Petrobras Tower

The view of downtown KL from Adil's deluxe apartment in the sky. Too bad it is hazy today which obscures the view of Petrobras.
Here I am standing in front of Petrobras Towers.

The iconic symbol of Kuala Lumpur and indeed Malaysia is the Petrobras Tower. The day's activities centered around going there. At 0830 each day visitors wishing to explore the Skybridge between the 2 towers queue for the thousand or so free tickets. My friend Adil and I woke up early and took the subway over to get in line. Arriving at the towers a little before 0830 we decided to have a coffee before getting in line.
Well, when we got to the ticket counter at about 0835 there were easily over 1000 people ahead of us. Once the line started moving it moved very quickly and we were able to pick a time slot for our visit. We chose to go early in the afternoon.
Of course we had lunch while waiting, and I returned to my hotel which was not so pleasant to pack as Adil had invited me to stay the rest of my time in KL with him on the penthouse floor of his condo with a grand view of KL. How nice to have my own bathroom again, a washing machine and kitchen. I probably would not leave tomorrow had I not booked and paid for a flight to Singapore tomorrow.
Yippee!! Maybe I just discovered how to make captions under the pics. Blogging is a learning process.

Seeing KL

Spent today on the "Hop on Hop Off Sightseeing Bus" and covered lots of ground. We arrived in time to see changing of the guards at the King's Palace. It was rather low keyed compared to London but nice to watch. The horses were groomed beautifully as were the palace grounds. Next stop was the Orchid Gardens where thousands of orchids were on display and for sale for about $2-3. Also visited the National Art Museum where we were trapped for a while waiting for a rainstorm to pass. Last point of interest was the Cultural Heritage Center, but that was mostly a very upscale (read, expensive) souvenir shop.
Now back in my hotel enjoying a pastry which will tide over until dinner. Every meal here is a delight and I want to try something new every chance. This morning we went for nan and tea at an Indian restaurant. They asked if I wanted banana nan and was that ever a treat-steamed banana wrapped inside a thin flaky sheet of Indian pastry-like bread cooked over a flame. Lunch was at the art museum--curry noodle soup with boiled egg and spinach. I start to salivate just planning the next meal.
If you are reading this and you don't know my email I will show it here. Whenever I get an email from home it takes me back to my days when I would go away to summer camp and it would be so exciting when there would be letters for me. So please give me that same thrill once in a while and drop me a short message at hanahan12@aol.com.
One thing that always kind of scares me here is when going into most temples and mosques you have to leave your shoes at the entrance. I think of the scene from "Slum Dog Millionaire' when Ravi and his brother steal peoples shoes from the temple steps. If I lose my shoes here it would not be easy to replace as I have big feet and the sizes here don't go up high enough for me in anything but flipflops.

A New Friend in KL

Did I already mention that I really, really like Malaysia? It keeps getting better. I am now in Kuala Lumpur, the capitol and I have made friends with a very nice local guy named Adil who is showing me around his city. Today we went to Batu caves outside of KL and tomorrow the schedule is for the Hop On Hop Off City Bus tour. I have already caught a few glimpses of Petrobras Twin Towers where Sean Connery and Katherine Zeta Jones did their thing on new years of the millennium. It is very exciting to see such an iconic structure.
Also went to see Alice in Wonderland at the cinema. That has long been one of my favorite books and the movie is excellent. With Johnny Depp and Tim Burton it had to be good! Go see it! Appropriately at the end of the film Alice is embarking on a ship bound for Malacca which was Malaysia back in the Victorian days.
love the phonetic spelling of words here. As I mentioned earlier, Malaysia was an English colony and English was adopted as a second language. The spelling makes a lot of sense such as restaurant is restoran, police is polis and August is Ogus. Makes sense.

Pics

1-Batu Caves

2-Adil and Ed on the long climb up to Batu Caves.

New City Awaits

I took a bus today from Penang to Kuala Lumpur. The seats were the most comfy of any so far, but the color scheme was far from relaxing. Even color blind like I am I was intimidated by these colors.
When I checked out of the hotel in Penang I left the following entry in the hotel guest book: ''Be very careful when you stay here. Everyone is so kind that you may never want top leave." The employees liked my very heartfelt comment.
The ride down was through beautiful lush country with lots of palms, bananas and jungle. It was too pretty to sleep so time for a little nap before setting out to explore KL.

