Cambodia

Yesterday we took a really long tuktuk ride out to the countryside to see a few more temples. Mr Han's tuk tuk is propelled by his 150cc motorbike pulling us along behind him in a rickshaw type cab open air. I will be coughing up dust and bugs for a week but it was awesome. We passed farmers working in the rice paddies with their straw hats aided by their water buffaloes, their straw huts which are all about a story off the ground to protect from the bugs and water, and the vendors selling their sugar cane and various wares on the roadsides. There were signs warning of the landmines still present yet people still went into the fields. We had our lunch at the side of a 1000 year old moat, man made for the king. We saw the "TombRaider" temple made famous in the movie.The silk cotton trees form roots that literally creep into the stones and alternately pull the temples apart or hold them together. Still hot but what can you do?
Today is our last day and the flight leaves tonight to Bangkok, then a 4 hour layover and 17 hours back to JFK. After that a 3 hours drive- home Saturday - and then sleep. Thanks to all of you who read this and sent emails or added comments. So now we are off to see a silk farm in action and one last look at the famous Angkor Temple.

Siem Reap

So here I am in Cambodia. Siem Reap- at least in the section where we are staying -is just what I was hoping for. Most everyone rides motor bikes or bicycles.Many of the roads are unpaved and the people gather under pavilions made of tin or thatch to watch TV. They are very poor but every bit as friendly as the Thais, if even more so.However things are changing at warp speed. Everywhere you look just a few blocks away there are new giant hotels either just open or being built. Mr Han our tuk tuk driver for the next 3 days tells us the main road was only paved 5 years ago. Prices are high for foreigners but I don''t mind as they need it. On the first night Mr Han showed us around and then took us to the site of the Killing Fields. He had tears in his eyes as he recounted the horror of the Khmer Rouge from 1975-79. They killed nearly 1/3 of the population. There is a monument consisting of their skulls. They were then invaded by Vietnam which actually stopped much of the bloodshed but they were left with nothing, most of their young men dead as well as the children. Currently there is a severe outbreak of dengue fever which we know as hemmorhagic fever. There are signs all over asking for blood as the people can bleed to death. It is mosquito borne so we are being careful and using Deet 100%. There is a doctor here named Dr Beat who plays his cello every night at 7 in concert for free and then asks for donations for his hospital or you can give blood. They say he has saved countless lives.
We are staying in a Khmer style inn but owned by an Aussie couple who are away at home as they have just had a baby and reluctant to bring it here until the Dengue subsides. The inn is mostly run by Cambodian young people who are learning English and being trained in the hospitality business. It is a little difficult to communicate but it is great for them to practice. We had a guide- Kea- who today took us to Ankgor Wat and Angkor Thom. These are the 2 main attractions. They are huge ornate edifices built 1000 years ago in the jungle. Recently reopened after much of the vines and mines were cleared away, the Cambodians are pinning their hopes on its tourism value. It was wonderful climbing all over but I must say it was hot! It had to be 100 and the humidity put Bangkok to shame. We were wringing wet by 9 and spent nearly 6 hours . I could have drunk 5 liters of water but we had only 3 for both of us so we begged off the last temple. Last night Mr Han took us to a quiet small temple in the jungle where we were the only people. The inn had sent a bottle of wine and cheese and olives in a basket. There were parrots yeling at us from the trees that were growing out of the ruins. We stayed until nearly dark. It was mesmerizing. We passed a troop of monkeys who watched us from their perch above on the gate chattering to each other. I think they were discussing us!
As I write this I am sitting in the open air of an internet cafe on a dirt road with folks going by on their mopeds sometimes loaded with 3-4 people. Vendors pushing their carts loaded with fruits. There is a spirit house near me to ward away evil spirits. This has definitely been a worthwhile experience. It has taught me to really pay attention to the world of southeast Asia. Having experienced the heat and insects= let me tell you about how painful it is to be bitten by 20 red ants- I have so much respect for the GIs who served in VietNam. Well, back to the inn where Bert is having a foot massage. We are going tonight to an Aspara Dance show- the royal dance of Cambodia. Tomorrow we go to more temples including Ta Prom which was the one used in the movie Tomb Raiders. I will bring more water. This is supposed to be monsoon season but we have seen very little rain, none of which affected us. Buddha be praised!

