Thailand, India and beyond....

Gallery: Rajasthan

redcosmicdragon — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:40:00 GMT

Desert Adventures

Around Mount Arunachala

redcosmicdragon — Sun, 1 Feb 2009 00:03:00 GMT

I arrived to India on the 12th of December, el dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe in Mexico, my home country. On this day hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all of Mexico make it to the shrine of the Guadalupe in what is probably the most importat pilgrim site in the Americas. In India this type of mass pilgrimage is much more common. Tiruvannamalai an otherwise quiet town in southern India, becomes a busy pilgrimage place every full moon of December on the Tamil month of Karthigai.

By the time we arrived in Tiruvannamalai it was already night and as we approched the town on a crowded Indian bus full of eager pilgrims we could see people lighting candles outside their doorsteps and on their windows. A fellow pilgrim who could speak some broken english explained that today was the day of the full moon, the fist day of the lighting of the fire atop Mount Arunachala the sacred mountain of Shiva. To mark this ocation and during the next 10 days everyone lights candles outside their houses beleived to scare the evil away.

We waren't sure exactly what this fire atop the mountain was but as we approached the mountain we could clearly see a flame atop a large hill. This was mount Arunachala. "Most auspicious time for arriving here" said the gentleman from Chennai sitting next to us on the bus. He had come here to walk around the mountain, a total of 14km which would in no doubt take him all night.

The following is taken frmo the web and explains more about the significance of the Mountain and the Fire...

"Deepam - The Symbol of Lord Arunachala

History has is that the practice came into existence following a dispute between Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma over who was the superior of the two after the some hindrance to their attempts to gauge their strength, the two prayed to Lord Siva for his Grace.

Their test was to find the top and the bottom of a blazing mount which was actually Siva. Lord Siva blessed lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma and said that he would appear as a Jothi (flame) on top of the hill. It is to perpetuate this event that the flame is lit on top of the holy hill during the month of Karthigai (November - December).

This festival begins in the Uthiradam (Star) day in Karthigai and winds up with the Bharani Deepam lit in the early hours of the tenth day. The Deepam is lit at dusk, coinciding with a Full Moon. The Deepam can be seen even from a distance of 45 Km. Real image of lord Arunachala is viewed in the appearance of "Agni". This is celebrated every year as the remembrance of one of the image of lord Arunachala as fire. During the holy day, more than 10,00,000 devotees get this heavenly worship of Lord."

The pictures of the fire is of the lightng og the giant gee lamp atop the mount after I finnaly decided to go and see for myself. I ended up staying the night up there with some tamil freinds, shiva, ganesh and om..... enjoy.

Exploring Ankor Wat....

redcosmicdragon — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:57:00 GMT

I did not write something on Cambodia and the temple of Ankor Wat. As you can see I am not a very inspired writer, I am more into the photos but I found a good article on Ankor Wat by accident and I think it illustrates very well what it is like so I hope you enjoy...

We arose at 5 am, and in the velvety dark, made our way towards the east gate of Angkor Wat. Our passes were examined by torchlight and then we followed Dinay, our Cambodian guide towards the upper stories of the temple.

"Don't look down. Just keep on going, " said Dinay, who looked just like Tintin.

If I'd wanted a gut-wrenching, heart-fluttering climb, I'd have signed up for Everest trip, I moaned to myself. Surely we could halt here.

"Nice temple. Now can we go back?" Dinay enthusiastically dragged us to the top.

He had saved the best for the last. Over the previous days, he'd shown us many wondrous temples - Ta Prohm, (the one that has been left the way it was found, with the strangler fig trees still entangled in the laterite stone), Bayon (the one with dozens of giant Buddha's heads) and Bantei Samrei (the one with exquisite carvings of scenes from the Ramayan) We watched the sky get painted, brush-stroke by brush-stroke, as the sun climbed effortlessly into the sky.

It was a truly spectacular sight. Dinay smiled proudly and explained that the 500 acre temple complex was designed as the universe, surrounded by water.

And we, like the Khmer Kings, Suryavarman and Jayavarman, were at the top of it. Adopted faith The history of these temples remains shrouded in mystery.

Until 1860, when French archaeologist Albert Henri Mouhot discovered them, they had been completely forgotten by the world, and blanketed by the forest. We'd read that Hindu traders first impressed the Khmer kings, a thousand years ago with their advanced culture.

Anthropologists have said that though the local people were not Indianized, Indian culture was localized. Scenes from the great epics are etched in relief on the stone walls.

