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                 Maybe not the best, but still! I liked the setting, and the open door
                 adds to it. Graffiti in Bangkok, Thailand.

Sketchbook 0028

                With Paul Wunderlich in mind...

                "stop the world....  " playing in the background.

good to know 008

A map for Mae Sariang and surroundings. Got it from the owner of the Road Side Guesthouse. Rented Bikky's motorcycle for a day, she was the cook. Love used maps, couldn't figure out what the arrows and X's meant. It looks a bit ridiculous trying to follow the arrows as guides.

The Road Side Guesthouse is quite nice and serves excellent food. Don't try and order food around six in the evening though. That's when they serve the Chiang Mai bound busses. Also not a good time to use the shared bathroom facilities, although they were kept very clean at any time.

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                Thai (traditional) theatre Chiang Mai, Thailand.

                Plays based on plots drawn from Indian epics are staged in Thailand
                since the Middle Ages. Most popular, Thailand's national epic
                Ramakien ("Glory of Rama").
                There are only expressive gestures, no spoken lines. Loads of players
                in costumes and masks mime the action while a chorus sings the story
                in the background.

Good to know 0007

A diary page from November 2006, Vietnam. Starting of a Cat Ba island in Vietnam (Halong Bay area) to a hotel in Ninh Bin. Get a motorcycle taxi to the nearest bus stop for starters. Arriving at a hotel on another motorcycle cab just in time to get your evening dinner. Being a tourist takes a lot of effort...for some at least. Not having a travel plan might get you stranded, but there is always a solution around the corner. This stage worked out fine, one might opt for the less satisfying all in travel package.

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               Early morning and the Angkor cleaning crew is ready for duty. Angkor 
               archaeological site, Cambodia 1998. Not to be confused with the
               Angkor beer crew.

Leisure & pleasure; lingering...

                Always a nice place to spend a quiet afternoon, a Chinese temple.
                And indeed, you don't need to be a believer. Without a doubt,
                Lingering should be on your agenda on a regular base.

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                            Visiting the temple of Bacchus at Baalbek in Lebanon.
                            The Corinthian colums are 19 m high,  19 are left
                            standing. Situated in the Beqaa Valley.

Leisure & pleasure; portrait in pink.

An original portrait on a Jaipur street corner. Instant development in his camera / darkroom on a tripod. The umbrella is a lighting device, the green bucket a rinsing tool. The portrait comes in black and white, 1 paper negative and 2 positives. Jaipur is also known as the pink city.

Sketchbook 0027

                 A bit of Leonardo Da Vinci in the background.

Leisure & pleasure; Jodhpur blue.

 

                Jodhpur is a nice place to stay for a few days. No need to stand out 

                every day, blending in is fine once in a while.

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                 Woman on a couch. White stripes....even more coal black ones

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                A coffee break in Hongsa, Laos. Love the snacks, only pay what you
                eat. You can cross the border from Nan province (Thailand) at
                Huay Kon. More on this border crossing at the Nan guest-house site.
                There is an authentic market near the bus stop serving local food.

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                 More on penn's corner. Soon the real work will start on a series of
                 solar plate prints.

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                 Bangkok graffiti or street art? and a drunk tourist on Thanon Phra Athit.

                

Leisure & pleasure; Minsk adventures.

           The lovely Minsk 125 two stroke, a fun ride when it does. A breakdown is
           inevitable, but that shouldn't spoil the day. The Chinese scooters aren't any
           better for that.
           Vietnam is great on a motorcycle, beats the tourist bus any day...

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            A bit of Leonardo and a bit of Altamira. The "Cave".

On the road 0008

                Visiting "out of my mind" by Axander Pamm.

                 Working, inspired by DJ Bears live mixing set.

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                Digital print came as a bonus with the first 50 books of
                "The graphic code of a life well spent". It's called "small bottle".

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                 A suspension bridge near Nan, Thailand. One of a few left in Nan
                 province. Felt like a real Indiana Jones when crossing....  Love the
                 way it ends up in a forest. Heading out from Nan airport, about 7 miles.

Leisure & pleasure; Wild party!

                 Got invited to some festivities near the Angkor archaeological site.

                Can't remember what the little festival was about. All young girls
                dressed up, presenting sugar filled baskets to the monks. Later at night
                it turned into a raving party for the local youth. As at all festivities
                accompanied by a nightmarket. 1997 or 1998, Angkor - Cambodia.

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                  Chiang Mai street art (graffiti). Backstreets near Wat Saen Fang.

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                 Pictures at an exhibition. I just love wide-angle photography.
                 Paintings by Axander Pamm.

