Reflections

     As Cynthia and I come out of our jet lag, slowly the mind begins to clear.  With the clarity comes some feelings and observations about the journey we have just had.  Going into the trip I was a bit concerned about how being on the road would effect our general state of health.  Many of you know I am diabetic.  Since I was diagnosed in my mid fifties I have let it influence very little in terms of my daily activities, or our more ambitious desires in terms of travel.  But I also know that a schedule and somewhat of a routine are factors in keeping the glucose readings under control.  Being on the road in S.E. Asia does not fit that bill, nor would one want it to.  I am glad to report that both Cynthia and I stayed healthy the entire journey.  One time when we were in the extreme heat of Southern Cambodia Cynthia got dehydrated and had a set back.  She recovered within half a day.  Of course that would happen when we were staying in the most challenging of situations.  By that I mean our room was a bit of a dive.
     We approached this trip as we had not done before, we treated ourselves to comfort.  In Myanmar one doesn't have a huge choice.  One either stays in the few low rent hotels there are, or one pays a price.  There is no in between.  Also we booked ahead of time which is also out of the ordinary for our travel style, but seemed necessary given the limited infrastructure for travelers in Myanmar.  On U.S. standards the rooms were not outrageous, but for S.E. Asia hotels in Myanmar are expensive.  In general we paid between $50 and $80 a night (less in Cambodia and Laos).  Sometimes that was for three of us.  I have to say that the comfort did make a difference in how we felt, especially over the long haul.  The rooms were air conditioned, and believe me with a few exceptions, it was hot.  Also, to my surprise, most of them had refrigerators (a profit center with the mini bars), thus I was able to keep the insulin chilled.  It would not be out the ordinary to spend a few hours in the afternoon just chilling, and it really helped to be able to do that in a room with light and cool air.  Another thing we did to make the trip easier was to fly more than we had done before.  Rather than getting beat up on a bus for 8-12 hours we flew for 45 minutes. Not only does it save the body but it gives one more time to do what you came there for.  See the country.  In all we took 7 flights either between countries or within a country.  It definitely added to the expense of the trip, but we more than made up for it in savings on the body!
     There is no question that going into the trip Myanmar was our focus.  It seemed the less traveled, perhaps less developed, the "forbidden fruit".   Many of these preconceived notions turned out to be true, others not.  In terms of sights to visit Myanmar has some true highlights.  The problem, if there is one, is that there are three main places all tourists go, so there is a concentration of foreigners in those locations.  We did get off the beaten path in Southern Myanmar, but we didn't make it to the North where it is more tribal, but also has less in the way of traveler accommodations. Permits are often needed in order to go.  But something clicked about 1/3 into the trip that I have always known.  I am a tourist myself.  To have an attitude about tourists, as many people do, is to have an attitude about oneself.  Yes, it is nice to be unique but the reality is that is going to happen less and less in this world, even in a place like Myanmar.
     As referenced in a previous blog, Myanmar seemed less restrictive than I had expected it to be.  It seemed to have come a long way in terms of  personal freedoms.  The internet has become widely available within the last five years or so.  Cell phones, which ten years ago cost an outrageous $10,000, now are affordable for the everyday person.  But all is not well.  Since we have left, Shan State in the North has seen violence between the army and citizens that is the worst in years.  Another occurrence that has really hit home since our visit was government violence against a group who was protesting an education bill.  As we were making our way North via car we came upon a large group of people marching down the middle of the road.  They were boisterous, sign-carrying young people who were clearly doing a protest march.  Some English was spoken so we asked what was happening.  They indicated it was a protest march about education and they were walking from Mandalay to Yangon, believe me a long way. They had already been marching for 3 weeks and had several more weeks to go.  It definitely made an impression.  As I was cruising the news about 2 weeks later I came upon an article about mass arrests and jailing of some protestors near Yangon.  It turned out that the army met the very same group outside of Yangon that we had encountered. They were forcibly broken up, and there was a mass arrest of the protestors.  So clearly, though things are better, not all is milk and honey in Myanmar.

