Siem Reap- Angkor Temples

The temples of the ancient civilization of Angkor were incredible. Only being there can really capture that. I took loads of photos. My favorite parts were the carvings in the wall at Angkor Wat, the large faces at Bayon, and the huge trees that grew over the Ta Prohm temple. If you want to see them up close then you should go there or watch the Tomb Raider movie.

Some of the more memorable moments included the moments we interacted with the Cambodian children. Many of them come to the temples to beg or sell postcards, water bottles, handicrafts and other things. Most of them speak English surprisingly well. Halley talked to them about what they wanted to do. Some of them wanted to be tour guides. Tan and I gave candy to the kids since we didn't want to buy things from all of them. Many of the kids would ask you questions like where are you from? I answered. "America. Texas." Then they would say, "The capital of America is Washington, D.C. The capital of Texas is Austin." I asked them the capital of other states and they knew lots of them. I was impressed. One of the boys I met asked me, "What is your name?" "My name is Steve. What is your name?" "My name is Superboy." I gave him some candy, and then Tan and I bought some water and we bought ice cream for about eight kids. Then Superboy gave me a postcard that he wrote. It said, "I'm very glad to meet you. You were very nice. I hope to see you again when you comeback to Cambodia. Superboy."

I was very touched. He had such a good attitude despite his circumstances.

Phnom Penh- A macabre tourist destination

Tan, Halley and I arrived in Phnom Penh around 9 a.m. Our flight from Bangkok only took an hour. We had to pay $20 for visas in the Phnom Penh International Airport. We filled out the application and handed over the money and our passports. Then we got into a line and waited to get our passports back. The line didn't matter at all because a man pulled out a passport and called out "Hello" and then waived it in the air with the picture showing. He didn't try to read names at all. It was a long line, so things were chaotic.

We were picked up at the airport by a tuk-tuk. Phnom Penh is developing gradually. It has some paved roads and many dirt roads. There are some very nice hotels and French colonial buildings, but most of the town is dirty. Trash was everywhere, and the foodstalls looked too unclean for me to try anything. I saw what must have been some internet cafes setup outside under umbrellas.

We checked into the Sunday Guesthouse. It is located on a dirt road about 10 minutes from the airport. I wanted to call my friend John, but there was no phone for guests to use. So I went looking for a pay phone nearby. I couldn't find one and lots of the locals were trying to get my attention as I walked around. They asked if I needed a tuk-tuk or motorbike or if I wanted to buy postcards. I ignored them and went to one of the street restaurants to ask if I could use a phone. The lady didn't understand, so I pulled out my phone and tried to show her that it didn't have a signal. A man came by, and he could speak a little English. He told them what I wanted. So another man let me borrow his cell phone, and I gave him a dollar. John and I arranged to meet up for dinner. Then we rented a tuk-tuk for the day and went on a tour.

Our first stop was at the Russian Market. It was filled with cheap clothes made in Cambodia. There was also lots of pirated DVDs and CDs. We stopped for lunch and met a couple who were missionaries. They worked with street children. We split up and went shopping. While walking through the market, Halley met a Cambodian girl who tried to talk to her, but she couldn't speak English. Halley noticed that she had been bitten on the hand. She found someone who could translate. The girl had been bitten by a dog and she wanted to go to a doctor. Halley found us and asked what to do. We asked a woman to translate for us. The girl said her mother was not around. We asked if there was a hospital nearby. The woman told us there was a clinic around the corner. It took a while to understand what she said. And when we looked for it, all we found was a drugstore. So Halley bought the girl iodine and bandages for her hand. Then she cleaned her up and put them on. The pharmacist told the girl to get a rabies shot, but I doubt she could afford it. We didn't know where a hospital was, and we didn't want to take her anywhere far away from the market, so we said goodbye.
Next we went to the killing fields in Choeng Ek village. We travelled on dirt roads to get there.

Inside the killing fields genocide memorial, there wasn't much to see. We were confronted by beggars who were mostly children and landmine victims. The most visible reminder of the dead is the memorial building that is filled with skulls of the victims. It is one of those things you see that you can't believe. It is a tall building filled to the roof with skulls. In the green fields, there were ditches that had been used as mass graves. There were signs at various spots that detailed the torture that happened. One of the trees was used. It's ironic that it is a tourist attraction. Cambodia is such a poor country, so it is willing to show history of the genocide to tourists for money. I read an article that said a new tourist attraction will open: the stronghold of Pol Pot. It will have former Khmer Rouge soldiers as tour guides. The article also said that a Japanese company won the bidding to improve the facilities of the Choeng Ek genocide memorial. It will pave the road to get there.

