Spathoglottis pubescens

Spathoglottis pubescens, a native of Thailand, Burma,India and Southern China.  This is a terrestrial orchid that sends up lovely spikes of yellow flowers from underground pseudobulbs.  It will grow into nice clumps and puts on a nice display of flowers.

A Giant Among Orchids: Grammatophyllum speciosum

Grammatophyllum speciosum blooming outdoors at the Kawamoto Orchid Nursery on Oahu, Hawaii.  This species can grow up to ten feet tall and grows quite bushy if grown warm.  The species is found in a variety of tropical countries including Myanamar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Borneo, Java, Moluccas, Philippines, Sulawesi, Sumatra, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands!

Paphiopedilum bellatulum

Paphiopedilum bellatulum, a lovely orchid  native to Assam, India, Myanamar, Thailand, and theYunnan Province of China where it is typically found in dense shade growing on limestone crevices in leaf litter and moss.   The weight of the typically single, heavy, waxy flower causes the stem to droop down towards the ground, ostensibly allowing ants to pollinate the flower.

Bodhisattva Rising from the Ashes of Destruction

Wat Maha That Ayutthaya (Wat is the Thai word for Temple), Bangkok, Thailand. This was at one of the many temples on the Bangkok river tour where you are taken in a small boat to a whole series of amazing, ancient temples, a river market and, yes, a little thai zoo with snake charmers... It's quite an adventure but dress for hot weather.

This bodhisattva was surrounded by rows of beheaded, worn bodhisattvas that had been descrated by an invading Burmese Army. The heads are mostly gone, perhaps removed to another locale; however, this head was apparently lost underground and arose, somewhat miraculously upright and visibly entwined in the roots of that bodhi-ficus tree.

At The Snake Charmer's

Portable Python@Snake Charmer's. This guy hands me the snake and says he'll take my picture. He takes my picture and then says he's not taking the snake back until I tip him. Hah, how's that for motivation to find a big tip?