Approximately 60kms north of Bangkok, in the province of Ayutthaya, lies Bang Pa In Palace (Thai: พระราชวังบางปะอิน) - the summer palace of the King and Queen of Thailand. The original Palace was built by King Prasat Thong of Ayutthaya early in the 17th century however it was left abandoned for nearly a century after the... Continue Reading →
Banyan Tree
Views from the Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree Hotel, 61 floors above Bangkok.
Warts and All
Looks like we found tiny toad's big brother 🙂 Benny, my cousin's elderly terrier, loves to gobble these guys with his toothless gums. The result is usually a frothy mouth, upset tummy and a trip to the vet if he doesn't get better. The toad ends up bemused, befuddled but mostly unscathed. We're not sure... Continue Reading →
Mekong Night Market
Vientiane night market panorama with the Mekong in the background and Thailand off to the distance.
Dan’s Cricket
Following in his father's dubious footsteps 😉
I called him Pinchy
Followers of my Facebook page will have seen this image before. This is the Laos Black Forest Scorpion, which has a cool trick whereby it turns blue under UV light. Although this nasty looking varmint has a mildly toxic sting, I elected not to pat him, play with him or bring him home to Heidi.... Continue Reading →
Tiny Toads
Unlike the ginormous snails that continuously munch on the local greenery, these toads are kinda tiny. I have no idea what species this is, but I do know that toad poisoning is a somewhat prevalent problem in Laos regardless of the fact that the villagers are aware of the toads toxicity. Although the frogs are... Continue Reading →
Crazy Canine
This is my cousin's dog. His name is Benny and he stands about six inches off the ground. He's also very old, well for a dog anyway, and he only has about four teeth left. Benny also has a lung condition that requires medication. He coughs a lot, the poor little fellow, and sometimes he... Continue Reading →
Giant Aquatic Water Beetle for main course
For Charlotte, Maddison, and Alannah. Lots of Love from Uncle Mack. Trying out some of the cuisine at Makphet, in Vientiane Laos. https://youtu.be/QC0zpuN7qms
Buddha Tree
The Buddha Tree at Ayutthaya. The Buddha Tree grows amongst the ruins of Wat Mahathat and is one of the most iconic images of Thailand. The head was once part of a sandstone Buddha image occupying the Wat in Ayutthaya, which was the capital of Thailand (then called Siam) at the time. In 1767 the... Continue Reading →