After that we went straight to another grisly sight, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. This was a sad day for us. Tuol Sleng literally has two meanings. One is poison. The other is finding guilt. Both are appropriate because Tuol Sleng was a prison and concentration camp for those who were declared to be enemies of the Khmer Rouge. Thousands were totured and forced to make confessions before they were killed. We saw lots of pictures of victims. They were children, women, teachers, priests, monks, foreigners, and even Khmer Rouge who were called traitors. The place had a very eerie vibe. It used to be a school before it was changed into the prison for its horrible purpose.

I wondered why did I want to see this? Was I disrespecting the dead or honoring them by going to see the genocide musuems? I hope I showed respect for all of human suffering by visiting these places. I want to remember victims of injustice even if I have no direct connection to them. I feel it is my duty to witness the truth, no matter how ugly. I'm not sure what I learned, but I will not forget what I saw.

Later we went across the street to a nice guesthouse and restaurant called Boddhi Tree. We needed to relax after seeing all of that. After that we went to the Central Market and got lost. But we eventually got out of it and found our tuk-tuk driver waiting for us. Then we met John for dinner. He does anti-trafficking work in South East Asia. There are many people who have little or no hope for economic improvement and they risk being smuggled into other countries for a chance at a better life. Unfortunately, many of them find themselves in horrible situations such as slavery or prostitution. We had dinner at a really nice restaurant called Elsewhere. The name was appropriate because it did not feel like Cambodia.
The next morning we left in a hired car for Siem Reap at 5 a.m.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm 

Most of the Angkor temples are being restored, but this temple has been left mostly to the wild jungle. Trees have grown all over the ruins. It is an amazing place. By the way, Tomb Raider the movie was filmed in the Angkor temples.

The enigmatic faces of Bayon

The enigmatic faces of Bayon 

Inside the temples of Angkor Thom, there is the Bayon temple. There are 54 giant faces. No one knows why they are there. They are huge and impressive.

Carvings in the temple

Bas reliefs in Angkor Wat 

Carvings (bas reliefs) run all along the outside of a wall that runs around the temple. The carvings tell about 10 different stories. Most of them are about the king, wars, and gods and demons. This picture shows the aspara women dancers.

Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia 

Traffic Jam

Traffic Jam 
We had to stop for the cows to cross the road many times.

Road Trip in Cambodia 

Tuol Sleng

Tuol Sleng Museum (S-21) 

The Khmer Rouge changed a school building into a prison and concentration camp. The prisoners were tortured and forced to make confessions before they were killed.

Killing Fields of Choeung Ek 

The Killing Fields

The Killing Fields 

The Khmer Rouge killed thousands of people near the village of Choeng Ek. They dug ditches that became mass graves.

Biking in Phnom Penh 

Next month: Cambodia

Next month I'll go to visit Cambodia. Tan and Halley, a friend from church, will go with me. Cambodia has been one of the places I have been wanting to go to the most since I came to Thailand. I have only been across the border once for a visa run. Cambodia appeals to me because I want to learn about its tragic history of genocide, remarkable people, and its ancient Khmer culture. And of course, who wouldn't want to take pictures of a giant tree swallowing an ancient face-carving in a remote jungle temple. I've seen some of the Khmer-style temples in Thailand, and they were remarkable already.

We'll fly into Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. We'll stay for one day and night. Then we'll go to Siem Reap, which is the closest city to the famous Angkor Wat temples. Now we need to decide where we'll stay. I've found some good websites like this one: http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-siemreap-guide-stay.htm
I'd appreciate any tips about traveling in Cambodia. Happy traveling to all you cyberglobetrotters out there!

The Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

Trip to Malaysia

Tan and I went on a trip to Malaysia for three days. We just got back. We went with a tour. We saw the island city of Panang, the entertainment city of Genting, and visionary city Kuala Lumpur. We flew into Panang but we didn't stay there very long. There was a lot that we didn't see. The tour company flew into Panang rather than KL to save money. We got into a bus and rode for a really long time. We finally made it to Genting. It's a city built on the top of a hill. Winding roads can take you to the top, but our tour took a ride on a cable car lift to get to the top. The lift goes right over a rainforest. The first time we went up at night and saw the lights of the city in the distance. The second time we came down in mist. The city is one big amusement park, mall, casino and hotel combined into one. I watched the opening world cup match on a giant screen with a large crowd. Most of them were supporting Germany.
The next day we went to KL. On the way we stopped at the new capital Pejara, which is still under construction. In KL we went to the Petronas towers and then we met some Malaysian friends that Pai, Tan's friend knew. They took us around the city and then we went back to Genting. Pai's friends were very nice. They took us to a few shopping places. They spoke English fluently. They introduced us to their friends. Oddly, I noticed the trend is to wear collars up. So I followed their example. When in Rome ... I've been asked what it was like being in a Muslim country. I never felt in danger in any way. Malaysia seems to be a very tolerant country. Besides large mosques I saw many churches and even a few Buddhist temples.
Our tour stopped at a chocolate factory. We bought lots of it and sent it to people. The food in Malaysia was good. I tried some chicken with rice and coconut. I really like it. Our trip back to Genting was like being in a nascar race. The curves on the road up the hill make the cars do hairpin turns. And we were going fast. I prayed more than once on the way. It was also very cold at the top of the hill where the hotel was. The hotel does not have air conditioning because it is so cold there.
The next day we went back to Panang and flew home. Overall, I was impressed with how modern Malaysia looked, especially KL. I would have liked to see more. Tan and I were disappointed that lots of the time was spent riding in the bus. I'll upload some pictures.

