Asia – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam – Page 2

Why I Love Road Scholar!

Mike and I are now traveling on our own, after our whirlwind tour with Road Scholar, through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. And what a tour it was!
My blog couldn’t keep pace with our activities and even now, this summary will only provide a taste of those incredible 20 days.
Here are a few of the many reasons I love Road Scholar.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE
Road Scholar made contributions on our behalf to the two village schools and hospital we visited.

One nurse per 500 children at the outpatient clinic of this free hospital

Look who else visited the hospital--but not while we were there. — Look who else visited the hospital–but not while we were there.

While traveling in Cambodia a few years ago, the Spitlers asked their guide to suggest a worthwhile project. The end result was this village school.

Sarin, a Cambodian tour guide, and head of the Spitler School — Sarin, Cambodian tour guide, and head of the Spitler School

Prior to the Spitler School, children in this village had no opportunity for education.

JAW DROPPING EXPERIENCES

Mike, taking in the majesty of Angkor Wat

The demons guarding the bridge to Angkor Thom

One of the many faces of King Jayavarman 7

Good guys on the left, demons on the right, churning the sea of milk with Jayavarman 7 gazing down on it all

And of course, the many Buddha images in Laos and Thailand were unforgettable and impressive.

WONDERFUL LECTURES

Tony Zola, another former Peace Corp volunteer who settled in Asia, was a fascinating lecturer. He spoke to us in Thailand and Laos.

Tara (an American)and a local Lao woman created the Museum of Art and Ethnology.

We had an amazing lunch at Fabian's stilt home in a Laotian village, followed by a lecture. — We had an amazing lunch at Fabian’s stilt home in a Laotian village, followed by a lecture.

GREAT COMPANIONS
Fantastic experiences are even better when shared with like minded companions.

Showing off our Baci Ceremony stringe — Showing off our Baci Ceremony strings

CULTURAL IMMERSION

Ancient musical instruments. That IS an elephant carved on the end of that bow

One of the marriage stories in the museum of Art and Ethnology

From night markets... — From night markets…

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

INCREDIBLE FOOD

Judging from their rounded bellies, I think these apsaras just finished a Road Scholar trip!

I’ll give your eyeballs a rest, and stop with the photos.
You’ll just have to take my word for it, this trip was AMAZING!

Halong Bay

For this post, the pictures will (mainly) speak for themselves.
HaLong Bay is about 4 hours by bus north of Hanoi.

The surrounding area is starting to get built up, with lots of hotels across from the beach.

We, however, spent the night on the Emeraude.

Take a good look. Can you find the shower? What about the “closet”?

Great views from the top deck (and the middle and the lower decks)but the top deck has the bar!

I didn't expect penguins in Vietnam — I didn’t expect penguins in Vietnam

My sister Sue always wanted a pet monkey. I tried to convince this one to come home with me. Check out her facial expression for her answer.

We took a tender to the Surprise Cave. The third cave was enormous!

We climbed over 100 steps (I lost count) to an opening that gave us this wonderful vantage point.

I couldn't resist posting two shots--one framed,one not. You get to choose which you prefer. — I couldn’t resist posting two shots–one framed,one not. You get to choose which you prefer.

These ladies were waiting for us to return to the ship so they could sell us some of their handmade goods.

How lucky were we, to see night fall on Halong Bay

And with an almost full moon.my photos don't do it justice. — And with an almost full moon. My photos don’t do it justice.

East coast girl, hanging out, enjoying the view.

We cruised for a while, enjoying the effect the changing light had on the seascape (bayscape?)

Time to return to Hanoi for our farewell dinner and the end of this phase of our Asian Adventure.

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

The elephant ride in Thailand was tame, compared to our cyclo excursion through Hanoi’s old quarter. Imagine 22 of us oldies but goodies being pedaled through narrow crowded, crooked streets. Actually, you don’t have to imagine, because through the magic of digital photography, we captured this thrilling adventure for you.

One of my Pennsylvania buddies was right in front of me, so I was able to get a couple of shots of her, and she returned the favor.

Linda, relaxed and happy at the start of the ride.

