Maruekatayawan: Royal Teak Home On The Beach

A beach view fit for... well, a King.

There have been recent reports that since his stay at Siriraj Hospital HM King Bumbhibol had been residing at the royal residence called Klai Kangwon in Hua Hin, begun by Rama VII in the late 1920s. Klai Kangwon means "away from worries", I'm told, and that sounds like a good place to get away to after a prolonged hospital stay, especially as he's heading toward his 86th birthday in three more days.

Possibly also wanting to take a sea-side break he'd also recently headed slightly North for a day trip to Cha-Am in the Petchaburi district to pay a visit to Maruekatayawan Palace, another of the royal summer homes in the kingdom.

A gorgeous, open, airy, teak wonder, Maruekatayawan Palace rests on the shore of the Gulf of Thailand. The overall feel of the place is one of casual elegance; you know you're in a royal residence, but it's so peaceful and relaxing it's easily my favorite so far.

Pink  and yellow plumeria dot the grounds at Maruekatayawan 

In general the royal residences have, over time, been built to accommodate the wishes of the current ruler, naturally. Maruekatayawan was built by His Majesty King Varjiravudh (Rama VI) in the early 1920s, and is one of the oldest remaining residences. Rama VI personally designed it and saw the interior completed he paid his last visit there in 1925, the year he passed on.

A family rests in the shades on the expansive and well-groomed grounds

Maruekatayawan and the beach it graces are fine spots to relax, meditate, take pictures, have a picnic and relax.

I had a leisurely visit there with a friend one afternoon, and we ended up spending several more hours there than we'd intended.  He kept saying "I knew you'd like this", and he was right. I wondered to myself why he hadn't planned a bit longer to stop there - I'd planned to stay in the Big Mango that night - but we did get back to Bangkok that evening, although it was close to the witching hour.

A meeting and receiving hall

For photographers it's a cornucopia of photo opportunities, and I took a lot of pictures as we wandered the grounds. Rather than slam through this wonderful spot in one post I figure we'll do it in at least two installments. Hope that's OK with the majority of you.

Light blue and yellow are the predominant colors for the building exteriors

Paperwork Is Taxing, And Taxes Are A LOT Of Paperwork

The morning I took the photos stitched together for the panorama above I was sitting on my balcony, enjoying a cup of "real" coffee and admiring the view. By "real" coffee I mean ground Peet's coffee brought from home and brewed in my room. Don't get me started on Starbucks, please.

As snobbish as it may sound I have a difficult time trying to get by with the usual pencil-thin cylinders of instant Nescafe powder that seem to be the standard in 95% of Thai hotels that provide a hot pot and coffee/tea things.  

While it has done in a pinch - if you add a packet of powdered CoffeeMate to cut the mix somewhat you do have a hot beverage - but it's not a cup of coffee. Oh, all right: it's coffee in the most general and lose definition of the word.

I don't recall when but I'm sure we've covered travel brewing items in the past, although I don't think I'd included a picture, so to save the thousand words I'm adding one to the end of today's post. In fact, it was taken the morning the skyline was, for what (little) that's worth.

Coffee's not doing it for me today, however.  It's income tax time in the USA, and for a variety of reasons I'm sure aren't important enough to go into here I'm dealing with the preparation of eight (count 'em - eight) different returns... and as organized as I think I am there are always a few items of documentation to run down and get to the competent and kindly accountant who I've worked with for the past decade or so.

Did I mention that I despise doing paperwork?  I do.  As executor for a few members of my family I've been known to drag my feet and pushed deadlines even when it means to do so holds up significant amounts of monies due me. That's how much I detest paperwork.  Show me a form requiring a copy of certain pages of a trust and a copy of a death certificate and suddenly the prospect of cleaning the entire patio area with a toothbrush becomes both important-sounding and attractive.

