10 Months in Equatorial Singapore

[Kevo]

Oh man, coming to an end pretty soon here. Way to go making the most out of living in SEA! Heck of a TR!

[Ottime]

Yup. We fly to Cambodia in a few hours. Been quite the ride.





We spent our last few nights in Tanglin, traveling back and forth to the apartment to finish shipping and cleaning the place. I stopped at our local food centre, Sembawang Hills, each morning for a Kaya Toast Set. Kopi, Kaya Toast and two soft boiled eggs. Add a little soy space and white pepper to the eggs, dip in the toast and eat. Kaya is an egg thickened sweet coconut custard flavored with pandan. So very Peranakan. And so very good.




The stall at Sembawang Hills makes some of my favorite Kaya Toast, and their Kopi is quite good as well. Perhaps I am biased because it was less than a kilometer from my home. Maybe I am just gonna miss the place. You can also get some excellent Fish Ball Noodle or Kway Teow for breakfast here. Overall, a very worthy, if smaller, food centre to have near home.




We had friends meet us in town, with plans to travel to Cambodia and Thailand with us. We took them to a few of our favorite hawker centers. Tiong Bahru, Amoy Street and Newton (this last one for dinner). This beef noodle stall at Amoy Street has had Michelin awards for over five years running. Many stalls in SG have such accolades. I really can not emphasize enough how good the food can be in the food centers. Not to be missed.




Just grabbing another shot trying to, but failing, to capture how blended this city is. Duxton Hill shop houses with modern skyscraper luxury hotels providing the back drop.



We opted to take a bumboat tour of the Singapore River and Marina Bay when our friends were in town. It. is for sure a tourist thing to do, but it offers unique views of areas along the water front. Boat Quay just as the sun was going down.




We opted for the 7pm cruise, as it is dusk, and allows you to see the city as the light fades to night. The Cavenagh Bridge (built 1869), the Fullerton Hotel (built 1928) and the Singapore Flyer (built 2005).






The most famous Merlion in Singapore. Thousands of tourist flock here every day. When I used to ride around Marina Bay, right here was the most challenging stretch.




The Flyer, a bit of the Helix bridge, the Arts and Science Museum, Louis Vuitton and Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Mall.






I just enjoy these two modern marvels lined up.





Marina Bay Sands with the floating Apple Store (that globe like structure).





The Durians or Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay.








The Central Business District.






Anderson Bridge in the foreground. Cavenagh behind it, with the Fullerton and the CBD.






Boat Quay again, just about 30 minutes later.






For my last morning, I set the alarm and headed down to Jalan Kukoh Food Centre for breakfast. When I was checking out how many hawker centers my kid had visited this year (we counted at least 28), I realized I had missed one center. So much for my accounting career. So I made it on my last morning to #118 our 118. I wanted to try the keuh at a particular stall. Kee Chia Keuh (chives and dried shrimp), And Tho Keuh (glutinous rice and goodies) and Soon Keuh (boiled turnip, mushroom and chive). For sure a die die must try dish from this place.




But you do need to arrive early. They open at 7am and the Sold Out sign went up at 7:57am. They do re open in the afternoon, but most call in advance to reserve their order. Kind of more than a little stoke to get to try these beauties on my last morning of our life here in Singapore.


A few hours later we were on a plane to Cambodia. So I'm not done yet. There will be more temple pics than you will ever need popping up here soon enough.

[Ottime]

I said goodbye to Aizad. This man was my backbone for transport in Singapore. He owns a vans and I'd hire him to collect items for me, such as shelving, or rattan chairs. He also transported me to the airport with my surfboards and more than once moved some of our bikes around the island. Aizad is a solid dude. Always a very reasonable price, and a great person to talk to. He is a family man, and has a lot to share about how country. If by chance you find yourself moving to Singapore, shoot me a PM and I will get you connected. Wish the best for this man ands family. And to give you idea of how stand up he is, he incited on driving my family to the airport complimentary for our final departure and to say goodbye.



A few hours later we found ourselves in Siem Reap. Got to say, very easy entry. There were three planes on the tarmac. Total. Our flight from SG was maybe 25% full. We were through immigration and custom in about ten minutes. We checked in, chilled for a bit and were off to dinner in town. This street vender was cooking up some tasty looking rice cakes, but we headed to Khmer Kitchen for our first meal and were not disappointed.




Siem Reap is not a tiny place, nor is it a huge city. It is very cute, with some lovely street culture.




Khmer Kitchen is where we hd our first meal in Cambodia and it was pretty damn good. $55 for seven including drinks and a jug (pitcher) of beer




Pub Street is the main party drag in town. Loud live music and $.50 beers are the nam of the game. We opted to walk through and not try out either pizza joint.



The Tuk Tuk is the main transportation around here. This style is a chariot attached to a motorcycle. Cost is about $2-3 to get around town. Cambodia does have its own currency (the Rial) but most prices and transactions are handled in US dollars. Makes it easy for the US tourist. Just be sure your dollars are crisp, clean and have no writing on them. Most venders will not accept a dirty dollar.




For our first day we headed out to check out some of the nearby Temples. We hired Samuth and friend and they were spot on. Again, send me a PM if you are traveling this way and looking for guides. These guys were great.



Our first stop was Angkor Wat. We did not try to get here for sunrise, for any number of reasons, but mostly because none of us are legit photographers. We were coming to see the places more than shoot them. And the morning crowd tends to be the biggest. We needed up being pretty lucky arriving during the shoulder season. Wet season has just begun, and the Europeans do not arrive until July. So far weather has been quite nice with a bit of rain from about 2pm-5pm.

[Ottime]

Angkor Wat is pretty beautifully restored and continues to be worked on. It, like many of the temples in the area, was taken over by the jungle over the years. Much fo the jungle was pushed back during the early 20th century, while the area was under French control. Restoration efforts continued through independence and during the times of peace in Cambodia. During times of war, little damage was done to this temple, so today, it stands in much of its earlier glory. Passing through the outer gates.







It was fairly uncrowded, but for this temple, that means we were not crowded by people. Most of our day, we were just with our travel companions and our guides. You can see a larger tour group near the reflecting pond in the distance. We travelled with close friends of ours, (the group includes one of omg godsons) who also happen to be our ski buddies - so feels appropriate for this forum.





Angkor Wat is the largest temple in the world, sitting on over 400 areas of land. There are two library structures along either side of the main access route. These would have housed thousands of volumes. The temple was originally built as a Hindu temple, but was converted to a Buddhists temple around the end of the 12th Century.



The coveted reflecting pool shot, just about 5 hours after sunrise.




This space is huge. And this gives you an idea of our luck with crowds. Next month, according to our guides, there would be hundreds of people in this picture. It is even busier than during the dry season. And hotter. You are required to cover your shoulders and knees to enter the temples, so the -not so hot - weather is much appreciated.






From the other reflecting pool, with lotus included.






There are a few things that make Angkor Wat unique. It is the largest temple space in the world, but perhaps more importantly, it is perhaps the only temple intros region that never fell completely out of use. I have way too many temple photos, but you will nonie that many temples needed to be fully reclaimed from the jungle. Its not that the jungle never intruded upon Angkor Wat, but rather that it never fully enveloped the structures. The exterior wall of the main temple shows some signs of weathering.




