wanderlust

2009-07-04T09:40:00.001-07:00

LAO HERITAGE AND WAT LAO RATTANARAM

THE SOUND of drums is loud enough to rattle my bones and shake my thoughts. Their sounds reverberate and bound through a hectic foyer past bulletin boards that once held potluck announcements and choir practice schedules. Where I stand, in this entrance, it all feels out of place – here now are Buddhist monks chanting below a large crucifix, a lavish ceremonial atmosphere in a predominantly Skid Row part of town, a Technicolor crowd dressed in the colors of peacocks and tangerines. This lavish Lao temple has risen from an abandoned Protestant church, repurposing for a small community of outsiders the remnants of mainstream.

Not many people know much about Laos, its culture or traditions. It is a small country with a population half the size of Los Angeles, spread over a countryside as large as Utah. What the community may lack in size it makes up for in grandeur and spirit; as an outsider, invited in by the community to help document their efforts to preserve this culture and these traditions of vital importance to them, I cannot help but respect the sheer will of a body of people so focused on one shared goal. The makeup of this community itself is diverse and represents a wide spectrum of economic disparities, jobs and ages, not to mention Lao ethnic minorities. Some are life-long monks, others are community elders who have immigrated to the United States after living a majority of their life in Laos, still others were born here and have never seen their parent’s homeland. What they share is a spirit of effort, pageantry and a desire to hold on to pieces of their past so that their life, their Lao life, is not forgotten in a sea of western culture.

My time with the Lao community began as a photography project. Through a series of fortunate discoveries I was introduced to Prince Nithakhong Somsanith, a member of the Lao royal family. Prince Somsanith established a small cultural center in the northern Lao city of Luang Prabang, a town long prized for its cultural purity. Somsanith uses this center to educate young people about Lao culture and help them preserve their country’s heritage. He has also exported the efforts of this small center to Lao communities around the world.

Puang Champa House in Luang Prabang, Laos

A CREATIVE LEADER

“What I endeavor to bring to the Lao youth has little to do with technique or proper protocol, or even commercial value,” says Somsanith. “To me, what we offer is a fragile connection, a frayed thread connecting me and future generations like me to our heritage and our cultural roots. Its implications are many – cultural, spiritual, religious meaning, economic. I fear that if Lao youth are not given an opportunity to understand and know their culture, we will lose that special ingredient that makes Laos different and unique.”

The activities taking place at Somsanith’s center in Luang Prabang are exported to youth programs at Lao temples sprinkled around the world. In Richmond, Calif., the annual traditions of Lao culture become opportunities to showcase to youth the techniques and folklore of Lao heritage, and a teachable moment that provides Lao youth with total immersion in a culture unfamiliar to them. The presence of a formal spiritual leader – a Buddhist abbot – helps young Lao withdraw into the community, and instills in them a sense of pride and purpose.

This day my visit to the Lao temple in Richmond marks the Lao New Year and the beginning of a week of celebrations that will culminate in a large weekend festival. The mood is jovial, spirits are high and the smells of roasting chicken and spice fill the air. These are the manifestations of Somsanith’s programs – people drawn together, young and old, to keep traditions and folklore alive in the spirit of this rich community.

“To me, the work we do in Luang Prabang is important, yes. But my primary satisfaction comes when I visit temples like Richmond, or our families in Minnesota, where young Lao people are learning to play Lao instruments, perform traditional dance and weave tapestries that tell stories about our long history. That is my moment, and it is theirs for the future.”

About Daniel

2009-07-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Images of Luang Prabang

2006-12-08T02:31:00.000-08:00

Uploading pictures here is a bit painful, so I hope everyone appreciates the time it takes :)

New pictures of my first day in Luang Prabang here.

Luang Prabang

2006-12-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

Sabaidee. I flew this morning to Luang Prabang, in the north of Laos. Wow. I am left speechless at the beauty of this little town (20,000 people!). In just a square kilometer or so, it manages to capture the charms of cities 10 times its size. The temples, the setting at the confluence of two rivers, and the mountains all combine to create a mystical world.

