The Kingdom of Thailand

Serenity and I spent the last ten days of March on our first visit to Southeast Asia. Our plane left Fukuoka, stopped briefly in Taiwan, we switched planes in Hong Kong, and then landed in Bangkok around 8:30 p.m.

It was only then that we realized the Lonely Planet guide we had was outdated...five years outdated. You wouldn't think it was such a big deal, but Bangkok has opened up a new international airport since...so we started off a little lost.

But the next day we took a quick train ride to Ayutthaya - the ancient capital of Thailand, and saw our first 'wats'. Most of these Buddhist or Hindu temples date back to the 9-12th centuries.

Serenity walks up to the first of many...so immense and still so much detail left after 1,000 years. Most of them have steps and you can climb and explore - though you have to battle the 100 degree heat and extreme humidity.

At least here we're still smiling...the heat hasn't set in yet.

This is one of many new temples, but you get an idea for what the
old ruins looked like during their heyday.

Some of the ruins are right in the middle of neighborhoods.

By late afternoon we were exhausted from walking in the heat, and went back to our A/C room (which cost us @ $15 per night) and passed out, only to wake up right before sunset.

But we still had some time to explore another wat.

In a bit of irony, we stood at this Buddhist temple at dusk but could hear a minaret in the distance calling the Muslims to evening prayer. (We didn't take any photos of mosques, though some of them were just as ornate.)

Most of the wats that were open had thousands of bats inside, and after dusk...

These weren't no little things, either. We watched for five minutes
while they made their way out to feed.

Speaking of food, this was the night market (the only time of day that you could really stand to be outside for long anyway). We stopped by for a delicious dinner.

We headed out early the next morning to beat the heat and meditate among the ancients.

Most of the Buddhas are missing their heads...if you want to see the heads, just go to your local Western European or American museum...

Though grave-robbers might have a hard time removing this one.


Before lunch we took the train once again, this time into the
mountains for a few days in the jungle.

Quite a difference from the "safe 'n' sane" train system of Japan.
Thailand's idea of train platforms was to run across the tracks to
the other side before the train arrived.

The train cars (at least the ones we were in) had no air conditioning, just windows.
It was a sweltering 2+ hour ride.

But once we got to Pak Chong, near Khao Yai National Park, we found a place to eat,
where Kodi just happened to show up!


The next day we set out for a 10+ mile hike with a private guide through the jungle
in search of wildlife.

But even along the road the Rhesus Macaques are everywhere,
oblivious to the cars that pass.

Serenity with her au-natural jungle hat, made from a big leaf, by our guide.

We were in search of elephants, which roam wild in the park,
and our guide took us off trail quite a bit, but alas...

This was as close as we got to the elephants...
we ran into several piles and footprints, but never saw any live ones.

This is a tree that grows from the top down, its roots 'strangling' the original tree until it takes over and kills the host tree. Serenity is demonstrating her skills at sign language.
Notice her 'leech socks' above her shoes...what she needed was a 'tick cover.' She found a nice one lodged on her stomach that night.

The next morning we headed out bright and early to take a 5 hour bus ride
to the border with Cambodia.

This was looking out our bus window at a local market near the border.

And here is a sampling of the typical local artwork. Pictures of Thailand's King are EVERYWHERE, as well as these photos of some old monk.

The following post covers our travels in Cambodia...

On to Cambodia...

We were dropped off the bus at the border, where we had to walk across and find our own transportation the next 90 miles through Cambodia, on a dirt road surrounded by fields that are still infested with land mines.

Here is the border, where 'touts' await your arrival to try and talk you into getting into their car, bus, van, or wooden cart.

Dinner on its way to the market. It was still alive, squealing.
More on the life pigs can look forward to in Cambodia later...

Cambodia is quite a bit poorer than Thailand. In fact, it sometimes made the slums of Tijuana look like middle-class suburbia. (Only Laos is poorer in Asia) This is a shot looking forward in the bus that took six hours to go 90 miles. (Not to mention the driver had to "fix" his suspension on the side of the road in the pitch black of night with a belt -
yes, like the one you use to keep your pants up.)

But after barely escaping the lowly guest house that the bus driver wanted us to stay in (and nearly gated us inside at 9:30 at night to keep us there), we found this beautiful secluded hotel.

The first morning we hired Nok, our tuk-tuk driver, to be our personal escort between the many temples of Angkor Wat, which are miles apart.
(That's the tuk-tuk in the back, pulled by a small motorcycle/moped.)