Chinese Acrobat Show

The Chinese Acrobat Show was the most impressive thing I have ever seen! They kept doing things which are impossible until you see them happen with your own eyes. The show started with young women spinning tops on strings. The tossed them in the air and kept them spinning. Then they flipped and caught them. They jumped on top of each other and caught them. They passed them to each other very quickly.

The next act was two young men doing tricks with pots. They balanced them skillfully. They dropped one on purpose to show how heavy it was. Then one of them would throw it up and catch on it his back and then on his head. Then he balanced it for a long time.

After that a man and woman suspended themselves by tying a ribbon around them that was hanging from the ceiling. They flew around the stage doing amazing tricks.
Then a contortionist came onto the stage. She did a headstand while balancing burning candles that girls put on her. Then there was a juggler who was very good. He also walked up and down stairs bouncing balls on each step. He had six going at once at the end.

The most impressive act was a man who balanced on a board on top of a cylinder. He did handstands and flips before landing on the board again. Then he put another cylinder under the board. Then he put another. He ended up with four of them. Then he put the board on top. Then he balanced and rotated the board around 360 degrees. That was incredible! I would watch it again if I get a chance.

Peking Duck 

Bejing Food

We ate like kings on our tour. Every lunch and dinner we sat around a table with a “lazy Susan” that was filled with delicious food. We tried Beijing (Peking) duck several times at different places. It was the best duck I’ve ever had. The meat was so juicy. It reminded me of ribs back home in Texas. Another time it was served with rice paper and thick black sauce that poured like molasses. You put what you want inside the rice paper and make something like a taco. We also had pork in green bell peppers, nuts with chicken, three kinds of mushrooms with spicy red peppers, bacon with tofu, asparagus and lots of vegetables and more. This was for one meal. One of my surprising favorites was fried eggplant stuffed with pork.

We also had Coke, Yanjing beer, and sometimes rice wine. Rice wine is more for cooking than drinking. It was awful when I tried it. It burns and has no taste. Will, a father who came on the tour, called it rocket fuel.

While we were eating, it was funny sometimes because someone would turn the wheel while someone else was trying to get their food with chopsticks. We each had to learn quickly how to master chopsticks. Luckily, Will was from Hong Kong, and he taught us how to use them. But it was still a bit difficult. Sometimes food you wanted kept going past you. If Caleb, Stephanie, Jaron and I had eaten with just Chinese people, maybe we wouldn’t have gotten to eat anything. All of us dropped something at every meal without fail. It was funny and frustrating. I was getting the hang of it by the end. I developed my own method of holding them, and it worked for me.

Lama Temple 

The Lama Temple

The Lama Temple is Beijing’s largest temple. Numerous Tibetan monks once lived there. But I only saw a few black robed monks with yellow belts. Emperor Quianlong devised a clerical system that used the Lama temple and another one in Lhasa to determine the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama, respectively. The Dalai Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of Buddha by Tibetan (Lama) Buddhists. This was a useful way to control the Tibetan people. The current Dalai Lama lives in exile.

I’ve seen countless temples in Thailand, but this was different in a striking way. Our tour guide from Thailand said Feng Shui was used to design the temple. It was divided between buildings and large public squares. There is a balance, like yin and yang, between outside and inside areas. She also told me this allows the seasons to change the look and atmosphere of the temple. Nature was an integral part of their religious practices.

As in Thailand, there were many Buddhists who came to burn incense. But at this temple they had to do it outside. The Lama Temple had many interesting statues that looked different than those found in Thai temples. Besides the portly, happy Buddha there were statues that had multiple arms and various expressions. No one explained their meaning to me. Some statues showed Buddha at different stages: past, present and future. There were also guardian statues that had long beards and a fresco of the Buddhist paradise. In one of the last rooms there was an 18 meter high statue of Buddha clothed with yellow satin. A sign said it was carved from a single block of sandalwood. Photography was restricted inside the buildings, but I managed to take a few anyway. Click “My Travel Photos” link on the right to see them. (Much of this information comes from Lonely Planet’s Beijing City Guide.)