Protestors on the road from Mandalay to Yangon, Myanmar

     Traveling in Cambodia and Laos was an education.  I knew very little about either country, and what I did know was either related to the Vietnam War or the genocide of the Khmer Rouge.  What I came away with was a thorough respect for the resilience of the population of both countries.  Cambodia embraces their past as a way to approach the future, or maybe I should say how not to approach their future.  They have acknowledged their horrific past (see blog post "Cambodia with Mixed Emotions") but seem to have moved on.  The population is young and vital.  Their economy seems to be strong, Phnom Penh is a happening city, and of course they have the incredible resource that is Angkor Wat.  I would definitely return to Cambodia, try to do some of the areas further to the East, and enjoy the energy that tends to be infectious.
     It was interesting to me to again realize that government affects life, but only so far.  Day-to-day existence, especially for a traveler, can be the same in a military dictatorship as it is in a full fledged democracy.  Laos (Lao Peoples Democratic Republic) has been definitely communist since 1975. They have a close relationship with Vietnam and revere Ho Chi Minh as a great father and leader.  Actually it was the only time we had an occurrence where a young woman asked us where we were from, and when we said the U.S. her response was "oh no".  But as travelers we were made welcome, had no restrictions on where we could go, and witnessed many small businesses that were individually owned and thriving.  Laos paid the price for their location on the globe as they were systematically carpet bombed by the U.S. during the Vietnam war.  Ho's name comes up once again, the reason being that the U.S. was trying to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail.  Apparently it didn't work.  But they are still suffering from the effects.  While Cambodia has all the unexploded land mines, Laos has mass amounts of unexploded ordinance.  It is a situation that is not going away any time soon, yet the country seems not to obsess on the past.  In fact, if I had to recommend any city to visit in that part of the world it could be Luang Prabang.

Buddhist monks accepting alms, Luang Prabang, Laos

     There is no doubt that this trip has rekindled Cynthia's and my love for travel.  Our project in Paxanax, Guatemala was all consuming for many years.  Now we have a comfortable home there and can look at other places to keep the juices flowing.  Even on the plane on the way home we looked at each other and said, "where next"?  We feel so fortunate to be able to fulfill these dreams.  We are definitely not rich, but life is moving fast and we both agree that there is no better way to spend what we do have than on travel.  Besides, I have always liked the adage, "die broke".  So hopefully, off in the future, this blog will continue with stories of other far away places.      

