The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

This is how it started in April 2018 in my brother's driveway in Olympia, Washington. I needed transportation for my "sabbatical" year, and as it turned out, he had this old 2004 Chevy 4X4 1/2 ton pick-up collecting moss out in the forest behind his house.  I dragged it out, cleaned it up, did a basic tune-up on it and got it running. A lucky find on Craigslist led me to this cool little home built camper for $400.

 

The interior of the home built camper was actually pretty nice!  There was a fold-down table, and storage under those bench seats.  There was a board that went between the benches that made for a full double bed utilizing the back cushions . . . or I could sleep over the truck cab area.  I spent some money outfitting the camper with a battery system for a borrowed electric camper cooler.  I rigged an outside power hook-up so I could have a microwave oven and a space heater whenever I found myself in a campground.  Perfect.

 

A quick trip to Discount Tire yielded a set on nice rugged big radial tires (made in Vietnam).  I found a nice bike rack at a local Olympia pawn shop, and I bought some fabric dye to make the curtains look like new.  A few sensors and new switches brought all of trucks systems into operation.  I had the transmission checked and flushed and the fluid changed, wheel bearings packed, and the differential cases refilled with new gear lube. 2004 was the first year for fuel injection with the 350 V8.  I ended up replacing all the sensors before it finally ran well.  Even so, one out of five times I started it up, it wouldn't run more than 1000 rpm and I had to re-set the ECU.  I was now ready to go.

 

My overnight camping "test" was at Silver Creek Falls State Park in Oregon.  A quick trip to the Salem Costco got me a table, stools, and a porta-potty.  I bought a very nice rebuilt  'hybrid" bike at a bike shop.

 

I stayed for awhile in and around the Salem, Oregon area, taking short overnight trips to figure out what kind of equipment I would need for extended time on the road.

 

I finalized my equipment and headed out to Eastern Oregon and a camping trip to Bull Bend Campground on the Dechutes River.  By this time I had a small cabana tent and a "privacy tent" for showering and as a toilet.

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In no particular order, these are some of my fondest photos of my camper out and about in the USA:

 

And off I went "in search of America."

 

This photo says it all:  out in the back country of Eastern Oregon.  Free!

 

Near the top of my Bucket List was to go back to The Steens Mountains in southeast Oregon.  I had not been there for nearly 40 years and had very fond memories of camping there. If you look closely you can see my camper at upper left.

 

The Steens are in a very remote part of the USA and not visited much by tourists.  It is a grand place.

 

Out along the Indian Creek cliffs, Steens Mountain.

 

Just pulling in to my camp spot up in the Steens Mountains.

 

The beauty of the high desert sage . . . NE Arizona.

 

Out and about in Zion National Park.

 

Along the road near Zion National Park.

 

At the Bryce National Park lodge.  I overheard a couple of Dutch women say, "THIS is what I would want to have for an American road trip."  That made me feel pretty good. 

 

Before getting to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I took a little side trip to Johnson Canyon, Utah . . . not a national park, but it should be.

 

On the road to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

 

Pure Americana: Twin Falls, Idaho.

 

Back road drive to the Black Rock desert in Nevada.

 

I had a little overheating issue that requires some stops for cool-down in the desert.

 

I LOVE the desert . . . Nevada.

 

Another highlight was camping up in a rocky desert canyon near the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.

 

I camped here for four days . . . my batteries kept the cooler going for 3 days . . . I loved it here.

 

I took this photo of my Black Rock Desert camp site when I first arrived.  A lovely place.  In four days I only saw 2 cars pass by the road below . . . but also two long trains a day.

 

I finally pulled over in Caldwell, Nevada to make the repairs.  I had the parts in the cab for weeks, but never "got around to fixing it."  No problems after that.

 

Caldwell, Nevada was nearly a ghost town.

 

I stayed in this campground next to a casino in Winnemucca, Nevada twice: once before the Black Rock Desert camping, and once after, on the way to the Bonneville Salt Flats.  It was here I learned about homelessness in America.  1/3 of the campground was taken up with old campers and trailers of people who lived full time.  The cost was $250 a month, including power, water, and sewage hook-ups.  I met some of these 'homeless people' and heard their stories.  Heartbreaking.  My plan was to camp in the wild a little, stay in a campground with services a little, and occasionally stay in a motel for a shower and warmth.

