One woman's journey through the world
Jen and I have reunited in Thailand and after a stint in Chiang Mai where Jen became certified in the first level of Nuad Bo-Rarn Thai Massage, we headed south to the ancient city of Lopburi. Temple ruins are officially the tourist draw for Lopburi but in reality, I think most people come for the monkeys. They’re everywhere: scurrying across power lines, shimmying down lamp posts, overseeing the sales counters
I’m following a monk through bushes in the middle of nowhere, Myanmar. Seriously? This is my life? I grinned for the zillionth time in Mrauk-U, a place hard to reach in conflict-torn western Rakhine state as the monk led me uphill, branches scratching my already torn-up limbs as they slapped and scraped against me. When the “trail” cleared and we reached the top, he turned and smiled. “Nine stupas. Monastery.
Bagan is the reason some people go to Myanmar and it’s unquestionably beautiful. Ancient temples dot the arid plains of the former capital of the Kingdom of Pagan near the Irawaddy River dating back to the 9th century. As with our post about Angkor Wat, I’m not going into the history, architecture, or much detail about the temples of Bagan. I have neither the expertise nor authority to do so
Almost certainly Myanmar’s most touristy area, Inle Lake won three nights of our time with my parents, and for good reason. It’s a beautiful place with – at least in August – delicious tomatoes and surprisingly good local wine. Plus temples, stupas, markets, floating gardens, multiple ethnic groups happy to sell you their wares, fishermen still willing to pose for photos, traditional artisans demonstrating their craft for all who stop
The number of temples we’ve visited on this trip is overwhelming and a count I’ve never attempted to keep. Many blend together but a few – like each of the Angkor Wat temples – and Wat Rong Khun are sufficiently unique to stand apart. Known as the White Temple, Wat Rong Khun was built by a wealthy artist/architect beginning in 1997. In time, he plans to have an entire
When we arrived in Siem Reap, I couldn’t decide whether to love it or hate it. The gateway to Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat area, Siem Reap is bursting with restaurants, bars, hotels, and countless other businesses thriving solely because of tourist dollars. Visitors roam the streets at all hours, all year long, always accompanied by the cries of tuk-tuk drivers and shopkeepers trying to earn their money. For some tourists,
Although the bamboo train is perhaps the best known tourist attraction in Battambang, there’s more to this area than a bumpy ride along a narrow track. Two days is all we spent there and that was the right amount of time for us. We packed in quite a bit so these are just the highlights. If you’re heading to Battambang and want to know more, drop us a comment or
There are more temples in the 400+ square km Angkor Wat Archaeological Park near Siem Reap, Cambodia than I can count on our map. With a $40 three-day pass, we visited 15 of them. There are countless books, websites, documentaries, and films about this place and as we aren’t going to pretend any sort of expertise, I suggest you find one of those if you want history. We did a