Thailand – Ray Cannon's travel blog

Chasing leopards by the falls!

Common Leopard Butterfly (*Phalanta phalantha*) mud-puddling at Mae Klang waterfall, Doi Inthanon, Thailand.

It was a very hot day when I visited Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s highest mountain (at 2565 metres or 8415 feet), in early May this year. Temperatures in Chiang Mai city had reached 40 deg C the day before, but it was much cooler up the mountain. There are large tracts of different types of forest on this mountain – Doi Inthanon National Park covers an area of about of about 482 square kms – but it is often shrouded in cloud near the top.

Forest on Doi Inthanon, by the Royal Chedis (or stupas) at about 2140m.

Unfortunately, the top of the mountain was rather cloudy on 7th May, so we headed further down, stopping off at a number of waterfalls, where I hoped to photograph butterflies.

Wachirathan Falls, Doi Inthanon, Thailand, May 2017.

One of the most beautiful falls on the mountain is Wachirathan Falls, just over 20 km into the NP, which is a magnificent spectacle, even in the dry season. Unfortunately, there were not many butterflies about, or the ones that were flying about were rather inaccessible, so I decided to head further down to the ever popular Mae Klang Waterfall. This lies just outside the boundaries of the NP, so is more heavily visited by picnickers and sightseers.

There was much less water flowing than in previous visits; compare the photograph above (taken in May, before the rains have arrived) with that taken in November (at the end of the rainy season) in a previous year.

Mae Klang waterfall is at an altitude of about 1,200 m or so, so is much hotter than further up the mountain, and there were plenty of butterflies around! The problem was that because of the high temperatures, the butterflies were flying about so fast it was very difficult to photograph them! One of the more obliging species was the Common Leopard Butterfly (Phalanta phalantha), which were present in quite large numbers along the stream beds next to the river.

Common Leopard Butterfly (Phalanta phalantha) mud-puddling at Mae klang waterfall, Doi Inthanon.

The butterflies were ‘puddling’ or ‘mud-puddling’ as it is called; they are trying to absorb sodium (in the form of sodium chloride, salt) or nitrogen (in the form of amino acids) from moist substrates such as mud, animal excrement, rotting fruits, carrion, dung, bird droppings, sweat, tears and so on (See 1: See you down the puddle). Curiously, many of these Common Leopard butterflies were sucking up moisture from the rocks themselves (below). There must have been a thin layer of water on the rocks, which may have produced a solution of salts or minerals attractive to these insects.

Common Leopard Butterfly (*Phalanta phalantha*) Mae klang, with extended proboscis

Despite being engaged in mud- or moisture-puddling, the butterflies did not stay put for long, and usually flew off as soon as the lumbering photographer approached them! I did not manage to get as close as I would have liked, but after taking dozens of shots, I managed to get a few usable ones.

Common Leopard butterfllies (*Phalanta phalantha*)

These butterflies take about three weeks to develop from egg to adult (at 28 deg C) and the larvae feed on flowering plants in the Willow family (Salicaceae) including Flacourtia inermis and Salix babylonica (Links 2 and 3).

Common Leopard butterfllies (*Phalanta phalanth*a) on rocks

There were also quite large numbers of yellow/green butterflies flying about, at amazing speeds! One often sees pictures of stationary butterflies, which fail to do justice to the extraordinary vitality of these insects. Butterflies can be very fast fliers – especially the nippy little Skippers, which can reach speeds of up to 60 km per hour! Skippers are shaped like little jet fighters! As the following photograph illustrates.

Spotted Demon (*Notocrypta feisthamelii alysos*). A Skipper from Chiang Dao, Thailand.

I did manage to grab a couple of photographs of the lively yellow/green butterflies, which turned out to be Lemon Emigrants, feeding on nectar from Lantana flowers.

Lemon Emigrant (*Catopsilia pomona pomona*) Mae Klang

Lemon Emigrants (*Catopsilia pomona pomona*) Mae Klang

I also came across this little skink – a Streamside Skink (Sphenomorphus maculatus) – on the rocks near the waterfalls (below).

Streamside Skink (*Sphenomorphus maculatus*) Mae Klang, Doi Inthanon, Thailand.

The waterfalls are a good place to cool off on a hot day, and people like to sit and relax on the rocks beside the streams. There are plenty of small restaurants and vendors nearby providing food and snacks for visitors.

Mae Klang Falls. People sitting and eating by the streams.

