We Travel to Bangkok for a Klong Boat Ride, the Ultimate Temple Experience, and a Farewell Dinner

After breakfast and a morning flight, we find ourselves in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital and largest city, and the final destination of our tour.

Bangkok's "Skytrain"

Tracing its beginning as a small trading post in the 15^th century, Bangkok today has a population of around 10.5 million people and is the economic and political center of Thailand.

Inside Thompson's house

Known for its street life and cultural landmarks, the city consistently ranks among the world’s top tourist destinations.

We check into our hotel, the Rosewood Bangkok, and enjoy lunch. Afterwards, we travel by “Skytrain,” Bangkok’s elevated rail system, to the Jim Thompson House. James Harrison Wilson Thompson was an American architect, intelligence officer, and entrepreneur who revitalized the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 1960s. During World War II, Thompson was an operative for the OSS, the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency, with assignments in North Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia.

Silk prints

After the war, he returned to Thailand and founded the Thai Silk Company Limited, which brought Thai silk to the forefront of the textile industry. Generating one of the largest land searches in Southeast Asian history, Thompson mysteriously disappeared in Malaysia on March 26, 1967.

A klong boat

Thompson built his house by purchasing and dismantling six Thai teakwood dwellings—some as old as one hundred years—and reassembling them on his estate. As we toured the residence, our guide pointed out several unique, non-Thai features that Thompson added to the structure with his architectural background. After the house was completed, he filled it with his notable collection of art, antiques, and furniture. Today, the house has been transformed into a museum, and we ended our tour at the gift shop, which featured—what else—Thai silk clothing!

Temple of Dawn

We returned to our hotel and had dinner that evening with David and Linda in the hotel’s Chinese restaurant.

The next morning, we boarded a bus that would take us to a marina for a canal tour. Bangkok lies in the Chao Phraya River delta. The area is flat and low-lying, with an average elevation of around 5 feet above sea level.

Ornate artistry

Dubbed the “Venice of the East,” most of the area was originally swampland, which was gradually drained by the construction of klongs (canals) and which served as the primary means of transport until the construction of modern roads. We board our boat and follow the canals and river to a stop at the beautiful Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Built in the 17^th century and named after the Hindu god Aruna, the temple is distinguished by its distinctive central spire (prang) that towers over 200 feet and is ornately encrusted with porcelain and seashells.

Temple and spire

Surrounding this spire are four smaller, equally-adorned spires. As we toured the temple grounds, our guide pointed out many Buddha murals that tell the story of his life, as well as impressive sculptures of animals and soldiers.

Posing at the temple

We left the temple complex and reboarded our boat to further explore Bangkok’s network of waterways.
Bangkok has almost 1700 canals, totaling over 1600 miles in length. Because of differences in water levels throughout the network, it is necessary for the city to maintain a system of locks that greatly slows water travel. We had to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting to pass through the locks on our route.

Homes along the klong

We ended our canal tour with lunch at a social club-like Thai/Chinese/Indian restaurant, returning to our hotel for some afternoon free time.

Big Buddha along canal

We are up early for the last day of our tour. Today we are going to tour the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, and it is recommended that we do this as early as possible to avoid the blistering heat and humidity. After breakfast, we board a bus and arrive at the Grand Palace complex in the heart of Bangkok.

Stupa in the temple complex

The Grand Palace has been the official residence of the King of Thailand (Siam) from the 18^th century to the mid-20^th century. Construction of the palace began in 1782 under King Rama I, but many new buildings and structures were added throughout successive reigns. Architecturally, the complex showcases a blend of Thai and European styles that feature intricate designs, colorful spires, and ornate details that reflect Thai artistry and craftsmanship.

Ornate gate guardians

No longer a royal family residence or government hub, the complex is one of the city’s major tourist attractions, drawing over 8 million visitors annually.

Within the walls of the Grand Palace lies Wat Phra Kaew, commonly known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and which our guide referred to as the “Super Bowl of temples” because it is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand.

Ubosot, pavilion, bai sema shrine

Built on the traditional principles of Thai religious architecture, the temple complex was constructed at the same time as the Grand Palace by King Rama I. Successive kings added, restored, and embellished the temple during their reigns as a way of making religious merit. Today, many important state and royal ceremonies are held in the temple each year and are presided over by the king and government officials, making it the nation’s preeminent place of worship and a national shrine for the monarchy in the state.

