Today is going to be a fantastic day. We are off to see a couple of Buddhist's temples.Whenever we have been out on the road, I have longed to look around some. Statues and shrines, I will be in my element. I happen to love Buddha's, and I also collect them, or used to. Had to stop as I was filling up the house with them. These are a little different.
Like all religions, you respect others beliefs.I had a little book of some Buddhist beliefs and verses that someone gave me and found them interesting.

Who could not fall in love with this one, and I just had to rub his stomach for luck.

We have arrived at this temple, and the splendour and vibrant colours  make you step back in awe.

Everywhere is nice and clean, people smile as they walk past and even show you the correct way to light your joss stick to pray to Buddha. I think he heard my prayers and hopefully smiled upon me.

This is a shrine where you burn letters to your loved ones.

Shrines and statues,the colours  shimmer in the sunlight where it comes through the windows. Colours sparkle and dance of the cool tiled floors, and incense mingles with the perfume of the flowers and blossoms around.

                     

                         

Click on any picture to enlarge it

                                           

                                                       
Statues and gods around the garden

                                                                                                           









From the top of the tower  looking down onto the ground. The delicate scrolls around the roof tiles, and dragon heads at the corners.

                          

 











On the way in the afternoon to another temple we stop off at a little market place. We see fruits we have never seen before, especially one that tastes lovely, but boy, does it smell foul.I was given one to take back with me to the hotel to eat. It stunk the room out and ended up in a bin as far away from the room as we could find.

                                          

  Hustle and bustle, cheerful bartering being called out.

                Everything and anything is for sale, scrumptious chicken satay ( little cubes of meat on skewers) grilled and the sauce that coats them, divine. 

Sweet things, all sugary and sticky, but eat one and you crave more!

Here we pass another statue on our way to a hotel for afternoon tea, will visit a beautiful temple next time, as we are running out of time.

Around the hotel grounds. Pools and fountains, everything to bring calm to the visitor. Even the odd turtle or two.

Pineapples grow as do other tropical plants. Everywhere you stroll there is something that catches the eye. And in the background the waves gently caress the sandy beach whilst birds chirp and sing in the palms.We watched a couple having a canter along the beach on their horses.

      

                                     

Just the place to sit back with a cuppa and enjoy the view and reflect on all that we have seen today.

Picture for the week is getting hard to choose.But while sitting out with our tea we had watched some riders on the beach.

"Evening Gallop"

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My picture I think is now taking shape and coming along. I have done some more dressmaking this week, and tied a few knots in the material to stop the little one falling off it's mother's back!

Now I have to think about the background, this is where I sometimes have problems trying to blend it all in, and not get the paper showing through.

              

                   Do join me again next week to catch up on all that is happening.