I've come by this honestly, as neither of my parents cared for forms and legalities, either, but that just explains it... it doesn't get the task done.  So, I can hear the coffee ready out in the kitchen, and although I'm going to be daydreaming about the birds singing as they swooped by my balcony perch, I'm going to be dealing with tax forms the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Yuck. Just plain yuck.

A basic Melita No. 2 travel filter cone, as
mentioned in the post today. Available
for a couple of dollars in most
cooking/houseware departments. 

Taking A Breather

Water lilies dot the surface of a moat in the Siem Reap area

After the posts about the genocide camp in Phnom Penh it's probably time for a break. We'll come back to Cambodia soon, but per a suggestion we'll return to Thailand for now.

Don't worry, the rest of the Cambodia posts will be much less traumatic and far more scenic; there's an enormous amount of beauty to be seen throughout the country, and we've just scratched the surface.

There's a family reunion of sorts this weekend, so I may not be back here until Monday morning. If I don't post tomorrow (Friday) I'll see you Monday. Just in case: have a great weekend.

Night Photos, Part 23 - Day-Night Spots: Salt & Pepper And Le Bordeaux

Salt & Pepper, on Day-Night 2 in Pattaya

A couple of weeks ago you saw some available light night photos in Part 22 of that series, taken on a walk around Pattaya one evening.  The colors and tones longer exposures tend to produce interest me, and as unpredictable as the technology can be it's often a surprise to see what pops up in the viewfinder after the exposure. Sometimes when I think it's unlikely I'd get anything out of the effort (mainly due to my unsteady hand holding the camera) the better images appear. Go figure.

The Day-Night area is a quieter spot at night than some in the vicinity, and there are several reasonably-priced (and nice) places to stay - such as Baan Dok Mai, a place we've looked at a couple of times already. It's on Day-Night 3. I've also had the Mosaik apartments recommended, but can't speak of them from personal experience other than seeing the outsides. They're above both of the restaurants mentioned today.

The top panorama is three images of the Salt and Pepper restaurant, stitched together. Salt and Pepper is a casual, homey spot owned for many years by a Pakistani man named Mr. Zee and his Thai wife, who seem to be there from dawn to dark. As a side note I understand she lost a sister and a couple of nieces in the same auto accident in the first part of October, which is quite sad. I must remember to pass along condolences when I'm there next trip.

A friend had suggested lunch there a few years ago, and that was my first visit. They make a pretty darned good cheeseburger and  other Western items, but their basic Thai food is very good, too, and that's what I've usually had there at dinner time. It's also a fine place to sit and have a cool one in the afternoon and watch the world going by. Inexpensive, as well.

Le Bordeaux restaurant, Day-Night Soi 2, Pattaya

The picture above of Le Bordeaux is two images, blended together, and I only have comments from people I know about the quality and pricing of the place... and I'm told it's nice. Le Bordeaux is a French-style restaurant, also on Day-Night 2, right near Salt and Pepper. If you can read French you can click on their name and open their web site.  It's a little "Hi-so" for my usual travels there, but I may try it next trip. If you've got two satang to add about either place, feel free to leave a comment.

Night Photos, Part 22: A Late Evening Walk In Pattaya

A panoramic shot of the shore along Beach Road in Pattaya, from an angle you don't often see.

Other than the festival night shots at Laem Singh there hasn't been an installment of the Night Photos series since June. Popular consensus is that you've been spared long enough. Well, popular with me, anyway, and since I've been running for close to three years on faith that what I find interesting you'll at least find tolerable here's another batch of long-exposure night shots - all taken around the Beach Road area of Pattaya one evening.

The Oriental Star restaurant glows brightly onto the water of Pattaya Bay

I liked the colors on the water and the blurring of the tiny waves in the top shot. It's a view of Beach Road you don't see photos of very often.

Speaking of Beach Road, there's always a vast assortment of ladies of the night, lady boys, transsexuals  transgender, tran-most-anything along the walkway there, some deeper into the shadows than others.  There were some actually "working" behind me on the beach under cover of darkness. It's one of the few times I've felt compelled to keep a closer eye on my camera and wallet.

