Majestic Angkor

Who here has heard of Angkor Wat? Raise you hand. Maybe you recognize the iconic picture below...

Angkor Wat and the Temples of Angkor are the MUST SEE of Southeast Asia. Comparable to the Great Wall of China, or Machu Piccu, or the pyramids of Egypt.

So I arrived to the town of Siem Reap, the jumping off point for the extensive set of ruins that are ALL over the region. Angkor Wat is just one of the many scattered around the landscape. Others include the beautiful Ta Prohm where Angelina filmed part of the Tomb Raider. Bayon temple which has some 200 faces carved in stone looking in all directions, and there are many many other great temples. Even if you don't think you would get a kick out of walking around old buildings, you could find something to peak your interest. I bought a three day pass for the park ($40 USD) and started my exploration.

You can't ride your own motorbike here, only bicycle, so the idea is that you have to rent a moto driver or tuk-tuk driver to scoot you around to wherever you want to go. The prices are definitely negotiable and vary on how far out into the sticks you want to go. (Although don't go TOO far out in the sticks, as Cambodia is the most heavily landmined country in the world- stick to the path!! ) My first day I went to the Bantaey Samre and Banteay Srei temples, the most out of the way temples. These were especially rewarding because they are known for their carvings of sandstone, which is a popular material used on the temples. The carvings are intricate, detailed, and beautiful. Although I had no idea what they meant, so I bought a book off a kid there and started to get a gist for what the whole area is about. The carvings are mainly for the Hindu god Vishnu (the Protector) or Shiva (the Destroyer), but they are scenes with many other characters and meanings. It is really fascinating, especially since I know nothing about Hinduism or Buddhism. Cambodia and some of the countries around adopted India's Hinduism, but definitely put their own twist on the religion. It is evident when you look around at the temples.
This day I also stopped at the Landmine Museum. It was a reality shock. The place is FULL of deactived bombs, grenades, landmines etc... that have been collected by this one man. This gentlemen was in the Khmer Rouge army and later switched to fight for the Vietnamese when they invaded the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (he ended up shooting at his own uncle who was fighting for the Khmer Rouge while this gentleman was fighting for the resistance with Vietnam- !!!) Most of the weapons were manufactured and dropped by the USA, Russia or China, with other nations in there. The museum also gave a comprehensive idea of the reality of the situation in Cambodia. What actually happened. The Who's Who. What war life was like. What is the current situation of the clean up (it is estimated that at the current rate of clearing the Landmines in Cambodia, it will take 100 years to clear all the area!). And things of this sort. It was an eye opening experience, but also enough to twist you stomach into knots.
 I think disagreement in the world is inevitable, but war like it is conducted is NOT necessary.

That was my first day, and I took it quite easy, I was working myself up for the real biggies, like Angkor Wat. The second day I did what is called the Big Loop. I intentionally left out the Angkor Wat area, and Ta Prohm- the two biggest complexes. I visited all the rest on the second day. This included small temples crumpled and overgrown by trees and nature. Moat enclosed temples. Mountain temples with amazing views of the area. Temples left for nature to do it's job. As well as the Prohm temple where Angelina Jolie filmed her movie (she is a popular topic here). They were all special feeling, some more interesting than others, but all respectable. I also read up on each one as I visited and learned quite a few things of the ancient Angkor Kingdom. I also started to form a very small understanding of the ancient gods and importance of religion.

The third day started early when I rented a bike and biked the handful of miles to the temples at 5 am. I arrived in time for the sunrise over the Angkor Wat temples. Although it was a cloudy day and the sunrise was uneventful, I was able to imagine how beautiful it would be to see a clear sunrise over these massive and majestic temples, and also able to get an early start in the cooler weather! I was enchanted by Angkor Wat and spent 4 hours at that temple alone. I never thought I would, but I was very interested in the carved wall murals that where along the entire out wall of the Temple. It included murals of certain ancient stories like the "Churning of the Milk Sea" which created the elixir of life. Also the "Heaven and Hells" mural where there was some real graphic depictions of their version of hell :-/. Also the conquering of Vishnu and his avatar Krishna over the demon gods. Things like this that never peaked my interest before suddenly occupied hours of my time. I dissected the story from each and looked at the carvings- it really was cool!!! Angkor is also the Hall of Thousand Buddhas where there were "that many" Buddhas at one point when Buddhism took over Hinduism in the Angkor kingdom. There was so much to see at this one temple and I was enchanted. It deserves the praise it gets!!
I then biked over to the other complex Prohm Wat. This is a larger complex and contains many smaller temples, all really different. This place is different because it is comprised of many different kinds of buildings. The Royal palace which the King at the time built is surrounded by a moat and in front of that is the Elephant Terrace. The Royal Palace was beautiful, but the Elephant Terrace in front of it was quite unique. The terrace was about 10 feet tall and stretched for at least 1/3 mile, it had carvings of elephants at each staircase entrance. Also there was the Leper King monument where the Leper King statue overlooks a maze. The maze below has walls about 20 feet high all carved with gods and demons and everyday life scenes.


