Jan 18 Angkor Wat

This morning I started my visit to Angkor Wat. This isn't just a temple, but a huge complex. 

There are many other temples in the area, but they are spaced out. Angkor Wat is a few kilometres from Siem Reap, and the other temples are also several km apart. Not a walking tour. I hired a tuk-tuk and a guide. You can do it on your own, just hiring a tuk-tuk, but a guide is essential to understand what to see. Everyone visits the same sites, so the road is a continuos snake of tuktuks, cars and buses. 

When you first see Angkor Wat it is an impressive sight. You view it across a huge moat, and the reflection is beautiful. Not a great photo, because of the haziness.

A rectangular moat surrounds the temple. The moat is 1300 by 1500 meters, 190 meters across, and 4 meters deep. All dug manually. The stones were quarried 50 km upstream. It took 600 000 men, and 40 000 elephants to build it over a period of 37 years. All the earth dug up to create the moat was used to build up the area within the moat.

Aside from the Great Wall of China I can't think of a bigger construction project during this time period.

All around the outside of the moat is a stone wall, which was, at one time, decorated with rows of carved stone heads, or other symbols. At one time there were thousands. Sadly nature, wars and vandalism have only a few left.

A Hindu temple is not like a church. It is meant to be the residence of a god, and not a place for communal gatherings. The inside of the temples are made up of small chambers, each dedicated to a god. The temples at Angkor Wat are dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.

Let me tell you, there are steps, steps, and more steps. To enter each room you have to climb over a high sills, 3 up and 3 down; doesn't sound like much, but it adds up after several dozen rooms. Then of course, are the steps to the various levels of the temples. In addition it was a bit muggy today. Quite a workout.

The intricate carvings, and the immensity are fantastic.

Much of the details have eroded over time, and restoration is a slow and expensive job.

By 2 in the afternoon I was ready to pack it in. My body isn't what it used to be.

My hotel has a great little pamphlet that is full of information, including restaurant suggestions. I decided to go to a BBQ place near my hotel. It is a huge space, reminded me of an airport hangar. No decor to speak of. The front third interior of the restaurant is a parking lot for motorcycles and cars; no barrier between the cars and the tables. The staff was interesting. The waitresses that served the food wore jeans and a yellow tee shirt. Then there was a group of ladies, in very tight red mini dresses, who seemed to serve the drinks. At one point three gorgeous women in very tight blue mini dresses appeared. I have no idea what they did, except improve the scenery.

This was not a fancy nightclub. I definitely was the only Westerner, everyone else was local, lots of families, with small kids.

Nobody spoke English, but the menu was bilingual. Quite the choices; BBQ'd everything from eels to squid to frogs to the usual. My favourite was "cow gender with red ant sauce". Cow gender means uterus. I passed on that one, although I was tempted. There was a bit of a misunderstanding, I thought I ordered a glass of beer, but I was given a small jug. There was no hope of finishing it, but I drank more beer than I usually do in a year.

Luckily it was only a five minute walk home. I had no trouble falling asleep.

The photos are

Angkor Wat across the moat

A row of heads on a wall lining the road. This would continue for miles

Going up and down to the central temple, and

The back of a wedding party. Wouldn't I look good in one of those?

Jan 16, arrival in Siem Reap, Cambodia

I rose early for my 6 am shuttle to the airport. At 6, it was already 24 degrees, and quite a lot of smog. I am flying with AirAsia..their motto is "Everyone can fly"...I guess they should add.." But not everyone gets there".

The one hour flight was smooth, and on time.

There is a cash grab at the Cambodian arrival port. You have to purchase a 30$US visa. Fortunately it is a fast process.

By 1 I was settled in my hotel; a lovely spot, good sized room, AC, wifi in my room, kettle, even a fridge. It is a family run business, and they are also involved with a local charity, supporting education for underprivileged kids.

The management has a sense of humour. Here are some of the house rules:

The current is 220V in Cambodia. Try not to blow anything up.

Please, no "guests" in your room. You know what kind we mean.

Drugs and weapons are just silly, so leave them outside.

I have been here only a few hours, but I already love it. Bangkok was a disappointment, too many tourists, very little authentic, too big, too noisy, too commercial.

Siem Reap is nice and small, I am a 30 minute "limp" from the downtown area, which is lively, but nothing like Bangkok. 

A couple of interesting things. The common currency is the US dollar. All the stores, even the local grocery stores have everything priced in US currency. So, everything is to the dollar, or half dollar. If something is 3.50, and you give the clerk a 5 dollar bill, you get a 1 dollar bill back, and two 1000 riel bills. Each 1000 riel bill is worth 25 cents. I have been in countries where the U.S. Dollar is accepted, but never where it is used more commonly than the local currency. It must be different in other parts of Cambodia, but I don't know.

