OK, so I thought it was time to post some more photos. Dan and I have picked up our pace since moving off the islands of Southern Thailand. We have made our way through Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and finally Chiang Mai.
Here is a little snip of what we have been up to.......
Sorry for the blurry photo but I was literally shaking with rage. While Dan and I were in Bangkok we decided to make our way to the Chinese Night Market in Chinatown to eat some cheap food and find some cheap clothes to refresh my backpack. Once we found the place we made our way to the busiest part of the area in hopes of finding some eats before doing our shopping. I wasn't prepared for what I was about to see. Dan and I have spent our fair share of time in China Towns since we left home and I have yet to witness what I was seeing here in Bangkok. The busiest road was in fact a street devoted entirely to various shark fin products- shark fin soup, shark fin pills, dried shark fin..... it was alarming. Some of you might not know about the shark fin industry in Asia; if you don't then please take a few moments to educate yourself (Shark Water is a great, informative and award-winning film on the subject). It is a uneccessary practise that is destroying our oceans at a extremely rapid pace. I feel very strongly about the issue- on top of that, sharks are my favourite animal. Here I was, on a street where every other shop had dried fins in the windows, fluorescent lights advertised 'The Best Shark Fin In Town', even the cheap stall venders sold only shark fin soup. I was in a panic/rage, so strong that I needed to beeline out of there before I started yelling at the locals for their ignorance. Please educate yourselves on Shark Finning and support organizations that strive to stop it.
This is a picture of the Shark Fin road. The streets and restaurants are packed with people consuming shark fin soup- even writing this post and seeing the photos again brings me to tears. Ignorance.
While in Bangkok, we paid a visit to 'The Pride of Bangkok' a series of 3 huge, over the top luxury malls.
The main attraction was the Oceanaquarium. At first I was really excited, it was only 4 years old and expansive. Upon arriving Dan and I realized that it was more of an attraction than an aquarium. The plant and coral life were all fake and the fish environments were nothing like they are in the wild. It was sad to see but hopefully it educates people on the importance of sustainable fishing and environmental protection. Above is a picture of a Cow Fish. I was really hoping to encounter one in the ocean while diving- I guess this is the next best thing.
Some three year old Hammerhead Sharks!!!!! Yeah- AWESOME and sooo cute :)
A model showing the jaw span of the Prehistoric Megalodon Shark- SCARY :)
Dan was pretty excited to get a picture with me in front of this car... I don't know which 'Elise' is his favorite!
A street vender setting up shop for the day. This particular vender specialized in fake I.D's!
They were absolutely amazing... you could purchase any I.D, documentation or certification under the sun.
Have you ever wanted to be a plastic surgeon, a pilot or how about a press reporter?
For a fee you could be any of those things :)
Buddha images are EVERYWHERE in South East Asia. After spending the day exploring ancient Wat ruins a person becomes pretty Buddha'd out very quickly. This picture was taken at a Wat in Sukhothai. (Wat=Temple)
This temple was much different than the ones we had seen previously. The Buddha was MASSIVE, stunning and completely serene.
I really, really wanted to sit on Buddha- he looked so comfy and inviting but I am sure I took a serious hit to my Kharma for doing it. Oh well, it was worth it.
Again, sorry for the blurry photo :( Me, Dan and Lilli at a Muay Thai Boxing match in Chiang Mai!!
If boxing matches weren't so expensive on a backpackers budget, I think we would go every other night.
The crowd was energetic to say the least. Muay Thai is the national sport in Thailand, so if you plan to make your way out here a match is a must see. The card ranged from 8-30 yr olds (my guess) and all the fights were worthy in their own right. Beers, Fighting, Screaming and Betting... can you think of a better way to spend the evening?
This was the temple at the Buddhist Uni- the jetting off point for my meditation retreat.
The night market in Chaing Mai, where there are blocks and blocks of venders selling everything and anything a person could want. Whiskey shake anyone? Gross!
Dan and Lilli having quite the serious game of Connect 4 - awesome! When was the last time you saw that game?
Some examples of the quirky, random stuff you can buy at the market. These are hairclips made out of various candies- brilliant.
How about some dead bugs in a frame?
One of my favourite sections of the market was the art walk. Oh if only I had $ to buy paintings because they were beautiful and original - lovely :)
Ah I don't think it is disgraceful to show a little affection for Bhudda! You look so cute in his palm :) Sad to see and hear about the sharks... I can only imagine how you must have been vibrating after being around that display of absolute cruelty.
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