Linda, after riding for a few minutes...check out the expression... — Linda, after riding for a few minutes…check out the expression…

I wasn’t looking behind me, so didn’t see how close the car and motorbike were to my fearless driver.

Photo by Linda. Please note. I am wearing the scarf I dyed, and the skirt I purchased at the night market in Laos

Mike was following close behind.

And mom always thinks he's got more sense than me! — And mom always thinks he’s got more sense than me!

It actually was a great way to see the city. I could check out the shops for later purchases. Hmmm, which sister or cousin will be getting something from the “Toxic Shop”? Or would a propaganda poster make a better “prize”?

One more shot to make sure you got the full effect of Hanoi streets, then we will move on to other highlights.

You can’t visit Hanoi without paying your respects to Ho Chi Minh.

Ho Chi Minh's embalmed body lies in this mausoleum. — Ho Chi Mihn’s embalmed body lies in this mausoleum.

This French colonial governor’s mansion was very briefly Ho Chi Minh’s home until he was able to settle into something more to his taste.

This house on stilts was where Ho Chi Minh preferred to live.

Ho Chi Minh's bedroom — Ho Chi Mihn’s bedroom. Personally, I prefer a sleep number bed.

On to the Temple of Literature, which was beautifully decorated for New Year. Like many Americans, they are not in a big rush to take down their decorations, giving the Temple an even more festive look.

The Vietnamese do amazing things with flowers and plants

Turtles are VERY important to the Vietnamese. Unfortunately, I was in the “happy” room when our guide was explaining the significance of these turtle sculptures, so I missed that part, but I know it had to do with education. Google it, if you want specifics–or you can just enjoy the photos.

We have an early morning tomorrow, so that’s all for today. Hugs to all and a big hello to all Sue’s co-workers. Glad you are following along!

One day you’re hot, and the next day you’re not.

We spent our last morning in Cambodia cruising to the Tonle Sap Lake. During the dry season, the tributaries leading to the lake drop to a depth between 3 and 5 feet, but during the rainy season, the area floods, with the water level rising to between 24 and 30 feet, which explains why the houses are on stilts.

The children were all very cute and friendly, waving from the banks.

These tykes were too close to the river for MY comfort level.

It was slow going, getting to the lake, because we were quite a bit larger than the average Cambodian (an understatement), weighing the boat down in the already shallow passageway. That gave us plenty of time to take in the sights.

As usual, our excellent guide took good care of us, bringing along more snacks than we could eat. I’ve developed a very strong attachment to mangosteens, which are rightfully known as “the queen of fruits”.

Tonle Sap Lake was quite beautiful. I particularly liked the floating restaurants.

On the way back, Man tossed fruit and snacks to the kids. This little boy was delighted with his catch.

Time to move — to another country and another climate. North Vietnam is quite a bit cooler than the other three countries we visited, as you might guess from our wardrobe.

"Well, east coast girls are hip, I really dig those styles they wear". -- the Beach Boys — “Well, east coast girls are hip, I really dig those styles they wear”. — the Beach Boys

And now a preview of coming attractions…tune in again for the Hanoi version of “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”.

Random Images

Jean requested that I post more photos of Mike and me. Mike’s photo card isn’t compatible with my iPad, I can’t get at his photos till I am home. Some other travelers were kind enough to get a few shots of us together. So Jean, these are for you.

After dinner...full bellies and big smiles (or is "big smiles and even bigger bellies" a bit more accurate? — After dinner…full bellies and big smiles or is “big smiles and even bigger bellies” a bit more accurate?

At Banteay Srei, the Temple of the Women

Mike, looking thoughtful.

Time for group shots:

Our wonderful guide made sure we had front row seats for the Angkor Wat sunrise

I DID promise random shots, so here goes. This is the walkway leading to the “laundry” less than a block from the Tara Angkor Hotel. For $12 we got two weeks worth of dirty clothes washed and folded. You might wonder where, because all that is visible are soda cans and umbrellas, which explains why I walked by the place twice. The laundry, you see,is also a cafe. These Cambodians are hard working AND ingenious.