Our first temple, and the massive roots that have overgrown the ancient city, once home to more than 1 million people in the 11th century.

Serenity monkeying around.

The town of Siem Reap is near the temples, now a tourist hub, but still chaotic. People drive on whatever side of the road they want, and fit as many people as they can on little mopeds. (We saw families of four balanced precariously on one bike.)

The view from our tuk-tuk.

The local petrol station.
Johnny Walker bottles filled with gasoline. $1 USD per bottle.

Eerie...there was a painting in one of the temples that looked just like Serenity...

The roads are shared with mopeds, bicycles, tuk-tuks, cars, vans, buses, pedestrians...and elephants. (That's the back of Nok, our driver, on the left.) He was a very safe driver...he had a beep for signaling a left turn (which usually meant he was just going to drive on the opposite side of the road against traffic for a block before turning).

One of the temples from the entrance.
Each temple was usually kind of buried in the jungle, with roads connecting each one. Although it's a heritage site, many people live on the side of the road and in the temples themselves.

Deep inside Angkor Thom.

The entrance to Angkor Wat.


As I said, temples are still inhabited, and not just by people.

Early morning fisherman (or maybe algae collectors?) on the moat that surrounds the gigantic temple of Angkor Wat.


The top of the temple Pre Rup, nearing sunset.

That night we headed back for a shower (Khmer style...dump water from the clay jar over your head), before heading to a traditional Khmer dance.

My beautiful wife enjoying one of the two local beers.

The Khmer dancers. Most in the audience barely watched or listened, and then all the Japanese and Chinese tourists rushed the stage for photos as soon as it was over, like the dancers were animals in a zoo. Embarrassing.

The top of Angkor Wat.

There were carvings in the stone EVERYWHERE. This is just one of many examples I photographed.

Me in the early morning in front of Angkor Wat.

Looking out the top of Angkor Wat.


Old and new...the Buddhist monks coming, the backpacker going.


The river that runs through town...we watched people swim in it.

Wouldn't exactly say the temples are handicap accessible.


A couple of big smiles at Angkor Thom.

A little boy at this temple - couldn't have been more than 7 or 8 - recited the numbers 1-10 in at least a dozen different languages, trying to get us to buy his ten postcards.

Indiana Serenity at one of the smaller temples.

Pre Rup at sunset, looking down and out on the jungle that surrounds the area.

I was attacked by a 1,000 year-old elephant.

Chai (left) and Mov (right) at the top of Pre Rup. Serenity sat and talked with them for a while, then printed this picture and brought them copies the next day.

Not sure if she has to use the restroom...or already is.

Inside one of the hallways...not sure how safe some of the ceilings were.

This temple was far outside of town and empty, giving us time to relax in the shade.

The farmland outside of town.

Outside of town we crossed a rally for the elections taking place the next day.
Truckload after truckload passed by, blaring music on the megaphones with everyone
in white caps and shirts. This would be the same party that has held power since 1979, and
which Pol Pot was a member until his death in the 1990s.
Our tuk-tuk driver wasn't a supporter.

Outside of town we came across an elementary school, where the kids were celebrating the last day of school by dancing to loud music and smearing each other with baby powder.

We joined in the fun, though all I got was covered in powder...didn't have a chance to return the favor. Almost all the kids in the area spoke good English (likely because of tourists), and we were able to talk with them for a while.


Back in town we headed for the Old Market, where locals still do their shopping. It was set out under tarps in the 100+ degree heat, with little breeze.

Remember what I said about the life of a pig???

It ends here in the Old Market.

There were hundreds of pounds of beef, pork, intestines, brains, livers, feet, etc... all sitting out in 100+ degree heat and covered with flies. The smell was...well, you can guess.

One woman had her hammock set up hanging just a foot above the meat table, and would reach down to grab the meat for customers in between naps.

The last night we headed back to the main temple of Angkor Wat for sunset.

Where once again, I was reminded of how old and new have forged a path
in many parts of the world.


We dined at a nice restaurant in the French Quarter of town the last night,
having said good-bye to our friend Nok.

The trip was awesome - especially Cambodia - and we are anxious to see the rest of the country away from the hoards of tourists of Angkor Wat.

We have too many photos to put up here, so we just posted most of the ones with us in them. If you want to see more of what Thailand and Cambodia look like, we will have the rest posted at Serenity's Flickr site soon.