Bangkok, Thailand and Cambodia (March 7- March 15)

Two nights in Bangkok (not just one)
We arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, ready for some good food and excited for the next leg of our trip. We'd been told that Bangkok is a kind of "get in and get out" town, but it was much better than expected. Sure, the pollution is awful and in one day about three different people tried to scam us, but it's all part of the adventure. There were plenty of smiling, helpful Thais to make up for the few bad apples we ran across.

Khao San Road and the surrounding area is a sight to be seen...full of backpackers (the hippie and yuppie kind) all coming together in what has become the the de facto traveller crossroads in Southeast Asia. It seems that all roads lead to Bangkok, and you can find just about every kind of traveller on Khao San Road. It is lined with cheap and not-so-cheap hotels, bars, food carts, and souvenir stands. The road is open to traffic (sort of), but getting a car through there is nearly impossible. At night the street is ablaze in neon and the streets are full of people coming out to enjoy the cooler night air.

On our first night in Bangkok, we decided to take a stroll along the river (Mae Nam Cho Phraya) that runs through the city. We ended up at Santichaiprakan Park near Phra Sumen Fort and were entertained by juggling expat hippies and aerobicizing Thais. Apparently every night at 6pm in parks across the city, Thais young and old come out in droves for free aerobics classes. It was quite a sight. The classes begin, as do movies, sporting events, and all public gatherings in Thailand, with the country's national anthem.

Here a wat, there a wat
Wats (temples) can be found on just about every block in Bangkok (and all over SE Asia, really). A few of the most spectacular in Bangkok include Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho.

Wat Phra Kaew is also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (actually made of jade) and is Thailand's most sacred temple. Interestingly, it is the only temple in Thailand without resident monks. This temple complex is an overwhelming and beautiful group of colorful buildings complete with glimmering stupas and intricate mosaics. The complex even includes a minature model of Angkor Wat, the Cambodian temple. The walls that surround the temple complex are adorned with a mural in 178 panels, which tells the Thai version of the Indian epic Ramayana.

The Royal Palace is on the same grounds at Wat Phra Kaew. It is the former royal residence and is currently used only occasionally by the king for certain ceremonial events. The buildings have a distinct and incongruous style --- the bodies of the buildings all have a European flair, while the roofs are unmistakably Thai. Just imagine a regal European colonial white building with a glittering, intricate gold roof.

Our last stop on the tourist circuit in Bangkok was What Pho. It is the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok and dates back to the 16th century. The most spectacular feature of this wat is the huge reclining Buddha, which measures in at a whopping 46 metres long and 15 metres high! The building that houses this Buddha is barely any bigger than the Buddha, and so when you are in the building you cannot help but feel overwhelmed by greatness.

The Kingdom of Cambodia
After only two nights in Bangkok, we embarked on a side trip. Our journey into Cambodia to visit Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor was short but magnificent. Travelling overland from Thailand to Cambodia was quite an experience. Armed with some advice from the LP Thorn Tree website and our sense of adventure, we were off.

Step 1: Take public bus from Bangkok to Aranya Prathet. Check.
Aranya Prathet is a small town about 6 km from the border with Cambodia. On the bus we met up with an Irish couple also on their way to Siem Reap, so we decided to team up. We'd read that the border area is looming with pickpockets and every manner of person trying to scam travellers, so we were on "full lock down" mode. This meant that daypacks are locked with luggage locks and big backpacks had absolutely nothing of monetary value in them (although I'd really like to try and see someone run off with my 14kg bag...that would be a sight).

Step 2: Take tuk-tuk from Aranya Prathet to border. Check.
The fare for this route is set at 60 baht (about $1.50 USD), so no haggling is necessary. We whizzed through the dusty streets in our faithful tuk-tuk (the best way to travel in SE Asia) and arrived at the border with no problems. Our Irish friends were right behind us.

Step 3: Exit Thailand and walk across no man's land to Cambodian entry point. Check.
There were far fewer touts and pickpockets to fend off than we had anticipated...a welcome suprise. We waited for what seemed like a very long time to get our Thai exit stamp....what were they doing up there? The four of us were finally oficially stamped out of Thailand and walking across to enter Cambodia. Immediately there were members of what is known as the "taxi mafia" trying to arrange taxi rides from the border into Siem Reap. (See Step 6 below.)

Step 5: Enter Cambodia.
Wait. What happened to Step 4, you ask? Good eyes, people. Read on.

When you walk across no man's land there is a huge sign that says "Arrivals". You'd go there, wouldn't you? We waited in the arrivals line, were handed an arrival card, and were eager to get through the border and on our way to Siem Reap. We knew we needed a visa to enter Cambodia, but they are issued on arrival and so we figured we'd pay for it and have it issued at the front of this line. The line was moving at a snail's pace, so it made sense. 30 minutes later we arrived at the front of the line. Chris walked up to the window, handed the agent the passport, the agent flipped through the passport and handed it back to Chris telling him that he needed a visa. Ugh. "Where do we get the visa?", Chris asked. "Back there," he says while pointing back toward the Thai border. Great.