Interestingly, the word 'Angkor' comes from 'nagar' meaning city in Sanskrit. Buddhism followed Hinduism, and the orange clad monks have taken over the daily up-keep of the temples.

We watched a prayer ceremony at one of the temples, and were surprised to see, amidst the offerings of incense, fruits and sweets were pork heads, plucked chicken and a pile of cigarettes. Beyond the temples We were driven around the small town of Siam Reap on Dinay's motorized rickshaw.

Siam Reap, the spring-board for temple viewing, has become hugely popular with visitors and dozens of hotels, restaurants, bars and shops have come up in the last decade. Away from the usual beat, the short, swarthy, friendly but stoic Khmer folks still live in thatched homes built on stilts.

Each home has a handful of banana trees, a fishing net and a resident chicken brood. The men and women wore a chequered cloth on their heads, called a krama, which can also become a belt, shawl, scarf, baby carrier or a shopping tote.

It was our last evening in Siam Reap. "Right, Dinay, should we head out towards Tonley Sap Lake, the night market and maybe stop at a cafe or two?" "Sure, we will.

But first, you must come with me. I have to show you something bery bery special.

Angkor Wat by moonlight.".

Taken from:http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20090121/1074/tod-temple-hopping-in-cambodia.html

Gallery: Tiruvannamalai

redcosmicdragon — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:03:00 GMT

Deepam Festival of Shiva

Back in Bangkok...

redcosmicdragon — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:55:00 GMT

Yes, I am back in this crazy city and yes, now my journal has changed languages from Spanish to English. I was actually suposed to leave for India on Monday but because of all of the Airport caos (the airport in Bangkok was taken over by demonstrator for over a week after which the Prime Minister was forced to resign) so now I will leave untuil Friday the 12 (dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe). So before coming here I was in Ko Chang hiding from the Bangkok caos and waiting to see how the airport thing resolved. I was actually in Ko Chang when I heard that the PM was forced to resign and to everyones releif the airport was relesed. Even though tourist are happy to be able to go home, all this really is not good news for this country because it probably points to many more problems to come. The story is not yet finished.

Gallery: Secrets of Ankor Wat

redcosmicdragon — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:01:00 GMT

Secretos de Ankor Wat

Gallery: Mae Salong, Golden Triangle and the Mekong River...

redcosmicdragon — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:11:00 GMT

El Triangulo Dorado

Gallery: Buddhas, Temples and Orange robes...

redcosmicdragon — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:10:00 GMT

Buddha is everywhere I look...

Loi Kraton Festival - Chiang Mai

redcosmicdragon — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:51:00 GMT

El 11 de Noviembre pasado tome el autobus desde Chiang Kong, pueblo en el norte de Thailandia del otro lado del rio Mekong de Laos, hasta Chiang Mae para pasar el famoso festival de Loi Kratong que duraria los proximos dias. El Festival de Loi Kratong es celebrado en todo Thailandia en la Luna Llena del mes de Noviembre. Se cree que este festival se origino en la India hace miles de anios para adorar la diosa del rio o del mar. Hoy en dia los Thailandeses usan este festival como una manera de traer esperanza para asegurar su felicidad y prosperidad para el anio que viene lanzando "kratones" al rio bajo la luz de la luna llena. Un Kraton en como una canastita hecha de hojas, flores y velas que son vendidas por en las calles a lo largo de todos los rios. Chang Mai es uno de los mejores lugares para pasar este festival donde tambien se mandan globos al aire llenando el cielo de miles de lucecitas y ademas de esto hay desfiles, cooncursos y ventas de artesania y comida tradicional atraiendo miles de turistas de todas partes del mundo.Podran ver algunas fotos que tome proximamente en el album de fotos. Hasta pronto !

Un pueblito llamado Mae Salong .....

redcosmicdragon — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:03:00 GMT

El pequenio pueblito de Mae Salong esta situado en las montanias de Doi Mae Salong en la provincia de Chiang Rai en la parte mas al norte de Thailandia cerca de la frontera con Myanmar. Es un area llena de bosques y de un clima mas frio que el resto de Thailadia. Esta area es muy conocida por la siembra del te y de diferentes tipos de flores decorativas (ademas de amapola dicen por ahi).

Una cosa interesante de Mae Salong es que sus habtiantes son principalmente de decendencia China y hablan chino como su primer idioma, en vez de Thailandes (que es un idioma totalmente diferente). Parece que cuando acabo la Guerra Civil China en 1949 muchos grupos quehusaron a aceptar el cumunismo huyeron para Burma y de ahi al norte de Tahilandia.