Mythical figure

The largest building in the temple complex, the Phra Ubosot (ordination hall), was built to house the Buddha image known as the Emerald Buddha, an image of the Gautama Buddha seated in a meditative posture. The image is made of a semi-precious green stone described as jade or jasper, making the “emerald” descriptor refer to its color rather than its composition.

Another stupa

The figure is small, being only 19 inches wide at the lap and 26 inches high, and is quite plain without its gold seasonal decorations. Each seasonal decoration for the summer, rainy season, and winter or cool season is changed by the king or a senior member of the royal family in a ceremonial changing of the seasons. Unfortunately, photos inside the Ubosot were not allowed.We left the Ubosot and viewed several other Buddha images as we continued through the complex.

Another shrine

In fact, it was difficult to look in almost any direction and not spot a Buddha.

Leaving the Grand Palace complex, we entered an adjacent temple complex named Wat Pho. Also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho was rebuilt by King Rama I on an earlier temple site.

Reclining Buddha

The temple is considered the first public university in Thailand and today teaches traditional Thai medicine and massage as the national headquarters and center of education for this field. The temple complex also houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand. Included in this group is the image of the reclining Buddha, which was built by Rama III in 1832 to represent the entry of Buddha into Nirvana and the end of all reincarnations.

Full view of image

We entered the wat and were awestruck at the image’s size and adornment. At nearly 50 feet high and 150 feet long, the image is nothing short of imposing. It is constructed of a brick court and shaped with plaster, then gilded. The wat was crowded, and it took some time for us to completely circle the image and exit.

Feet of Reclining Buddha

We left Wat Pho and returned to our hotel, where we had lunch with David and Linda. The afternoon was spent lounging and swimming in the hotel’s pool and repacking our bags for tomorrow’s flight home. Our group assembled with Tod for a farewell cocktail reception and dinner (yes, it was Thai food!), and we said our goodbyes to our new friends.

Lots more Buddhas

 After breakfast the next morning, we gave our farewell wishes and hugs to David and Linda and headed to the airport for that grueling flight home. It was a good trip, even if we didn’t get to see the Shirley Temple!

 

At the farewell dinner!T

 

We're Off to Thailand for Encounters with Elephants, "Giraffe Women," and a Bunch More Temples

3/3-3/5/2024

Today we end our short stay in Cambodia and ride back to the airport for a flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok, with a connecting flight to Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai.

Buddhas at the airport

Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand and the second largest city in the country behind Bangkok (1.2 million vs. 10.7 million).

Capt. Larry gets "leied"

Situated in a mountainous region called the Thai Highlands, the city’s location on the Ping River and its proximity to major trading routes contributed to its historic importance. We checked into our hotel, the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon resting and viewing the resort’s beautiful grounds. Later, we savor a traditional Thai group dinner.

After breakfast with David and Linda, we went to the resort’s parking area to meet up with the Four Seasons’ pair of resident water buffalo. One of the animals is pink (albino), and they are brought out each morning to delight the guests.

The "pink" water buffalo

We board a bus that will take us to the Kanta Elephant Sanctuary, a short distance from our hotel. The purpose of the sanctuary is to offer a retirement home for elephants who have previously worked in the tourist entertainment or logging industries.

Jane and friend

The sanctuary’s mission is to raise awareness and educate people from around the world about elephant care and conservation and the plight of the Asian elephant. The largest living land animal in Asia, the Asian elephant has been listed as endangered, with a population decline of at least 50% over the last three generations (about 60 to 75 years). It is threatened by habitat degradation and loss, fragmentation, and poaching. The populations are declining due to a low birth rate and a high death rate.

After we arrive at the camp, we are asked to change into elephant-print clothing “so the elephants don’t mistake you for food and eat you.”

Group pic

But since everyone knows that elephants are herbivores, we suspect that this is to protect our clothing or have everyone dressed alike to benefit group photos.

Getting a dust bath

A staff member gives us some background information about the important role elephants have played in Thai culture and about the unique relationship elephants have with their mahout handlers. We go to a corral, which the elephants have been brought into, and are given instructions on how to feed the animals. We are given bags of chopped sugarcane, and we feed, pet, and interact with the elephants until the cane is gone. The mahouts lead the animals to a stream, which they enter to bathe.