 

The Winnemucca campground had a coin operated washing machine which allowed me to freshen up my sleeping bag, sheets, and towels . . . and take a shower.  I took the opportunity to clean all of the dust that invaded the camper on the Nevada dirt roads.  I found the leaks where the dust was getting in (Closing the barn door after the horse got away!). A highlight of Winnemucca was watching an afternoon Seahawks game live on a big screen at an excellent Mexican restaurant.

 

A highlight of my year on the road in America was attending the World of Speed land speed record event on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.

 

Definitely a Bucket List experience for me, an old racer.

 

I cut diagonally across Nevada on Highway 6 through the Great Basin.

 

Somewhere along Nevada Highway 6 . . . archetypical old American road trip stop.  I bought some Cheetos and a Dr. Pepper here to complete the experience.

 

Out and about on the highways of the American West.

 

On my way to Lake Tahoe I stopped in at the old courthouse in Bridgeport, California. I had a fine lunch here in a local cafe.

 

Up the long grade on a small road to Lake Tahoe.

 

Another highlight was camping in the high Sierras Nevada mountains of eastern California . . . above The Buttermilks.

 

Five days of bliss in Nature.  Every day a hike in a different direction.  Autumn color on the aspens. A million stars every night.

 

The natural beauty here was breathtaking.  Mt. Thom in the background. See my blog entry for my five day stay here in The Buttermilks Country.

 

My complete camp set-up in the Buttermilk Country . . . and wherever I stopped.

 

I loved every minute I stayed here, but with battery gone and water running low, I reluctantly left.  Also, the first snow of the season arrived early in the morning of my last day. . . and it was getting very cold up in the mountains . . . time to go since I had no heat in the camper.

 

Out on the open road again -- NE Arizona.

 

Somewhere in NE Arizona.  My hopes of driving through the famous Monument Valley of Arizona was thwarted by road closures due to flash floods the day before.  Never mind, what I did see was fantastic. I was headed to Moab, Utah.

 

At the most amazing view of my life: Dead Horse Point, near Moab, Utah.  Incredible! But I had to stay two nights in a motel 50 miles from Moab because there were no vacant campground spots.  I didn't mind, I got to see a Seahawks game on the color TV.

 

I was caught in the first snow of the year in the Rocky Mountains while on my way from Moab to Colorado Springs to see an old high school buddy.

 

The famous "Cowboy Ruckus", on Highway 285 in Eastern New Mexico between Vaughn and Roswell.  A true "Must See" in the USA.

 

I ended up staying the winter in Delaware with my daughter, son in-law, and two grandkids.

 

I bought stickers, of course, of all the places I visited on my Bucket List USA Road Trip.

 

After a March cross country drive in three days (Wyoming was icy and windy!), I was back in the Pacific Northwest . . . for a trip to the Olympic National Forest in April.

 

The amazingly beautiful Oregon coast.

 

Chased by a T-Rex in southwest Oregon.  That was a close call!

 

Parked along the southwest Oregon coast.  So beautiful.

 

All the way to the California redwoods.  I saw so many wonderful things on my amazing road trip.

 

Back on the back roads of the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

 

My last camping trip: a coastal state campground in Newport, Oregon.

 

April 2018 - April 2019. What a trip!!!  I wasn't on the road in the Chevy camper all that time:  I spent several months living with my brother in Olympia, Washington, several months in Delaware living with my daughter and family, and a month or so in Keizer, Oregon with an old buddy.

My friend John Stiles and I left North Bangkok before sunrise to beat the bad traffic . . .  and to catch the best morning light.  An hour east of Bangkok we entered the Thai agricultural landscape . . . and the sunrise.

 

The morning sky, clear during the 'cool season,' with ground fog.  A beautiful 18c morning.

 

I drove our new Honda hybrid on its first rural photo ramble.  60++ MPG.  Nice.

 

Of course we weren't the only people out on the small rural roads that morning.  Folks were up and about on their daily chores.

 

A nice morning to walk out into the lush rice fields.

 

A beautiful discovery of a lotus flower among the wet rice field.

 

Our photo rambles are only slightly planned, instead we rely on discovering The Interesting as we go.  We spotted a Buddhist wat in the distance across a rice field and went about finding the road that would take us there.  We discovered Wat Ket Samoron by this method. We were very happy about it too.

 

Although Wat Ket Samororn is a Thai Buddhist temple, it had a very beautiful Chinese temple on grounds.

