Sanctuary

After our days in Siem Reap we felt inclined to head to the small town of Battambang, Cambodia. No particular reason except we longed for slower paced days and an opportunity to merge into the culture and people that is Cambodia. And, while we had enjoyed being close to the hub of activity while in Siem Reap, we opted for a more rural destination for this venture. We chose The Sanctuary.

When I think of it, it seems only appropriate that this would be the place for us at this time. I found myself thinking the other day about our first sabbatical. We were on the Greek Island of Crete at a place called the Blue Beach. I remember the beauty of that place but more importantly was the fact that that day marked the four week anniversary from the day we had left. As I sat on that warm beach, surrounded by the beauty and serenity of the water, I felt myself escape from one life and into another. That had also been a time of change and transition for me as well.  I had gone from full time employment to part time and had used the time of travel to acclimate to the upcoming change and season of life that is semi-retirement. I again find myself on a similar journey and find that a Sanctuary is exactly what I need.

One of the things that makes these travels so successful for us is our ability to find the beauty and adventure of the moment we are in. People often ask where my favorite place has been and I always say the one I am in at the moment. We have to be flexible as our plans  often change by circumstances that we have no control over. We had planned to take a boat down the Mekong Delta to Viet Nam but there is extensive flooding in that area so we will find another way. We learn not to fret over these things but instead to embrace the change and new challenges and the  life experiences they will bring. We have never been disappointed.

So again, I am at this anniversary day... four weeks…twenty eight days…it feels like a lifetime has gone by since we left.  As we arrive our host meets us with an ice cool wash cloth infused in water and lemon grass to wipe the sweat and dust from our brow. He gives us a refreshing glass of lotus flower tea, iced,  in a beautiful silver cup and a plate of fresh fruit to quench our thirst and to nourish us. It has been a long journey and as I sit on the soft cushions  I am reminded in that moment that I am  under the care of One even Greater than my host. I am safe under His watch. He knows the plans He has for me. That change brings new opportunity to see and experience life differently.

As I sit in this sanctuary, I take the time to thank God for His Grace over me. I have a beautiful life and have richly enjoyed all the places it has taken me and embrace all that is yet to be. I am in  His sanctuary...

Apsara Dancers

We were invited to attend a performance given by the Angkor Dance Troupe and we are so thankful we had the opportunity to see this ancient Khmer dance form. It is a classical dance that is the Cambodian version of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. The dancer embodies the Khmer ideals of beauty, grace, and continuity - continuity not only between the past and present, but also between the realm of gods and that of men. These mythical stories and the way they are preformed have remained the same for nearly a thousand years. The temples at Angkor have these dancers etched into the stone all around the palace. Their performances were reserved for the King. It was an exquisite thing to see.

The evening began with an array of Khmer foods of our choosing. We tried things like fish amok, rice and banana pancakes, pineapple fried rice, jellies,  fresh spring rolls, and anything we had not tried before. It was a superb meal. The ancient musical instruments were played and in a few moments we were whisked back to another time and place. The dancers move very slowly and each movement  tells apart of the story. The outstretching of a hand could represent a leaf as it fell from a tree thus depicting a change in the seasons. I can not tell you how beautiful this was to see.

 And, contrary to what you might think,  we were able to understand the dance story by watching it in it's entirety.

It was a delightful evening and we felt as if we were royalty and these dancers were preforming for us  as they had performed for  Kings hundreds of years ago. It was an honor to view this part of Cambodian culture.

Life on the River

Today we took an expedition out to the Tonle Sap Lake area. This is Southeast Asia's largest body of fresh water and feeds  into the Mekong Delta. During the monsoon season the rivers that connect into the lake begin to swell and the size of the lake increases by nearly tenfold. The surrounding fields become flooded and becomes a rich breeding ground for this regions plentiful supply of fish. This body of water is the life source for nearly three million people.

It also the home to many displaced Vietnamese refugees who have taken residence up along these river ways. They live on small wooden house boats along the waters edge and are able to fish nine months out of the year to support themselves. There is a three month reprieve for the fish during their mating season and then only the fish you can eat can be caught. This changes their income significantly and they struggle in their poverty even more.

Anything you need can be found along the waters edge. Many markets float by and you can purchase your staples from any of them. Rice, oil, sugar and even some clothing items  are aboard these small floating vessels. We saw a pig farm where three large pigs lived on a raft waiting to be sent to slaughter. There are fish farms, alligator farms, and floating gardens all designed to sustain the many people living on the waters edge. Men and women were hand tying nets in preparation for the return of the fishing season. Mothers were bathing the children in the dirty waters and we could see all aspects of their lives as we went by.

