Throwback Thursday is a chance for me to talk about my previous work and personal life. It’s a window in to my world framing the steps and the journeys I’ve taken to get to where I am today. I’ll be sharing these posts on random Thursdays in hopes that you will get to know me as a person and a photographer. Thanks for viewing! Here goes nuttin….

Living My Own Fairy Tale

Chiang Mai, Thailand

The other day I a took the chance to sneak off to a matinee with my Mom. We opted for Tangled, the new Disney flick. There is a scene in the movie where Rapunzel and her Stud Muffin are at a night festival celebrated with thousands of floating, lit lanterns. Kinda like tiny hot air balloons. If you don’t know what I’m talking about check out this clip. To my point…I had the privilege of enjoying a festival just like this with my Stud Muffin on our honeymoon. We took a 3 week trip to Thailand and Chiang Mai was one of our first stops. This Throwback Thursday will be about the amazing people we met along the way and the experiences we shared with them. The portraits don’t give them justice but they will have to do.

Meet our Mom away from home. “Mom” owned the Teak Guest House we stayed in while residing in Chiang Mai. She is a warm soul and insisted that she personally drive us to the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. While on our way to the temple we drove by a rice field that was owned my “Mom’s” family. We had to stop for a quick pic!

Dave and I have a rule that “If you can go to the top, you must go!”. Teak House Mom finally dropped us off at the temple, the very, very bottom of the temple.

We climbed the hundreds of steps leading to our destination, the temple Wat Prathat Doi Suithep.

Once we arrived, and caught our breath, we were greeted by Teak House Mom who guided us around the grounds. We poked in and out of the various temples and were confronted by a pleasant monk who asked us to purchase our birth candles. The proceeds went to preserving the temples. How could we say no?

We were directed to carry our candles to the neighboring temple, light them and bow in prayer. The small, circular temple was lined with floor mats for kneeling and was illuminated by previous candles of prayer. My candle was placed beside Dave’s. I prayed for our future together and safety in our adventures to come. I still don’t know what he prayed for, never asked. Honey!?!?!?

Back down the temple. We then ventured into town and stumbled across a small bar that reminded me of a local place you might find in Berkeley, CA. This is where we met Mr. Ban.

Mr. Ban seemed to spend a lot of his time at this bar. When he wasn’t hanging out at his local watering hole he was home creating art and developing alternative energy sources out of soda cans to provide electricity for his home. Needless to say, he had a lot to say. He was accompanied by the proprietor of the bar who clued us in on the name. Barli loosely translates to “Hook up bar”.

Enough drink and intellectual talk. Time to hit the markets and find dinner.

Banana pancakes and fried squid! Mmmmm, all you can eat.

There’s Dave again, staring at assorted bbqd meats. You may find many images just like this one throughout my Throwback Thursdays. We spend a lot of time following Dave’s nose.

My husband has another passion.

You guest it. Watches! Chiang Mai’s night markets are notorious for knock off items of various brands. The vendors flood the streets and the tourists surround their tables prepared to haggle and bargain.

Once we were fully decorated we moved onto the the night festival and the real reason for making the trip to our new found home, Loi Krathong. Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. Loi” means “to float” and a “krathong” is traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk. The festival is believed to originate in an ancient practice of paying respect to the spirit of the waters. Today it is simply a time to have fun. That’s why we went!

Young women dressed in traditional garb paraded to the local river that ran through Chiang Mai. They carried their floating candles that they released down the river.

The other tradition was for the locals and participating public to light lanterns and release them into the air.

We met two friendly Aussies, Nate and Bec. We spent the evening with them participating in these traditions together. I wonder how they’re doing.

And this is where I steal a moment with my Stud Muffin and participate in my very own fairly tale.

Paying tribute to our loved ones at home. We released our lantern into the sky in recognition of our new beginning as a married couple. Awww, tear. If you’re wondering, Mitchell is our Beagle. I’ll blog about it on a later date.

THE END!

Happy Thursday, Erin