Cultural Blending

One of my favorite terms is "cultural blending" -- that lovely mishmash when various cultures are thrust together and somehow coexist.  Cultural Blending is more meaningful if there is good food in the mix.  And that would be Georgetown on the island of Penang, Malaysia.  Penang was the waterway between Asia's two halves and the outlet to the markets of Europe and the Middle East.  Today the preserved old town is a fascinating mix of alleys & shops.  And the food:  Penang is the food capital of Malaysia.

I arrived after 2 long mini bus rides from Ao Nang.  It is a bit funny -- you give your ticket to the driver who picks you up.  From there on out you have no paperwork & just trust that they will remember "one lady to Penang."  I had to switch buses in Hat Yai:  "sit there and wait" were the polite directions.  But eventually driver #2 arrived:  "Penang" and off the bus went, crossed the border, and eventually he left me at the corner of my street:  Love Lane.

I had dinner at a food court.  And this was no regular food court:  this was cultural blending at its best.  Name a country -- there was food.  Name a beverage -- there it was.  Maybe 30+ stalls waiting to make your order.  The only stall that I could easily pass:  FAMOUS PENANG FISH HEAD CURRY.  The burger place had crabs steamed, salted, and with black pepper.  And the music in the background:  Louis Armstrong's It's A Wonderful World.  The place was crowded and almost no tourists.  Fun.

Alas no pictures -- the rains, well, they are sort of like floods.  So the camera is packed away for awhile.

Sun and Sand!

I spent a lazy day trying to stay out of the sun.  Yikes!  I let myself play in the water for 15 minutes and even that left me with a pink tinge after sunscreen!  The rest of the time, like most of the tourists here, I jammed up against the tropical foliage at the bottom of the cliffs.  For some reason there are not beach umbrellas to rent....you can make a fortune.

Tomorrow, on my last day in Thailand,  I am taking a snorkeling trip with a scuba shop so hope to spend more time in the water and see even greater variety of fish and maybe some healthy coral.

Then, it is off to Malaysia.

This area is known for rock climbing...

I can highly recommend these pancakes...called roti...a bit like a crepe.
My favorites are Lemon + Sugar (not at this stand) and Banana + Nutella.

Phi Phi Island

Off to enjoy the beach lifestyle.  Along with a zillion others.  Certainly the islands are lovely; the water amazing; the sand soft and powdery.  The standard tours include a couple of chances to snorkel and it was fun to be in the water....the fish were all sizes and colors.

But the crowds.  Too much for me.

Everybody is going to the beach!

Muslim gals at the beach

BLUE SKY

I do believe it has been more than 2 months since I have enjoyed a really sunny day -- with blue skies & puffy white clouds.  All that has changed here in Ao Nang (south Thailand, west coast,  near Krabi) -- and I feel like I am on vacation.  Warm and humid; gentle breezes; lapping waves; soft sand and cool waters:  what is not to love?  OK the crowds.

I will be here a few days -- and start off with a snorkeling trip tomorrow to Phi Phi Island.

Bangkok Scene

I had a last day in Bangkok.  Wandered around China Town and Little India.  I picked out a pair of flip flops to buy but OH SORRY, 6 pair minimum.  No way.

This morning (early) I was trudging to the local bus station to catch an airport bus.  The going rate for a cab to the domestic airport is $40 US or so -- definitely made the local bus a great option at $1 US.  You just have to trust the bus will actually come!  It did.  I am now enjoying the hedonistic pleasures of Thailand's beach scene!

But this morning, I stumbled on the local Alms Ceremony.  In pairs the monks stood off to the edge of the sidewalk (away from the street).  Local pedestrians saw the monks; quickly went to the ubiquitous street food stalls; bought a meal and made their donation.  It was amazing to watch!

In a few places individuals were 4-5 deep in line to make the donation.  They stood silently and prayed; when it was their turn -- the food went in the bowl and they knelt down.  The monk gave some sort of blessing and then the donor got up and went on with their day.

