Angkor Wat

While in Siem Reap, we stayed at the lovely New Angkorland Hotel. 

Our visit didn't start well. When we arrived, the desk clerk informed us that they were overbooked and that they had arranged for us to stay in another hotel. John and Jimmy took a quick look at the proposed accom-modations and promptly vetoed that plan.

In the meantime, Nine called her relative who had recommended the New Angkorland and who knew the owner. In about half an hour, we had rooms as originally promised. The next day, John and I (who were staying in what must have been the hotel's overflow room) were moved to a nicer room. We had a lovely stay there and enjoyed a trip to their spa for a massage as well.

Cambodia is roughly the size of Missouri, and has a colorful and chaotic history. Its population is said to be one of Southeast Asia's most homogeneous, with over 90% of the people being Khmers (ethnic Cambodians). Our guide book tells us that from the first to the sixth centuries, much of what is now Cambodia was part of the Funan Kingdom. In the early days, Funan accepted the Hindu religion. In spite of the fact that most of the people now follow Theravada Buddhism, there are many evidences of Hindu influence, especially in the area around Angkor where the first Cambodian empire was based.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, the Khmer empire conquered Burma, Vietnam, Laos, and Malaysia. It was a powerful nation and was recognized for its achievements in art and architecture (such as the temples at Angkor Wat), as well as an innovative irrigation system which allowed a large number of people to occupy a relatively small area.

We had come to Siem Reap so that we could visit Angkor Wat and the adjacent temples that were built during this time. Angkor Wat, the "city temple," was built in the late 12th century as a funerary temple and to honor the Hindu god Vishnu. It is the largest of the temples at Angkor.

Jimmy and I rose early in order to be at the temple complex to photograph the towers at sunrise. Accompanied by a guide, after a short tuk-tuk ride we entered the temple complex in full darkness and navigated the grounds by flashlight. However, as early as we were, we were not the first to arrive. The primo spot for photography is directly in front of the temple complex, looking across a reflecting pool toward the rising sun. I don't know how many others were there for the daily ritual, but by sunrise there was quite a crowd, as you can see. 

Fortunately or unfortunately, the grounds open every day before sunrise, so there is no real opportunity to get a private tour or special entry. Even staking out a great spot is no guarantee someone with a cell phone or point-and-shoot camera won't step out in front of you and spoil the shot.

We did get some lovely images, however. The sun rose in a clear sky, with just enough clouds to make it interesting. It was a great start to our day.

Jimmy and I saw plenty to marvel at, and to photograph.  Here he is, resting in the shade of a temple doorway.

John and Nine joined us a little later in the morning for a tour of the main Angkor complex.  They are in the background, with our guide, near the gate leading to another part of the complex.

The temple complex is vast, with a number of buildings. Below is a shot of the main gate seen from inside the complex.

This building stands apart, and we are told was a library.

All the structures are intricately carved. Battle scenes such as these cover many of the walls.

A number of the buildings feature carvings of female dancing girls known as Apsaras. These are figures from Hindu mythology, and there are said to be some 1,800 of them in the Angkor Wat temple. These are within reach of visitors, and their breasts have been rubbed to a sheen by many hands.

We prowled among the ruins, up and down the corridors,

and through the rooms and courtyards.

The monks were holding an audience in one of the alcoves.

Our day was far from done, however, and after lunch we moved on to see more.

　

Siem Reap

Back at "home" at Jimmy and Nine's in Phnom Penh (their balcony is the second one above the entrance), we relaxed for a day and shared stories of our Thailand trip.

After a little shopping, we stopped at Mike's Burger House for a "fix."   Mike, originally from Cambodia, spent a number of years in California. Upon returning to Phnom Penh, he wanted to make sure the city offered a good hamburger. It was up to Stateside standards, as you can see in these photos.

The next day, January 25, we embarked on yet another adventure. Early Wednesday morning, the four of us traveled by tuk-tuk through Phnom Penh traffic to board a sixteen-passenger van for a trip to Siem Reap (pronounced Sim Rip) to visit the the fabled Angkor Wat temple complex. 

Believe me, there wasn't a square inch of space in the van that wasn't filled with someone or his/her stuff. We were shoulder-to-shoulder and almost cheek-to-jowl; Siem Reap a very popular destination.  We traveled for several hours past rice fields, houses and small villages

The roads were narrow, with very little shoulder, and were crowded with everything from overloaded trucks to "iron cows" to motos to school children on bicycles. Our speed was close to 70 mph, and Jimmy Joe said our driver "had a demon" because he drove with a vengeance, sometimes passing what seemed like only inches from our fellow travelers. 

I was glad to be seated in the center of the van, so I couldn't see what was ahead. I did have a window seat, though, and took what photos I could out the side window and sometimes through the windshield between the heads of the driver and my fellow passengers. Some of those shots, and those from the return trip (which was just as nerve-shattering!) follow.

Chiang Mai

We arrived in the city at mid-afternoon. Founded in the thirteenth century, Chiang Mai is a center of culture and commerce. The metropolitan area holds almost a million people. Located on the Ping River near the Burmese border, Chiang Mai reflects those influences, as well as the more traditional Thai art and architecture. On the way in, we stopped at one of its most famous temples, Wat Chedi Luang.  The huge chedi or "royal pagoda" was heafily damaged in the seventeenth century.  However, it has now been partially reconstructed so one can see how it might have looked. 