The people in northern Laos are very exotic looking too; that adds to the mystery. I am going to spend two days trekking up into the hills with a guide, of course; don't want to run into any UXO (that's unexploded ordinance, for the unitiated). UXO is a very serious problem here, as in Cambodia; I read somewhere yesterday that an average of one person per day steps on and activates a land mine.

Off to Picasa

2006-12-06T06:10:00.001-08:00

Ok...well, it appears I will be unable to post any pictures in Blogger so I created a web gallery with Picasa.

Herewith, my new gallery.

Bahhhh Blogger why do you do this to me, huh?

2006-12-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

I was attempting to upload some photos this evening; I even wrote some snazzy captions for them.

I then got a nice "We're sorry, but we were unable to complete your request" note from Blogger when I attempted to upload. Bah. Bah. Bad sheep.

While I attempt to sort this out, you are welcome to e-mail me if you'd like me to send them the old(er)-fashioned way.

What can you get for 5 USD in Vientiane?

2006-12-03T23:25:00.000-08:00

I arrived this morning in Vientiane, the capital of Laos; this small city of just over 200,000 people feels like stepping back in time. It's slow, lacks chaos, is full of temples and historic sites...something feels amiss here, compared to other capital cities in SE Asia.

I decided to see how far I could stretch a fiver. Turns out, you can go quite far on it. I shared a tuk tuk into the center of the city with a young monk and his grandmother; both put their hands on me and bowed as they stepped out. I was perplexed. Total: 1USD.

Then I withdrew cash at the only ATM in town that I could find. After waiting in line for 20 minutes (yes, it's that popular!), I withdrew 1,500,000 Lao Kip, which is 150USD. Lots of cash is needed here because there are very few ATMs, and acceptance of credit cards outside Vientiane is basically non-existent. Plus I had to pay Lao Airlines 665,000kip for my air ticket to Luang Prabang. Sigh. Easy come, easy go. Total transaction fee: 2USD.

I ate lunch at a local cafe and enjoyed a (at my request) mildly spicy green papaya salad, steamed vegetables served with a fermented crushed fish paste (tastes remarkably better than it sounds), and a large bottle of Beer Lao. Total: 4USD.

I went over my budget by 1USD so I walked back to the hotel. I think Laos is going to agree with me, and that's not just the Beer Lao talking. I have a plan of attack for taking pictures tomorrow; I will spend the day in the city, taking pictures of its temples and sights, and the beautiful people. The Lao are a mix of Khmer, Chinese and Vietnamese ethnicities and are very unique.

Heading to Laos

2006-12-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

This morning (BKK time) I am flying to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. Here I will begin documenting some of the temples and other sights, before traveling onward via Lao Airlines to Luang Prabang, a world heritage city in the north of Laos.

No pictures to share just yet; please be patient :)

Revival of the blog

2006-11-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

I am off again tomorrow - Friday, Dec. 01 - to continue building my image portfolio of Southeast Asia. My itinerary looks like this:

Dec. 01-04 - Bangkok
Dec. o4-07 - Vientiane, Laos
Dec. 07-15 - Luang Prabang, Laos and the northern territory
Dec. 15-29 - Bali, Surabaya and Jakarta, Indonesia
Dec. 29-Jan. 04 - Pattaya, Thailand
Jan. 04-Jan. 09 - Cambodia/Angkor Wat (yes, again!)

I will - of course - be posting images from my travel regularly here, as connections and internet cafe sojourns permit.

A long bright winter

2006-06-17T03:23:00.000-07:00

I arrived in South Africa two days ago - currently staying in Capetown until the 21st, then headed to Zambia and Botswana for 2 weeks. Because of its position south of the equator it is winter here. Bit warmer today - about 60 degrees -but yesterday was COLD, down to 35 at night. Nevertheless, the skies are a marvelous blue, the mountains unobscured by fog or clouds and beautiful sunshine as far as the horizon permits one to see.

Capetown is often compared to San Francisco and now I know why. The neighborhoods, hilly streets, great restaurants and of course the weather make the two cities very like-minded. Even more, they are both located the same distance from major wine regions.

