It was obvious as soon as i landed in Bangkok that i was no longer in sri lanka. I had more of a culture shock this time then i did when leaving London for Colombo. The airport is beautiful and the coach ride into central showed just how developed the city was, as i was taken over massive by-passes and through streets lined with skyscrapers.

There was almost an, anything you can do we can do better atmosphere, especially when it came to Buddhism. Above is only part of what makes the incredibly beautiful, Wat Po. The reclining Buddha lays at a massive forty-six metres long and fifteen metres high, decorated with gold plating on his body and mother of pearl on his eyes and the soles of his feet. Making it one of the biggest in the world. There is no way of describing the presence of this huge monument and how overpowering the whole venue is. Everywhere you look is another, intricately decorated building, covered with gold, mirrors and other precious gems.

I believe i saw the real Bangkok along the riverside. Here you can see just how far Bangkok has has come and how very quickly. Never have i seen such a juxtaposition in architecture. The river is lined with skyscrapers, massive hotels and beautiful restaurants, but in between all of that magnificence are small run down, battered river huts, and people washing their clothes in the river (which is heavily polluted by the amount of traffic that passes through).

Thai puppetry was at the edge of extinction numerous times, but since 2002 has found residency in Bangkok and is now a thriving tourist attraction. This is all down to one man, Joe Louis, of which the company is now named after. The show is powered by traditional Thai dance and often tells the story of Buddhist religion.

The floating market. Should be named, 'hoards of tourist float down congested canal looking at hundreds of stalls with the same tourist shit'.

Bangkok art and design scene is incredible. I visited perhaps the best painting exhibition i have ever seen at the national gallery, where a competition was sponsored by Panasonic. Above, is the house of Jim Thompson. An infamous architect who fused the east with west and revolutionised design in Thailand forever. He disappeared in the 60's whilst trekking and has never been seen since. his house is still as it was and now used as a museum to his genius.

It was whilst trekking in Chang Mai, that i really got to learn about the people of Thailand. Our guides talked about their daily lives with such passion it was inspiring. We asked if they got bored of doing the same thing everyday, knowing, they were never going to leave Thailand. They looked confused and said, 'why would i ever want to leave this place?' and its true. They have everything they want around them. i think this is the first time i had come across such content and it felt amazing.

This a Buddhist residency when people come to school with the aim of becoming a monk. I met a guy the same age as me who had already devoted his life to the religion. he spoke 3 different languages and urged us to speak with him to better his English. he was so happy and totally believed in everything he was doing. As Buddhist cannot ask for money, the whole school and accommodation was built purely on donation, showing once again the country's attitude to the religion.

...the results of 'hip-photography'

The most random night of my life. I learnt to say yes. Because when you say yes, there are no limits. Saying no means everything stops there and then. This night i said yes to complete strangers and ended up in a penthouse suit overlooking the whole of Bangkok. Dj Playing. Swimming in the pool. Bongos. Spliffs. Open Bar. It truly was one of the best nights of my life.

Full Moon. A monthly phenomenon on the night of full moon where it seems, everyone in the world goes to a beach and gets off their face. But when taking a step back, even for just a second, you see how absolutely amazing, creative and beautiful it really is. This is no ordinary party! there are fire throwers, fire limbo and fire skipping ropes. Fireworks. Neon Paint. Neon Everything. You drink out of buckets. Everybody is wearing flowers, and hardly anything else. It really is unlike anything else in the world. At one point i turned and said, 'i totally get what alice in wonderland is now!'

FANTASEA. Apparently Thailands number one attraction, (its certainly its most expensive!) Like Full Moon, i felt like i was majorly tripping out. Everything was so bright, weird children like character with obscure dancing green creatures and neon lights greeted you on route to the actual show which was even worse. Giant elephants in the most ridiculous costumes, standing on each other, mixed with thai dance and acrobats. Beautiful but weird!

Maya Bay. The perfect setting. And the back drop for much of the film, The Beach. A days boat trip took us close to the beach, where we then had to swim to shore and climb through a cave to get to main part of the island. It is completely untouched. Though the mass of tourists makes it hard to picture what Danny Boyle once saw. Nevertheless a breathtaking experience.

DICK TEMPLE. Actually the home of the goddess of fertility, the caved is filled with massive wodden penis'. Apparently if women enter the cave, they are to become pregnant. Im not so sure, but the array of cock was certainly worth seeing ;-)

Going Solo

I had the perfect tour guides for the first two weeks of my trip to Sri Lanka, but i decided it was time for me to head out on my own. Ten minutes out of the front door and I'm confronted by a solider. I had seen them everywhere whilst in the car, but it feels so different when greeted face to face. Sri Lanka is still patrolled by the army to carry out random checks on vechiles. All Sri Lankan citizens have to carry an identity card, this aids the control of who is in the country and to follow their journey. We spoke for a while, and like many other Sri Lankans i had met, he was incredibly happy i had visited his country. He told of how the country was a better place since the end of the war, and his optimism for the future, something he, I'm sure, is to thank for.

Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka is unbelievably beautiful. and not in the typical sense. Though the photographs above show quite a 'perfect' image, the rest of he city is quite different. The two images above show two different buddhist temples. This illustrates the countries devotion to the religion. The country has very little, as i hope to show you soon, and yet, they find the money, materials and time to create such beautiful temples.

Whilst walking the streets of Colombo, I practiced the art from of 'hip photography' a term coined by the master, Andy Warhol. A technique of taking photos at random, from the position of the hip. The results were amazing, capturing the most delicate of scenarios, which i wouldn't have got had i thrust a huge camera at it. For instance, the most simple of activities such as buying fruit, all of a sudden gained an importance. A man sitting at the side of the street, thinking to himself, was no longer on his own, because i now share that moment in time with him. These photos show the real Colombo, the hustle and bustle of a rough and developing city.

After a successful solo trip to Colombo, i ventured further afield to visit the tea plantations. I travelled first class in a 1930's steam train to the center of the island, which, i was soon to discover is unlike any other part, especially the weather. I arrived in my shorts and vest to find, it was called 'little Britain' because of how cold and temperamental it is. I was freezing. Normally i would be requesting air con in the room, this time i needed thermal blankets. Anyway. Tea, is one of Sri Lanka's biggest exports and is perhaps one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen. Tea bushes run for miles to create patterns in the greenland. I managed to photograph some of pickers, Though they made sure i paid them for their 'services'. It certainly made me realise how much work goes into that 'cuppa'

In all the solo ventures were a success and a great 'practice' run for what was to come...