During the 19th and 20th centuries, looters removed the heads of Buddha statues to sell on the black market. The French started the practice when the temples first rediscovered by the occupying forces. Later, it was common for the looters to be from Thailand, selling the items on the world markets. In recent times, some heads have been returned from museums around the world, but many are still missing.





As you wrap around the main temple, there are a series of perimeter corridor, The exterior facing wall has been well restored with many bas relief murals. This 48.5 meter long mural tells the story of the battle of Kurukshetra.






48.5 meters is a pretty long mural. What is most impressive to me is the. fact that Angkor Wat was built over 28 years, in the 12th century. To accomplish this feat, every household in the kingdom was required to send two individuals to work on the temple. For the duration of construction. Still, this is just one single, and rather small piece, of this massive temple.




Our guides loved taking pictures. We have many many shenanigan pics.





Sitting on the edge of the main temple, looking out over the grounds, gives you a sense of the space of this monument.




Detail from the 98 meter long bas relief mural of the Military Parade of King Suryavarman II on Shivbat's Mountain.




The details of engraving adorn nearly every surface. A exterior column.





Detail of the 66 meter long Heaven and Hell. Heaven is on top.



Details from the Churning of Sea Milk. 48.5 meters long. It details a deal between the asuras and devas to extract amirita (a beverage that gives you immortality) fort he sea of milk.




These wood tiles are, of course new. The galleys would have been lined with such tiles when the temple was constructed, but have since rotted away. There is a plan to complete an entire gallery fully refurbished to give a sense of what Angor Wat was like over 800 years ago.



As you enter the inner temple, it is easy to see the weathered effect of centuries in the tropics. This is more of what I was expecting, after spending my time in Singapore. Things just do not last in this zone.



I would highly suggest hiring a guide. There are drivers and guides. You pay just a little bit more for a guide, but they walk with yo through the temples and are a wealth of information.




The view from the central tower. At this moment, it was really quite quiet. There were maybe 15 people up in the tower (our group was seven of those) and when looking around the temple, we could see just a few people. This is the best view for getting a sense of the expanse of this place. Beyond the far wall is a moat and the exterior wall of the temple grounds. This also gives a decent view of the two library buildings halfway between the temple and the exterior wall.




Angkor Wat is currently an active Buddhist temple, with one monk in attendance.




As we exit to the main grounds, you can see tons of people along the main walk way. This was the only place that at all seemed busy, and actually these people are spread out along the length of the strip.




Again, built in 28 years over 800 years ago, Amazing.




The libraries alone are impressive structures.




I appreciated this bit of wildlife.









Looking back toward the main temple.




One more time for getting a sense of scale.




Inside the the exterior wall is one more place of worship. There were people regularly coming up to this alter to pray. all while us tourist were walking past.




After you exit Angkor Wat, as with many temples, there are loads of concessions. This vendor was grilling up fish and meats on hot wood coals. The items wrapped in coconut leaf were Cambodian versions of Otoh (fish cake) and Ketupat (rice wrapped in coconut leaf).

[Ottime]

Next stop was Ta Prohm. It was built a little later than Angkor Wat, finished in the early 13th Century (started in late 12th). Unlike its massive neighbor, it was lost to the jungle in the late 15th Century at the fall of the Khmer Empire. Massive restoration work is underway on some of the out laying buildings.




House of Fire - a resting place for pilgrims to the shrine. As you enter the grounds, these structures seem very well worn, but soon you encounter what the jungle can do over 500 years without much human interference.




Its hard to imagine how this place was a thriving village 700 yeas ago with over 12,000 inhabitants on the temple grounds and about 80,000 in the surrounding villages. Today it is clear that nature has taken back the land. My crew in the foreground.





Ta Prohm was planned as a Buddhist temple from the onset. Construction began in 1186, commissioned by Jayavaramin VII as a Monastery of the King. As you walk through the ruins here, it is hard to fathom the original construction of concentric rectangles, as you need to bob and weave around what is left standing.



Often referred to as the Tomb Raider Temple, as this site was used in the filming of the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider film.





There were other tourist at this site, but it was much much quieter than Angkor Wat. There is also no massive quad like space or long promenade, so even with other people around, it often felt like you were alone with your group.



Much is known about Ta Prohm from the stele that was found at this site. A stele is basically a stone marker with inspirations. Information regarding the surrounding villages to whom pieces of the temple were dedicated to were discerned from this stele. The crazy thing about this idea is how worn the rest of the temple actually is. But the records were found intact.






Prajnaparamita, or the Buddha of wisdom, is the main image in the temple. The kings mother was used as the image for this. What a way to honor your mother.






This templed amassed great wealth and riches during its period of use up until the late 15th Century. Pilgrims would come from afar to visit and pay homage here.






Library in ruin. Jayavaramin VII preached Mahayana Buddhism, which is a less strict version of the religion. So yo can imagine a welcoming temple as this place was being built. By the 14th Century, Theravada Buddhism, a much stricter form, was the state religion of the Khmer Empire, and remains the state religion of Cambodia today.




Okay, so I took a bunch of pictures of this tree. But it was insane. And deserved some attention. Still, it is one of many impressive growths in this temple ruin. What stood out the most to me was the bark color. It is natural, but looked like it was brushed with a gold paint.




One last look.




Again, the heads of Buddhas were stolen during the 19th and 20th Centuries and sold on the black market, to mostly European and Chinese collectors. Today, a number fo these heads have been returned from museums, to be replaced on the bodies, but even more remain missing (or held in captivity) today.




Another impressive tree. These were referred to as strangler trees, as they will climb up an existing tree as a sapling, using the bigger tree as support. As they grow in size, they will begin to drop roots down to access more water. As these roots grow in girth, they will begin to crush and kill the tree inside of them, until it dies and roots away.




And from the other side. There were so many of these trees around the temple. It is really quite impressive to see wha the jungle can do. Much of this area has been cleared of the jungle, cleaned and restored. As well as made safe to walk around. But even with all that work, the temple and nature has become one in so many places.




Point in case. A root is a powerful thing. So is stone. You can see how the route of the root was guided by the seems in the stone work.





Even with all of the wear from the jungle, the stone work is still impressive in places. One of the most famous cavings here is of a dinosaur, which I found interesting, as I thought the idea of these animals was developed in Europe during the 19th Century. There are a bunch of theories regarding this bas relief. Some say modern hoax, other posit that in these hot and humid climes dinosaurs lived on much longer than previously imagined. Long enough to fin their way into Khmer folklore. Or perhaps it is a rhino, with palm fronds upon its back.




This was the one place where it was easy to imagine the space as originally laid out. There were four concentric rectangular walls. The three interior walls much more closely packed together, and encompassing the main temple buildings. This is just inside the third wall.





The second (counting from the interior) wall, much of which laid in ruin.







Spend too long in here, and the tree will trap you inside.






There are still a few spots in Ta Prohm, that give a sense of what this place might have been like back in its hey day. Yet, most of the place has been reclaimed by nature. It really felt quite different from Angkor Wat in many ways. It was still al large space (over 650,000 square meters, but much smaller than the main show in Siem Reap. It was also much quieter and meshed seamlessly with the space it was built in.

[Ottime]

Back in the Tuk Tuk, on our way to our third stop.




There is a new bridge being built and it looks pretty solid, stone and smooth. It is not yet open, so we descended the rutted dirt road to the old steel bridge span below. Gave us a nice view of the new, well supported concrete structure as we passed by.