It's not even fair to call them "rented admirers" as I've been told it's strictly business along there, for the most part. Nothing against it - work is work - but the World's Oldest Profession can be a trying one, I've learned from those who've made a living at it (on one level or another).

Male, female and in-between prostitutes along Beach Road.

On side streets things can be quieter, but from the beach you need to be alert and sometimes spry to get across Beach Road. Despite traffic signals installed to make it somewhat safer for pedestrians to cross, rumor has it locals can still collect a bounty on tourists. Or so it seems, if you're trying to get across.

Looking North from the curb on Beach Road, Pattaya

And why would you cross the road?  Why, to get to the other side, naturally. Restaurants, beer bars, open air clubs, tailors, opticians, massage storefronts, go go clubs and businesses of all stripes catering to the visitor line beach road and the side streets nearby.

Business lights can give things a warm glow late in the evening

As the weather begins to chill where I am it's easy to daydream of lazy afternoons along the beach and leisurely dinners in small, cozy eateries on the side streets of Thailand.  Not difficult at all to admit I miss it.

Comfort Zones: Don't Let Fear Choose Your Path

A somewhat less-than-perfect panorama of part of the skyline of Bangkok from the Asia Hotel, circa 2005

I was drawn into a conversation yesterday with a fairly well-to-do physician friend - I'll call him Tim - who will be off to Thailand tomorrow for five days.  Personally, if I wasn't going to be flying in the lap of luxury (so to speak) I don't think I'd even bother going that far for that short a stretch, but to each their own.

Tim was sharing the story of his first visit to Thailand, a somewhat spur of the moment stop on a "suit shopping" trip he'd taken to Hong Kong many years ago; a stop suggested by a Thai woman he'd sat next to on his outbound trip from here.

He was worried (OK, afraid) he wouldn't be safe, that his lack of knowledge of the language would leave him helpless and vulnerable in a strange land, that he would be lost and alone in what he'd always thought was a third world country. He spoke with his airline while in Hong Kong, re-routed his homeward flight and stopped for four days in the Land of Smiles.  He's been back many times since.

Stepping onto the Thai Air flight that would take him into Don Muang airport he was taken aback by the smiling woman who welcomed him aboard with a wai and said to himself "Wow... this might not be quite such a primitive place after all", and settled in for the short hop.  He arrived near midnight and was directed by another airline employee to what he felt was a reliable ride to the old Meridian (now part of the Holiday Inn chain) hotel, and off he went. The taxi driver spoke very little English, which didn't make him any more at ease, especially when he was asked why he was visiting and he said he wanted to go to the Night Market.

He wanted to look for the knock-off merchandise friends at home told him was so inexpensive, but the driver began wiggling his eyebrows up and down, beginning the sing-song routine most of us who have been there have heard. "You want girl?" he asked, and Tim, somewhat taken aback said "no". "Boy? You want boy? I know where you can find," but that wasn't the idea, either. My friend just said "No, no girl - no boy. I'm going shopping."  That brought the standard offers for tailors and jewelry shops, but Tim was peering out his window, ignoring further questions as they moved along quickly through the darkness.

Turning off of what Tim thought looked like the "right" way they went down a darker side street, and then onto another, darker still.  Tim worried where the hell he was being taken when they pulled up to a hotel that didn't look anything like the Meridian he'd expected.  Going inside, he found he was at the wrong hotel, and got an employee out front to let the driver know that.

Soon they were pulling up to the correct hotel, where again he was greeted by the pleasantly gracious staff. His room was waiting, and the bell boy, instead of merely dumping his bags in the room and holding his hand out for a tip, showed him all the features of the room and explained how they all worked.  Tim was impressed, and fumbled for what he hoped was an appropriate gratuity.