So even when temperatures are unbearably hot, there are many places to go to chill out, whether you are a butterfly, skink or primate!

https://rcannon992.com/2016/03/10/see-you-down-the-puddle-puddling-in-butterflies/
Rayalu, M. B., Kumari, V. K., Naidu, M. T., & Atluri, J. B. (2014). Life history and larval performance of the Common Leopard butterfly, Phalanta phalantha Drury (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera: Nymphalidae). International Journal of Advanced Research in Science and Technology, 3, 191-195.
http://butterflycircle.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/life-history-of-leopard.html

Songkran 2016 Pattaya

Catching drops of water from a Buddhist monk

Depending upon your age and inclination, the Thai New Year Songkran water festival is either your worst nightmare, or a lot of wet fun! Personally, I do enjoy it in moderation, but eventually get fed up of being continually doused in water and need to retreat to my hotel.

Officially, Songkran only lasts three days in most of Thailand, but in Pattaya it goes on for a full nine days, which spanned the 10-19th April this year (2016). The extended days are called “Wan Lai” and this is when the all out water fights really get going.

Water fights by Soi 8, Beach Road, Pattaya

Fortunately, the action is largely localised so it is still possible to get about without getting too soaked. Unless you catch a songtau (pick-up style open backed taxi) that is; these are subjected to continual dousings by people throwing buckets of water. So I find it is easier to walk!

What started out as a traditional festival celebrating the Thai New Year, and marked by the throwing and sprinkling of water, has rather degenerated into an all out orgy of water fights. The availability of large, powerful and cheap plastic water pistols has facilitated the process.

The really big party is held on the last day, 19th April this year, in Pattaya. People come from all over Thailand to participate. It is a family day, with lots of food stalls along the beach road.

Children of all ages enjoy the day, which was particularly hot this year in Thailand.

Songkran is a family occasion and traditionally a way to show respect to your parents for example, by water pouring over their palms. Paying reverence to ancestors is also an important part of the Songkran tradition, and Buddhas appear in many shops, malls and hotels, which people anoint by pouring flower scented water over the statue. Buddhist monks also anoint devotees with water as a sort of good luck blessing.

Buddhist monks blessing people with water

In the following picture, the monk appears to be covering his eyes as he passes by a GoGo bar! But it is just a coincidence.

Monk delivering watery blessing along Beach Road, Pattaya.

I rather like these images, because for me they capture some of the apparent contradictions of Thai society. Thais are tolerant and fun loving; they tend not to be as judgemental as Westerners (I think).

Monk blessing th crowd on 19th April 2016, Beach Road, Pattaya.

As always in Thailand, lots of delicious food was available to fortify the participants. I do admire these ladies, surely the backbone of Thai culture, who prepare these meals from small portable kitchens all over the country.

The salads were amazing!

Delicious vegetables on the table for customers to enjoy by the beach, Pattaya

Songkran is a noisy, very wet, fun time. For those with sufficient stamina it is fun to be continually drenched with water on a very hot day. Being blasted with very loud pop music is also part of the experience! It helps to be young! This throng of mainly young people were enjoying the music of a band playing in the Central Mall, Pattaya, whilst being drenched with water from fire hoses.

Crowd at Central Mall, Pattaya, on 19th April 2016

These youngsters were enjoying themselves!

Oh I forgot to mention the face paint (wet powder)! The protective glasses are a good idea as some of the water pistols are very powerful.

Girls with face paint and protective glasses, 19th April 2016, Pattaya

This man seemed to be getting into the spirit of the occasion. His dancing reminded me of a bird!

Would I go again to Pattaya at this time of year? Maybe not, as I am a bit of an old git(!), but it was fun to see it once.

The White Temple: Wat Rong Khun

Wat Rong Khun (วัดร่องขุ่น) is a unique temple situated near Chiang Rai. It is the life work of a Thai artist called Chalermchai Kositpipat – with an army of assistants – and is an extraordinary creation of buildings, statues and murals, all of which are very modern but nevertheless in the Buddhist tradition. It is easier to illustrate this temple using photographs than to describe it in words.

From a distance it looks like a traditional Thai Buddhist temple (Wat), albeit incredibly ornate and all white. On closer inspection, it becomes apparent that this is no ordinary temple, since it contains all sorts of allegorical art works, part art gallery, part religious building.