Monday I am mountain biking down through Cape of Good Hope with a small group; will maybe see whales, but definitely will see a penguin habitat, sea lions and significant awe-inspiring beauty.

2006-06-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

2006-06-12T13:58:00.001-07:00

I call this photo "The Thinker." I like several things about the composition, but mostly I am fond of the man and what is obviously a missing travel companion.

This was taken in La Alhambra, just under the study in which Washington Irving lived briefly and wrote the book ('Tales of La Alhambra') that changed the course of the palace and launched a massive restoration project.

2006-06-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

2006-06-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

Alhambra

2006-06-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today was Alhambra day, one that I've been looking forward to for weeks. It lived up to expectations and hype; indeed, is probably the most ornate and beautiful structure I have seen yet, or in the top 2 at a minimum. The level of detail in the carvings, the tilework - all on a canvas of Andalucian hillsides and the town of Granada.

Herewith are some images of the day.

Here's to the ladies who lunch

2006-06-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

I could not resist these lovely Andalucian women, enjoying a long afternoon in each other's company, made possible by the large bottle of wine they were drinking.

They argued, they laughed, the scowled at one another, and when they heard me take this picture, the woman in orange - the misses in charge - turned to me with a look that I will never forget. I walked swiftly away from the scene to avoid a certain confrontation.

2006-06-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is your typical feel-good panorama of La Alhambra. I did not go inside the palace today - am planning to do that tomorrow. Instead I walked the perimiter looking for interesting vistas and found this.

Like all of my images, this original has not been retouched aside from a reduction in size. The green is as pure as it seems in the picture. This provides some sense of scale for the interior detail images I will shoot later on.

2006-06-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

This was taken on my last day in Madrid - yesterday, June 10 - during a self-guided walking tour of the city. I had not taken my camera out yet when I looked up at this lamp post. I like the way the cloud has parted to the sides around the central post.

I rushed to get my camera out and all of its parts and pieces assembled in time to get this photo before the clouds moved on.

2006-06-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

I took this photo during a tour to Toledo. As you can see, it was very cloudy and later thunderstorms pelted the group with raindrops and were waiting to greet us again in Madrid.

But, it actually inspired me. The combination of history, dark buildings and storm clouds was somewhat poetic. I took this picture because there was a break in the clouds enough that some texture appeared in the sky. Otherwise, I took very few photos in Toledo, preferring to absorb the atmosphere.

Poem of the Right Angle

2006-06-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

I did manage to sneak into an outer area of La Alhambra today, and learned they are hosting a small exhibition of Le Corbusier.

Most people are probably most familiar with Le Corbusier as an architect responsible for seemingly half of Design Within Reach's furniture collection. Few probably know that he is also an accomplished poet, something I learned while in a college literature course. I was thrilled to see an exhibition based on his works.

One of his poems really caught my attention:

"Mistaking too many mediate causes
mistaking our lives
and the others are there
and everwhere we hear "No!"

And always fewer for
than against
Thus do not condemn those
who wish to take their share of
risks in life. Tolerate

the fusion of metals
the alchemies in
any case commit you
to nothing

It is through the doors of
open eyes that looks
exchanged have lead to
the flash of communion

"The blossoming great
silences..."

The sea has gone out the
tide at low ebb will
rise again in time
A new time has begun
a phase a limit a transition
And thus we shall not
have mistaken our lives."

Dreaming in persimmon in Andalucia

2006-06-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

I arrived early this morning in Granada, after two weeks in Barcelona, Porto, Lisbon and Madrid. Each of those cities is in possession of something unique - monuments, people, food, architecture - and exploring the sidestreets became a habit.

Of the four, I must admit that I fell the most for Madrid. I believe this is in part because I can communicate easier there than in Portugal - but also, Madrid is both home and nearby to many of the iconic Spanish institutions I studied in high school and college. Toledo, El Escorial, El Prado, leading us to where I am now - Granada, home to La Alhambra.

