Entries about illustration

During my recent visit to Bangkok, just after Songkran, I made sure not to miss this colourful canal walk between Chinatown and Rattanakosin

If you know me, you must be aware of my fascination for colorful and fascinating street art. I love to visit places that are noted for their vibrant graffiti and murals. And I am always up for arty experiences. Trust me, it is a lot of fun when you turn around the corner and find a beautiful piece of art.

Every artwork has a different story to tell, which is what makes this street unique. If you too enjoy stumbling on random art in nooks and crannies of different cities, this street will leave you mesmerized for sure. I had a great time clicking pictures of the countless murals, made by some of Thailand’s best street artists. And if you are looking for photo-ops, this is the place to find some!

Blue Elephant Phuket is not a casual Thai restaurant, but contrary to what most people think, it is not outrageously expensive (We didn’t say cheap though). Blue Elephant Phuket is perfect for a special occasion, a dining experience to share and remember. We wrote about this fantastic old mansion that used to be a governor’s house, abandoned for a long time in Phuket Town.

Seen from the street, it always had the majesty of a place with a long and mysterious history. They returned the mansion to its original grandeur, and you can now drive up the immense garden alley, leave your car under the trees and proudly climb the stairs like a celebrity to enter the famous Blue Elephant.

Dining in a hundred years old governor’s house adds a new dimension to the experience. The Blue Elephant is a long-established cooking school from Bangkok and a great place to invite your guests or for a romantic occasion. Take the time to walk around the park with your glass in hand and appreciate the majesty of the Sino-Portuguese architecture, shaded by immense trees that witnessed moments of Phuket fascinating history.
As you explore, it becomes easy to imagine how the held parties and ceremonies within these walls. Then climb the stairs to the second floor and walk through the several large rooms with their dark wooden floors and the many windows so typical of this era. Then, it’s dinner time, and you will walk through the ‘Blue Elephant Gallery’ to the air-conditioned indoor or outdoor dining area. Service is as impeccable as you expect it to be, the restaurant and tables setting are beautiful.

I am incredibly fortunate to live on the beautiful Island of Phuket. I am aware that at this time of pandemic and restrictions and lock downs and hardship and much death, I can still for the moment walk fairly freely around my area.

Even so with that I am also aware that the future has changed for me and many of us, and this can become a little overwhelming from time to time, usually resulting in me choosing to stay at home and not venturing out much.
When I do, I try and go to places that I feel will help me feel a little better about my own future here in Phuket. Places where I can forget about the issues of the World and Life and try and breath openly and freely again.

I hope this video helps you too , even if only for a moment.

Music free under creative commons licence from You Tube Music Library
Music Credit: Cold Blue by Astron

It is known that tin was discovered a couple of millennia ago in the Kathu district of Phuket and was mined until 1992 when the last mine on Phuket closed. Cassiterite (the principal ore of tin) was found in abundance in Phuket and the neighbouring Andaman coast (noteably from KhaoLak to TakuaPa).

In the Ministry of Primary Industries(which mining was) and Mines the campus which houses the current offices, has in it's grounds these old machines which were used during the mining in the 20th Century.

Fascinatingly even steam engines sit aside the giant wheels and cogs of these machines, their belts and pulleys long gone!

But it has been tastefully done and was a joy to see on my photographic journey around Phuket.