The XtraSuitcase

A long weekend in Phnom Penh Cambodia

04

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

March – 2013

We flew to Phnom Penh, the capital and largest city in
Cambodia, for a long weekend. The flight was only two hours. We had a wonderful time, eating, sightseeing, and just relaxing.

We toured the Royal Palace, a complex with several buildings, built in 1866. The buildings, with their beautiful towering spires, are a
great example of the classic Khmer architecture found in Cambodia.

The current King, Norodom Sihamoni, lives here. The King of Cambodia is an elected monarch, making Cambodia one of the
few elected monarchies in the world. The King's role is a symbolic figurehead; he does not have any power. His father, a king the people really loved, passed away earlier this year.

We were not
allowed to tour the royal residency, but we did see the Throne, the Silver Pagoda where the floors are all silver, and a few other buildings. The current King is 60 years old and he never married.

Wat Ounalom, built in 1443 is the most important Wat
in Phnom Penh. They say it has a hair from the Buddha’s eyebrow. It consists of 44 structures. Many which were damaged during the
Khmer Rouge but have since been
restored.

Isn't this Buddha interesting adorned in make-up and jewelry? We saw several like this.

Look closely to the right of the Buddha below, worshippers left nail polish as an offering. Must be the Buddha of beauty.

I was intrigued with the miniature temples outside of the main temples. They are approximately three to four feet tall. I could not find any information about what they are used for… maybe to burn incense?

We also visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a heart-breaking
site, as over 20,000 prisoners were killed there. Originally a high school, it was used
by the Khmer Rouge as a Security Prison called 21 (S-21) from its rise to power in
1975 to its fall in 1979.

Our guide lived through this horrific event and he shared his story with us. As a child, he was sent out to the
countryside where he worked as a slave from sunrise to sunset without any food
or water. He lost most of his family
members during the Khmer Rouge era.

We also met Chum Mey, one of only twelve known
survivors of the Khmer Rouge S-21 Tuol Sleng camp. He survived two years in the death camp but unfortunately
he lost his wife (she was pregnant) and his first-born child. They were murdered right in front of him. We purchased a copy of his book and he
offered to let us take his photo.   He is now 83 years old.

This was the room where he was imprisoned. He probably survived because he was a trained auto mechanic and had valuable machinery skills.

This unusual flower grows on the Cannonball Tree also called the "Buddha tree". They possess antibiotic, anti fungal, antiseptic and analgesic
qualities. The trees are also used to cure colds and stomach aches.

Below is a flowering banana tree. In Asia, the banana flower is considered a
vegetable and it is edible. If you take away the hard outer leaves, the inside is very tender. It can be eaten raw, but many recipes require cooking. I have never tasted it – but will now be on the hunt to give it a try.

Sweet children

We
enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant next to our hotel. Two bowls of
noodles, spring rolls, and a coke for $3. It was very good, as was all
of the food we ate during the trip.

A visit to the market…

Must have been a good day!

This little piggy really went to market!

?????   I am guessing these rings on his back are from cupping, an ancient
Chinese practice that balances
the Chi in the body. It relaxes muscles and is said to have similar
effects of a massage.

A gas station –

Notice the chickens for sale in the cage next to her… and the gas!

Look how the mound of veggies and the motorbike is leaning one way and he is leaning the other way to balance it.

We really had a fun time in Phnom Penh. Our hotel was beautiful and the people of Cambodia are happy, friendly people. Quite an achievement considering the past 35 years of history in their country.
Myanmar – Part I – The people

03

At the beginning of the year, we had the opportunity to travel to Myanmar (Burma). It was high on both of our "countries to see" list. I can't even come up with words that accurately describe this country. We loved it! We took over 3000 photos in one week. I will break it into several posts so you can absorb the beauty of this unique country.

These two Padaung women were at a temple and were
there for the tourists. They were
probably from the mountain villages between Burma and Thailand where the Kayan people
live. The Padaung is one of
the eight ethnic Karen communities (in Myanmar, the Karen is known as Kayah).

This group is known for their women wearing brass rings around their necks, arms and legs. They are often called the long-neck women of Myanmar. The
brass coils are first applied when the girls are about five years old, and as she grows older, longer coils are added. The coils do not really stretch their neck, rather the weight of the brass pushes
down the collar bone and compresses the rib cage, giving the appearance of a
very long neck.

The yellow color on the faces of the Myanmar is called Thanakha. Only women and children wear it. It
is used as a sunblock, insect repellent, and make up. We had read about Thanakha prior to our visit, but thought we would only see it in the countryside. We were quite surprised when the women checking us in at the passport counter had it on. We learned that is is still very popular and is worn throughout Myanmar, even in the modern cities. No other country uses it.

People ask us all the time if we ask permission before we take our photos, 95 % of the time we do. We just hold up the camera and point. Rarely do people turn us down, but if they do, we respect them. In Myanmar, more than a few asked us to take their photos, children and adults. The man below wanted us to take his.

The Children

They were just precious.

One of my favorites… best friends.

This bunny is just too cute!