I have not actually been INSIDE La Alhambra yet; I explored its outer walls today, the city of Granada, and caught up on my sleep after a very early flight. However, I have four more days here and plan to do a full exploration of the palace, and hope to escape into the countryside too to capture some images of the beautiful Andalucian landscape.

Tonight, I had the most lovely dinner in a small square on the backside of the large central Cathedral in Granada. It is not the food that made the moment remarkable; it was the small string trio playing on the church steps; the light breeze blowing through small streets, cooling the city after a day of 95 degree heat; and the flicker of candlelight as the sun began to set against a Cathedral backdrop, seemingly lighting it ablaze in hues of rose and persimmon.

With that, here are some images - along with their stories - to whet the appetite.

Catedral de Barcelona

2006-05-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

I took a tour of the large central Catedral de Barcelona today and was duly impressed by both the sheer mass of the building and its contents; lots of gold adorn the many small chapels. One of the nicest features for a tourist is the ability to take an elevator to the roof, where the panorama of Barcelona spreads out in every direction.

They have constructed an apparatus on the roof that I found interesting. I like the way this catwalk undulates across and contrasts with the old brick roof of the cathedral. At the end of the catwalk is a large cross that looks out over Barcelona towards the Mediterranean.

Barcelona

2006-05-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

After a relaxing and refreshing week in sleeping Dubrovnik, I headed for my current destination - Barcelona. My arrival here raised a lot of excitement in my mind, due in no small part to my need to be in a big city again.

I have only been here for 2 days but have managed to cover a lot of ground.

Red tile roofs

2006-05-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

I had also heard about Dubrovnik that most of the tiles on the roofs of Old Town's buildings were replaced after the war due to damage. Few weathered, decades if not centuries old roofs remain intact today, a fact reinforced by sporting sparkling new terra cotta.

I took a walk along the wall that protects Old Town and spotting a few originals in the sea of red.

2006-05-30T12:07:00.001-07:00

2006-05-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

2006-05-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Letting the light in

2006-05-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

I spent two days exploring Dubrovnik's old town before I even took my camera. Getting oriented with the walled city is not time intensive; it is small, and one can easily make their way around in a matter of hours. But it takes more than that to explore the areas where tourists do not tread.

This exploration lead me to appreciate some of Dubrovnik's old doors and windows. I do not know why these specifically caught my eye; maybe it was the way they are constructed, or the fact that some of them are boarded up, keeping the light out permanently. One of the doors I focused my attention on was covered in swastikas and upside-down crosses, and looked like it had been that way for many years.

Following is a short series of doors and windows - those openings that let the light in.

Croatia

2006-05-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Many people shared stories of Croatia with me when they learned I was headed there. They all can be categorized within three main themes:

1) the food is amazing - fresh seafood, cheap
2) the scenery is stunning
3) go while you can, it's being spoiled by tourists

Of the three, I can confirm that No. 3 is most definitely a reality; tourists arrive by the busloads, filling a small World Heritage Site where 7000 people reside to what seems maximum capacity. There is seafood, yes, although not cheap. In my mind, Croatia is working to become a world-class travel destination - at least in the case of Dubrovnik - but still has a bit of work to do. That said, theme number two is definitely accurate, made all the more poignant by small craters in the ground caused by shell explosions only a few years ago.

Days in flux

2006-05-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that I traveled from Indonesia to Shanghai; yes, it's true. Most of you also know that accessing Blogger in China is next to impossible, making updates here equally challenging. Further complicating my efforts was the weather. Out of a total of 5 days in Shanghai, I never saw the sun and was frequently pelted by raindrops. Thus, I spent most of my time there wandering and exploring its many neighborhoods, and sitting in a massage chair while my feet were worked over in reflexology salons. Thus, while I have images of Shanghai, I am not yet ready to post them.

After Shanghai, I flew to Singapore for 2 days then to Croatia (via Frankfurt). My flight from Singapore to Frankfurt was probably the most turbulent of my life; the cabin crew had to remain seated for 2 hours while we passed just north of the Iran border. I was so grateful that I booked an overnight connection, and was to get off the plane in Frankfurt and lay down on a comfortable bed.