Still too spooked to go out anywhere that first night he holed up in his room, took a shower, and went to bed.  The next morning he had a fine breakfast at what he thought at the time might have been the best buffet in the city, stepped outside of his hotel, climbed into a cab the man out in front had hailed for him and was off to the Grand Palace.

He's been back at least a dozen times since, along with another few dozen countries around the globe.  The tales he has to tell are plentiful and colorful.

The point is this: don't let fear choose your path. I'm not advocating just landing blind in a completely new country or culture, but with a bit of legwork there's a wide, wide world of adventures out there. Stretch your comfort zone a little and try exploring some of it.

Trip Report, Pt. 24A: Wat Khao Sukim 2

Some of the beautiful views at ground level

You can see long rows of
display cases behind this
Buddha image

In part one of this post yesterday you saw an overview of the grounds and buildings at Wat Khao Sukim, several hour's drive South from Pattaya.

My friend was driving me to a long weekend getaway in a coastal area of the Chantaburi province - an area probably best classified here as Laem Sing.

Wat Khao Sukim is a work in progress; a wat without much of an actual wat, if you will. The new construction (there's a model rendering of the temple to come at the top of yesterday's post) will double the amount of buildings that exist there now.

Today we'll try to wrap the post up with some of the photos I didn't have ready yesterday, showing more of the museum interior and the surrounding area.  Since it was approaching closing time I didn't see a couple of the floors of displays, but that just gives me more of a reason to stop there again in a few years and (hopefully) see more of the main temple finished.

A grouping of larger Buddha statues, adorned with silk flowers

There'd been an attempt to organize the countless offerings made to the temple - countless for me, anyway... let me know if you come up with anything like a total if you visit there - but they were grouped together, after a fashion.  Below is a panorama of some of the furniture that had been donated.

Smaller items - and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say thousands of them - stood in glass-walled cabinets, neatly arranged in rows and somewhat grouped by vintage, it seemed. Bowls, pottery, brass work and wooden carvings, both simple and intricate: all had a place.

Even pottery with some serious age to it was set in one spot. We'd speculated that they may have been found while doing excavations during construction of the new main temple. Here they look somewhat haphazard, but my guess is they would eventually find their way into the grand scheme of the place.

It was silent in the halls while we were looking around on one of the huge open floors of displays, so we were (luckily) able to hear the clattering of a gate and the sound of keys as a lock was closed. My friend called out to the guard and we hustled our way over to him to get out. A lovely place, but not somewhere I'd choose to spend the night.

We took the tram back down and stopped at one of a few places still open in the touristy area surrounding the parking lot. I got us each a fresh young coconut from a young girl who cut them open for us. After sitting on ice all day, they were cold and refreshing. I wish I could find them here stateside. We sipped on them through our straws as we left the parking lot and made our way back to Highway 3, and on to the resort.

A young man doing detail upkeep on the naga stair railing smiled for me - or because his work day was nearly finished, one or the other.

Trip Report, Pt. 24: Wat Khao Sukim

You won't see this building, as it's still under construction. You can see cranes above the site in the panorama below.

Wat Khao Sukim is a fairly large complex, built on a hillside in Chantaburi Province in the mid-1960s. It's still a work in progress, with an enormous temple underway (but just barely). Nevertheless, it's a stop worth making, if for no other reason than the nearly auditorium-sized main hall "museum" and the views from up near the retreat, one of which is below, taken from the wide patio encircling the museum.  From there you can see more of the 1,000+ acres of land owned by the followers of Phra Ajarn Somchai Thitawiriyo, who had originally intended it to be a meditation center.

A panorama shows part of the lake, the parking and shops, and the new temple - under construction on the far right

On the weekend it's likely to be crowded, and I base that on the size of the parking area at the bottom of this hill; you could put dozens of buses and still have space left for a couple of hundred cars.

From what I was told, lay groups and individuals of the faith can attend meditation stays, but it was fairly quiet on the afternoon we visited. The main buildings were set to close an hour after our arrival, so we didn't invest the time (or energy) to climb the hundred and fifty or so steps up the naga-lined stairway to the main hall, which I called the museum in the first paragraph.