 

The interior of the Chinese temple did not disappoint: fabulous statuary and spiritual decor.

 

The morning light was fabulous for photographing the giant Buddha  . . . 

 

There were many small altar rooms around the wat grounds.  This glassed-in one had golden morning light illuminating the altar.  Wonderful.

 

A chedi with office among the many small wat structures.  These rural wats are always filled with interesting surprises.

 

We spotted the roof of a large temple building across the wat grounds and went there to see what we could see.

 

We were pleasantly surprised with a large sitting Buddha statue.

 

A wonderful scene in the old rural wat.

 

This is the main wat building and the one we say from across the rice fields.  The morning golden light cast upon the golden wat . . .  just WOW!

 

The interior Buddha-lined colonnades of the grand wat.

 

We walked around this very large wat.  There were many buildings, chedis, and statuary.

 

Everywhere we looked there were amazing images to capture with our cameras.

 

A nice painted scene on the wall of one of the family altar rooms.

 

On the way back to where I parked the car, I realized this wat sat next to a beautiful canal (khlong) that was lit in perfect morning light.

 

A perfect serene Thai khlong in the morning light. It was early in the day, so we left to ramble up the rural roads.

 

When you drive the rural Thai byways you come across small roads that have large elaborate gateways, indicating there is a large wat somewhere down that road.  We turned in under a giant golden gateway and drove about a mile to discover this amazing wat along a small river, Wat Bang Krabao.

 

This "see no evil" statuary seems to be universal . . . I have seen it all over the planet.

 

From afar, as we entered, the wat looked very pretty.

 

There were many, many structures, altars and statuary around the very large wat grounds.  But like some other wars I have been to, those who donate do not always follow through with maintenance.  There were areas that were quite down at the heal . . .

 

A nice goat was donated, but never repaired or removed.

 

As this wat sat next to a canal, there were several of these old rice barges set up on display stands.  

 

Like many wats in Thailand, you will see statuary and altars denoting the many strains of Buddhist thought . . . and sometimes other religious traditions (this Buddha is from the Taoist tradition).

 

Much of Wat Bang Krabao was very pretty, but other parts were disheveled, as if there was no central wat management coordinating it's design and caretaking.  We travelled on to the basket weaving village on our GoogleMaps.  Unfortunately, we were misinformed,  Some good people at a Home Stay told us that days of the village as a center of basket weaving were long gone.  What to do now?  Consult GoogleMaps for "Attractions" nearby, of course.

 

GoogleMaps sent us to the Bamboo Bridge.  Well, actually, a cafe with a bamboo bridge attraction.

 

It was an amazing attraction.  Perhaps the finest bamboo bridge I have ever seen.

 

There were many ducks swimming in the pond under the Bamboo Bridge.  Very picturesque.  We moved on, more or less heading back to Bangkok disappointed that we didn't get to see basket weavers at work.  And then we saw a roadside sign, ANCIENT TOWN 3km.

 

"Si Mahosot Ancient Town Located at Ban Khok Wat, Tambon Khok Peep, these sites were constructed in the Davaravati Period, with oval shape, and the area of about 700 Rai." Cool, an ancient 6th-13th century archeological site.

 

What we had stumbled upon was an ancient city that had been abandoned over 10 centuries ago.  What remained were several water tanks (ponds) with relief carvings still intact, the base of an old temple, and the city walls/moat that surrounded the entire complex.  It was a very fascinating place.

 

The water tank relief carvings were in very good shape for 1200 years old.

 

The Thai Archeological Department had set out these helpful keys to deciphering the tank carvings.  These tanks would have been used to store water to sustain the town through the dry seasons.

 

A stepped feature for entrance to the tank.  The tank was perhaps 12-15 feet deep.

 

The second tank was not as well preserved, or had not been excavated and restored.

 

The base of a 7th century (1300 years old!) temple still could be seen.  The entry steps would be to the right hand side.

 

A replica of a 7th century Buddha statue was left in the place it was found.

 

The original of this Buddha is in the National Museum in Bangkok.

 

A stone plinth used for the main temple door hinge was just left there in the dried leaves.  It felt like I had discovered something important.

 

The 1400 year moat was still visible (no doubt, restored).  A remarkable construction.

 

Although this archeological site was in a very remote rural area, we were happy that there was signage explaining the various features of the Ancient City.

 

It was getting on in the afternoon and we decided to head back to Bangkok . . . while checking GoogleMaps for interesting things we might explore along the way, this Vishnu statue popped up.  Very interesting to find this just outside the Ancient Town moat.

