Feb 14 Siem Reap, Tonle Sap, return to Bangkok

This morning we drove through a rural farming area and experienced a ride on an ox-cart which is still in use by local farmers if they're not wealthy enough to have a pick-up or scooter.

That's our guide Bun with the red lanyard

Then we boarded a little tour boat for an excursion on the Tonle Sap, or Great Lake.


The Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia and is an ecological hot spot that has been was designated as a UNESCO biosphere.


The Tonlé Sap is unusual for two reasons: its flow changes direction twice a year, and the portion that forms the lake expands and shrinks dramatically with the seasons. From November to May, Cambodia's dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom Penh. However, when the year's heavy rains begin in June, the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake, and its size increases eight to ten-fold.

But for us it was fascinating to watch the local Cambodians fishing along the canal, and then as we went further, we were intrigued by the floating villages. 

fish traps

Our guide explained that most of the floating villages were ethnic Vietnamese without any of the benefits of Cambodian citizenship.
Click for an interesting article from the NY Times, "For Vietnam Boat People in Cambodia, No Anchors."

This is a floating school, probably charity sponsored

Their houses can be anchored to posts above the water line or built on bamboo rafts so that during the flood season they can float to a higher location.  It is truly subsistence living, and makes us feel ever so fortunate.

On the way back to Siem Reap we stopped to photograph a water buffalo

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and greeted some Cambodian kids returning from school

Then back to the hotel and off to the airport for our flight to Bangkok and our next hotel,  It was another great flight on Bangkok Air.  We spent the last night at the Kantary House in Bangkok and had dinner at a super-exclusive, high-end mall down the street.  What a contrast between that conspicuous consumption and the hard life of the rural or boat people!

Feb 13 Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat

What a full day this is....first exploring the fortified city of Angkor Thom, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Bayon Temple with beautifully preserved bas reliefs and giant stone faces. 

The city of Angkor Thom was founded by Angkor's greatest king, Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181-1219), who came to power following the defeat of the former Khmer capital by the Chams. At its height, Angkor Thom may have governed a population of one million people in the surrounding area.
Angkor Thom was built in a nearly perfect square, the sides of which run north to south and east to west. It was surrounded by a square wall (jayagiri) 8m high and 12km in length and further protected by a 100m-wide moat (now dry), said to have contained ferocious crocodiles.
A gate opens exactly in the middle of each wall, from which a bridge extends over the moat to the area outside the royal city. The original royal palace at Angkor Thom, built in the 10th and 11th centuries, was probably built of wood and no longer stands.

I wish I could remember a fraction of what our local guide Bun told us.  But it was just so much information and so fast all at once in the heat.   (We did retain the fact that Lara Croft: Tomb Raider used this area as a location.  So when we returned home we watched the movie.  It was terrible and had nothing to do with Angkor Thom.)

And then we had lunch at a local restaurant.  More meals were included in Cambodia and the food was good and beautifully presented.

Then back for the highlight of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation – first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Yes, we climbed to the top

 

Nancy and Penny among the apsaras

Sunset at Angkor Wat

From Chiang Mai to Siem Reap - Sun. Feb 12

We were up at 4:15 am to get into the bus and off to the airport at 5. First the entire 32 of us flew back to Bangkok, and then 12 of us flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia. The flights were wonderful. No more than an hour in the air each way, and a meal served on each. Yes, the meals were pre packed, but they were just fine. And on the second flight we watched some version of Candid Camera and old cartoons. Great!

Here's the tour bus that met us to take us to the hotel in Siem Reap.

Cambodia requires a visa, so Nancy and I were all prepared with e-visas we'd gotten online. There were others who were unprepared and had to get theirs on entry. And, guess what, it made no difference as we all had to wait for the luggage to be unloaded anyway. My only question is why was I the only one NOT fingerprinted on arrival. Perhaps I look Cambodian?

This hotel is a step down for us. Only one sink! It's is a bit tired compared to past hotels, but the pool is gorgeous, and we went swimming this afternoon.

 

And we have free wifi in the room!!!!!!!!!! Maybe it's not a step down after all.

Siem Reap has lots of tourists, but also has a backpacker/Haight-Ashbury feel. There are lots and lots of stands and markets, and the vendors are more aggressive here than in Thailand.

We finally took a tuk tuk ride as the traffic is calmer than in Bangkok. The only question was deciding which of dozens of tuk tuks to choose. It was fun!

Tonight we enjoyed a "typical Cambodian meal" and a traditional Aspara show,

Guess what? We can eat the food in Cambodia! It's much less hot and spicy, and there seem to be more vegetables.

 

Feb 11 - Elephant Camp, Orchid Farm, Farewell Dinner

Ganesh shrine

I never knew I would be such a push-over for elephants - yeah, those big things you see in zoos. In Thailand, elephants are very, very special - the most spiritual of animals derived from Ganesh, the Hindu god of knowledge and the remover and creator of obstacles. Ganesh is often portrayed as a young boy with the head of an elephant.