History Anyone?

I went to the State Museum of Penang today and what an enjoyable experience it was. It was interesting and cheap. Sounds like a good date, doesn't it? I won't go into great details but here is a little history.
Just like the US, historic records seem to date mostly from the time of the British colonization by the same East India Company that sent ships to our colonies. This part of the world was important for the spice trade. In the early 1800's Burma and Thailand signed a treaty with England giving the southern part of the Malay peninsula to England and isolating the north (Thailand and Burma) from English colonization. Chinese and Indians moved in to work for the Brits.
There are many English named streets like Victoria, Dickens, Edward, etc. Things rocked along pretty peacefully until December 7, 1941 ( a familiar date) when Japan invaded Malaysia and took over without any resistance from the locals or the English. I remember seeing a movie about this a while back and I can't remember the name. Does anyone remember it?
In 1956 Malaysia became independent from England and later Singapore split off to become a separate country. English is widely spoken along with Chinese, Hindi and Malay. I copied a quote in the museum which expresses how I feel. "The spell which makes those who have never been wish to go there, those who live there want to stay and fills those who have spent their appointed hour or two there with a longing to return." J.W. Clark, 1952, Illustrated Guide to Georgetown.
Just in case it isn't clear, I like it here. Off by bus tomorrow for Kuala Lumpur---KL to informed travelers. Pick up from hotel at 8:30 in the morning.

Look at them shrimpies

Wish you could see how big these shrimp actually are. Maybe I will be eating these very ones later today fresh from the sea.

World Views of Buddha

1-Burmese Buddha

2-Reclining Buddha, Thailand

3-Chinese Buddha

Just as in the West Jesus is depicted in our idealized image of ourselves, Easterners do the same with Buddha. As far as I know the tenets remain the same.

Keeps on Getting Better

Before I even got to Malaysia I had a good feeling about it. As I mentioned earlier the customs officials were the most welcoming and friendly of any I have ever seen. That was an indication of how all the Malay people have been so far in this splendid country. By the way I am trying to avoid using the word "lovely" but I do find it creeping into my conversation once in a while as I am around so many people who speak or learned British English.
I am saying in a fine guest house in Penang which I found online. It is a restored colonial home and it really is well described as "lovely." I am sharing a bath but so far I have had it all to myself. I am looking at it as a huge private bath just down the hall.
Yesterday I spent the morning booking two flights on Air Asia. This is a budget airline based in Kuala Lumpur and the fares are too good not to fly. I booked from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on 2 April and from Singapore to Bangkok on April 8. I am not paying too much more than I would have to pay for a standby ticket. The only problem was I had the hardest time getting their website to cooperate.
I was frustrated by the time spent on the computer so I decided to go to the beach. It so happened that I boarded the bus when another westerner boarded and we started talking on the ride out to the beach. Well as the afternoon progressed we both felt as if we had known each other always. Just one of those lucky connections when two people just click. She is Dana from Poland, works 6 months a year for UNESCO on preserving world historic sites and knows all the countries in SE Asia and spends the other six months between Warsaw and her second home in Egypt. A beautiful lady in and out and we both felt that it would be a shame for our friendship to be a one day affair. She wants to come visit me in Valdosta and I am invited to Warsaw when she is there.
I went with a local to an outdoor restaurant last night where we ordered fried oysters (stir fried with veggies, not breaded) and noodles. We could not finish it! So my first full day here was exciting and just about perfect.
Today I decided to eat breakfast early and start sightseeing before the day got too hot. I needed an ATM first and after that I stopped into a lovely (there I go again) Buddhist shrine which looked like it was important and I thought was on the route I wanted to walk. On my way out I asked a Chinese man if he would point me toward my next stop and we began talking. Not long after that I was in his car with his wife and uncle and they took me on a ful day tour of Penang. They were very strong Buddhists so mostly what we did was go from temple to temple, Thai, Buirmese and Chinese. They had made some significant contributions to one of the temples and there I was able to meet the "chairman " of the temple. We had a long enlightening talk about Buddhism in which he stressed the presence of God within each person and that through meditation and study one moves toward becoming a Buddha. I wish I could remember all he said but I did get some literature to read. I invited my new friends to lunch and we went to a vegetarian self service buffet. The bill for 4 of us was under $6.
Well, time to shower and head out for the evening. I hope I continue on my lucky track here in Penang.