After the Elephant Terrace, I headed over to Bayon Temple. This is a very crowded temple because King Javayrama VII thought his face, with a mixture of the Buddhas facial characteristics, was the greatest thing (as most Kings do). 

The temple has pillars with 4 sides, most containing his face on each side, directed toward every imaginable angle. It is estimated some 150 face are in this one temple. The temple felt like a maze! It was cool to go through every nook and cranny and find your way out and in. I really enjoyed this temple, and it got even more fun when the daily afternoon rainstorms started. Biking back 8 miles in heavy downpour was invigorating!

My experience with the Temples of the Angkor Kingdom was extremely rewarding, and I'm very glad I got a chance to visit them. I would recommend anybody in this region to go and see them!

1 week to go

Hey all,

I really hope you've enjoyed reading my blog so far. I have exactly one week to go til I'm home back in the good 'ole US of A.
I'm not fully caught up on my blog, meaning there are some things I haven't gotten a chance to write about yet, but I'll try and finish that up. Is there anything anybody wants to know before I depart from this region of the world. Any aching pain in the side questions that just HAVE to be answered??? :-)   Feel free to ask!

I hope all is well with you, and we'll see everybody soon!!
Life is bueno!!

Frogs and Grasshoppers in Cambodia

After saying goodbye to Allen and Isabelle and the kids, I had booked a flight with the relatively cheap Air Asia and was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Phonm Penh, Cambodia. Budget airlines like Air Asia make getting around this region cheap and easy, if you have more money than time.

I arrived to the capital of Phonm Penh during a rain and thunderstorm, which are all the more prevelant as we are approaching the wet season. I stayed here with a couchsurfer named Patrick, and his roommate Brendan. A few days spent here in the capital city with their friends and seeing the sights. One of which being the Tuol Sleng Musuem.
First of all, ignorance is not bliss in this case. Maybe you have or maybe you haven't heard of the Khmer Rouge, I know it's possible some of my generation hasn't, but you really need to inform yourself here on the not-too-long ago past of Cambodia. Search Khmer Rouge or Pol Pot Regime.
The history of the Khmer Rouge plays a major part in what a traveler would do go and see in Cambodia. For example, the Toul Sleng Musuem is acutally a former prison. This is where the brutal Khmer Rouge, S-21 section, tortured and killed thousands and thousands of Cambodian people. It was an eerie place to go and witness the torture chambers, prison chambers, and torturing equipment. I can't explain too well the feeling you get when going to this kind of place, but I did ask myself, "Is it even possible for human beings to do this to eachother, and for what?"
During the Khmer Rouge it is approximated that the genocide commited under the nasty Pol Pot killed about 2 million Cambodians.  Approximately 50% of the Cambodian population is under 25 (the people born young or after the Pol Pot regime).
But, from what I've seen, the Cambodian people stand strong and have plenty of smiles to give.

With my two couchsurfing hosts Patrick and Brendan, we decided to leave for the weekend and head toward the coast of Cambodia. We went to Kampot (which I revisited because I like it so much) town. It is laid back town on an river estuarary near the ocean. We did the trip with their motorbikes, and it was definitely a fun time. We revisited some of Patrick's old fav's since he used to work in this town, went for a swim, played mini golf etc... and also headed to some caves in the nearby mountains. The landscape there is quite gorgeous! Also this town is famous for it's PEPPER! It is supposedly world class, and it does taste amazingly good!

