The Hidden Smiles Of Vietnam

THE HIDDEN SMILES OF VIETNAM

by Réhahn

For several years now, French photographer Réhahn has been travelling across Vietnam and taking beautiful pictures. Along the way, his adventures have led to important meetings that have become the main theme of his photographic projects.

When friendship has been established between the two of them, then and only then does he gets his camera out in order to capture the moment. In his photos, smiles are often shyly hidden by their hands. Réhahn calls them his “Hidden Smiles”. During his travels, he’s noticed that many people often have the habit of covering their mouths when facing the camera. He assumes that this is by modesty or politeness, a sort of mark of elegance.

Réhahn continues his journey around the land of smiles. He is

currently preparing an exhibition of a hundred portraits of those

hidden smiles. The Vietnamese were ranked among the happiest

people in the world and Réhahn is here to testify to this truth, for

he has managed to find the meaning of the word “happiness” in

this country.

Source : http://www.boredpanda.com

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING

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The Temples of Ayutthaya

The Temples of Ayutthaya

I told you all about how I got to Ayutthaya, but I didn’t really let on to why I stopped there. I went for the same reason that any traveler goes: for the temple hopping. Ayutthaya is one of Thailand’s former capitals and reportedly once one of the largest and most impressive cities in the world. Today it is a popular as either a day trip from Bangkok or a stop on the northern tourist trail, as visitors come to admire the unspoiled grassy ruins. While the temples have extreme historical significance in Thailand, I admit that my main interest was in exploring them from a photographic perspective.
Though it is possible to explore the ruins via tuk-tuk or mini bus, I have dreamed of visiting Ayutthaya since I first came to Thailand in 2009 and that dream has always involved a bicycle. The majority of the archaeological park is contained in central Ayutthaya, which is basically a small river island, making bicycling a feasible and pleasant way to get around. The major ruins that are off the island are accessible by bridges or by a sunset boat cruise. Right next to my guesthouse on Naresuan Soi 2 I was able to rent a bicycle for a mere 40 baht ($1.25). This is the cheapest bicycle rental I’ve ever found, even cheaper than Cambodia or Laos. Even more amazingly, there was no deposit needed, not a passport, not a bit of cash. Just trust and a handshake and I was off. I like Ayutthaya already.

Wat Mahathat

My first stop of the day was a temple that contains Ayutthaya’s (and reportedly one of Thailand’s) most photographed images: an abandoned Buddha head. Wat Mahathat (50 baht admission fee) was built in 1374 and is a relatively intact and large site.

One thing that struck me about all the ruins in Ayutthaya is that they were very… unsupervised. Aside from the sleepy ticket takers there were no guard or caretakers roaming the grounds. And as there were very few fenced or roped off areas, there were only occasional signs to keep visitors from “climbing on the monuments”.

Combining the lack of signage and fences with the complete lack of crowds I often had the sensation that I had stumbled upon an otherwise undiscovered ancient city. I think this was good timing on my part- April is the hottest month of the year in Thailand (regularly over 100°F) and so most people don’t spend it cycling around an ancient city like a maniac. Also, I left super early in the morning to avoid tour groups from Bangkok.


At this point in the trip I realized I was really going to have to start working on my self-portrait taking skills. I really like having photos with people in them, which can be a problem when you’re traveling solo sans tripod!

I quickly stumbled upon the main event: the famous Buddha head tangled in a web of tree roots. I had seen endless images of this Buddha head but had a little shock when I saw it in real life: I had pictured it the size of a grapefruit but in reality it was enormous!


The size explains one of the theories of how the Buddha head ended up in it’s current state. While some say it was abandoned when the Burmese ravaged Ayutthaya, others believe that thieves tried to make off with the relic but it was too heavy and got left behind to Mother Nature’s devices.

This slightly more successful self-portrait (I balanced my camera on a brick wall and used the self-timer) shows the massive scale pretty well. I smiled when I read the sign behind me that read:

PLEASE… DO NOT STAND OVER THE BUDDHA’S HEAD. (It’s insulting).

