Lumpini encounter

What a beautiful day. I think I'll find a sunny spot in this tree to sunbake.



Oh no. A pesky photographer has spotted me. Go away, pleeeease.



He won't go away. I'm outa here.



Bye bye. Don't try to follow me.



photos taken Lumpini Park, Bangkok

Snake temple

Many years ago there was a Chinese Buddhist monk named Chor Soo Kong who came to live in Penang. Like the Buddha he cared for all living creatures—even poisonous snakes. It is said that he gave shelter to snakes from the jungle.

A temple was built in his memory. It was finished about 1850. After it was completed vipers, poisonous snakes, came to stay in the temple. Vipers are still living in the temple today. Although their venom is deadly to humans, they have never been known to attack anyone. The correct name of the temple is Hock Kin Keong, sometimes it's also called the Temple of the Azure Cloud but most people call it the snake temple.


I visited the snake temple recently. There is a room in the temple where there are quite a few snakes. There are some big pythons. You can have your picture taken with them if you wish. There are also a few little guys like this.


Actually, when I got there these snakes were not moving at all. I thought they must be fakes. I asked someone and he said 'No, they like to rest in the daytime. They move around more at night.' Most of them were on a tall stand but this one was on a stand about one metre high. The man prodded it and it started to move. So I took a few photos.


The man explained that all the snakes on the high stand are venomous. They have poison that can kill a man. This one has had the venom removed. They put a red mark on its forehead so they know which one is safe.

I went out the back of the temple where there are some gardens. In trees in the gardens you can see more snakes sleeping.


When I came back inside I took this closeup shot of the snake without any venom.


Some of the others were moving around a little too. So I got on a chair and took this pic of one of them.

Learning to shoot wildlife with a camera

When I was in Thailand recently, my friend, Larry, suggested we go to visit Michel in Kanchanaburi. Michel and his wife, Nong, take fantastic photos of wildlife which they put on flickr. They invited us to come and stay in their house for a few days. Here they are with Nong's grandson.


When we arrived we went to see the Bridge over the River Kwai which was famous in World War II. There was a movie made about it.


The next day we went off into the bush to take photos of wildlife.


Michel is going to give us some tips on taking great wildlife pictures.

After a while, he stopped the Land Cruiser and said 'See, there.'

'What?'

'In the bamboo. Squirrels.'

'Squirrels? I don't see any squirrels. All I see is lots of bamboo.'


Michel pointed and I saw it. Can you see it in the photo above?

Later I got this close-up shot.


I learned the first lesson of shooting wildlife (with a camera). Keep your eyes open and look carefully.

A little further along the track we stopped again beside another clump of bamboo. 'See the bird?'


It took me a while. But I could see it. It's tiny. How did he see it while he was driving?

I got this shot.


And I've learned the second important lesson of shooting wildlife. It's the same as the first. Keep your eyes open and look carefully.

Later we got out of the car and took a walk in the bush. I got this shot all by myself.


OK, so it's only a chicken. But it was free in the bush and it was hard to see against the colour of the straw. Can you see the baby chicken?

Butterfly escape

Once upon a time when Grandpa was in Penang his friend took him to visit Penang Butterfly Park.

Penang Butterfly Park has many interesting butterflies and other interesting things too.

Grandpa saw many beautiful butterflies but he didn't touch them.



He saw a delightful duck but he didn't touch it.



He saw a terrifying tarantula and he definitely didn't touch it.



He got really close to a scary scorpion and even though Grandpa is a scorpion too, he didn't touch it.



When Grandpa met the biggest bug he'd ever seen in his life he became very excited. He looked around and everyone seemed to be looking the other way so he kissed it.



Next Grandpa was arrested by a Butterfly Park policeman who pointed to a sign.



They put Grandpa in Butterfly Park jail.



But don't worry, in the middle of the night while Grandpa was asleep a million butterflies flew into the jail and together they picked Grandpa up and flew with him out through a big hole in the roof of the jail. They placed Grandpa gently on the lawn outside the butterfly park.

The next morning when Grandpa woke he realised he was free. He got out of there as quickly as he could.

The end

Dinosaur adventure

Once upon a time when Grandpa was visiting Kalasin in north-east Thailand his friend Larry said, 'You know, John, Kalasin is famous because they found a complete dinosaur skeleton here.'

'I wonder if there are still any dinosaurs around,' said Grandpa.

'Na. Don't you know anything? They died out years ago. But if you like we could go and take a look where they used to be.'

So Larry and Grandpa set out on Larry's motorcycle. When they stopped Grandpa noticed there were lots of pools of water lying on the ground.

'Hey Larry, what do these pools of water look like to you?'

'They look like pools of water. It is the rainy season you know.'

'Yeah but, haven't you noticed they are shaped like dinosaur footprints.'

'John, you have a wonderful imagination.'

'Yeah. Well what do you reckon that is?'

'Larry,' said Grandpa, 'that sure looks like a somethingorothersaurus to me. I wonder if it's friendly.

'John. Don't go any closer.'

'Well there's only one and there's two of us.'

'Oh, yeah? Well look over there.'

'Wow,' said Grandpa. 'This is really cool. Wait'll I tell my grandkids about this.'

'You can only tell them if we get out alive. Look, they're coming closer.



Just then Grandpa felt something bight him on the bum. He turned around and this whatsitosaurus looked like it was looking for a fight. As you can see, Grandpa wasn't afraid he squared right up to it.

And hit it so hard that he pushed its head out of the top of the picture that Larry was taking.

But there were too many of them.

'I think we're done for,' said Larry.

But just then…

...this guy turned up out of nowhere, grabbed Larry and Grandpa in each of its hands and with one mighty leap took them all the way to Bangkok where Grandpa was able to take this picture.

'Now, how am I going to get my motorbike back?' said Larry.

'I guess that's another story,' said Grandpa.

The End

Temple dogs

Buddhist monks must never harm a living thing. Usually they will not even kill a mosquito. To kill anything, even a mosquito, is to make bad karma. If you go to a Buddhist temple it is OK to wear an insect repellent to keep the mosquitos away from you but you shouldn't kill them.

Lots of animals seem to know that they are safe in a Buddhist monastery and they make their way there. If there is a river next to the wat often the fish come to that spot and monks or other people feed them. There is even one temple in Thailand that is famous because of the tigers there. No one harms the tigers and the tigers don't harm anyone but they are still wild tigers.

In Thailand there are many stray dogs. People often feed stray dogs because that is a way of making merit. Often the dogs find their way to Buddhist temples and the monks look after them. It is usual to see lots of dogs as well as other animals in Buddhist temples in Thailand.

When I visited Wat Phayup with Nid we saw this dog. Its back legs seemed to be a little crippled. It could still walk but its legs didn't work properly. If it tried to scratch itself with its left hind leg, the leg wouldn't reach the itchy spot. The dog would keep trying but just kept going around in circles. We felt sorry for this dog but in the end he needed to scratch his right side and that worked. So then we were happy for it.

love from Grandpa

What's for dinner?

Do you like eating meat? What is your favourite? How would you like to try this kind? These are frogs in a market in Bangkok. Thai people like to eat them. I tried it once. I didn't like it much. I won't bother next time.

Enjoy your dinner.

love from your Granddad

Strange creature

What do you think is happening here? I took this photo of a wood carving on a temple door in Mahasarakham. The creature on the left looks a little like a giant bird and a little like a dragon but it has tusks and a trunk like an elephant. I wonder what it is going to do with the elephant. Do you think it is going to eat it? The elephant doesn't seem to be trying to fight it. Maybe it is rescuing the elephant. From what? I don't know. What do you think?

love from Granddad

Meet the elephant

On the weekend I went to visit my friend who lives on a main road in Mahasarakham. While I was there a procession came down the road so we went outside to take a look. While we were watching the procession these two guys were walking up the other side of the road with this little elephant. They have some kind of food in the bags and if you want to feed the elephant you can buy the food from them.

Later they came back down our side. The elephant came right up to me and was pushing me with its head, looking for some food. It is only a little elephant but very strong. My friend bought some food and gave it to the elephant but it was still looking for some from me. But I didn't feed it because I was too busy trying to get this picture for you.

love from Grandpa John

Visitor

In India I went to stay in the mountains. In Australia we don't get very high mountains. The highest mountain in Australia (do you know what it's called?) is only like a big hill in India. When I was staying at a hotel in the mountains I had some visitors. Here is one of them.

I asked this guy if I could take his picture and he didn't say anything. So I took it anyway. He didn't seem to mind. Maybe if you went to India he could be your friend but I don't think so because sometimes monkeys bite.

love from your Granddad

Strange pet

Hello

I had a visitor last week. Do you know who it was? It was Izmaillah and Isaac's Dad. He came to visit me in Bangkok. I took him around to visit some of my favourite places in Bangkok. Wish you could have all been here too.

We went to a market where they sell pets. There were lots of fish shops—that's pet fish. One shop had lots of rays like this one. I think it wanted me to take it home. I wonder how you take care of a ray. Do you think you could cuddle it? Even if you couldn't it would be a really cool pet, hey?

Soon I will be leaving Bangkok and going to another country. Do you know which one? I've never been to this one before. If you come back and read my blog again later you will find out.

love from your Grandpa

Fun with snakes

When we went to the zoo restaurant we didn't only see the lorises. We also got to meet some snakes. Do you like snakes? Some snakes are dangerous so you shouldn't pick up snakes unless you know what they are and have an adult with you. At the zoo they had some cobras. They are very dangerous. We didn't feel like dying so we left them alone. But this one was quite friendly and doesn't bite people. It is called a corn snake. Grandpa got to play with this snake for quite a while. Do you remember the python that kissed me? This one kissed me on the nose with its tongue.



love from Grandpa John

Grandpa's new friends

Hello

The other night I went to a restaurant in Bangkok that has a zoo. I made some new friends.

This beautiful little animal I have in my hands is called a slow loris. It is a primate. That means it is a little bit like us and a little bit like a monkey. Usually they live in the jungle. They sleep in the daytime and at night they move slowly around the trees. When they see an insect they move quickly and grab the insect because they like to eat insects. They also like to eat fruit.

The one I am holding is a girl. She moves very gently and holds onto my hands so softly and she stares at me with those big beautiful eyes. Oh, I think I fell in love with her. I wanted to take her home. But she has to stay at the zoo. Maybe I can go back and visit her another day.

This is a picture of my friend Ti-tee. The young woman is Ti-tee the other one in the picture is another slow loris. He is the father of the little girl in the first picture. I had a bowl of fruit. I took the pieces out one at a time. He would take them out of my hands and put them in his mouth. He would eat them slowly and then look to me to give him another piece. When it was all gone he looked at me again as if to say 'Do you have any more?' I held the empty bowl up to show him that there was no more. He took the bowl in his two hands and put his head in it and licked all the juice out.

Oh, they are so cute. I hope one day you come to Bangkok and I can take you to meet them.

love from your Grandpa