Another noticeable difference is the number of cripples. Cambodia has had a terrible history lately. It was heavily bombed during the Vietnam war, and then the Khmer Rouge almost killed the country. There are more land mines here than anywhere in the world, and accidents, where people are injured are still common

. There is even a land mine museum in Siem Reap. As a result you see maimed beggars frequently.

On a much happier note the food that I have tasted here has been fantastic. For a quick snack I had some of the tastiest spring rolls I can remember, with a passion fruit soda. Later I had a mango milkshake, while I wandered the streets. I saw some lovely local craft stores.

On my walk downtown I came across this little store, "The Ministry of Arts, Potions and Metaphors". Figure that one out.

I also liked the typical South East Asian electric street wiring. Everything is colour coated...black. There are some sweet little shops along the street, this coffee shop, for example

Friday Jan 16

Today was my last day in Bangkok. I planned to see the Museum of Siam, and visit the flower market. Today was hotter than earlier in the week, just over 30, sunny, but also the smog was more noticeable. I took a local bus to the museum, and the traffic was something else. We passed the Grand Palace, and there were dozens of huge tour buses. Unbelievable crowds.

The museum was great. It is only 10 years old, and quite modern. Not the usual stuff, but mainly a place to learn about the general history of the country, from prehistoric to modern times. Lots of interactive displays, and everything was in Thai and English.

An added bonus was that when I entered the girl asked me if I was over 60. Loved her! It turns out that seniors get in FREE, a saving of 10 dollars. The pricing is interesting, 2 dollars for natives, 10 dollars for foreigners, but free for all seniors. I didn't complain.

The shame was that in the couple of hours I was there I didn't see more than 10 people, not a single tour bus in sight. Same as the barge museum yesterday.

The flower market was also nice. It is huge, and primarily a wholesale operation for hotels and restaurants to get fresh flowers daily. Thais are quite religious, I have seen quite a few monks and nuns on the street. Most people have shrines at home, and there are daily offerings of fruits and flowers.

In addition to huge bags or bundles of flowers there are girls that make up bouquets, all gorgeous and cheap.

By the late afternoon I returned to my hotel. My feet were killing me, so I had another massage, this time a foot massage. This is my third massage in five days, I am spoiling myself, but it's lovely.

One more little tidbit; while I was walking I was given a flyer for a "ping-pong" show. Those of you that saw "Priscilla, Queen of the desert" will know what that is all about. I didn't go.

The street scene still amazes me, today there was a sort of food truck, only it was a fully stocked bar, dozens of different bottles, any mixed drink you want, right on the street.

If that didn't suit you you could get a dose of laughing gas, to cheer you up

Another common sight are tattoo parlours, 3 or 4 on every block again I wasn't tempted. God, I'm getting old!!!

Tomorrow I fly to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, one of the highlights of Asia.

Thursday Jan 15

One of the sights I wanted to see was The Royal Barge Museum. It is on the other side of the river from the Old City, where most of the big sights are. This museum is tricky to get to. You walk through a maze of narrow lanes for about 15 minutes. There are lots of turns, but the signs to the museum are well marked. It is a different Bangkok though. Some real hovels, mangy dogs and cats. I met very few people, only locals. When I finally arrived at the museum there was one other couple, and a school group. It's a shame, because it is very worthwhile.

The tradition of these barges go back centuries. 

One thing, that I never realized was that Bangkok was bombed during WWII, and some of the barges were damaged. Another new fact I learned was that the Bridge on the River Kwai is near Bangkok, and can be visited on a day trip.

Back to the barges. The King decided to restore these damaged barges, there are about 50 of them. They are used in processions along the river for very special occasions. To celebrate the King's 50 anniversary, in 1996, a new barge was constructed, in his honour.

The barges are very slim, only about 3 m across, and up to 50 m long. They are rowed by up to 50 oarsmen, they use paddles, and the rowing is intricately choreographed.

There was an excellent video, explaining the tradition, the construction of the newest barge, and the training involved for the crew.

Excellent visit.

After walking back through the alleys I decided to have lunch. On this side of the river there is no English. I ordered a bowl of soup, by pointing. I really don't know what was in the soup, but it was delicious, very similar to Pho. The added bonus was that it was about a third of the price from the other side of the river.

The river is very busy with tourist boats, and there is a public commuter system, for 1 dollar a ride. I took one of these to China Town, which was a disappointment. Nothing but hundreds, I mean it, stores selling junk. There were material stores, but most looked tacky. Plastic is the word here. I have never seen so much plastic, in so many different colours and shapes.

I was quite happy to leave.

It was a long day, 6 hours of walking. I had a nice nap in the afternoon.

