Thailand – The World’s Playground in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia called me back to it following a Vietnam trip
two years earlier. The venture spanned over two weeks. It covered Bangkok, Koh
Samui, and Koh Phagnan in Thailand and Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, and Tonle Sap Lake
in Cambodia. I traveled with a friend from work.
The adventure began in Thailand. This Southeast Asian nation
formally known as “Siam” has a population of about 67 million. The country is a
hot and tropical tourist mecca. The Thai people are very welcoming, open and
appeasing. Temples, beaches, great food, etcetera, make Thailand a fantastic
vacation destination. It is not a surprise that tourists flock there in droves.
The tour kicked off in Bangkok at the magnificent Grand
Palace. It was built starting in 1782. The official residence of the King of Thailand contains the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, or Wat Phra Kaew.
It is said to be the protector of the country. The large grounds of the Grand Palace have spectacular statues,
architecture, buildings, courtyards, lawns, halls and gardens.
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Grand Palace Statue in Bangkok, Thailand
The Grand Palace and the Temple of
the Emerald Buddha were built after King Rama I took the throne as the founder
of the Chakri Dynasty in 1782. It has undergone several repairs and
renovations. The Grand Palace consists of several buildings with
various styles of architecture. Wat Phra Kaeo is known as the most beautiful
and important Buddhist temple in Thailand.
Near the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, which houses the gigantic
Reclining Buddha. The statue barely fits in the building and stretches 46
meters long and 15 meters high. The materials consist of glass mosaics and
mother of pearl. Designs of the feet illustrate 108 auspicious symbols of the
Buddha such as flowers and tigers. The temple of Wat Pho is also known as the
birthplace of traditional Thai massage.
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The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Pho was named after a monastery in India where Buddha is
thought to have resided. The site was a center for traditional Thai medicine
and statues were created showing yoga positions before the temple's founding.
After taking a ferry across the Chao Phraya River, we
entered Wat Arun, or "Temple of the Dawn". It was given this name due to
how the first light of the morning reflects off the surface of the temple with
a brilliant iridescence. The stairs up to the top were dangerously steep.
Wat Arun Temple in Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Arun was built in the 17th century. It has brilliantly
designed prangs (a kind of pagoda) which have millions of pieces of Chinese
porcelain.
We spent several days seeing the sights of Bangkok. The big
city of Bangkok, metro population of 12 million, is undoubtedly one of the
major hubs and capitals in Southeast Asia. Industry, business, and even traffic
seemed to flow surprisingly smoothly. One could grab an inexpensive but good
meal on the street or splurge at a nice area in a Western mall.
We explored the backpacker area near Khaosan Road in
Bangkok. It was always chaotic, loud and entertaining. Music blared and street vendors solicited me to buy something or enter a club. One can find all kinds
of odd things for sale including scorpions on a stick. Otherwise the area
offered a slew of fun restaurants, bars and shops.
Thai Food on Khaosan Road, Bangkok, Thailand
I was fortunate to have an authentic Thai lunch and then an
awesome city tour from my Thai friend. He runs Thai plastics company and was a
close classmate from business school years ago. I also had the luck of meeting
up with a Belgian friend that I met in Salvador, Brazil during Carnival in
2003! She is spending the year in Asia as a traveler and volunteer.
The other part of the trip in Thailand was in the islands of
Koh Samui and Koh Pha-Ngan in the south. The madness of Koh Pha-Ngan lived up
to the hype with full moon events, scenic beaches and cool pool parties.
Koh Samui Beach in Southern Thailand
Koh Samui offered amazing beaches and seemingly unlimited
places to lounge and indulge. Nights were busy and happening on the main road
in Chaweng, a hot spot in Samui. Bars, clubs, shops, restaurants, and massage
houses line the street for miles. Before New Year’s Eve we experienced a full
force tropical storm - 4 hours of intense rain, lightning and thunder! Luckily
it cleared up. Samui came to life with a diverse, larger than life New Year’s crowd, a fireworks display on the beach, and beats bumping from the DJ booth.
Koh Samui Beach on New Year's
Cambodia –
Overwhelming Ruins in a Country Recovering from its Past
We hopped on a flight to adjacent Cambodia. We spent a couple of days exploring the temples and ruins of Angkor and a couple of days enjoying the tourist haven that is Siem Reap. The final day included a tour of a floating village on the lake and river system of Tonle Sap, a designated UNESCO biosphere.
