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Saturday, January 31, 2009
Answers to questions again
We get CNN, BBC, and all the standard cable fare in our rooms, so we knew about the Cal woman. Didn't hear about the rockers though. Weather has been beautiful - low 80s and sunny. There are mosquitoes, and I had an attack from fire ants at one of the wats. I am thoroughly enjoying the food here - haven't tried everything, by any means, though. Julie and John are buying some exotic spices. As a whole, we are acclimating very well. We consulted Trip Advisor, among other sites, and haven't been disappointed yet. The Tara Angkor, where we are now, is a 4 star hote, with all the bells and whistles, at a much lower rate than you'd pay in the states. It's a stark contrast to the way most of the people live here.
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat.
It is a ruined former center of a rich and powerful Khmer Empire that once stretched from southern Vietnam (the former Cham Empire), up to China, and included what is now Thailand (formerly Siam) and Myanmar (formerly Burma)........all the way to India where the religion and culture of SE Asia originates.
Depending on how you define the Angkor ruins, the wats or temple complexes from the years 800 - to roughly 1500 can be found in 65 square miles or maybe 36 square miles for a more central cluster...... get the picture?
The stone work at Angkor still has very beautiful and well preserved bas reliefs of the mythic battles from the Hindu oral histories and religion..... There is Vishna and the Elephant god and the monkey army.... all entwined and displayed with beautiful skill and composition. The carving on the temples can still be fine in some places; every surface was once covered in carving with allegorical or symbolic meaning for the viewers. It is also HUGE>
Maybe it was the heat, but at some point in our first day at Angkor, walking through room after room, hall after hall, doorway after doorway, I felt like I wasn't sure what was real and what was illusion. Standing in one place you can look either direction and the architecure repeats and repeats until you wonder if you are looking into a mirror... It seemed the same with the bas reliefs. It occurred to me that this architecture reflects the culture and religions that created it.
There was a sense of the repetition of life, bringing to mind features of the Hindu and Buddhist religions/philosophies... re-incarnation, the wheel of life, karma...
We went to several Wat areas in two days with young Phana, our driver, and some of them were very physically challenging to climb about and into in the heat here. The photos are a snapshot only.
It is a ruined former center of a rich and powerful Khmer Empire that once stretched from southern Vietnam (the former Cham Empire), up to China, and included what is now Thailand (formerly Siam) and Myanmar (formerly Burma)........all the way to India where the religion and culture of SE Asia originates.
Depending on how you define the Angkor ruins, the wats or temple complexes from the years 800 - to roughly 1500 can be found in 65 square miles or maybe 36 square miles for a more central cluster...... get the picture?
The stone work at Angkor still has very beautiful and well preserved bas reliefs of the mythic battles from the Hindu oral histories and religion..... There is Vishna and the Elephant god and the monkey army.... all entwined and displayed with beautiful skill and composition. The carving on the temples can still be fine in some places; every surface was once covered in carving with allegorical or symbolic meaning for the viewers. It is also HUGE>
Maybe it was the heat, but at some point in our first day at Angkor, walking through room after room, hall after hall, doorway after doorway, I felt like I wasn't sure what was real and what was illusion. Standing in one place you can look either direction and the architecure repeats and repeats until you wonder if you are looking into a mirror... It seemed the same with the bas reliefs. It occurred to me that this architecture reflects the culture and religions that created it.
There was a sense of the repetition of life, bringing to mind features of the Hindu and Buddhist religions/philosophies... re-incarnation, the wheel of life, karma...
We went to several Wat areas in two days with young Phana, our driver, and some of them were very physically challenging to climb about and into in the heat here. The photos are a snapshot only.