At first one crosses the bridge of ‘the cycle of rebirth’ past a pit of outstretched hands. These are presumably humans beings locked into a cycle of continual rebirth as a result of their unrestrained desire for pleasure. The sea of hands was a very potent symbol of human suffering.

The bridge itself is the way towards happiness: a Buddhist pathway involving letting go of temptations, greed, and desire. There are some vivid and gruesome exhibits elsewhere in the temple of the evils of temptations such as alcohol and smoking.

The giant Rahu guarding the gates of heaven

Once across the bridge, the visitor arrives at the ‘gates of heaven’, guarded by two giant mythical creatures (Rahu and Ketu I think).

The main building, called the ubosot is an extraordinarily ornate and beautiful building, decorated with glass and elaborate carved nagas, extending outwards from the roof.

Two Kinnarees are positioned next to the lake. A Kinnari (or kinnaree) is an angelic half-woman, half-bird (in Thailand), an eternal lover who can fly between human and spiritual worlds. A symbol of feminine beauty and grace, which these statues certainly are.

There are a variety of other buildings at Wat Rong Khun, in various stages of completion. How they fared in the earthquake (see below) I am not sure. The head of a large Buddha statue reportedly fell off.

What I most liked at Wat Rong Khun were the statues. Many were still being carved in the workshops (below).

One of the buildings I liked most at Wat Rong Khun was the wishing well. The building itself housed a water-filled wishing pond filled with coins; Thai Buddhist wishing pendants were hung from the eaves (below).

The ubosot at Wat Rong Khun from the wishing well

The roof of the wishing well building was adorned with the most beautiful statues, representing the animal signs of the zodiac (monkey, chicken goat etc.). These were the highlight of the whole temple for me and I took photographs of them all; they are worth featuring in a separate blog.

We were fortunate to see the artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat, during our visit. He was talking to some Thai visitors.

Update

I visited the white temple in February 2014, when these photos were taken. In May 2014, a nearby earthquake of magnitude 6.3 caused substantial damage to Wat Rong Khun (1). The artist must have been devastated by the destruction, and according to media reports, initially appeared to give up hope of restoring it. The buildings in the compound were however, structurally unharmed by the quake, and buoyed by huge public support, the artist and his team have reportedly taken up the challenge of restoring the temple to its former glory (2, 3). The murals on the walls and ceiling of the ubosot, which took nearly 20 years to complete, were apparently destroyed. It will be interesting to see if these are restored exactly as the were before, or whether Chalermchai will decide to create something new.

1. http://www.bangkokpost.com/most-recent/408354/exquisite-wat-rong-khun-closed-indefinitely-by-earthquake-damage.

2. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wat-Rong-Khun/133021290072176#

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Rong_Khun

Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market

The Sunday night walking street market in Chiang Mai has become very popular in recent years. Once a week, a colourful traditional market bazaar takes place along the length of Ratchadamnoen Road (and other side roads) in the Old City. The area is closed off to traffic and hundreds of market traders set up shop selling food, clothes, traditional goods, handicrafts, art and so on. I took a stroll through the market recently and was surprised how large it was and how many people there were. High season I guess. I was most interested in the food stalls which are colourful, lively and photogenic.

There was a lot of art for sale. I quite liked the animals although it was a little bit formulaic, in the sense that certain images were being replicated in numerous similar paintings. But it is not easy to sell art, and this was a lot better than other examples I have come across. It a matter of taste I guess.

The colourful rhinos were being churned out by someone! They are nice though, even if not a Thai animal; well I’ve never seen one!

The market is by no means just for tourists; there were many Thais enjoying shopping.

There were a lot of musicians sitting on the ground and playing their instruments between the market stalls.

The food in these stalls looks very tasty and looking at them again now, makes me feel hungry!

The market extends into the area around Tha Pae Gate. This was a fried omelette stand. I am feeling hungry again!

The orange juice – nam som – stall was fronted by simple but highly effective marketing (the orange juice coming out of the floating tap is not real but the rest of the bottles and jars are), plus a lady with a lovely Thai smile.

Finally, I came across these huge prickly fruit which I am pretty sure are durians. Jack fruits are similar but much less spiky.

Hotel at night

The Hilton hotel Pattaya, Thailand, at night

I was staying in another hotel, located along the bay from the Hilton, which I could see from my hotel balcony. The Hilton sits atop a shopping mall in Pattaya, called Central Mall. There is not a lot going on – but it reminds me a bit of that film Rear Window, with James Stewart! Only, there’s only a few people having dinner.