After Kampot and Phonm Penh, I headed east to Kratie. Kratie lies on the might Mekong river, which every time I see that river on this trip, I'm still amazed at how beautiful and massive it is. I headed here for a particular reason, I wanted to see the Irrawaddy fresh water dolphins that inhabit the Mekong river in these parts. Some of you may remember my story of the pink fresh water dolphins in the Amazon, and this is a similar experience, except that the dolphins aren't pink, but you get the sense that it is somewhat wrong. You are 100's of miles from the see and you are surrounded by tons of dolphins in the river. I still think it is just so cool!! :-)

As for Cambodian cuisine, it isn't too spicy, they love soup here, and it is good. But Cambodians differ a bit from their neighbours because they find nothing wrong in eating things that we would consider weird. Any time you ride on the bus and you stop at the restaurants for a bathroom or food break, there is undoubtedly the lady there selling the Cambodian bus-snack favorite, grasshoppers. I tried them, they are actually quite good!!!

Cambodia continues...

Transported to the future in Singapore

Country #4, Singapore.

A couple months before I left on my trip I got a friend request on Facebook from a Melody (my last name is case you didn't know). I accepted the request and got to know a family member, technically related as my dad's cousin, but family is family. Also,  come to find out, Allen lives in Singapore with his wife and children. What a strange coincidence, no?!

So I had made it one of my goals to reach the southern town of Singapore on the Malay peninsula. I headed here after staying in the cool and temperate Cameron Highlands. Heading into the city which is an island about 25 miles long 15 miles wide (I think), I got quite the culture shock! First of all I was on an actual highway, just like one at home. As I snaked through the city around sunset I started passing downtown and enormous skyscrapers, the modernity of it was just astounding after spending the last 2 1/2 months in much less developed (what is the p.c. term nowadays?) countries like Laos.
I met Allen and his wonderful family including his wife Isabelle, from France, and their three children. They were more than generous, and gave me my own room, the nicest room so far on this trip! Being in Singapore can be related to be home, although I think in some aspects it was much more developed than home, as well as the obvious financial wealth. Singaporeans have lots of money, and they want to spend it.

Spent the days doing a wide variety of things and getting to know eachother and enjoy the company. Some of the highlights included going to the Night Safari Zoo in Singapore. Apparently we were destined to be the stars of this night. First, we were watching a fire breathing show and they needed a 'big strong man' volunteer, and guess who got picked... We all had a good laugh watching Allen on stage with fire being blown around him and he being asked to roar and flex his muscles. What luck. After the fire show we headed down to the Creatures of the Night show where they brought out a whole variety of night creatures including a wolf, otters, and tarzirs. When they asked for a brave young boy to be a volunteer out of the 150 people there, I thought no way, but their son got chosen and was able to be up close and personal with the tarzirs. Lastly the show had 'apparently' lost an animal. After searching a few places they came over to right where we were sitting and asked to see in the area below our feet where there was an underground box. They opened it up and to my surprise at least, there was a 10 foot anaconda just chillin. !!!! Eeeewwwwww. The rest of the night we spent on the safari exploring and seeing a whole bunch of animals in their natural like environments and when they are most active (because during the day it is way too hot!).

We also did some hiking in the reserve on Singapore island which was a really really nice day. We walked down Orchard St.- what seems like the biggest most outlandish shopping area I've ever been too. There were 3 Louis Vutton stores in a matter of 1/3 mile, and the amazing thing about all these stores and shops (which included Starbucks) was that they were all full, even mid-afternoon, they were all full. We went to Sentosa Island, their slogan; "The World's Most Desirable Address." We had some great meals, and this part was a special treat for me after 2 1/2 months of eating oily street food and noodle soup, which I love, don't get me wrong, but it was nice to change it up. And I got to experience a bit of French cuisine, and I liked it, a lot! We toured downtown Singapore which is full of important business buildings, shopping, ridiculous law signs, eating, architectural amazements, camera monitoring, and trash bins! ( I posted many pictures on Facebook)

We did many things and our days were full. I very much enjoyed my stay there and am thankful to Allen and Isabelle for showing me such a great and generous time, they really were too kind!!

Thailand- freedom of speech?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110527/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_monarchy

""Thailand is a constitutional monarchy but has severe lese majeste laws that mandate a jail term of three to 15 years for any person who "defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the Regent""

Thailand to Singapore, and the inbetween

After leaving Thailand, knowing the next time I return will be mid June for my flight home, I venture on. Country #3 (I know, it feels like much more), MALAYSIA.
There were things that were shaping up to make this experience great;
- Number 3 of anything is usually lucky
- It was my first Muslim country to visit ever
- Malaysia is known for it's cultural crossroads, which should provide interesting sightseeing, good eats, and an understanding environment
- Malaysia was enroute to Singapore, where I was ready to meet some new family!
- Malaysia's interior contains the Cameron Highlands, supposed to have a cool climate, and if I sweat one more day in my clothes I think they'll fall apart.