Pics:

1-The family who adopted me for a day of sightseeing in Penang. This was taken just before they dropped me off at my hotel and we are eating dessert which was sweet corn and rice soup. Added to my knowledge base now is that there is dessert besides ice cream. By the way will someone with a dictionary please let me know if I am spelling dessert right? I always get dessert and desert mixed up.

2-Fried oysters Malay style.

3-The open air market where my friend took me me to eat oysters.

4-Dana from Poland and Ed at the beach.

It Ain't the Chatanooga Choo Choo But...

I took the train from Bangkok yesterday for an overnight trip down the peninsula to Penang, Malaysia. I didn't have ham and eggs in Carolina and I did not get a shoe shine, but it was fine.
My first goal of the day yesterday was to make it from hotel to train without getting all sweaty. Just stepping outside in Bangkok is about all it takes for me to sweat and I knew I would be uncomfortable if I boarded the train wet. I got a tuk tuk as far as I could from my hotel to Sukhumvit which was the main street near me, but he could not turn right to take me to the MRT station (subway) so I walked across the street with my heavy pack and found a taxi to take me the short distance I needed to go. The subway was delightfully cool and I got to the train station almost completely dry. First goal of the day accomplished.
Not knowing what to expect at the station I arrived very early and there were simply no problems so I had a lot of time to kill. What does one do in a situation like that but eat, right?I am ready for a change from Thai food and looking forward to a different cuisine soon. The train was available for boarding at 1415 with a 1445 departure so I got settled early and watched the other passengers flow in.
While I was eating lunch in the station I had noticed a big family of middle Eastern looking people (infants to grandparents) and at the last minute they boarded my train. I had heard stories of Islam terrorists shooting at trains in soouthern Thailand so I felt good about having their brothers and sisters aboard. Hopefully they would not attack their own. Well it turned out the Iranians and I got to be quite friendly by the time we ate and slept together. The adults were much faster warming up than the 10 and 12 year old girls. I had the idea that they had been taught in school not to like Americans. In the end we all got along and they taught me to count in Farsi which is something I had forgotten since my long ago trip to Iran. There were 18 family members traveling together.
Sleeping on the train was quite comfy. The seats convered to upper and lower berths. I would have slept better if I had not had an enormous beer with my supper, but otherwise it was a fine night sleeping for a while and peering out into the Thai countryside for a while. Our point of entry into Malaysia was a very non descript little building which housed Thai emigration and Malay immigration. The Malay officials were delightful and the most smiling customs officers I have seen. Bodes well for Malaysia. The train arrived Butterworth station about an hour late today and from there I took a ferry over to Penang.
So now I am checked into my guesthouse in Penang, Malaysia and I am writing this in the lobby. There is a delicious aroma of garlic that keeps wafting through so I will track the source and eat there tonight.I will explore once it cools a bit . I hope my supper tastes as good as it smells.

1-Iranian kids who at first were a little hostile, but as you see, later warmed up to me.

2-Train with sleepers in place.

3-Train set up for day travel

4-Bumphlanong Station in Bangkok.

Buddhist Belief

I took this picture in a newish Buddhist temple and I think the message is pretty wonderful. What you see in the photo is me looking into a camera in the temple with the title

"The Gem of Buddhist Architecture of the Rattanakosin Era."

In other words, every being is a gem and is capable of attaining a Buddha like status. Because we all contain the potential of Buddha-hood, no one is better than any other and discrimination does not have a place. Buddhism is not a religion. It is a philosphy which teaches the way to attain perfection. As such one can be Buddhist and also Christian, Jew, Hindu, etc. Based upon what little I know of Buddhism, I believe society worldwide needs to practice the ways of the Buddha. Maybe this would enable us to find peace, harmony and tolerance.

