March

This past month was a whirlwind of travel and friendships that has left me with sweet memories and even more grateful for the journey I am on, even though I do not know the final destination. Here’s just a brief recap. (photo above: village path in Napajat)

Our last two weeks in Bangkok began with spending some time with a friend from Durham who was in Bangkok for a week while attending a conference. I first met Mark shortly after moving to Durham when we were in a book group together. I quickly realized that every time he opened his mouth to speak, I heard something profound that moved and challenged me. So I was already looking forward to showing him around Bangkok and hearing and seeing his observations. But during our time together I discovered what an easy and adventurous traveler he is. Bangkok can be overwhelming to anyone on their first visit but Mark was able to easily navigate his way around.
One evening we met up with him at Terminal 21 (perhaps the newest and most impressive Mall in Bangkok, worthy of its own post at a late time) and he had made his way to Jim Thompson’s House, Chatuchak Market and Lumphini Park all by himself in one day. From street food outside the Grand Palace to jumping on and off khlong and river boats, he was up for it all. I’ll be happy to travel with Mark anytime in the future!

While Andrea stayed in Bangkok working on her thesis, I flew up to Maehongson to visit friends and neighbors in a couple of the villages where I grew up. The skies were extremely hazy and smoky from field and forest fires that are set this time of year. Flights to Maehongson were continually being cancelled which caused a little anxiety especially on my return as I had to catch a connecting flight in Chiang Mai back to Bangkok. I ended up leaving a day early and spent the night in Chiang Mai. Had my flight been cancelled, there would still have been enough time to catch a van for the five hour journey by road. Evidently the vans that leave on the hour (and are much cheaper than flying) have really done a number to the number of flights to Maehongson. Thai Airways use to have multiple flights, now they don’t even fly it themselves but have their budget subsidiary Nok Air handle the two daily flights. (photo below - hazy sky, flying into Maehongson.)

Time in Napajat and PaTyng was of course wonderful. Though I know fewer people in Napajat I am warmly welcomed by the family of Potow Nan's extended family (see photos below). It was also really good to meet John who recently married Nam (Lee and Doi’s daughter) at the airport in Chiang Mai. They were so helpful in checking out options in case the flights were cancelled. It was encouraging to hear their story and how they met.

Pa Tyng, where my parents lived for 8 years is different than when I was in high school. I again stayed with Gop’s family and visited many friends and neighbors. (photo below: Gop, step brother Geng and mom Youie.)

I love being here and ironically in spite of the smoke, I felt I could breathe…. (much smoke makes for great sunsets...)

Upon returning to Bangkok and finding that Andrea had turned in the rough draft of her thesis (all 63 pages), we had two short days at the beach before returning to Bangkok on March 13 to pack for our flights the next day – Andrea to the US for her final six weeks of school and me to Singapore to help train the newly hired team at the office my company has set up there. Why we try to sleep the nights before these early morning flights is beyond me because we never do. We caught a taxi to the airport at 2AM and Andrea left at 5AM while my flight left at 7AM.

Next post…Singapore.

Another View from Angkor

As we trudged and sluffed through the dust, sometimes alone, sometimes with hundreds of tourists/ruin seekers we were often followed by children selling a variety of trinkets and souvenirs. Often barefoot, the youngest would run through their litany… "Lady, Mister…sell you postcard, 1 dollar, 2, 3, 4…”and then repeat the numbers in French and Spanish. The older adolescents and their parents could approach with scarves or cold water. It is often a family business with sometimes one or several families at the entrance of a particular ruin. But it is a business that can also come with great risk.

In a country (like many countries around the world) where so many live in physical poverty, that even five year olds have to work to support their family instead of going to school, surely the temptation exists to make quick money by selling your child for a few hours to make more than you might in weeks or months. I’m not saying it happens around Angkor but it does happen in many places in Cambodia and around the world. Perhaps these kids are safe at a World Heritage site, under their parent’s watch, surrounded by many tourists and officials but even the fact that they aren’t in school sets them up to be at risk in the future. Surely there is a high risk anywhere you find small, beautiful children, exposed in a predator’s playground. Duncan

No Good Samaritan

This isn’t pretty. I’m not sure there is a happy ending.

Perhaps the picture will speak for itself.

Banteay Srei, a temple ruin outside of Angkor Wat.

When Andrea and I had visited three years earlier that’s all it was, a ruin out in the country side. We were there alone. Now a massive entry complex and parking lot have been developed and on the day we were there, thousands of others were with us, streaming in with their cameras to capture one more historical ruin.

And there on the ground at the entrance that everyone had to walk through…
What is that?” I heard someone ask.

I didn’t have an answer.

I couldn’t tell if the human that lay there was male or female. I couldn’t tell his or her age. I didn’t know how the burns and scars that so disfigured the face got there. I didn’t know if a parent had dropped this child off to beg at the entrance of the temple. And why just lying there, head into the concrete, eyes listless and unmoving? And why was no one doing…anything?