I was struck by how many pedestrians stopped & stood patiently to make a food donation.  Making merit.

The monks got a nice selection of food & yes, the street hawkers made a bit of money!

No pictures, alas, the camera was tucked in my backpack.  And it felt in a way, too intrusive.  From me the Monk Stalker!!

Back to Thailand

I crossed the Mekong River for the last time on this trip -- big & wide & rolling -- it forms the border with Thailand.

Crossing the border was easy--take the Thai Lao International Friendship Bus from the Vientiane bus station.  The Friendship Bridge is about 15 miles from the capital.  The bus drops everyone to check out of Laos & then you climb back on the bus.  Then you drive across the river and enter Thailand; the bus drops you to do Thai immigration. Finally you climb back on and go to the Central Bus Station.  All told about 90 minutes and $2 dollars.

Thailand -- nice to be back where the folks are friendly and the food is delicious.  And pictures of the King hang EVERY WHERE.

I opted to try a train for the overnight journey to Bangkok.  I had booked a 2nd class A/C sleeper for about $25.00.  The train left on time; the bed was absolutely comfortable; and we arrived in downtown Bangkok 10 hours later.  Sweet.

Looking at Laos across the Mekong River

Some sort of fortune telling --
you shake the tin of sticks and the first one to fall out -- they read whatever is on the stick.

The Train -- so much better than a bus!!

Vientiane Laos

Another bus ride--this one during day from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, the capital city.  The terrain of northern Laos is incredibly rugged with steep hillsides, cascading water, and limestone cliffs.  As we descended to the plains the road improved a bit.  But overall, the 340 miles took 9 hours + 3 stops (lunch and comfort).  I really felt jostled upon arrival.

The trip did give me a chance to see some of the countryside and to remember that most Laotians live a precarious life in heart breaking poverty.  Small towns literally clung to the hillside by the side of the road; vegetable plots were squeezed into whatever flat space could be found.  Unfortunately the air quality was poor so the potentially incredible mountain vistas were hazed out.

A day in Vientiane.  A rainy day!  Surprise.  But I trudged around and can honestly say this is the dumpiest and dirtiest capital city I have ever visited.  No energy.  Just a very placid and casual pace.  And really, very little to see.

Luggage goes on top of the mini van and 17 passengers (2 kids on laps) go inside.

Hillsides were burning in several sections.  I also so farmers burning smaller plots of land.  No wonder the air is gray.

Towns clinging to the hillsides.  

One of the most significant issues facing Laos is that of UXOs:  Unexploded Ordinances from the "secret war" the US waged between 1964-1973.  If US bombers could not find their targets in Vietnam -- well, come on over to Laos and dump them.  We also attempted to interrupt sections of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.  The result was 2 million tons of ordinance dropped on Laos.  And up to a third of "bombies" or "cluster bombs" did not denote and litter the country side.  So, in a country where 70% of the population is food insecure (really really hungry) large swathes of land are unusable.  Bombs continue to explode today -- and every year there are 100+ casualties.

COPE makes high-tech, low-cost artificial limbs for victims & other Lao citizens needing rehab.

Pataxui Monument.  The Asian version of the Arc de Triomphe.
Story goes that cement donated in 1969 by the US for the airport was used....hence the Vertical Runway nickname.

Luang Prabang

A few final days in Luang Prabang.

I decided to go again to the Morning Alms Ceremony -- this time as an observer rather than a participant.  I find it very moving -- the monks who walk & the faithful who cook and prepare the food.  Yes, there is an element of tourism in a few places but off the main stretch there sit only the faithful, every day, with baskets of sticky rice they prepared to drop into the food bowls.

The "donors" give to everyone; one can not pick and choose if you happen to know the monk.  Also, neighbors might support a monastery and provide additional food; so a more balanced diet can be obtained.  Everything is completely donated by choice.  And the Monks only "get" what is freely given.

The whole Ceremony is in complete silence & no eye contact is willingly made.  When the final monk walks past, everyone gets up and goes on their way.  And everyone is dressed in their finest.  And this happens everyday at 6am.  Imagine.