Well, pardon me!

To those of you who think I am negligent keeping you informed, I have an excuse. At my hotel in Bangkok internet costs about $4 per hour. Hence I am trying to catch up on everything quickly while I wait for my train this afternoon which is a 22 hour ride in a sleeper car to Butterworth, Malaysia. I get so excited going to a country I have never visited before.

So I have been in Bangkok since Saturday. When I first got here discovered that my hotel, while one of the nicest I have stayed on this trip, is far from any place I really wanted to visit, so I set out on foot to orient myself and I walked miles and miles and miles. One of the things I am enjoying most about this trip, unlike travels when I was working, is having time to explore and not having to rush to get back to my job. I got a good sense of place from my ambulations.

Sunday I went to the Chatachuk Weekend Market which is supposed to have over 8000 vendors selling jeans, fruits, orchids, tee shirts, dishes, pets, books and about anything else you can think of. I kept telling myself not to buy anything because it would add weight to my pack, but the other side of my brain won out frequently. The skytrain stop for Chatachuk market is called Mo Chit which rhymes with mo' _hit! Unfortunately I returned from my day at the market with a lot mo' _hit than I intended, but I got good stuff and it was cheap. For some reason my psyche has been telling me to wear yellow so I my goal of the day was to buy a yellow oxford shirt. It had to be an oxford with a pocket because I never have too many pockets when traveling. Mission accomplished.

Yesterday I set out to do a little sightseeing. Since I have been here a few times and have seen the most famous sights more than once, I just wandered and ended up in Chinatown. How odd to be in Chinatown in Bangkok! To me Chinatown in Bangkok is kind of like white on rice. Where does one end and one begin? Unintentionally I stumbled across another market where the dollar stores at home come to buy their stock. Talk about cheap! Well just like at a dollar store you can not leave without buying something and so I got mo' _hit here too.

I have enjoyed eating some great Thai food however I am starting to tire a little of noodles, so yesterday I stopped by a Subway and got a roast beef sandwich. I know it is a violation of the foodie rulebook to eat American when in another country, but I could not help myself. After a Subway and a shower (It is ever so hot here!) I retired early for the first time in weeks. I did enjoy a little bit of Thai flavor for dessert. Ever corner has a fruit stand where you point to a pineapple or a mango or a papaya or a dragon fruit or a watermelon and they slice it up for you and put into a plastic bag with a pick. I love eating these fruits for snacks and also for that little something sweet after a meal.

Speaking of eating, I am eating well but my pants are getting loser and I always have to wear a belt to keep them up so I know I am losing weight. I attribute my weight loss to several factors. First, I don't have a stocked fridge handy so I do not graze all day long like at home. Second, the portions in restaurants are adequate for anyone, but not the super size like I am used to. Weight Watcher friends, are you proud of me? Third, I am walking miles almost every day and sweating out gallons of water. I keep my water bottle handy and filled. Another sign that I am losing weight was that my watch is riding lower on my wrist and I actually got sunburned where my watch used to live. I hope I can keep the same habits after I go home.

I will attempt uploading some pics but sometimes it takes forever.

Leaving Pattaya

I arrived 10 days ago in Pattaya and I am leaving today. This has been my least favorite spot so far on the trip. I will, however, have a grateful memory of getting well in the hospital here. The care and rest was what the ole bod needed. I am rejuvenated and ready to roam. As Willie sings, "just can't wait to get on the road again.
I have had less than optimal internet access since leaving the hospital, hence the dearth of updates. Where I go next is Bangkok and I will be picked up at my hotel in about an hour by a mini taxi which I hope will deliver me to my hotel in Bangkok. Adding a little suspense to the day is a very tense but very peaceful political situation going on in Bangkok. There is a group referred to as "Red Shirts" demanding the resignation of Taksin, the prime minister. Rumor has it that he was holed up in Dubai until Dubai's government threw him out. Now he may be in Cambodia or Berlin. Anyway, from what I can gather this is a class battle something like the French Revolution minus head chopping. There are supposed to be demonstrations in Bangkok today so I will be glad top get to my destination. Thai people are so gentle that I do not feel threatened, so do not worry about me.
Well, here is the scoop on Pattaya. My strongest impression is that there must be more massage parlors than any other businesses here. This town confirms the old saying that Thai people are the nicest people that money can buy.