Some of the museum, quarters and other buildings on the higher level

It houses thousands of items, large and small; all donations from people who are making merit in their own way, but all of no small significance.  These were items which all seemed to have some historical value, although the signage in English was sadly lacking.

A small fraction of the offerings on display

As an alternative to the stairway there's a tram that ferries you up and down the steep hillside, although since there were so few visitors that afternoon it was being loaded to the weight limit with building materials - bags of cement and sand that day, for the most part. A group of about 10 young men would load the cars up at the bottom and send them up to the top, where another group waited to unload the stuff and lug it off to wherever it was going.

The last bit of tram track and stairs near the top as we were descending at the end of our visit

The guys at the bottom were glad to see us, I think, because that meant they could take breaks between loads a little longer than usual. When the man with the walkie-talkie up top saw us approach the tram he called down to his partner and he spoke to the others, who all smiled with relief and sat down on the chairs to rest.

Break time... light 'em if you've got 'em

Seems like as good a point as any to take a break in the story, too. I'll finish the rest of it tomorrow.

Trip Report 6: Night Club Photos, Soi Twilight

A panorama view towards Suriwongse Road from our table at Maxi's on what's commonly known as Soi Twilight

A Soi Twilight tout invites me
upstairs to his club

After his detour through Bangkok Nursing Hospital earlier in the day my friend Ben was both weakened and weary, but around 18:00/6:00pm informed me that the siren song of the clubs had been powerful enough to drag him out into the night - and let's hurry up about it, thank you very much.

I reminded him that the siren songs of olden times weren't a positive force; in Greek lore they came from females who enticed passing sailors to stray off course close enough to their islands that they'd wreck their ships on the rocky shore, but evidently he was already under the spell.

As for me, I was rested and in fine form, so when my office worker friend arrived we were both happy to go out for dinner and an evening of people watching with him.  Knowing I'd be busy out and about with Ben I'd more or less put my usual rounds of interviews on hold for at least the first couple of weeks of the trip, but that was fine as it freed up more time to take pictures.

Available light photography has interested me for years, and although I don't have anything close to a fine digital SLR instrument I've come to accept that I can practice and learn with most anything that will allow longer exposures. I'm also encouraged that what are lauded as "excellent photos" on some sites actually aren't, so although my images are sometimes hit-and miss in my own eye I'm not all that far afield.

The three of us made our way from the Sala Daeng BTS station to dinner at Maxi's, where we sat and enjoyed a mild breeze until it was opening time and Ben was ready to make a beeline to the Tawan Club on Soi Thantawan. We walked along with him and went in for a drink. I had no interest in staying long, so I reminded him of his doctor's advice before my Thai friend and I left him to his wiles, going out to try taking a few more images of the area.

Originally there were to be four of us coming to Thailand this trip for a conference, but two had to cancel out close to our departure date, so the two days booked in Bangkok weren't spent seeing the Grand Palace and other newbie sites, but it had been a pleasant stopover, regardless; even with the hospital stop.

My friend and I took our time walking back to the BTS station, stopped at a 7-Eleven for water and a couple of other things and returned to my room for the night. Tomorrow Ben and I would be making the scheduled move to Pattaya, and I wanted some rest.

One last thing today. Please remember that merely because someone appears in a photo taken in a public place (such as the club area featured today)  it's by no means fair to imply anything about their beliefs or lifestyle, any more than a photo of me in a mosque makes me a follower of the Muslim faith.

Duty Free Shopping 2 - Taoyuan Airport, Updated

Gucci galore in this shop

A slight detour from the Trip Report begun yesterday. We've already covered beauty supplies and makeup available in the duty free areas of Taoyuan International in Taipei, but having a little more time than usual at my transfer point this trip I did a little more wandering around to see what sorts of shops there were there for fans of duty free and other shopping while traveling.