You would think it was winter from their hats and coats on, but it was just a cool morning (around 68).

The little fashionista

A country of beautiful people. If you you are considering visiting Myanamar – go now! Check back for lots more photos and facts about this stunning country.
Myanmar – Part 2 Bagan

03

Myanmar, January 2013

“This is Burma, and it is unlike any land you know about.”

This is a famous quote by Rudyard Kipling in his "Letters from the East" (1898), and it still rings true 100+ years later.

We loved Burma. It is a very special place. No McDonald’s, Starbucks, or KFC. There are no chain restaurants – period! The landscape is STUNNING! Today, Bagan has more than 2,200 temples and pagodas. They say kings filled the land with as many as 4,400 temples to earn religious merit during the height of the kingdom (11th and 13th centuries). Temples are still being built today – to make good for wrongdoing.

Myanmar has a long and complex history. The first signs of civilization date back to 300 BC. In 1885, after a war, Myanmar fell under the British rule and was a British Colony until 1948, when it became an independent country. Because of the British rule, people in Myanmar speak very good English (better than most Asia countries we visit). We were surprised by this.

Over the last 40 years, Myanmar has been one of the most isolated countries in the world. Which is correct – Myanmar or Burma? In 1989, Burma became a democracy and the government changed the name to Myanmar. Interestingly, the United States still calls the country Burma.

Myanmar is a resource-rich country with a strong agricultural base, and is a leading producer of gems, jade, and teak. However, military rule prevents the economy from developing, and the Burmese people remain poor. In March of 2011, Myanmar began to open its doors to the world.

Bagan – day two

We normally do not hire guides, but we learned about a professional photographer, Htay Win at Magical Bagan. Htay gives historical tours and takes you to the best place for photos, so we gave him a try. He was AWESOME! Here is a photo I took of Htay while we were waiting for the monks to arrive.

We started very early to see the hot air balloons rise for their morning run. No… we did not ride in one, as this is NOT on my list of things to do before I die!

Next we followed the monks around town while they collected their daily alms (food).

Htay was so good, he even asked the people feeding the monks if they would stand on the left side of us so we could get the perfect shot.

And D did capture two awesome shots!

The streets of the city had so much to take in – the local bus…

Cooking in the street…

Chatting by the fire – love this photo.

Women everywhere carried items on their heads – now that is multi-tasking!

As I mentioned, we got a very early start so we stopped for breakfast at a local roadside restaurant.

I love the tablecloth and the fresh flowers in the "kitchen". The food was delicious, and we did not get sick! I am pretty sure after living here a year, we now have "Asian", or "iron" tummies!

On to the market…

Look at the size of that fish!

We finally learned what the cream is they put on their faces. It is called thanaka cream and it is made by grinding the bark, wood, or roots of a thanaka tree.

They then add a small amount of water on a circular stone slab. Burmese women and children have used Thanaka cream for over 2000 years to protect themselves from the sun and insects; and as decoration. Men do not wear it. To see many more photos of people wearing Thanaka, click here.

Myanmar shares borders with Thailand, Laos, China, India, and Bangladesh. Over 57 million people live there. Officially, there are 135 different ethnic groups. Ethnic minorities mainly live on the border and mountainous areas where there continues to be a lot of fighting. The Myanmar government will not allow tourists to visit this area.

As we were heading out to see the temples with our guide, we spotted these cattle carts and took a detour to photograph them.

It was like something out of a movie. Our guide told us they were coming in for the big festival occurring in three days to celebrate the full moon. They primarily travel from city to city following the festivals – like gypsies.

They people are quite friendly and let us take their photos. It helped that our guide was Burmese.

I found it amazing how this cow was so affectionate to the owner. Our guide translated and we learned that the cows were a little apprehensive with us nearby.

That is one happy cow!

She was willing to give D a little love too : )

Again, the scenery looked like it was staged.

We eventually moved on to see the temples, which are amazing. Bagan is located in an active earthquake zone and the temples have suffered greatly over the years. In the 90’s, many of the pagodas underwent restorations by the government. Unfortunately, no attention was paid to the original architecture, styles, or materials so they are not completely authentic.

Because of this, they have not been able to win the designation of UNESCO World Heritage Site. I have been to many UNESCO Sites and this definitively should be one. There are enough temples that have not been restored and therefore should qualify.

Sulamani temple was built in 1181 with brickwork that is considered some of the best in Bagan.

Below our guide is holding up the flashlight to help D get a good photo. Not only did we learn the history and facts about Myanmar, but we also picked up several photo tips.

The Ananda Temple was built in 1105 AD and is one of four surviving temples in Bagan. The temple is unique in that it is part Mon and part Indian architecture.

The Shwezigon Pagoda was completed in 1102 AD. The pagoda is believed to hold a bone and tooth of Gautama Buddha.

day three

The next day Htay was free so we hired him to take us to Mount Popa and to a local, non-touristy village. The Popa Taungkalat monastery at the top of Mount Popa, a volcano about one hour outside of Bagan, was another sight that seemed unreal.