It's a party town too.Happy hour begins at 9AM at many bars. An old German man was having breakfast with two Thai girls in my hotel and they were all drinking beer along with their fried eggs and coffee. Must have been a wild night for those three.
The Pattaya International Music Festival started last night. Beach Street is closed to traffic and now it is lined with vendors selling tee shirts, delicious walk around foods (like kebabs, fresh fruit, spring rolls, etc), knock off sun glasses, etc. The music is pretty good too I was amused to hear one Thai singer offering "In them ole cotton fields back home." I had never before thought how the lyrics would sound with a Thai accent.
I enjoyed yesterday on Jomtien beach. After swimming and lounging under the umbrellas I had a fantastic massage under the coconut trees. The hour massage was less than $8. Try to find that back home!
Time to get packed up and wait for my ride to Bangkok. Wish me luck getting there without interference from the red shirts. Looking forward to being in one of my favorite cities.

Pics
1- Walking Street in Pattaya
2-Fire dancers at Pattaya International Music Festival
3-This is the place I got my massagethe beach. Too bad I could not have my own picture but once the massage started I was too comatose to i get anyone to take my pic.

Free At Last

I was discharged from hospital last night about 6 PM and returned to the hotel where this saga began. I walked around a biit to get some supper and came home and went to bed. You know the saying, "You don't know what you got til it's gone!" I am a believer and I vow not to take for granted my good health and mobility in the future. Thank God for being well again.

A Quicky

This is Tuesday afternoon about 4:30 in Thailand. I just saw the ortho doctor and we concurred I am ready to be discharged. Now I am waiting for someone to remove the stint (Is that the correct word?) they used to give me injections. The only hangup may be that my insurance company has not gotten with their rep in Bangkok and so I will have to leave my passport here until finances are settled. If I have to I will just pay and file for reimbursement when I get home. I am so thankful for having been here and I can hardly wait to get out.
Looking forward to resuming the journey soon.

I Always Do What I Am Told

I just talked to my sister Eve to update her on my satisfactory progress and she was asking me about my plans and if I expected to come home after this. I told her I still expect to continue traveling and told her my present plans. Eve suggested that I put my plans into the blog and I always do what she tells me to.
I am thinking that I will be out of the hospital tomorrow or the next day so I will spend at least another night here in Pattaya. From here I will take a 2 hour bus to Bangkok and hopefully be able to leave the same day on an overnight sleeper train to Butterworth, Malaysia. (Hardly sounds like a city name in Malaysia, does it? I will have to find out where that name originated.) From Butterworth I take a ferry over to Penang which I expect to be loaded with charm. Just sounds exotic, doesn't it? From Penang I will head for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and then on down the peninsula to Singapore.
After Singapore I will return to Thailand and head north to Chiang Mai and Laos. There is a big festival for the Thai new year in mid April and I want to see that. From Laos I will return to Bangkok and come home from there. Expected date ---- I don't know.

Getting Better

With fear and also great expectations I got out of bed today and I have been walking up and down the hallway 3 or 4 times. After a few laps I start feeling a little pain but I am so far beyond where I was yesterday that I am rejoicing. I took a shower today, my first in 3 days, which makes me feel better and also improves the atmosphere. The physical therapist told me I would be ready for dancing tomorrow. I hope she is right.
You would not believe the menu I have here at the hospital. It must be 20 pages with pictures and all kinds of delicious items. For lunch today I had stir fried basil chicken. I just ordered a curry for supper with a watermelon shake. I never dreamed I would be eating like this in a hospital.
I am kinda bored and the computer is a great outlet, so if I am dwelling on myself too much please indulge me. I hope to be out and about soon with more interesting stories than walking the hospital hallway.
The answer to yesterday's question about how they take temperature is------------they put the thermometer in my armpit. That is a new one for me.