The "bridge" didn't look all that sturdy, but fortunately, the stream wasn't very deep. — The “bridge” didn’t look all that sturdy, but fortunately, the stream wasn’t very deep.

Lest you think the hotel is equally rustic, let me show you the elegance of this gorgeous hotel. Seven of us ladies, and Mike, sipped our gin and tonics in this locale.

The pool had a Goldilocks temperature…not too hot, not too cold–just right. So refreshing!

Now for your viewing pleasure, the Southeast Asia version of “Planes, trains and automobiles”

Comfortable AND decorative buses — Our guide, Mr Long, in our very comfortable AND decorative bus

I tried several times to send Hal and Karen this photo via email. Maybe the post will succeed. Well, this WAS a mode of travel.

So far, we’ve had two trips on the Mighty Mekong. The first was in Laos, to the caves.

Those ARE recycled car seats that we a sitting on! — Those ARE recycled car seats that we are sitting on!

The second trip, in Cambodia, was quite an experience because the water level was so low, and the water was extremely muddy.

Beautiful, friendly children were all along the river.

No, our boat went QUITE like those on the bank. THIS was our boat.

Next stop, Vietnam.

Angkor Wat at Dawn

I don’t have enough adjectives to describe what it wa like to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Although my photos don’t do it justice, they will give you a rough idea of the grandeur of this sacred spot. It was worth getting up at 4:30 in the morning to view this remnant of an amazing civilization!
The moat surrounding Angkor Wat represents the ocean you cross to enter heaven; it also serves as a wonderful mirror, heightening the beauty of the structure.

Although we did a lot more today, there are only photos of Angkor Wat because anything else would look puny by comparison.

The five towers were constructed to resemble closed Lotus buds. The central tower represents Mount Meru, the home of the gods.

Only the king and monks were allowed on the third level of Angkor Wat and they were required to CRAWL up to show respect for the gods, so the stairs were suitably steep.

Although I don’t smoke cigarettes or eat products with hydrogenated oil, I HAVE been known to occasionally engage in risky behavior. Besides, I wanted to get in touch with my inner goddess, so of course I was climbing to the third level. The view was spectacular!

I think I might have even had a vision of the Buddha. Or could it be that the altitude produced hallucinations?
What a relief that I didn’t have to crawl up. After a few people fell from the stone steps, this wooden staircase was constructed. Only 43 steps to the top, but like the original, they were quite steep.

Two of my Pennsylvania pals, strutting their stuff

Since this is a shorter post, why not have a little contest? This one is fairly easy.

1. During this trip we have visited two places that were settings for movies. What were the movies,
2. and where were the locations?
3. Of the 4 countries we are visiting, which are constitutional monarchies and which are people’s republics?
4. Whose picture is on the Bhat?
5. What is the difference between the Chinese Buddha and the Buddha in the other Southeast Asian countries?
6. What precious stone is the emerald Buddha made of?
7. Who taught her granddaughter to cross streets fearlessly?

Tomb Raider

No, I am not raiding tombs–Lara Croft was. We started our temple tour with a visit to Ta Prohm, the site of the Tomb Raider movie. It has been left close to its natural state so visitors can experience the power of the jungle.

Tree roots wrapped around the temple stone

These apsaras look very perky, despite no visible means of support, centuries before the invention of plastic surgery.

There will be more temple photos over the coming days, so I don’t want to get you all “templed out”. Instead, I’ll show you the village that we visited.

If anyone in the US is looking for something to be grateful for, you can start with our water supply. This is theirs.

The children follow us through the village, trying to sell us trinkets. It is hard to say no, but if you buy from one, you are immediately engulfed. Bet you can guess how I know.

We had an amazing lunch in the village, in one of the houses. This is a milk apple, and it is delicious!

Here are Mike, one of the 4 Lindas,and one of the two Gregs, getting ready to chow down.

Another Linda, with our guide. Man is from Vietnam. Hmmmm, looks like a lot of empty beer cans in front of them.

My new friends from Philadelphia left their husbands home. They had “lunch meetings” for over a year to plan this trip.

Incidentally, the American pilots visited this village in the late ’60’s. The bomb craters are still there.