Dr. Beat
On our first trip by tuk tuk {open cart pulled by motorbike} with our wonderful driver, Phana, to the major Angor Wat complex, just two blocks down the road from our hotel was a crowd of Cambodian people on both sides of the road; they formed a long, long line into the Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital and they were all carrying babies and small children. They were obviously poor and in distress and it haunted our visit to the ruins that day. We had noticed a huge sign in front of the Hospital advertizing a free music concert on Saturday night where "Dr. Beat" would play Cello and donations would be accepted for the Hospital. Our evening with Dr. Beat Richner would be the most enlightening evening of our trip so far. The new, modern hall at the Hospital had a full audience of tourists from all over the world... and Dr. Richner played his cello for us and gave us a lot to think about. He showed a film about his work here in Cambodia that enlightened us all. He was here as a Swiss Pediatrician in 1975 and had to leave because of the horrifying civil war/reign of terror by the Red Khmer. In 1992 he was able to return and started a private, free for all, Childrens Hospital in Phnom Phen, the capital. Since then he has grown his venture into 5 Children's Hospitals in Cambodia.
He has saved 8 million children in the last 15 years.
Training thousands of nurses and Doctors, paying them all a "proper" wage, fundraising, and creating hospitals that have every state of the art medical equipment and expertise for each little patient, he gave us some of his thoughts.
His point is that war will not end until there is justice and there will be no justice with corruption.
His hospitals are the only corruption free infrastructure in Cambodia.
He has trained thousands of nurses and doctors to Western medical standards, pays them a proper wage, pays all the staff including the cleaners, a proper wage...... the drugs are free to the families. There is no motivation to be corrupt as in so many of the other medical facilities in SE Asia.
His work is funded 10% by the Swiss government and 90% private donations.
His staff is trained to keep the mother always with the baby or child (he explained that the T cells needed for healing drop when the mother is not with the child), they keep records on every patient and give them all complete instructions about using the free medications which they must keep coming back to receive so that the Dr.'s know the patient is keeping up with the medical regime. The families keep the laminated ID cards in their homes in an honored place.
65% of the people here have TB, there was a Dengue fever epidemic last year, they have terrible traffic accidents and children fall into cooking fires. He has Western standards for everything, but even better, really, because no one is turned away. His death rate is better than for many Western hospitals.
He told us that the World Health Organization officials visited and stayed in a $340/night hotel room nearby and then told him that he is spending too much per patient and they could not justify supporting his work. He spends a total average of between $200 and $300 per child!!!
He feels he has proved that there is no excuse for planning sub standard health care for children into any organization's budget when he can achieve so much alone... we think he is right.
Phana, our 27 year old tuk tuk driver who has two little children and supports his entire family,
smilingly picked us up afterwards; he wanted to give us a FREE ride home!! We asked him if he went to the Childrens Hospital and he smiled and said Yes, he was taken there himself when young and his children go there, too. Denise is right that we came on our trip to look at places but it is the people that make this trip so very memorable.
He has saved 8 million children in the last 15 years.
Training thousands of nurses and Doctors, paying them all a "proper" wage, fundraising, and creating hospitals that have every state of the art medical equipment and expertise for each little patient, he gave us some of his thoughts.
His point is that war will not end until there is justice and there will be no justice with corruption.
His hospitals are the only corruption free infrastructure in Cambodia.
He has trained thousands of nurses and doctors to Western medical standards, pays them a proper wage, pays all the staff including the cleaners, a proper wage...... the drugs are free to the families. There is no motivation to be corrupt as in so many of the other medical facilities in SE Asia.
His work is funded 10% by the Swiss government and 90% private donations.
His staff is trained to keep the mother always with the baby or child (he explained that the T cells needed for healing drop when the mother is not with the child), they keep records on every patient and give them all complete instructions about using the free medications which they must keep coming back to receive so that the Dr.'s know the patient is keeping up with the medical regime. The families keep the laminated ID cards in their homes in an honored place.
65% of the people here have TB, there was a Dengue fever epidemic last year, they have terrible traffic accidents and children fall into cooking fires. He has Western standards for everything, but even better, really, because no one is turned away. His death rate is better than for many Western hospitals.
He told us that the World Health Organization officials visited and stayed in a $340/night hotel room nearby and then told him that he is spending too much per patient and they could not justify supporting his work. He spends a total average of between $200 and $300 per child!!!