The shrine is home to 37 Nats, or spirits. There are 777 steps to climb to the top and you must do it bare-footed. We decided it was one of those sights that was better to view from afar, not to mention there are many monkeys on the way that jump on you and grab for treats. Our guide said he has to take a stick when he goes up to keep them off. He was happy we did not want to climb to the top : )

On the way to Mount Popa, there are a few tourists stops along the way. They were fun to visit and see the families making palm oil.

Although they allow tourists to stop and observe, they were still making it for a living.

They even let me give it a try.

He is making grain alcohol – see the bottle at the end of the spout? We purchased a few trinkets from them, some sugar, and tea.

On the way home from Mount Popa, Htay took us to a village that was truly off the beaten path. We did not see any other tourists there. And unlike the photos above, which were set up for tourists, this was a real village – rarely getting tourists.

What struck us most about this village was the cleanliness. Take note of the ground in the photo above. We think they swept the dirt.

Ladies, when you think you are having a bad day trying to juggle all your tasks – consider if you had to carry pails of water, or a load on your head with a baby on your hip!

and she is still smiling!

Again, this village looks as if it is set up for tourists, but it is not! These are everyday tasks they are doing. Below she is cutting hay.

Grandma is sorting seeds.

The way all three generations are squatting is very typical in Myanmar. Instead of using chairs, they squat. So interesting how the little one is doing it too.

This man had just gotten his bull the previous day. He was so proud of it and wanted us to take his photo. This village did not speak any English so Htay did all the translating for us.

Piglets – born the night before. Precious.

Okay one more photo – too sweet to not share!

Grandma feeding her little granddaughter. Notice the grid on the chair, probably used for solar power. It was the only sign of modern technology we saw in the village.

Love this little guy with his handmade toy.

The children are always so fun to photograph. And they did not beg for anything… they only wanted to see their image in the camera.

day four

We only had a few hours before our flight, so we hired a horse-drawn carriage to take us to a few more temples and for a cup of tea at a local shop. Notice how young the boy is who served us.

The temples also known as "gu" were inspired by the rock caves of Buddhists. They were places of worships that included frescoes and sacred shrines with Buddhas. Many of the originals have been stolen so they have replicas.

Most of them you can climb to the top, but as you can see they have very steep steps. We sat on them to watch the sunset (photos at the top of this post).

We never get tired of goats or lamb crossings during any of our travels!

And I leave you with one last interesting tidbit… the communal drinking stands. They were all over the country. And, were usually in sets of two, with cups attached. No, I did not drink from it – but I found them to be rather pretty and unique.

If you are thinking about going to Myanmar – go now – before it gets bombarded with tourists and fast food restaurants. It is in our top five favorite places we have traveled to.
Myanmar – Part 3 – Yangon

03

Yangon, Myanmar

January 2013

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, is the largest city in Myanmar, with a population of over 4 million people. It was founded in the early 11th century (circa
1028–1043) by the Mon.

The highlight of this city is the Shwedagon Pagoda. Also called the Golden Pagoda, it is a stunning structure. You can see the dome (or stupa) from almost anywhere in the city.

The base is built
from brick that has been covered in gold plate. The crown of the Pagoda is
tipped with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies, and at the very top a diamond
bud tipped with a 76-carat diamond.

As you can see from the photo above, construction was being done on several of the small, surrounding stupas and they were covered in cloth.

According to legend, the Shwedagon
Pagoda has existed for more than 2,600 years, making it the oldest historical
pagoda in Burma and the world.
Some historians and archaeologists believe it is only 1.400 years old, built by
the Mon people between the 6th and 10th centuries CE.

The Shwedagon Pagoda is Buddhist, as are most people in Myanmar (89%). They practice Theravada Buddhism, the oldest surviving Buddhist branch, where they study "the Teaching
of the Elders".

Outside the temple people sell birds to release for merit. Buddhists believe that
releasing animals back into the wild can help an individual to accrue merit.

All visitors must remove their shoes to visit the pagoda. The skirts you see on the ladies below are called longyi and are an integral part
of the Myanmar wardrobe. Both men and women wear them. It is fabric sewn into a tube-like shape. It is slipped over the head and tied in a knot at the waist.

We visited the pagoda three times because the light can vary significantly from morning until night, giving it a very different feel. Our first time was around noon when the monks make their daily walk.

And said their prayers.

There are hundreds of small stupas that surround the large one, each housing a Buddha.

Notice how the large Buddha dwarfs the monk praying. The position of the Buddha's hands means protection, reassurance, and blessing.

The roof had intricate carvings all in gold.

Many Buddhist believe in astrology and it is very important for them to
recognize the day of their birth by pouring cups of water over their "posts" to avoid bad luck and misfortune. They say to pour one cup for every year you have lived.

There are eight posts; Wednesday is split in two,
a.m. and p.m. They are marked by animals that represent the day: Bird for Sunday,
tiger for Monday, lion for Tuesday,
tusked elephant for Wednesday a.m., tusk-less
elephant for Wednesday p.m.,
mouse for Thursday,
guinea pig for Friday and dragon for Saturday.