There is no shortage of temples in the area. We passed at least six on our way to our next planned location. Some were roadside, and others we down a short road into the jungle.




And then the rain started to fall. It is the start of the rainy season after all.




More road side attractions.







This temple was tucked just behind a row of trees. It was pretty impressive in height. There are two main types of temples in this area - Flat and Mountain. This would have been an example of the second, where each interior section is placed higher than the previous.





And finally we were at our planned stop, the Bayon Temple. A fine example of Mountain Temple.




There is a lot of debate over who this temple was originally built for. Buddha and Shiva are the top contenders. There are relics that suggest either. Locals today use the place still for water rites dedicated toward Shiva.





While there are no trees taking over this space, much of Bayon lay in ruin, but there s still substantial interior space safe enough to walk around. This ancient chimney no longer has a top. Rain infiltrated and drip into most of the space we walked around.




Bayonis most famous for the large faces. There are several hundred across the temple, but this tower had a large one on each side. It is surmised that Jayavarim VII was used as the model for what many suppose are Buddha faces.





My wife was smart enough to pack her umbrella (Singapore Training Camp) and is modeling the style know as "front pack" to keep your items dry.




Bayon was built around the same time period as Ta Prohm. If you consider that Angkor Wat was built in 28 years (I have also hear 37 years, but still...) and these other temples were built just after, it us really a very impressive feat to consider. The labor involved would have been immense. What seems crazier is the Khmer Empire was mostly enriched by their cultivation of rice and trade with China. Feeding the Chinese is what brought them all this wealth. They also had natural resources to trade, but rice was the main export. If only rice could do that today.






It was very quiet at Bayon. I think the rain helped, but we only saw two other groups of two while we were there. While not Angkor Wat, Bayon is still one of the main temples that tourist and pilgrims visit each year. Shoulder season is the way to go. Early wet season actually gets busy with the Spanish in July, but June is still very slow.



Rain gutters built over 800 years ago.






Still, the water builds up along the floor in many places. Seems some of the drainage has gotten backed up over the years.






The rare headed Buddha. Many of the Buddha you see today with there heads intact have been placed more recently. Our guide said this one dated back to the early days of this temple.






We saw more monkeys than tourist while visiting Bayon. These two were particularly cheeky.






The central mount temple. You can see the weathering, along with many of the faces on each of the towers. Some worn more than others.





I can remember these two boys learning to ski in Tahoe. Now I need to work to keep up with them. So stoked to share this traveling with our friends. They are enamored by the monkeys. After living in Singapore for a year, we still like the creatures, but also are holding tightly on to our belongings. More faces in the background.





Bayon also has long bas relief murals along the perimeter wall of the inner temple space. This one depicts the Khmer Army March.





This is my one shot with a person not from our group in it.






Weathered ruins and towers with faces.





Detail of the Khmer Army March.




It was fun to visit one temple in the rain. It gave a different experience. It also got me on board with calling it quits for the day. I was ready to keep going, but the kids especially were feeling done for the day. Nothing like a soaking to get me on board with heading back to the lodging and chilling at the pool. As the sun was out by the time we were home.




The exterior wall of Angkor Thom, which is a space that houses several temples. This wall, gate and entrance bridge was constructed when Bayon was built. There are several other small temples within this large walled space. Bayon sits at the center of what was an ancient walled city. The Angkor Thom wall itself is 8m high and 10m wide, allowing you to circumnavigate the wall and descend in the few places it has collapsed. Each side is 3km long, so it s a 12 km lap.




Khmer Taste was a worthy meal. Not bad, and not the most awesome. But we enjoyed it and it came to $30.50 for seven. And we ate and drank to our fill. Entrees start at $2.50 and beers were just fifty cents. A coconut milkshake cost $1. Would go again for sure.





First serving of frog on this trip. Cambodian food is pretty delicious. A blend of Vetnames, Malay and Thai flavors. They also eat just about everything here. In our time we will try Red Ants, Pig Intestines, and Water Buffalo. But mostly we've been eating Amok. Fish steamed with coconut milk, vegetables and spice inside a coconut leaf.





After dinner, we opted for a fish foot massage. $3 gets you as long as you want at this place with fish nipping the dead skin off your feet. It was a hoot. At first I could not keep my feet submerged more than ten seconds at ta time, but after a while, found my zen state and stayed in for over an hour.

[Ottime]

The next day we took time off from temples and first went to visit the town market. First we tried lotus seeds, a snack that is very popular wit the Cambodian youth. You pop them from the flower base, peel like a lava bean, and eat them. A nice snack. They are called lotus fruit, but a re literally the seed and I imagine them to be a healthy snack.




You can purchase either the entire flower base, or the vendor will shuck the seeds for you, and sell in a bulk bag. Fro this same vendor you can also purchase snails. Again, it is great to have a guide, as we would have otherwise walked right by, and never tied these treats. I believe he paid 100 Rial for two flower bases, which was more than enough for our group of nine (including the guides)






One side the market is for fish and chicken (and amphibians). One of these woman is weighing and selling fish paste and ground fish.




These are home chickens or what we would have called "kampong" in Singapore. They are chickens that would have wandered around a home or village space. You can also buy the larger, and what many say are less flavorful, chicken at a different market stall.





Most of the fish and frogs at the market were brought in live. Heads are removed on wood stumps. The frog skins are peeled and the bodies are tossed in a wicker bowl, still moving. It is quite a sight. The fish heads are retained and sell for a higher price than the rest of the body. The smallest fish I saw were the size of a large finger. Most fish are from the lake, but a few are farmed. There are three types of frogs. Wild frogs are the smallest. Home grown frogs a big bigger. Farmed frogs the largest. I was told the best tasting are the home grown frogs.






The pork and beef are in a different section of the market. This is the beef section, as Muslims do not sell pork. There is a small Muslim community living in Cambodia today, although the official religion is Buddhist.




They too have a Food Centre attached to the Wet Market. There are a lot of difference between this Cambodian Market and the ones in Singapore. There are also similarities. We had a lot more ice, refrigeration, and most meat was kept behind glass. Our stalls were also all self contained. While the floors here were more than a little muddy, and for sure Petri dish like, I found this place amazing to walk through. And this guy on the end is so SG - phone out and on the screen.





Once back outside, the market continues with a combination of produce, fruit and housewares. It was bustling at around 9:30AM.






Our group was in love with Morning Glory, after discovering it at a hawker centre in Singapore. We've been eating this all year, but now we eat it daily. Called Kang Kong in Singapore and Water Spinach in other places, it is basically a weed that grows among the rice paddies. It is now cultivated on its own and a common vegetable. It is the green leafy stalk in the foreground.




The entire lotus is useful. It can be harvested as a flower, and it cut before the bud opens. As explained in the VietNam part of this thread, it has a purpose in the culture, and the bud is peeled open for display. Once the flower opens on the live plant, it will be harvested for its seeds and stems. The stem is often cooked with fish in Cambodia. The root is also edible, but usually only removed from crowded lotus farms.




Our next stop was a stilt village. Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and is part of The Mekong River system. During the peak of the wet season the lake depth can be as much as 11 meters. During the peak of the dry season, it can be a little as 1 meter. This community will change drastically in the coming months.