I didn’t have an answer. My eyes welled up with tears and I...like everyone else walked on.

God, have mercy...

On me, on us, on your creation that lay there all day.

My answer to the question soon came.

That…was the man lying in the ditch and we were the priests and levites and good upstanding people that walked by on the other side of the road.

And No Good Samaritan came.

That...is me…that is all of us…at the core, helpless, battered, bruised and bleeding.

And who will be our Good Samaritan?

And That…crippled, burned and disfigured, abandoned and left alone, the one from whom everyone averted their eyes and walked by…That was the image of God and perhaps, even Jesus.

God, have mercy.

Luke 10:25-37 (Two powerful reflections on this text can be found here and here.)

Duncan

Cambodia February 21-24

Andrea and I had a very brief day and a half at Angkor Wat three years ago (see previous post here) and never thought we would be able to return so soon but we had the opportunity to return with Brian and Bobbi as they wanted to see and experience this amazing world heritage site. Obviously there is so much that can be said (and has been) about the many thousand year old ruins surrounding Siem Reap (the town closest to Angkor Wat - which is actually only one of many ancient temple ruin complexes), but having three days to explore the magnificent ruins truly was an experience to treasure. We stayed at Pavillon Indochine which was a fantastic place. Read my review here. Highlights included Bayon (the ruins with the famous faces) and all its hidden nooks and crannies, Banteay Kdey and its straight as an arrow length, Ankor Thom and the famous trees, and of course the huge Angkor Wat where we stayed and lingered until dark after all the tourists had left.

Nose to Nose at Bayon. How many faces can you find? The famous tree at Angkor Thom. Roots... When you approach Angkor Wat, you don't realize the true size and scope. This aerial picture above (which I did not take) also doesn't do it justice but you start to realize this is a big place...and then when you see the perfect symmetry and scope of the corridors (See photo below), it's impossible not to appreciate how this building was designed and built a thousand years ago. Truly impressive! Banteay Srei

Lowlights – coming in the high season and having to experience everything with so many others (see photo above). When Andrea and I came before it was the low season and we literally had some whole complexes to ourselves. The other lowlight was that Brian picked up a stomach bug as we arrived in Cambodia that kept him home one day with a fever/stomach upset that severely limited his eating the entire remaining 4-5 days of their time with us. He was an amazing trooper and other than the one day in bed, kept going with us, determined to see as much as possible. Thankfully (thank you to those of you who prayed for him) he made a quick recovery when back in the US.

I have a couple more posts coming regarding specific experiences in Cambodia.

Duncan

Chiang Mai Highlights February 17-20

So we went to the world famous night market in Chiang Mai (photo above), saw our share of temples in the old city as well as our fill of crafts being made in the Bo Sang/Sangkampaeng area but without a doubt, the highlight of our time in Chiang Mai and what provided us with some great photos was our trip to the elephant camp about 45 minutes outside of the city. Yes it’s a little touristy, (the elephants get a bath, they do a little show which actually does include moving logs around and not just painting (although they are very good at that) and then guests can also go on a 30/60 minute long ride) but the elephants are well fed and cared for. The photos speak for themselves of the joy/delight/apprehension that Brian and Bobbi might have felt as they got up close and personal with these magnificent creatures.

(Photo above: Look Ma, no hands...seriously do you see anyone but Brian and I on the elephant? That's because there wasn't...for just a moment! )

Another highlight for me in Chiang Mai was discovering two great places to stay. The first, Riverside House, along the bank of the Ping River, where we stayed is a very affordable ($15-25 a night) and nice guest house. A great family runs it and it will be my place to stay when I return to Chiang Mai, you can read my review on Trip Advisor if you are interested. The second place was on the other side of the river and called The Chedi. At least 10 times the cost of Riverside House it might be one of the coolest designed hotels I have seen. Check out the photos at the link.

An additional highlight in Chiang Mai was being surprised at how cool it still was. In the morning it was down to 69F, a remarkable change from Bangkok’s warmth and humidity and a pleasant relief from continual sweating!

One final highlight was getting together with Andrew Goodman who used to work with my parents in Maehongson. What was even more surprising was when he rode up on my dad’s old motorbike (purchased in 1980 I think!) I had last seen the bike out in Maehongson where another friend was using it, but Andrew says it is perfect for riding around Chiang Mai!
Ok I lied, one more highlight but this ties in with the transportation theme…but certainly a highlight was experiencing Bangkok Airways for the first time. Bangkok Airways advertises itself as Asia’s Boutique Airline and it lives up to this claim. We chose them as they are the only airline that flies direct to Siem Ream in Cambodia from Bangkok and then we just stayed with them for our flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. In a time when airlines keep cutting service and adding fees it was great to fly an airline where you are served a meal on every flight even on the short 35 minute hop from Bangkok to Siem Reap (and really good meals at that - photo below - authentic thai grilled pork and sticky rice!) and where everyone has access to a lounge with yummy treats and drinks pre flight! I am most definitely a fan!