 

We crossed over the beautiful Ancient Town moat one more time on our way back to the main road . . . . 

 

Our last stop was in this dry grove of trees to see a magic artifact . . . the supposed footprint of the Buddha.

 

The site was well developed with other ancient ruins.

 

An altar with a gold leaf replica of the Buddha's footprints.

 

Although difficult to make out, these are impressions of the Buddha's foot prints.  Of curse, there is no record of the actual Buddha ever visiting Thailand (Siam), but never mind.

 

I was very happy with the day we had spent rambling east of Bangkok.  This is always available to me from my home: just get in the car and drive two hours and discover many amazing things.

If you have ever been to Thailand, or seen almost any photo coverage of Thailand, you will have seen images inside Thai Buddhist Wats (temples) with large gold Buddha statues.  If you have ever wondered, "what are these made of?" . . . I can answer: this one is made of gold and silver amalgam.  In 2005 I had the rare opportunity of being present during the casting of this particular very large Buddha, as well as all of the "smaller" ones displayed in front.  I was also fortunate enough to donate some of the gold/silver amalgam used in their casting as well as being invited to the dedication ceremony of their installation in a Chiang Mai wat, northern Thailand.

In The Beginning: The Casting Process

The process of casting a golden Buddha takes place at a secret location and begins with these gold and silver beads. This is amalgam gold.  Thousands of these little pouches of gold amalgam were purchased and brought to the casting ceremony by the invited friends and family of the man who commissioned, and financed the majority of the cost of the castings. Some packets were composed more gold than silver beads.  This was our contribution.

 

The gold/silver amalgam is then thrown into a red hot, charcoal-fired crucible for melting, with a prayer and a wish.

 

The furnaces are taken to a very high temperature.

 

Many workmen tended the furnaces and crucibles.

 

The furnaces were driven by electric fans to reach such high temperatures.

 

There were many, many furnaces melting a very large amount of gold/silver amalgam.  Because of security concerns, we were sworn to never reveal the location of the casting.  There were millions of dollars of gold and silver in this one location that day.

 

When the amalgam has reached the required temperature, workers remove the red hot crucibles from the furnaces and take them to the various molds for pouring. 

 

The molds for casting the Buddha images, like these "smaller" ones, must be heated to a high temperature so that the hot liquid gold/silver amalgam will flow all the way to the bottom before it can solidify.  The Buddhas are cast upside down . . . and are made mostly hollow with a plug on the inside.

 

Pouring the molten gold amalgam into the pre-heated mold.

 

There were many of the "smaller" (2-3 foot tall) Buddha image molds to pour that day.

 

Some of the hot molds were coated with a lime wash after pouring.

 

A worker beginning to cool off the coals after the amalgam has been poured.

 

Flower blessings by the gathered monks.

 

Heated molds of many sizes, including the one for the giant statue.

 

Lifting the red hot crucibles up for pouring.

 

One crucible at a time . . . 

 

Hard, hot, heavy labor . . . 

 

Truly one of the most fantastic visual experiences of my life.

 

The whole process in one photo.

 

Pouring gold!!!

 

Don't spill any!

 

All sizes of Buddha images being poured on this day.

 

Visually fantastic . . . conceptually fantastic . . . spiritually fantastic.

 

In The End: The Buddha Dedication

Many months later all the people who had donated silver and gold to the casteing of the many Buddhas, big and small, travelled to Chiang Mai where the monks performed a dedicating ceremony of the golden Buddhas. I was present.

 

All those who donated sat in the wat, connected to the new Buddha statuary with strings.  We were all "of one mind."

 

A little girl enjoying he moment . . . 

 

A special moment for the man who contributed most of the gold and silver, many millions of dollars worth, to cast all of these statues, and the builder of the temple to house them.  Kneeling to the Buddhas, he offers respect to the life and teachings of the Buddha.  Very touching moment for him and all of us in attendance.

 

Every one of these Buddha images were cast on that morning many months ago.

 

I do not know which of these Buddhas hold my silver and gold contribution . . . so I must assume all of them.

 

I still feel connect to these Buddha statues, then as now.

 

We left Chiang Mai happy and fulfilled.

 OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON STATE

My wife and I spent four weeks at the end of May and beginning of June 2025 in the USA Pacific Northwest and around Monterey Bay, California  visiting family and friends.  Our first stop was visiting my brother and his wife in the forests outside of Olympia, Washington State.  My brother's wife is a fantastic gardener, and many, many years of planting and designing have left this most beautiful place.

 

Our arrival in Washington State coincided with the last of the magnolia blooms.

 

Of course, what would be more PNW than a fern garden.

 

I just adore these young ferns . . . they seem so beautifully primordial.

 

Late Spring and so many different kinds of flowering plants were in bloom.

 

Astonishing flowers all over my sister-in-law's garden.

 

This astonishing garden is carved out from a stand of old growth Douglas fir and cedar.

 

Many wonderful. visual treats to discover while strolling through this garden.

 

My sister-in-law has a very good eye for garden arrangements.

 

My brother gave a detailed tour of their garden.  I took the opportunity to take this family photo (l to r: me, my nephew, my brother, and my niece).

 

In addition to her outstanding garden designing, my brother's wife also collects Christmas ornamentation which she uses to make these amazing miniature dioramas.

 

We got out and around his house to some Puget Sound docks and restaurants.

 

A serene late Spring day in the Pacific Northwest.

 

A classic PNW view: The Olympic National Forest in the background with snow-capped peaks still visible.  We spent two weeks in and a round Olympia, Washington.

 

Out on the sailboat docks I managed to take this 'fine art' photo.  Beautiful. [We also drove down to Salem, Oregon to visit freinds, but I have posted photos from there elsewhere in this blog.]

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MONTEREY BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA

We flew from Seattle to San Jose, California where our Thai friends picked us up and took us the the famous Santa Cruz wharf for [a not very good] dinner.  We came out of the restaurant to this view.  Stunning.

 

Our friends live in Marina, California.  Marina is a new town built on what was once a U.S. Army post, Fort Ord . . . and where I was born!  This is my homecoming: returning to the place I was born.

 

Their house was in walking distance to the Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

 

It is a lovely stretch of the California Pacific coast.

 

The wild dunes were covered with a variety of flowering plants.

 

The vast areas covered in ice plant were in bloom as well.  I used to play in this stuff when I was a pre-teen . . . the stains NEVER cam out in the wash!

 

Our friend took a day off work and we drove around to see the sights.  Here we are on the Monterey town waterfront.  

 

Such a beautiful seaside path.

 

Monterey Bay offers a lot of photo opportunities.

 

Monterey Bay view.

 

We walked along the bay until we came to Lovers Point Park.

 

There were some interesting trees and bushes along the coastal walk.

 

We saw some sea lions (foreground) basking on the rocks.

 

The point park was full of very friendly and brave squirrels.

 

Beautiful trees in Monterey . . . on our way back to the car for more touring.

 

We continued our drive down Highway 1, the famous coastal road along the California coast.  There were some incredible homes built along the sea . . . Yes, I could live here.

 

We, along with a couple hundred people, went to the view point of the famous Highway 1 bridge south of Big Sur.  It was worth it.  A very beautiful scene.  [We stopped in Carmel for a sightseeing, lunch and shopping too . . . but I took no photos there.] We headed back to make dinner at home.

 

The next day we did what must be done along the California coast: we visited a winery.

 

We bought a wine tasting set, five kinds, with snacks . . . it was a good thing our friend was driving that day!!!

 

One of our adventures was going to a u-pick strawberry farm.  We had lots of fun here picking baskets full of the most delicious strawberries ever!

 

The most delicious strawberries I have ever had.

 

As my wife is a big time golfer, we had to take a pilgrimage to the Pebble Beach Golf Course.  Here we are at the famous 18th hole.

 

We really enjoyed staying with our gracious friends.  A highlight was walking to the coast for the sunsets several evenings.

 

Our last day: the sun setting behind an immense fog bank.  We had a great four week vacation in the States.  I am not sure when I will be back again.

My friend John and I had been travelling in the USA recently and had not connected here in Thailand for several months.  What better way to catch up than a photo ramble.  We had recently noticed some interesting online posts of ancient ruins to the north of Bangkok in a region neither of us had been to, as well as never having been to the city of Nahkon Sawan  . . . why not take a road trip!!!  Three days and two nights.  We left Bangkok at 06:00.

 

After an hour of driving up the highway north of Bangkok with my good buddy and fellow photography buff John, talking, catching up on recent life events, looking around enjoying the Thai countryside . . . this comes into view up against a nearby hill . . . . . why not drive up there and check it out, after all, that's what a photo ramble is all about.

