1. Silence at the edge of Thailand Wat Thaton

2. The town of Thaton is 90 min. drive from Chiang Rai, less than 5 km from the Burmese border beside the Mae Kong River

3. Atop a high hill, Wat Thaton is home to a famous Abbot and 80 novice monks. Novices follow less rules than monks, adhere to strict discipline, and have to study Buddhist literature and Pali language.

4. Further up the hill are Kuti’s where monks, lay people, and meditators live.

5. My home for the next 10 days

6. Ajahn Suthep, our meditation teacher, Britta (German music teacher), Walter (Retired Swiss music conductor)

7. Panyavudho, the main translator and Foreign Correspondant

8. Every morning at 3:30 a.m., this monk rings a deafening bell as wake-up call

9. 4 a.m.: Monks, laypeople, and meditators gather in the Chanting hall for 45-60 minutes of chanting, followed by 1 hour of walking/sitting meditation

10. 6 a.m.: I usually go back to bed in my Kuti till 7:30ish, while the monks go on alms round.

11. Breakfast and lunch is delivered at 8:30 a.m. and I have to ration. The food is good!

12. 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Meditation at the meditation hall.

13. One third of the meditation hall.

14. The Standing Buddha: Another place to meditate

15. Downstairs, where I meditate if I come here Upstairs

16. The Standing Buddha is 30 minutes walk from our Kuti with lots of up and down hills

17. View of Thaton from my meditation area downstairs

18. Britta doing some stretches upstairs

19. Great views of the Mae Kong river

20. A new Chedi under contruction can be seen on the way to the Standing Buddha. Chedi’s are to house Buddha relics.

21. Lunch / Rest time 12:00 - 1:30. Meditators eat 2 meals a day. The white lines are anti-ants chalk.

22. Outside the meditation hall. 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. continue meditation.

23. 5 – 6 p.m.: Shower with cold water. This is the hardest part of the day.

24. Sam (American writer). 6 – 8 p.m.: Chanting and meditation.

25. 8 – 9+ p.m.: Every 2 days we discuss our meditation progress and other matters with Ajahn Suthep and Panyavudho

26. Putting my camera on a stand

27. 9+ p.m. – 3:30 a.m. Sleep.

28. A 30+cm long Gecko guards my window against moths and other insects

29. Many spiders guard my kuti against mosquitoes, ants and other insects

30. A nice view in Chiang Rai

31. A fancy looking JVC mini-hifi for S$400

32. The connecting tunnel between domestic and international flights at Bangkok airport

33. The End