Cambodia: Siem Reap

Cambodia. I already want to return! While I say this about most places that I visit, Cambodia surprised me. Cambodia had been on my Southeast Asia bucket list ever since I moved to Myanmar and I knew that I needed to make a visit happen before my journey took me off the continent.

I spent 12 days in Cambodia and visited four towns/cities. Cambodia is a small country, but even so, this is a fast trip! It was the time I had and I’m so glad I did it. I was amazed everyday by this beautiful country and met with smiles and help from its friendly people. The downsides of this pace are: I wanted to stay longer everywhere I went, I didn’t have flexibility to explore other spots and I had to spend a little more money to make transit happen faster.

Night Market

Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Some folks visit Cambodia and only see Siem Reap. It’s a happening little town, but the real draw here is Angkor Wat, the ancient remains of the Khmer civilization with numerous temples of Hindu and Buddhist origin. One traveler told me that in her book of one hundred places to see before you die that Angkor was number one. I’ve visited a lot of ruins and temples in the Americas and Asia and Angkor absolutely blew me away. I’ll share a few pictures here, but the cliché phrase “they don’t do it justice” has never been truer.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat.

The stone engravings' details are incredible.

Faces in the stone at Angkor Thom

One thing to keep in mind is that the entry to this historical zone is expensive and you will probably want to arrange transit as well. It’s hot and you will be walking and climbing at all the sites, so I recommend a tuk-tuk to whisk you around. A big decision that I wasn’t prepared for at five in the morning was whether to buy a one-day, three-day or seven-day pass. I settled on the three-day and was happy that I did as my second day revealed even more marvels than the first. As I said above, I definitely could have spent more time here!

I love the way the lichen and stone colors blend together.

Mother nature takes over.

Trying to capture the expanse of it all in a photo...

My days visiting Angkor involved a four in the morning alarm clock with a departure a half hour later in order to see the sunrise. Then I explored, wandered and wondered at the marvel of it all! I would arrive back to my hotel about eleven, just as the heat was really picking up, swim, nap and eat before heading back out to take in more. Check out the videos of my transport below!

Where I ate:

Great gluten free and vegan options are available in Cambodia! I was delighted to discover that this was a pretty easy country to find food that worked for me. I did stick to more foreigner-friendly eating establishments, but there are lots of healthy options, some local dishes do work and there was a lot of great international cuisines as well.

There are a plethora of options for all tastes and budgets. One highlight was gluten free Italian at La Pasta. This restaurant is READY for customers with dietary limitations, they offer gluten free pasta and vegan cheeses and the servers are knowledgeable of ingredients and cross-contamination.

It's not often that I get to eat Italian food at a real Italian restaurant.

I tasted a Khmer Coconut Curry at Navutu Dreams. Navutu is a swanky resort, but a friend who used to live in Siem Reap gave me the tip that if you go for yoga class, then you can stay and enjoy the THREE pools and gardens all day. After a few days of exploring temples and hiking around, this was a relaxing and revitalizing pause. 

Yoga space at Navutu

Khmer coconut curry... served in a coconut!

Perfect for a dip after yoga.

Not pictured (proabably because I gobbled up my food so quickly): Tasty dosas and South Indian cuisine at The Indian and coffee with homemade nut milks at ARTillery Cafe.

Phare, the Cambodian Circus:

In my opinion, it would be an absolute shame to visit Siem Reap and miss Phare. This circus provides opportunities for Cambodian Youth and the performers put on a sensational show with circus arts, live visual art, dance, music and a look at Cambodian history. A must do.

Where I stayed: 

One of the benefits of visiting Cambodia is that it is less touristy than some other SE Asia destinations. It's not exactly off the beaten track, but I did find great value. Remember, June is "green season" (monsoon), so visiting at an off time also helps the budget.

I had a lovely room at Frangipani Villa Hotel. It's about a 10 minute walk from the busy center so it's a quiet spot. The pool and patios are gorgeous and the buffet breakfast has lots of options! 

Relaxing between Angkor visits.

Feeling like a princess in my room.

I know it's been a minute between blog posts... Stay tuned for more Cambodia stories and then follow me into Europe...

Spring Break 2015: Taiwan!

Okay, okay, it's fair to say that I don't update my blog quite as often as many bloggers. I do take it seriously, though! I would like to do more frequent posts but many linger way too long in draft form as my perfectionist tendencies obstruct me from pushing that orange "publish" button (thanks, Dad!)... or the slow Myanmar internet makes uploading photos painful... or, real life: more traveling(!), work, friends or a combination of all of the above gets in the way. 

So here's an old story... but still a good one! Listen:

For spring break last year, which falls on Thingyan (Burmese New Year), I decided to venture to Taiwan. I had been curious about this country ever since I had a loooong layover there in 2012 on the way to Bali to get my yoga teacher certification. 