 

Our sense of anticipation heightened as we approached.

 

Our curiosity was rewarded with this magnificent wat.

 

Thai Buddhist wats are never the same.  They are filled with idiosyncratic decoration and images.

 

There are a lot of these giant Buddha statues around Thailand, but I think this one is perhaps the most aesthetically rendered of them all.

 

The golden Buddha was also spectacular.

 

Some of the wat structure seemed to still be under construction, like this wat altar.  Beautiful

 

This stacked Buddha altar, in this light, was phenomenal.

 

The ceiling of this under-construction temple structure was also interesting.

 

Surface textures are among my favorite photo subjects.  I was not disappointed at this wat.

 

After taking a number of selfies to post on Facebook, we left this amazing hillside Big Buddha wat.  It was still early in the morning and we had three more hours of driving to get to our goal (although we are always open to side trips).

 

RAMBLE PART ONE:

Si Thep Historical Park & nearby hilltop temple

 

Our first stop was at the UNESCO World Heritage Site,  Si Thep Historical Park, an ancient city that was inhabited from the 3rd century until the 13th century. 

 

There are many archeological sites in this park and you can access them by taking the shuttle bus around the park (included in the park entrance fee).  You can hop on and off any bus that comes around.

 

This is a photo taken from a drone flyover of the park . . . taken from an excellent Si Thep Historical web site.

 

We hopped on the park shuttle bus and got off at the first stop.  The ruins were impressive foundations of a civilization that had flourished a long time ago - 1500 years ago.

 

We hopped off at the next stop . . . and were stopped in our tracks with amazement!  These were fantastic ruins . . . ones we knew little about before.  This was going to be a fun exploration.

 

Ancient temple (Prang Si Thep) from the time of Ankor Wat, but not of the same civilization. These are from the Dvaravati (12^th– 16^th Buddhist century) culture. Fantastic. 

 

Outstanding 1000 year old brickwork.

 

I believe these rough stones would have been covered with white plaster, and perhaps painted, during the heyday of this temple.

 

Another nearby chedi (Prang Song Phi Nong) was not so well preserved, but interesting nevertheless.

 

A remarkably well-preserved decorative door plinth from the 8th century.

 

The sign says, DO NOT CLIMB.

 

Although the sign said not to climb on the ruins, it didn't say you couldn't go inside the door.

 

The 8th century chedi interior . . . what remains of it.

 

An ancient cistern or pond or pool.

 

Some plaster is still visible after 1500 years.

 

A decorative part of a long lost temple or route marker.

 

We enjoyed ourselves as we wandered around the park grounds, taking photos of the ancient monuments.

 

We were walking around in this strange forest within the park looking for another chedi/temple, Khao Klang Nai,  that was suppose to have remarkable stone carvings.

 

There it is!

 

There it was, Khao Klang Nai, a 5th century chedi/pyramid.

 

There was a weather covering on one side of the chedi, protecting the ancient 1500 year old stone carvings.

 

Another Aztec-like carved panel.

 

There were 30-40 of these fantastical carvings, too many to show here.

 

Extraordinary decorative art, 1500 years old.

 

We reluctantly moved on from this incredible site.

 

Enjoy this slide show of more of these amazing 8th century stone carvings.

 

We walked back to this snack bar area and waited for the shuttle bus to take us back to the car park.  There was another section to the historical park that required us to drive.

 

A 15 minute drive away we found Khao Klang Nok, which served as a Buddhist temple and monastery from the 8th to the 13th centuries.

 

Khao Klang Nok (Si Thep) is a mainly fired red brick structure, with the volcanic stones used on the top. A remarkable structure dating from the 8th century.

 

The park posted this drone photo of the chedi as it was reconstructed.

 

8th century brickwork [reconstructed in 2008).  Amazing.

 

I was completely mesmerised by the creativity of this ancient brick architecture.

 

Still magnificent after all these 13 centuries.

 

Stairway to the ancient chedi.

 

I wanted to go up these steps to see what I counld see . . . but they do not want you to climb on the monument.  Oh well.

 

A very informative sign showing the 2008 archeological dig of the ancient city of Si Thep.

 

The Buddhis chedi is still respected to this day. We enjoyed marvelling at this ancient chedi, but we were moving on . . . it was starting to gt hot, and storm clouds were threatening.