Step 4: Get Cambodian visa. Check.
So, off we went back to a little, tiny cement block building with a tiny sign that said "visas on arrival". We filled out the application and paid the fees. The cost of a Cambodian travel visa is supposed to be $20 USD, or about 800 baht. The Cambodian government has conveniently rounded that UP to 1000 baht. (It's just easier for everyone that way, but mostly for the Cambodian border officials who pocket the extra baht.) Apparently you can argue with them and insist on only paying the equivalent of $20 USD, but for some reason we weren't feeling like our usual righteous selves. And even then you only have a small chance of actually convincing them that you should pay less.

Step 5: Enter Cambodia. Check.
Back at the arrivals area, the line was twice as long as the first time we waited in it. We kept our good humor about us and after a long wait we finally entered Cambodia. Whew!! Did we mention that it was 38 degrees celcius (about 100 degrees Farenheit) outside? Yeah, it was a joyous time for all.

Step 6: Hire a car to take you to Siem Reap. Check.
So far we had been lucky in ditching/ignoring members of the taxi mafia, but once we were through immigration they were on us again. The story is that these members of the taxi mafia work as unsolicited agents for the taxi drivers. They hassle the taxi drivers and insist that arriving traveller's pay 1200 baht instead of the going rate of 1000 baht...and then they take the extra 200 baht as a "fee." Since it took us so long to get through the border, there weren't many drivers around. It was 3:30 by this point and we needed to get going so as not to arrive in Siem Reap too late. I did not want to pay the extra 200 baht (just for the sake of principle) and was willing to walk a bit to find another driver, but I was outvoted by the other members of our group. As much as we ignored the taxi mafia guy and insisted on only paying 1000 baht, the driver sided with the mafia and wouldn't give us the proper rate. Well, we tried.

The road to Siem Reap was a treat. Ninety-nine percent of the taxis in Cambodia are black Toyota Camrys made for driving on the left side of the road, like they do in the UK and Thailand. Cambodians drive on the right hand side. This made for some interesting passing on roads with the biggest potholes we've ever seen. Luckliy it was the dry season, so if a bridge was out we could drive around it through one of the fields. Our driver was able to convince the local farmers whose fields we drove through that we did not have to pay the foreigners' toll. About halfway through the journey we refueled at a Cambodian roadside gas station, which consisted of a local shop with glass bottles filled with gasoline. The attendant gets out his funnel and your bottle of gas, fills up the tank, and you are soon on your way. We rolled into Siem Reap about 4 hours after the trip began, safe but definitely a little sore from all the bumps.

Siem Reap and the Temples of Angkor
"The temples of Angkor are the heart and soul of the Cambodian nation, and remain a source of pride and inspiration to all Khmers as they struggle to rebuild their lives after the years of terror and trauma. Today, they are a point of pilgrimage for Cambodians and no traveller should miss their extravagant beauty when passing through the region." -- Lonely Planet, Southeast Asia on a Shoestring

We arrived at the Golden Banana Guest House in Siem Reap dusty from our taxi ride and ready for a shower and dinner. After a lovely Indian meal, we planned our three-day pilgrimage through the massive temple complex that was the capital of the Khmer Empire. In three days we climbed to the top of countless temples...too many to name here. (Don't want to bore ya!!) Instead, I'll keep it short and sweet with the highlights.

We hired a driver and his tuk tuk (a scooter with a two seated, covered bench trailer attached to it) to whisk us around the capital city of Angkor. Our first stop was Angkor Thom, the moated and walled royal city that was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. Within the city walls is the state-temple Bayon with its massive, towering carved faces and intricate bas-reliefs depicting sea battles between the Khmer and the Cham, and others depicting everyday life. Another notable feature of Angkor Thom is the Terrace of the Elephants, with giant carved elephants and garudas adorning the walls. Impressive.

Another one of our favorites was Ta Phrom, a monastic complex where mother nature has had her way. Officials decided to let nature take her course, and now huge fig and silk-cotton trees grow right out of and over towers, walls, and corridors. It is an amazing sight and it is easy to get lost exploring the many plazas and ancient buildings. For our male readers, this was where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed.