To start the red eye flight out of Yangon wasn't really long enough to get good sleep on and the layover in Hong Kong broke up the night. I was very grateful that my school's Chinese teacher was on the same flight and her friend had offered to pick us up at the airport. We zoomed in to Taipei on super modern roads and it occurred to me that I hadn't been in a developed country like this one since I'd left the US nine months earlier. My colleague's friend insisted on treating us to a multi-course seafood lunch and then they helped me get my pass to ride public transport. 

My dear Leslie had connected me with Rachael and her friends, who are teachers in Taiwan, so not only did I have a sweet place to stay in Taichung, but I also had the inside scoop on the country. With just over a week, I didn't want to run all over the island trying to see everything, so I know there are other great spots for another trip. However, I did see Taipei, Taichung, Sun Moon Lake and I found a lot of time to wander, discover art, make my way through tiny alleyways and just soak up the sun on walks (and do homework... remember this time last year I was working away on my teaching certification). A less planned and non-hectic travel pace is definitely what I was looking for on this trip.

I started my tour in Taipei, where I walked the city streets day and night, had some amazing coffees, visited lots of shops and markets and took in some of the sites. Rachael even joined me for the weekend, so I had a friend to go around with!

Street near my hostel in Taipei

Busy Taipei night scene

Taipei Temple

Dragon details on temple

Does the sky look gray to you? Taipei reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. It was rainy and gray while I was there. It's a modern city and I thought about my time in Seattle and Portland a lot while visiting.  

Me at the temple

Temple offerings

After a long weekend of shopping, walking, catching up with Rachael and only seeing a bit of Taipei (so much to see and do!), Rachael and I headed south to Taichung. We were both enrolled in Teach Now's certification program and we had Sunday evening virtual classes to log into! Rachael's roommates were waiting for us with homemade chili and her dogs greeted us with tail wags and kisses. 

After class and a sleep, I was ready to explore Taichung! The city is modern, but it has done an excellent job of integrating art and green space into its urban city spaces. 

Taichung has a lot of green space built in to the city. Love that color!

Coffee was in order and Rachael recommended the grooviest spot!

One of the coolest coffee shops I've visited - second floor made of glass.

I had homework for my course, but I also had lots of time to explore the city. I spent most of my time walking and wandering. In the evenings, I caught up with the teachers, enjoyed great vegetarian food (thank you all again for your hospitality!) and got tips for the next day. This was definitely the most challenging country that I have visited in terms of language barrier and being able to eat (I'm allergic to gluten, dairy and eggs and I don't eat meat).

Twisty tree branches in Taichung

I can't read what it says, but it is pretty!

Night market shopping

Night market food -not vegetarian friendly!

Nepalese food after exploring the Taichung night market.

One day I took a trip out to Sun Moon lake. This pretty spot has different ferry stops which allow you to take in the views, look at the temples, hike, take a gondola and just take in the ambience. 

First ferry ride of the day, coffee in hand!

the lake

View from one of my walks

Gondola ride selfie!

Path to the temple

Lots of steps to get to the top...

Entrance to the temple, elephants for dad!

A turtle picture for my sister

The view was worth the climb. :)

After a long day of exploring, I was ready to head back to my home away from home. Who wouldn't love returning to these two?

A ball of Lola

Vivi, ever hopeful, in the kitchen

Dog park near my "home" for the week

My last weekend was spent in Taipei. I visited the hills just outside the city, taking another gondola up to sample tea, walk and take in more views.

I decided to experiment with a new type of hostel: the cube. Basically you rent a sleeping cube in a room full of lots of cubes. You get a locker for your stuff, clean sheets, a shared bathroom and a place to lay your head. It was okay, but I don't know if I'd do it again...

My cube for a night

Last rainy night shot of Taipei

I hope to return to Taiwan someday and see more!

This Thingyan break is longer, just the way the holiday falls, so I have a full two weeks off of school. I'm headed to Vietnam to continue my explorations of Southeast Asia and to get some more practice trekking (Camino de Santiago, I am coming your way this June!).

In other travel news, I just purchased flights to Spain and will be there for most of June and July. Details of my trip are still coming into focus, but I am beyond excited to be returning - I don't think I have been back to visit since 2009.

These are two upcoming trips and teasers for future posts! :)

What I'm reading:

• Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Siddhartha - Herman Hesse
• Human Dark with Sugar - Brenda Shaughnessy (poetry fix, thanks Y!)

Just finished:

• We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (re-reading and re-watching this one. If you haven't seen it, go here as soon as you can)
• Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk (not my favorite of his and not for the faint of heart or stomach...)

A Week in Chiang Mai with the Class of 2018!

One of my favorite parts of my job is taking experiential education trips each year. In the past, I have helped organize and lead trips around the Pacific Northwest, Mexico, Washington DC and last year's finale at Eastside Prep: Cuba.

