August 6-13. 2019

“There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path.”

• Buddha

As we begin to approach the end of our time in the United Arab Emirates, we have started looking around the travel landscape to identify those spots where there is a real advantage to travelling from here instead of the USA.  With the recommendation from some friends and after considering several options, we decided on Siem Reap, Cambodia, in southeast Asia, home of Angkor Wat.  As we started investigating flights, it was apparent most had a layover in Bangkok, Thailand. Further, we noted there are several flights each day between Bangkok, so we decided to add a couple of days in Bangkok as well. The die was cast. We would have about a 6-hour flight to Bangkok with 3 time zones difference compared to an (insert big number) hour flight from east Tennessee with an 11-hour time zone difference, and we would make separate arrangements for the one-hour flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap.

As is often our custom, we chose to make the trip from our fair city of Ruwais to Abu Dhabi, the night before our 8:45 AM departure on August 6.  This allows us to have an easy morning for our flight and sets us up with parking arrangements. By staying at the Park Inn on Yas Island the night before we leave and the night we get back, they allow us free covered hotel parking while we are gone.  “Covered” parking may not seem like a big deal to some but spend a summer in the Middle East and you’ll appreciate it.

The flight to Bangkok was my favorite kind – uneventful.  Thailand requires no visa for tourists from the US, so entry was easy as well.  I withdrew 10,000 baht from an ATM (~$332) for two nights and one full day.  This turned out to be way too much, but I was able to change back $80 before the return flight for a fair exchange rate.  The US dollar still enjoys a more favorable exchange rate than most currencies where we have travelled.  In some countries dollars are widely accepted, but should not be considered an automatic de facto currency.  Study ahead of time and plan accordingly.

Thanks to Lynn’s research, we bypassed all the taxi hawks with their booths set up at the exit to customs and headed downstairs and out the air terminal doors to the public taxi forum.  You get a ticket based on whether you want a small or large car (number of people in your group), and whether you are travelling a short or long distance. You are issued a ticket with a number, which you take to the corresponding parking lot number.  A licensed driver with a metered taxi takes you to your destination. All very clean, professional, and reasonable.  Our 30 km cross town taxi to our hotel cost 450 baht, about ~$15.   This was my first time to southeast Asia, and I enjoyed taking in the landscape as we drove through the night to our hotel across town. I noticed many 7-11 convenience shops, the first of probably 50 or more we saw in Bangkok. As a reminder that we were in a country where about 95% of the population are Buddhist, billboards proclaimed “Buddha is not a decoration.  Show respect.”

Lynn found us a room that was beyond the reach of the current metro system, which required the cab ride. But it took us to a perfect spot.  We had two objectives for our Bangkok stay – to see the Grand Palace and adjoining sites and visit some local markets (a routine that has become one of my favorites).  Lynn found us the Theatre Residence ($67/night) for a comfortable room with a kitchenette, good Wi-Fi, a nice pool, and free breakfast. The walk to the boat launch to take us across the Chao Phraya River to the Grand Palace was less than 5 minutes in one direction, and the walk to the Wang Lang markets was even less than that in the opposite direction along the riverfront.  A school yard was next door that was busy and noisy during the day, but we weren’t there anyway so no worries.  Perfect.

We headed out early on the morning of August 27 to visit Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace.  The 5-minute boat ride across the river cost us 7 baht for both of us, less than 25₵.  We worked our way through an area of street vendors.  I read that Thailand has the best street food in the world, and I saw ample evidence of that before the trip was over.  We pushed on to the Grand Palace, built in 1782 when Thailand was still known as Siam.  Entrance to the palace cost 1000 baht for both of us (~33$).  This is a large complex of buildings including Wat Phra Kaew, also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is the most sacred Buddhist Temple in Thailand.  The Buddha was carved from a single piece of jasper, probably in the 15^th century.  The statue is clothed in fine garments made of gold and jewelry that are changed for each of the three seasons – summer, rainy, and winter.

We visited several other features of the Palace including the Demon Guardians (six pair of statues up to 6 meters in height guarding the Emerald Buddha from evil spirits), Phra Si Ratana Credi (a golden bell shaped tower housing relics of Buddha), the Statue of Cheewok Komaraphat (the doctor of Buddha and the father of Thai herbal medicine), and others.  Crowds were thick, and signs to show respect for the Buddha did not seem sufficient to slow the stream of selfie snapping tourists in front of venerated objects.  The stress of the crowds and the heat required a passion fruit ice cream to recover before moving on.