Tod & Jane make a vitamin ball

We follow and are invited to join the elephants and help them bathe by scrubbing them with stiff brushes. Apparently, it’s something they like. We declined the invitation after seeing one mahout throw elephant poop out of the water. Next, we go to a pavilion and are instructed on how to make and feed vitamin balls, which supplement the elephants’ diet. We line up in front of a row of elephants for a farewell group photo.

Bathing the elephants

Unknown to us, the mahouts have buckets of water, which the elephants suck into their trunks and spray on us as the photo is being made. We shower, change back into our clothes, and enjoy a box lunch before leaving the sanctuary.

Before returning to our hotel, we visit a nearby hill tribe village. The term “hill tribe” is used in Thailand for all the various ethnic groups who mostly inhabit the high mountainous northern and western regions of Thailand—the border regions with Laos and Myanmar (Burma).

A "hill tribe" woman

The main ethnic groups (Akha, Hmong, Htin, Iu-Mien, Karen, Khamu, Lahu, Lisu, and Lua) and other ethnic minorities have been officially recognized by the Thai government as "Ethnic Hill Tribes,” with each group having a distinctive language and culture.

Hill tribe village "wooden" couple

Traditionally subsistence farmers, it is estimated that the hill tribe population is about 750,000 people scattered over more than 200 hill tribe villages.

Upon entering the village, we find women of different ethnic groups trying to sell their wares and handicrafts to the tourists. Although the different groups come together to make a living, they are by no means really integrated. Each group maintains its own culture, traditions, and language, even though they share the territory in which they live with other groups.

Mother & daughter "long necks"

One group of women that we found very interesting was the “long-necked Karen” or “giraffe women.” Starting when they are around 5 years old, Karen girls start to wear coils or rings around their necks. Over time, the coil is replaced by a longer one, and the weight of the brass pushes the collarbone down and compresses the rib cage.

Temple in Doi Suthep complex

The rings or coils can elongate the neck to a length of about 15 inches. One of the women handed us a coil, and it was surprisingly heavy. We returned to our hotel and enjoyed another rare, relaxing afternoon before having dinner with David and Linda.

One of the highlights at the start of each day on trips like this is the wide selection of fresh fruits available at the breakfast buffet. Although the selection is likely to vary according to the hotel’s locality, we have enjoyed some common and not-so-common varieties, including: watermelon, cantaloupe, dragon fruit, guava, rose apple, passionfruit, bananas (often more than one kind), mango, papaya, rambutan, pima, and pineapple.

Ornate gong in complex

We finish our breakfast with David and Linda and board a bus that will take us on a tour of Chiang Mai.

 As we enter the city, our guide notes that there are 117 Buddhist temples within the city district, some dating back to the 13^th century.

White Elephant shrine

There are also several temple ruins scattered throughout the city. We drive through Chiang Mai Old Town with its ancient city walls and moats that were built over 700 years ago when the city was founded. The royal family once lived in a district in Old Town.

We rode a very steep, winding, mountainous road to a height of over 3500 feet to visit the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple, commonly referred to as “Doi Suthep.”

Ornate temple and shrines

The temple is regarded as one of the holiest and most sacred temples in northern Thailand.

Replating the stupa

Construction of Doi Suthep began in 1386, and according to popular legend, the temple was built to hold a piece of bone from the Buddha’s shoulder that was carried on a sacred white elephant (an important symbol in Thailand) to the site of the temple. We enter the sacred pilgrimage spot and are awed by the site of the gold-plated, 80-foot stupa that casts all eyes upwards and is the city emblem of Chiang Mai. Scaffolding and construction workers surround the stupa, and our guide tells us that the structure is being re-plated.

Lots of Buddhas!

There are shrines and monuments at every turn, and the artistry and architecture are quite compelling. We visit the shrine of the White Elephant and admire the ornate workmanship of several holy pagodas and Buddha statues.

More images to see

We leave the complex and go back to our hotel, where we enjoy another leisurely afternoon and dinner (Western fare) with David and Linda.

 

 

A monk on his cell phone

 

 

 

The last one!

 

A dinner sunset

We Leave Saigon and Fly to Siem Reap, Cambodia

 3/1-3/2/2024

We are up later than usual, with no planned activities until a late morning flight that will take us from Saigon to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

At Angkpor Wat

After breakfast with David and Linda, we board a bus that will take us to the airport. Getting out of Vietnam seems almost as hectic as getting in, as we have to again pass through immigration with all of our luggage.