Hundreds of monks participate in the Alms Ceremony every morning.

These women waited patiently for the monks to arrive.  (The woman in blue was knitting.)
The line comes a few at a time, usually in age order.
I especially like the young boy who sat still with his hands together for the entire process.

I also spent time speaking English with young people eager for "English Practice."  I went twice for several hours and it was really fun to talk with them about Laos and answer questions about the US.   One of the students was studying engineering and I got to help him practice with such everyday winners like:  water purification plant and storm sewer.  And to help him understand that engineers do not build to "control" earthquakes but to "withstand" them.  So fun.

A local organization that writes, translates, distributes and generally promotes literacy.  English practice is offered daily.

Oh yummy

I don't even want to know how cook these critters....

Pak Ou Cave

Located 25 km up the Mekong from Luang Prabang, the Pak Ou Caves are set in the dramatic limestone cliffs above the river.  The Caves had been an active "temple" long before their discovery in the 1850s.  The nooks and crannies of the Caves are jam packed with Buddha images with more being added every year.

I opted for the boat ride (rather than a tuk-tuk) to get to the Caves.  It was fun to see life along the Mekong -- the river lifeline that threads through several south east Asian countries.  I was surprised at the current in sections, but, the river is descending from the mountains...

I expect to have a full taste of happiness.

Boats are nothing but work....everywhere in the world!

River Fueling Station Sign.

River Trip includes a stop at a local village -- sip some Lao Whiskey, um, Wine.
Watch the women weave amazing silk scarves.  Try not to buy. Buy.

A little sweet and a little nasty.  You won't see this at Trader Joe's any time soon!

The dock.  

Whirlpools and rapids.  Typical aid to navigation marks, were, plastic bottles and bamboo logs.
No one travels along the Mekong at night!

Tiny cubby in the cave.  Some of it was too dark & alot of the images are quite old & musty looking.

Lucky Lucky

Today I set out to have a Lucky Lucky Day.

It started early as I decided to go to the Alms Giving Ceremony.  Buddhist monks walk the streets barefoot each morning with bowls.  The faithful donate rice or other food items into the bowls.  No words are spoken.  The monks line up and walk quietly -- those donating try to get a few grains of rice or a banana into each bowl.

Through out this trip I have been a "monk stalker" -- trying to capture pictures of them in daily scenes --  so I thought today I would arise and be a "faithful" donor.  Donated food is all the monks will eat each day.  They have 2 meals:  breakfast and lunch.  No food is eaten after mid day.  I had gone once to a Monk Chat and a young Monk described the schedule:  up at 4am to meditate, walk the streets,  breakfast, school, lunch, more studies and then evening mediation.  When asked about not eating in the evening -- he just looked at us and said:  I am always hungry.  Well, no wonder!

I walked to one of the larger Temples & the rice sellers were out hawking early.  I bought rice and a basket of fruit & crackers.  And then the Monks just appeared down the street and walked in a measured pace.  And believe me, sticky rice is hard to pull apart and drop into their bowls very quickly.  I bought more rice as they kept coming--quietly with eyes down cast.  And then, all done.

A contented start to my Lucky Lucky Day!

My Sticky Rice & a bowl of fruits and cookies.

Here is the view from the donor's mat!

I plan to give this flavor combo a pass!

Wat Ho Pho Bang -- home to the Pha Bang for which the city is named.
It is an 83 cm tall gold alloy Buddha (no pictures allowed) -- and it arrived in the City in 1512

Oh, and when you need to move your satellite dish...any tuk-tuk will do!

Temples & More

A day of wandering -- looking down alleys, in and out of temples, and enjoying the sleepy sultry atmosphere of Luang Prabang.

The Temple I visited today was Wat Xieng Thong -- centered on a 1560 sim (chapel) with the roof swept low to the ground.  The gold fronted building is Hohng Kep Mien and is the garage for the huge golden funeral urn used for Lao royalty.