He feels he has proved that there is no excuse for planning sub standard health care for children into any organization's budget when he can achieve so much alone... we think he is right.
Phana, our 27 year old tuk tuk driver who has two little children and supports his entire family,
smilingly picked us up afterwards; he wanted to give us a FREE ride home!! We asked him if he went to the Childrens Hospital and he smiled and said Yes, he was taken there himself when young and his children go there, too. Denise is right that we came on our trip to look at places but it is the people that make this trip so very memorable.
Reflections
A trip like this is never what you think it's going to be. The three of us expected to be challenged, pushed to our limits, astonished maybe. But I think we didn't realize how enlightening it would be to stay in these countries.
Yesterday our tuk tuk driver took us to his "home". There were a half dozen adults, and several children. There will be no pictures of this. Let's just say, basic needs were not taken care of. A structure (I use the term loosely), on stilts - all open to the elements. There was a 2 year old sleeping in a sort of hammock. I thought of my granddaughter, Sophie, who turned 2 this week. I wished that all of my family and friends could have shared this moment.
Yes, Cambodia is Angkor Wat - and splendid it is. Angkor is on everything, from the name of our hotel, to the local beer. Cambodians are proud, and well they should be. What we were not prepared for is the actual living conditions of the people.
We took a boat trip today to the "floating villages". The pictures will speak louder than my words.
We took a boat trip today to the "floating villages". The pictures will speak louder than my words.
Yesterday our tuk tuk driver took us to his "home". There were a half dozen adults, and several children. There will be no pictures of this. Let's just say, basic needs were not taken care of. A structure (I use the term loosely), on stilts - all open to the elements. There was a 2 year old sleeping in a sort of hammock. I thought of my granddaughter, Sophie, who turned 2 this week. I wished that all of my family and friends could have shared this moment.Friday, January 30, 2009
From Laos to Cambodia
We have been taking advantage of the quiet beauty of Laos to prepare for our visit to Cambodia. Our peaceful hotel at the end of a dirt road, in Vientiane, was just what we needed. Yesterday we arrived in Siem Reap. The city has been discovered. I saw a sign that said, "Kentucky Fried Chicken coming soon". You'd better hurry, before the Westernization becomes overwhelming.
We jumped in a tuk tuk, and explored the old city, with it's old market. It was very animated, with rows of stalls selling all sorts of items. After that I made use of the hotel pool, and sat in the shade, reading to prepare for the next day's trip to the temples.
One of us will write about that. I am leaving for an Apsara dance performance and dinner. These dances are depicted on the walls of Angkor's temples. More soon......
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
More answers and arrival in Vientiane
Quick responses. No, we didn't take the night bus to Vientiane, but a short flight.
One of my favorite dishes is Mok Pa - fish in banana leaves, with delicious spices. I also liked the chicken in lemongrass, and sticky rice, which is eaten with your hands. Of course, the panorama of exotic fruits that are on every corner is something I'll remember when I'm back in Chicago. This stuff is so tasty. The food is mostly sauteed, not greasy, or heavy, but very healthy and fresh.
As for the orphanage - this was something that we asked the hotel owner about, when we became aware of it. It was definitely not a touristy stop on a circuit. We felt honored and privileged to spend some time there. The Lao people have a lot to teach us. It's more - he is rich not who has much, but who desires less.
Yes, Betty, at first I was uneasy, and thought we shouldn't take pictures, but the kids wanted their pictures taken. They are kids, after all, and I really think that they liked it that we appreciated their beautiful gardens, and watching them play games, cook, and going about their daily activities. We asked questions, and Andrew translated. They were comfortable answering, No complaints here. No sad faces. I don't have experience with orphanages in the States, but I have a feeling it would be different. We were truly humbled by their attitude.