We headed down the street to the Wat Pho complex, home of one of the world’s largest reclining Buddhas, but first we had to get by a huckster that tried to convince us Wat Pho was closed until later that day and we should take a tuk-tuk tour with him.  Lynn saw right through him, and we were soon viewing a truly impressive gold leaf covered Reclining Buddha. At 46 meters long and 15 meters high, this highlight completely dominates the inside of the building.  His gigantic feet are adorned with 108 mother of pearl symbols representing the 108 positive actions and symbols that helped lead Buddha to perfection. Likewise, 108 cups line the exit route for contributions to the monks who maintain the grounds. 

We also visited Phra Ubosot while at the Wat Pho. This is the most sacred temple of the complex and the main hall for performing Buddhist rituals. Inside the ubosot is a gold and crystal three-tiered pedestal topped with a gilded Buddha made of a gold-copper alloy. The complex is an educational site for the general public. The temples are religious sites for Buddhists, so clothing should not leave exposed shoulders or skin above the knee, and your shoes must be removed before entering the temples.  Entrance to the complex containing Wat Pho cost us 200 baht for both of us.

After leaving Wat Pho, I found myself being drawn down a side alley by strange and interesting shops. We had been out for a while, and the aroma from the hibachi grill of a small vendor was enticing.  The smells of grilled pork and chicken mingled with banana leaf wrapped roasted fish. I bought a bamboo skewer of pork for 50 bhat, about ~$1.60 that was heavenly.  We washed this down with a local Singha beer that was very refreshing after our morning walk.

We returned to the Theater Residence to relax for a bit, then headed out into the Wang Lang street market shops next to our hotel.  By virtue of being in a residential neighborhood, we saw absolutely no tourists, just local Thai plying their wares, and of course, plenty more interesting food. In contrast to my Ethiopia experience, people enjoyed having their picture taken, giggling and laughing when I showed them their photo. The people we met during both our Thailand and Cambodia visits were as genuinely friendly as any I have met anywhere. They are not materially blessed, but this is not a distraction from what seemed to be a general contentment. I considered that 95% of the country is Buddhist, and that followers of Buddhism focus on achieving a state of inner peace and wisdom (enlightenment) rather than worshipping a supreme god or deity. Connection between inner peace and contentment?  An easy conclusion for this unenlightened traveler to reach.

We enjoyed another visit through Wang Lang the next morning before heading to Don Mueang Airport for our flight to Siem Reap.  Our cabbie spoke to a translator box and ‘Alexa’ asked us questions about our trip as we drove.  We listed to English language pop music on the radio on our way, with scooters constantly weaving around us.  Our 40-minute ride cost us 500 baht.

We arrived in Siem Reap Airport in about an hour and worked our way through this small, clean, modern airport in no time. We had obtained evisas in advance at $36 each for a 90-day visa (www.evisa.gov.kh). Even for countries with visa on arrival we have decided it is better to have visa in hand. We moved quickly through customs. I withdrew $250 of local currency, 933,000 riel, from a currency exchange booth.  I typically pay between 2-6% to convert money.  With a little effort I could probably economize here, but those rates don’t bother me compared to the overall trip expenses.

We found our hotel driver waiting for us just outside the terminal.  He took us on about a 30-minute ride into town to our home for the next five days, the Borei Angkor Resort and Spa ($62/night). This was a lovely tree shaded hotel with teak wood furnishings and a beautiful pool we took full advantage of.  All the hotel staff were exceedingly kind and cheerful in a way that seemed genuinely sincere, not in a “I work at this hotel so I will be nice to you” way.  We were treated this way everywhere we went.  I pondered this behavior from a population that was reduced by a quarter a generation ago by the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. In a nod to reducing the generation of plastic trash, the hotel provides water bottles in your room, but encourages refills from a 5-gallon water dispenser in the foyer.

We settled in, then took a walk down the street to a market to pick up a few snacks for the room. Tuk-tuks were everywhere. These people transports that were pulled by hand or bicycle a generation ago are now largely pulled by a small motorcycle.  They are in abundance; all you do is raise your hand and one will be ready to go.  We paid our driver $2 from our stack of dollars we brought with us for just this purpose to take us for about a 10-minute ride to our dinner at the Siem Reap Brew Pub.  The drivers were always happy to arrange a pickup time as well.  I enjoyed another first for dinner, sweet and sour pigs’ ears.  The flavor was fine, but there wasn’t much meat and a lot of cartilage.  I think I will pass on that one next time.  Lynn had a traditional dish, beef lok-lok, while a Cambodian instrumental version of The Beatles “Long and Winding Road” played in the background. The bill (which comes in both riel and dollars) was about ~32$, typical for the week for a full dinner of drink, an appetizer, and entrees.