Following are some images of Croatia.

Back to Bali for a moment

2006-05-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Quick digression: my computer, a 2004 PowerBook G4, is suffering under the large file sizes my Hasselblad produces. Rest assured this is not my full-time machine; I have a PowerMac at home waiting to chew through 100MB files without pause. So if I am a bit slow to update with new images, it is only the equipment preventing me.

OK, I want to go back to Bali for a moment to bring you one more image. Bali is full of marvelous Hindu temples constructed in out-of-the-way locations - the side of a mountain, in a lake, floating on a small body of water. This photo, taken at the Floating Palace in Klungkung (Mengwi), is one such artifact of history.

I have many images of this temple that I will share later on, but I found this one interesting as a start. I like its strong geometric proportions, the shadow created by the bottom of the steps and the greenish hue of the stone.

And We're Back (Sorry for the malfunction folks)

2006-05-18T07:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting new images, stories and updates. I was traveling without Internet access (gasp) in Indonesia and then in China, well...had access, sort of. Could not access Blogger, of course. In Singapore for a couple of days before heading to Croatia...will post updates and images tomorrow, but first, need some sleep!

Rice terraces

2006-05-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Everywhere you look in Bali you see these amazing lush, green rice terraces; they are just part of the landscape. Their beauty speaks volumes about the richness of this land and its people; that they produce the staple of the Balinese diet is a side-note. More importantly, they form the fabric of the Balinese countryside and deposit rich images in nearly every visitor's memory.

I could spend weeks studying the ingenuity of Balinese design; the system which brings then drains water from the fields is as old as the terraces themselves.

Galungan

2006-05-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

This week Bali hosted one of its most prominent festivals of the year - Galungan. This festival, celebrated every 210 days per the Balinese calendar, celebrates the triumph of good versus evil. Everywhere in the streets one finds themselves enveloped in an array of bright colors and during the two festival days, the streets are packed with temple-goers toting their offerings. We just happened to book our trip during this week and it was truly serendipitous.

This woman is preparing some of the simpler offerings made by devotees. The offerings range from the simple to the extraordinary - vast amounts of fruit, flowers and even money adorn the Gods.

This photo was taken in Goa Gajah, devoted to Ganesha, the elephant-God.

Welcome to Bali

2006-04-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Bali...Land of the Gods. I have been conspiculously absent the last few days because...well, I was just relaxing. I did not take any pictures in Bali, yet; I have a total of 9 more days here so a lot of opportunity to take photos. I am just relaxing. Tomorrow the exploration starts by way of a rental car.

I must say that so far I find the island and its people charming, almost intoxicating. The Balinese are famous for their peaceful, humble attitudes that make this place so special and, well, the attraction of hordes of tourists. Fortunately, it is not yet high season (school breaks and such do not start until next month), so it is blessedly quiet here.

Expect some amazing images of this island over the next week and a half, at which time I will be headed to China.

Going to Vietnam?

2006-04-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

Today I travelled from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in southern Vietnam.

My 36 minute Vietnam Airlines flight was very empty - I was one of 25 passengers aboard an Airbus A320. I love state-sponsored businesses; who needs to make money when you have national pride to account for? Vietnam Airlines runs something like 7 flights daily to Siem Reap from Ho Chi Minh City alone, compared to one from Singapore.

Anyway, it was almost the trip that was not to be. I really fell for Cambodia; I was close to changing my travel plans to spend an extra 5 days seeing more of the country. In the end, my ticket was not refundable so I changed it to the last flight of the day, arriving at 7:30pm. This is an important point, I am foreshadowing here.

Now is a good time to tell you that if you choose to travel to Vietnam, make sure your visa is in good order. I thought I was all prepared; I exited the plane, stepped down the stairs (parked away from the terminal), entered the bus - the first to deplane! The bus driver shut the door and drove off leaving...the other 24 passengers stranded. Hmm. Turns out he thought I was a business class passenger. Heh.