I randomly picked one to pour water on… Tuesday the Lion. Later I learned that I was born on a Tuesday so that was my post! I am also a Leo….so a double lion. D was born on a Saturday and is a dragon. If you Google "what day of the week was I born" you can find your post.

Shwedagon
Pagoda is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist pagodas in all of Myanmar. It
contains relics of the past four Buddhas. To see more Buddha images from Myanmar, vist my art blog, Ma Vie Trouvee.

We also went to the Pagoda at sunset.

Volunteers help to sweep the floors in the early evening. It is said to bring good luck to those who participate.

Even the little ones helped out.

The Pagoda was equally as pretty at night.

Another beautiful structure, the Maha Wizaya Pagoda. A new Pagoda, built in 1980 has a mix of modern and traditional architecture.

A bit about money…

They
were implementing the very first ATM machines while we were there.
Really, the only way to get money is to take US dollars and exchange
them at the airport or a bank. When D was in the states he went to the bank and looked at every 100 bill before accepting them. They must be brand new (big head),
with no marks or creases. They refused to accept one below because
of the small red mark at the very top, caused by the counting machine
at our bank in the US. And NO credit cards!

A co-worker had traveled there a few years before and out of
400 $100-notes he carried; he was only able to use one! We think they have become
less strict with more tourists visiting, but if you plan to travel there, don't
take any chances. Interestingly, they gave us all 1000 kyat-bills in exchange; equal to $1 USD each. It was quite the stack to carry around – but easy to calculate when paying.

The Streets

Yangon is a very crowded, dirty city –
both the streets and the air. We loved that is felt "untouched" and
"raw". There are no fast food restaurants or American chains of any kind.

Like many countries in Asia, the people use the streets as living space, particularly for eating.

We
spoke to a woman who has been traveling here for the last 10 years and
she said that just last year, there were 75% fewer cars then there are
today. It is changing fast.

These two women are nuns. Yes, sharing a cigar!

Most people carry one of the silver stacked tins below to work with food, mainly rice. Rice is a staple eaten at every meal.

Cooked
tomatoes were a popular street food. I ate them in a restaurant and
they were delicious. We did not eat street food in Myanmar.

Not quite sure what these were, a rodent of some sort?

I think this was a sign saying not to eat them….

Telephone booths

Sometimes I think we have seen it all, and then we are surprised. Like the public telephones. This is the very first country we have visited where D's blackberry did not work…..at all! Myanmar does not have a cell phone network. Little tables with mismatched phones like the one below are all over the city… in case you need to make a "mobile" phone call.

Betel nut is very popular among the men. Vendors brush white liquid (limestone paste) over betel leaves…

… then place a mix of areca nuts and/or coconut, cloves, or cardamom on the leaf and roll it up. They then chew it. Then spit it on the streets. It leaves gross red marks all over the sidewalks and roads.

A local market

Those of you who follow us know we love food markets. You can tell so much about a culture from the markets. I hate to say this, but this was the dirtiest market we have ever visited.

There were hordes of flies on all the meat. This young man was waving a feather duster contraption to try and keep them away.

This man was so friendly and wanted us to take his photo. Throughout the market they were happy to see us, with lots of smiles and giggles. I am sure they have rarely seen tourists at this market.

As for the main food, there was predominately fish for sale.

Adorable!

And how do you play sports when wearing a longyi (skirt) – you roll it up to make shorts!

Shopping – how is this for a crazy mall?

Our bus ride to Bagan

Our next destination was Bagan. We
could not book a flight, even trying two months in advance. So we took a 10-hour bus ride, an adventure in itself! Thank goodness it was a modern bus.

We
slept and watched TV. Well… there was a slight problem in that it was
all in Burmese! There was one other tourists on the bus, the rest were
all locals. We stopped a few times for breaks. Isn't it fascinating
how all the Burmese squat at the break?

We could also purchase unique snacks…

So you are wondering about bathroom stops… two in a real facility, one just on the side of the road. No trees, just wide open space… men, woman and children. Now we know why they wear the longyis. Thank goodness we did not have to go : )

Want to see more on Myanmar…

Click here – to continue to Bagan – a must see!!

Click here for the people of Myanmar

An for the slide-show – click here.
Myanmar – the slide-show

03

And if three posts were not enough….here is a slide show of Myanmar. It it around four minutes long and is best viewed in full screen (click on the red arrow to start and then click on the brackets at the lower right of the slide-show). If you have your volume on, you can enjoy tribal music – reed pipes from Myanmar's Shan State.
Jakarta, Indonesia

03

February 2013

Jakarta is a fascinating city. I know I say this about many places we visit – but each one brings unique experiences for us. It is a dirty city (both air and ground) with very few historical sights to see. But if you scratch the surface, you can really enjoy this city as we did! This was D’s 5th visit to Jakarta; but my first.

Jakarta is located on the island of Java. It is the capital of Indonesia and largest city in the country. We stayed in Central Jakarta – the heart of the government and financial district. I was surprised at the modern high-rise buildings and high-end shopping.