Cuando llegamos no sabiamos cuanto tiempo pasariamos ahi porque el Lonley Planet no decia mucho y teniamos prisa de seguir viajando pero estuvimos facinados al encontrar que era un pueblo encantador con casi nada de turistas. En una parte del pueblo junto a la carretera se juntan muchas mujeres de las "Hill Tribes", tribus nomadas que viven en las montanias y que llaman mucho la atencion por sus trajes tipicos. Durante el dia pudimos ir a visitar algunas de las aldeas aunque casi no habia gente porque estaban en los campos de te (o eso decian).Solo habia algunos viejitos y ninios llenos de polvo.

Lo mas bonito de nuestra estancia en Mae Salong fue conocer a una mujer Mai Chiang que era refugiada de Burma y que se habia casado con un Chino. Ella era de religion cristiana como muchos de los Akha ( un grupo de los hill tribes). Mai aprendio ingles de un Italiano en Burma hace 30 anios y estaba facinada de poder compartir su ingles con alguien. Nos invito a su casa una maniana y ella y su hijo nos prepararon una deliciosa comida estilo Akha en un fogon de lenia mientras 15 ninios corrian alrededor de nosotros. Ella cuidaba los ninios durante el dia pientras sus padres trabajaban en el campo. Pasamos ahi la maniana admirando la bellesa del paisaje de alrededor. Que sencilla es la vida para los aldeanos de aqui y que comlicada de repente parece nuestra vida en la ciudad con las precupaciones que parecen ridiculas, la bolsa de valores, el precio del petroleo, las guerras de bush, todo eso parece no importar aqui. Mai, una mujer orgullosa de 80 anios en nuestros ojos parece ser pobre pero para su aldea ella es un mujer rica y educada pues es duenia de su propia choza y orgullosamente ensenia el ingles que aprendio ingles de un italiano hace 30 anios en Myanmar. Les ensenia a los ninios canciones de navidad en ingles e invita a unos 'Farang" (extranjeros) a tomar el te y a desayunar. Tristemente tuvimos que despedirnos para poder seguir nuestro camino, mi amiga Fabiana no queria pero la tuve que apurar. Mai se habia baniando y peinado y estaba toda arregalada para acompaniarnos a la entrada de su aldea y nos hizo prometer que cuando volvieramos a Thailandia volveriamos a visitarla y nos quedariamos con ella unos dias, lejos de las bolsas de valores y los mercados de las especulaciones.

Northern Hill Tribes

redcosmicdragon — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:40:00 GMT

Despues de algunos dias en Bangkok tome el tren directamente hasta el norte del pais a la Ciudad de Chiang Mai. Dea ahi un autobus a la region mas al norte que tiene frontera con Myanmar y Laos Tambien conocida como el Golden Triangle o Triangulo Dorado famosa por haber sido un zona muy importante en el comercio y el cultivo del opio. Hoy en dia se ven mas cafetales que amapolas. Visitamos ahi varias aldeas de los "hill tribes" principalmente a los Akha. Aqui hay una informacion sobre ellos que encontre en internet....

"Over 100 years ago, the Hilltribe peoples migrated south from China into what are now Burma, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The six major tribes are the Karen (Kariang, Yang), the Hmong (Meo), the Yao (Mien), the Akha (Ekaw), the Lisu (Lisaw), and the Lahu (Mussur). The main profession of all these tribes is farming, and all of them tend to migrate whenever they feel that the soil at their present location is becoming depleted.

Each tribe is district, with its own culture, religion, language, art, and dress. With Thailand undergoing rapid modern development, it is difficult yet to say whether these tribes will continue in there traditional ways of life, or whether they will eventually be absorbed into the surrounding, and ever more-encroaching, Thai society.

Akha (Ekaw)

Akha (Ekaw) villages are distinguished by their carved wooden gates, presided over by guardian spirits. The Akha live in raised houses, within which one small room is set aside for paying respect to ancestors.

The focal point of community life is the open ground -- the "common", if you will -- where the tribe celebrates its major festivals, especially that of the Giant Swing and where young men and women come to meet (under the watchful eye of the elders). This tribe is easily recognized by the black caps covered with silver coins, worn by the women.

Llegue a Thailandia - I have arrived toThailand....

redcosmicdragon — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:34:00 GMT

Despues de 20 horas de vuelo y 8 de escala llegue !

Gallery: Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand

redcosmicdragon — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:42:00 GMT

Gallery: Thailand- Land of the Golden Buddhas

redcosmicdragon — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:28:00 GMT