Do Inthanon

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

Celia and I went to mellow Chiang Ma, Thailand recently for a break. Located in the northwest part of the country it is surrounded by mountains.  Thailand's version of Banff.  We took a day trip from Chiang Mai and here is a little excerpt from our tour descriptor:

From hill tribe villages to tumbling falls, Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai’s best-known mountain, checks a lot of northern Thailand boxes. Hit the highlights in a group capped at just nine travelers to ensure more attention from your guide. Walk the Ang Ka nature trail and stroll to Wachirathan Falls; see the twin royal pagodas; mingle with Karen people at Ban Mae Klang Luang village; and enjoy a Thai lunch.

Here are a few shots from that tour:

Thailand is like 99% buddhist and buddhist monks are everywhere.  This one was seen at the first waterfall we visited.

We then went on a nature walk in a forest, high up on Do Inthanon, a forest that is up in the clouds

Located on the mountain are two pagodas dedicated to the king and queen of Thailand.  The brown one is the king's and the purple one is the queen's.  The queen's pagoda is the more elaborate and expensive one.  Of course.  I added two pics from the internet because my pics just don't do it justice.  Also the weather was not that great.

The nature walk through the jungle was awesome.  Waterfall after waterfall...

Snake

We then came out to some terraces.  Strawberries.

Marigold

Rice.

Coffee beans.

 Visit at the Karen village.  Coffee and weaving.

All in all it was a great tour.  Very interesting.

Have a great week.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

A Wedding In Manila

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

My brother in law, Joe, married his long time sweetheart Jody a few weeks ago in Manila.  Celia and I were there and I tried to fit in wearing a double XL Barong, which is what Filipino men wear on formal occasions such as weddings, funerals or state functions.  Its' pretty sweet.  Very light weight, and transparent you have to wear a white undershirt underneath to avoid embarrassment.  So basically you are wearing a white tee shirt with a see through covering.  Not bad for the plus 30 days you get pretty well every day in the Philippines.  Anyway, my efforts to blend in being a 6 foot 6 white guy amongst a crowd of filipinos who range from 5 ft 2 to 5 ft 10 was not entirely successful.  Whatever, it was a great wedding, filipinos are awesome and I had a great time. 

 Modelling my XXL Barong.

 With my lovely filipina wife wearing her traditional filipiniani dress.

With a host of filipinas.

At the outdoor venue.

 Here comes the bride and out come the phones.

Rather an elaborate ceremony with catholic influences.

 The congregation on this very nice day.

Photo taking time.

It was an honor and a great time to be part of Joe and Jody's special day.

Have a great week everyone!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Intramuros

Intramuros (Spanish for "within the walls") is the 0.67 square kilometres (0.26 sq mi) historic walled area within the modern city of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is administered by the Intramuros Administration (IA) with the help of the Local Government of Manila. IA was created through the Presidential Decree No. 1616 signed on April 10, 1979.^[2] IA is tasked to rebuild, redevelop, administer and preserve the remaining pre-war buildings, structures and fortifications of Intramuros.

Intramuros is also called the Walled City, and at the time of the Spanish Empire was synonymous to the City of Manila. Other towns and arrabales (suburbs) located beyond the walls are referred to as "extramuros", the Spanish for "outside the walls".^[3][4] It was the seat of government and political power when the Philippines was a component realm of the Spanish Empire. It was also the center of religion, education and economy. The standard way of life in Intramuros became the standard way of life throughout the Philippines. The Manila Galleons which sailed the Pacific for 250 years, carried goods to and from Intramuros (Manila) and Acapulco, Mexico.

Construction of the defensive walls was started by the Spanish imperial government in the late 16th century to protect the city from foreign invasions. The Walled City was originally located along the shores of the Manila Bay, south of the entrance to Pasig River. Guarding the old city is Fort Santiago, its citadel located at the mouth of the river. Land reclamations during the early 20th century subsequently obscured the walls and fort from the bay. The Battle of Manila in 1945 devastated Intramuros. It is the place where the occupying Japanese Imperial Army made their last stand against Allied soldiers and Filipino guerrillas. The battle destroyed its churches, universities, houses, and government buildings, most of which dated back to the Spanish Colonial Period.

Entrance of Fort Santiago, Intramuros in 2011

Intramuros, particularly the Fort Santiago, was designated as a National Historical Landmark in 1951. The fortifications of Intramuros, collectively called "Fortifications of Manila", were declared as National Cultural Treasures, by the National Museum of the Philippines, owing to its architectural, scientific and archaeological significance.^[5] San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, is located within Intramuros.

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

Last weekend Celia and I went to Manila for a wedding, but before the big event I had a chance to visit Intramuros with some inlaws.  It was very interesting time:

 Manila Cathedral 

 We took a horse drawn carriage for a little tour.

 San Augustin Church

 The door of love.

 Early Spanish Missionaries. 

 Inside was quite spectacular.

 Large music sheets for church members hundreds of years ago.

 Later we went to a Spanish style dwelling.

 A bamboo bicycle.

 Local scenes:

A very interesting place.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk