Flight of the Gibbons and Getting our Cooking On!!!

 Today we were off to the jungles again - this time to do some zip-lining with the gang from Flight of the Gibbons!!  After suiting up, we headed off on a walk up the mountain for a little way to get to our first line.  Along the way our guide pointed out some of the local plants including Arabaca coffee plants, tea plants and bamboo.  He told us how bamboo was used for just about everything in Thailand from building houses, use as scaffolding, cooking, eating.  Seems there is nothing that can't be done with bamboo.  Along the way, we also got to see a gibbon in the trees.  It was a white one, which meant it was a female.  The black ones are males.  We all watched it for a while, hoping to spot more in the trees.  Unfortunately we didn't see any more, but we could certainly hear them. 

Our first zip line happens to be the longest in the Thailand - what a way to start out - and we were off zipping down the mountain.  We learned how to do different tricks at different spots, swinging back and forth, turning upside down, flying, free arm, etc.  It was fun to watch the kids challenging themselves and having fun and the local guides were having fun with us.  There was no challenge we were not up for.  I think they were impressed with us. 

After our adventure was over - we had lunch there - which was all organic, grown right there.  Then it was back down the mountain to the hotel to freshen up before heading to a local food market with our cooking instructors to see where they buy fresh food - sometimes fresher than we had expected. We got to sample some of the spicy sauces and foods that you can buy at the market. 

Then we were off to the cooking school where we learned to make a spicy pork soup or veggie soup, depending on what we wanted and they some grilled chicken with a turmeric marinade.   It seemed like everyone was enjoying the cooking and knowing at the end of the class we would get to eat our creations along with some dishes that the chefs at the school prepared for us, including pad thai, sticky rice, and steamed veggies.  Pom even told us that one way to pick a good wife is to make sure that they can use a mortar and pestle - that way you know she can cook.  I'm not sure I completely buy that, but...

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to drop off our recipes and certificates and then headed one last time to the night market to do some last minute shopping before we start our journey home tomorrow.  It has been a great trip, but we are all looking forward to seeing our families and sleep in our own beds, but we will miss our new friends. 

All about the Elephants

 

Our night train arrived in Chiang Mai a little after 7:30 this morning and we were ready to go see some elephants!  

We had breakfast in a nice courtyard at a hotel near the train station and were able to use the washrooms there as we could not on the train.  Then we boarded our bus and headed to the jungles!!  Once at the elephant sanctuary, we started our tour by watching them bath some of the elephants in the river.  They really seemed to enjoy the water.  

Next on the agenda was the elephant show where they taught us about the elephants and what they could do.  They showed us how they train the elephants to work dragging logs and helping to stack wood.  Some of the elephants painted for us and then they sell the paintings to raise money for an elephant hospital to care not only for the elephants at the sanctuary, but also the elephants in the wild.  It was pretty interesting to see how they paint - and they said they learn from just starting with a straight line and then memorize the picture and can reproduce the images.  They were really good at drawing elephants and trees.  One of the elephants even played a little soccer and was pretty good with penalty kicks and had some trick moves as well.  

After the show - we took the opportunity to feed some of the elephants bananas and sugar cane.  Then it was off to go for a ride through the jungle on one of these magnificent creatures.  It was quite a pleasant walk - although you could slip around in the seat when going down hill.  

After our walk, we got to take some photos with a couple of the elephants that they had brought over to us - something that none of the other guests at the park had the opportunity to do.  Pretty cool to be so up close and personal with them.  

We then boarded our bamboo rafts for a ride through the river through the jungle where we got the chance to try our hand at paddling.  Kat C was offered a job as a guide - working 8-4 daily for the equivalent of $6 for the day.  She politely declined and will be returning home with us!  

We had lunch at an orchid and butterfly farm and were able to walk around the grounds.  There were many different types of orchids, different shapes and colors.  All very pretty.    

From there we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest before heading back out for dinner, some traditional dancing performed for us and then a quick stop at the night market.  We are now back at the hotel and getting ready to zip line tomorrow morning.  

 

Visitng the Thai Countryside

We had an early morning in order to make the drive to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.  The drive was a little more than an hour from our hotel and then we boarded some long boats - the gas powered gondolas of Thailand.  It was very scenic as we made our 30 minute ride through the canals until we reached the market.  Pretty impressive with how many boats fill the tunnels and the way you just pulled up next the boat you wanted to buy from. 

Most of the floating markets are smaller than this one and are for local Thai people.  This one was opened to tourists in the early 1970's and the most common pictures used for tourism are from this market.  Another claim to fame was this market's use in 2 movies - The Man with the Golden Gun with Roger Moore as James Bond and Bangkok Dangerous starring Nicolas Cage.  While this place was rather touristy - it was still something to experience.  

