Meg and Dave Go to Thailand
*All photos were shot on Kodak Portra Endura 400 of Lomography Color 100. Cameras were Pentax K1000 with Zenitar 16mm or Lomography Fisheye
Meg and I were really in need of a beach vacation and we both have always wanted to go to Thailand. Our planning for winter vacation was fairly disorganized, haphazard, and under most criterion chaotic. Meg wanted to to Thailand and Cambodia. I wanted to see motorcycle and car stuff and relax. Our first snag was a mix up in my vacation days which led to the re-booking of our tickets to Bangkok. We chose 10 days that fell between both our vacation schedules. The first thing on our itinerary was Formula Drift Thailand at Pathum Thani Speedway!
The white car is Ken Gushi, one of my favorite drivers from the Formula Drift USA Series.
Two Thai drivers tearing it up in practice. The best motorsport event I've been to.
We booked a beautiful spot for our first two nights near the racetrack. I think this hotel ended up being one of the highlights of our entire vacation!
The sunset's in Thailand were an amazing palette of golden oranges while we were there and they last for quite a while.
The sunrise was just as beautiful as well. You didn't even have to get out of bed to enjoy it!
This was from the restaurant side looking at our villa. They grew their own mushrooms and made the most amazing food. We really did lap it up the first two days here.
Koh Samet
The next day we were traveling to Koh Samet, the closest beach island to Bangkok. Megan and I had never seen white sand beaches before coming here and it really was the place for just that!
We had to take a ferry ride just to get to the island!
The water had already started to look blue!
Lomography Fisheye
The six images below were taken with our Lomography toy fisheye camera. It's a really neat camera because we weren't scared to drop it in the water. It's all plastic and even has a flash. Really just a step above a disposable but super fun and really light.
Megan calls this picture "The Invisible Beer". She was actually grabbing for the camera but it looks like she's toasting.
I was making fun of the frolicking ladies on the beach. Joke's on me though as Megan snagged this candid.
The mirror glasses were fun... until I lost them in the water the next day. I ended up getting sunburn on my eyes while in Cambodia because I refused to buy another pair because I knew I had more at home.
This image pretty well captures how unbelievable the beach truly was. If there were no people and boats in your line of sight it really was the perfect view!
This photo makes me laugh because someone was totally watching us as I managed to pull off taking a 35mm film "selfy" while standing in sharp coral!
Mmm lense flare... I might play with this image some more.
This was the part of the beach our hotel was on. There were cool beach side cantinas and fire dancing at night! Meg took all of those pictures digitally though.
This section of beach was further down island and we kind of pretended we were staying at another resort to see this beach. It was worth it, as all of the old rich Russian tourists who were staying here already knew, this was the gem of the island.
Megan was vibrating with excitement, so much she almost dropped her phone in the water trying to get a good "selfy" with the coral and white sand behind her.
Cambodia in Color
Meg and I left Koh Samet and went back to Bangkok to catch a bus to Cambodia. The busride from the pier to Bangkok may have been the worst part of our vacation. Of a bus of 48 seats we drew the short straw of sitting behind two of the most inconsiderate Chinese women we ever had see. They could have been over 5 feet tall but they had to recline there seats back as far as they could go until their head were between our knees. At no point was their any sign of remorse. But the next day's busride to Cambodia was pleasant and we arrived in Siem Reap.
Angkor Wat
This was actually just the wall of the outside perimeter. It was the only this that I could stand and look down on to show how big everything was.
This was a hallway. There were open air pools on both sides of it.
Meg always smiles good when I tell her i'm just starting a new roll.
This was a small piece of the mural that runs the outside wall of the temple. The detail is super small but the scale makes you wonder when you see how big it all is.
Strangely enough there were naked women all over the temple.
Some of the prettier sandstone. This was just the railing of the promenade. It's taller than me.
Meg and I watched Tomb Raider after we came back. It's turns out they filmed the floating village scene in this pond so Angkor Wat was in the background. But movie magic reveals it's just a pond.
This was one of the monkey's Megan made friends with. He plays a starring role in a video I am trying to put together for another blog post.
Day 2 in Cambodia: Ta Som, The "Floating Village", and Tuk Tuk Rides
This little guy smiled for this picture, but I can promise he was sucking out my soul with his eyes as he told me how badly he needed me to buy 10 postcards from him. What you don't see in this picture is the 4 other merchants surrounding Meg and I as we were looking at some pants. They set up shop at what ended up being my favorite Strangler Fig Tree/Temple Entrance of the whole park.
Above and below are what the merchants were counting on people coming to see at Ta Som. It took some patience to get these two pictures because people were streaming in and out of the doorway as well as merchants walking in and out of frame chasing other tourists.
Ta Som again but from the other side of the two pictures above.
Our tuk-tuk driver suggested we see the "Floating Village". It ended up being a rickety boat ride around what to me seemed like day-fishing sheds and small fish processors. Nothing led me to believe anyone actually lived here. It was quite expensive but the tuk-tuk ride to and from the dock was nice.
This was the picture the "guide" knew I was taking.
This was the honest photo that showed him as he was throughout the ride. He seemed pretty sad and worn out with his job. I imagine he sees a lot of people and at the end of the trip it's his role to beg for a tip.
Locals riding their bikes back from school.
To our right an older couple hauling "who-knows" and on the left a roadside bar with no ice or cooler. It actually cost's extra most places for iced water, and you see the ice trucks loading ice block in the morning. Mmm.... warm Cambodia brand beer!
This was a split-double exposed image but it still got the point across of what it was like to ride in a tuk-tuk. We never slowed down as this truck pulled out in front of us. Pretty cabinets though!
Meg trying to shoot the faster traffic passing by.
Some more toy camera shots
Day 3: Moto Ride with Khmer Ways to Beng Melea and Chau Serai Vibol
Water Buffalo
Meg's practice stretch. (I was so proud!)
This picture was taken shortly before I reminded Megan she could take her helmet off while she wasn't one the bike. One of my favorites if not the best color photo of the set.
Chau Serai Vibol is one of the few temples which has had no restoration work whatsoever. To the right of this image there is a gorgeous tree that Megan photographed digitally.
Proof Megan can ride a motorcycle.
This photo made me feel kind of strange after I saw it again in processing. While I was taking these photos these little girls were sitting and talking watching us and another couple play on the natural vine swing. As we walked away the other couple left in the opposite direction with the little girls leading. They were hired by the couple to guide them through the temple. So here's this photo of an adult woman playing on a swing, while two little girls are working in this beautiful place.
That's all of my film shots! Thanks for reading and looking through them. I am going to try and talk Meg into writing a post with her digital photos and then hopefully I can get the video finished. Here's the link to the last post if you missed it!
http://kissmeimkorean.blogspot.kr/2014/01/meg-and-dave-go-to-cambodiadaves-b.html
Thanks again
Dave (and Meg)