So I march into immigration with my documents and hand them over. 5 minutes later, my immigration officer calls over a second, then third, then fourth person to confer. This fourth officer looks at me and smiles and says:

"Your visa no good; you make for arrival in May 22. Today April 22. Cannot enter."

I was...calm, sort of; sorting through options in my head, looking for a way out. I politely suggest that maybe the consulate in San Francisco made a mistake. They shake their head, "no, no mistake. Visa no good for one more month."

I was shuffled off to the senior officer's humble interrogation room. He enters; asks the purpose of my visit and why I am arriving exactly one month before my visa is valid. He leaves the room for 20 minutes. Gulp. I am envisioning a long and possibly unsavory evening ahead as it is now 8:30 and options for escaping to one of a few countries for which I do not need a visa is dwindling.

Officer reenters; laughs. Says, "your visa no good until May. Because you nice, we issue you a new one now; you wait until my senior come back from dinner and he do it for you."

I could see his senior through the door - he was eating dinner at his desk, reading a newspaper. I know because another 20 minutes goes by and that fellow gets up, slowing meanders his way around and into my little room.

He also laughs; says, "what a mistake, to come one month early. Never see that before. Where you from?"

"San Francisco, US."

"AH, my brother live there, he owns a restaurant in San Francisco. You like Vietnamese food?"

"Yes, very much."

"AHHH, good, you have to visit his restaurant [mumbles some name] when you go home. You promise me you visit?"

"YES. LOOKING FORWARD ALREADY SIR."

"This your first trip in Vietnam?"

"Yes sir."

"OK. I get you a new visa because you nice. Without visa then normal thing is to send you away but I make exception."

Phew. I give him $25, he goes away, and comes back with a new visa in my passport. I bow repeatedly, thank him, and go back through immigration. Then I retrieve my luggage and, as I am now the only person in the airport it seems, a surly customs officer decides to take issue and do an inspection. Sigh.

About 20 "what are these for" and 10 "where did you buy this" later he loses interest and just walks away. I assumed he was done and so packed up my things and bolted before another obstacle stood in my way. Am now safely tucked into my hotel and looking forward to visiting mr. senior officer's brother's restaurant mmf duc mmf, or whatever the name is, when I arrive home.

So like I said, coming to Vietnam? Make sure your visa is in order.

Buddha of Banteay Kdei

2006-04-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

I took about 20 pictures of this beautiful Buddha. I have learned that finding an original Buddha intact is difficult among the Angkor temples. First, as many of the temples are of Hindu origins, the Buddhas were not original; they were added later. Over the centuries various elements have gotten to them - wind, rain, sun, theft, destruction.

I was awestruck by this Buddha - although you cannot see it in this picture, he has a very handsome face; there are also traces of gold and jewels left, which is quite rare among the temples.

Monks of Angkor

2006-04-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Angkor Wat was originally built as a Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu in the 1100s by then King Suryavarman. Over the next 900 years, as the kingdom of Cambodia changed, so did Angkor Wat - alternating between a Hindu temple and it's purpose today, a Buddhist temple.

Nobody actually lives in Angkor Wat now; it is protected by UNESCO and is undergoing renovations and restoration work. A lot of monks from Cambodia visit regularly. This group of three of them caught my eye because of their bright orange robes and were happy to practice their English.

"It's a Cambodian specialty"

2006-04-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

I hired a guide (a taxi driver) to show me around to the temples today (Weds.) and the rest of the week. Last night he took me to a local restaurant - a charming outdoors kind of place at the end of a dark street, with lights strung across the large patio.

Not being at all familiar with Cambodian cuisine I put myself in his hands. He ordered us about 4 different dishes. The first arrived - grilled sliced beef with chile peppers and basil. OK, it was about as good as grilled beef can be - tender, juicy. Finish beer #1.

The next course arrived - stewed spicy local farmed frog with basil and whole garlic. Finish beer #2 before taking a bite; helps the prepare the palate for what was actually a tasty morsel of frog.