Jakarta has the extremely rich and the extremely poor, all blending together – with Gucci on one side of the street and begging street children on the other. I am guessing these two are not too poor as the one has braces. They were so cute. They asked me to take their photo, but then the one on the right became very shy.

Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world (by population) and world’s largest Muslim country. You can hear the call to prayer several times a day. Most of the women do cover their heads with hijabs.



Very few people speak English so D had to navigate us several times in the taxi using his blackberry map. Despite not speaking English, they were always ready to help us as we wandered about.

Sunday was our spa day. We went to very posh spa for couples therapy. I had a facial, and a hand-and-foot massage. D had a full-body massage. They lasted 1.5 hours and were wonderful. Total price: About $75. Then we went to Koi Kemang for a lovely brunch.

We visited the textile museum and learned how to make Batik. D was a good sport and made one too. It was pouring down rain, so it was relaxing to just sit and take a break. It is easy to do, but very hard to do well! You can see more about our creations here.

Traffic is a nightmare in Jakarta. We think it is even worse than Bangkok. One afternoon around 2:30 it took us one hour and ten minutes to go less than 3 miles. It was pouring down rain, otherwise we probably would have walked.

D dragged me on the VERY local bus several times as they move much faster than the taxis. And they are very inexpensive, 35 cents to go to most locations.

The interesting thing is that women ride in the front of the bus… no men allowed! I was curious about this so I googled it and found that this was in response to reports of sexual harassment in overcrowded buses and stations. The Governor is considering making some buses exclusively for female passengers this year.

A great coffee shop!

We wandered into Giyanti Coffee Roastery and had an excellent cup of coffee. Hendrik and his sweet wife just opened it a few months ago. He knows quite a bit about coffees, and he is perfectionist as well, as evidenced when he "pulled" our cups.

Indonesia is the 4th largest coffee producer in the world. At Giyanti they roast their own beans. We bought two bags to bring home and it really is exceptional coffee.

It is a modern cafe with a great feel. They also have a very comfy outdoor seating area. The cafe is directly across from a row of antique shops so it is a fun area to visit. We went back a second time we liked it so much.

The biggest wholesale market in SE Asia, Tanah Abang Textile Market, is in Jakarta. We went for a few hours and had so many bags we had to leave! And we only scratched the surface of this gigantic market. Tanah Abang is said to be 300 years ago and it started as an animal market. We did see goats on one side street waking to the market!

Stalls sell mainly textiles, clothes, shoes, and purses; but you could find almost anything. The market is in a huge building but vendors sell on the the sidewalks and in the road.

Even though is was wholesale, most vendors would sell to us. A few had a four or five piece minimum. Me trying on a batik shirt…

But the usual happened…. a large was too small! A girl could really get a complex living in the land of the tiny! Okay – we made a fun goofy purchase… matching shirts!! Look closely at the red ones on the right hand side of the photo (my head is blocking the corner of the man's shirt). Those are the ones! Oh what a cute Christmas photo this will make (gag)!!

We had a great time in Jakarta and I will definatiely go back!
Thaipusam Festival: A colorful and extreme celebration

02

Thaipusam Festival in Singapore

2013

Thaipusam is a Hindu celebration of devotion, occurring on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). It is a time to give thanks to Muruga, the son of Shiva. Thaipusam is celebrated in many places around the world, with the largest observances in India, Singapore, and Malaysia. Aren't we lucky it is celebrated here in Singapore!

My friend H and I went last year (click here to see the photos) and were mesmerized by the event. At the end of my post I wrote… “next year, I hope to get to see the actual piercing take place”…. well guess what? We went to the temple and saw the actual piercings! Oh my. If you are bothered by needles or piercings, you probably should not read any further!



And not only did we watch the piercings, we were invited to walk with a family – read all about this further down! It truly is one of the most bazaar religious festivals in the world. This year it fell January 27th, a Sunday, so D was able to join us. Last year’s post has many facts, so please visit here if you want to learn more about this celebration.

The preparations and the piercings.

Holy ash is placed on the needle before the piercing. They say the sacred ash prevents pain, bleeding, scarring, and infection. Some say it is made of burnt cow dung which has medicinal features and contains a styptic, similar to the shaving pencil that constricts blood vessels to stop shaving cuts from bleeding. It also contains natural local numbing component.

It must be something special as there is absolutely NO bleeding during the piercings. What about sterilization you ask? There wasn't any, other than the cow dung. Prepare yourself for this video! Just click on it to start.

D watched and photographed this man's journey.

The devotee begins mental preparations a month in advance. They are only allowed to eat vegetarian food, cooked at home. They observe strict celibacy, no alcohol or drugs. They also fast several days before the walk.

A sigh of relief, the first piercing is complete.

It is said that a small spear pierced through the tongue "symbolizes" the vow of silence. I am pretty sure it would be impossible for him to speak so I think it is a little more than a symbol!

He is ready for the day.

This teen caught my eye, so I stayed with him through his piercing. They started by hanging "burdens" on his back. You will see a photo of his back later in the post.

A little liquid to keep him going.

They then pinned a green feather emblem to his chest. The photo below shows his piercing guru coaching him. I read that they put the subject in a trance before skewering the skin.

