The travels and musings of Matt and Heidi
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 →
Views from the Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree Hotel, 61 floors above Bangkok.
Located in the grounds of the old Ayutthura city is the temple of Wat Phra Si Sanphet. It includes the tombs of three Kings. Wat Phra Si Sanphet was the holiest temple on the site of the old Royal Palace in the ancient capital. It housed a gold Buddah 16 meters high (over 300 kg of gold) and... Continue Reading →
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 →
Vientiane night market panorama with the Mekong in the background and Thailand off to the distance.
Following in his father's dubious footsteps 😉
Just before leaving Oxford to emigrate to Sydney Mel gave me Oxford Bear. Since 2007 he has come with me on my travels. I introduced him to Matthew. They get on well. And now Oxford Bear is exploring Asia. Ayutthaya was one of his favourites.
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 →
One of the highlights of our trip to Bangkok was a visit to the Ayutthaya historical park. It was once one of the largest cities in the world. The ruins still beautiful. History Ayutthaya city (full name Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Thai: พระนครศรีอยุธยา) is the capital of Ayutthaya province in Thailand. Located in the valley... Continue Reading →
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 →
Wish You Were Here 