It is eye opening to visit these places and realize that much of what we have, and the opportunities we are given, has so much more with the random chance of where we are born in the world, than anything else like hard work and merit. I really do think it is valuable to come out to these villages when visiting an area like these and commune with the people. We encountered a 10 year old driving a motorbike off to collect wood for his family.






The wealthier of the residents have homes on stilts. Some quite nice, with stucco, doors, furniture and bars on the glass windows. So more simple with wood siding, metal roofs, old car seats for couches and curtains for doors and windows. The poor, who can not afford and, or to build, had shacks down low. They will walk their homes toward the nearby mountain as the water levels begin to rise.




These people are industrious and work hard. Their poverty has much more to do with having been born in a country torn apart by wars, both domestic and foreign through much of the last fifty years. The country is just starting to develop a tourist industry and some wealth. We tipped generously while here. The guides that earn, then both send money home to their families in the village and spend in the local economy. Tuk Tuks are cheap, but several asked us to pay what we wanted. Again, if you come, consider spreading little money around, as even a few dollars will make a huge difference in the lives of the local people.

[Ottime]

Next was a boat ride out on Tonle Sap. The wet season has just started, so the late tis low, but recent rains have already begun to raise the water levels. The motors on most of these boats were basic two strokes, with a long drive shaft to a small propeller, just a few centimeters below the water surface. These help keep from hitting bottom in the low season. Only shallow hulled boats are used this time of year.




Most of the people living on Tonle Sap are descendants of Vietnames who fled their country during the American War (although it is known as the VietNam War in Cambodia - as the Cambodians see it as a civil war, that spilled over into their country, less than a act of American aggression, which is the official Communist Party line in modern day VietNam). They settled on the lake, as it was connected to the Mekong, and they did not have identity papers.





There are fur main villages on Tonle Sap, but there are over 170 small floating villages across the lake, housing over 6000 people. We visited Chong Kneas, which is closest to Siem Reap. This is the local school - a little hard to sneak off campus.







Most of the homes are fairly spread out, although there we occasionally two to five homes roped together. Our guides explained that most of these were family groups.





A floating garden. The villagers will often keep plots of land on the nearby shore during the dry season to grow crops for the market. The floating gardens are primarily, and nearly exclusively, for family and local barter use.






Moorings are constructed of bamboo poles. They are anchored during the dry season, when areas of near here may be less than a meter deep. As the lake level rises, these moorings will be abandoned and the homes will move to more protected waters in the adjoining river.






This home is getting ready to be moved. Likely it is heading into the river area, so that it can get some work before the heaviest rains arrive.







Fishing is the main industry for villagers. 80% of the protein consumed in Cambodia comes from the lake. A good portions of that comes from villagers who either live in the floating villages or the stilt villages nearby. You can see this families fishing traps lined up on the side of the home.




Everyone needs to worship, even when adrift. This is a Catholic Church. Being most immigrants from VietNam, this makes a lot of sense. There was also a floating Buddhist Temple in the village.




We stopped for snacks at a local floating restaurant, and immediately wonders who was the snack.







The restaurant raises crocodiles as livestock. The lake used to have a lot of these creatures, but over the years, many have been hunted and are believed to be extinct. These drelikely a blend of Siamese and Saltwater crocs. The establishment will either sell adults, or slaughter here and sell the skins, while utilizing the meat. They breed the animals right here in the boat pit.





The restaurant had a top deck for observation. Looking out over the expanse of the dry season village. The average life span in these villages is 54 and 12% of all children die before the age of 12. It is a tough life out on the lake, and most families subside on US$500 per year. One more statistic is literacy rate of just 46% which is much lower than the national average. Its not uncommon to see small children working with their parents instead of attending school, just in order to make ends meet.




We checked out the shop, enjoyed some coconuts and light snacks and then were on our way. This restaurant also had their own small garden space. The establishments like this are easy to locate, as they have plenty of greenery to provide shade and ambiance for dinners.




Deeper hulled boats in dry dock, waiting for the water to rise. These boats will get into these slips before the water drops. During the dry months, any needed repairs will be made, and often a fresh coat of paint or varnish applied. Once the lake rises so they can float off the supports, they know the water is deep enough to keep the hulls from hitting bottom.



Water Buffalo. My requisite bovine shot for Cambodia.




These are Styrofoam coolers being transported out to the village for fish to be packed in and sent to market. The fish will be kept alive once caught, in nets and cages underwater. When it is time, they will be packed into the coolers, and shuttled ashore, where they will then be packed with a little ice. They will be at market in Siem Reap by sunrise in the morning.







Building supplies. This boat is shuttling out bamboo poles, likely to build a new mooring or replace supports on an existing structure.






The main port for locals. Up high, you can see make shift shops that sell food and supplies. These will likely be gone by the time the water rises to that level. 10 meters is a huge difference. Although, they are high enough, that they only get swamped in the deepest of years, and often can remain around year round. Down by the water you can see the land vehicles for the locals and suppliers who may have needed to go into town to get special supplies.






This is the hardware store and water store. Most villagers live on bottled water. The lake is not clean. Even boiling the water would not make it safe to drink, as much of the villages waste gets deposited directly below their homes. Our wake makes some nice waves, that even barreled nicely at times.





These are mostly year round homes for those who have papers, and can afford to pay the cost of living on land. They tend to be the go between for the land communities and water communities. These homes are able to detach from their stilt structures and become floating homes when the water rises high enough to otherwise flood them.

[Ottime]

A must do while in Siem Reap, and right across from our lodging, is the Phare Circus. Phare Ponleu Selpak works with disadvantaged children to develop their skills in the arts and provide an education.





These two first are shots from the entertainment prior to the main show. Doors open at 5:30, and the big top opens at 7:30 for an 8pm show. We ate dinner here, with their variations on Cambodian street food. The food was very good, prices were reasonable and any profits go directly to supporting Phare. They also have a wonderful gift shop full of locally made artisan wares.




There are several different shows. Ours was themed on a day in a village, with a visit home from one child who was studying in the city. It was more entertaining than I had expected, with each performer having their specialty. Here, "the student", performs with ribbons he uses to suspend himself from the heights, whilst twirling about.



An uncle, on a unicycle, on a rope, juggling. Simple.



I'm fairly sure this is Hanuman, the White Monkey, and Sita front he story of Prince Rama, that we saw performed in Bali.




The Hindu and Indian traditions run strong through Southeast Asia, as they were influenced by Hindus before Buddhism. Notice here, that "Sita" is performing a backbend, without using her arms, while "Hunaman" handstands upon her. The strength, flexibility and balance of these performers were stunning.




Next level Bali Boarding.



More balance and strength. One handed. Not all Phare students go on to be professional performers, but they all receive an education and training far beyond what they may have otherwise. Phare is for sure worth supporting. The show is wonderful, and your attendance help sustain this program.

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The next day we dropped the youth off to zipline for a few hours as we wandered off to nearby temples.





Ta Nei Temple was built in the late 12th Century. This is one of the exterior buildings on the south side, likely the library. This is often referred to the "hidden temple" as it is down a fairly long access road in to the jungle, and it receives very few visitors.



The ruins here are reminiscent of Ta Prohm, although the trees are not as integrated.




Most of these temples had moats around them. The moat at Angkor Wat is still intact, and filled year round. The remnants of this moat will fills as the rainy season continues.




The trees were mainly on the exterior of the main temple.




Most of the entrance was were inaccessible, with corridors blocked by fallen stones.