Thanks for Thoughts, Prayers, Messages

It has been 24 hours since I got to hospital and I have been lying down the whole time. This morning I feel far less pain and I have not had any meds since about 8 last night. I am anxious and scared to try putting weight on my leg, but very hopeful too. Will report more after a while. Thanks all for caring about me. I love you too.
Here is your question of the day? How do you think they check your temperature here? I suggest you have not heardof this method before. Answer follows tomorrow.

A Surprising Turn

My last blog was a report on going to Pattaya Memorial Hospital to treat pain from a fall last week in Seim Reap. Little did I expect to be updating from the same place but here I am. I could not let my friend Ellen Dewar get all the get well wishes.
So here's what happened. Last Saturday I fell on this uber-slippery tile by the pool in Siem Reap. I continued with the day's activities and went to bed as normal. Upon waking up Sunday morning I was in some serious hurt. I cancelled the tour booked for Sunday and started taking some meds from the corner pharmacy. Soon I was feeling better and rebooked the tour for the next day. I was able to do all the walking and climbing although slowly and sometimes painfully. Still I felt better and continued on to Thailand.
When I got here I came for treatment at the hospital and again did my best to continue as normal. Well, last night the pain got to be unbearable so I called the front desk of my hotel and had them send for an ambulance as I knew I could not get here on my own. Four strong Thai men lifted me on a stretcher and lugged me downstairs. I think they are used to lifting small Thai people and not big old westerners.
Now I have been admitted to the hospital and the diagnosis is muscle spasms. X rays show no bone damage. I will undergo physical therapy here but I think I am being given pain meds first which suits me. The doctor said I will be here 3 days. This appears to be very modern and clean facility. Thanks to all for your well wishes.

Doctor's Visit

About a week ago I slipped on the tile at a pool and I have been hurting pretty bad ever since. It is widespread knowledge that Cambodia is not a place to get medical treatment but Thailand has excellent medical care. The first thing I did on my first morning was to go to a doctor at Pattaya Memorial Hospital. I was checked in, x rayed, diagnosed, prescribed and out of there in less than an hour.

The good news is no broken bones. The doctor gave me celebrex and pain medication and cortisone. I am glad to report that I feel much better and knowing the bones are okay is a relief. I think it is just a matter of time. I hope I don't become a pain pill junkie.

Cambodia to Thailand

I left Siem Reap early on 9 March by bus for Pattaya, Thailand. The ride to the frontier was uneventful, and everyone exited the bus carrying baggage to clear Cambodia Departure processing and then we walked about 300 m to Thai Immigration where we completed forms and got our passports stamped. Everyone dispersed to their connecting bus.

I had met three other people also going to Pattaya and somehow we found where we thought our bus would depart. For a travel company and a border crossing there was a dearth of English speakers. Sure enough a van pulled up in about an hour and people began loading bags and staking out seats. Since I had paid my fare in Cambodia I had not bothered to get any currency exchanged to Thai Baht and at our pit stop I tried to buy a snack with dollars. They did not accept dollars and the lady in line behind me kindly offered to pay for me.

Once we arrived in Pattaya the van parked and the few remaining passengers, a Russian, 2 Germans, an Austrian and I were stranded on the sidewalk. I had the address of a hotel so I managed to find a taxi who overcharged me, but at least I got where I was going.

The highlight of the day was the picture I got in the toilet where I was waiting for my bus.

More Pics of the Sites March 8, 2010

1-Banyan tree covering wall at Ta Phram

2-Looking out at the world

3-Monks on the way to work

4-Group I was with touring the sites

5-Iconic Angkor Wat which is the picture on the Cambodian flag

The Temples of Angkor

I finally got to go to the Temples of Angkor today. These cities and temples which are commonly called Angkor Wat are the pride of Cambodia and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. (I am still trying to name them all. So far I can list the Sphinx and the pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal, Machu Pichu, the Wall of China and Angkor Wat. Will someone please fill me in on the last?) I was planning to go yesterday but I fell on slippery tile near the pool and was hurting too much to go then. I still do not feel 100% and there were times today when I really felt the fall, but I expect to get better each day. One nice thing here in Cambodia is going to the pharmacy and getting pain relief right across the counter. Don't worry! I will not turn into an Elvis!

