26.5.06

Buddhist monks and nuns resting from the mid-day hot sun, Angkor Wat

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Buddhist nuns that we encountered through out Angkor Wat

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My daily rituals included meditating in the presence of beautiful Buddha shrines.

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Face of Jayavarman at Angkor Thom: there are 182 faces through out.

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My favorite goddess: Apsara, literally meaning Heavenly Dancing Woman. Her carvings were all through out Angkor Wat.

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More of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Angkor Wat at sunrise, Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Me with a Cambodian child, who we shared dinner with... She was jovial, sweet and very affectionate.

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9.3 : Sawadeeka! Suste! Bom dia!

Sawadeeka! Suste! Bom dia!

In Thailand I met up with Simon, a kiwi friend that I met in Auckland. We continued our travels to Cambodia with fun train travel along the way. The train ride took us through interesting parts of Thailand through neighborhoods, rural areas, construction sites and untouched green landscapes. Due to our lack of reading the Thai language, we sat in a "Monks only" section on the train. Not only is this quite rude, but also forbidden as monks can't sit near women. Needless to say we stood for much of the train ride, until seats opened up.

We spent the night in the small town of Kabin Buri where the Thai dialect sounded a bit different and no one spoke English, but we managed to have a delicious dinner and enjoy the kindness of the people nonetheless. It seems that the further we got from Bangkok the nicer and more genuine the people. We started early the next day for the Aranyaprathet/Poipet border. Upon arriving an interesting process of obtaining a visa began. Sitting in a restaurant at the border, a Thai man explained the process and the costs involved in getting a visa. He didn't appear to work for the government, but he certainly knew the process involved and spoke very good English. It was quite scary watching him walk away with our passports and applications, just hoping that it all worked out... and it did. Crossing the border was exciting, uncertain and very hot that day. In Bangkok, I purchsed a small djembe, which is an Afrian drum and carried it with us through out our travels. At the border especially, people loved playing it and it was a unique piece that broke through communication and social barriers. Simon is a percussionist and it was fun to watch him show others how to play, as well.

Once we crossed the border into Cambodia, we boarded a small bus that took us to Siem Reap. The roads are so bumpy, mostly unpaved and very dusty. I heard a rumor that an airline company bribes the Cambodia government to keep the roads unpaved, so that people will fly rather than take the bus. One American on the bus particularly had back problems and vowed not to return to Thailand via this road as it was just too painful for him. After a few planned stops, we arrived about 6 hours lateer to Siem Reap. Entering the town, we passed huge, fancy hotels with expensive accomodation. Siem Reap is the most touristy city in Cambodia because of Angkor Wat. Soon after, we started calling it Siem Vegas. There is a layer of poor people that beg to the tourists, which consists mostly of children. As many of you know, I have a very soft spot in my heart for the little ones and seeing young children holding infant siblings asking for money made my heart ache with sadness. Rather than give money to each othe children as I was also on a budget (and it's never assured that the donation will go directly to the child as often parents are begging on the same streets), Simon and I decided to buy food for the kids. In our first night in Siem Reap we fed a few mouths, which was fun as interacting with the kids was entertaining and jovial. Sadly, however, because of the begging and interacting with tourists, many Cambodian children aren't learning their native language and only want to learn English. Also, because of their harsh lifestyles, they seem to grow up quickly. The children have so many moods and facets depending on their present situation. They are happy when they are being fed or given something by someone and sad, whiny and depressed when begging, unfortunately. However, when happy the children are like little candles of light and happiness.

Angkor Wat is an amazing, amazing place. The ancient temple ruins were built in 1112-1152 to honor Vishnu, his patron deity. There are over 70 wats (or temples) and structures that exist on the grounds and one could spend weeks there just trying to see it all. We bought a 3-day pass and hired Ny, an excellent tuk-tuk driver to see as much as we could. One morning we enjoyed the sunrise over Angkor Wat and another day hired a tour guide to learn about the historical background of some of the temples. The grounds are magnificent as they are all surrounded by lush bush and trees. We often climbed to the tops of temples and would sit looking out at the beautiful landscapes. Also, many Buddhist monks and nuns meditate and pray through out the grounds. Interacting with them was a great blessing, as they were often friendly and talkative. One day, we journeyed to the Tonle Sap river, saw the Vietnamese floating villages and pretty sunset. The people living around the lake are also quite poor and live in huts that are somewhat barren homes on stilts so when the water rises, they will be able to stay dry and safe. Nearly each home had a TV, that we guessed was powered by car batteries. All in all, a very interesting experience.