I could feel the support of his friends… and I could feel his pain. Family and friends surround the devotee and loudly chant to the gods as he is being pierced. Watch the friend on his left with the sun glasses in the series of photos – how he coaches him during the entire process.

There it goes. There is NEVER any blood. Mind boggling!

I like this photo… his friends are all cheering him on. He did not have a tongue piercing. They say that is a more advanced piercing and this teen is pretty young; it is probably his first time.

Other piercings at the temple…

Muruga (who the celebration honors) is regarded as a destroyer of evil and preserver of good. He is usually depicted with a spear. This is why the devotees pierce silver spears in various sizes through the skin of the back, cheek, and tongue. It is a symbol of stopping evil, purifying yourself, and becoming more noble.

The tip of the spear actually goes through the skin.

I think he was psyching himself up for the long walk.

Jars filled with milk hanging by hooks in the skin is a way to show devotion.

Small…

Medium…

LARGE!

Check out those large hooks to go with those big ones!

Most devotee are of Tamil – Indian descent. There were a few Asian guys who participated.

Another way to show devotion is by hooking smaller burdens like lemons or limes on the chest or back.

There were colorful offerings at the temple. In Hinduism, food plays an important role in rituals and worship. The food offered to the gods is called prasada. The Sanskrit word "prasada" means "mercy," or the divine grace of God.

The three of us separated to take photos in the temple. After 30 min or so D comes to get me – he says… we’ve been invited to walk with a family! What? H was chatting with a young women (below) whose brother was walking for the first time carrying a Kavadi and she asked us to walk with them. Oh my gosh – what an honor!

"Our guy" was a 23-year-old student. He was carrying his kavati (headdress) with a belt vs directly in his skin. His sister told us this is a "trainer".

Thaipusam is a family affair and supporting a kavadi bearer is the duty and honor of each family member. His sister is helping him with his ankle bells.

We felt odd at first, not sure if we really should join in this special celebration. We decided that we would insult them if we declined. Here is the view as we walked out of the temple.

This photo gives a good perspective on how tall the headdress can be.

The first young man in this video is our guy! It is hard enought to just walk, every once in awile they dance. Click on the middle to start the video.

If you look closely at the more senior devotee below, you can see where his kavadi rod goes directly into his skin on his stomach.

Here is D walking in the parade.

It was just over 3 miles and we walked the entire way barefoot. Although not that big of a deal when you are walking with men carrying heavy headdresses with pins and rods in their skin!

Some walk the entire three miles on spiked shoes.

It was fun seeing the parade from the participants perspective. One British woman in the crowd made the comment to us that we must be very special friends of the family to be walking with them. Very few westerners walk in the parade.

Our guy!

Below is the teen I photographed for the piercing. I am guessing these are "trainers" as well, as they do not have the weight of the lemons or the milk cans.

Very few women participate in the piercing. But I think there were more this year than last.

Some devotees choose to shave their heads, a symbol of humility and atonement/ fulfillment. The yellow color on their heads is saffron paste or sandalwood paste.

Even women and children shave their heads.

Not all worship involves self inflicted pain, and many men and women make the walk with an urn of milk on their head. I read it is in thanks for any children born that year.

We viewed the ceremony from a very different perspective this year. We saw the love and loyalty of family and friends. This is my favorite photo below It was at the very end of the parade and they were backed up getting into the temple to take off all the spears and head wear. It was very hot and they had been walking for over 4 hours. Our guy is holding on to his sister and father. I love his sister's worried look on her face – feeling the pain and exhaustion her brother was experiencing.

We did know their names; I just did not want to put them in the blog. We also talked with his friends and family as we walked. A few hours into it we were even clapping along with them. We did not understand the chants so we could only clap.

Certainly an experience we will never forget!
Laos: Monks, Temples, and Touring

01

Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Laos

November 2012

Highlights from our trip….

The procession of the monks. This ritual takes place every single day
in Luang Prabang. It is called "tak bak", or the gathering of alms. It
starts around 6 am, rain or shine. Unfortunately, two of our mornings
it was in the rain. And
I did ask the monk above if I could take his photo by pointing at my
camera.

We were surprised at the quantity of monks. All walking silently, single
file, collecting food in their bright saffron robes. The procession is ordered from the oldest to the youngest monk.

Each
monk carries a large bowl, attached to a strap hanging from his shoulder. Sticky rice is the most common food given, but they also
receive fruit, crackers, and cookies.

It is thought, that if you feed the monks, it will
bring you good karma. We both took
turns feeding them, but not for that reason. We just wanted to help.

Locals feed them everyday. They sit down on a mat,
take off their shoes, and kneel to feed them. We wondered if this little guy did it with his grandma every day?

The first day D fed them from a bowl of rice we purchased from a
local woman. He was giving out
pretty big fistfuls, and then we realized just how many monks there
were. He ran out very quickly. We then watched the locals give out a
tiny pinch.

With almost eighty temples
in Luang Prabang, this adds up to hundreds of monks, who take different
routes depending on where their temple is located.

