Wat Pho - Reclining Budda |
Wat Phra Keo - Emerald Buddha |
Wat Benjamabphit - Marble Temple |
Escaping the heat at Wat Ben |
Floating markets at Damnoen Saduak |
Some admirers at the Grand Palace |
Our transition from Christchurch
to Bangkok went smoothly, though I can't imagine two cities that
are more different. Bangkok is sprawling, loud, hot and polluted,
but it pulses with an energy that is thrilling. But this energy
of people and cars moving through the streets filled with markets
and vendors is also exhausting. We spent five days to see the
major sites so that we could take time to rest and adjust to
the climate change. Though the kids were dreading more temples,
we all found the 'wats' of Bangkok impressive. Our first stop
was Wat Pho with its famous 150 ft reclining Buddha. As we walked
into the darkened hall, Alexander gasped at the site of this
golden Buddha filling the room. Thai wats are so ornate and detailed
on the outside and the dark interiors hold beautiful gold Buddhas
of all sizes. The most impressive was Wat Phra Keo and the grounds
of the Grand Palace. We also took a special trip to Chinatown
just to see the 5 ton solid gold Buddha at Wat Traimitr, as it
captured the boys imagination.
One day we took a ride south of Bangkok to visit the floating
markets that looked so impressive in all the tour book photos.
We were disappointed to see how touristy everything had become.
Buses come disgorging tourists into long-tail boats and along
the edges of the canal. Much of the market has been moved out
of the canals to better sell souvenirs. We were lucky that we
had our own guide who took us over to another market that was
much less toursited and we sampled a number of local foods served
from the colorfully ladened boats in the canal.
After three months in Australia and NZ, we had forgotten about
the attention our family receives when we walk through the streets
of Asian countries. Benjamin's height causes a lot of double
takes and shopkeepers often comment on the fact that we have
three boys, but it's the girls that follow us in giggling groups,
occasionally getting up the nerve to ask to take a picture with
the boys. Benjamin and Zachary are graciously accommodating,
but Alexander can't stand the extra attention. |
Ta Prohm |
Bayon at Angkor Thom |
Climbing Bayon |
In front of Angkor Wat |
Ta Som |
Monks at sunset at Phnom Bakheng |
| After Bangkok, we flew to Siem Reap
to visit the temples of Angkor Wat. Siem Reap is a little town
whose reason for being is to house and feed all the tourists
who flock to see these amazing temples that rise up out of the
jungle. There are new hotel resorts popping up everywhere. Though
some of the temples were busy with tour buses, it was very possible
to explore some of the smaller temples in relative solitude.
Though the temples themselves are from another age, the infrastructure
for visiting them is certainly modernizing. You hire a driver,
purchase a multi-day pass and then wander from site to site,
while being pestered to buy cold drinks and handicrafts. We most
enjoyed the temples that had yet to be restored. The piles of
ruble with tree roots holding walls in place have such an other-wordly
feel about them. But the size and majesty of the restored temples
like Angkor Wat and the Bayon prompted you to imagine earlier
times when the land of Angkor was so large and prosperous. |
Hiking in the jungle |
Village of the Lahu hill tribe |
Village children's performance |
Communal meal at bamboo hut |
Communal sleeping |
Morning view over hills |
Waterfall Shower |
Bamboo 'bridge' |
Elephant ride |
| Our next stop was Chiang Mai, where
the fresh air and slightly cooler temperatures were a welcome
relief. Chiang Mai is small and accessible compared to Bangkok
and the moat around its walls makes it more picturesque. After
a few days rest we decided to participate in a trek to visit
some of the hill tribe villages. We found a tour group that said
they often took children and packed up our back packs for a three
day two night adventure (we had no idea what we were getting
ourselves into). The villages were interesting, but it was the
hiking itself that was the real experience. We hiked up and over
hills, crossing rivers, sliding along embankments and pulling
ourselves up slippery inclines. We hiked from morning till evening.
At night we stayed on the floor of bamboo huts where the guides
cooked our meals over a cooking fire in the corner. The days
were scorching and humid, but the nights were freezing. We slept
in all our clothes under wool blankets, but even after all the
hiking, sleep was tough especially when the roosters started
crowing near 4am. But having said all that it was a great experience
and so memorable. The younger boys held up so well and hiked
further than I thought possible. On our last day we rode elephants
and finished off with some white water rafting. Benjamin opted
to take a more adventurous four day hike. He came home scratched,
exhausted and disgustingly dirty, but smiling. He, his guide
and one other hiker walked 9-10 hours per day and slept on the
floors in villagers' homes. We all had a much greater appreciation
for the relative luxury of our hotel upon our return. |
Ferry over to Ko Phangan |
View from our hotel |
Breakfast |
Relaxing at the beach |
Benjamin up a tree |
Alexander on the beach |
For our last couple weeks in Thailand we wanted to experience
the renowned beaches and islands of the South. Our first stop
was the island of Ko Phangan, just north of Ko Samui on the east
coast. It took us a whole day of cars, planes, a ferry and a
truck to get to our hotel on the island's east coast, but it
was well worth it. Because it is not easy to get to, the island
is mostly a collection of bungalows and small restaurants, and
relatively quiet (when there is no full moon party). The place
we stayed overlooked a beautiful bay with white sand and palm
trees...just what we needed. We extended our stay to 10 days
and did very little. Most days we worked on school work during
the heat of the day and then headed for the beach with a good
book until our stomachs growled for dinner. We sampled most of
the Thai restaurants along the beach and took a long-tail boat
across to a neighboring beach for a bit of a change. Besides
a day trip out to the marine reserve for some very good snorkeling,
we were happy to veg.
We finally dragged ourselves away so that we could see what
the west coast looked like. After another very long day of travel,
we arrived in Ao Nang, a beach just west of Krabi. The limestone
cliffs and varied rock formations are beautiful, but it has been
so hot and humid, it's hard to spend too much time outside. We
have fit in a couple snorkeling trips, but spent most of our
time catching up on school work.
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