 

Guided by GoogleMaps, we took to the small country roads in search of the next "point of interest"  . . .  but found these shepherds and their cows very interesting.

 

GoogleMaps showed a "Wat Pa Sa Kaeo" chedi (and a photo).  We drove to the area, but there as no road leading to it.  Instead we found an open gate in the chain link fence and walked towards the chedi we hoped would be there.

 

We found it, and it was marvelous.  It really seemed like a "lost temple." to us.

 

More incredible bricks similar to the other chedis in the rest of the historical park . . . and from the same era: 8th century.

 

The chedi was falling over, but some effort had been made to prop it up.

 

Tere were other small structures within the enclosure of the wat.  We were still technically within the broader boundaries of the Historical Park.

 

A not very informative information sign.

 

Temples are not the only things of interest here in central Thailand.  We moved on from the park.

 

I always stop for amazing trees.

 

We set GoogleMaps to route us to the first bird sanctuary an hour away, which took us through this beautiful farm land.  But . . . off to the left . . . we spotted hilltop temple.  "Let's see if we can find the road up there."

 

Sure enough, we found an entrance to a wat and drove inside.  As it turned out, this wat was highly developed for tourism.  We paid a fee, left our car in a large parking lot and rode in the back of a covered pick-up truck up this road (it got very steep and winding) to the top of the large hill.

 

The first view as we arrived said this was going to be a fantastic place!   After much searching, I found the name of this fantastic place:  Wat Pa Siri Wattana Wisut.  

 

The view from the hill top was fantastic.

 

Central Thai farmland as far as the horizon.

 

Recently flooded and ploughed rice paddy.

 

We sat here for quite a long time, taking it all in.

 

There was a giant Buddha image with an alter room beneath.

 

The altar under the giant Buddha had a exquisite jade Buddha.

 

After hanging out at the top of the hill for a while we boarded the pick-up taxi and headed back down the hill . . . . where we pulled over to take in this magnificent Hindu-style temple.  Wow!  What a surprise.

 

Unlike the other monuments and temples on this hill, the Hindu temple and grounds seemed to be finished with the construction.  Very beautiful.

 

Not all major temples in Thailand are ancient . . . they are still building amazing structures like these.  This is living spirituality, not just reverence for the past.

 

The temple door was open and inviting, so we went inside.

 

When my eyes finally adjusted to the low light, this is what I saw: a magnificent altar.

 

I spent some time wandering around the interior of this temple finding the best angles and compositions for photos.  

 

Such remarkable color and architecture.

 

I could have spent all day here . . . but The Road beckoned.  

 

We found this US$8.oo motel and drove to a nearby good noodle soup and chicken stand for dinner. We just beat the rain.  Lucky.

 

The next morning he hit the road again.  We swerved off the big road to the bird park a few times to find large wats and big Buddhas in the landscape.  We met this roadside goat herder  on of oour side trips.

 

A small village wat with very 'nieve' art and archecture.

 

The interior of this rural wat was especially beautifuul.

 

Very pretty wat grounds there.

 

This giant monk and elephants is what drew us off the highway.

 

This aging spirit house told the story of time and wether.  We moved on.

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RAMBLE PART TWO: 

Bueng Boraphet Bird Park

Our next stop, after a GoogleMaps dead end at another bird park that wasn't there, was the fabulous Bueng Boraphet Bird Park, a 224 square kilometer natural wonder.  The park entrance was beautiful, and we knew we were in for a treat.

 

The park entrance area was very clean, organized and well maintained.

 

The park web page mentioned boat tours, and sure enough there they were.  We paid for a tour . . . we were seemingly the only tourists at the park at the time, so we got a private tour.  Nice.

 

We headed out in these channels into the vast wetlands.

 

Around the first curve in the canal we spotted our first bird, a white heron.

 

Around the next bend we saw the only real tree in the park . . . full of birds of all kinds.  Fortunately I had my long telephoto lens for close-ups.  

 

I took so many bird photos on our boat trip that I will enter many of them in a separate blog entry.

 

We moved on to a more open area . . . almost everywhere we looked there were birds sitting in the thickets.

 

There were some fish traps among the reeds and birds.

 

Our boat driver/guide was very good at pointing out the different kinds of birds hiding in the rich water plant growth.

 

The fish traps were fascinating.

 

We saw fishermen tending their fish traps.

 

We saw 7-8 longtail boats during our 2-hour boat tour.