When I showed them the image one man said he'd prefer not to be shown, so he's blurred out per his request

I've received a few messages asking what was actually available there - evidently by people planning to be there at some point - so this time I took a closer look.  I only took photos of a small fraction of what's available, but it wasn't difficult to see Gucci bags in one shop, Gucci watches in another, Burberry in a third and Borsalini in a fourth.  Nothing that I'd purchase myself, but many appreciate the brands so I'm happy to share the images, if it helps.

Not exactly cosmetics, but more of a mix in this shop

The first post about the duty-free shops there had more to do with the beauty supplies, cosmetics, perfumes, toilet water and the likes; what my brother used to call "foo-foo" when we were kids, for some reason.

Brands like Lancome, Biotherm, Estee Lauder and Shiseido rule supreme at a few shops, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I've purchased foodstuffs at Tastes of Taiwan and found them reasonably priced and a nice change from some of the usual things I bring back stateside for people. They had no problem taking US dollars, but I can't vouch for any other currencies. There are at least two locations in the airport.

There's also a Hello Kitty store, but as I don't care for that empire I didn't take a shot of it. There are dozens of other shops, too.

There are also locations to purchase electronics, and the pricing is reasonably good, from what I'm told. I didn't do any comparison shopping there. I'm adding a few more images here as reference; hopefully they'll be of use to some of you out there. They were an opportunity to take some longer exposures in lower light, but they don't quite fit into the Night Photography folder. Anyway, I'll try to get back on track with the story tomorrow.

And, probably only second to beauty products are the shops that sell cigarettes, cigars and all manner of liquor.  Be advised you can only bring one liter (33oz) of alcohol into Thailand, if that's your destination.  You can also only bring 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of cigars or loose tobacco.

Telephone Pub And Restaurant - Silom Soi 4

A panorama of four images, from across the soi

[Use the "Translate" menu to the right for Chinese, Spanish, German, Swedish and other languages]

You don't have to be a gay person to have an enjoyable evening of people watching on what I believe to be Silom's most popular side street, Soi 4, but you do need to have more of an accepting nature than some folks can muster.  To my way of thinking a straight person who is able to say "no, thank you" should do just fine.  If you're a deeply closeted gay person who doesn't want to be seen in an area accepted as mixed you may have slightly more of a problem than others, but don't let that keep you away.

A Muslim Thai friend had never been to any gay area in Thailand and asked if I'd take him when I was there a couple of months ago.  He is the one who is living within the constraints of an arranged marriage, and you can read that story here, if you wish. While he was quite nervous about someone he worked with or knew seeing him there he sat there bug-eyed as folks passed by along the street in front of our table at Telephone Pub.  We'd only been there on the terrace for 15 minutes or so when he decided he'd be more comfortable (and perhaps less visible) inside.

Plenty of seating both inside and out

If you are gay you've undoubtedly have your own stories of dealing with it while at the hands of ignorance, prejudice or persecution on one level or another.  Some of us have only had to deal with taunts and name-calling, some of us have suffered far worse. My own story isn't relevant here today, but suffice it so say I tend to avoid situations where I'm liable to be put into an uncomfortable situation when it's at all possible.

The atmosphere on Soi 4 has always been a comfortable one for me.  There are enough bemused straight couples and assorted curious folks who are just exploring the area - or in to eat at Sphinx, a fine spot towards the back end of the soi - that I'd venture to say most anyone could sit out at a table and be bothered by nothing more than the drifting cigarette smoke from someone nearby.

You can't miss the sign from Silom Road

Telephone Pub itself is one of the longer lived places on the soi, having been there about a quarter of a century.  As I understand the story the owner(s) used to be partners with the owner(s) of the Balcony, directly across the soi. Telephone was opened when those folks parted ways.  Balcony is also still quite a going concern, and both have their ardent supporters.

