temple magic

We are getting more paintings together,

Photography was more difficult, as the fils for my Rolleiflex were quite expensive and money was getting a bit short.

It got also extremely hot, so we spend a fair bit of time in Bangkok at the air conditioned movie. There were not many air conditioned places around. The most popular cinemas showed spagheti western. Sometimes w saw the twice... just to escape the heat

Thai bliss

In the temples, where we painted, there were always friendly monks to talk to, abit difficult at times, as our English was very poor, and so was the monk's.

But the small towns  had nice teak guest houses and the markets had so much wonder ful fruit and food, we never had tasted before.

In the North

Chiang Mai, Lampang and Lampoon

We got a lift on the back of a truck, lying on huge canvas bags, filled with some hay or stroh we drove through the hot and dusty Thai country side. Lots of small villages and towns, and the sun blazing, we got to Chian Mai with quite a sun burn

painting and traveling in Thailand

The temples were our favorite places, where we also got our first taste of the Buddhist religion/philosophy

the floating market

Bangkok was a mad city, but easy to navigate, all the buses an a certain route were the same colour, so we worked out which route looked at the map at the bus stop and waited for the purple bus. Werner developed hepetatis and we had to go to a doctor, where he went on a drip and got the medicine he needed. He needed a few weeks rest, whilst I roamed through the mazes of China town, also got some artwork to do for the "Bangkok Post" newspaper, where some really helpful young English editors were working. They also gave us an idea, to approach some galleries to show our drawings gouaches and water colours. In a modern looking gallery, run by a very elegant young Thai lady, we got invited to show our work a month later. This gave us time, to go to northern Thailand and paint some more.

She also suggested to contact the German Cultural Institute, the "Goethe institute" for help.

Wonderful people, really happy to help us organize it and look after the opening and the invitation..

we are now in Thailand

After leaving Nepal, we went by train to Calcutta, where we stayed for almost 3 weeks.

The reason for staying there so long, was to get a student card and than get a 40 $ Plain ticket to Bangkok.

Calcutta was an amazing place, full of puzzling people, temples and traffic chaos. But we liked it, and it was quite a shock, to arrive in a totally different culture, somewhat more Western than India, but equally magic and exciting

the lama we will never forget

Here he is in the morning sun performing a puja with his dorje and bell

High on a ridge was this very colourful market.

We passed this colourful lama a few times,

and each time he stuck out his tongue and smiled.

We learned to show your tongue means "hi"

He invited us to his place and walked for quite a while

in the fading light up a steep hill to his

wooden house, build a bit like a Swiss Chalet.

He made some delicious simple food,

rice and curried vegetable.

He had a beautiful lady living with him and a young boy,

who helped him

He chanted us to sleep, and tucked us in.

We felt warm, relaxed and safe.

In the morning we tried a few of his magnificent

robes on and took photos.

We thought often about this evening,

and the kindness of this stranger,

with no language in common

Om Mani Padme Hum, jewel in the lotus

What better place to rest, but in the sun, leaning on a massive mani stone.

Along the path, there were many mani walls, piles of pebbles 

with the mantra om mani padme hum engraved.

 The walls were sometimes quite long and 

had a different level, so the porters carrying heavy loads, 

could lean back and rest their baskets against the stones.

 Perfect for our rucksacks as well

Cold and high

The air was thin and every step made our heart beat very strong

and we were breathing very deep to get enough oxygen to get us moving

after a week we got used to the altitude and were running .

It was fantastic to be up there with the gods

Namche Bazaar, Tiang Poche and around Kumbu

We walked for about 2 weeks to get to Namche Bazaar 

We stayed At Namche Bazaar for a few days and than to Tiang Poche Monestary

and than just walked around the foot hills of Mt Everesest

On the way we met Sir Edmund Hillary with his family and one lone Swiss tracker.

That was the foreigners on the way.

Werner loved the walking, and he knew the name of the high peaks

The Base camp area was a bit disapointing a rubbish tip of cans and bottles

The ceiling of a small temple, shaped like a gate, where we had to pass through

the villagers are always welcoming and very hospitable

Some villages, when we climbed higher and higher have mainly

a Sherpa population

An ancient fresco in a temple with a shy Sherpa girl

In the lower down slopes and valleys the Nepali were busy growing food

We always attracted quite a gathering of people

We met lots of friendly travelers

There on the mountain paths we met many Sherpas, Nepali from Tibetan origin.

All were very friendly and often offered us food or the salty tea.

The villages had many steps and we could buy some vegetables and eggs, etc

We would have collapsed under the loads, the travelers were carrying

Sme Tibetans were just coming from Tibet, and were selling tankas, jewelry or 

rituel instruments like bells cymbals dorjes

It was a lucky day, when we came to a village, on the steep slopes and a market day was on.

The mandarins and vegetables were delicious.

We appreciated everything we could buy