So now we are in the capital of Laos, Vientiane. Still on the Mekong (it goes thru 6 countries), it's an easygoing town, and our hotel is lovely, along the river, at the end of a dirt road. This morning we took a long walk through the city, stopping for awhile at the morning market, then hopping in a tuk tuk to have lunch at a French restaurant - our first French meal in Asia. These are the days following the Chinese New Year, so many other cities are quite chaotic. Our fellow traveler, Karen, is already in Siem Reap, our next stop, and she says that the chaos has been stressful at Angkor Wat. I think it was a wise decision to linger a bit longer in Laos.
One of my favorite dishes is Mok Pa - fish in banana leaves, with delicious spices. I also liked the chicken in lemongrass, and sticky rice, which is eaten with your hands. Of course, the panorama of exotic fruits that are on every corner is something I'll remember when I'm back in Chicago. This stuff is so tasty. The food is mostly sauteed, not greasy, or heavy, but very healthy and fresh.
As for the orphanage - this was something that we asked the hotel owner about, when we became aware of it. It was definitely not a touristy stop on a circuit. We felt honored and privileged to spend some time there. The Lao people have a lot to teach us. It's more - he is rich not who has much, but who desires less.
Yes, Betty, at first I was uneasy, and thought we shouldn't take pictures, but the kids wanted their pictures taken. They are kids, after all, and I really think that they liked it that we appreciated their beautiful gardens, and watching them play games, cook, and going about their daily activities. We asked questions, and Andrew translated. They were comfortable answering, No complaints here. No sad faces. I don't have experience with orphanages in the States, but I have a feeling it would be different. We were truly humbled by their attitude.
So now we are in the capital of Laos, Vientiane. Still on the Mekong (it goes thru 6 countries), it's an easygoing town, and our hotel is lovely, along the river, at the end of a dirt road. This morning we took a long walk through the city, stopping for awhile at the morning market, then hopping in a tuk tuk to have lunch at a French restaurant - our first French meal in Asia. These are the days following the Chinese New Year, so many other cities are quite chaotic. Our fellow traveler, Karen, is already in Siem Reap, our next stop, and she says that the chaos has been stressful at Angkor Wat. I think it was a wise decision to linger a bit longer in Laos.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sabaidee Luang Prabang
This was our guest house breakfast each morning at Lotus Villas here in LP; it became our main meal of the day. Lovely staff; lovely place; quiet and simple.
The Orphanage in Luang Prabang
Andrew, one of the Australian owners of our hotel here was looking for a worthy cause to get involved with and discovered this orphanage. There are 460 kids there aged 6 to 17. The government provides $16 per month per child which is enough to pay for water, and 2 meals a day of vegetable soup and/or a big ball of sticky rice. His assessment was that food and sanitation should be the first orders of business, with improved education to follow. He has accepted donations from guests and kicked in his own money and been able to provide a breakfast of a fruit jam filled roll per child for breakfast 6 days a week. We are going to help him get to that seventh day. He has provided sinks, soap, tiling, toilet paper and dispensers at his own expense. All this just in the year or so since he opened the hotel. There is a director and staff (although absent when we visited), and he works through them. He says they are fine, there just is no money and therefore not enough food, etc. 
It is still incredibly basic. (Think a very under-funded, soon to be condemned summer camp in the States).What is amazing is that the kids seem truly content, happy even, and they are very well behaved and self-motivated to keep the place going. It is actually a pretty nice site, surrounded by a creek, with lots of terraced gardens that the kids tend. The day we visited a two week school vacation had just begun and about half of the kids had returned to their villages. The other half were still there, some working in the gardens, some playing tackraw (another blog post maybe) and soccer ...a few cooking the midday sticky rice meal ,a few taking showers or hanging around the "dorms", concrete buildings with a long wooden platform down each side for a bed. There were no adults on site! None! No Lord of the Flies here. It was all very relaxed. 
It makes you want to study the Lao psyche.When one boy rang a bell, everybody headed to the "kitchen" (a cement floor with two large grates with wood fires underneath for cooking rice or soup) and was served a ball of sticky rice, some the size of a small cantaloupe other the size of an orange, I think by choice. That was lunch. They take it in their hands back to the dorms to eat.The contrast to what we consider our needs in the West is pretty dramatic.
