Angkor What (Wat)?

We arrived in Siem Reap on January 20th and made daily trips to the Angkor complex, including Angkor Wat, and all of the many other temples in the surrounding area.  Truly amazing.  Angkor Wat was a Hindu temple built in the 12th century and shortly thereafter became Buddhist. They had quite an advanced civilization that was ravaged by wars and new regimes.  The exact history of the area is interesting and complicated.  Eventually the jungle took over and covered the ruins, and later thieves took off with the heads of statues and structures.  They have restored some temples and are in the process of restoring others.  It makes me wonder what life was like back in those days.  As I strolled through some of the temples, I could hear the monks praying and exotic birds singing.  Other times I heard the clanking of tools used while teams of locals worked to restore these ancient structures.  The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  At times, you could hear throngs of tourists streaming through to get that one great photo.  Oh wait, I guess that's what I’m doing, but hopefully more polite and patient about it!  We were warned about the large number of tourists, but it didn’t ruin our experience.  We found if you made the effort to get out early in the morning, you might just be one of a few people visiting a site.  We visited so many temples, I couldn't name them all!

Sunrise at Angkor Wat was beautiful with its reflection coming to life in the pond in front of the temple and sunset was absolutely magical thanks to the golden afternoon lighting and the fewer number of tourists.

Sunrise

Sunset

Relaxing in a nearby restaurant.  Food blog entry to follow.

trees overtaking the walls of a temple

steep, steep steps.  Whew!  Much harder coming down, especially in 90 degree heat

children playing on a tree branch with Angkor Wat in the background

Luang Probang: Big ears and long trunks

Yesterday was a day of leisure.  Started with watching the monks accept alms of sticky rice, then yoga on the Nam Khan River.  I kept up with the 30 plus young students, but feel the burn today in my arms.  I better keep it up in prep for my upcoming yoga camp in Cambodia. Then Wat hopping, café, and a nice long massage.  Oh ya.

Today wetook a tour to the MandaloLao Elephant Conservation and was not disappointed.  It is a non-riding experience in which we could feed the elephants, then trek through the woods with them. It was fascinating to learn about their habits and needs, and to get up close to touch them.  The conservation is focused on education and promotes the humane treatment of these beautiful animals throughout Laos.  They take in abused or damaged elephants and train them to go back into the wild.  The elephants followed us as we meandered through the woods and a couple of streams.  Hopefully sanctuaries like this will save these beautiful animals, which have dwindled down to about a 1000 in Laos.

The guide was quite interesting and was very open about the changes in Luang Prabang.  He was complaining about the Vietnamese buying many of the local hotels and providing much of the tourist transport services, leaving the locals with much less business.  Locals are starting to leave the city and even the monks are left with less local support of alms. I asked the guide what would happen if there were no more alms for the monks – he said “they’d have to cook their own food”.  Hmmm.   Another huge and looming change is the fast train rail that is being built by China.  The train will be complete in 2021 and the route will be from China to Vientiane, Laos.  They expect a surge in Chinese tourism and large resort-style casinos.  

https://laotiantimes.com/2018/02/28/updates-from-the-laos-china-railway-project/

I’m conflicted with tourism in general and do feel guilty that I contribute to the problem of over tourism in the world and its negative environmental impact. Still trying to find the balance and a way to do my part.

Paul’s little friend Tu

This is Tu.  Almost three and a spitfire.  She is the hotel manager’s daughter.  Riding her bike complete with a basket of sticky rice

Had a nice conversation with Suli.  Been a monk for three years

Giving rice for alms every morning 6 am.  She gets up at 4am everyday to cook rice

Bamboo bridge

Contemplating a tree?? 

Yoga on the river

Luang Prabang: The Vibe is What you Bring

Where has the time gone????  We’ve been so busy that I’ve barely had time to blog or go through the thousands of photo’s I’ve taken.  Now at at café in Luang Prabang, Laos and inspired to write, with cappuccino in hand and pleasant music playing in the background.  Staring out at the street where locals are setting up for the night market.

Been in Luang Prabang (Royal Buddha Image) since the 15^th and love it.  A UNESCO world heritage Site claimed to be the best city in Laos.  Well, it was a favorite of Anthony Bourdain after all. See “Parts Unknown” Season 9, episode 3.  His show really portrays the country and city accurately to include its complex history.  Our first meal was at the restaurant Tamarind where Anthony had a meal or two.  I had the chicken and coriander stuffed lemon grass.  Delicious!

We jam packed the next day because there is so much to see here.  Leaving at 5:30 in the morning to the city center to give alms (sticky rice) to the monks is still a highlight for me.  They have to do this everyday or they don’t eat.  Locals and tourists line up on tiny little chairs along the sidewalk near the monasteries, with baskets of sticky rice or banana leaf wrapped rice in hand.  One by one the monks walk past and you place a scoop or rice (with hand) in their alms bowl.  We are sitting because we must be lower than the monks.

We truck it up 300 plus steps of Mount Phousie to see the sunrise.  But that is yet not enough exercise as we take a tuk tuk to the Kuang Si Waterfalls after breakfast and make an intense hike (to me anyway) up to the top of some gorgeous waterfalls.  The hike was not easy as we climbed up and down steep, slippery dirt steps, and stairs draped with flowing water.  After 24,299 steps and 83 flights of stairs, we earned an amazing sunset cruise on the Mekong.  It seemed we did enough for a week already.  What a beautiful day.

Today we did a tour of Buddha caves, but only after a local whiskey stop and pick ups of other tourists.  200 plus steps to the cave gave my legs and body one more reason to ache, but well worth it.  The boat ride and scenery were spectacular, to include elephants, along the way.  Relaxing day!

Words of wisdom along the way:

“The vibe is what you bring”. Paul – well said

Paul's little friend.  She is the daughter of the hotel manager and just loves to draw pictures for Paul

Rice alms for the monks

Alms

Chicken stuffed lemon grass

Whiskey anyone?

Hike down from the waterfall

Buddha caves