Pictures from Asia - Part 2

I spent the final days of my vacation on Kho Lanta . This picture is from the old town which is on east-coast of the island. The town was in many ways nicer then commercialized new capital. They had old heritage buildings from the time when it was a port for chines merchants. When I arrived it was all sleepy and silent. Along the main street you could find these stores who sold cages with birds.
I wanted to liv here for a couple of month. I passed by a few deserted fisherman cabins quite similar to those you can find on the Swedish west coast and it stroke me that maybe they were for rent or sale.




I had walk around the area. The east-coast is where tsunami hit the island and they had built a new village on a safer location further away from the water. I passed by these villagers who lived in the fishing camp. They had put up a shelter for the sun and they invited me to sit down with them for a while. I guess they thought I was a tsunami victim, they didn't speak any english but when new people arrived they nodded in my direction and said "tsunami". I never bothered to correct them.


Lions had helped out to built a new village. On my way on the motor bike I passed by this sign that informed about the work. A part of the relief project was also to provide other means for subsistence so they had this rubber tree plantation which they offered as a substitute to fishing.






The Rubber plantation was a rather simple one. They used hand driven machines to refine the rubber. I liked the clear light streaming down through the branches. It reminded me of a Swedish forest in the spring time before it burst out in bloom.






On my way I passed by this forest temple with all its artifacts. The legend says that Buddha was protected from a storm by a seven headed snake. The monks had also put a bottle of water in front of the icon so that the spirit would not be thirsty. Some of the offering I seen in on my journeys seem a little odd or at least not so sacred. I seen Big Macs, Fanta and Coce and even cigarettes been offered to spirits and other animated beings.








On my first trip to Asia, 2005, I went for a trekking up north. We were a group of westerners who joined in for a three day trekking. We passed by some villages. In this one they were making these nice fabrics. One might argue that its unethical participate in this kind of "ethno-tourism". But I am not sure about that, I become convinced that it is good for their living standards and raised the quality of life. Modernity seems unavoidable and I try to imagine these pockets of traditional societies, as a museum of the past for anthropologist to come an visit. Many villagers was also forced to go into the cities to sell their merchandise, now they had an income through tourist instead. I guess the main problem is that they are state less in a way. The dont have any nationality and are living in exile due to insurgence in their home countries. Most of these tribes has escaped from Burma where they been threatened by governmental troops, who out of some reason consider ethnic minorities to be a problem. I find it very strange and I can hardly think that these people can cause any problems what so ever.

Finally, Mowgli's cousins. The kids where pretty wild and they liked to show of in front of the camera. These two last pictures owe credit to an english guy who joined the trekking.