Leaving Thailand...
On my last morning in Pattaya, I was approached by several street vendors who were selling boot-legged DVD copies of Mission Impossible III for two bucks. Amazingly, they also had preview copies of the Da Vinci Code available for the same price. Incredibly, that movie hasn't even opened yet, and it's already been ripped off! Hollywood has a right to be complaining.
A quick observation at the Bangkok airport: You could easily walk for five hundred feet or more without seeing any place to toss your trash. Very strange in such a modern airport.
In Cambodia: Getting through immigration at the airport in Siem Reap was faster than it had been when I first entered the country down in Phnom Penh about seven weeks ago. I checked into a hotel that had been recommended by Grant and Cathy, the honeymooning couple that I had hung out with in Hanoi. Last night, I saw an hour-long shadow puppet show put on by some local performers and shared dinner with three folks from Melbourne who were attending a conference in Phnom Penh. Today, I went over to finally check out the magnificent Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. The former is the largest religious buildling in the world. I was surprised to discover that the buildings at Angkor actually blended Hinduism and Buddhism. There were many impressive sculptures and wall murals of both Buddha and the Hindu gods. All this time, I had thought that the entire focus of the place was strictly Buddhist. I'm sure that there will be other surprises.
When I first visited the Taj Mahal in 1988, I became acutely aware that pictures can never fully capture the immense beauty of that structure. I had that same reminder today when I visited Angkor Wat. It's so overwhelming that it truly takes your breath away. I plan to get up very early tomorrow so that I can experience the sun rising behind the temples. From what others have been telling me, it's supposed to be unforgettable. More later...
A quick observation at the Bangkok airport: You could easily walk for five hundred feet or more without seeing any place to toss your trash. Very strange in such a modern airport.
In Cambodia: Getting through immigration at the airport in Siem Reap was faster than it had been when I first entered the country down in Phnom Penh about seven weeks ago. I checked into a hotel that had been recommended by Grant and Cathy, the honeymooning couple that I had hung out with in Hanoi. Last night, I saw an hour-long shadow puppet show put on by some local performers and shared dinner with three folks from Melbourne who were attending a conference in Phnom Penh. Today, I went over to finally check out the magnificent Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom. The former is the largest religious buildling in the world. I was surprised to discover that the buildings at Angkor actually blended Hinduism and Buddhism. There were many impressive sculptures and wall murals of both Buddha and the Hindu gods. All this time, I had thought that the entire focus of the place was strictly Buddhist. I'm sure that there will be other surprises.
When I first visited the Taj Mahal in 1988, I became acutely aware that pictures can never fully capture the immense beauty of that structure. I had that same reminder today when I visited Angkor Wat. It's so overwhelming that it truly takes your breath away. I plan to get up very early tomorrow so that I can experience the sun rising behind the temples. From what others have been telling me, it's supposed to be unforgettable. More later...
posted by Chuck Hillig | 3:09 AM
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