27 Oct 2014

Kacha 3.0: the canal walk continues

The first time I walked along Kacha was by pure luck: I accidentally ventured into the canal thinking it would be a good shortcut to reach home, and it turned out being a whole new community to discover just minutes from my condo. The second time I visited the place on purpose, but I walked in the opposite direction, and I continued further than I had previously been to. Now, in my third visit, my goal was clear: I would start walking in the point where I had left it off the last time, and I would not stop until I would reach the end of it.

Roughness, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
Opposition I, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
Opposition II, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
Balance, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
The canal slowly moved away from the busy environment of Ramkhamhaeng 24 and the atmosphere changed along the way: the narrow, tight spaces became gradually wider, and the congested, heavily populated areas became much quieter and silent. Patches of unbuilt land started being common on both banks of the canal, and trees grew freely everywhere. But it was a temporary dream, I'm afraid, for very soon I would encounter the sprouts of new development occupying fields that no long before were just nature.
Lines and layers, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
2-way lane, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
Stages of urbanization I, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
Stages of urbanization II, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
But the omens of new times that are invading this peaceful community seem to be of little concern to their inhabitants, since they carried along their daily routines normally and showed no fear or desire to change at all. It felt as if they were living giving their back to the city and focusing exclusively in the few meters of concrete and dirty water they have in front of their eyes, as it that was all that existed, and they could go ahead with their lives the way it had always been so far.

Matching colors, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
Rice matters, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
The descend, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
The recollection, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
In the end, I reached a point where the houses disappeared completely and the canal became difficult to follow. There were only fields around. So I backtracked a bit and found my way back to the city with a bittersweet taste in my mouth. I saw decay along new development, coziness along garbage, opposite poles sharing habitat without visible conflicts. But I want to end with a positive note, that of the people I met during my walk, and the honest, sincere smiles they gave me in return for taking a picture. Thanks, Kacha, and good luck!

Masks and laughs I, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm
Masks and laughs II, GM1 + Panasonic Leica 15mm

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