The next morning, we were met by our tuk-tuk driver and English-speaking guide for the first day of our temple tours.  Visal was our guide, a native of Siem Reap who has been serving as a guide for 11 years.  These tours were arranged through the hotel for $70/day.  This is another opportunity where you could probably cut your costs in half if you wanted to put some effort into it. I didn’t.  The first day agenda was the “Small Circuit”.  We started off by heading to the ticket center where we picked up a 3-day pass for almost all the Siem Reap historical landmarks for $67. A nice feature of this pass (that we didn’t use) is that you don’t have to use it in 3 consecutive days. Visal said the advent of the internet and the popularity spike that followed Angelina Jolie in the “Tomb Raider” movies resulted in an explosion of tourism in this formerly sleepy little town.

The word ‘Angkor’ is derived from the Sanskrit word for city and was used to designate the capital city of the Khmer Empire which flourished between the 9^th and 15^th centuries.  There are dozens of temples in the area, we only saw a few.  The first stop on the Small Circuit was Angkor Tom.  This was the last capital of the Khmer Empire, built in the late 12^th century, and occupies almost 4 square miles. The Bayon Temple, the Terrace of the Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King, and the Phimeanakas Temple were some of the highlights here. We noticed several of the engravings had elongated ears. Visal explained that elongated ears meant long life so they would stretch their ears.  I couldn’t verify everything he told us, but it made a good story.

As we headed to our next stop, Ta Prohm, I asked Visal about the constant stream of roadside stands we saw with bottles of a golden liquid.  They were in all shapes and sizes of bottles, some plastic, some glass, some soda bottles, some liquor, etc.  Perhaps some popular regional beverage? He explained that was petrol for the fleet of scooters that buzz around the country.  Ta Prohm is the temple of “Tom Raider” fame, characterized by the gnarled roots of giant trees fighting to reclaim the land from the ancient temple. This was perhaps our most crowded venue, requiring patience on my part for taking pictures as selfie snappers required lots of time to shoot various angles and examine the results before moving on.  Most tourists are from Vietnam, China, and Thailand followed by other mostly Asian countries. The US has the most tourists of the non-Asian countries with 238,000 in 2016, about 5% of the tourist population.

A band of disfigured men that played instruments and sold CDs at the entrance to the temple were a poignant reminder of the land mine history of Cambodia. The Cambodia Mine Action Center estimates there are between 4 and 6 million pieces of unexploded ordinance in Cambodia remaining from 30 years of conflict. With no records of where the explosives are buried, removal is a time-consuming, expensive process, with decades more effort needed to complete removal.

Our last stop of the day was the highlight of the trip, Angkor Wat. This colossal structure was built in the 12^th century as a Hindu temple. The region went back and forth between Hindu and Buddhist control over the centuries. Visal explained that Hindu would sometimes modify Buddhist displays to a Hindu figure, but that Buddhists would not do the same during their periods of control. The whole region eventually became Buddhist by the 16^th century.

That wrapped up our touring for the day and we returned to our hotel. We continued our week- long ritual of spending the afternoon by the pool. I even converted to drinking tea with a bit of milk. We studied our dinner options and finally decided on Marum.  This restaurant supports several causes associated with the underprivileged of Cambodia by supporting schools and providing training and jobs. I enjoyed a beef dish garnished with red ants while Lynn had a crocodile burger with sweet potato chips. Lynn also picked up a nice silk scarf from the on-site shop that supports the disadvantaged selling Cambodian made crafts.

The tour for the next day was the Grand Circuit. This was a stop at five more significant temples, but by no means most of the temples in the area. The first stop was at Preah Kahn, the Temple of the Sacred Sword.  Crowds were almost non-existent compared to the previous day, making for a much more enjoyable experience. As we worked our way through the passageways, I noticed a small elderly person tucked back out of the way.  I went on a little way, then turned back to make a donation to this pleasant little nun. I donated a dollar, in return, I had a string of blessing tied around my wrist, followed by a warm hug, and my hat removed to kiss my forehead. And I still had no idea if this was a man or a woman. It didn’t matter. This sweet person was the absolute picture of contentment.

Our visit to Ta Som was similar to Ta Phrom with the massive tree roots fighting to reclaim the ground, but with virtually no people. Some people that were present though, were small children selling goods.  We had seen virtually none of this the previous day.  They followed you with barely audible voices but were very persistent. Young men were quite talented with their artwork. Perhaps under other circumstances I would have bought a piece, but on this day, I only left with a refrigerator magnet.

The last two temples we visited, East Mebon and Pre Rub, were also built as Hindu temples but were a couple of centuries older. (10^th century).  They also varied from our other visited sites in that bricks were used in construction of some parts. Pre Rub also contained a crematorium.  Visla said all through history Cambodians have preferred cremation over burial.  The government restricts building in the area of the historical landmarks which adds to the charm.