I was so grateful for the amazingly beautiful blue sky and fluffy white clouds that came out for my photo shoot that day. Nothing makes me want to hurl my camera more than a gray, blown-out sky. Isn’t this gorgeous?

Wat Ratchaburana

My next destination was right across a busy street. One of the fascinating things about modern Ayutthaya is that the city has just built up right around these ruins. So you can be standing at the foot of an ancient wat and look to your left and there is a 7/11 staring back at you. Strangely I found it charming the way history and real life intermingled. It reminded me of Athens, where you are walking through a major metropolis and look up and boom, there’s the Parthenon: symbol of the beginnings of modern civilization.
Wat Rarchaburana (50 baht admission) has a pretty dramatic history, as far as old temples go. It was built in the 15th century as a cremation site for two royal brothers who fought to the death for the throne. Then, in the 1950’s, looters made away with many valuable treasure, which prompted an official excavation that uncovered previously undiscovered rare Buddha images.

The temple was under repairs at the time of my visit, which I loved observing up close. No big fancy machinery here- just people working with their hands and colorful plastic buckets of grout. Inside the walls I didn’t find anything as fascinating- aside from this amazing framing angle. That one shot made this temple a worthwhile stop.

Also, Lonely Planet told me that this was the best preserved prang in the city. Thank God for Lonely Planet, or I wouldn’t always know when to be impressed by something.

Wat Phra Si Sanphet

After a nice little ride along a lake I came to Wat Phra Si Sanphet (50 baht admission). This is often hailed as Ayutthaya’s most impressive complex, and it too has an interesting background. It was once the largest temple in the city and contained a 52 foot tall Buddha covered in 550 pounds of gold, gold that was eventually melted down when the Burmese conquered the city. 


At the time of my visit all three of the stupas were covered in scaffolding. Some might find this a disappointment but I loved it! The natural wood of the primitive scaffolding echoed the scruffy plants found around the site, making for some beautiful images.

Adjacent to Wat Phra Si Sanphet is the Wihaan Mongkhon Bophit sanctuary hall, home to one of Thailand’s largest and most resilient Buddha images. In the 1950’s the Burmese government donated 200,000 baht to the restoration fund for this building in an act of atonement for Burma’s ravaging of the city 200 years prior. The Buddha really was impressive. See that tiny white dot over the Buddha’s knee on the right? That is a bird! It really shows the massive scale.

Wat Worachetha Ram

The nice thing about riding a bike as opposed to going on a tour was that whenever I pleased I could stop at smaller, less visited temples like Wat Worachetha Ram (free admission). There wasn’t much to see but the trio of oranges in the photo below caught me eye while I was riding by and I had to stop.

Wat Lokayasutha

The final ruin that I visited on my bike tour was Wat Lokayasutha. This reclining Buddha was so beautifully aged and colored, and still clearly revered today. Many visitors were praying and leaving offerings to the Buddha while I was there.

And the rest…

Of course on of the fun things about traveling on a bike is all the quirky little things you get to observe and take in, such as elephants parading through the streets.

While it was quite the sight to see the elephants sharing the roads with bicycles, motorcycles and tour buses, it hurt my heart a little to see these babies all chained up. I believe the bright body paint is left over from Songkran, in which elephants are regally decorated.

I also spotted this adorable little truck- locals know what their town is famous for.

And finally, the statues. These statues can be found all over Thailand, often next to shrines. I know they are symbolic and spiritual symbols but I admit I don’t know anything beyond that. I’ve noticed Bangkok has a lot of zebras, while Ayutthaya seemed to be all about the chickens.

There were many other temples I could have visited but the midday sun was becoming a little to much for me. I wasn’t really eating or sleeping well at this point and I started to feel a bit faint on the bike! I was surprised to be done so soon but I had knocked off all the highlights that the woman renting me the bike had circled on my map, so I didn’t feel too bad. And as it was still early I decided that after a few hours of air-conditioning I would join a sunset boat tour to see highlights of the off-island temples. Stay tuned!

I had so much fun taking pictures in Ayutthaya! Which photo is your favorite?