JB, photos by Cynthia Davis

Farewell South East Asia

     Morning came early.  With a new moon high in the sky, Cynthia and I made it into the street before dawn.  What was the catalyst?  The Buddhist monks' "Call to Alms".  Luang Prabang, our final stop on the trip, is a city of Buddhist wats.  It is said that over 600 monks live in the old part of the city.  So each morning the same ritual is repeated.  At sunrise the monks "take to the streets" to bless the followers and receive their sustenance for the day. Mostly women have their seat all arranged and their offering, usually sticky rice or some fruit, prepared to give the monks as the procession goes by.  Though it has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, it does not majorly detract from the ambiance the event creates.  Well over a hundred monks in their orange robes giving and receiving.  By 6:30 a.m. it was over.  The streets returned to normal and the monks disappeared with no further fanfare.
     We have been here in Luang Prabang for 5 days now.  We left Vang Vieng in the pouring rain, a sure sign that it was time to move on.  The usual confusion reigned as we arrived in LP 4 hours later, having no idea where we were, no luck with English-speaking help, and not a taxi in sight.  We finally made it to what we thought was our hotel and were greeted by blank stares.  Nope, no reservation here.  It turned out there were two hotels with very similar names and all we had read in Trip Advisor had been about the one we didn't booked!!!  Rats!!!  Well, we got lucky and ended up really liking our digs, once we found it that is.
     Luang Prabang gets a lot of hype.  Most travelers who come to Laos come here, and it gets great reviews.  I have to say I concur.  Situated right on the Mekong River, it once again has that very laid back Laotion feel.  No buildings over two stories, easy to get around on foot, a well preserved river front that lends itself perfectly to that 5:30 beer as one watches the sun set over the Mekong.  And there is plenty to do.  For those who haven't been in S.E. Asia before the Wats would be a great attraction.  They are working Wats in that the monks are very much "in house" taking care of the various chores that need to be done.  Cynthia and I, for the most part, took a pass on this; not out of a negative attitude but because we didn't want to ruin a good thing by overdoing it.  So much of the countries we visited, with the possible exception of Cambodia, has the Pagodas, the Buddhas, and the Wats taking the main stage. That is as it should be since many of them have been there for over a thousand years, yet one can get a bit jaded and that it what we were avoiding.
     Our days were taken up by going up the Mekong, doing a wonderful day with the elephants, and visiting some breathtaking waterfalls.  When one goes up the Mekong it is obstensibly to see some caves that have the requisite Buddha's tucked away inside.  Well, that was ok, but the trip up the river was the real draw for us.  Jungle, some villages, seeing the different type of long boats that ply the river; all this was a real treat.  Plus we stopped at what is billed as "whiskey village." Well, they are not kidding as the tribal village is known for distilling whisky and rice wine, and one is enticed into trying it as soon as you hit shore. Not bad is my revue!  I bought two small bottles at an eye popping $1.20 each.
     One of our favorite days of the entire trip was visiting Elephant Village.  Laos is known for its elephants but as with so many living things the elephant population is being severely threatened by changes to their environment, as well as poaching. There used to be thousands of elephants in Laos and now they say the population is about 1,500.  Of those some 500 are in the wild, another 500 are doing logging, and the rest are plying the tourist trade.  I know that on the surface the tourist aspect doesn't sound so good.  But in actuality there is definitely an argument for it. The logging industry is on the wane in Laos.  Thus less "jobs" for the elephants.  They are losing their natural habitat and they are an expensive animal to keep in captivity.  Food alone runs big bucks, especially in a country with limited means like Laos.  So there are many "elephant camps" popping up where the elephants are the go-to tourist draw.  They are well fed, live in rural places, and have medical care when needed.  And do the tourists love them.  Cynthia and I learned the basic commands, go, stop, left, right.  (I paid particular attenting to STOP, how how!)  Then we took a short test ride on the elephant.  Getting on and off is a bitch at first.  They are way the hell up there!!  Then after our lesson we took about a 45 minute ride.  One has the option of riding in a "basket" on top of the elephant, or on its neck right behind the head.  It was a trip.  Again, Cynthia has the photos and they will be fun to check out.  After lunch and a bit of a respite it was time to wash the elephants. They are done working at 2 in the afternoon and the elephants are ready for their afternoon bath in the river. One gets on their assigned elephant once again, and goes through the whole washing thing.  It was again, so much fun.  Their mahouts, each elephant has his own handler, gives a command and they spray water all over the place, for sure on the person sitting on the elephant.  Cynthia and I just couldn't stop laughing.  What made the day more enjoyable was that we made a wonderful connection with the 4 other people that were in our group.  We were a diverse lot from all over the place and a representive from each decade.  I, of course, was the oldest.  Oh well, better get used to that!
     Finally, the last two days we have rented a motor bike and made our way to the Tat Kuang Si Waterfalls.  It was a beautiful one hour ride out there on a paved (yes!) road that ran through mountains and small villages.  The falls themselves were truly impressive. There were several pools to swim in, they fell from dizzing heights, and the jungle atmosphere topped it all off.  Getting there on the bike beat the hell out of the back of a tuk tuk.  The fact that we went two days in succession makes the statement.
     This evening we watched our final sunset over the Mekong, drinking the last of our Beerlao.  The price was right for sure.  $1.20 for a large beer, sunset included. Tomorrow we start the long journey home.  We fly back to Bangkok in the afternoon, spend a quick night, then head to the airport for the LONG flight the next morning.  I can't say enough about this trip (or maybe I already have!).  There have been practically no negatives.  I have certainly enjoyed doing this blog and, as I trust you know, really appreciate you reading it. When in Canada my intent is to post one final blog.  I want to give my overall impressions of the trip, travel, and what it has meant to Cynthia and I.  At the same time Cynthia will be able to begin posting some of her excellent photos.  I have been totally impressed with them and I am sure they will be appreciated.  So again my friends, we are happy, healthy, learning more each day, and somewhat sorry to be at the end of our journey!!    JB