We wrapped up our touring day a little early and returned for another afternoon by the pool.  But first, there was a market visit to make. Just down the street from our hotel was the Phsar Leu Thom Thmey street markets. I had seen these from the road but was totally unprepared for how large they were when you headed down the passageways off the main road.  They are not tourist markets either – this is where Cambodians shop. All manner of fruits, vegetables, meats, household products, jewelry, and of course, insects. Fine trays of roast silkworms and crickets were on display. We did not eat those on this day. That would soon change.

Dinner on this night was at a fine French fusion cuisine at Georges Rhumeria.  The highlight of this dinner was the rum.  We each bought a sample flight containing 12 different varieties of rum such as mango, lime, caramel, coffee, and coconut. The grand finale was the “Electric Daisy” that came with a flower that you ate with the rum, leaving a tingling sensation in your mouth akin to touching your tongue with a 9-volt battery.

The next day, August 11, we took a break from the temples.  We spent the morning on a tour of the Angkor Silk Farm.  This farm is part of a larger network supported by public and private enterprises to provide training and jobs for local Cambodians in all sorts of crafts.  A system of 48 shops provides hundreds of jobs and free training (which is also unpaid) for jobs such as stone carving, woodwork, metal working, painting, etc.  We observed the silkworms eating the mulberry tree leaves and the racks where they weave their cocoons, and watched the workers unwinding the cocoons (~400 meters of yellow silk in each cocoon!) by soaking in hot water and weaving the thread. Our guide said fully trained women who weave the cloth using complex manual looms make about $250/month and are provided health care and a noontime meal.

We had lunch on Pub Street, home of 50₵ beer, $5 restaurant entrees and $8/hr massage parlors.  Several vendors offered fish foot massages where the customer sits on a bench and puts their feet in a big aquarium full of fish that immediately start pecking away at their feet.  Satisfaction was guaranteed according to their ads. We walked back to our hotel along the Siem Reap River.

Lynn booked us a morning cooking class for our last day at Siem Reap Countryside Cooking Class.  This turned out to be a real treat.  Ben, our host, is a native of Siem Reap. His cooking class includes a trip through the markets at the village of Pouk where he was well known. The ever-friendly Cambodians had fun with us, waving wriggling fish in the air for our approval and offering a spoonful of prahok (fermented fish at least a year old) for us to smell and admire the bouquet.  We also finally had the opportunity to taste the roasted silkworms, crickets, and water beetles.  Crunchy, a little salty, with a hint of teriyaki flavor – not too bad! Or as Ben described – “Finger licking good!”. The people working in the market would make around $5 to $7 a day.

Ben runs his cooking class to support an orphanage with 98 kids, over 40 of which have HIV.  As we drove, it was clear he had political views that did not favor the Cambodian government.  He relies entirely on NGOs and profits from his cooking class and a few craft sales to avoid changing and conflicting government regulations associated with government aid.  He met a man in 2002 from San Luis Obispo in the US that was touring Cambodia.  This man became his godfather and enabled him to start this work. He seemed to be sincerely passionate about his cause and the work he does for the children, so it really raised my eyebrows when he said he liked Pol Pot, who was responsible for the killing of about 25 % of the population between 1975 and 1979.  Clearly, something was missing here – his education or mine, or maybe some of both.  He shared an interesting Cambodia saying on crooked politicians – You must cut off its head to kill the snake.  But if you can’t find the head, cut off the tail and the head will find you.

As we rode to Ben’s kitchen, we passed a market with cages selling small songbirds.  Ben said people purchase them to release.  The act of giving the bird its freedom is considered a compassionate act that cleanses your sins and brings good karma (this act is called fang sheng).  This practice is over a thousand years old, but is falling out of favor due to the unsavory black-market practices associated with capturing the birds in the first place.

We arrived at his outdoor kitchen with wood fire stoves, and for the next two hours had fun making pumpkin custard that we cooked in the gourd and rolling spring rolls.  We also pounded our own Kroueng, a spice and herb paste made from lemongrass, garlic, shallots, turmeric, and peanuts that are ground in a heavy mortar and pestle to a paste,  This is a stock item in many Cambodian dishes, and on this day we used it in making Chicken Amok that we cooked in banana leaf bowls we made. We had fun and felt like we were helping a good cause as well.  I recommend his class for anyone interested in a similar adventure (www.countrysidecookingclass.com).

I would like to have seen a nearby landmine museum that afternoon, but the schedule was too tight, and we were left to spend another afternoon poolside. I was quite comfortable with this routine.  We checked out the next morning and had an uneventful return to Bangkok and on to Abu Dhabi.  Lynn found an available free shuttle service between Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi Airports that saved us the cab expense for the 45-minute drive. Total cost for this trip was one of our cheapest for a full week – $3135 for airfare, taxis, hotels, meals, tours, visas, souvenirs.