In the evening I joined the throng of tourists cruising the street. Quite the scene..noisy, but orderly; I haven't seen any drunks, but then I'm in bed well before closing hours. It is amazing how well behaved the crowds are. I haven't seen one policeman on the streets. The other wonder is how everything gets cleaned. There are no garbage cans, everything gets thrown on the street, yet by 7 next morning the streets are clean.

Thanks to my earplugs I sleep well, but the last couple of nights I wake up, at about 2, when the bars close, and the music stops. Strange!

The other thing I enjoy are the colours. Nothing drab! The taxi cabs are hot pink, or lime green and bright yellow. The tuk-tuks are also colourful. They are much sturdier than the ones I have used in Guatemala and India. The drivers though are just as maniacal.

I have enclosed some shots from the street in front of my hotel. That's the way it is every day, every night.

Wednesday Jan 14

Well, nothing is perfect, and today was that day. I signed up for a 6 hour tour of "The Floating Market" of Bangkok. It included a dragon tail boat ride, which I had read about.

I visualized floating gardens as in Mexico City, or Vietnam. Nothing of the sorts. First it took 2 hours to get there, by minibus. Not my idea of a Bangkok attraction. We did get a 20 minute boat ride. They are called dragon tail boats, because the shaft that is attached to the propeller is 6 feet long. The boats are narrow, only two seats, but long.

This took us to the market, which doesn't float, and is right beside the parking lot for the buses. The boat ride is unnecessary, except for the experience.

The market is nothing but tourist trap stores, along a canal. For an extra fee you can have a local paddle you up and down the canal. There are vendors in some of the boats selling food and fruits, and souvenirs.

I doubt the authenticity of the wares. They were selling what looked like 4 ounces of saffron for 4 dollars. That would be the bargain of bargains if it were real saffron. I doubt it.

We had a couple of hours to walk around, and then another 2 hour bus ride back.

The only saving grace was the cost, about 8 dollars. I don't know how they make a profit.

My body is starting to adjust to everything. I had my first full meal, a nice Pad Thai for lunch, off a street vendor for a dollar. When I make Pad Thai it is quite an operation. This lady had it all done in a few minutes. Tasted good though.

One of the interesting things about Thailand is its government. Theoretically it is a democracy, but there have been several coups, and uprisings. The army plays a large role, behind the scenes.

The constant throughout has been King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He is truly beloved by the people and has been a steadying force throughout all the problems. He has reigned since 1946, and is the longest reigning monarch in the world. Even beats Queen Elizabeth.

You can't go very far in Bangkok without seeing some image of the Royal family. Down the main road there is a series of huge pictures of the King showing him at various stages of his life. They are about 50 m apart, and there are about a dozen. Most temples have shrines dedicated to him. There is a small shrine in my hotel lobby.

It is against the law to criticize or ridicule the king. Thais can get up to 7 years in jail, and foreigners are on the next plane out. They take things seriously.

Another example is the story of "The King and I". Thais are so upset about how their King is portrayed that neither the book nor the movie has ever reached the public here. Both are banned.

I have enclosed some photos from my trip today, and also one of the shrines, dedicated to King Bhumibol, along the street.

Tuesday Jan 13

I slept well, the massage did wonders.

The nice thing about travelling solo is a complete freedom what to do, and when.

This morning I got up at 8, had breakfast and went back to bed till 10.

I decided to take a tuktuk  to Wat Po, the home of the Reclining Bhudda. I agreed on a price with the driver, but he told me it was closed from 11 to 1. He suggested that, for the same price he would show me a couple of other sights, so that we would arrive at Wat Po at 1. Same price. This seemed like a good deal, except that he didn't mention that he also made a couple of stops along the way, one a fancy tailor shop, the other an expensive jewelry and leather goods store. I resisted all temptations, although I did appreciate the crocodile leather handbags, but for 1000 dollars I felt I should have got the entire crocodile; hard to get through customs though.

For every customer they bring the driver gets a free gas coupon, and probably a commission if you buy something.

The advantage of taking a tuktuk  is that they are faster than a car. Traffic conventions are mere suggestions. If there is a long line of cars going your way, just use the lanes coming towards you, and squeeze in when a car comes towards you. Oh, I forgot to mention that they drive on the left in Thailand. Good thing to know when you cross the road.

The nice thing about the ride was that I got to see a bit of Bangkok away from the tourist sites. Bangkok is much nicer than any other large South Eastern Asia city I have been to. There is much less pollution, and the streets are much cleaner. You can safely walk at night, not like any Indian city, where the street lights are dim, or not existing, and you never know what you are stepping into. Cows may be sacred, but they are not housebroken.

I finally arrived at Wat Po, and surprise, surprise, it's open all day.

Wat Po is primarily known as the temple with the Reclining Bhudda. This is quite the statue, 150  feet long, the feet are 10 feet long. The statue is covered with gold, and it is impressive. The soles of the feet are covered with 108 beautiful signs of the Bhudda, all in mother-of-pearl.