Still there was stonework well preserved.




This area felt like a movie set. I wandered off and got separated from my wife and friends, and it was ten minutes before I saw anyone else at all. It was great, talking around this temple, all alone, with only my thoughts and sounds of the jungle. We did nt hire a guide for this day, but rather the driver who had picked us up from the airport. The drove us to our hotel free of charge, with hopes and expectations that we might hire them for a day or two.





Okay there were a few trees inside the main temple.





Walking through this area felt a bit dangerous. It was the only path permitted, but was littered with blocks of stone that had fallen from above.






The temple is aligned along an east-west access, with the western side much better preserved. The structure to the north was almost pristine, while the one in the south in shambles. This is one thing it would have been great to have a guide to ask about, but they may have not known, as very little is known about this temple.






The main wall of the interior temple space.

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Ta Keo is being restored by the Chinese government, and is a 10th Century mountain style temple. It is like a fortress and was the state temple of Jayavarmin V.





It is a five terraced pyramid and considered symbolic of Mount Meru, the center of the cosmological Buddhist (Hindu and Jain as well) universe.






The steps between the third and forth terraces are steep and narrow. For sure not to code.







The shrine atop the central and fifth terrace. Construction of Ta Keo began when Jaravarmin V ws 17 years old. It was never completed. He dies before completion, and a lightning strike on the high terrace many years later was considered a bad omen and construction ceased. Perhaps because of this, the exterior walls never received any carvings, and this made the structure appear more robust and massive.





Going down is a bit more challenging than going up.






A view down my descent from he forth terrace.

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The forth terrace has five towers on it. The central tower has the fifth terrace, and a shorter tower at each corner of the forth terrace. Each of these had a basin in them, reminiscent of The Hindu shrine for Lord Shiva, where water is dripped or poured. Why? This is related to the mural in Angkor Wat - Churning of the Sea Milk. When the demons and gods made their treaty to churn the milk, a poison arose that could have destroyed all of creation. Lord Shiva drank this to protect everyone and everything. But other gods had to help. Parvati stopped the posing from going past Shiva's throat, but this created a lot of heat, so Vishnu poured water on Shiva to cool the god. Hence, devotees will pour water over the Shiva Lingham.




Standing on the first terrace, looking up at the upper levels and the towers at the top.






The exterior wall had these plants growing along the shaded sections. I loved the green plants and red stone together.






The approach to Ta Keo is down long path through the jungle. As you approach and exit the trees envelope and hide the huge structure.





More roadside attractions we did not have the time to stop and check out. There are over 4000 temples in Cambodia, most of them in the province of Siem Reap, with 72 major temples in the Angkor area. It is literally littered with temples.







Along our way, we passed a lot of open landscape. Compared to much of my other travels in the region, I noticed how little of the land is developed here in Siem Reap. Perhaps that is not true, as much of the jungle has been removed, but the land is more likely to be used for agriculture right up to the side of the road, as opposed to having structures along them.





I believe these were pigs. As we passed through villages, the road was lined with homes and shops. A lot of street side food vendors.




This family was transporting a tree and bamboo. I imagine them heading home from the local version of Home Depot with supplies to improve their property

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Back on our Temple Crawl after a nice lunch. Another 10th Century build. Banteay Srei is a bit further out of the way, but near one of our destinations for the day. Often referred to as the red stone temple.





Bantey Srei is the only major temple not built by a monarch. Perhaps that attest to is diminutive size. The scale of this place feels so much more intimate. Looking through the first doorway, and down the length of the main walkway to the temple proper.




This temple was primarily dedicated to Shiva, and was hence built as a Hindu Temple.






Known for its intricate bas relief carvings and Shiva Lingam. This type a view has been a theme for me, as elements and doorways line up through a length of a temple.






The main temple space lies just over this wall. It is much smaller than any other place we visited, and is again a very quiet place with only a few other visitors moving about.







Once inside, the stonework is very impressive.





The only people we saw while poking around were the guards and docents. Maybe it was because it was June. Maybe it was because we were further away from town. Regardless, it was well worth the visit to walk around in solitude. Again, here, I lost my group for a while and was wandering around in what felt like solitude.




The main temple of the sanctuary.



One of the libraries and its pediment with intricately carved bas relief tympanum. This temple is the first known example of such work in the region.




The exterior was of the sanctuary is well weathered and sloping in bits.





Part of the restoration work in process. Much of this temple space has been reconstructed. Here fallen stones are collected, catalogues, cleaned and getting ready to rebuild a structure. It can take years to complete the process.

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Our next stop was at the Landmine Museum. During the Viet Nam War (in Cambodia, this is how it I referred to, as they viewed it as an internal civil war, more than a war of American aggression), the Cambodian Civil War, and the reign of the Khmer Rouge, around 4 to 6 million landmines and unexposed ordinances (UXO) littered the country. Nearly 20,000 civilians have died and over 45,000 injuries from these devices. Even today, well over 100 people a year are casualties. It is astonishing, and something to so easily not recognize as Americans. We have never had our homeland mined due to waring factions. Or bombed. The US dropped over 230,000 bombs in Cambodia during the 60s and 70s. Many of those remain in the country, unexploded. Children are common victims. Recently, a woman who lives in the jungle came across an unexploded motor, and not knowing what it was, used it to crush nuts and dies as it exploded inter hand.





Aki Ra, if alive today, would be a few years older than me. Aki Ra lost his parents to landmines when he was 5 years old, and went o live in the jungle with others of similar predicament. He was kidnapped at 12, and forced int becoming a child soldier. He attests to having done terrible things in his youth, at the direction of the adults around him and the armies of the Khmer Rouge. After the fall of PolPot, he found a job with the UN, removing mines around Angkor Wat. He then later co-founded the Landmine Museum and Relief Center. The LMRC not only informs tourist of the horrific history in this region, but also supports of at risk youth and landmine victims. Aki Ra has personally located and removed over 50,000 landmines. He died just a few years ago of a stroke. He did more in few years of freedom, then most of us do in a lifetime.




If you find yourself in Siem Reap, consider coming to the museum. Your entry fee helps support the programs. This area was once heavily mined and it has only through its clearing that allowed the tourist industry here to thrive. But there is still much more work to be done across the country. Entire roads and waterways have not been used for a half century as the locals know the area is still full of live mines and EXO.




Our guide, Hak, lost his right leg to a landmine when he was a child. He was taken in by Aki and the LMRC as a child. His story is harrowing. He was walking through the jungle with his two older siblings, with him out in the front, when he triggered a landmine. The mine was tilted in the ground, toward his rear. Hak lost a leg, but the TNT burns killed his brother and sister. Just kids out playing in the forest. His life was forever changed. Today he runs his own NGO, caring for and educating village children who lost their parents due to COVID. He wants you to know, if you'd like to spend a few days with him and the 30 children he cares for, he has a place for you to stay. All he asks in return is you speak English to them, and help him teach them the language, so they may have better opportunities in their future.




This afternoon had beautiful light across the rice paddies.







More markets and vendors. Fish on a stick.






Wood fired curries.









5 on a bike was the record for this trip. To be honest, I never saw these people. I was taking a shot of the rice paddies as this family passed us. They photo bombed me, but I love how it came out.






And another road side temple.






