For more than 400 years Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand. The Burmese army sacked and destroyed the city in the late 1700s. The remnants of the palace and countless wats (Thai temples) sat decaying for two centuries. The locals, who had established a new town a few kilometers away, were afraid of the ruins and the ghosts they held.

Ayutthaya is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the ruins form Ayutthaya Historical Park. The ruins make a great day trip from Bangkok and are easily accessible by organized tour or train.

Captured: February 8, 2008.

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A Thai Soldier stands guard at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, overseeing the arriving mourners. Princess Galyani Vadhana, sister of Thailand’s King Bhumibol, died after a long battle with cancer, January 2, 2008. The King declared 100 days of national mourning for the princess, who was deeply respected by Thai citizens for her work in arts and music, sports, education, and social welfare.

Each day, thousands of mourning Thais, dressed in black, descended on the Bangkok’s Grand Palace to pay their respects. Memorials and shrines to the princess were set up around the country.

Captured: February 2, 2008.

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It started with this:

I had been meaning to get out at dawn, to shoot from somewhere other than my balcony. If I were brave, I could count the images I’ve posted, all shot from my balcony/sniper’s nest.

Mrs. Stevo and a classmate (who I would interview later in the morning) were sharing the bed. Me, being the dutiful and insomnia affected husband, had taken the sofa. After seeing the above scene I quickly dressed and dashed out as quietly as I could. Shooting at sunrise is difficult proposition: The light changes by the minute. Read the full story

I went for a little walk this morning instead of shooting sunrise photos off my balcony. Stay tuned for a more complete photo essay later this week. (click to see larger image)

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for the data lovers:
[lameda_exif id=930 info="camera,focal_length,iso,aperture,shutter_speed"]

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Nine balconies, at the local police barracks.

Captured: June 5, 2008.

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for the photographers:
[lameda_exif id=927 info="camera,focal_length,iso,aperture,shutter_speed"]

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A alley in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. The photo’s title of Hong Kong Alley is not be confused with Hong Kong Ally. That is someone different and unrelated, and worthy of a post of her own.

Captured: June 21, 2008.

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