Journey to the Universe at Yod Phu Reua

Hello, my name is X. I will refer to myself as "we" from now on. ^^

... Briefly, I was born and raised in Phu Ruea, and I have frequently visited the summit of Phu Ruea throughout my 21 years (I will be 22 this year). As far as I can remember, when I was 6 years old, my mother and family took me to sleep and watch the stars on the top of Phu Ruea. That day was a day with a meteor shower, which I saw for the first time in my life, making me fall in love with the night sky and stars. Therefore, I became interested in physics and chose to study physics. And that is the starting point of this journey (I've been rambling for a long time, let's start now).

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We departed from my house, located in Phu Ruea district, at 4:30 PM.

Throughout the journey, I am greeted by an abundance of trees and forests on both sides of the road. This has been a constant sight since my childhood, and each time I return, the landscape remains largely unchanged.

And this is the Turtle Stone, a prominent landmark along the way up to Phu Ruea National Park.

We arrived at the campsite, which was relatively quiet and peaceful during our February visit, with a low number of campers.

Upon arrival, we set up our tent. Oh, I forgot to mention that I was with my girlfriend on this trip.

After setting up the tent, we went for a walk around the area while waiting for dinner.

The following are pictures taken during a walk.

The sun is setting soon. I love this atmosphere very much. Sitting watching the sunset with my girlfriend, the two of us sitting quietly, we can talk about various things together. It's another happy time.

From another angle, a row of pine trees can be seen against the backdrop of a beautifully shaded sky. It is a beauty that nature has created for us to enjoy.

It was a tranquil moment, watching the light gradually fade away beyond the horizon.

This photo was actually taken after sunset, but I tried to capture the view with the small moon above it.

As the sky gradually darkened, I switched lenses to capture the moon.

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We practiced taking pictures of the stars first because the moon had not yet set below the horizon. The moon's light interfered with the light of the stars, making it difficult to see them clearly.

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The first image was intended to capture the tent with the Milky Way as a backdrop, but what was captured instead was...

Not bad at all for me ^_^

While I was taking pictures of the stars, I was also explaining about space and the stars that I could explain. It was a simple way of saying that "it was amazing" because we could see all the stars as far as the eye could see. It was like watching a movie in an IMAX theater, except the images in front of us were real stars. There were millions and millions of stars, more than all the grains of sand on Earth. The Earth kept rotating, so watching the stars was never boring. Sometimes there were shooting stars, sometimes airplanes, and the tent next door was watching the stars with us. When I looked at it, I felt like I could reach out and grab a star. I saw the faint, thin tail of the Milky Way stretching across the sky, making us realize that we are just a small speck in the universe. Hours passed as I sat taking pictures and watching the stars with my girlfriend from 8:30 pm to 1:00 am the next day. (It was so much fun, I wasn't even sleepy) Let's go see the pictures I took! ^_^

This photo was intended to capture a fan holding a flashlight and shining it towards the sky, imitating a trend observed among foreigners. However, the outcome was somewhat comical, as shown in the image. Each photo required 30 seconds of exposure, causing arm fatigue for the fan. Additionally, the flashlight used was not very powerful, having been purchased from a local market.

The blurred and elongated stars are due to the camera's exposure time exceeding 30 seconds. As the Earth rotates continuously, the stars appear elongated.

Let's try taking a picture of the tent next door. ^_^

I ran into a friend from high school on the top floor. They were on their way to the bathroom, so I offered to take a picture of them. Here's the shot I got.

And this is the last picture before going to bed. I secretly took a picture of the tent next door, which I knew, but he came with his friends, so I secretly took a picture. The total time was approximately 4 hours and 30 minutes, sitting watching the stars and pressing the camera shutter. And then it was time to go to bed, because tomorrow I had to wake up at 5 am to watch the sunrise on the top of Phu Ruea. So… good night, sweet dreams zzZZZZ……

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Rushing to catch the sunrise, I skipped taking a photo upon waking and headed straight to the walkway.

This photograph was taken with the camera mounted on a tripod. My partner held a flashlight and ran back and forth along the path.

Note: In reality, it was very dark in the bright image because the exposure time was set to 30 seconds.

I was the first to arrive at my usual spot. No matter how many times I come here, I always watch the sunrise from this place. It's a hidden gem that not many people know about, so it's easy to take photos without having to fight for space.

This photo was taken with my girlfriend standing in front of the camera. The temperature was around 10 degrees Celsius and it was a bit windy. We were cold, sleepy, and tired, but we waited to see the sunrise.

The crowd is steadily growing.

We waited until the sun rose, so let's continue watching the pictures....

It has begun.

The mountain you see is "Phu Pha Sa", the main mountain of Phu Ruea district. On top of it are various stations. If you are in Phu Ruea district, you will see Phu Pha Sa all the time. It's like the mountain behind Nobita's school.

My partner and I continued our hike towards the summit of Phu Ruea. As we ascended, the sunlight glinted off the blades of grass, and the air grew progressively warmer.

I came across a group of friends watching the sunrise, so I secretly took a picture. ^^ I really like the mood of this picture.

And secretly took another picture ^^

Oh my god!! I was very surprised and scared, but I still took a picture because it shows the abundance of the ecosystem in Phu Ruea National Park.

This is the path leading from the previous sunrise viewpoint to the summit of Phu Ruea.

A couple of photos ^_^

The sun began to rise, the air grew warm, and sweat started to form. (Actually, they offered a shuttle service, but my girlfriend and I decided to walk. It allowed us to see many things along the way, and it was well worth the effort. ^_^)

Let's have my girlfriend be the model. ^^

And we have arrived at the point of worshiping the sacred Buddha image of Phu Ruea National Park.

And we walked back down to the campsite.

This trip to Phu Ruea National Park has given me an experience of stargazing that is more special than reading textbooks, watching documentaries, or even attending classes. I would like to invite everyone who has read this article to come and visit, sleep under the stars, wake up to watch the sunrise, and enjoy the natural scenery. In addition to Phu Ruea National Park, there are many other places to visit that are waiting for everyone to experience. See you this winter at Phu Ruea. ^_^ Thank you.