There is a school on the water for orphaned and very poor children. They are often left here and  live at the school site where they are fed twice a day. We stopped and bought a case of soup noodles and took it to them. Here we watched as the women prepared lunch for them. There are seems to be more poverty in this area than we have seen thus far in our travels. It seems to be the only life these children have ever known. I had a small opportunity to teach about some of  the children's health issues but I know that there are many things they still need help with.

I know I will never forget the young boy who floated by in a wash tub and a stick. He had found a way to get around the water with his own vessel. As impressionable as the temples of Angkor were to me, so too are these impressions. And, while I have seen poverty before, I have not seen these beautiful faces.  My heart breaks...

Life is Not Measured

…by the breaths you take, but by the places and moments that take our breath away. The validity of these words are never more true than the moment you enter this wonder of the world…the ruins at Angkor Wat. They are stunning and majestic against the skyline and words or pictures can never capture all that is Angkor. When we were in Petra we felt the same way and the impression that these areas leave imprinted on your heart and soul are everlasting.

This area is a source of great pride for the Cambodians. It is more than outstanding architecture, it is their national symbol and the epicenter of their civilization. The history of this area is deep and has had many tumultuous times. We are just beginning to know it and find we have so much more to learn.

We have hired a tuk-tuk and driver for the next few days to drive us over to the Angkor Complex. It is a series of temples over 57 km area. Our driver is exquisite and familiar with this region and we are happy to be with him. His name is Talo and we have grown quite fond of him. We venture out early in the morning to beat the sweltering heat. This area has its daily rainfall in the morning so we are prepared. It is a nice reprieve from the heat which is ever present even in the early morning.

It is easy to get lost in your imagination as you head back to the ruins. The temple at Angkor was built during 1112-1152 as a Holy capital city and eventually the funerary temple of  King Suryavarman ll. We learned that one million workers labored over this monument for forty years before it was completed. It was grand in it's day and as we rode among the ruins we got lost in that bygone period. The cleverness and craftsmanship is profound. The surrounding area is well preserved and we are sure nothing much has changed since that day. It will take your breath away.

We bought a three day pass so we could meander over this area without feeling rushed. We wanted to take time to fully explore and savor it.  We averaged about ten miles of walking each day but woke the next morning excited to get up and explore. We have seen infamous sites that we had only seen in pictures before. The temples at Bayon  were one of my favorites. There are fifty four towers with a staggering 216 faces carved into them. It was incredible from every angle.

We went through the old bridge and  entered Angkor Thom. Herein lies Ta Prohm  which looks like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie.  It is a series of dark corridors and pillars that are seemingly held hostage by the gigantic roots of century old trees. It is like nothing we have seen before. We thought of our grandkids and what adventures they could have here.

We shoot picture after picture but find we can not capture all that is here. We climb up to the top a the hill one day just to watch the sunset at Phomn Bakheng. It was an arduous trek but the view was stunning and well worth our efforts.

We happened to be at the right place at the right time on another evening as the sun was setting over the temple at Angkor.  We met up with a group of physicians from Belgium and shared a glass of champagne with them as we watched the beauty at the end of the day. It seemed only fitting to watch the sunset in such a celebratory fashion.

We will take some time to meander around the Tonle Sap Lake area and get to know the ins and outs of Siem Reap. There is a lot to see and we are excited to discover more of this area. We will let you know...

Cambodia

I can not describe exactly what happens as you cross the border from Thailand to Cambodia but their is a subtle change. The landscape begins to change ever so slightly and it seems there is more water everywhere. We stop a few times along the way and while a lot of the food sounds familiar, it actually looks and tastes a little different. The children are different…a lot more of them are working on the  streets to supplement their families income. I am not sure I can explain the difference yet  but I am excited to experience this for what it is. We are excited to be here!

Our bus ride to the border was easy. The bus was new, clean, and very cool. The air conditioning was so good we wore our coats the whole way. And believe me, we are not complaining. It is an incredibly beautiful country and we are impressed. It was relatively easy at this land border crossing and we were pleasantly surprised. We had heard it could take hours to get your visa and get through the border. We experienced none of that. The ride from the border to Siem Reap is about three hours and as we ride in we take in all that is before us and we are excited to be here.

