Concrete Soldiers

Discouraged by an overly crowded, rather costly and generally unpleasant visit to a temple, my day took a positive turn when, to my excitement, I discovered a reckless duet of local decorators, scaling a handcrafted bamboo scaffolding to paint the wall.

“...and if you continue to question my ability to lead this expedition, I simply shan’t invite you next time.”

I can only assume that my camera and I had inadvertently intruded upon a secret syndicate of suspicious activity. They were onto me, and the call was being made. If I was going to survive this, then I needed to escape quickly - while I still could.

High above the city streets, straddling as much data as one man could possibly handle he gazed down towards a sweating man wielding a camera aimed directly at him. Either that or he was looking at that sweaty mans girlfriend who was a far more attractive sight. Either way the sweating man down below seized the opportunity and captured the photograph.

The market was dense and featured more food options than we were able to process. Chatting to a local we asked for recommendations. It was suggested to us that we try the pigs brain. This was both the first and last time we asked a local person for food suggestions.

As the hustle and bustle of the market ground to a halt, a moment of opportunity arose. This, he thought to himself, was just enough time to reflect on every single one of his regrettable life decisions.

As we neared the site my initial fears became a reality. We’d encountered a fur trader. These poor creatures had been captured from their natural habitat, tagged and bagged. They would then likely be shipped all around the country and kept as playthings for children. Take a stand. Stop this injustice!

There he sat: King of this majestic domain. Perched proudly atop a glamorous throne, we could feel his judgmental gaze shattering our confidence as we strolled past. He ruled here - and we had arrived uninvited.

Not only were the monks peaceful and welcoming, but I felt humbled by their life-long dedication, and journey towards self-improvement and spiritual enlightenment. It was in this soulful, mentally enriching temple that I realised my goals in life needed to be more substantial and numerous than 'wanting a Playstation 4'. I still want one of those, but I’ll try to aim higher once I own one.

As we journeyed from one island to another I felt an air of regret that we'd chosen to sit below deck where the air was thick with diesel fumes. When we disembarked I felt thankful that we weren't as sunburnt as the people who had chosen to sit outside.

Arriving at the island we were asked to disembark the ferry out at sea. With our travelling luggage on our back and the waves rocking the boats we stepped off the deck of the ferry onto a small long tail. Here we travelled to the shore. Holding our bags above our heads we then jumped off the boats into the water and walked up in to the beach. We had arrived in paradise along with the other million tourists.

Anything an islander could ever possibly need was kept here at the local convenience store. Assuming, that is, you’d never need anything more than a tank of petrol, a bag of salted nuts or a nylon bag.

Hidden deep within the fabrics and textures she sewed away patiently.

Honestly, I forgot to write a good caption for this one. Any suggestions feel free to email me.