The temples did not disappoint. First stop was Angkor Thom (Royal City). This city was the home of the Khmer king from around 800 AD until 1100 AD. According to our guide this was a city of over 1 million at the time Paris had 50,000 and London 100,000. All the walls are covered with intricate carvings depicting life in the city and Hindu legends. The complex was surrounded by a moat along the 24 mile long inner wall and it was stocked with crocodiles as an added defense. This is where the largest university in the world was located.
Bayon was next. It is known for the sculptured faces of the king which smile serenely from every tower and wall. This is where the cult of linga (phallic) worship evolved from an embodiment of a Hindu deity. The bas reliefs became even more complex here with depictions of battles on land and sea, Aspara dancers, military processions to mention some. The king of this city had two wives and 4000 concubines. Go figure!
After lunch we visited Ta Phrom which had been almost engulfed by jungle when the French began excavating in the 1830's. Now Na Phrom is noted for a scene from an Angelina Jolie movie called Tomb Raider and also is known for the banyan trees which are growing right into the walls of the temple. These trees are eerie but sort of beautiful.
The climax of the day was Angkor Wat, the largest and best preserved of the sites. Angkor Wat is still the largest religious structure in the world. The reason for it's relatively good condition is that it is still in use as a Buddhist shrine. By the time we got here I was really exhausted from the heat and it was a welcome relief to rest outside the temple with a cold drink.
Evaluating the day I think I made the correct choice for me. I had an escorted one day tour. Other options would have been multiple days and self guided tours. There are plenty of sites I did not visit but I saw enough. This was another hotter than Hades day and my afternoon showers back in my hotel are becoming one of my favorite things on this trip.

Photos at top are carvings of King Java--something. His image is everywhere.

Famous Words

Several times I have mentioned traveling by tuk tuk. These motorcycle powered carriages are ubiquitous and the drivers always on the make for a fare. In addition to transportation, they supply other needs.
Here is the usual sales pitch which I hear at least 20 times a day.

Driver: Tuk tuk, sir?
Me: No thanks.
Driver: Marijuana?
Me: No thanks.
Driver: Massage?
Me: No thanks.
Driver: Lady for boom boom?
Me: No thanks.

A Lesson Learned

I was sort of wiped out yesterday after the overnight bus trip so I spent most of the day relaxing in the shade at the hotel pool. There were a few supplies I needed like new razors, batteries for my mouse, etc. so after the sun went down I walked to a supermarket, planning to eat supper on the way home.
I finished my shopping and proceeded to the area near the Old Market where there are lots of restaurants. After perusing menus in front of several I picked one fairly crowded place and this time ordered pork laklac because the picture in the menu looked good. When I started eating there were lots of little stems with tiny berries still attached to the stem. I could not identify the taste at first and then I asked the waitress what it was. "Green pepper pods!", she told me. They were mild with just a little kick, not what I would expect from a whole mouthful of pepper. Basically this dish was pork, pepper, onions, cabbage in a light curry sauce, and of course it was served with rice. Delicious again.
Wandering around after eating I was beckoned into a restaurant by music wafting out. They were beginning a Khmer folk dance show so I ordered a drink called a Tomb Raider (It was 2 4 1.) and enjoyed the show. "Why Tomb Raider and what's in it?" , you may ask. "Tomb Raider " is an Angelina Jolie movie filmed in the temples near here but the recipe was what most attracted me--- Cointreau with tonic and lime juice. I will try to make this myself. The only down side to the evening was that I had set out on a shopping trip and did not bring my camera along so no pics of the dancers. My lesson learned is to take my camera along always.

