| . |
Photo Samples, South East Asia
Indonesia,
Malaysia, Borneo, Thailand, Burma,
Macau,
Brunei, Philippines and Cambodia
For decades, South East Asia has been a
travellers favourite, and with good reason. There is a lot to see, and compared to the
Indian subcontinent, Africa and partly South America, these can be experienced with very
little hassle. To a photographer, this combination is not bad at all, and the examples
below just scratch the surface of the palette.
All photos are, of course © Claus Qvist
Jessen, and don't even think about using them without my prior permission. |
|
|
|
| Among the
most colourful ceremonies in the region are the funeral rites of the Christian Toraja
people at Tanatoraja, central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Every year in July and August, the
funeral ceremonies imply the sacrifice of countless bulls and pigs - to ensure the wealth
of the dead when he/she goes to Heaven. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
Five more
seconds to live! Sacrifice of a bull at a funeral ceremoni at Tanatoraja, Sulawesi,
Indonesia. The killing is done by cutting the throat of the bull in one chop with a heavy
machete.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
After a few buffalo sacrifices, the ground is pure red from the blood of
the animals. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Having a drink of palm wine at a Tanatoraja funeral. Getting drunk seems
to be a matter of a number of feet! Have you been drinking?"; "No, just
three feet!"; Sulawesi, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Doing the dishes after the funeral; Tanatoraja Region, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
| In
Rantepao in the Tanatoraja Region of Sulawesi (Indonesia), the dead are often commemorated by the making
of magic dolls. Sitting on their balconies, they protect and defend the cliff graves
behind them.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
|
A closer look at the "balcony" of funeral dolls; Rantepao,
Sulawesi, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Detail from a Tanatoraja house; Sulawesi, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
At the market of Makale, the main town of the Tanatoraja Region; Sulawesi,
Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Animal welfare never really was an Indnesian issue as shown by these
ways of transporting dinner / pet. Both the pig and the dog are
perfectly alive; Makale, Tanatoraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| The strange
colours of the famous, volcanic lakes of Keli Mutu, Flores, Indonesia. Due to minerals in
the ground, the lakes change colours every 20 years or so. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
A Nghadu figure, centre of the animist Nghau culture of the Bajawa
Region, central Flores, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Draining the blood from a freshly-killed pig; Bajawa Region, central
Flores, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| In the
Christian regions of Indonesia, the people believe just as much in the spirits of the
ancestors as Jesus, Mary and the Holy Spirit. Here, in the Bajawa region of Flores
(Indonesia), the elders are "reading" the minds of the spirits in a couple of
freshly slaughtered pig livers. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
A bird is ritually butchered in the new kitchen of a village chief;
Bajawa Region, central Flores, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Having a smoke? Village chief, Bajawa Region, central Flores, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
| Having a
party! Old man drumming at a party arranged because of the building of
the new school; north coast of Flores, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
Proud
fisherman; Labuanbajo, westernmost Flores, Indonesia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Biggest lizard of the world: the 3-metre Komodo Dragon, here at the
island of Rinca, a few kilometres away from Komodo itself; Indonesia. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Another supposedly lazy lizard, this time from Komodo, Indonesia. Don't
be fooled by the apparent laziness - these creatures are known to attack
buffaloes, and some years ago, a Swiss zoologist went missing on Komodo! © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| Very feminine
(male!) dancer, caught in the pleasant city of Yogyakarta,Java, Indonesia. © Claus
Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Turtle eggs at a market of Kuala Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia, east
coast. Officially, sea turtles are protected in Malaysia, however,
anywhere it's a delicacy of the locals, and little is done to prevent
the slow extinction.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
A proud Dayak
(or Iban)
chief from Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia. These former head-hunters have grown much more peaceful in
recent times, however, most of their traditions are still intact.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
The impressive tattoos of a Longhouse member; Renjang River Region,
western Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| Among the
Dayak people in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, traditions die hard - including the one of
keeping the sculls of the ancestors in the center of the "long house". ©
Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
The closest
you get to a symbol of the South East Asian rain forest (or what's left of it): The
orang-utan. One of the best spots to see them is Sepilok in western Sarawak, Malaysian
Borneo.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| Wild boar at
the Kinabatangan River, eastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Lazy crocodile on the banks of the lower Kinabatangan River, eastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
One of many
strange plants in the region: The insect eating Nepenthes of the hill-sides of Mount
Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| Most of
South-East Asia is Buddhist, and in Myanmar (Burma) some of the most beautiful temples are
found, the biggest being the Swedagon in the capital Yangon (Rangoon). © Claus Qvist
Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
Asian cooking
is more than nasi goreng and Chinese noodles; here LIVE maggots from a night market in
Yangon, Burma (Myanmar).