So...with my spirits high, I cross over into Malaysia and head to Penang. I only had a limited amount of time allotted for Malaysia and Singapore because I had booked a flight May 19th from Kuala Lumpur to Phonm Penh, Cambodia. So I had to be picky, and narrowed my choices for Malaysia down to two. The first stop Penang. I chose this place for own reason and one reason alone, to eat. Penang is an island, and was a great port town when the British were colonizing and pushing their culture on everybody. That means that many different cultures migrated here, the three main cultures being Indian, Chinese, and Malay. These cultures which are very different in their customs have been able to live peacefully on this island while still prospering with their business and maintaining their culture. The peace was evident when I started walking down one of the main roads known as Harmony Rd. In a matter of a half a mile, maybe less, I first passed an Indian temple, followed shortly by a Chinese shrine and shop house, which was right next to a Christian church. All three full of people. It may not sound like much, but to me it seemed like Tolerance. This history of the island and in particular the main town of Georgetown is complex and I won't pretend to write like I know all about it because I don't and I only spent a couple of days there. What I did start to understand in that couple of days was one of the best parts of traveling, food.

Ask any traveler and they know, food is wonderful. Food gives pleasure but also gives gas. It brings people together to talk and share and laugh, and also brings diarrhea. It can be comforting and it can be intimidating. And it comes in all shapes and forms.

Some of the possibilities of things to eat in Georgetown included; Koi thiaw (Chinese dish) a dish based around a large flat noodle and turns into a soup like consistency or can be served regular. 3 out of 5 stars. Laksa (Malay dish) based around some shredded meat and is mostly a soup and contains noodles. It also has a really potent taste, I didn't enjoy it that much. 2 out of 5 stars. Naci Lemak (Malay dish) I didn't get to try this one, but heard it was good. Quie (Malay) Malay word for sweets, and it contains a whole variety from Jellies to pastries. 4 out of 5 stars. Roti Chani (Indian) not usually sweet and typically served with a dipping sauce. It is a flat bread. 4 out of 5 stars. Banana leaf meals (Indian) usually in the afternoons the Indian restaurants offer a compilation meal served on a banana leaf. You can sometimes choose what main things you get on the leaf (i.e. which meat) but it usually contains about 7-10 items and is a great way to try many different things, plus your eating off a leaf! 5 out of 5 stars. Tea Tarik (Indian) a drink, tea with milk, but something about the way they prepare it, they pour it in and out of a glass like 5 times. I got it every time! These are just the food items I can remember, and unfortunately I could only eat so much, but I enjoyed all of it- Thank you Georgetown!

From Penang, I headed to my second destination in Malaysia, the Cameron Highlands. This is high up in the interior of Malaysia and has one of the coolest climates around.   I want to be cold!!! I headed to the small town (really small) of Tanah Rata, tucked away in the mountains. I stayed at a really cool guesthouse/lodge and met quite a few people that I really enjoyed, which led me to stay here longer than intended. This region is known for two things, strawberries and tea. Yes and Yes. We all went for a hike one of the days to a nearby mountain of 6,666 ft ( :-/ ) that you hiked through moss forests to reach. It was a nice couple of hours hiking through the jungle, and although the top was covered with clouds it was still really nice. On the way down, we first stopped at a strawberry farm and met the farmers, held a baby goat and had amazing strawberry popsicles. It was really cool to see rows and rows of strawberries, which I've loved ever since I was a little girl, just ask my Nana- I'll take all the strawberries. These ones in the mountains were also the most fresh and delicious tasting strawberries I've ever had. We continued on down the mountain and walked through a tea plantation. Although I didn't learn what the process of making tea is, it was a beautiful sight, all the young tea plants, bright green and rolling all the way into the distance. After admiring the fields we hitched a ride on the back of a recycle truck and went back into town.


But my time was up and I booked a bus ticket to Kuala Lumpur and then transferred on the bus to Singapore, headed to see family....

Southern Thailand

 So now that I'm back in Thailand traveling on my own again, I decided it was time to see the much talked about Southern Thailand.