Last but not least is Angkor Wat, the jewel in the crown of the temples of Angkor. Angkor Wat was built in the mid 12th century as a massive temple mountain dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu. The entire complex is surrounded by a moat and an exterior wall. Within the complex, the temple itself is an impressive mix of art and architecture, with three tiers topped by five huge towers. The highest tower is 65 metres from ground level (higher than Notre Dame in Paris) and if you brave the uneven and narrow steps that lead to the top, you'll be rewarded with an outstanding view. We took our time exploring Angkor Wat, visiting it on a few separate occasions. Our first trip was in the late afternoon. We wandered the exterior corridors admiring the many bas-reliefs and apsara carvings before settling in the interior courtyard to enjoy some shade (have me mentioned that SE Asia was friggin' hot?) and the beautiful light that the setting sun cast on the towers. We met a young monk who was also escaping the heat and who was eager to practice his English with us. He had a list of words to learn, and so we helped him with pronunciation and definitions. We also visited the temple at sunrise. Although the sunrise wasn't all that spectacular (too much haze), we took advantage of the cool morning air and climbed to the top of the highest tower.

As with all major tourist attractions in the poorer countries we've visited, we were constantly hounded by kids selling postcards, water, and every manner of souvenir. On our last visit to Angkor Wat, we had two very funny run-ins with a few of these kids.

One young boy (about 7 years old) came up to me and asked me to buy some postcards. I politely declined, but as soon as I did he asked me where I was from. I decided to indulge him and replied, "America." (We've found that many people do not understand "United States".) "I know your capital...Washington D.C." he shouted back. Hmm. Impressive. "What state are you from?" was his next inquiry. "California," I told him. "I know your captial...Sacramento!" Wow. "Very good. But do you know who our governor is?....Arnold Schwarzenegger!!!" That left him thoroughly confused, but I was impressed nonetheless.

Another young girl (about 12 years old) walked up to us later that afternoon and asked us if we wanted to buy some pants. She held them up and I just had to laugh because they were so huge. "No thanks. Too big., " I replied. "I have smaller, I have smaller. Good price." was her response. "No thanks," I said "Okay for you today they are free...because you are American." She was obviously joking about them being free, but I leaned to Chris and asked him if we had mentioned we were American. She heard me asking him and immediately explained, "I know you are American because you have good teeth!" That one made us laugh. :-)

The Temples of Angkor are now firmly rooted in the Southeast Asian tourist itinerary. As such, the nearby town of Siem Reap is growing by leaps and bounds. There are numerous luxury hotels (many more are being built) and the center of the town now has a very touristy flavor, with internet cafes, souvenir shops, and restaurants catering to Western tastebuds. As it stands, tourists can enter the Temples of Angkor unguided and there are very few (if any) restrictions on the number of people that can enter per day. In addition, there are very few temple employees on hand to make sure that bas-reliefs and other carvings are not touched and that delicate temple walls aren't climbed on. Sure, there are signs requesting all of this, but we saw countless people ignoring them. We wonder what this place will be like in 10 years. Will the Cambodian government and the private company that administers the temples realize that they need to put some more stringent restrictions in place to help safeguard this national and cultural treasure? We got the impression that the Temples of Angkor are being treated as a sort of cash cow, and worry what will happen to this amazing and beautiful place years from now. Yes, there are restoration projects underway right now, but from what we could gather, these were being run by nonprofit, foreign groups, not the Cambodian government.

All that being said, it is hopeful to see tourism taking root and providing some stable jobs and hope for a more prosperous economy. When you are in Siem Reap you cannot help but be reminded of the violent past suffered by the Cambodian people. Everywhere there are adults and children maimed by landmines who wander the streets asking for food and money. We were deeply saddened to see the effects of such a brutal period in the country's history, and also sad to see that people are still being affected by it today. Landmines are nearly everywere in Cambodia, and to this day people are being injured because of them. Yes, there are ongoing efforts to find and disarm the remaining landmines, but they are not taking care of them quickly enough. Before going to Cambodia, Chris and I both read the book First They Killed My Father, by Loung Ung. It is a simple but moving story of one girl and her family's attempt to escape the brutal hand of the Khmer Rouge. For me it was particularly moving because it made me realize (again) how lucky I have been in my life. The author is just a few years older than me and to think of all that she has endured is quite eye opening. Would I have survived like she did?

Well, there wasn't much we could do about the regulations at Angkor (except rant about it), and we felt a stong need to do something to help the people of Cambodia, so we did one good deed while in Siem Reap. Each day on our way to the temples, we passed by the Jayavarman VII Hospital which sported huge banners asking for donations, both the money kind and blood kind. This hospital (and two others in Phnom Penh) is run by a Swiss fellow named Dr. Beat Richner. The hospitals meet international standards of healthcare and are run almost entirely on private donations, providing free healthcare to thousands of Cambodian children each year. Anyway, we decided that since our budget is quite tight, we'd give blood. Now before all you germaphobes start worrying, we made sure that all needles, etc., were new and that everything was safe. :-) The process was quick and relatively painless!

After a whirlwind tour of the Temples of Angkor, we retraced our steps back to Bangkok...without all the hassle we experienced on the way in.

Next up you'll hear about our adventures in Northern Thailand and about our encounters with some familiar faces. Until next time....

:-)