Last Rites in Sihanoukville

Although I was enjoying the beach at Sihanoukville the idea of going home to a non AC, WIFI less, fridge less bungalow, no matter how charming it was otherwise, helped me decide to leave on the night VIP bus for an 11 hour ride to Siem Reap after having been there for 3 days. I used my last day in Sihanoukville to travel by tuk tuk to Kbal Chhay Cascades about 25 KM from the beach. It was a pleasant spot but would have been more impressive in the rainy season. I did get a nice photo of a Khmer family enjoying the water.
When we returned to the beach I had a great hamburger at my fav beach cafe. (Sometimes a taste of familiar food just seems right.) Then my friend and I had a Dr. Fish massage. I had heard of Dr. Fish on television a while back so I thought, "why not?" What happens here the attendant washes your feet to get all the sand from the beach off. Then sitting on the edge of a shallow wading pool you put your feet and ankles in the water and little minnow like fish swarm all over nibbling away at what they must consider tasty dead skin. For the extremely ticklish, this would not be a good idea. I had to concentrate not to get all jittery over the sensation. After sipping a beer while the fish feasted I took my now smooth and newly callous less feet out of the pool and again got a short foot massage as the attendant dried then and slipped my flipflops back on.
Before boarding the bus I enjoyed eating amok for the first time. This is the stereotypical Khmer food, think south Georgia fried chicken and watermelon. Amok is a soup of onion, peppers, maybe pumpkin, lemon grass, basil, curry, and who knows what else cooked inside a coconut shell which is also the soup bowl. For $2 I had a filling meal of amok, rice and beer.

1-Tuk Tuk which is one of the 2 main forms of urban transportation along with motorbikes.

2-Amok, the Khmer soup cooked and served in a coconut shell.

3-Bridge at Kbal Chhay cascades. Believe me it is a little scary to step out on one of these over a

25' pecipice.

4-Table after supper on the beach.

5-Khmer family swimming near the waterfalls.

Bigger???

Last night while eating supper again at one of the little beach restaurants my friend from New Zealand commented about something bigger. I sort of nodded agreement but he used the same phrase again and obviously expected a comment from me. Well, I asked him to repeat and he said he was tired of the biggers on the beach. I thought this was some sort of Kiwi expression for flies or something. (They call mosquitoes "mozzies".) I asked for clarification so I could respond. He said, "You know biggers, the peolple who come around with their hands out asking for money."

"Oh!" , I replied. "You mean beggars!"

I will leave tonight by overnight bus to Siem Reap which is the town near to Angkor Wat. It will be a long ride but I am taking the VIP bus which will make into sleeper seats.

Photos

1 Chilies drying in the sun. K am surprised they do not self ignite.

2 Serendipity Beach, Sihanoukville, Cambodia

3 My bungalow at the beach complete with mozzie net.

Bigger???

Sihanoukville by Bus

I had a pick up from my hotel in Phnom Penh at 0800 yesterday for the bus ride down to the coast town of Sihanoukville. Once we got out of the city the countryside became so scenic. We passed through mountains and valleys full of parrots, palms and bananas all the way to the coast. My personal stereotype of mountains was formed in the Smokies so I have to adjust my thinking whenever there are palms, parrots and coconuts instead of evergreens and bears.

I had booked my hotel online so when arrived in Sihanoukville I did not have to deal with all the touts promoting this or that guest house. My room is basic, no AC, no TV, no fridge. What I have is a bed, mosquito net and bath with cold water. I was a little apprehensive about my comfort last night but I slept extraordinarily well.

The beach here is the best so far on this trip. The water is clear (not crystalline but not bad) and warm. Here you don't have to worry about sharks because of the warmth but sometimes crocodiles show up. What a trade off!

I ate dinner last night at one of the many beach side bar/cafes sitting at a low table with a small candle, my feet in the sand and the waves less than 5 feet away. I ordered the seafood platter which was prawns, squid and barracuda (never thought of eating barracuda before) grilled right in front of me. Delicious! Gin and tonics were $1 so I had to take advantage of that price and drank 3. My bill totaled $6.

One of the things I enjoy about travel is getting to know other travelers. When you unexpectedly run into one another further down the road it is fun to swap stories, experiences, recommendations, etc. One memorable conversation I had with an Aussie was about American politics. His opinion was that American policy has such a far reaching effect that everyone everywhere should be able to vote in our elections. A law in Australia imposes a fine if you do not vote. Hmmm!

I will add some photos to this page later.