Southern Thailand is known for it's beautiful beaches, friendly people, great diving and snorkeling, good food, limestone formations and plenty of other things.

I started off by going to Hua Hin, which is just about 4 hours south of Bangkok. This is more of a vacationing spot for the city dwellers of Bangkok and less a backpackers haven, for example the royal family has a vacation beach house here. But I wanted to see it regardless. Luckily, I met a French lady on the train, Magalie, and got to chatting and found out that she lives in Hua Hin with her long time boyfriend, David, from South Africa. He is teaching there at Webster University and they have been livin gin Hua Hin for 2 years. She was kind enough to invite me to their home and give me a place to stay. This resulted in me staying here much longer than most backpackers would stay in Hua Hin. They were so nice, we spent the days going to the beaches, hanging out with their Thai friends, other foreign teachers, riding bikes, eating seafood, noodle soup and other yummy cuisine, and just hanging out . They were so lovely and it was a nice thing for me to be in a home and be able to relax in one place for a bit. Plus their puppy, named 'Puppy' was just to adorable with it's cone on her head from her recent neutering!

After thanking them for letting me crash at their place and for showing me around Hua Hin, I got a over night bus ticket to arrive in Phuket (pronounced Foo-ket , in case you were wondering!) I chose to go to Phuket because my good friend Jenna who is in the Navy was going to be in port there and we go the chance to meet up. How cool right, a friend since middle school and we are meeting up on two very different kind of trips...in Thailand!! Once there, I met up with Jenna and was introduced to her friends, and from there the Navy 'In port' adventure began. Quite a different pace from my normal travel style, Jenna and her friends had about 48 hours to enjoy Phuket and Thailand, and they were aware that definitely ISN'T enough!! We ended up walking around the town, trying some cuisine, trying the beer, going to get them custom tailored suits (a very popular thing for people to do when they come to SE Asia because it is so much cheaper), and that was just the first day. We ended up spoiling ourselves some more, and Jenna was kind enough to spoil me (THANK YOU JENNA!!!). That night we went out on the town of Phuket, which basically meant the one pedestrian street full of bars, parties, restaurants, and many many other things. The next day was spent relaxing and recuperating and getting Thai massages. The 48 hours we spent together in port were definitely memorable, and I had a great time seeing my friend while traveling abroad. Cheers to more stories chica!

After the whirlwind pace of Phuket, I once again headed off by myself south toward Krabi. I stayed on the remote beach of Rai Leh, which was accessible only by boat although it was on the main land. This beach was absolutely gorgeous and a great place to walk up and down the beach and watch the avid rockclimbers scale the 100's of feet cliffs on the beach. The limestone formed cliffs here are just surreal to look at, and make for an unforgettable and unique beach scene. I was running short of days for my visa, and only had two full days to enjoy Rai Leh. My fullest day I spent on an excursion, which was a blast! We started off by heading on the boat to Bamboo beach, a white sand beach a few miles off the coast. We got to swim and check out the local huts on the beach and see the tsunami evacuation route. From there, we headed to a Pirate cave (!) yes used previously by pirates or just people looking to hide out, and monkey bay. After that to Maya Beach. Maya beach is where they filmed the Hollywood movie "The Beach" made off the popular travelers book. I read the book at the beginning of this trip and I thought this island was quite a good fit, beautiful crystal blue waters, white sands, a small cove, jungle-inland etc... it was gorgeous, packed with tourists, but gorgeous. From there we headed to the popular island of Koh Phi Phi, iconic Southern Thailand. I know I keep repeating myself, but this beach was gorgeous too! Plus I had random groups of Asian tourist come and ask to take pics with me on their camera, and then on mine. Offshore of Phi Phi, we did our first snorkel spot. I LOVE snorkeling, it is so awesome. It also helps when the visibility is about 20 feet in every direction, and I felt like I was diving in the movie 'Finding Nemo.' I saw a puffer fish, anemones, the black and white 'scarfish', huge schools of fish that ate bread and anything else you threw them, coral beds, and much much more. I was the first one in the water and the last one out both times, it was just too pretty!! From Phi Phi we headed back to Krabi and Rai Leh beach, at about 4pm, plenty of time to swim and lounge at the Rai Leh beach until I got to see the repetitively spectacular sunsets! Ahhhh, I see why people get stuck in the South of Thailand and never leave...but I had to be going.