We arrived at our hotel late in the evening and took  a dip into our pool. It was wonderfully refreshing and we feel ready to begin exploring this area.  Downtown Siem Reap is much more modern than I had expected,  reminding me very much of New Orleans. Cambodia was under French rule at one time and it is easy to see the influence and style of the French  even today. We are staying near the Night Bazaar and Old Market on a small and quiet street. We are close enough to everything yet far enough away to enjoy some tranquilly. There is a lively night life which we look forward to being apart of with is a jazz club right down the street.

We will venture out to Angkor Wat tomorrow and are excited to see one of the Wonders of the World. We are still in awe to be here…excited to see what tomorrow brings. We are back in our sabbatical mode anxious to experience and savor all that Cambodia has for us. We will let you know...

Night Rider

We felt like a couple of kids when we arrived at the Chiang Mai train station this afternoon. We are taking the overnight train to Bangkok and then onward to Siem Reap, Cambodia. People ask us why we are not flying and all I can say is that we have become enamored by our recent mode of travel and that it is our preference at this time. We reserved a sleeper car which has two upper berths and two lower berths. We got into our compartment and we were excited to get settled in. Our berth was spacious and we have the whole area to ourselves. We soon set up house. There is a dining car but we opted to have dinner in our room.

 Train travel is reminiscent of another era. There is a lot to be said about the sounds and gentle motions that the train makes as you journey out of one world and into another. Granted, it may not be the fastest way to travel but it is one of the most picturesque.  We are able to see the merging of small towns into the countryside. We experience rice field after rice field and watched the farmers with their oxen and scythe as they harvest their crops.  This travel gives us time to contemplate our journey and realize that we are traveling through Southeast Asia and seeing things we had only imagined or read about before. We are not  in a hurry, in fact we are savoring these moments as if this would be our last time to see these areas in this way.

We will soon arrive in Bangkok. We see the congestion of traffic as we move ever forward. We will head to the Northern Bangkok bus station where we will catch a bus to  Aranya Prathet which is the border town between Thailand and Cambodia.  From there we walk across the border to Poipet and catch a Cambodian bus to Siem Reap. We have slept well and comfortably and are ready to visit Cambodia and see what lies there for us. We will let you know...

Living the Dream

For the last year Tom and I have talked about the things we wanted to do while on our travels throughout Southeast Asia. See the temples at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Take a junk out on Halong Bay for a few nights just to watch the sun set and rise each day over the limestone karsts and watch the changing colors of the water. We dreamed of riding elephants (mostly so we could impress our grandkids) and rafting down the rivers for the sheer excitement of it. We talked about renting motorcycles and riding through the countryside on two wheels. We wanted time to read and rest, time to talk and breathe…I am here to say that our travels thus far have been successful.

We rented a motorcycle the other day and wandered through the Mae Sae Valley and up through Doi Sutrep National park. I am sure that we were the only couple with a GPS on board but we needed every advantage we could get. Riding a motorcycle is the most popular mode of travel for most…families. They maneuver in and out of several lanes of traffic with children on their bikes, groceries in their hands, holding an umbrella, and talking on the phone all at the same time. They can squeeze into any small opening in traffic and never have to put their feet on the ground. It can be raining like crazy and they never flinch while they are driving. Lets just say we were slightly behind the curve on this one but we are here to tell you it was one of our most enjoyable days ever.

For a mere 200B (less than $7.00) we could rent the bike all day. We picked it up early in the morning and drove over to the train station and purchased our tickets for later in the week. Driving through the many lanes of traffic we acclimated ourselves to this 150cc Honda. We were soon following the direction of our friend "Betty" (GPS) and entered onto the Super Highway out of Chiang Mai heading North. Whether you are the driver or the navigator you've got to be on your game around here. We managed the 13 km drive and were soon heading northward to the countryside. There, the most beautiful transformation occurred. The traffic virtually disappeared, the air felt distinctively cooler, the only sound we could hear was the hum of our motor, and it was outright beautiful. We drove through the small villages and thought of our friends in Solomon Islands. This area is so lush and beautiful. We hiked over to the water falls in Doi Intanond. We could hear a most sonorous thunderstorm brewing nearby. We ducked for cover during a small rainstorm and ate a bowl of hot noodle soup from a covered roadside stand. Soon we were on the road again heading home before nightfall.

At the end of the day, we took a nice warm shower and headed for our favorite massage parlor where our usual girls worked away all the tensions of the day…we are ready for our next adventures!