After the kids did some shopping - we boarded our bus once again and made our way to Phra Pathom Chedi - one of the tallest chedis in Thailand - standing almost 420 feet high.  While there is no documented history on this temple before 600 AD, it is believed that the original stupa was built much earlier - probably around 190 BC.  It was made modified several times throughout the years - adding different types or architecture to it to reflect different influences.  It was completely abandoned for many years before being rediscovered by Rama IV, before he was king - and he asked Rama III to restore it, but was refused.  Once he was king, the stupa was rebuilt and has been a prominent Buddhist temple since.  We got to visit it during a celebration where many devout Buddhists were being gifts and donations for the monks and to pray. 

From there - it was off to lunch at a local resort where we were served an international buffet - which all the kids enjoyed - especially the spaghetti!  Everything here was organic - and made fresh at the resort - and it tasted like it.  We had a beautiful view overlooking a pond/lake. 

We made it back to the hotel for a quick clean up in the 2 rooms that they allowed for us to have a late check out with and then made our way to the train station to catch our train to Chaing Mai - our last stop on this memorable adventure.

Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and Dinner Theater

We had a relatively leisurely morning, not having to leave the hotel until 9 - trying to avoid some of the morning traffic.  Once we hit the road - it was off to Wat Pho - also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (a bronze Buddha that is 150 feet long!!!).  This temple is was built by King Rama I and was built on a previous temple site and became his main temple and houses some of his remains. It also has the largest collection of Buddha images and statues in Thailand.  Many were brought to this temple from other places.  It is also considered the first place for public education in Thailand and the birthplace of traditional Thai massage which is still taught at the temple today.  It also houses a school of medicine. There are 91 chedis (a Thai stupa) and 4 grand chedis in the complex. The 4 grand chedis are for the first 4 Chakri kings Rama I, II, III and IV.

While we were in the Phra Ubosot, our guide, Pom, taught us how the Buddhists pray and what they pray for - and again we talked about karma and their belief in reincarnation. 

From there it was off to the Grand Palace, the official residence of the Kings of Siam and Thailand since 1782, although the current king lives in a different palace now.

There are many different buildings on the grounds of the Grand Palace, including the temple of the Emerald Buddha - which isn't emerald at all - it is made from jade.  The whole palace grounds are very ornate and show many different types of architecture owing to the different influences as it was being built over many, many years.  We finished off our tour of the palace with watching the changing of the guards (at least at one spot - there are 10 guard stands throughout the complex.  They change the guards every 2 hours and we were lucky enough to be at one of the guard posts right at the changing.

We had lunch at on the river front and then made our way to a local mall to see how they shop here.  It was a mixture of what we think of as a market and a regular mall - where bargaining for a price is customary.  I couldn't help but think about doing this at one of our malls.  I don't think they would go for it.

Then it was back to the hotel for some down time and getting organized for tomorrow - an early departure and then the night train - so we are packing a day bag to have for the train and the day after.

Dinner was at a dinner theater where we enjoyed some traditional Thai dancing during dinner and then back to the hotel where everyone should be catching some z's for tomorrow. 

Walking Tour of Bangkok

 We started today by saying goodbye to our gracious hosts in Siem Reap and to our local guide "Ton" as we made our way to the airport to catch our flight to Bangkok, Thailand for the last leg of the journey.  The flight was quick - only taking about an hour - and immigration was also pretty fast. 

Once we gathered our luggage, we met up with our new local guide, "Pom" and made our way to the hotel where we had an "international buffet" lunch - which was a bit overwhelming - they had every sort of food you could imagine.  After the bellies were full, we checked in and had about an hour to settle in and clean up a bit before we headed off into the city for a walking tour of Thonburi - the older part of the new Bangkok and the original capital of Thailand. 

In Thai, the official name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or just Krung Thep, but Pom also told us the full official name, which is Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit.  This translates to:  City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest.  Quite the mouthful!

While walking we stopped and bought a durian so we could all try it.  This is nicknamed the King of Fruits here.  The kids were not quite sure what to make of it or whether or not they liked it.  It tasted a bit like a melon of some sort and an avocado - very different taste and texture.



We also tried fresh coconut water and meat.   Again - the kids all noticed the difference in the flavor compared to what they had in Cambodia and other places we have traveled to such as Australia and even in South America.  We crossed back over the river and then took a Tuk Tuk tour around the Flower Market district - after all you can't come to Thailand and not take a Tuk Tuk tour!!

We ended our walking tour and Tuk Tuk tour by visiting the flower market and the vegetable market.  This is open 24 hours a day and is quite busy.  It is filled with flowers everywhere and we told that they sell out of fresh flowers every day.  It was amazing to see so many flowers in one place.  We had dinner overlooking the river near the market and then headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest and getting ready for another big day tomorrow. 