Back in Siem Reap. This area was called something like "Good Tourist Market Area." I wish I had gotten a picture of the sign, but it was a redeveloped area near some traditional row housing. What was noticeable was the bike lanes in the sidewalk. We also noticed kilometers of bike trails set just a few meters into the jungle off the main roads, so that you can easily bike fro temple to temple. Had I packed a sarong, this would have been a ton of fun. But as I was wearing long pants (you need to over your knees) it may have been a bit much to pedal that much in the heat. And the tuk tuk did allow you to cover some serious distance.





We ate dinner at Sambo. Highly recommend. Up a bit of a price point, but still under $100 for 7 people including drinks and dessert. Menu and food was good. Atmosphere was great, and the owner and staff were lovely. Just across the river and through the Night Market from the Pub Street area.

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We had spent a lot of time in temples and have more to see down the road in Thailand and Japan, so we took a break on our final day and changed it up a bit. Our first stop in the morning was the Siem Reap Artisans Angkor. This organization works with young rural people developing art skills to keep Khmer traditions alive. These statues are carved from local limestone, and are being prepared for a local hotel.





They have over 48 locations in the province, allowing students to training work close to their homes. The facility in Siem Reap is their showcase location, where you can take tours and learn about the different art forms. See they are working on wood and stone sculpture, copper and silver work, wood work, and silk production. And of course, they have some hands on carving you can try out.






There is a lot of focus in Cambodia today to build a better future for the youth. None of these skills being trained are easy work or very profitable. But they are an opportunity for future employment. Cambodia is still very much a developing country, only emerging from 35 plus years of war just before the year 2000. While we were young about our computers internal clocks ending the world, they were just starting to have a chance to build their future. These organizations are a vital life line for many in the rural communities of this country. This woman is creating silk thread to be woven into a future scarf. All day long.






Silk weaving is intense. Depending on the article, it can take up to several days working the loom to finish a project. We ended spending a good amount of money in the gift shop. My kid bought a wonderfully carved elephant to add to their elephant collection (they inherited an Indian piece from our neighbor when she passed). I bought some teak spoons, and my wife a few scarves and a pillow case. All the work was impeccable and the money goes 100% back into supporting this program.










A quick tug tug out of town, and we were at the Apopo Visitor Center. This organization works around the world detecting mines and detecting tuberculosis. We were here to explore the former, and their use of the African Giant Pouched Rat to detect the mines. These animals have a tremendous sense of smell and can be trained to detect TNT. They are way better at finding mines than humans using metal detectors. For starters, not all mines have much metal anthem (plastics are amazing, yeah?) and when a previous mine or cluster bomb has blown, there can be tons of scattered shrapnel you need to sift through. The rats only go after the TNT.





The chaining process can take 9 months to a year, and is based off Pavlovian style training. Treats for success. The rats are then wear harnesses, and will work with two humans to check and can clear an area the size of a tennis court in 30 minutes. The entire process takes longer, as first, clear lanes much be established by use of metal detectors, so the human handlers can work safely.on either side. The rats remain safe inside the landmine zone, as they are way too light to set off even anti personnel mines.





When the rats detect TNT, the scratch at the surface, and then a handler will use a clicker to bring them over for a treat. The handlers guide the rats back and forth across the space and step a half meter down the lane after each passing.




Rats that fail to pass training, become ambassadors. Sophea gave the demonstration on clearing mines and Harold came out to be held. You need to wash your hands and arms to be clear of sunblock and bug spray, so as to not harm the animals. They are not small rats, but quite soft and they love humans. It is common in Cambodia to consume rats s food, but as locals raise an work with these animals, they find they can no longer look at them as food. Even those who do not work directly with the animals, but have learned their value, consider them to smart of an animal to eat. These are not local rats, but must be imported from Africa. Visiting this center, donating, or spending money in their shop helps support Apopo in these efforts.



We spent the afternoon lounging at the pool and the adults went out for pre dinner drinks. Khmer Brewing Backstage IPA was a worthy west coast style beer.




Embargo Craft Beer had a nice selection of Cambodian beers and wines. And at $5 a British pint, you really can not go wrong. The Cambodian selection craft beers and booze was nice. And the mixed drinks were some of the best of the trip through Cambodia and Thailand. Flavorful and strong.






I found walking around town was enjoyable. We had planned for dinner just up the river. A little bummed we would miss out on the Hard Rock Cafe located on this turn around.



Water wheel. Green and rust.





Sokkhak was our choice for the last evening's meal. It did not disappoint. It was pricey, but not terrible. A little over $100 for the seven of us. Great roof top atmosphere, and even better service (the A/C dining room a floor down was packed, and our level was empty, so we had the entire roof top crew for just our party). Rooftop was the way to go, with plenty of plants, fans and a healthy breeze keeping the temperature just right. Menu selection far exceeded what we had seen so far. Presentation was top quality and the taste was great. We have been dining family style so we get to taste a lot of different dishes and preparations. Highly recommend this place if you find yourself in Siem Reap.







I found this picture on my phone. I believe it was a dessert of rice and bean porridge served with coconut ice cream. I hear it ws quite good.



Motorbikes. There is something just very SE Asia about a bunch of motorbikes.






I love walking on tarmac to board a plane.





Looking back at the Siem Reap airport. This airport was pretty awesome, and only 10 minutes from our hotel and maybe 15 from town. It will close in a few months and one about 50 minutes away will open with several landing strips that can accommodate large planes coming direct from Europe. I expect that Siem Reap will become even more busy in the near future.





Landing in Bangkok. You can see the endless city off in the distance. Airport transfer was painless. Five minutes to get through passport control and into the domestic terminal. Food was pretty pricey in the airport, so arrive well fed.

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Taking off from Bangkok is nice enough, almost instantly out over the gulf and away from the city. Lots of traffic to and from this island.






Soon the islands were disappearing behind puffs of clouds.





It is a very quick flight to Koh Samui. Must have been less than an hour. Just enough time to eat a quick meal and clear the plates.





Coming in from the north near one of the higher end districts.





I arrived knowing almost nothing at all about the island, other than what I had read on plane periodicals.





The Koh Samui airport is like something out of a story about arriving on a small tropical island.

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Turns out it is not ugly. View from the porch. Heading in for an evening dip to ry to cool off. The water out front is very warm. Maybe 30C. So it helps cool. If there is wind. Just a little bit.




Our group did a little research, but we mostly liked the idea of a house on the beach. Turns out this stretch of the island was a pretty good call. Quiet, but within walking distance of dinner options.






I wasn't ugly and the first sunset worked okay. We walked about a kilometer down the beach to the west and checked out a bunch of places to eat or drink. We ended up getting back to our place just as the sun was setting.






We ended up at Hug Samui, juts a few hundred yards to the east. There are way more eateries to the west, but Hug was pretty spot on. Cute place, good food, reasonable prices. And really close by.






Nothing opens early, and we did not stock up on much more than coffee and some eggs. Breakfast at 10am just up the beach. Nothing better than taking a dip while your parents finish their beverages.






We were lodged along Bang Po Beach. Not ideal for those who want to go out nightly and hit up some bars, or have ten weed shops to choose from (we only had two nearby). But perfect for those who want a few days beach relaxation, with plenty of eating options within a kilometer walk down a quiet beach. And if you want rinks, there was plenty of Chang and Singha available, along with cocktails. Just no craft beers.

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Our first full day was spent chilling. Our place had a SUP, and the water was warm.