Laid Back Laos

     Cynthia and I are on our last day in Vang Vieng, Laos.  It has definitely been a change of gears from both Myanmar and Cambodia.  I think we put it into first.  Our introduction to Laos was Vientiane, the capitol city of Laos.  It sits on the Mekong River, which I swear gets around like no other river on the planet.  It seems to pop up everywhere!  We really liked Vientiane, mainly because of the easy layout and the fact that it is so CALM.  A lot of the time one could literally walk down the middle of the street in the main tourist section and not to have to be concerned about being hit by a car.  No high rises, an easy street layout, some good but very informal restaurants, all made for an easy time there.  One downside, it was HOT.  As hot as I have experienced in a long time.  We would go back to the room in the afternoon and spend a couple of hours in the air con room.  Without that it just would have been too exhausting.
     There wasn't a lot to do in Vientiane.  There are Wats, but Cynthia and I have seen the mother of all pagodas on this trip and we are a bit "Wated Out".  So we rented a motor bike and hit the road to see the outlying sights.  We went to Buddha Park which is actually cooler than it sounds.  Oh yes, on the way out of town we went by the American Embassy. Fucking HUGE.  What is that about (I hate to guess!)?  Xieng Khuan, or Buddha Park, is this sculpture park envisioned and created by one man.  Yes there are images of Buddha, but definitely not like we had seen before.  Cynthia and I immediately thought of outsider art.  It was built in 1958 and all the sculptures are of concrete.  Some are huge, some grotesque, some just simply bizarre.  When Cynthia is able to post some pictures on this blog be sure and check the ones out from the park.
     We passed three easy days in the city, cruising the streets, hitting the night market, riding the bike, and shopping.  At least looking, as the serious consumer days seem to have passed us both by.  Sunday morning we got on a bus for the trip to Vang Vieng.  We started slow, I kept waiting for  the Guatemalan Chicken Bus attitude.  NO ONE PASSES ME.  I PASS EVERYONE.  I swear the entire ride we never made it over 40 MPH.  Easy does it.  Oh lets stop here for a while to get some snacks.  Cracked me up!  I'm sure they have a lot fewer road deaths here than most other countries.  Of course it also has to do with the reality of the condition of the roads.  ROUGH!
     Vang Vieng, which sits on the Nam Song River, used to be party central.  As in raves and drugs.  All kinds.  It used to be a lot of other things as well.  On the outskirts of the small town is this long area of crumbling pavement. LONG. Immediately you wonder what the hell is this?  Well it was an air strip built by the CIA during, or even before, the Vietnam War. It was used by Air America (google it) to do all kinds of shit.  As a matter of fact I have a good high school friend who was a pilot in the Air Force during the Vietnam war.  I knew he had operated out of Laos (again, it was a secret part of the war).  So I wrote him and asked if he had ever flown out of Lima Site 27, the code name for this airport.  He wrote back and said he was based at another Lima site but he had flown in and out of here several times.  Yikes.  Kind of brings it all home!!
     We have rented motor bikes two of the days here.  First day we took this spine jarring ride through the back country.  Loved it but the road was a bitch.  We passed through several Hmong villages (very poor), saw some beautiful scenery, and went caving.  Once, though there are a ton of caves here.  We saw the largest spider I have ever seen, and we have some big ones in Guatemala.  Also a big ass snake, and some beautiful scenery.  This morning we went kayaking.  It was the 1/2 day version.  Well we left the town at 9 and were back by 10:30.  Cyn and I were saying WTF?  Does the all day version give one 2 hours on the river?  Still enjoyed it but we had most of the day left.  So I rented a bike again and went off solo.  Had a great day.  No traffic, seriously back roads, small villages, and a pathetic waterfall (it's the dry season).  So glad to be back in touch with two wheels.
     Tomorrow Cyn and I leave for Luang Prabang, the culmination of our trip.  It gets great reviews.  We'll find out in the next blog.  Know that Cynthia and I are happy, healthy, still learning, and very laid back.  As always, thanks so much for reading the blog!!!   P.S.   We just had a great dinner. Family place. Kids and cats running all over. $12 for the two of us including two large Lao Beers. We have spent more than this but it says what is possible.
   

Temples of Angkor and the Scene that is Siem Reap

     Today is our last full day in Siem Reap, the home to the complex commonly known as Angkor Wat.  We have visited the temples four of the five days we have been here. The other day was just as interesting as we visited the Cambodian Land Mine Museum and a butterfly farm.  Needless to say, quite the contrast.  Landmines are a curse in Cambodia that is still ongoing as I write.  Contrary to my previous belief that the Vietnam War was to blame,  most of them were set in place during the Cambodian Civil War that raged between varying factions in the 70's, 80's and early 90's (once again Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge raise their ugly head).  We are talking thousands upon thousands of them.  Of course there is no record of the location of their placement so totally innocent people have been maimed by the score.  Both in Siem Reap and outside several of the temples there are various troups of land mine victim musicians who perform their unique style of music.  A small sign will be posted that explains who they are and asks for contributions to help their families.  Frankly an explanation is hardly needed as most of them are missing various limbs.  Yesterday we visited one of the more remote temples, Beng Mealea. Outside a sign read that land mine clearing around that temple had begun in 2003, a mere 12 years ago, and that over 450 land mines had been discovered.  They indicated the clearing of the mines was still in progress.  So this really brings home what an issure it is for the Cambodians.