The wild elephant population was been reduced to a few thousand due to deforestation and poaching. And as logging is now prohibited and trucks and tractors more versatile, they are no longer used in the forests. Needless to say they are no longer useful in battle.  But they have found a new home in the tourist industry.

The trip to the elephant camp was an optional offering, but everyone on the tour signed up for it. So we all piled onto the tour bus and headed to the Maesa Elephant Camp outside Chiang Mai. This camp is one of the largest. Their philosophy is to create a natural and healthy environment for the elephants while working to conserve and breed them,due to the dwindling number of Asian elephants left in the wild.

And it turns out that elephants are very, very smart and trainable, albeit very large. 

First we rode an elephant, and I can't say I recommend it.  It's a rough, tilting ride as the elephant lumbers along.  I have no idea what would happen if it were to run.

We watched the elephants bathe in the river

Here's a video of part of the elephant performance

We enjoyed the elephant show.  Elephants dancing, playing soccer and painting.  Rather amazing.

 Then off to an orchid farm for a good buffet lunch.  Food in the north of Thailand is less spicy than the south so I was able to eat quite a bit of it.


Back to the hotel for a bit then off to an "authentic experience of dinner in a local Chiang Mai family home" and a cooking lesson.  I don't know how typical this house was but it certainly was lovely, and the hostess very gracious.

After dinner we lit and launched hot air paper lanterns into the sky.



So very lovely, and I'm sure guaranteed to bring us good fortune and future visits to Thailand.

Chiang Mai - Friday, Feb 10

 We began the day with the most wonderful breakfast buffet.We are so enjoying the luxury of this hotel.

Eight a.m. And we're back on the bus for our first temple complex of the day (in truth, this may be the only temple today.  Up a tortuous hill with many twists and turns to Pratart Boi Suthep, the most important shrine here.

On the way Tim explains how this shrine was sited to hold relics of Lord Buddha, a story this includes a white elephant.  And she explains about the spirit houses we see everywhere. Almost every structure in Thailand, from homes to hotels, have a spirit house with offerings to the spirits who inhabit that piece of land.

The shrine is at the very, very top, and the last distance includes a funicular.  Again, you have never seen so much gold and so many devout saying prayers, consulting with a monk and making merit.

Hooray, hooray we were able to opt out of shopping tours this afternoon and will catch up and rest in our most gorgeous suite before our Thai massage at 4 p.m.

Then this evening we have a Kantoke dinner and show including classical Thai dance.  Of course we will take more photos.  There is so much I want to remember.

Northern Thailand, Thurs, Feb 9

Another early start and travel by bus and small jitney trucks to visit two hill tribes - the Akho and the Mein. We drove up into the hills just like the locals over bumpy roads.


Learning about the hill tribes was absolutely fascinating. Please look at the Picasa photo stream for more pictures.

Then it was time to leave Chiang Rai and make our way by bus to Chiang Mai through lots of hills, national forests, jungles, and rice fields.

First stop was a temple in Chiang Rai in wedding cake style, all white and quite surreal, the efforts of a successful contemporary Thai artist.

After a good four hour ride we arrived at Le Meridien Chiang Mai, and we got a suite - what a gorgeous set of rooms. We have two giant screen TVs, 3 sinks, a shower and a tub, and a wonderful view from the 17th floor. One could get lost in our suite. Gorgeous!

Chiang Rai - Weds, Feb. 8

 Here we are in the north of Thailand, and first thing we're off to add some countries to our visit.  Tour guide Tim has connections and she can get those who want into Myanmar without a visa with just $40 under the table.  Of course you have to give up your passport for the hour of two.  Nancy and I decline.  She for political reasons; me because I don't mess with borders and passports.  (P.S. the Myanmar visitors have a great time, visit a traditional village, a temple and get home entact with their passports).

But there is always shopping, so while some of the group are off to Myanmar, the rest of us shop the border town, and take lots of pictures.

 

Then back on the bus to the Golden Triangle along the Mekong River where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet.  And look!  If you look way upstream there is China in the distance.

After lunch we take a Mekong River cruise across to Laos where we disembark for a few minutes of shopping - lots of Chinese knockoff designer handbags in a dusty, poor street market in the middle of nowhere.

The Golden Triangle is notorious as a home for the opium trade, so our next stop is at the Hall of Opium, a state sponsored museum which is really excellent.  The benevolent Thai monarchy has a "project" to educate not only the hill people but everyone else about the dangers of opium.
Now we are back on the bus for about an hour-and-half back to the Meridian Chiang Mai, and I'm hopeful that I'll make it to the pool this evening - maybe just me and the mosquitoes (not that I've seen any yet!)