I walked down the road to pick up a 6L bottle of water, and stopped for a pineapple juice at a beachside restaurant on my way home. Koh Samui is not cheap by SE Asian standards. This beverage cost a little over $2, which seemed a bit pricey compared to other places I've traveled. Perhaps the priciest thing would be taxi service. Some of our group heard to the grocery store maybe 2 miles away, and spent 500 Thai baht on transfers. Thats about $15, which is way more than you's pay in Singapore.







As I enjoyed my beverage, I watched this woman fishing the nearshore waters. The water does not get deep for some while. You can walk about 100 meters offshore before the water is even a meter deep. She was laying a net line, and then slowly circling it in.




You can locate the non lodging structures, because almost all of the locals will have a boat moored in out front.





For the next day, we traveled out to check out on of two elephant sanctuaries. First you learn to make "elephant sushi" and feed the animals from across a barrier. There are several reasons for this, but primarily so the handlers are sure that you know how to not harm the animals.




The refuge is not large. Just a few acres. It was the first in Koh Samui. They now have a second property that is quite a bit larger, and allows them to house male elephants as well. All of the elephants here have been rescued from either circus or work carrying tourists on their backs. Before that, many of them were involved in hauling timber until that was outlawed in 1989.






A visit to see these elephants in not cheap. It comes to about $90 per person. All that money gets funneled back into caring for these amazing animals. They are clearly quite intelligent, and have all led hard lives. These are by no means wild animals, but very well conditioned to humans.





Your fee gets you an introduction to the animals. You also prepare food for them, and learn about their diet. Once inside, you are guided around to different animals. Some solo, some in pairs. Each animal has its history. Some were abused by their previous owners, and have scars or lost vision. A few were quite timid for years, and one animals still spends all of her time alone.






Without a doubt, they are amazing beasts to behold up close. That trunk is really otherworldly. As are their feet. But most of interesting of all to me, was how they communed with you. Of course, you were holding their lunch, but they seemed to be very willing to have you up close, and touching their bodies - at least if you had a bunch of bananas.






Totally worth a visit and admission includes pick up and drop off from your location and a very nice vegetarian Thai lunch.

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We chilled in the afternoon, and then headed out for dinner. Down the beach.






There is a ton of lodging in Koh Samui. Enclosed resorts like the Four Seasons. Plenty of options near Fisherman's Village, Chaweng Beach or Lamei Beach. As well as elsewhere. Those three listed are busy centers with plenty of eateries, bars, weed shops, craft beer, adventure outfitters, and more. I can see the appeal for some, but I really enjoyed our quiet stretch along the eastern end of the north shore.






And the Blue Italian Soda was a hit with this guy over dinner.




Sunset antics.





The islands in the background are part of the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park. We will visit there the next day.





More antics.





While a lot of the beach front here is occupied by rental properties and restaurants, it is still an operating fishing port. The owner of the restaurant we ate in this night, Bang For Seafood, operates his own squid and fishing boats. He does purchase most of his fish from other fishermen, but he still goes out with a crew when certain fish are running. For sure worth visiting this eatery, even though I did not take an food pictures. We had a great meal here.

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I have a hard time getting pictures straight on my phone. But these are the 4-5 Koh Samui Islands. The one to the left is furthest south, named Ko Malaeng Pong. Moving left to right, Ko Mae Thap and Ko Chet Mun (they look like one island in this pic, hence the 4-5 Koh naming), Ko Din and finally Ko Thalu. None are inhabited, and they are just offshore of Koh Samui.




We took a boat tour for the day. It was marketed as a Semi Private Sunset Tour, but we were picked up from our house at 8:30AM and were out on the water before 9:30. So it was really an all day tour. We first headed north toward the National Park.




We ended up near the northern most islands in the park, where we anchored and then went for a paddle out on kayaks. I left my phone on board, but we paddled through a bunch of caves and eventually landed on a "beach". The tide was a bit too high to have any real beach, but it was a great swimming spot, with water ranging from a few centimeters to meter and half deep across a large area between islands.




Back on the boat, we headed further north to the island Ko Kha, where we stopped to snorkel. Again, no pictures, but it was pretty nice snorkeling. Not the clearest water in the world, with visibility about 2 meters, but a great selection of fish and corrals. Many brightly colored corrals were my highlight. Caves to snorkel through were pretty cool. As were the thousands of sea urchins and plentiful part fish. And the stingrays. All and all, a fun hour in the water, followed by a hearty lunch.




Then we headed back south into the park, to cruise around for a bit before our next stop.




We moored in the lagoon, and took the dingy ashore.





Te Lai Ne is a nice lagoon to swim in, and there is a place to get food and drink. But we came here to climb up to a high point and take in the view. What real positive about our tour, is we rarely ever saw other people. This is a popular stop, and our operator plans his day to avoid the crowds. We had heard about this place being packed with people on the steep stairs. Ours was the only group at this hour. Apparently it is popular in the morning, when the temperature is a bit cooler and people are fresh for adventure.




The high point is really not that high. And the treacherous, steep and long climb, was really none of those things. But it was still a great perch to take in the view.




And there was a cool lagoon to see inside the island.




Which turned out to be connected tot he ocean via underwater caves. So it is tidal. And has see life. We watched this sting ray zipping around.




The lagoon is a mix of fresh and salt water. Fresh water from the rains tends to sit atop the saltwater than enters through caverns with the tide. The difference in salinity is part of what gives the bright color.

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Just another beautiful view.





This place reminded me a bit of HaLong Bay. Still, it was different. Greener perhaps. Not as vertically inclined. But mostly limestone and islands.






Groups of fishing boats anchor together. Safety in numbers. These likely are crews sleeping the afternoon away, and fishing at night.




While at the beach we kayaked to, my kid went to dive under someone swimming and ran into some limestone. Showing off the injury, while I enjoy a Chang.







Our crew. The boat was nice. There was room for the 20 or so passengers to lounge about in the shade. And then some. Space to dine for everyone. And we enjoyed the bow once the sun started to get lower in the sky.





We were on the Red Dragon. This is the Blue Dragon, its sister boat. We could occasionally see the blue Dragon during our day, but we did not cruise together. Notice the very dirty burning diesel ferry in the background. Saw more than a few of those during our time in Koh Samui. When we saw the first one, I assumed a boat fire. Turns out these boats don't burn clean enough for California.




I call this one "Sugar High". There was all you could drink coffee, tea, soda and water onboard. Guess which this kid drank. This was after we enjoyed a nice stiff margarita (kids had virgin versions, where sugar replaced the alcohol) and a banana split.






As promised, sunset came. Starboard.






And port.






We exited and entered the only natural harbor on Koh Samui, which was up an estuary.






The boat lining the harbor were very colorful. While beautiful, I was happy to be on the Red Dragon.

[SB]

Excellent adventures!

[MyNameIsAugustWest]

I will be sad when this odyssey is over...been a real treat following your year. Thanks for sharing it with us!

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^^^^ I'm already a bit sad. Had no idea how much I would enjoy this year and how much it would effect me on so many levels. It has been such a fortunate year that has allowed so much travel. But really seeing, and living in Asia has changed my outlook profoundly. I've always loved Asian foods, but have learned and appreciated so much about many different cultures. A thing I could have never done with tourist travel alone. Living in Singapore has been great, and now I fully believe all Americans should live at least 6 months somewhere abroad. Almost a requirement.