These photos were taken in March, and while they probably belonged in the "Night Photos" series I wanted to mention a little more about the place itself to encourage you to try an evening there or at another of the places along Soi 4.  It's not quite as colorful as Soi Twilight, but it's a good starting point for newbies who aren't as interested in the go-go clubs.

There's more on the Telephone Pub website.

The green dot shows the location

Beach Road Pattaya - Night Panorama

Looking South along Beach Road, Pattaya

From past visits I knew the Markland Hotel at the North end of Beach Road was a pleasant hotel, and I'd wanted to stay there on this last trip.  Unfortunately they did a remodel that kept it off the market longer than I was comfortable waiting to make a booking for my last trip, so I stayed nearby.

I can't with a clear conscience do an Accommodations post about it, as my references would be pre-remodel.  When I was there a couple of years ago the only complaint I recall having about the place was that the hallways were extremely warm. It would probably have been fair to say hot.

The lobby's been completely re-done, and if they did equal justice to the rooms it's probably a fine place again. Maybe they got the hallways cooled off some, too!

At any rate, one night on my way back to my room after an evening out taking night shots I was near the Markland, so I went in through the lobby and took the glass elevator up to the 25th or 26th floor, whichever the restaurant is on.  From the outside patio I got a handful of interesting shots on a night that was warm and humid enough to give a soft glow to the lights along Beach Road.

I stitched four of them together up top for you today, and I'll do a grouping of night shots again soon to share some of the others from that evening.

Then And Now: Center One Mall - Burned Out, But Restored

Center One mall, vers 2.0 - March 2012

Back in August of last year I'd posted a couple of panorama shots of Thanon Ratchawithi, taken from the walkway at the Victory Monument BTS station.  Those two were posted as part of the "Then and Now" series, showing what the Center One mall area looked like before and after the violent demonstrations of May 2010.

In the photos below you'll see a green colored complex somewhat blocking your view of Center One, but that area is as of now still vacant, other than the usual assortment of stalls and stands that pop up like panic grass shortly after a nuclear blast.  Center One is purple now, maybe to avoid any confusion as to whether it's "red" or "yellow" after the confrontations that led to its being gutted by fire almost two years ago.

As a shopping mall it's no great shakes overall; there are far finer and more varied shopping places fairly nearby, but I was staying at a hotel nearby when I was looking for my first cell phone to use there, and a friend suggested I try Center One to buy one... so I did.  I've lost track of the guy who sold it to me, but I still have the phone around.

Anyway, since there was a new photo of the place - risen from the ashes, so to speak - here it is. The earlier photos from 2009 and 2010 are below.

Center One before the protests of May 2010

The same area after the protests of May 2010

An Explanation Before Moving On

Two images from a flight over Thailand, stitched into one

In looking back, the last couple of posts about my late friend Pee's rise and fatal fall in the go go business were a lot heavier than I'd like the tone of the blog to be - and I'm sorry about that - but his story had been on my mind for some time now. I felt that since he'd passed it might be a way to relieve some of my own sadness, and if it raised the awareness in just one person and saves a single life I'll gladly take the heat for it.

The post from last Friday spoke of me standing high above the shore and watching the waves pounding the rocks below. The shore and the forest are two of my best "thinking" spots, and since it had just arrived in the mail the previous afternoon you can be sure I had that photo of Pee and I in my pocket that day. The disaster the surfers were flirting with on the rocks was another reminder of Pee and his job, although I wasn't quite ready to share about it here just yet.

Likewise the posts from January 19 (On Having a Dream - Especially Today) and the Thai safe sex info in the next day's Better to Light a Candle, both of which were written just after I'd heard that Pee had passed on.

My thanks to those who left comments or sent emails of condolence. I won't publish them here, but I appreciated them. One asked for a photo of him, but that's not going to happen - and anyone who may have met or spent time with him from his Soi Twilight time knew him by a different name, anyway. Pee wasn't a close friend, but he was a friend; one who definitely didn't deserve the cards he was dealt, as far as I could ever see.

Thanks for listening... now let's move forward.