 

Our guide mentioned the Thai names of these birds, but I did not write them down.  I'm sorry I didn't get the names of these fascinating birds.

 

So much beauty to photograph out in the wetlands.

 

I found this bird passing by just walking on the bottom . . . 

 

Every once in a while a bird would suddenly pop out of the undergrowth and take flight . . . and we quickly panned with our cameras . . .  with varying results.  I am not a very good bird photographer.

 

I am better at photographing birds if they sit still!!

 

But I do get lucky with a flying bird once in a while.

 

Our guide pointed out this bird and her four chicks (look closely!) scrambling across the water plants.  Amazing to see how well adapted they are to their environment.

 

I am not an amateur bird watcher by any means, but this couple were a wonder to watch.  Without the boatman pointing these out we would have never seen them.

 

There were miles and miles of these water plants covering the wetlands.  An ecosystem unique to this lake?

 

After several hours we turned around and headed back to the dock.

 

Our flat-bottomed boat pushed through the 'fields' of these lotus pads and flowers on our return.

 

Just before we reached the dock on our return, this black heron decided to stretch.  Thanks!

 

Back at the park entrance we took selfies in front of these carved birds (of course!).

 

 A slide show of some of the amazing birds we saw.

 

Our drive from the bird park to Nahkon Sawan city was not as straightforward as we would have liked.  GoogleMaps thought this was the best and shortest route.  Nope.  We backtracked a couple of times and finally found the main road into town after a one hour diversion.  Oh well.

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PART THREE:

Nahkon Sawan City

 

 

Our last stop was in the city of Nahkon Sawan ("Heavenly City"), in central Thailand, 250kn (160 miles) north of Bangkok.

 

We woke up at out US$12.00 city center hotel and walked around the area toward a park.  Lots of wet season fruits available.  Fortunately, we found a sweet and friendly little roadside cart making delicious coffee.

 

We joined the morning joggers on our walk around the main Nahkon Sawan city park.  There was an antique suspension bridge in the middle of it.

 

A very photogenic tree in the city park.

 

We walked around the small streets for a while, but knew we would end up at the hilltop wat that domiates the city skyline.

 

The hilltop wat above the city of Nahkon Sawan is called Wat Khiriwong.  You are greeted by this amazing purple glass Buddha near the entry.

 

As this is a hilltop temple, some of the views give the illusion of being up in the clouds.  Amazing.

 

There are several levels to the hilltop wat.  At each level there are more and more beautiful sculptures and sacred structures.

 

Rooster statuary donations . . . thanks from prayers answered by devotees.

 

At the higher level we were always reminded of the grand views out over the city and surrounding countryside.

 

Grand views all around from the top of the temple grounds.  Notice the Chinese cemetery (center far right).

 

Looking down into the Nahkon Sawan city center.

 

We spotted a giant Buddha statuary below and wondered how we could have missed it!!!  The road up to the hilltop wat went right next to it!  We would visit it when we got down there again.

 

From the top we could see the Bueng Boraphet Bird Park we had visited the previous afternoon in the distance (and the hill that overlooked it).

 

At the very top of the hill was the actual original Wat Khiriwong, abandoned for 600 years before being revived and restored in 1961.

 

The highest level wat had three floors with Buddha altars with cremated ashes built in.

 

Many fine golden Buddhas in this wat.

 

2nd floor ashes receptacles and Buddha altars.  Those buried here are no doubt belong to those who have made large donations for the wat restoration.

 

The top floor held the most amazing altar, chedi, and painted dome.

 

I have never seen such a beautifully painted dome in any other wat in Thailand.  Just fantastic!

 

A masterpiece of Thai Buddhist art.

 

We stopped at the entrance on our way out to admire several altars.  This one with Buddhas heavily covered with gold leaf.

 

A small fortune in gold leaf covered this revered old monk.

 

I loved the use of modern LED lighting behind this altar.

 

We left Wat Khiriwong happy and peaceful.

 

We went back down the hill into town and found an alley that would take us to the giant Buddha statue we had seen from the hilltop wat.

 

The alley has some fine old, weathered traditional Thai wooden houses.

 

We were not disappointed with this magnificent giant Buddha.

 

There was a fine and active altar room beneath the giant Buddha.

 

There was an overgrown "Hell Garden" with several hell beings next to the Big Buddha temple.

 

The final image from our three days and two night adventure in the Nahkon Sawan region.  We had a great time.