Travels – Dmitry Borko

Savannaket. Our guide

Savannaket is a small city, and its historical center is even smaller. This is especially pleasant for tourists: on an area of half a square kilometer you can find about a hundred old buildings and a lot of illustrations on the theme of the connections and mutual influence of Asian and European cultures. In a … Continue reading Savannaket. Our guide

Two artists met in the markets

There is such a people – the Hmong. They lived in the mountainous regions of China, but they were systematically forced out to neighboring countries (Laos, Thailand, Vietnam), and during the war in Laos, many were forced to flee to Thailand. The Hmong are masters of embroidery, weaving and silverwork. There is a small Hmong … Continue reading Two artists met in the markets

Phrao Valley – “Nothing amazing place” in the Thai North

Возможно, кто-то скажет, что долине Пхрао не стоило посвящать столько слов. Или наоборот, стоит начинать знакомство с севером Тая именно с таких, “не примечательных” долинок. Которые и составляют сущность здешних мест.

Secrets of the town of Pre. Part One: The Secret War

A tiny town (which does not prevent it, however, from being the capital of a small region of the same name) with the French name of Phrae, lost in the hills of northern Thailand, turned out to be full of surprises and secrets. For example, there is a museum of the Second World War. Although I have always been sure that Thailand did not participate in hostilities.

Wat Intharawat (Wat Ton Kwen). The ideal temple for europian

This is one of my favorite Thai temples. And I would say it is ideal for the perception of a European.

Wat Ubosot. The smallest temple

Since we accidentally stumbled upon it, wandering through the already semi-rural streets on the very outskirts of Chiang Mai, we call it “The smallest temple” (although sometimes we call it “The most charming”)

Bataki from the Samosir island. V. About coffee

Indonesian coffee is delicate with a slightly spicy aroma. And I drank the most delicious in this wilderness, on the top of the Samosir plateau, looking down at the lake and the vastness.

Bataki from the Samosir island. III. The people of Samosir – alive and stone

On the graves of relatives, especially eminent ones, it is customary to put rich tombstones with traditionally depicted human faces. At first I thought it was such a decorative abstraction. But then I looked closely at the locals.

Bataki from the Samosir island. I. How I Searched For The Right King

Coming to a new country, we definitely go to the market, to the historical museum and to the cemetery. There was no need to go to the cemetery in Samosir, graves and monuments here are one of the main elements of the landscape.

Bataki from the Samosir island. II. Soaring houses and a strange road

It seemed to me that the houses – directed upwards with saddle roofs, despite their massiveness, seemingly light due to the intricate openwork design, most expressed the fantasy and flight of the spirit of these people. The Bataki are very fond of music and their homes I imagined the embodiment of their songs in wood.