand

May 26, 2017 in Travel

Phrae and Nan are remote, rural provinces in Northeastern Thailand. There are significant populations of ethnic minorities in the area, notably the Thai Lü, ancestors of immigrants from Xishuangbanna, in southwestern China. Both regions are a little off the beaten track and I didn’t see a single other tourist the entire time I travelled in this part of the country—probably also due to the fact that it was off-season...

A Buddha statue entwined in a Bodhi tree's roots at Wat Maha That in Ayuthaya.

Ayuthaya, Thailand

May 26, 2017 in Travel

Ayuthaya was my first real destination in Thailand after bussing from Cambodia to Bangkok...

A monk descending the stairs of an apartment complex in Gangchen Kyishong, the capital of the Tibetan government in exile and spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism.

McLeodGanj and Dharamsala

November 13, 2016 in Travel

Dharamshala is most-well known for being the home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile. (Actually, his holiness resides in Gangchen Kyishong, a suburb just up the hill from Dharamshala.) Located in the foothills in the Himalayas among thick coniferous forest, Dharamshala has become a popular location for tourists to trek, participate in yoga and meditation workshops, volunteer, and learn about the Tibetan people in exile...