Most practice Theravada Buddhism. Theravada
is the dominant form of Buddhism in Southeast Asia and it is the "oldest"
school.

Unfortunately, with the increased tourism in Luang Prabang it has
endangered the tak bat ceremony, as many tourists view the ritual as a tourist attraction, not as a
religious ceremony to be respected.   We tried to respect them and stay off to the side (the photos were zoomed in).

They
say that Lao's officials are considering stopping the ritual as too many
tourists are interrupting the ceremony and using flash, which distracts
them from their meditation. We did not use flash on our cameras. See
my dos and don't list so we can all help to preserve this
ceremony.

An interesting thing is that most of the locals
are poor themselves. We watched
the monks give food back to young children and dogs. It was a fascinating system.

Here you can see the older monks dropping large handfuls of rice into the children's baskets.

I
love this shot with the monk looking up at us. The ritual
is done in silence; the alms givers do
not speak, nor do the monks. The monks walk in meditation.

This ritual has been going on for many centuries. It is a symbiotic relationship between
the monks and the alms givers.   Tak bat supports both the monks (who need the
food) and the alms givers (who need spiritual redemption).

I
wondered if it bothered the monks to have to eat food handled by so
many different people (referring mainly to the tourists).

The dogs have become very smart and follow the monks for small treats. D made a little friend.

It surprised me that in such a poor country a dog would have a dress??? And
then the condition of it… notice how tattered the little dress is. Like
so many of the children, she has worn her dress very hard.

Here is a list of
"dos" and "don'ts" to help you, if you plan to visit:

When you give alms:

Kneel to feed the monks. Take off your shoes. Make sure your head is not higher than theirs. Bow to show respect. Make sure you are properly dressed i.e. no shorts or sleeveless shirts (same rules as when you visit a temple. Do not make eye contact. Do not touch them. Do not talk to them.

When you are not giving alms:

Keep a respectful distance. Use your camera zoom. Do not use your flash. You will be tempted as they walk at sunrise and there is little light. Do not make eye contact. Do not touch them. Do not talk to them.

The Elephants

The other highlight was our fabulous elephant ride. Click here to read the full post on this adventure.

The Children

We enjoyed getting off the beaten track to see how the local live.   We took several photos of the village children. To see these photos, click here.

Temples and Buddhas

Laos is the only landlocked
country in Southeast Asia. It is
bordered by Burma, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Its population is
close to 6.5 million . You can trace Loas history to the kingdom of Lan Xang
(Million Elephants), founded in the 14th century.

I love the shape of the Temples in Laos. Their architecture is a mix of French colonial and Buddhist with some
influences from Thailand. The Haw Pha Bang or Royal Palace is a relatively new structure, built in 1963.

Up until very recently, Laos was difficult to travel
to because of war and politics.
Now, Laos is considered a hot spot for travelers. We were walking around Vientiane for
about 15 minutes and I turned to D and said I have not seen a single Laos
person – I have only seen tourists.
And most were young backpackers.
This surprised us. I love this image below. The young monk with a cell phone! It shows how times have changed.

The main attractions for tourists include food,
temples (wats), Buddhist culture and architecture. Luang Prabang was made a UNESCO World Heritage
site in 1995.

Wat Xieng Thong was built in 1559-1560 and is one of the most important temples in Laos. During the 1960s it was completely
remodeled and redecorated. The image above shows its famous Tree of Life mosaic in colored glass on
a dark red background, created in 1960 by a Laos artist.

It has intricate, colorful mosaic on the exterior walls.

Of the people of Laos 67% are Theravada Buddhist,
1.5% are Christian, and 31.5% are other. Laos is a Communist state with the official
language of the government being Laos, however only slightly more than half of
the population can speak Lao, the remainder speaking various ethnic minority
languages, particularly in rural areas.

Wat Nong Sikhounmuang (above) is
one of the bigger temples in Luang Prabang. It was built in 1729, burned
down by a fire in 1774, and restored in 1804. The temple below is an older temple, off the beaten path, so it does not receive the donations like the better known ones or ones in the main part of town. It therefore has not been restored.

That Pathoum, or Stupa is known as That Makmo (Watermelon) because of its rounded dome

Most of the doors to the temples have elaborate carvings painted in gold leaf. They depict scenes from Buddha's life.

The Naga, a mythical
multi-headed snake. You see these at most temples.

Buddhas

Buddha
images are not just for decoration, they are objects of religious worship.

Touring around town……

Laos
is known for its silk and local handicrafts. I bought several beautiful scarves for gifts. It is rich in natural resources
like timber, gypsum, tin, gold, and other gemstones.

These tortilla-like food objects lying on grass mats to dry in the sun facinated us. They even put them on the roofs.

We never did get to taste it, and I could not find anything about them on the internet.

This was a parade of some sort – there were about 10 trucks filled with people and plants. All singing and laughing and having fun. The Laos people in general are happy helpful people.

A little food and drink…..

We discovered a very modern wine bar where the inside was set up outside.

Sticky Rice is served everywhere in Laos and this
is very different from other Asian countries. Sticky rice cultivation and production is thought to have originated in
Laos. I really liked the sticky rice. It is always served in little baskets and is brown.

