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 hospitalLook 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, Cambodian tour guide, and head of the Spitler School
Prior to the Spitler School, children in this village had no opportunity for education.
Yes, we were captivated.
JAW DROPPING EXPERIENCES
Mike, taking in the majesty of Angkor WatThe demons guarding the bridge to Angkor ThomOne of the many faces of King Jayavarman 7Good 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.
GREAT COMPANIONS
Fantastic experiences are even better when shared with like minded companions.
The jungle templeShowing off our Baci Ceremony strings
CULTURAL IMMERSION
Elephant CampHanoi Water Puppet ShowLanna danceAncient musical instruments. That IS an elephant carved on the end of that bowOne of the marriage stories in the museum of Art and EthnologyFrom night markets…To rice paddies, we saw it all
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!
For this post, the pictures will (mainly) speak for themselves.
HaLong Bay is about 4 hours by bus north of Hanoi.
I think the ballot box may have been stuffed for some of these choices, but Halong Bay definitely deserves to be on the list.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 Or monkeys…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.
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.Sunrise on the bayEast 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.
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…P
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!
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 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 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!
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. A fish farm The bathroom
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
And now a preview of coming attractions…tune in again for the Hanoi version of “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”.
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?
At Banteay Srei, the Temple of the Women
Mike, looking thoughtful. My Valentine…
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.
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”
Al is a tad too tall for the tuk tukOur chariot to and from Laos.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. My Canadian friends
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 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. Enthusiastic photographers
Next stop, Vietnam.
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 Another view of the moat
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?
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.
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.
Back View, heading to the WAT
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.
Val and Jo
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
The view of the river from the cave
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.
Learning was never this much fun during my school years! Why couldn’t all of my lecturers be like those on Road Scholar trips? Or could it be that I have changed?
Our first two lecturers, Jim Lehman and Tony Zola, were both peace corp volunteers, who stayed in Southeast Asia. Jim was a Buddhist Monk for three months, because he didn’t want to be “unripe”, or as our guide Tippy says, “uncooked rice”. Those are the terms for Thai men that do not spend at least a little time as a monk. If you marry someone who is “uncooked” or “unripe” the Thais believe the marriage will not work out, so it was off to the temple for Jim, so that his Thai wife’s family would approve of the union.
Jim explained that Theravada Buddhists don’t believe in god, however anyone visiting a Wat cant help but notice the Buddhists are deep into Hindu mythology.
Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati, at Wat Prathap Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai
In fact, they believe Buddha was the last incarnation of Vishnu. When I asked how Theravada Buddhists reconcile “no god” with their belief in Hindu gods, Jim gave me the answer he got from his Buddhist teacher. “When you have an arrow in your chest, you don’t ask how it got there.” In other words, Buddhism teaches us the way forward. It is not concerned with how we got to where we are. I, on the other hand, would DEFINITELY want to know who shot that damn arrow!
In addition to blending Hinduism with Buddhism, Thais throw animism into the mix. Spirit houses are everywhere, and have varying degrees of grandeur. We saw this one on our daily walk to the SkyTrain from the Loft Hotel. I think my dad might have one just like this in his back yard. (Right, Sue and San?)
This fancier spirit house is far more typical.
Our second lecturer, Tony Zola, talked about the socio-economic-political climate of the countries along the Mekong River, which flows from Tibet to the South China Sea. Sixty million people depend on it for food. They receive 80% of their protein from fish, so the “health” of the river directly impacts the health of the people.
Two of the countries we are visiting are constitutional monarchies (Thailand and Cambodia); Laos and Vietnam are People’s Republics. Per capita income ranges from a high of $8,700 in Thailand to $2,100 to $3,100 in the three other countries. One last demographic fact: half of the population of Southeast Asia is under the age of 25.
Tony didn’t just give us facts and figures; he also told us interesting stories. Thailand’s former Prime Minister received a degree in criminology from the USA. He had a creative way of solving Thailand’s rising drug problem. Somehow, the word got out to rival gangs that each was encroaching on the other’s turf. The resulting murders remain unsolved, which triggered a protest at the United Nations. Again, the Thais had a novel solution. The Thai ambassador’s wife utilized her staff’s cooking abilities to prepare delicious Thai food, which was set up on tables in of the demonstrators. It’s hard to be angry with a stomach full of Thai food. Problem solved…demonstration over. We can learn a lot from the Thais.
Did i mention that my posts are not necessarily in chronological order? Random…that’s the way my brain works. After Tony’s lecture, we headed off to the airport for our flight to Chiang Mai. And what an airport it is! Comfortable lounge open to all ticket holders,. With free wifi, drinks and food. No need to belong to a president’s club here.
At Wat Suan Dok, we had a “monk chat”, a discussion of Buddhism from a monk that was not just passing through, doing time so he could become “ripe”. He was a wonderful speaker, who explained that the goal of Buddhism is to be happy right here and now, to relieve suffering by learning detachment. To a Buddhist, the test of a religion should be whether it helps us to be able to live together peacefully. (I’m thinking there are a whole lot of religions that are scoring big red F’s on that particular test. After showing us how to wrap yourself in an orange robe (or as my cousin Kristy would say “rock his robe”)’ we received a crash course in meditation, and I left with an increased fondness for Buddhism.
Wat Suan Dok
Wat Prathap Doi Suthep is located about 40 minutes from Chiang Mai, atop a mountain. This wat is renown because the pagoda contains ashes of the Buddha.
A couple more photos for your viewing pleasure.
Another Naga, a multithreaded snakeI love the animal statues!
We had a free hour and a half before we left for the airport, so I flagged down a man driving his truck in front of our hotel. He agreed to drive us around Luang Prabang for an hour for $15.00. But first, we had to stop off to deliver eggs and vegetables to a local store.
Here I am with our friendly driver.
Mike wasn’t feeling adventurous but my new friend Caroline was rarin to go. (Nancy, meet your new friend).
Check out the boards on the walkway, not the most secure…but the view of the Mekong was so worth it!
We climbed Phusi Hill, but didn’t have time to make it up to the top (all 350+steps) because we were running out of time. We got about 3/4 of the way up and figured we’d better not miss the bus to the airport.
We DID catch some unusual sights along the way. Any future Road Scholars travelers reading this, a quick spin around the city in the back of a truck in the early morning is a great way to travel!
I always wanted to mount a Naga, and this one looked agreeable.
This is a Chinese Buddha. How can I tell? He is fat and smiling. The Thai and Lao Buddhas a thin and serious.
And now some views from the hill.
Those orange dots in the distance are monks that have just crossed the bamboo bridge.
The last image of the day…our bathroom, with the huge tub and no shower curtain. It made showering an adventure. I was glad I brought my bath oil!
Destination NOW 