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The Old Market in Siem Reap, Cambodia |
Cambodia, a Buddhist country
of about 15 million people, is one of the poorest countries on the planet. Yet
the people seem friendly and optimistic despite Cambodia's war ravaged past that includes the Khmer Rouge genocide in the 70s, a civil war, and a war with Vietnam. Peace and
strong economic growth gives the country some promise. Angkor Wat, meaning
Temple City, and the surrounding temples, are truly massive and magnificent.
Bayon Face Temples at Angkor in Cambodia
Inside the gate was Angkor Thom, the one-time capital of the
Khmer empire that was created in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII.
Within the grounds of Angkor Thom is Bayon, a labyrinth of 216 peaceful and
massive stone faces carved into many of the towers. The stunning faces surround
you as you explore the ruins. Coming from the litigious West, it is hard to believe that one can explore the ruins so freely in Cambodia and in some developing nations in general. There is barely any security or signage preventing one from getting about as close as you want.
Ta Prohm, from “Lora Croft: Tomb Raider” fame, is a unique
set of ruins that was abandoned and later intertwined with the jungle. A UNESCO
World Heritage site, Ta Prohm is enveloped by colossal sprung, silk cotton,
thitpok, strangler fig and gold apple trees, and the tentacles of their roots.
The site is one of the most striking, outlandish combinations of natural
vegetation and man-made ruins on the planet.
Ta Prohm Jungle Temples at Angkor
Angkor Wat is the main attraction of the temples. It is the
largest Hindu temple complex and the biggest religious monument in the world.
It was built by King Suryavarman VII in the early 12th century and was
dedicated to Vishnu, a supreme Hindu God. The photo below shows Angkor Wat at
dawn (6-7am). Crowds of tourists from all over the planet positioned for a good
shot of the scene.
Angor Wat at Dawn in Cambodia
Historically, a French explorer found the ruins in the
mid-1800s deep in the jungle. The building material of Angkor was made of
sandstone blocks and the architecture uniquely displays curved towers shaped
like lotus buds. Angkor Wat, or "Temple City", is a symbol of
Cambodia and is on the national flag. The Angkor ruins put Cambodia on the map
and are a huge source of tourism dollars.
Angkor Wat Temple
The ruins are also surrounded by an outer wall and moat. The
site is a gargantuan series of temples spread out over a vast area. The fact
that it was constructed with human and elephant labor in the 1100s is
mind-boggling.
Banteay Srei, built in the 10 century, is a temple dedicated
to the Hindu god Shiva. The red sandstone carvings are the most detailed and
intricate of all the Angkor temples.
Banteay Srei Intricate Carvings at Angkor
Three decades of war left Cambodia littered with dangerous
mines. The devastating mines resulted in more than 40,000 amputees. Aki Ra, a
former child soldier, bravely deactivated thousands of mines and started the
museum and orphanage.
Aki Ra Deactivating a Mine. Photo from the Cambodian Landmine Museum.
The museum housed a collection of mines and other weapons
found in the fields of Cambodia. Watch "The Killing Fields" film for more
Cambodian war history. The gripping drama captured the terror of the time.
The next day we took a Tuk-Tuk taxi to the lake-river system
and floating villages of Tonle Sap. The people there come from Cambodia,
Vietnam and China and live together despite the extreme fluctuations and
oscillations of the water levels throughout the year. The people have a tough
life that involves moving frequently and mainly living off of the fish.
Tour Guide at Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia
Our tour guide grew up in the floating village and gave a
great tour and explanation of the Tonle Sap Lake peoples and culture. He was a
child soldier and experienced the life or death reality of war first hand.
The tour included seeing a floating school with kids of
different age groups and backgrounds. One could donate rice or water to the
children.
Girl at School in the Floating Village of Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia
On the narrow road back to Siem Reap we could see men working
the rice fields. Rice is one of the main products and exports of the country.
Many Cambodians still work in rice production. We stopped to see a house in a
basic village outside of Siem Reap. Many homes were simply wooden shacks on
stilts. Despite this poverty people seemed to be able to live off of the
abundant food provided by nature.
Back in Siem Reap we experienced a “fish massage” whereby fish nibbled on our feet and ate the dead skin. The sensation was extremely ticklish! I could only take about 10 seconds of it at a time. Siem Reap is alive all the time and especially at night. Pub Street is loaded with bars, restaurants and tourists from all over the world. Temple Bar and Restaurant provides an excellent performance of traditional Khmer music and dancing.
Thailand and Cambodia are welcoming countries with a lot to offer. The trip was well-rounded with a mix of city life, history, temples, beaches, culture and relaxation. Thank you Southeast Asia!