Third course arrived - now is a good time to mention that this restaurant is dark and so making out the shape and form of the dishes, especially after now 3 beers, was incredibly difficult. I hesitated to ask, but did - my guide, Pon, replied "oh it is a local Cambodian specialty." It was greasy but not too much, slimy but firm, and had a strange game taste. "Local snake, grilled with special sauce," he says after we finish. Down beer #4.

By now the beer is kicking in and life is good. Each dish, accompanied with a beer, tastes better than the last. The final dish arrives - I can see it is small, only a few pieces on the plate. The smell is at once pungent garlicky and sweet. Turns out this is a true delicacy but he tells me he cannot think of the English word for it. "Is it an animal or a plant," I ask hesitantly.

"A little bit both, it is a Cambodian special dish."

I survived intact, no illness setting in yet. It is worth saying that the food was, in sum, fantastic - flavors were fresh and alive, not to mention inexpensive - the total for 7 beers (4 for me, 3 for him) and 4 dishes was USD10. If only I can get out of him what that last bit of food was...

Hindu temple

2006-04-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

This is the fence of what I was told is an old Hindu temple. Cambodia is 90+% Buddhist today; it has a history of Hinduism (Angkor Wat being a massive example of Hindu architecture). Whether Buddhist or Hindu, this temple is in the middle of Siem Reap along the decaying river. It was not massively gorgeous in sum; but I found the fence lining the street interesting for the repetition.

2006-04-18T02:30:00.000-07:00

I told many of you that I do not take pictures of people for three reasons - first, people just do not buy pictures of other people they do not know. Second, especially in Asia, there is a cultural aversion by some to having pictures taken (it steals the soul). Third, I just am not good at it.

I could not resist this little tyke though; she was so adorable, really, and just was begging for her picture to be taken. She is a precious example of what I am finding among Cambodians - general friendliness and curiousity. I also bought one of her mom's mangoes - ooh, wow. Good.

About this photo: I took several of her in this same position. This one turned out the most haunting, I believe, due to her expression. I also believe it turned out to be the most beautiful and poignant; consider what Cambodians have endured during the 1970s.

Welcome to Cambodia

2006-04-18T02:18:00.000-07:00

I flew from Bangkok to Siem Reap in Cambodia this morning. It is a short flight - just over 200 miles, 40 minutes or less. One airline has the monopoly on the route - Bangkok Airways - and charges a nominal THB5575 (~USD157) one-way as a result. Nevertheless, considering the alternative - driving overland at an estimated 10 hours - the cost of the flight seemed a bargain.

Arrival in Siem Reap airport is a step back in time. Upon arrival over palm studded but otherwise mostly barren plains, aircraft are forced to turn around on the runway as there are no taxiways. Consistent with other smaller airports there are no jetways; they just park, swing the door open wide, throw down some stairs and set people off across a bubbling tarmac towards the terminal.

The terminal itself is one large open building with a door each for domestic and international arrivals - you must be careful not to choose the wrong one. The airport sees just a few arrivals in a day and so our arrival set about 40 otherwise immobile people into action. One could imagine the terminal floor plan being used for any number of things - a market, shoe warehouse, a manufacturing facility. In this instance, it houses the visa office (they are issued upon arrival), passport control (two booths and a fold up card table) and the baggage claim, a simple circular conveyor belt that pierces the wall in two places to drop luggage inside the building. That said, this "new" airport is a major leap forward for this small town and is one of the reasons the number of tourists has gone up.

The drive into town, about 20 minutes, yields in-your-face tourism expansion among the shantys; hotels going up as fast as the Khmer can build them, and supporting facilities to accompany. My driver told me that people were moving to Siem Reap from the countryside to build these facilities, bringing along their entire families in the process and setting up camps outside the construction site. They later try for work in the hotel itself once work is completed. I was pleased to find something that I did not see in Bangkok - pedestrian crossings with walk/no walk signals. What progress!

Tomorrow I will visit the much revered Wat Angkor; but first, I spent some time wandering around Siem Reap.

Now, some much awaited photos for your enjoyment.

