Tag Archives: TAT

Visakha Bucha Buddhist Celebration Near Amphawa

Posted on June 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

Without a first trip in Thailand when I was a student,

I will never become a photographer. And never showed my pictures of “Priests and Thai bikers” and all that follows … I will always have a very special link with this country, priests, people and landscapes!

Very emotional and souful to be back here years later, in the small village’s temple near Amphawa, Wat Bang Kapoam to celebrate Visakha Bucha: the birth, enlightenment and entry into nirvana of the Buddha. The most important festival of the Buddhist calendar. My first Vishaka Bucha.

I enjoy the atmosphere of Buddhist temples, the feeling of fredoom’s movement, the back ad forth of the people. Tonight, some of the priests set their camera during the ceremony (pictures 3,4 & 6). In the background, the monotone voice of a priest recites mantras in a microphone (picture 1).

I recieve a small booklet of  the Buddha’s life: I do not read Thai. Gradually, the temple gets full. People present their offerings (picture 3). Then suddenly everyone goes outside to light candles (picture 5).

We follow the procession of the priests. Slowly we turn three times around the temple, punctuated by the monotone microphone’s voice that imperturbable, continues to recite. The moment is pretty unreal, carried by voice I follow. I finally put my waterlily candle (with a very ingenious system to remove the candle from its waterlily envelope!) to make a wish. Tomorrow I take the road… again.

Thailand-Visakha Bucha-9-Photo Mademoiselle Le K-copyright 2013

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés  

Follow my whole trip in THAILAND and Twitter. You can also discover my other pictures in the Facebook of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Facebook of the Royal Thai Embassy in Belgium. ENJOY!  

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Fête bouddhiste de Visakha Bucha près d’Amphawa

Posted on June 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

Sans ce voyage très jeune en Thaïlande,

je ne serai jamais devenue photographe. Je n’aurai jamais exposé mes photos de “Prêtres et bikers thaï” et tout ce qui s’en suit… J’aurai toujours un attachement très particulier avec ce pays, ses prêtres, sa population, ses paysages!

Très émouvant de me retrouver des années après, dans ce petit temple d’un village près d’Amphawa, Wat Bang Kapoam, pour célébrer Visakha Bucha : la naissance, l’illumination et l’entrée au nirvana de Bouddha. La plus importante fête du calendrier bouddhiste. Une première pour moi.

J’aime l’atmosphère des temples bouddhistes, cette liberté de mouvement, les allers venues. Ce soir, certains des prêtres règlent leur appareils photos, durant la cérémonie (photos 3,4 & 6). En fond sonore, la voix monocorde d’un prêtre récite dans un micro, ce que j’attribue à des mantras (photo 2).

On me tend une petite brochure sur la vie de Bouddha : je ne lis pas le thaï. Peu à peu, le temple se rempli. Les gens présentent leurs offrandes (photo 3). Puis d’un coup, tout le monde se dirige à l’extérieur pour allumer des bougies (photo 5).

Nous suivons le cortège des prêtres en tête. Lentement nous tournons trois fois autour du temple, rythmés par la voix monocorde du micro qui imperturbable, continue de réciter. L’instant est assez irréel, je suis sans comprendre portée par la voix. Je dépose enfin ma bougie-nénuphar (au système très ingénieux pour retirer la bougie de son enveloppe nénuphar!), en faisant un voeux. Demain je reprends la route.

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés 

Suivez mon voyage Travel Different Thailand dans ma rubrique THAILANDE (tous mes posts) et sur Twitter. Découvrez aussi mes autres photos de ce voyage sur le Facebook de l’office du tourisme thaïlandais et le Facebook de l’ambassade royale de Thaïlande en Belgique. ENJOY! 

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Départ pour la Thailande: Sawadee Ka Bangkok!   

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Thai Massage @ The Baan Amphawa Resort & Spa

Posted on June 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

After exercise

(or how to overcome the pervasive macaques of the Klongkone Mangrove Conservation Centre!), time to relax (lololol!). I try whenever I can different massages: I remain an absolute unconditional of intensive traditional Thai massage!

Especially without oil nor any wellness marketing blablabla! Therapeutic, it worked on stretching. Not always pleasant for and sometimes even really painful for those muscles that I never do work!

The next day, it is a bless, the body relaxes as relieved of its weight. Especially when you have back problem. Believe me, I have back problem, because of the heavy camera equipment … not to mention the laptop, jetlag, stress and all the rest! Modern life!

Impossible for me not to experience Thai massage in the nicely decorated spa of the Baan Amphawa Resort & Spa (pictures 1, 2 and 3). A charming hotel where we spend tonight (rooms need to be renovated, but lovely breakfast). Not necesseray to mention that in Amphawa, there is not a plethora of hotels!

Upon arrival at the spa, you will feel pampered. Immediately my masseuse leads me to a large room, with tobacco walls and comfortable dark wood floors, all is calm. Too bad that the air conditioning is too strong, as always in hot countries!

After worn an unmatched comfort Thai fisherman pants with a beige linen blouse, my masseuse magically reappears. And then we move on to serious business: THE massage!

After a painful intense work on muscle tensions, the massage becomes more fluid and I dozed. When a sweet voice wakes me up to offer me a cup of jasmine tea, it’s over!

The massage lasted an hour and I am completely woozy, ready to jump into my bed to sleep the next 48 hours! Back to reality Mademoiselle Le K! Forget it immediately: tonight is Visakha Bucha Day, the celebration of the birth, enlightenment and entry into Nirvana of Buddha.

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés   

Follow my whole trip in THAILAND and Twitter. You can also discover my other pictures in the Facebook of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Facebook of theRoyal Thai Embassy in Belgium. ENJOY! 

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DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

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