Duncan

Bangkok Highlights February 12-16

Many would consider going to Thailand a trip of a lifetime. I was so privileged and blessed to grow up here and to have been able to return many times. But even with great familiarity it was interesting and fun to have some new experiences as we played tour guide for Andrea’s parents, Brian and Bobbi, as well as to see some familiar sights through their eyes.
Here are a few highlights.

Getting to the Grand Palace early enough to beat the initial crowds. Seeing and hearing Brian and Bobbi be in awe of the beauty and exquisite artistry there somehow made me see the magnificence of it again for the first time.

Riding a Tuk-Tuk with 6’4” Brian and seeing the wide grin on his face, he almost squealed like a school boy. Great fun!

Renting a long tail boat, going up the mighty Chao Phraya river and then back into the canals that still exist almost to the point where at some points the canal was just a little wider than our boat. These canals used to crisscross Bangkok (thus the name Venice of the East). It is nice to see that some are still very much in existence. It was fascinating to see real life along the canals and even though we were still very much in Bangkok, to soon find ourselves navigating through lush green orchards and country side. Sadly due to the floods this past year, many of the fruit trees in some of the orchards have died.

The long tail boat dropped us off at one of Bangkok’s most recognized landmarks, Wat Arun, Temple of Dawn. In all my years here, I had never been and it is really worth seeing up close – and climbing (as we did!) Afterward we crossed the river and found our way to the Deck at Arun Residence (a very cool boutique hotel across from Wat Arun), had a delicious dinner, watched the sunset and Wat Arun lit up for the night.











Having a Golden themed day as we went to Golden Mount as well as Vimanmek Royal Mansion which is the worlds larges golden teak building (three stories) constructed entirely without any nails. It is a beautiful building and reminded me (on a much much grander scale) of some of the old buildings/homes we used to stay in at Huahin many years ago.


(Photo on left: Golden Mount, Photo on the right: Vimanmek Mansion)











Another fabulous former residence we visited and again somewhere I had never been was Jim Thompson’s House which still stands as one of the best preserved traditional Thai houses in Thailand and is well worth going to. It is an oasis of calm and tranquility surrounded by the busyness of Bangkok. Jim Thompson was an entrepreneurial American who revived the art of Thai silk weaving. He has always intrigued many people as he mysteriously disappeared and was never found while staying in the Cameron Highlands (where I attended elementary school.) When we were in Malaysia three years ago, I literally stumbled upon the cottage he was staying. Strangely, it was empty, abandoned and unlocked - the mystery still lingers.

If I could live in either Vimanmek or Jim Thompson’s house (or just a room in one of them) I would be a pretty happy camper!

Another literal HIGHlight was having dinner up the Baiyoke Tower where we had gone with Brad in January. Again, we were the recipients of spectacular scenery and food.
Duncan

Back "home", changing plans, and the next few weeks...

Last Saturday, after we had said goodbye to Andrea’s parents, we moved into Union Tower, our home for the next few weeks before we return to North Carolina. We moved in three years and two days to the date that we moved in last time we were here in 2009 AND we are in the same apartment we lived in too – it’s like we moved home…one of our many homes scattered around the planet! For pictures, go here and if you want to know how we ended up at this apartment originally, go here. The street is just as busy, the brothel below us is still just as busy and the Express Rail line out to the airport that was being built last time is finally running. Phii Fai, the front desk receptionist/manager is still here and it has been great to see her again. Since we were last here she has battled cancer but thankfully is doing well now.

We did have two great weeks with Andrea’s parents exploring Bangkok for a few days (top photo at the Grand Palace) before heading north to Chiang Mai (Andrea's parents with elephants in Chiang Mai) and finally to Siem Reap, Cambodia and Angkor Wat (final two photos). We have some great pictures to post which may have to wait until we have access to faster internet access as what we have currently is a little slow. We are also aware of how fast time is going. Andrea was always scheduled to return on March 14 while I was going to leave two weeks later after spending some time in Maehongson where I grew up. Plans have changed a little as I will actually leave the day Andrea leaves and instead fly to Singapore to spend the two weeks working there. My company back in the US is setting up an office in Singapore and I’ll join one of my supervisors to do some training. I am excited to do this but it means that the two weeks in Thailand I had planned for after Andrea left have vanished and so I am going to go up to Maehongson this next week for a few days while Andrea stays here and continues to work on her thesis. Prayers much appreciated as she is hoping to finish it in the next 10 days!

So hold on for more pictures and highlights of the past two weeks. They will be coming - and there are some good ones. I have also updated our trip advisor account and reviewed the places we stayed in case anyone is interested. Find them here.