What surprised me was that it is only a part of a large complex, which was Thailand's first " university". It was, and still is, a Bhuddist centre of healing, run by monks. You can get massages by the monks, at twice the price everywhere else.

There are statues of Bhudda showing various positions to heal pain, in different temples. Overall it was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Back to bed. In the evening I walked the neighbourhood. This definitely tourist central. The side street all become pedestrian only. The streets are wall to wall restaurants, hotels, hostels, many with massage parlours, in the street. I think I mentioned that there were three by my hotel. I miscounted, there are more than a dozen on my block.

In front of the restaurants are the street vendors, where you can buy any kind of food, Thai, Chinese, Indian, pizza, even falafels. There are also delicacies such as deep fried crickets, other insects, and larvae. In addition you can buy beer in cans, bottles or mugs, right on the street.

Did I mention the just about every bar has a loud band playing non-stop.

Lots of crowds, it's like the Canadian Exhibition, but with alcohol. This keeps going till 4 am.

Earplugs are absolutely necessary.

Monday Jan 12

A twelve hour time difference does strange things to your body clock.

I finally hit the bed at 4:30 am, local time, and slept till 10. I decided to see the number one tourist attraction in Bangkok, the Grand Palace.

I decided to walk, it should have been a half hour stroll, but I got lost several times. It surprised me that, even though I asked for directions nobody knew, or didn't understand me. Bangkok is mu ch. cleaner than Delhi and Hanoi, but the traffic is chaotic. I came across several building sites, or as they are locally known, public toilets. The aroma tells all.

I finally got to the palace, and I have to say it is one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen.

The Grand Palace was built in the 1780's, by King Rama I. It consists of the Royal

residence, one, very important temple, and many other buildings. It is surrounded by a 1900 m wall. Once you are inside there is a series of murals that cover most of the wall's interior. It depicts scenes from the Ramakien, a saga of the struggle of a Thai King against an evil opponent. The scenes are very detailed and quite beautiful. 

The amazing architecture is stunning. Very ornate, and full of whimsical creatures, guardians of the complex. It is hard to describe, it is so unique.

The most important building is a temple housing the Emerald Bhudda, Thailand's most revered representative of the god. It is a statue carved out of a single piece of jade. The temple is the only building that can be entered.

The weather has been a pleasant surprise. Today I t was 28, and 75% humidity. Highs for the week go up to 31 by Friday.

After walking around the implementation for 3 hours I took. A cab ba k to my hotel, and went to bed, at 4, and slept till 10. 

My back is still sore, so I decided to try a massage. This is very popular; there are 3 places within 100 feet of my hotel. It was quite a work-over. I had a massage in Hanoi, and it was a beautiful young lady the gently massaged my body. This was  very different, a real workout. He, not a beautiful young maiden, actually walked up and down my back and legs. The amazing thing, though, was that it worked! I left walking upright, rather than hunched over. It was worth the pains.

Back  to bed at one.

The photos are of the various scenes around the Grand Palace. The odd one is to show that the Walmart nation does travel. She did have a North American accent.

Enjoy, Ralf

Sunday early morning, Jan 11

My flights from Toronto to Shanghai was on time, and as comfortable as any 15 hour flight in a coach setting can be. China Eastern, my airline, uses old planes, they still have the drop down TV screens, but I think older planes have more leg room, and that's a good thing.

What impressed me where the hostesses; each one young, slim and beautiful. 

The food was good, and plentiful. I couldn't finish, too much food. Timing was tricky. We were served a second full meal two hours before we landed, 5 am Toronto time, 6 pm Shanghai time.. I couldn't face a full meal at that time, but I forced myself to eat the cheesecake.

The reasons I chose China Eastern was threefold. They were the cheapest, the total flight time was the shortest, and they won the prestigious Bauhiria Award. Three years in a row! Impressive!

You may ask what is this Bauhiria Award? Good question. The only note for this is the China Eastern brochure. Sounds good though.

Shanghai airport was huge, but quiet, and everything was on time. From there I flew with 4 hours to Bangkok, with Shanghai Air, a subsidiary for China Eastern. They served a meal that must have been chosen by a kid walking through a corner store. A sweet bun with two raisins, two small candy bars, a small bag of banana chips, a small bag of dried pickled radish, and a small bag of "Magic Wings". They turned out to be sweet roasted bits of pecans. I did not finish the radishes.

Arriving at Bangkok was a surprise. I thought, that with only a carry-on I would breeze through. Surprise! At 2 in the morning there were at least 300 other people ahead of me at immigration. It took an hour to get through.

Fortunately there were taxis, and I arrived at my hotel at 4 am. I am situated in the Old City, which is nice and central, but full of backpackers and hippies left over from the seventies. My room is very clean and nice, but the street is noisy, even at 4am. Thank goodness for earplugs.