Wordless Wednesday ~ 31: Klaxons

Not exactly wordless but this is probably the most I’ll be saying for a couple of days!  I went to Exit Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia over the weekend.  It was incredible and I got to see Klaxons, my favourite band.  Thankfully, it wasn’t a typical festival camping experience as I stayed with my Serbian friend Maja in her apartment in Novi Sad and she took me around the countryside meeting her friends and seeing the city.  Nevertheless, I am exhausted in ways I had never dreamed possible and so I might be a little but scarce for the next week or so.  I dream of a world where Emm has caught up with all of her comments and blog reading!

Wonderland on water

Back home safely after five days of cruising around in the Northern parts of Mallorca. We were blessed with perfect sailing conditions on our way back home and the 18,5 hours crossing between Formentor and Barcelona went smooth and easy. We had mostly 12-15 knots of wind on the beam or sailed close hauled with almost flat water all the way through. Blue sky on the day, marvelously colorful sunset and a black sky filled with an ocean of stars in the night. Those are the days you get reminded that sailing truly is the supreme way of traveling and living. An ultimate lifestyle for which it would be hard to find a fair competitor. /T

(more pics coming soon)

Phuket Butterfly Release

On Saturday (10th July) I went along to the 4th annual Phuket butterfly release - I had not been to (or even heard about) the previous 3! Yes, this is another very local event which is not promoted to tourists, something that only those "in the know" will know of. Might change a bit next year. During the event which is organised by the Phuket Butterfly Garden, I talked to the director Mr Jaipet Hatthakham - he'd like to make the event bigger.. well, if you are in Phuket next July keep your eyes open!

I heard about it from Tim who works at the Cape Panwa Hotel and is also keen on local events, and also does a blog. He mentioned it to me a couple of weeks ago when we met in Kathu Village at the local festival there. The butterfly release was also mentioned in the Phuket Gazette a few days ahead of the event. I did not think there would be many foreigners there (and I was right, aside from me and Tim I counted half a dozen more), but also I did not realise that this was such a big local event. There were hundreds of people there, lots of school kids, the regional TAT director and other important local folks attended too.

It took place in the Khao Phra Taew forest area of Phuket in the northeast of the island. I drove up, turn right at Thalang on the road to Tonsai waterfall - infact I thought it was taking place at the waterfall, but fortunately a left turn was signposted and the narrow winding road through the rubber plantations had signs every few hundred meters.





(above) I stopped to snap a quick photo of a worker in a rubber plantation - the north of Phuket is full of rubber trees, one of the main industries in Phuket before tourism started becoming important... and rubber is still big business here.



When I found the site of the release I was surprised by the number of cars parked, a bigger event than I had anticipated. The trees were adorned with "Save The ..." banners, there were displays showing caterpillars and cocoons and butterflies, an A/V presentation about the lifecycle of the butterfly, a stage where girls with cute butterfly wings on their backs were making announcements, and a line of covered cages containing the butterflies to be released. School kids everywhere.







Tim's daughter (he told me) is a big butterfly fan, and she could not resist a look under the covers at the cages full of butterflies that would soon be released into the forest. I reckon maybe I should have dragged my kids out of bed, but the event started at 8:30am, on a Saturday.. and after a long week at school, Saturday is a day for a lie in!



The butterfly cages were moved into the trees and hung up on hooks. It seemed each cage had a sponsor and as the release approached it seemed the thing-to-do was have your photo taken with the butterflies...



The actual release... I had in my mind a picture of thousands of myriad coloured butterflies pouring into the sky, a vortex of wings, a fountain of fluttering (excuse my bad poetry)... I had seen somewhere some mention of the word "thousand" but seemed like there were maybe a dozen cages with maybe 20 butterflies per cage, and I think that makes quite a lot of butterflies, but not a thousand. Anyway, as the director said - next year will be bigger. Bufferflies flew out of their cages as they were opened after a countdown (ha, sii, sam, song, neung) and some were helped out.. Tims video (see links at the end of the page) shows his daughter helping some butterflies to freedom.



And with the butterflies flying freely, I snapped a few photos...





And there was the usual young kid, not sure quite what to make of the very big farang, while mum tried to persuade her to give me a smile!



The butterfly release had environmental messages, not only the 'Save The World' banners on the trees. Along with the release was a tree planting ceremony with the kids taking a leading role and very proud they seemed of their saplings.