Temple complex entrance

Fortunately, Capt. Larry is not detained again. Arriving in Siem Reap, we board a bus that will take us to the nearby Angkor Wat temple complex. Siem Reap is Cambodia’s second-largest city and is actually a cluster of small villages along the Siem Reap River. These villages were originally developed around Buddhist pagodas (Wat) that are almost evenly spaced along the river.

We arrive at the temple complex on a very hot and humid afternoon. Angkor Wat (City/Capital of Temples) resides within the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor.

Smaller temple

Originally built in Khmer temple architecture as a Hindu temple during the 12^th century, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple. At its center are its five trademark, perfectly symmetrical towers rising over 200 feet.

More temple ruins

The temple’s towers and walls are extensively adorned with bas-relief friezes and devatas. The entire complex is surrounded by a moat over 600 feet wide and 3 miles in perimeter, and the outer wall encloses a space of over 200 acres. The temple complex has faced extensive damage and deterioration over time, but modern-day restoration efforts are being made with the involvement of several countries and conservation organizations.

We follow our guide across the moat on a sandstone causeway and into the complex. He provides a lot of historical and cultural information about the temple. After a while, we are given a choice of continuing on a walking tour to the higher levels of the temple or taking a tuk-tuk ride to our hotel.

Posing with a visiting family

Because of the heat and the number of steps involved, we opt for the ride to the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor. After everyone had returned and checked in, we joined David and Linda and some other group members for a happy hour, followed by a dinner with a local dance troupe performing traditional Apsara dances between the dinner courses.

Apsara dancers

After dinner, we retired for the evening.

We are up early for another big day, as we are going to explore another ancient walled city—Angkor Thom. Established in the late 12^th century, Angkor Thom (Great City) was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer Empire.

Performing dancers

Lying on the west bank of the Siem Reap River, the city is entirely encircled by a moat and is one of the major tourist attractions in Southeast Asia. We follow our guide into the city through one of its five monumental gates, where in front of each stand 54 giant statues of gods and demons. The statues and bas-reliefs on the gate are very impressive. At the center of the city, we find the main state temple, the Bayon, which is richly decorated in the Khmer style and was the last temple to be built at Angkor Thom.

Angkor Thom ruins

The temple’s most distinguishing feature is the numerous serene and smiling stone faces of the Buddha. We leave the interior of Angkor Thom and board a bus, which drives us a short distance to the Terrace of the Elephants.

Capt. Larry and Angelina!

The nearly 400-yard-long terrace once served as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and a base for the king’s grand audience, and it is extensively decorated with life-sized bas-reliefs of elephants and their Khmer mahouts. We ride a little further to our final destination in Angkor Thom—Ta Prohm Temple. Built in the Bayon style, Ta Prohm was founded as a Buddhist monastery and center of learning. Today, the temple is referred to as the “Tomb Raider Temple” or the “Angelina Jolie Temple” due to its depiction in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. After the temple was abandoned, trees took root in the stones and began growing out of the ruins. The temple is richly adorned with bas-reliefs and is currently undergoing extensive restoration.

More Angkor Thom ruins

We leave the Angkor Thom complex and are driven to Angkor and the Chanrey Tree Restaurant for a delicious lunch. Afterwards, we are given a choice of returning to the hotel or riding to Tonle Sap for a cruise on Southeast Asia’s largest lake.

Boarding our boat

We decide that we’re up for a boat ride. We arrive at a landing, board our canopied boat, and are given some facts about the lake’s hydrology, ecology, and fishery. Part of the Mekong River watershed, the lake is one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world and has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Approximately 1.2 million people live in the lake area, and the annual freshwater catch of over 400,000 tons accounts for about 60% of the protein intake for the Cambodian population. The lake’s water volume and depth vary greatly between the wet and dry seasons, with a typical depth of 3 feet at the end of the dry season and expanding to 30-46 feet in the monsoon season.

Life along Tonle Sap

Our visit coincided with the end of the dry season, and the water was very low and filled with sediment. As we cruised along the shoreline, we saw a huge number of houseboats, which our guide told us would be moved and formed into floating villages at various times of the year.

Mid-lake life

We found such a village anchored in a wider section of the lake and were told that it provided all the services that a community on land would have: schools, churches, boat and motor repair, and medical and emergency services. We returned to the landing and our hotel, where we enjoyed an evening group dinner with lots of fun and laughter.

A floating church

Mid-lake city

The girls getting happy!

Our dinner group

Geez Linda, are all those glasses yours?!