The next day I split off from the group, rented a motorbike and toured around the island. This was my first picture, along the southern east shore. But I cruised through many of the beach communities along the east shore. Never stoped It was too crowded, and never really found a cool spot to pull over and hang out. Actually, this spot was just to check the map, but at least I was able to enjoy a roadside view of the water. Much of the area to the north was lined with endless shops, restaurants, hotels and other structures.






Bang Kao Beach was my first stop in the morning. Main because it was fully accessible. Free parking and a bit remote. I was able to get off he bike and walk around a little bit and drink some water.







As I was biking around, I considered circumnavigating the island. I had first planned to drive up and over the interior mountains, but the sky was looking heavy, and I did not want to get caught up on steep dirt roads during a rainstorm.





It was low tide and the water goes way out at Bang Kao. Way way out. If you look in the pano picture, you can also see there was only. one other person in site. A fisherman in the lagoon outside the mud flats and inside the exposed barrier reef. I would have loved to walk out a bit, but I then decided I was going to start heading into the mountains, at least as far as the Magic Garden. And I was unsure how much time that might take, so I was soon on my way.








My first stop was near Wang Sao Thong Waterfall. It was a 20 baht entrance fee (about 60 cents) so it was a no brainer as far as cost it concerned. Nice short hike through the jungle made me realizing my thongs were not the best show choice for this part of my day, but I survived. The road up to the point was all paved and quite steep in spots. With few other vehicles around, it made for some great riding. Much more fun than along the north coast which felt like a cross of city and highway driving, along with the general lack of road rules that is part of SE Asia.







While the rainy season has started, there has not been much rain yet, so after each storm, it drains pretty quickly. It had not rained much in theist few days, so the river was pretty dry. I could imagine how this cascade would look with way more water. Later in the day I took another hike to another waterfall that was jut as dry. I was down in the riverbed, and realized I was about halfway down a 100 meter set of falls, and atop what would have been a 50 meter straight drop. Kind of crazy that the trails lead you directly to these places with no warning.







What at first looked like some litter turned out to me several offerings. From what I was able to gather from the gentlemen who was collecting the parking fee is that these are offerings to the river god. I believe he was also telling me there are believed to be spirits in the tree pictured. My Thai is horrible and his English very basic, so for sure this could have all been fabricated in my head.








After a bit more climbing, up even steeper and narrower roads, I got tot he Hidden Garden. My group had hired an SUV for the day, and were also embarking on a through island adventure. I saw these two groups and wondered about y family. I get a bit of motion sickness when traveling on bumpy, winding roads with erratic driving, so I was pretty stoked to be on the bike. I also enjoy getting out on my own and traveling at my own pace.






The Tarnim Magic Garden is a bit odd. It is place built by a famous durian farmer. Khun Nam Thongsuk earned his wealth by pioneering new methods for growing durian, which is like the gold fruit of the region. If you do not know durian, it is a large spiky fruit, with interior pods that are sweet and custard like in texture. It is most know for its odor, which I can best describe as rotting produce. It is highly values, and hard to transport. Most airlines will not allow you to bring one on, and there is a significant fine for bringing one onto public transportation in Singapore. Singaporean prefer the very ripe version. The is an acquired taste. I prefer the lest ripe variety they eat in Thailand. Still a big step for most people from other parts of the world, but it is really surprisingly delicious if you can ignore that rotting produce odor you burp you for the next few days.






Anyway, Thongsuk used his wealth to build the Magic Garden. He would travel daily form his home near the coast to his durian plantation high in the mountains and found the places along the way to be spiritually fulfilling. He decided to create a space to share this feeling with others.






You can visit the tomb where he and his wife are buried. He decided he would like to spend his eternity here.





I took plenty more pictures of this place, but it is hard to fathom. When I was down here, I saw just a few other people, although they can get several hundred visitors a day this time of year. It has become a spot to visit in Koh Samui, and it is the highest location on the south side of the island that is easily accessible. From here on, the road became more of a challenge. Even steeper and narrower. Sections of paved double track, where going off the side was not an option. I rarely saw other vehicles over the top, but once after a steep double track climb, as I peaked, I saw a jeep approaching. Had they arrived 20 seconds earlier, I am not sure what the options would have been. It would have been close to impossible to stop my bike and not fall backwards down the hill. You can not drive off the pavement, and you can not drive around the jeep. I am just glad I never had to figure that one out.

[Ottime]

Some exception motorbiking later, I found myself at Pra Buddha Dipankara. This place is pretty remote and I shared the entire space. with just three others. This temple does not seem to get much use due to its location, but Dipankara attained enlightenment many ages before Gautama, and is important to the Thai. The pagoda sits a bit below the Buddha.





The upper part of the temple includes a Buddha and two bodhisattva, along with the twelve animals of the zodiac.






This is a rare example of a standing Dipankara Buddha





The temple is at the high point of Koh Samui, at about 634 meters. The view to the norths unobstructed from the temple and the air up here was a few degrees coolers than down on the coast.




I need to figure out more about these guys, but they were for sure interesting. One of the challenges of exploring on your own, without a (good) guide, is that much remains a mystery.






The roads and route finding (thank you internet mapping systems) continues to be a fun challenge. Much of the road at this point was just eroded dirt fire roads. I once locked up my rear tire for a second, and that was interesting. But for the most part, I feel like I have exceptional motorbike skills after my ventures this past year.







I hit up another waterfall. Khun Is Waterfall to be exact. No parking fee, but you past a woman who has beverages for sale. Please buy a 10 baht water from her, or even more, if you come this way. You are literally parking at her front door, and there is no charge for that. But buying a bottle of water will give her family income. On my way back out, I decide to stop for lunch at the place I passed on my way way in (its a kilometer in/out section to get tot he waterfall hike).





I really can not say enough about this place. Delicious pineapple juice for starters. Lemongrass straw. He makes his own ice, but brings in bottled water to make the ice and wash his vegetables. So you can actually eat the raw food he serves. And Suwan is an amazing host and speaks perfect English. He has created a lovely place up her to eat, drink and hangout. They even offer cooking classes overlooking the jungle ravine.





So much attention has been placed on creating this space. Hanging air plants for starters. There is only seating for four groups. Two high tops in the covered bar, and two platforms (one covered) with divans and a small table between them. You can come and lounge and chill.






And the food. I ordered the Thai Fried Basil. So good. Traditional, with pork, and a fried egg on top. I thought I was just getting some food in me at a great location, but I had a wonderfully delicious meal, good conversation and prices cheaper than being on the beach. The beer was even ice cold and and a few baht more than buying at 7-11.






After a long exciting descent that including many ups and downs, I was finally back on pavement. I passed through a long stretch of rubber tree plantation. My previous travels informed me of what I was seeing, and that was kind of fun knowing I've learned a thing or two this past year.





Back near home, I swung into the night market as it was starting to open up. I did buy a delicious creme filled donut for 10 baht. Crazy cheap compared to a California donut.







It was not just about donuts. While Koh Samui can feel pricey, the fruit is still reasonably pried. I picked up two mangos and a dragon fruit for 100 baht. I could do the same in Singapore, but I would need to shop around for those prices. I do enjoy walking around various markets and seeing how each place manages their sales.





These markets felt a bit more tame than Siem Reap. Somewhere between that and Singapore. At least this fish was on ice at one point.