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| Holy smoke. A
Buddhist monk having a break; Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma). © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Another day at the dentist; Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma). © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
The ancient Shwesandaw Pagoda of Bagan, central Myanmar (Burma). © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| Buddhist art
of the past: The Ananda Pakto Buddha of Bagan, Myanmar (Burma). © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
A colourful
highland market; Kalaw, Myanmar (Burma).
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
Tea picker of
the Burmese highlands. Kalaw region, Myanmar.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| A certain
tourist trap is the Lake Inle, central Myanmar (Burma). Floeating gardens and boat markets
are more common than "normal" ones on the dry land. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
| The
barbed wire remains at the infamous Tuol Sleng Prison ("S21"), one of
the numerous death camps used by the Red Khmers to torture and kill
their victims. In a few years, they managed to eradicate two million
people (out of only seven million) in their attempt to create the
perfect Communist race; Pnom Penh, Cambodia. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
As a sign of political incorrectness, a map of Cambodia was made from
some of the sculls found at the Tuol Sleng Prison ("S21"). These days,
the map has been removed; Pnom Penh, Cambodia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
| More
sculls at the famous Killing Fields, a few kilometres outside of Pnom
Penh, Cambodia. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
The food is never far away! Ducjs for sale; Siem Riep, central Cambodia. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
The amazing Angkor Wat, one of the largest religious complexes on earth;
Siem Riep, Cambodia. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
A corner of Angkor Wat; Siem Riep, Cambodia. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Elephant decorating an ancient temple; Angkor, central Cambodia. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Flute selling girl; Angkor, central Cambodia. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
|
Two of the fantastic stone faces of the legendary, Buddhist Bayon temple of Angkor, central Cambodia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
The courtyard of the Buddhist Bayon temple of Angkor; central Cambodia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
Detail from the Buddhist Bayon temple of Angkor, Cambodia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Religious services are still performed at the Bayon, here by a Buddhist
monk; Angkor, central Cambodian. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| In the
never-ending battle between nature and buildings, sometimes nature wins. Here shown by the
800 year old Ta Prohm Temple in Angkor, central Cambodian. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
The other side of the same complex. the Ta Prohm Temple in Angkor, central Cambodian. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
Fishing
boats in the harbour of
Siahnoukville, south Cambodia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
Fishing boats in the harbour of
Siahnoukville, south Cambodia.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddain Mosque of
Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of the most boring country on earth,
Brunei, squeezed in between Sarawak and Sabah, Borneo. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
200 metres from the sterile Sultan Omar
Ali Saifuddain Mosque, one find the garbage dump of Kampung Ayer;
Brunei, Borneo.
© Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Doing the dishes at a night market; Bangkok, Thailand. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Dried squids at a night market; Bangkok, Thailand. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Anything can be eaten in South East Asia, here grasshoppers from
Bangkok, Thailand. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Gilded Buddha statue; Bangkok, Thailand. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Monk procession outside a tempel; Bangkok, Thailand. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
One of the largest lying Buddhas in the world; Wat Phra Kheo, Bangkok,
Thailand. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
The nerve of the former Portuguese colony of Macau is gambling
Supposedly, the annual turnover here is larger than Monte Carlo and Las
Vegas! © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Colonial square in the centre of Macau (China!). © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Spiral candles of a Buddhist temple of Macau. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
| In Asia, the
term "overload" just doesn't exist! Here in Zamboanga, Mindanao, the
Philippines. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
Before the cock-fight; Bohol
Island; southern Philippines. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
| And
after! A few minutes later, it was sold fried! Bohol
Island; southern Philippines. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
|
In between the Philipine islands, the outrigger canoes are the
traditional transport, here from Bohol Island on the way to Cabilau (Kabilau)
Island; southern Philippines. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
| Among the
most interesting and colourful people of the SE Asia are the T'boli of southern Mindanao,
Philippines. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
 |
|
| T'boli
girl having a shower; southern Mindanao,
Philippines. © Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|
|
| Believe it or
not, but this Philippino truck could actually drive by itself. Mindanao Island. ©
Claus Qvist Jessen |
|
|
|