A sober election

2006-04-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

I was out footing around Bangkok all day - exploring some of its antique stores, downing the spiciest green papaya salad I have EVER encountered and generally acclimating. I left my camera behind to give myself a break.

I showed up back at my hotel and found a note slipped under my door. Edited for length:

"April 18, 2006

Dear Guest,

We wish to inform you that Thailand will be holding the General Elections for Senators on Wednesday, April 19, 2006."

Great! Can I vote? What does this have to do with me?

"Government regulations require that no alcoholic beverages be served from 6:00 p.m. of Tuesday April 18 until 12:00 midnight of Wednesday, April 19, 2006."

It goes on to say that as such, the bars and restaurants will not be serving any alcohol. Some elections - like our last presidential one - are so painful and demoralizing that alcohol is the only way to cope. Guess Thailand likes its voters sober and clear headed when headed to the polls.

"Please give this seat to monks"

2006-04-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

This morning I braved Chatuchak Market in Bangkok's north side.

For the uninitiated, the market comes off as dirty and flea-marketlike. However, this is a major weekend market and sells mostly first quality, new items; it also sells fighting cocks, fried bugs of all sorts and all sorts of other food items. I did not spend a lot of time there - it was insanely hot and crowded, and I am jet-lagged on top of it all.

I was amused on the way home to read a sign on the BTS, Bangkok's mass transit rail system. It was positioned above one seat and read:

"Please give this seat to monks." Sure enough, one got on a few stops later and the person sitting in his seat stood up and gave it to him. Classy.

Are you a photographer?

2006-04-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

I was greeted this evening by a very friendly TSA agent in the SFO international security area.

First, I refused to remove my shoes - hey, these socks are new, I am not getting them dirty! So I got a "male primary inspection" for that. Then they decided to swab all of my camera equipment for the explosives that I am not carrying. Fine. Go ahead.

I'll give it to her, she was friendly. She even asked a question that made my day - "are you a professional photographer?" I was so happy someone recognized and acknowledged me before my trip even begins! I said, "well, do not know about professional but yes I am a photographer."

She retorts - "do you work for National Geographic?" "no."

She pointed and said, "that guy over there is a professional, he works for National Geographic."

sting. I considered going into the "I am just starting out, have to start somewhere, not everyone can work for National Geographic" thesis but faced the truth - I was too honest.

24 hour countdown

2006-04-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

I have flown dozens of international flights in the last 8 years; Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, Delhi, Singapore, Seoul...so on.

So why is this 24 hr countdown to a simple routing - at least by comparison to my other trips - so nerve wracking? I am flying SFO-Hong Kong-Singapore-Bangkok, a flight I have made before.

I guess what makes this different is my perspective - this is beginning of the trip of a lifetime. The sheer length and itinerary make it memorable; the thought that it will enable my new career as a photographer makes it even more poignant. I have so many expectations and desires for this trip that I can barely fit it all in one mind.

Will it be everything I hoped it would? Keep comin' back here, as my next post will be from Bangkok and I will begin to let you know how it is progressing.

what to do

2006-04-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning in an alarmed state of panic - "I overslept, I am late." Then the other side of my brain awakened and I realized that, oh, I am not late for anything. I have nowhere to go.

True there's the week's errant appointment, none of which are today; there is also a long list of "ingredients" for my 4 month trip RTW. So I DO have things to accomplish today.

Thailand's PM resign(ing)

2006-04-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

The first stop on my journey is Bangkok. Maybe you are asking, "why Bangkok?"

Ever heard of Star Alliance award availability? Taking what I could get got me to Bangkok.

I was watching the protests denouncing PM Thaksin in Thailand over the last couple of weeks. Nothing remotely violent but protestors did snarl traffic in Bangkok more than a few times, and that would have made travel difficult.

It is all over now, as Thaksin has resigned.

one fine day

2006-04-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the last day of work - this is truly the beginning of my new journey. I am not sure what to feel.

Some options:
A - excitement, new beginnings!
B - nausea, new beginnings!
C - numbness, it is a loss of routine
D - jump up and down I am so excited I cannot stand it