Grilling was very popular here. They had a unique way of tying them up with a bamboo skewer.

We enjoyed all of the food we ate. They tend to eat more salads than other Asian countries.

Looking back at Luang Prabang from across the river. We really enjoyed our trip to Laos, especially the visit to the elephant reserve.

Please continue to the next blog post to see some sweet photos of children in Laos.
Laos: Children of the villages

01

We love to get off the beaten track and find small villages where tourist don't normally roam. You can tell this by the reaction of the children. If they ask for money to take their photo, they are used to seeing tourists…. If they are happy to just see their image in the camera… then they are not used to seeing tourists.

The following photos were taken in a little village just outside of Vientiane. We had so much fun photographing the children as they were so happy to see us.

This little guy caught my eye. I loved his handmade necklace!

D having a chat… the children spoke a little English.

Their moms were nearby so we asked them if we could take the children's photos. Notice the house in the background.

As soon as you hold up your camera, they give the peace sign. This is universal in most Asian countries.

This was another group.

Love this little one peeking out from behind his big brother.

Such a little old man!

This group was precious! They were squealing with excitement… wanting us to take their photos, yet a little bit afraid.

Their mother was right by them, but they were still shy.

This photo deserved to be blown up to see the middle girls face – priceless!

There seemed to be more boys than there were girls. Unfortunately, mortality rates for children under five in Laos are the highest in
Southeast Asia (70 per 1,000 births) and second highest in all of Asia, behind
only Afghanistan (stats as of 12.12).

The next set of photos was taken in the little village across the river from Luang Prabang. We had heavy rain the day before, so the streets were very muddy.

A beautiful child!

Look closely at the photo below – the little girl is playing with her doll on the porch next to the family rooster.

D loves to buy food and give it out to the children. Below, he is buying popcorn balls and peanuts. He tries not to buy candy and buys from the local shops to help support the community.

Here he is giving out popcorn balls to children coming home from school for their lunch break. Even the dog wants to see what is going on.

This yound boy is so serious. D tried to get him to smile, but he wouldn't.

The pied-piper… children and dogs following D.

Where are all the mothers? Gambling! We couldn't figure out what the game was, but they were busy playing it. I love how they all are so busy except the older woman in the middle – she is watching us.

The last few photos are of children in the main town of Luang Prabang. The first one is one of my favorites.

The snack cart at recess.

To read all about our fun adventure in Laos, click here.
Udon Thani – Northern Thailand

01

Udon Thani, Thailand

November, 2012

There were no direct flights into Laos, so we flew to Bangkok, then to Udon Thani. From there, we crossed the border into Laos by bus. Udon Thani, the 4th largest city in Thailand, is known as a gateway to Laos. Since we were not in a hurry, we opted to spend two nights there.

It was special for us because Don Senior was
stationed there during the Vietnam War at a major Thai & US Air Force base.

We stayed in a B&B that was way off the beaten path from the main part
of town. Love the little dog in the middle and the driver is holding the baby.

Here we are eating Belgian food…..did I say Belgian food? Oddly enough our B&B was owned by a Belgian couple (Tony and Chris) and Jet, a Thai lady. Chris was an awesome cook and we were nostalgic for a little "belgian taste".

We
had great fun at the B&B (Homestay STC). We rode bicycles and a scooter. I have not been
on a bike since I was 7…..well maybe once in my 20's : ) And I am not a BIG fan of scooters – but there was no traffic where we were riding.

And I did not ride alone….I was on the back of D's.

Loving this photo……free and easy!

Just chillin' – watching the sun set……

This guy was the only fisherman out on the lake that evening – it was so serene.

The colors were really this intense. We took over 600 photos that evening – be thankful I am only sharing four : ).

We decided it was one of the "top 5" most beautiful sunsets we have seen.

The next day we toured around town and hung with the locals. This gentleman lived across the road from the B&B and he made beautiful baskets by hand.

He did not have any finished when we visited, but said he would have one in the morning for me. The cost $1.50 USD. REALLY. I gave him $3.00.

Here is a close up of the basket. It is a very common basket in this part of the country used for serving rice. This one was special for me since we got to meet the artist who made it.

Local shops around town…

It was fun to see some of the local businesses.

The butcher…

The gas station…

Ths snack shop…

The auto mechanic…

The farmer…

We visited a dragon fruit farm which was fascinating as we did not know how they grew. I did a post on it back in february, click here to read more about this exotic fruit.

They grow on a cactus like tree. D just read an article in Time Magazine that said this is going to be the next new "super fruit" in the United States. Have you tasted one?

Temples

We visited a few temples. All were very quiet with only locals.

A favorite temple of the dogs!

We took a one-hour bus ride to cross the border into Laos. The bus was very local with only one other tourist. D was taking a photo of me by the bus when this guy said he wanted to be in the photo. Then…..

The women who was selling food on the bus jumped down and said she wanted to be in the photo too! Look closely in the windows where all the locals are watching. Priceless!

Next Stop….Laos!

recent posts

about