Luang Prabang, Laos

More highlights from Laos. The city of Luang Prabang is lovely, a nice mix of old and new…the “sometimes” nature of wifi was a reminder that we were in a developing country.

We visited a village along the Mekong, delivering gifts from Road Scholar: tin and wood for the school-house roof.
I found the village signs interesting. As you can see, the Lao aren’t big on spaces between words, which make it an extremely challenging language to learn.

Their English is way better than MY Laotian. I have barely learned how to say “hello”.

Our young guide escorted us to the schoolhouse.

The kiddies were on their lunch break, but they gathered to sing to us. We reciprocated with a rousing chorus of “row, row, row your boat.”

How could I not buy something from this sweet boy? I think Low Price Lenny might like a snail with a Buddha painted on his back.

Notice the bill in the baby’s hand? She helped her mother sell me a scarf so she demanded HER cut!

One more view of the Mekong, then we were on our way back to Luang Prabang.

First our guide Man (that’s his name, not a description) serenaded us, then he turned into a bartender, whipping up some killer gin and tonics. What a great way to end the trip!

Several of the ladies decided we could fit in another trip to the night market and a relaxing drink at the Villa Santi if we got ourselves to The Indestructible Rock (that night’s restaurant) on our own. No photos of that excursion…just great memories.

Lovely Laos

The Internet is a “sometimes” thing in Laos, which makes blogging a challenge. So, that’s why these posts are being uploaded in Cambodia. But I sure did love our time in Luang Prabang. Get ready for some highlights.

Monks get up at 4 AM every day. They are not allowed to eat after noon; all their food comes from donations so they hit the road early every morning. The head monk leads the way, followed by the “novices”. I don’t blame this little guy for yawning…so was I.

We followed them to Wat Xiang Thong, formerly the Royal Palace back when Luang Prabang was the capital of Laos. When the king decided to move the capital to Vientiane, he donated his home to the monks.

The techniques to create the beautiful glass mosaics were learned from the Japanese.

Similar mosaics cover the walls of the Throne Room in the National Museum, but we weren’t allowed to photograph there. In the National Museum, the walls and ceilings are a deep Chinese red, which makes the glass mosaics even more stunning. The National Museum was built by the French for the last King of Thailand, who ended up in a reeducation camp after the 1975 revolution.

We visited Ock Pop Tok (East meets West) where we met Jo and Val, who demonstrated how their beautiful silk garments were made, starting from the silkworm, through weaving and dying.

Do you recognize one of the workers, busily (and professionally) dying a silk scarf?

We managed to cruise through both the night and the morning markets. These markets are set up and taken down every day!

Speaking of cruising, we did just that, along the Mekong, to the Pak Ou caves, an important religious site for Laos.

Mike, intently studying the map of the Mekong

Barbara left a small Buddha in the cave, just like a local.

Could that be Indiana Jones, looking for Buddha?

Getting to and from our vessel took balance, as demonstrated by Linda.

The way to a man’s heart (and a woman’s too)

What better way to spend our last morning in Thailand than at a cooking class?

But first, these little piggies went to market, and what a market it was!

The vegetables were so fresh, the bees think they are still growing.

Thai “fast food” – all the necessary vegetables for soup, packaged together.

No wonder Thai food is so amazing–the ingredients are incredibly fresh!
Check out these master chefs.

Could that be Mike wearing a “do” rag??? Yes, it could, and it was.

The spring rolls were so delicious, I didn’t stop to photograph them–I think I might have inhaled them…but I DID capture our other glorious creations for your viewing pleasure.
Pad Thai

Green curry–we all were coughing as we were stir frying this dish. Not sure what ingredient caused that reaction.

And the grand finale–sticky rice with mango. I have never, ever tasted such scrumptious mangoes. They were perfectly ripened, sweet and juicy.

Our group: 4 Lindas, 2 Barbaras,2 Marys, Shelley, Sue, Sandy, Caroline, Karen, Kitty
2 Gregs, Alex, Al, Hal, Mike, Owen, and Rod, obviously not in any particular order.

Good news, folks back home. When I return, I won’t be empty handed. There will be a cookbook in my chubby fist!