Inside one of the buildings in the temple complex is a magnificant standing Buddha statue, and outside is a gilt reclining Buddha.

Everywhere we looked were carved, gilt, painted, bejewled creatures.  Animal, human or fantasy, they never ceased to amaze us.  Embellishments were everywhere, and not even the smallest detail was overlooked.

After a busy day, we were glad to settle into our lovely room at Yaang Come Village Resort. 

All of our hotels here in Thailand have been lovely, and this one was no exception. The room, as you can see, was spacious, and our private balcony overlooked the beautiful hotel grounds.  　

Next door to the hotel was an excellent restaurant called "The Whole Earth." 

Their menu included Thai as well as Ayurvedic Indian cuisine, and we sampled both. 

A few blocks away was Chiang Mai's famous night market.  After dinner we browsed among the many vendors and shopped for souvenirs.

Our next adventure was a bicycle tour of some of the outlying areas of Chiang Mai. We met our guide, "Bird," and set off for a 1 1/2 hour tour. The bikes were first-class, and Bird did a great job of guiding us through what would have been scary streets and intersections. Our ride took us along the Ping River and most of the rods were quiet and narrow.  We saw small villages, rice paddies and local orchards.  We made several stops. One was at a particularly old temple, and another at the seldom-visited ruins of Viang Khum Kaam, which some consider the ancient city on which Chiang Mai was built.

Lunch was a special treat. Duke took us to one of his favorite local restaurants for a sampling of northern Thai cuisine. We enjoyed an egg noodle soup with chicken, fantastic fried pork ribs, fried chicken northern Thai style, sausage and green papaya salad and pork curry. All were served with sticky rice in the Lanna tradition.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing.  Then, after another great meal at The Whole Earth, we enjoyed a quiet evening and prepared for our return to Phnom Penh.

The next day, we said a reluctant goodbye to Dob (left) and Duke, and boarded our flight back to Cambodia.  We carry with us fond memories of the people we met in Thailand, expecially Mr. Ving and Duke, and of all the wonderful things we saw and experienced.  Our ten-day stay passed much more quickly than we expected.

Our special thanks to Sally Watkins of Century Travel in Austin, TX, and to Asia Transpacific Journeys and Khiri Travel for their coordination of our Thailand adventure.  We hope to travel with you again. 

　

Pai and Beyond

After lunch in a lovely outdoor restaurant in Soppong, we continued on to Pai. Upon arriving, we stopped at Coffee in Love, a delightful coffee shop overlooking the valley. The coffee was great, as was the view.

We learned that Pai is a popular destination for Northern Thailand residents who want a romantic get-away. Honeymooning couples were strolling hand-in-hand, and several other hotels and restaurants had a "love" theme.

We drove around the village, marveling at the teak forests that covered the hillsides. Most of the old-growth trees have been logged, but new teak forests have been replanted in many places. We spent the evening in a private cottage at the Belle Villa Resort. Here are a couple of views of and from our room.

Upon arriving and unpacking, we experienced our first real Uh-Oh! of the trip. The nice bottle of Scotch we had brought with us had leaked in John's suitcase, and everthing in it was permeated with the smell! When John checked with hotel staff to see about having his clothes laundered, he was told that it would cost much too much to have the hotel wash his clothes....However, they did have the name of someone just a block away who would launder them in her home. 

John was very relieved when we picked up his clothes the next morning. They were all washed, ironed, folded and ready to go. And the best part was that it only cost $6.00 for a suitcase full of clothes!

On Saturday morning, after picking up the laundry, we left Pai and drove down the mountain...and down the mountain...and down the mountain along a very scenic road that wound past rice fields and through Huay Nam Dang National Park. 

As you can see from this photo, the roads were not only scenic and winding, but very narrow!

On the way, we stopped to visit Pong Deuad Hot Springs. The spring is actually a geyser that bubbles up and then drains away to form shallow pools. We were told that the temperature of the water exiting the geyser is between 90 and 99 degrees Celsius, while the water temperature underground is 170-203 Celsius. Much too hot for a dip!  We enjoyed the short walk and the lovely teak forest alongside the stream.

Our next stop was at Mork Fa Waterfall. The walk to the falls was shaded by these magnificent trees. Some were teak, but there were a number of different species, along with lush vines and other vegetation.

The waterfall itself was lovely, as was the small pool below. I had to pick my shots carefully, though, as there were several couples there at the same time as we were. One thing I have learned about the Thai and Cambodian people.... If there is a landmark or scenic view of any kind, its greatest attraction is as a backdrop for a portrait. There is no telling how many people have pictures of someone with the Mork Fa Waterfall appearing to cascade down onto their heads!

John, having had his fill of long drives and scenic wonders, took a quick look at the waterfall then stretched out on a nearby bench to "rest his eyes."

After yet another sumptious lunch under our belts, we headed down the road to our final Thailand destination, Chiang Mai.