A very enlightening and thought provoking visit.
[Posted by John]
[Posted by John]
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Some trips along the Mekong
Our first trip to the other side of the river was a couple of days ago, but we've been busy "experiencing" and had no time to blog. The first one was a spontaneous jaunt. We hired a boat and he waited to take us back. We didn't know what to expect, except that there was a cave to explore and a couple of wats.
Well, our self -appointed guide turned out to be a 10 year old boy who could give Trump a run for his money. We followed him to the cave - where he pointed out the Buddha. Missing some limbs and a head - no problem. This was a place he wanted us to discover, even though it was in seriously bad shape. The cave goes on and on, and gets darker and darker. The flashlights he gave us were dim and we gave up after awhile. He led us to understand that although we had paid for the boat, and for "admission" (his family had a stand at the dock), he wanted money. So John bargained a good deal, and everyone was happy.
The next day I headed out by myself on a more organized jaunt to some caves, 1 hour and 45 minutes by boat. The trip was very relaxing, and the countryside just kept getting more dramatically beautiful, with mountains and farms.
I made friends with a DC lawyer, Karen, who just happens to be a member of the Supreme Court - didn't know you could do that. She's full of good stories. We formed a team on this interesting journey, and all four of us wound up eating dinner together last night.
These caves were kept in good shape, with lots of religious artifacts to discover along the way. There was lots of climbing to do, and the views from on top were delightful.
Then we got back in the boat and stopped at a "rice whisky village". I didn't taste any, but I was amazed at the extent of this settlement. Silver, textiles, food - everything was organized in booths in a large marketplace. Yes, I wound up buying stuff - 1 scarf from each person who said "Please Madame, I go to school." There is poor, and then there is "poor". Yet people were smiling, and seemed happy. That seems to be a theme here.
Well, our self -appointed guide turned out to be a 10 year old boy who could give Trump a run for his money. We followed him to the cave - where he pointed out the Buddha. Missing some limbs and a head - no problem. This was a place he wanted us to discover, even though it was in seriously bad shape. The cave goes on and on, and gets darker and darker. The flashlights he gave us were dim and we gave up after awhile. He led us to understand that although we had paid for the boat, and for "admission" (his family had a stand at the dock), he wanted money. So John bargained a good deal, and everyone was happy.
The next day I headed out by myself on a more organized jaunt to some caves, 1 hour and 45 minutes by boat. The trip was very relaxing, and the countryside just kept getting more dramatically beautiful, with mountains and farms.
I made friends with a DC lawyer, Karen, who just happens to be a member of the Supreme Court - didn't know you could do that. She's full of good stories. We formed a team on this interesting journey, and all four of us wound up eating dinner together last night.
These caves were kept in good shape, with lots of religious artifacts to discover along the way. There was lots of climbing to do, and the views from on top were delightful.
Then we got back in the boat and stopped at a "rice whisky village". I didn't taste any, but I was amazed at the extent of this settlement. Silver, textiles, food - everything was organized in booths in a large marketplace. Yes, I wound up buying stuff - 1 scarf from each person who said "Please Madame, I go to school." There is poor, and then there is "poor". Yet people were smiling, and seemed happy. That seems to be a theme here.
LP town
The two young staff persons at our hotel were especially suprised to hear that in the states I am actually considered short. --John
Wat Xieng Thong built in 1560
These are only a few images of a vast complex that is in great need of repair/restoration.
The wat has an "entrance" of stairs that are about 25 feet wide and fall down, down to the road and then continue to the Mekong River. It reminds me of some Aztec or Mayan temples in this "approach"... It is on the tip of the Luang Prabang penninsula and must have been amazingly impressive......... I am also fascinated with the fact that Buddhism is so prevalent and important in SE Asia and not so much anymore in India where it began. The ancient Indian influences are still everywhere....... Mother India is alive here. I am glad we are going to get a "taste" of India just after leaving SE Asia....... more enlightenment to flow.
