Worth the Visit, Wat Pha Sorn Kaew

A must see when one visits Petchabun is this ginormous house of worship called Wat Pha Sorn Kaew. The name means 'temple on a high glass cliff". According to reviews, this place is surely one of the best, if not the best temple in Thailand. With its great architecture and design, this stands out among the rest I have seen so far.

Walking up through the pathway in a mountainous environment, I was still far from the real thing when I spotted this and zoomed in my camera. First word that came to my mouth was, "Astounding!"

The Main Hall

The facade of the main hall is simply incredible to see. The temple is very distinctive and beautiful. The place is relatively unknown to most people and inaccessible because of the lack of infrastructure and public transportation. As of now, it can be reached by private cars and tour vans.

Roof tops of  surrounding buildings.

All imposing!

Top of the main pagoda

Tiles and pottery pieces

The temple was like a huge mosaic artwork decorated with broken pieces of ceramic dishes of brilliant colours and pottery items. Unlike the typical temples of red and gold colours, the design stands out for its eccentricity yet harmonious with traditional Thai and architectural representations found elsewhere. 

5 Sitting Buddha Statues

But the highlight of the entire visit was to see the vast scenic view from atop the main pagoda. It was very windy and no selfies can be made because my hair kept on flying but the mere fact I stood there in awe, and in amazement simply defines what men can accomplish through will power and faith. 

A feast to behold, spectacular!

Wat Pha Sorn Kaew is a sacred religious site and my faith to both men and God became stronger with this blessed visit. Have a great day!

Paradise Found in Khao Kho, Petchabun

It was a week off for a much needed respite from school so I took a road trip and travelled almost six hours to a place called Khao Kho. Khao Kho is a district of Petchabun Province, northern Thailand. It is called the Switzerland of Thailand. Let the photographs speak for themselves.

This is the view from the bridge before reaching Khao Kho.

Fancy the garden of a cafe.

Seems odd to have a desert theme in a cool, pleasant weather .

The view from the place where I stayed.

The view from the restaurant where I partook delicious Thai food.

And the coming of the fog that enveloped the scenic mountain.
Awesome!

The view from another part of the house when I woke up at 5:45 in the morning.

Welcoming the very few visitors who travel that far.

Perfect landscaping!

Enjoy the bounty of the ground and the mountains.

I am one fortunate soul.
Enjoy life and be happy!

Seven Flowers, Seven Life Lessons

About 500 kilometres and almost six hours of travelling, I finally reached my destination with a sore back and an empty stomach. Though reeling from a bad cough, it wasn't a big deal when I saw the beauty that surrounded me. Taking some shots of several flowers within the vicinity made me see life as something to be grateful for, so I dedicate each flower I encountered to write this positive post.

Fuchsia

The flowers remind me of grace, as in simple elegance, of refinement. I am no longer a young lad and I wanted to grow in grace. I wanted to be better in my speech, in my dealings, in my friendship, and in my own personal viewpoints. 

Rose

The flower reminds me of amicability. Rising above, it gives a certain scent to the air that invites insects such as the bee to meander in its presence. I wanted to seek peace and be in a place where I can live in solemnity yet still be visible to friends so they can come for a visit. 

Cape Honeysuckle

The flowers remind me of exuberance, of blood and how it runs into our system to make us energized, to make us alive. I still wanted to find things that will give me the sparks, the thrills, the challenges but also acknowledging less stress and constraint. Maybe, a walk with God will suffice my need.

Mexican Aster

The flower reminds me of simplicity, not only in its beauty, but also of its existence. Don off the material wealth that eats up our being. Shun things that ruins our behaviour and attitude towards a meaningful existence. Life should be led with simplicity, not frivolities.

Dayflower (maybe?)

The flowers remind me of choices, either good or bad. We made bad choices but we get to put them on the right track with some help. Be it our words, our actions, or our decisions, we make choices because of our free will. Hopefully, we get to make better choices because we are enlightened, not pressured.

Madagascar Periwinkle

The flowers remind me of direction, of symmetry as the undulating lines of the petals flow from one direction to the next. That life is a series of ups and downs, of circles and ripples, of motion and change. And within our own movement, we charge others with our actions. I want to be a mover, maybe a shaker, so that I can be a contributor to the society.

Angel's Trumpet

The flower remind me of awakening, of tolling bells that keep reminding us that we should be grateful. Complaining is easier and a part of us but mere complaints with no actions to change is simply a lost in this game called life. Let the bells be constantly heard,  to wake us up from deep slumber and to mark a new beginning of our chosen path. 

And now I leave you one bunch of flowers to say your piece. 

Have a great weekend, my friends!