Niagra Falls

Such a huge contrast between the simple, natural beauty of the falls and the carnival-like atmosphere of downtown Niagra Falls. We had a hotel room with a view overlooking the falls (as opposed to the Burger King Frankenstein), which was especially great at night when they were lit up in a rainbow of colors.

Chiang Mai -- Thailand's fantastic north

We took an overnight train from the Bangkok area (Ayuthaya) to Chiang Mai, located in northern Thailand near the Myanmar border. This is a great town full of cafes, good restaurants, markets, museums, Buddhist temples.




An early-morning Buddhist offering set up outside a Chiang Mai bar


I took this photo at Chiang Mai's Museum of World Insects & Natural Wonders, run by a researcher of malaria and his wife (an entomologist).





Buddhist monks preparing for the 3-day Chiang Mai Flower Festival

Ayuthaya: ancient Thai capital

Ayuthaya, about a 90-minute train ride north of Bangkok, was the capital of Siam from 1350 to 1767. During that period, about 70 wars took place, the last of which resulted in almost total destruction of the city by the invading Burmese. Ayuthaya was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1991, and the listing states that the sites here 'represent a masterclass of genius the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.'


A local tuk-tuk decorated with paintings of Ayuthaya ruins


Our first tuk-tuk driver in Ayuthaya who took us around to explore some of the sites







Huge reclining Buddha at Wat Lokayasutha (above 3 photos)


Nobody knows how this sandstone Buddha head ended up entwined in the tree roots at Wat Phra Mahathat. The head is purported to be the most photographed image in Ayuthaya.




Another huge Buddha, this one, about 60-feet high, located at the lovely and hectic Wat Phanan Choeng

Wax Buddhist monk statues at Wat Kudi Dao, near Ayuthaya Floating Market

Morning tea break at an Ayuthaya market

More from Bangkok

I took the 4 photos above at Bangkok's Wat Pho, a Buddhist temple that contains Thailand's largest collection of Buddha images.





It took me a few tries to get this shot right.


Photo taken at Bangkok's National Museum, supposedly the largest museum in Southeast Asia

This is Bangkok's Khao San Road area, where most travelers -- hippies, backpackers, flashpackers, package tourists, global nomads -- inevitably pass through when exploring Southeast Asia.

Bangkok

Bangkok has a great water-taxi system for traveling to sites along the Mae Nam Chao (River).


Statue at the entrance to the magnificent Grand Palace. I also shot the 3 photos below at the Grand Palace during my first morning in Bangkok.









The photo above and the two below were taken at Bangkok's main train station, Hua Lamphong. This is where Dawn and I will depart from the day after tomorrow when we head to northern Thailand ...






Tuk-tuks (3-wheeled vehicles) are a cheap and enjoyable way to get around in downtown Bangkok.


I took this photo and the 2 below at Wat Pho, a large and beautiful Buddhist temple near the Grand Palace.

These towering "Chinese stone dolls" at Wat Pho (above and below) are scattered throughout the grounds and come in various forms, including Marco Polo. Originally they were stored in hulls as ballast to help stabilize ships during trade with China.

Papal Fever

The calm before the storm. Traffic is diverted from Roxas Boulevard in Manila in preparation for the Pope's 18 January visit.


It's estimated that about 6 million people came to see Pope Francis today here in Manila (about 12 times more people than at Woodstock). As far as protecting the Pope, during the past couple of days Manila has been under a security lockdown, with Internet and phone services frequently cut, a no-fly zone in effect, land and sea travel restrictions, and about 50,000 police and troops deployed (several thousand of these security personnel were even asked to wear adult diapers so they wouldn't have to leave their post).


Over 86% of the Filipino population is Roman Catholic.

It rained throughout the day in Manila.