Back in Thailand, we traveled to Surat Thani, which is a small port town on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. We boarded the Night Ferry, which was a small, wooden boat with heaps of travelers all sleeping on one giant row of mattresses along the length of the boat, like sardines. Needless to say, we quickly got to know our "neighbors" and met some very interesting Australians. I learned how to play the card game "500" and spent most of the night trying to learn the various rules, etc. The rocking of the boat lulled me to sleep and when I woke we were at the island of Koh Pha Ngan. Koh Pha Ngan is known for the Full Moon Party that occurs each month. As we exited the boat, numerous guesthouse owners flocked to us trying to gain our business. We decided to stay at the Field Paradise Guesthouse in Baan Thai, which had a small bungalow with it's own hammock, mosquito net, nearly broken fan and private bathroom with no hot water. The bungalow was a short walk from the beach and had a bar that we spent much time in meeting other travelers and just relaxing. We rented a motorcycle and toured parts of the island every day, depending on the weather. The island is small and there are numerous wats, parks and little beach towns to visit. On February 13th, the Buddhist holiday of *** occurred. As we drove by a large wat celebrating the holiday, we stopped to sit in on the ceremony. It was fun to witness the local Thai people greeting each other and sitting outside under large tents. We sat in the men's section where friendly participants smoked bamboo cigarettes and chatted quietly while praying to the chanting of the Buddhist monks inside the church. The Full Moon Party itself was quite an experience. An estimated 10,000-20,000 people participate in this party and the small beach of Haad Rin is filled with tourists and Thai people dancing to a variety of music until the wee hours of the morning. We had a very memorable time and seemed to meet interesting and fascinating people through out the night.

After Koh Pha Ngan, we took a boat back to Surat Thani, then caught a bus to Khao Sok National Park. This park was recommended by some new friends I made in Bangkok and was one of the highlights of my trip overall. Khao Sok is a beautiful, small town that is surrounded by mountains, lush green rainforests and a river. We spent much of the time embracing nature and outdoor activities. Again we rented a motorcycle one day and explored some backroads taking in the amazingly serene and gorgeous landscape of Thailand. We also did a short walk through the park, exploring the nearby river and enjoying a swim. The sun set on us quite quickly and we returned from the 3 kilometer walk in the dark, which was a fun challenge. The next day, we joined another couple (an American woman and her Vietnamese husband) for a boat and caving tour. We took a boat across the lake, which was man-made about 12 years ago to create a dam for electricity. The lake was built over a forest and is absolutely stunning as huge mountains jut straight out of the water. We took a boat to some small floating villages and had a nice break and swim. Then, we continued into the rainforest for an interesting tramp where we saw fascinating bugs, birds, spiders and fish. We arrived a few hours later at the mouth of a huge cave and I had my first caving experience. Inside there were stalagmites, stalagtites, bats, spiders and other creatures. We continued on through the cave, often walking through huge pools of water and small waterfalls. Some parts were like the old-school movie "Goonies", as the water came up to my arms and the flow of the water created an added factor of excitement and lack of balance. The experience overall was very invigorating and fun. Plus, we really enjoyed meeting new friends and shared a delicious dinner with them later that night.

The following day, we had scheduled an elephant trek through the rainforest. Our elephant "Pai" was so sweet, very gentle and a beautiful creature to interact with. She took us to a small waterfall, where we shared some bananas with her and I spontaneously enjoyed a dip in the water, when trying to rock climb. On the ride back, rather than sit on the seat on her back, we climbed down and sat directly on her shoulders. To feel her shoulder bones move and groove with each step was a very rhythmic and comforting experience. Later that day, we took a slow and relaxing canoe ride down the river, seeing various snakes, birds and other wildlife.

Returning to Bangkok I celebrated my 30th birthday with Simon and some new friends I had met earlier in my travels. We all enjoyed a lovely dinner and spent the evening chatting outside of our friends' home. Wat (also meaning temple) and his partner, Kristin (an American from Georgia) are so fun, outgoing and informative. Meeting people through out my travels has been a great blessing, as each person has given me a new and interesting perspective on life and travel.

After Asia, I returned to Auckland for a few days to pack up some belongings and prepare for the last part of my travels.... Rio de Janeiro! I met up with my friends Peter and Melissa and was fortunate to stay with them and their friend, Shirley in her wonderful apartment in Copacabana. Rio is a bustling, beautiful city and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the beach and just catching up with my friends. Peter and I rock climbed Corcovado! (Here's a picture that sort of conveys the mountain/hill: http://www.barok.de/Rio2000/jpeg/corcovado_zuckerhut.jpg) I consider myself a novice rock climber, but definitely am a bit more experienced after this journey! Easily, this was the most difficult physical feat I've accomplished. We took a taxi to the entrance of the national park and hiked into the start of the climb. We hired a guide, Gustavo, who was very experienced and a friend of Peter's. Each part of the climb, or pitch, both Gus and Peter were very helpful, supportive and provided great comic relief, especially when I was unsure of the techniques needed. The views from the climb were overwhelmingly beautiful and amazing. This climb has made me hungry to find more fun outdoor climbs!