Purple Sticky Rice Dessert
Just down the road from our Guest House is a small cafe with a Buddhist temple/wat across the road. The owners are an Australian woman and a Lao man who make fabulous and creative Lao food and also have a small "cooking school" with one day classes, etc.
We had this dessert there for a late lunch meal and it was fabulous...
The Lao young man is the second youngest of 9 children from a mountain village and was basically fending for himself from early childhood; foraging in the woodlands, etc. for food.
He was given 50 cents at age 11 by his father and sent alone to Luang Prabang, where he had never been, and told to ask to be taken in by the monks..... he managed to become a skilled cook with the monks and used his childhood foraging and food experiences to create wonderful meals.
Later, he left the monks, worked for short time locally and then started this litttle restaurant with his Australian partner. This is only a superficial rendering of their story, of course, but is a typical story for many Lao. I will try to post a pic of the dessert and a pic of the view of the Wat Temple from inside the cafe........LP is a magical mystery place with many such stories.
We had this dessert there for a late lunch meal and it was fabulous...
The Lao young man is the second youngest of 9 children from a mountain village and was basically fending for himself from early childhood; foraging in the woodlands, etc. for food.
He was given 50 cents at age 11 by his father and sent alone to Luang Prabang, where he had never been, and told to ask to be taken in by the monks..... he managed to become a skilled cook with the monks and used his childhood foraging and food experiences to create wonderful meals.
Later, he left the monks, worked for short time locally and then started this litttle restaurant with his Australian partner. This is only a superficial rendering of their story, of course, but is a typical story for many Lao. I will try to post a pic of the dessert and a pic of the view of the Wat Temple from inside the cafe........LP is a magical mystery place with many such stories.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Lao Textiles
There are at least (3 or more) distinct mountain tribal groups in Laos and there seem to be a lot of Mong people and textiles around here in Luang Prabang. The traditional dress is beautiful for the women and children and I will try to post some photos from the local arts "museum"; they only wear the full dress for festivities I think. The Night Market is so loaded with fabulous color and embroidered fabric and woven silks and cottons and local silver jewelry and crafts that are all made in Laos... will also try to send some pics later.
The traditionally created baby hats are all totally unique and fabulous! Each one is different. They will sell the old ones, really beat up and distressed, but still so incredible that I wish I could buy them all. I did manage to buy 3 last night and will take photos of them to include in this blog by tomorrow. They are such creative people and very patient and helpful to us.
Putting photos on the blog from Laos is quite a time consuming thing at times because the internet from here is slow/not dependable/etc......... so please be patient with us while we try to get more of our pics onto the blogs... they are on the way....(We also have more of us drinking Beer Lao, but maybe we will make a special post called "Beer Lao" with those!)
The traditionally created baby hats are all totally unique and fabulous! Each one is different. They will sell the old ones, really beat up and distressed, but still so incredible that I wish I could buy them all. I did manage to buy 3 last night and will take photos of them to include in this blog by tomorrow. They are such creative people and very patient and helpful to us.
Putting photos on the blog from Laos is quite a time consuming thing at times because the internet from here is slow/not dependable/etc......... so please be patient with us while we try to get more of our pics onto the blogs... they are on the way....(We also have more of us drinking Beer Lao, but maybe we will make a special post called "Beer Lao" with those!)
Mount Phousi
We climbed Mount Phousi this morning. It's really more of a steep hill. It has several temples and lots of Buddhas including a reclining one. Street vendors sell little baboo cages, each one with a little wren-like bird inside. You take it to the top and release the bird and it "makes your life better". Great views of the city from the very top. On the way down a young monk (His name is Ken. "I know that is an american name but in Laos it means 'Given'")came up to us and initiated what turned out to be a long talk. The guide books explain that women should not talk to the monks, but he spoke easily with Julie and Denise. And he allowed us to take his picture as well.
Afterwards we enjoyed another lunch above the Nam Khan river ($16 for the 3 of us, but who's counting?).
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