We

Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom

What could have been a better start to the day than Angkor Wat at sunrise!  Everyone was up and ready to head out of the hotel at 5 a.m. to be able to have the best spots around the "pond" which used to be part of the moat around Angkor Wat for the sun rising at 5:45.  Such a beautiful site - weather still wasn't terribly hot and light drizzle of rain and one of the most amazing back drops I have seen in my life.  I'm sure everyone has seen pictures of this place - but to be here and see it first hand was spectacular.

Once the sun had risen, we proceeded to go inside and tour the site.  "Ton," our local guide, gave us a brief history of Angkor Wat along the way.

Angkor Wat, or Capital Wat, is a temple complex which stands on 402 acres and is the biggest religious monument in the world.  It was originally constructed in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple for the God Vishnu, but towards the end of the 12th century had converted to a Buddhist temple.  Another interesting fact about AngkorWat is that not only is it the largest religious monument in the world, it also is the only one to have remained a prominent religious center since it's beginning.

Unlike other temples in the region,, Angkor Wat has never been completely abandoned and is still in use today by Buddhists.  Part of the reason it is so well preserved is that it is completely surrounded by a large moat, so the jungle never could encroach upon it.

According to legend - the construction was ordered by Indra for his son's palace.  Some also believe that it was built in a day by divine architectures.  The construction actually began in the early 12th century and stopped shortly after King Suryavarman II - and many of the bas-reliefs were left incomplete.  Nearly 30 years after his death - Angkor (the city) was taken over by the Chams.


King Jayasvarman VII restored the kingdom, but moved the capital to Angkor Thom and Ba Yon temple became the new Capital temple, but as stated earlier - Angkor Wat remained in use.

After our walk around the grounds was over, we headed back to the hotel for a late breakfast and some down time before the afternoon activities.  Some of the kids took the opportunity to swim in the pool or get a massage or take a much needed nap after such an early morning.

 After our break, we headed off to lunch and then onto Angkor Thom. 

Angkor Thom was established in the late 12th Century by King J-7 (as the locals call him).  It is the last and longest lasting of the Khmer capitals.  At the center of this complex is Ba Yon - the Royal palace.  Ba Yon is notable for the stone faces carved each facing the cardinal points.  To get into Angkor Thom, you enter through 1 of 5 gates - one for each cardinal point or the Victory Gate leading to the Royal Palace.  Within this city, there are also 12 watch towers - 6 on each side of the Victory Gate, Elephant Terrace and Leper Terrace among other notable structures. 

After spending some time walking around the grounds, it was back to the hotel to rest and clean up for dinner where we were treated with a performance of local folk dances - which were almost lost due to the war - as there was only 1 survivor who knew the dances and she started teaching the dances again as to not lose them. 

After dinner, we had one quick trip to the night market and then back to the hotel to pack up and get ready for another early morning to catch our flight to Bangkok and the last leg of our journey - Thailand. 

Royal Palace and Journey to Siem Reap

After getting everything packed and saying good bye to our hotel in Phnom Pehn, we headed over for a tour of the Royal Palace.  This palace was built in the 1870's when the capital was relocated to Phnom Pehn and is the official residence of the King of Cambodia.  The complex includes several buildings - the personal residence of the King, the Moonlight Pagoda (which was under restoration), the Silver Pagoda (which is exquisitely ornate - with the floor made of silver tiles and many gold Buddha's inside - including the Emerald Buddha at the center (which is now made from Jade after the original emerald one was stolen and nobody knows where it is today) - Elephant stables, the throne Hall and many Stupa's with the remains of the former Kings.  

We learned a little about the how the Monarchy works in Cambodia.  It is a bit different from that of the UK - which is truly hereditary.  Here, they have a council how determines the King.  They can choose anyone from the Royal Family to be King - not just the sons of the outgoing King - such as a cousin - not matter how distant.  The people here say truly that anyone can be King someday.  Since this area is full of natural resources - gold, silver, precious stones, etc., everything is made out of it.  

We got to see the Stupa of Norodom Sihanouk - who died in 2012 and is buried with his 4-year-old daughter (said to be his favorite daughter) who died of leukemia.  This stupa was different from the others as it is the most recent and still has flowers on it. 

 After spending time at the Palace - it was off to the airport to continue on our journey to Siem Reap and the last couple of days in Cambodia.  We said our good byes to Sna - and he wished us well and hoped that we remembered him and his country and would return again some day. 

After arriving in Siem Reap - we went straight to lunch - which was Western food.  The kids really enjoyed another taste of home - complete with ice cream for dessert.  We checked into the hotel and got ready for our Tuk Tuk tour of the city and then off to explore on the temples in the Angkor region - Ta Prohm - which was featured in the movie Tomb Raider.  Talk about awe inspiring.  The kids were all amazed at it and very much enjoyed our Tuk Tuk rides as well.  Then it was back to town to clean up a bit for dinner and some shopping at the night market and back to the hotel for a relatively early evening as we are getting up early to watch  the sunrise at Angkor Wat.