And then these girls dressed in butterfly wings, the "emcees" for the event wanted their photo taken with me. I obliged. Thais are becoming like the Japanese with their snapshots. Wherever you go.. and don't forget the V sign.



Yes, it was a very local event. But with a message. Phuket should listen to the message. The island has had huge development in the 10 years since I arrived. I think it has peaked now, and while many seaview plots are overfilled with villas and appartments, an area like Thalang is still very rural - it's all farms, rubber trees, palm trees and pineapple groves around here. I hope Phuket can retain it's huge green spaces. I mean, Patong is already gone of course, but.. I'm rambling. Hope to attend next years butterfly release too. I love these kind of events and sure I miss them sometimes, as the promotion is minimal. Gotta keep your ears to the ground!

• Video of the butterfly release by Tim
• Phuket Butterfly Garden website
• Video of the butterfly release by Phuket Gazette

In Colonia St Pere/Alcudia

We have been extremely busy enjoying the serene beauty of some of Mediterranean's most spectacular surroundings both under and above water and we'll be back with you all soon. Our halyard winch is broken and as soon as we get it refitted we'll leave back home to Barcelona.

Be safe until next time!

Menorca

Good news! Menorca and Formentor is on for tomorrow. We're hoping to get a good change to try out our new scuba diving gear and underwater camera in the beautiful waters they offer over there. See you when we arrive.

2010 Phuket Vegetarian Festival - Full Schedule

UPDATE October 2010

Festival now over. Some reports and photos on this blog:

• Bang Neow Shrine Street Procession 13th October
• Vegetarian Festival Part 1 (photos from 7th, 10th, 11th Octber)

Next year (2011), the festival will start earlier, around September 27th - the date is not fixed, it's based on the Chinese lunar calendar.

Dates and schedule now available for the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2010 - it will be held from 7th - 17th October. The what? Oh, come on... you must have heard of the vegetarian festival by now? I think I talk about the Phuket Vegetarian festival quite often... it's my favourite event in Phuket, my favourite time of year, and a photographers dream. I never really took much notice until about 2005, but since 2006 have been blogging the festival and taking lots of photos. Here's some photos and comments from last year:

• Jamie's Phuket - Vegetarian Festival Photos 2009
• Flickr Slideshow - 50 Photos of the Festival



(above) entranced Ma Song cuts himself with a sword - street procession in Phuket Town, vegetarian festival 2009.

The festival mostly takes place around Phuket Town and the many Chinese Shrines in Phuket that reflect the Chinese ancestry of many of the people here. Most of the shrines are in or near the town (Jui Tui, Bang Neow, Kathu, Sam Kong), with a few around other parts of the island. The amazing street processions take place early morning around the town - if you want to see one, it's a good idea to get a hotel in town, as processions start around 7am. If your hotel is in Patong, please note it takes around 30 minutes into town and traffic will be diverted around the procession routes. There are "Jae" food stalls all over the island, but not much around the beach areas. Phuket Town is the place to be.

• Google Maps - Chinese Shrines in Phuket



(above) Street procession in Kathu village - they walk from here 10km to the end of the walk at Sapan Hin in Phuket Town

For more general info and links to many of my blog posts about the festival, the shrines and the food, have a look here:

• The Amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival

It all kicks off on Thursday 7th October in the late afternoon when the "lantern pole" is raised at each temple down which the 9 Emperor Gods are said to descend in the night. I will aim to be at Kathu shrine for this event, as I was last year : Pole Raising at Kathu Shrine. Not much happens for the next couple of days, but the shrines are interesting to visit any evening. The first street procession will be on the 10th October. All processions pass through the old town, all start early (around 7am), all finish at Sapan Hin, right in the south of town.

Vegetarian Festival 2010 - Schedule

Thursday October 7th

At all participating Chinese shrines, starting around 5pm - raising of the lantern pole. Events at the shrines will go on all evening. The lanterns are hung from the pole at midnight, signifying the start of the festival. There will be plenty of firecrackers and fireworks too. Well worth a visit on Thursday evening. I was at Kathu shrine for the pole raising ceremony last year.



(above) prayers at Kathu shrine on the first night of the vegetarian festival 2009

8th - 9th October - there are no big events on the first 2 days of the festival, but you can visit any shrine at any time, and the Jae food is to be found all over the island but mostly around the shrines and especially in Phuket Town.

