Everywhere: People: Joel Carillet: Photos

The Death Railway uploaded on 10 June 2008

During World War II, the Japanese used Allied prisoners of war and conscripted Asian laborers to build a railway linking Thailand and Burma. The project swallowed more than 100,000 lives and today most of the railway--which is also known as the Thailand-Burma Railway--has been dismantled. The section that still remains links the Thai towns of Kanchanaburi and Nam Tok, a two and a half hour journey costing foreign tourists about three dollars. This photo was taken on the Krasae Viaduct, where the train moves slowly as visitors look down on a river below.

Comments (0)

Boats at Anchor uploaded on 10 June 2008

Haad Rin Beach, on the Thai island of Ko Phangan, is best known for its Full Moon Party, which each month draws thousands of travelers from around the world. Wild and loud on the night of the full moon, the beach is often pretty quiet the rest of the month.

Comments (0)

Day's End uploaded on 1 June 2008

At age 35, I've moved beyond the days when travel, in and of itself, was a good enough reason to spend months abroad. There are other responsibilities I feel now, responsibilities which prod me to seek more concrete ways to contribute to our world. Always, however, will I cherish the soul-shaping days of living out of a backpack, of basking in the simple act of being. Sometimes in my current role as a writer/photographer, I come across younger backpackers such as these on the Thai island of Ko Chang. And from a distance I watch -- and remember.

Comments (0)

Big Gulp! uploaded on 31 May 2008

Globalization. It's one of those words so frequently tossed around that at times it feels to have lost its meaning, or at least its evocative power. But on my visits to Bangkok, particularly in the afternoon when school lets out, the word roars to mind as children storm into 7-Elevens by the millions (or maybe it is just by the hundreds of thousands), quickly exiting the air-conditioned islands with Big Gulps and Slurpees--or, at times, with something more locally unique, like lychee-flavored yoghurt. With 1500 7-Elevens in Bangkok, the ritual is easy to find.

Comments (0)

Newseum's Grand Opening (April 2008) uploaded on 26 May 2008

The latest addition to Washington DC's long list of attractions

Comments (0)

The Newseum uploaded on 26 May 2008

The latest addition to Washington DC's sites is the Newseum Located on Pennsylvania Avenue, The visitor will find relics of history (e.g., the Berlin Wall, a shot-up correspondent's car) and numerous exhibits -- my favorite was the gallery of Pulitzer prize winning photographs, which left visitors in silence and some in tears.

In a city where most museums are free, the Newseum isn't cheap--$20. If the cost is prohibitive, scores of the day's frontpages from around the world are displayed free outside the building

Comments (0)

Full Moon Party uploaded on 30 April 2008

A South Korean couple enjoys the Full Moon Party on the Thai island of Ko Phangan. With its carnival like atmosphere the party, held every full moon, draws upwards of 10,000 revelers during high season. This couple flies in from Korea once a year specifically for this event.

Comments (0)

Prepping for the Full Moon Party uploaded on 30 April 2008

Each month during the night of the full moon, up to 10,000+ visitors from around the world descend on a quarter-mile stretch of beach on the Thai island of Ko Phangan. In addition to music, dancing, and monstrous amounts of alcohol, the carnival like atmosphere of the party includes a fair amount of body paint, illustrated by the travelers in this photograph.