     The temples themselves do not disappoint.  The park which contains most of the temples is immense.  One needs a vehicle, usually a tuk tuk, to get from one complex to the next as distances are not necessarily short.  Rather than try and explain the temples I will write of what stood out to me.  Number one has to be the number of sculptures and carvings that are contained in the temples.  Literally thousands upon thousands of them. And they are in such good condition.  Most of them date from 800 a.d. to 1200 a.d. so we are talking a 1,000 years.  The detail on so many of them is still so exact.  I would be exploring around what seemed a pile of ruble and come upon a perfectly executed and preserved carving.  I try and think why this is the case with the Angkor Temples and not the Mayan ones.  True the carving and sculpting here is more intricate but time has not diminished them as one would expect.  Perhaps the Spanish Conquerers are somewhat at fault for the condition of the Mayan ruins, I am not sure.  

     I am quite impressed with how the Cambodians, and whomever else is responsible, has approached the treasure they have.  In Myanmar we noticed that many of their ancient pagodas had had major restoration done.  Not at Angkor.  Today we visited the huge complex (I can't really call it a temple) of Preah Khan.  I was amazed at its immensity, the number of carvings and sculptures (thousands), and the way that it has been left much as it was found.  Huge boulders lie about in disarray. Much has been naturally preserved, but much is not.  On the way out we stopped at the small information center.  They said that the idea of this temple was to treat it as a ruin and preserve it as ruin.  Most things that had been done to it were for the purpose of not allowing further deterioration, not to restore it to what present day archeologists think it looked like at its hey day.  Smart I think.

     One can not visit Angkor and not wonder "how the hell did they do this". The huge boulders brought from the mountains that in todays standards would be considered nearby.  Well not then.  It just boggles the mind that humans, a thousand years ago, were able to mine this stone, transport it by whatever means (elephant, river), and proceed to build these immense structures.  THEN, they would carve, sometimes every available surface, with works that were an ablsoute stunning statement of art. There is no doubt that slave labor was involved, and it surely demonstrates the power of the kings who were the driving force behind their construction.  I guess that scenario was played out to a large degree with many other wonders of the world. Today man does amazing things when it comes to architecture and building.  But 95% of the time there is a profit motive.  Not so with these.  Religion and ego seemed to be the driving force.  I can only be thankful that they exist and that I was able to make the journey to witness them.

     To contrast with this ancient wonder is the city of Siem Reap.  And what a scene it is. The town is actually aesthetically quite pleasing.  Set along the not large Siem Reap River it is relatively clean and well laid out.  There are parks and many pleasant places to pass away a hot afternoon (and believe me, it's HOT).  And then there is the Psar Chaa area. What a trip.  The main street in the area is called Pub Street and that is not an accident.  At night they close the area to traffic and the streets are packed. Tons of restaurants and things to buy.  Every kind of cuisine imaginable. (Witness a restaurant that advertised a mix of Mexican and Khmer.  What?) Lit up like a Christmas tree.  Kind of like Kao San Rd in Bangkok, but a bit more up scale.  We have hit the area every night that we have been here so you know it has some appeal, at least to the likes of us. So when one comes to Cambodia to experience the Temples of Angkor, you don't have to go without.  We are in the nicest hotel of the trip ($75 for 3) with a killer breakfast.  A 10 minute walk takes one to an eating, drinking, shopping paradise.  No, we haven't suffered in Siem Reap.

     So tomorrow sees the three of us going to the airport together, but going different directions.  Kathy flies to Bangkok and then heads back to the States.  Cynthia and I fly to Vientiane to continue our adventure in Laos.  The three of us have gotten along remarkably well and have managed to entertain each other in numerous ways.  Not all full of laughs, but mostly so.  As always I want to thank you for reading the blog and know that we are healthy, happy, and learning new things each day.                  JB