I also experienced Carnaval by attending the Samba Winners Parade at the Sambadrome. Carnaval is one of the biggest parties in the world and to witness the energy, love and excitement that goes into each performance is so heart-warming. Each school contains 2500-5000 people and each group within the school can spend nearly 1/3 of their annual income to buy a costume and participate in the school. The singing, dancing, floats and overall participation was so beautiful to experience. However, the most moving performances were by the bateria, which is the percussion band and singers. The bateria sets the tone for the entire school and uses various drums and other musical instruments to get everyone on beat. Every time the bateria passed us, the energy and warmth from each of the instruments swelled up to our camarote and the music could be physically felt. It was such an exciting and exhilarating experience. It was truly a gift to share such an amazing experience with my friends.

Buddha with Naga, the serpent of the sea, Wat Po, Bangkok

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Lizard (of the Komodo dragon family ?) at Lumpini Park, Bangkok

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22.5.06

Reclining Buddha at Wat Po, Bangkok: This amazing structure is 150 long and here's a view of the head only. Amazing!

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30.1 : Sawadeeka from the Land of Smiles!

Greetings from Bangkok! I arrived last week and have been enjoying exploring my new surroundings. I am staying in Banglampoo which is known for it's bustling markets, guesthouses (which are like hostels, but a bit nicer), and a mecca for many travelers and backpackers.

Since being here, I successfully took the bus to Chinatown, gotten to know my surrounding neighborhood, visited my first wat or temple, eaten yummy food mostly from the sidewalk "restaurants"that are on every corner, did some major shopping and have fallen in love with Thailand.

Getting around the city, it's easy and cheap to travel by tuk tuk, which is a motorcyle-like mobile with a seat for two people in the back. These little vehicles will take you anywhere you want to go, but it's wise to bargain the price with the driver first. Also, it's a bit scary and exhilerating to ride in one, as there are no doors or windows, so it's quite exciting when one squeezes between a big truck and a honking car. Also, I learned that in Bangkok painted lines in the road are really just guidelines, but no one really follows them religiously. I am so thankful that I'm not driving in this country and have completely taken back everything I've ever said about California drivers being insane. Bangkok would give any Californian a run for their money on the road.

Over the weekend, I went to the Chatuchak markets, Bangkok's largest outdoor markets with over 15,000 vendors. Being the transportation lover that I am, took the Sky Train to the markets. The Sky Train system is very efficient and was fun to ride. Per advice from another local that I met, I went to the markets early in the day and had such a great time! These are the best markets I have EVER seen with pretty much everything from housewares to amazing clothes to food to pet supplies all at ridiculously low prices. I shopped and shopped until I realized that I was dehydrated and hungry, so decided to call it a day and headed for shade and food.

This past weekend also kicked of Chinese New Year and it was wonderful to see so many people wearing red, especially children, many people celebrating the new year with shrines of incense burning and delicious food offerings and numerous celebrations of dancing lions through out the city. On Saturday, I visited the Phra Sumen park, which is right near my stomping grounds and faces the Chao Phraya River. A large group of students were having a celebration with food, juggling, break dancing and aerobics. It was so well organized! A young and not so seemingly fit aerobics instructor had a Madonna-like microphone (think Vogue) and great sound system blasting very fast techno music. He led the group of 40+ energetic followers. So after a big feast, everyone could get down and sweat it out with aerobics. Good idea!

I also visited my first Thai grocery store and found it fascinating. Clearly, most Thai don't buy their produce at grocery stores as the produce section was super small and everything was individually wrapped in saran wrap with styro-foam. The biggest part of the store had to the beauty section as there were rows and rows of shampoo, whitening face cream, soaps, and other scented products. If there were different scents available for soaps, for example, there were little samples out, so people could smell the soaps and see the colors. This went for the air freshner section also; each product has little bottles hanging from each row so people can sniff the scents before buying them. The Thai are very clean people, indeed!

Also, today I visited the Wat Skrakes, which is this massive compound that was originally built in 1782 and is still maintained due to it's historical significance. The Gold Mount is the largest part of the monument standing at 100 meters hight and around 500 meters in diameter. While I was taking some pictures and walking to the top, I met a Buddhist monk named Wanich. We ended up spending the entire afternoon together and it was such a wonderful experience. We walked to the top of the monument, walked around it 3 times (in Buddhism, I think this signifies good fortune, doing things 3 times), I prayed with him in Thai, bought a little bell to hang at the shrine, lit incense and put gold paper on a different monument inside and ultimately learned quite a bit about Thai buddhism. After the Gold Mount, we visited the Consecrated Assembly Hall with a huge gold Buddha and again said some prayers. The entire compound has massive gold Buddhas all over, and each of the buildings is covered in ornate designs with beautifully maintained grounds surrounding each area. I found a true friend in Wanich and hope our paths cross again.

All in all, I've really enjoyed the Thai people as they are kind, polite and very helpful to farangs like me. (A farang is a westerner, usually a tourist). Although many are quite surprised at what comes out of my mouth, as many expect me to speak Thai or Japanese. I have a few more days in Bangkok before heading off to my next adventure.

Hope you are all well! All my love!

Me and Jill at a camping birthday party in Coromandel.

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