Last day in Thailand

Today was our last day with our group. We spent the morning touring the Golden Palace. This was the ancient residence of the king and the sacred temple. It is aptly described as golden. The whole complex of temples and buildings has a wow factor of 10 plus. Each building was adorned in gold leaf or mirror reflecting the beautiful ceramics. Words could not do it justice. Even with the temp at 95 and humidity at 80 it was spectacular. The main temple or wat contains the emerald buddha- who is really jade. He was dressed in his rainy season garb of pure gold- He gets a heavier gold coat in the winter and a lighter one in the Thai summer which is April and May. The king had a gold house for everything including one to change his clothes before he got on the elephant. There is a building just used to hold the dead body of a royal family member. They put them in a large urn in the fetal position for 100 days and seal the top. During this time they build an elaborate funeral pyre and then cremate them on it on the 100th day. We have learned so much of their customs and about the culture. We set out on our own for the afternoon visiting the Reclining Buddha at Wat Po. He is 140 feet long and 50 feet high and of course covered in gold. You get a bowl of 108 coins and put one in each of 108 bowls for the buddha to bring you luck and prosperity and health. I gave it a shot- always one to hedge my bets.
After a visit to see the Oriental hotel- how the other half lives- I set out on my own visitng the rabbit warren known as Chinatown. I wandered the tiny alleys for over an hour stopping to watch a man crocheting a net. He let me help by showing me how he did it. He had no English and all I could say were my few Thai words but a great experience. They are such a delightful people. We finished our night with the group on a dinner boat ride up the river. Beautiful evening and home to the hotel. These guys are leaving for the airport to go home at 3AM. They promise to wake us up- we don't have to leave until 8 for Cambodia. They all seem a bit astounded that we are doing this on our own. It has been wonderful meeting them but I am ready to be on my own again and not accountable to 11 others. I would encourage anyone to see Thailand at least once. It is a unique experience and unique culture. It is a beautiful country.

Back in Bangkok

This evening we returned via Nok Air to Bangkok. The flight was delayed for 4 hours so the only exciting thing we did was go to Mass this AM. It was in Thai and held at the cathedral in Chiang Mai. I am not sure what was going on but there were 20 priests and it looked like a high Mass. They seemed to introduce each priest and each got a round of applause. Maybe their anniversary? There were about 1000 peopole in attendance and halfway through there were 2 baptisms. This is unusual in this country which is 94% Buddhist and only 1% Catholic. I think they were all there today. At the kiss of peace we all bowed to each other. There were lots of other nice touches as well. This was a nice juxtaposition from yesterday when we attended a "monk chat" with a Buddhist monk. He explained Buddhism and answered our questions for about an hour. I am not sure I agree with them- I am sure I do not- but he was earnest and sincere and had a good way about him. He did seem excited to know that Protestant ministers can marry and he joked that maybe he would convert as monks are celibate. In the early AM- before dawn- we went out to give alms to the novice monks who collect the food in metal baskets and chanted over us. Very moving. you meet them on the side of the road outside their temple and kneel in front of them barefoot. We have seen and done so much these 2 weeks. I have not mentioned our fellow travelelrs but we all have gotten along pretty well. One of the men was bitten by a pack of dogs and has started rabies treatment. Rosa, one of the ladies travelling alone injured herself in a fall the first day and has developed cellulitis in her leg. My RN skills have come in handy every day.
Tomorrow we go to the Golden Temple here in Bangkok and finish this part pf our trip on a dinner boat ride on the Chao Phraya. Next day off to Cambodia on our own.