My new school groups students together by grade level and I was excited to find out that I would be accompanying the 9th grade and 3 other teacher-chaperones to Chiang Mai, Thailand. We worked with Traidhos, which is an awesome organization and school, should you ever need a host for a school trip in SE Asia.

Day 1: Traveling 
It took most of Sunday to get to Traidhos due to a layover in Bangkok. Still, we were all excited to be traveling. The students went crazy for fast-food chains and duty free shops during the stop (none of those items are available in Myanmar...yet).

Passport, Boarding Pass, Coffee = 3 of my Favorite Things!

Traidhos welcomed us with a barbecue and bonfire after we settled into our apartments.

Day 2: Team-Building and Ropes on Campus

One of the goals for the week was to help the students gel as a group. This first day of low ropes and challenge activities required the students to work together and think creatively and critically to solve problems. It's really fun to sit back and watch them grapple with these challenges.

Challenge #1: Get ALL students up to the platform.

They did it and in record time!

Low ropes challenge course.

The next challenge was an especially interesting one. Students received ropes, plastic barrels and an oar. They had to create a raft to cross the river and each take a turn rowing across to retrieve a scroll. The first team to collect all scrolls, wins.

Figuring out how to keep the raft together. 

I survey the teams working from a nearby bridge. 

Paddling towards the scrolls!

Staying dry was a challenge!

And in case you'd still like an idea of what kind of experience these kids were having, here's a quick video clip. My job is entertaining on a day-to-day basis, but events like these stand out.

The day ended with the long-awaited trip to the Chiang Mai night market, full of art, clothes, souvenirs, food. Thai markets are the best I've seen in Asia. Who knows? Maybe I will bring you a souvenir from here...

My co-chaperone shows off her market spoils!

Day 3: Market and Elephant Nature Park

Our next day began with a road trip out to the Elephant Nature Park. It is a ways outside of town, so we stopped at a local market on the way. 

Thai desserts

Lots of snacks!

Chilies and spices.

Why are there pink and green eggs? I don't know, but they are pretty. 

A variety of insects... want to try?

After a long morning drive, we arrived to the Elephant Nature Park. This is an amazing spot and the owner really cares about the elephants and has invested a lot (time, energy, money) into creating this space for the animals. You can stay and volunteer at the park, or at the nearby cat and dog shelter. If you are looking for a place to live and volunteer for awhile, either of these would be wonderful options!

We received a lot of information about the elephants at the park and most are there because of injuries from humans. The park has only one rule - they don't use the traditional hook when caring for the elephants. 

Feeding the elephants!

Does it look like she is waving?

Our next stop was the river, where, yes, we got to bathe the elephants!

View of the park from the restaurant.

Group pic by the river.

Mama and baby

We returned back to a Thai arts and crafts lesson.

Painting umbrellas

Decorating paper lanterns

Evening Muay Thai lesson

Days 4-5: Biking, Kayaking and Boat House
Our next day began with a bike ride through the Thai countryside. We rode by farms, small houses and out to the edge of a national park. It was beautiful! I don't have more pictures to share because I'm not very good at biking and doing another activity, like snapping shots, at the same time.

Biking to the lake

Temple rest stop

Resting and lunch by the lake

Beginning our kayak journey!

It took about two hours of rowing to get to the boat house inn. We stopped to jump out of the boats and swim and cool off. Unfortunately, one of the students lost his Go Pro camera... But, we all made it to the small hotel and restaurant where we would stay the night. We jumped off of the diving boards, swam, ate a homemade Thai meal and played games before calling it an early night.

View from the boathouse

Playing at the boat house

Sunrise

After a short motor boat trip out of the park, we traveled to a small village to participate in community service. We worked to continue building a new school building. The students worked diligently, kept great attitudes despite the hot conditions and hard work. 

The new school will have four rooms.

Mixing cement

Slow, but steady, progress

Group shot at the end of our workday 

After we returned to campus, we had a short break to rest and clean up. Unbelievably, it was already time for our last night's activities! We had a special Thai dinner, followed by dancing, music and fire-blowing! The highlight for the students was releasing the lanterns that they had previously constructed. 

Traditional Thai dancing and music

More dancers

Fire throwing...

And fire-blowing!

Countdown to lantern release

Watching it float away

Are you thinking what I was thinking? As the daughter and sister of wildland firefighters, I wondered, "Isn't this a fire hazard?" I asked our group leader and he explained that when the lanterns burn out they are very high above ground and that any flame is completely extinguished by the time they return to earth. 

Day 6: Goodbye

Our last day was a travel day back to Yangon. The kids were sad for their adventure to end, but we were happy to return them to their awaiting parents upon arrival. 

What I'm reading: I just finished Tina Fey's Bossypants (Yes, laugh out loud funny!) and The Great Gatsby (I'm not sure how I got through high school English without reading that one... but I did!).

Where I'm typing: I'm finishing this post in Hong Kong - I have a long layover on my way back to Yangon from Taipei! Yay for great fast free wifi!