Leisure & pleasure; balloon spectacle!

                The Chiang Mai balloon spectacle. Handmade hot air balloons are
                send of with blast of a torch. A little airplane is attached to the balloon
                with firecrackers. High in the sky it goes rumbling of on a one- time
                contest ride. Judged on length and quality of its journey the winning
                team is selected. This one is from 1996, wonder if it still exists. Used
                to be at the Loi Kratong festival.

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                 Loi Krathong in Mae Sot, 2010. Resulting in loads of lights floating
                 on the waters all over Thailand, and... the inevitable night market snacks.

on the road 0007

                   Hey, you can come and visit Sarcophagus at "SASK", Hasselt.
                   All kinds of artworks on display from 22/06 until 26/06 - 2013.

Sketchbook 0022

                  Working on a new idea. Using waste drinking cans, and etching
                  techniques.

Leisure & pleasure; sunset at Angkor wat.

                A must do, sunset at Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

               It tends to be crowded these days, but nevertheless. This was taken
               around 1998. The nearby town of Siem Reap is used as a visiting base
               to the Angkor temples and surroundings. From late October to early
               January about two million tourists pass through this town.
               My guesthouse manager made this claim when we went to the Angkor  
               photo festival last November.

Poom 3 restaurant

                 Poom 3 restaurant, Nan. Amongst my favourites in Thailand. Sharing
                 a meal with friends. They have an excellent massaman curry on their
                 extensive menu. Chef Uthai Tantrakul is also head of Nan's tourism 
                 association.

Leisure & pleasure; Cambodian rice fields!

                Cruising The Cambodian rice fields, near Siem Reap. You can rent a 
                bike, bringing your own or a rental from Thailand might cost you a
                little fortune at the border. And, yes... sock coffee is nice. Hot or Iced.

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                             Pinhole photography at Lacock church. Close to
                             Lacock abbey, once home to William Henry Fox Talbot. 
                             It now houses the Fox Talbot museum, Lacock Abbey.

                          The oriel window of Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, England.
                          The earliest surviving paper negative photograph.
                          A pinhole picture of the window by Dicky Vlayen if you
                          follow this link. Scroll down until you come across.

Leisure & pleasure; Indian Graffiti!!

                Indian temple scene. Modify a picture or a postcard and send to your
                friends. Would be nice, life size on a wall.

Leisure & pleasure; playing pool on a snooker table.

                 Playing pool in an Akha village near Chiang Rai, Thailand. Lovely
                 and entertaining sport.

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                 Waiting for the elevator. Down town Kuala Lumpur, at Wheeler 
                 guesthouse. As ever, yellow is a link!!

Leisure and pleasure; Save our environment!!!

A public performance near Tae Pae gate, Chiang Mai. Thai students protesting against our destructive economy responsible for a disastrous impact on our climate.

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                 Palmyra, Syria. Not much of a holiday destination for the moment,
                 hope things change for the better soon.

Leisure & pleasure; Dinosaur museum.

Take a step back in history. Visit the lovely dinosaur museum at Savannakhet, Laos. It is a must on your to do list! Let's do the time warp!

Leisure & pleasure; tropical rain.

 

               Watching the rain go by from a front seat at the Gecko bar, Bangkok. 

               Have a drink, the sun will be back at some point.

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                Sisaket, Thailand. Selfportrait.

Sketchbook 0021

                Our blind cat, Moby. He is long gone, came across his picture lately.

Leisure & pleasure; opening night.

Opening day; Great expectations by Olivier Martens & Dicky Vlayen. Photographs by Dicky Vlayen. Fancy dresser in position.

Leisure & pleasure; disappearing act.

             Disappearing act at Wat Arun. Blending into the background can be fun!

on the road 006

                              Packing, unpacking. Showing some of my work to
                              potential buyers and art galleries.

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                New year's eve 2013, Hasselt, Belgium. Preparing a German kind of
                alcoholic beverage. I'll stick to the beer, thank you!

                Feuerzangebowle!

Sketchbook 0020

Love public transport, especially in Laos and Myanmar. This trip was in 2007. From Sam Neua to Nong Khiaw. Overcrowded as always. Public transport being late is pretty normal up here. Loads of lovely people and a few animals as well. This kind of trips are disappearing fast. That's evolution as well.

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                 N° two ready as well. Next week we will be printing both stones.

Good to know 0006

               Aids campaign in Laos, 2006. Supported by www.psi.org.

               People campaigning on public transport with condoms and a dildo
               made most Laotians passengers a bit uncomfortable. But after
               accepting free condoms as a tourist they were eager to have some
               as well.