Source: http://www.alexinwanderland.com/2012/06/19/the-temples-of-ayutthaya/

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Crazy Fun: Dolphin Scooter

Crazy fun: Dolphin scooter with you and dive

Feel free to forget about water scooters because this miracle of the water like a dolphin, allows incredible opportunities, and can even dive underwater.

To make their children's dreams, some people are willing to invest money and time to make interesting water scooter right in their desires and needs. In this case, the two friends decided to make these "toys" to enjoy the ride.

Specially modified scooter Seabreacher, which may resemble a dolphin (or shark, which can be with you even more to your liking) is closed, and the work to be even more interesting, with him still and dives.

Take a look:

https://youtu.be/dkpzgS9rdTk

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Top 10 Most Beautiful Birds In The World

You will be impressed by the unique features and astounding colors of these top 10 most beautiful birds in the world. With their striking beauty and enchanting whistles, it is impossible not to be drawn to these fascinating winged creatures.

10. Golden Pheasant

The Chinese Pheasant is known for its golden color that add to the spectacular charm of this bird specie. These gamebirds are native to China’s west coast, but they are also bred in the UK. When the male specie wants to attract his mate, he spreads his “cape” of deep orange shade that covering almost everything except his brilliant yellow eyes.

9. The Quetzal

Found in Central America, the Quetzal dwells in tropical forests and mountains in the region. They also feed on lizards, insects, fruit and several other small creatures in the wild. Unfortunately, this bird specie is endangered in some countries including Guatemala.

8. The Hoopoe

This colorful winged animal is typically found in the Afro-Eurasia. The Hoopoe is famous for its remarkable arrangement of feathers on top of its head that resembles a crown. At present, the Hoopoe is the remaining extant specie in the Upupidae family of birds since the Giant Hoopoe in Saint Helena is already considered as extinct. The bird got its name from the Latin “upupa”, and the English name imitates the bird’s distinct cry.

7. The Bali Bird of Paradise

A vast majority of bird species in the Birds of Paradise family is located on New Guinea, as well as its satellites. However, there are a few remaining species in the eastern coast of Australia and Moluccas. It is common to see these birds only on film since they usually dwell in dense and inaccessible rainforest habitats.

6. The Atlantic Puffin

This is a specie of pelagic bird that typically feeds on fish and other marine creatures such as crustaceans and squid. The most striking feature of the Atlantic Puffin during its breeding season is the brilliantly- colored bill. With the bird’s curious appearance, piebald plumage and large colorful bill, some people call the puffin as the “clown of the ocean”.

5. The Lear’s Macaw

Popularly referred to as the Indigo Macaw, this large Brazilian parrot has an adorable blue color. The bird was first described and spotted in 1856 by Charles Lucien Bonaparte. Other features of the bird include a yellow patch of skin located at the base of its black bull and a tinge of green color with its metallic blue body.

4. Peacocks

Peacocks are known for their stunning colors on their tails that are usually green and blue. The tail feathers of these birds spread out like a fan, which makes up 60 perfect of its body’s total length. Its ends also have that unique colorful eye design markings of red, gold, and blue among other colors. The train is typically used in courtship displays and mating rituals.

3. The Northern Cardinal

Most people are drawn to the Northern Cardinal’s fiery red feathers that simply captivates any spectators’ attention. Females, on the other hand, have a brown body, yet it is common that there are warm red accents and a sharp crest. Since cardinals barely molt into a dull color during winter, they still appear breathtaking in the somber surroundings in the cold months.

2. The California Condor

Another attractive bird specie that is indeed a sight to behold is the California Condor. This lovely winged creature is considered as a “New World” vulture, and it is the largest land bird in North America. The bird inhabits southern Utah and northern Arizona, as well as the Zion National Park and the famous Grand Canyon area. In addition, it may be found in the coastal mountains of southern and central California, as well as the northern Baja California.

1. The African Crowned Crane

The African Crowned Crane is one of the most charming birds in the African savannah, which is it the southern part of the Sahara desert. However, the bird prefers to nest in wetter habitats to keep it cool and comfortable. These birds may also be found flying around the lakes, and some flatlands near rivers. It is also important to note that this bird does not migrate, so they usually stay where they are. With the outstanding and attractive features of this bird specie, it is no wonder why more people are drawn to them.

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