Tenasserim Hills

Kanchanaburi Province

Thailand

April 6, 2019

On a holiday weekend, the Erawan National Park is a favorite for Thai families and groups of friends. (Erawan is the Thai word that refers to the Hindu myth Airavata or Airawana in Sanskrit.)

Children of all ages swim in the natural pools beneath the many waterfalls, young adults climb the seven levels of the steep walkways to the top of the mountain, and family groups relax and spread out their picnic lunch.

In this life I tried for the third level.  Unfortunately, after two and a half, I received signals from my right knee that “enough is enough.”   Perhaps in my next life I’ll make it up the seven.

In comparison, it was an easy climb from the parking lot up the steel staircase to the trestle of The Bridge

Nakhon Pathom (50 km west of Bangkok)

Nakhon Pathom Province

Thailand

April 25, 2019

Hello,

My girlfriend Jenjira (Ooy) and I climb the steps to pay our respects to a tall standing Buddha inside the Pathom Ma Chedi.  At 120 meters (394 feet), the bell-shaped Chedi or stupa is the tallest stupa in Thailand. 

Thai people are here to pray.  Young couples pray for fertility.  Lovely aromas of lotus flowers and burning incense fill the air.

Kampong Cham City (pop 45,000)

Kampong Cham Province (pop 950,000)

Kingdom of Cambodia or Kampuchea (pop 15 million)

January 30, 2019

I visit two special sites in Central Cambodia. 

One ancient, for sure. 

One modern, sort of.

Kampong Thom (pop 32,000)

Kampong Thom Province

Cambodia

January 27, 2019

Hello from Central Cambodia,

I visited two Buddhist sites here in Kampong Thom.

Phnom Santuk is a cultural and natural site located in Ko Koh village, Ko Koh commune, Santuk district, about 17 kilometers south of the Kampong Thom provincial town.  

The ancient carvings and the modern pagoda are located on the top of the mountain.  (I learned in my research that the Khmer word “phnom” means “mountain.”)

Shall I climb the 800+ steps to the summit?  Or just take a taxi.

Kampong Thom City

Capital City

Kampong Thom Province

Cambodia

January 26, 2019

Less than an hour’s drive from Kampong Thom in Central Cambodia lies the UNESCO World Heritage Site - The Temple Zone Sambor Prei Kuk, Archeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura.

I visited the site with my friend Howard.  We strolled among the temples for several hours.

I have two distinct impressions of this site.

First is the age of this site. 

Archeologists agree that the temples were built in the late Sixth to early Seventh Centuries.  This complex is at least two hundred years older than the first temples at Angkor Wat, one of the most famous sites in Southeast Asia.

My second impression is the detail. 

I look closely at the decorations on the temples, the 1300-year-old decorations!   UNESCO calls the sculptures and reliefs “true masterpieces.”

Phnom Vor Village School

Phnom Vor

Kep Province

Cambodia

January 24, 2019

Who can resist the charm of the schoolchildren in the rural community of Phnom Vor Village?

Attentive, curious, serious and ever so friendly, the young girls and boys are totally delightful.

In the early and late afternoon, the children of all ages attend English classes that are taught by the local teachers.