Sunday October 10th

Street procession starting 7am for Sapam Shrine - this shrine is a few km north of Phuket Town (about a 10km walk from the shrine to Sapan Hin). You will always find the TV news and lots of photographers at the first procession, as everyone wants to get the first photos for the paper, and local TV always covers the festival. Since it's a Sunday, I might try to get to this one.

Monday October 11th

Street procession from Sam Kong Shrine - it's not far from my house - see more here: Sam Kong Shrine. They will walk from the shrine in the north of town not far from Tesco Lotus, past the Bangkok-Phuket Hospital and through old Phuket town. It's not far from my house but the road there is narrow and parking a nightmare.. I might just maybe go early that day and try to see something. (I say this every year, and end up going to see the processions just a couple of times :))

Tuesday October 12th

Street procession - Ban Tha Rue shrine which is in the Thalang area of Phuket in the center of the island - this used to be the main town in Phuket a few hundred years ago and there are several historic temples in the area and an annual festival celebrating the history of Phuket.

Wednesday October 13th

Lots of things going on today... In the morning, a street procession in Phuket Town for the Bang Neow Shrine, which is in the south of the town on Phuket Road, one of the biggest and most important shrines participating in the festival. Bang Neow is only a mile from Sapan Hin, so they walk first north around the old town and then back south to Sapan Hin and back to the shrine. Expect big crowds on this day. There is also a procession for Cherng Talay Shrine which takes place in Thalang district. Maybe a good one to see if your hotel is in Kamala, Surin or Bang Tao.

Later in the day - Fire Walking at several locations including Sapam Shrine, Sapan Hin (participants from Jui Tui shrine) and Sui Boon Tong shrine (just west of the market and not far from Jui Tui shrine in Phuket Town). Fire walking kicks off around 8pm. I have yet to see this, must make an effort!



(above) Pierced and ready to go, Kathu shrine, October 25th 2009

Thursday October 14th

Street procession starting at Jui Tui shrine, which is the biggest shrine in town - you find it just west of the main market in Phuket Town. I went last year - it was crowded but I got lots of photos! Hard to get into the shrine, better to find a spot just outside or along the procession route - the route easy to find - just follow the people!

Later in the day, there are lots of events on the schedule at various shrines including bladed ladder climbing at Sam Kong and Bang Neow shrines and "nail bridge crossing" at Sapam Shrine. Not sure what that is!

Friday October 15th

Street procession from Kathu shrine to Phuket Town. It's a fair walk this one, about 10km from Kathu Shrine all the way to town, around the old town and ending at Sapan Hin. Kathu is my "local" shrine. Only a mile from my house. I have been there early the last 2 years to watch piercing rituals. Want to get there even earlier this year. Things happen early in the morning that are mysterious. I want to be there.

Later in the evening on the 15th - fire walking at Bang Neow, Cherng Talay and Sam Kong shrines.



(above) Getting pierced at Kathu Shrine. If you have a sensitive stomach, don't be there!

Saturday October 16th

The last day of the festival. There is a procession for Sui Boon Tong shrine, then events such as firewalking at Kathu shrine at 3pm - since Saturday is my normal day off, I really must try to see this! And then in the evening/night there is a huge procession around Phuket Town, with people carrying statues of the gods to Sapan Hin. Millions of firecrackers and fireworks. And this year I will be there. It looks mad. I have seen it on TV. I don't think I will take a camera, there will be so much smoke and dust and so many firecrackers, and I hear it's advisable to wear something more than flip flops or you'll get burnt toes!

Sunday October 17th

Around 5pm the lantern poles are lowered at the shrines marking the very end of the festival.

I would LOVE to see all processions and events every night at various shrines, but of course have to work and have a family too.. If you are in Phuket during the vegetarian festival, make an effort. This is unmissable. If you are not sure when to come to Phuket and want to see something different - October 7th - 17th! This is a very special time of year. And don't be afraid of the food! I am (almost) looking forward to a week of tofu and beansprouts.. Joking.. you can get any food you want, but in some areas there are loads of Jae food stalls, so if you are a vegetarian, worth a visit for the food alone.

Lots more information about the festival and lots of photos on this blog. Start at the link below for an introduction and links to various pages on this blog about the processions, shrines and food. October 7th - 17th... see you in Phuket!

Oh, I will just end with my favourite photo from last year, taken just outside Jui Tui shrine in Phuket Town last year, October 24th. I do like a close up portrait.

Wordless Wednesday ~ 30: Red

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