Wats ‘O’ the Week – Luang Prabang Temples

January 9, 2010 Sharon Leave a comment

This week’s installment of Wat ‘O’ the Week comes to you from Luang Prabang, where my sister and I celebrated Wat Wednesday. The historic little city in northern Laos boats 32 Buddhist temples built before the French showed up in 1887 for 58 years of colonization. Much to Megan’s relief, I didn’t make her visit all of them.
We were on the quest of a particular novice monk, who chatted with my friends, Tony and Rand, during their visit to Luang Prabang last fall. So we started at the temple where he was supposed to be “stationed” (or whatever verb you use to describe where a monk lives). “Novice Lai works at Blah Blah Temple now,” a monk told us. Only he didn’t say “blah blah,” and we were too intimidated to ask for clarification. I thought I heard a word that started with “K,” and the monk gestured in a direction that had only a few more blocks before we would hit the confluence of the Kham and Mekong rivers. So how hard could it be?
Unfortunately, we never found Lai. Sometimes being a girl traveler is a real disadvantage, particularly when it comes to approaching monks. They were all friendly enough, but Meg and I both worried that we were violating some patriarchal protocol by walking past the regular temple buildings to hunt down Lai in the residential areas.
However, we did enjoy visiting a few temples before heading back to Vientiane. Here are some highlights:

Wat Sene Soukharama

Built in 1714, this temple had some interesting details.
The windows were pretty flashy.

In the Buddha chapel, I loved that someone put a tiny elephant on one of Buddha’s big toes.

This funky guy with a fish in his claws was a nice touch.

Wat Sop Sickharam
These monks picked a perfect spot for studying.

Rice cakes were drying in the sun at the temple.

Wat Sirimounkhounsayaram
We walked around this temple, but I didn’t take any photos. It wins the prize for longest name, though.

Wat Xieng Thong
This is Luang Prabang’s most famous temple. Construction on the sim (ordination hall) started in 1560 right on the banks of the Mekong River, and other buildings were added over the years. The sim’s sweeping roof is considered a hallmark of traditional Luang Prabang temple architecture.

The back of the sim features a spectacular “tree of life” mosaic, and similar mosaics cover the exterior walls of other buildings on the temple grounds, as well.

I always enjoy seeing daily life depicted in art like this detail of villagers cutting rice, particularly meaningful next to the offering of sticky rice that someone had placed on the ledge.

Inside the temple’s carriage house, we saw a 12-meter-high (39-foot-high) funeral carriage.

Pretty detail on the carriage house door.

We also liked this Buddha in the carriage house. He’s standing in the posture that’s often associated with making peace with relatives, but the expression on his face suggests he’s thinking, “Seriously, I have to break up another squabble? Come on, people! Where’s the love?”

Laos, On the Road

Cookin’ Up a Lao Storm

January 5, 2010 Sharon 2 Comments

As we all know, cooking is not my forte. (See my Christmas cookie post for background.) However, my baby sister, Megan, is quite at home in the kitchen and doesn’t shirk from scary paraphernalia such as the VitaMix and lemon zesters. Too broke to shop and too lazy to head out on an adventure tour, we signed up for a cooking class at Tamnak Lao Restaurant.

We met at the restaurant’s cooking school at 10 a.m. today. The rest of our class comprised an American couple working in Singapore, a French Canadian family on vacation, a German guy who leads bike tours in China and his parents, and a Danish university student. Of course, I just wanted to sit outside with a cold beer and chat with everyone. Fortunately, we had morning and afternoon “tea,” so there was plenty of time for socializing.

Our day started with a visit to the local market, where one of our teachers, Phia Yang, introduced us to Lao fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, rice, seasonings, and sauces. I’ve been to enough Asian markets that the icky stuff doesn’t faze me. That said, there was definitely some icky stuff. Perhaps the ickiest was a wooden chair that was obviously used for butchering animals. It was dripping with blood and fleshy bits. I took a photo, but I’m guessing most people would rather not see it.

One funny moment happened when a rooster made a break for it. He was captive at a chicken stall one minute, and then he squawked and leapt over the counter, literally running for his life. The vendor threw a potato to knock the rooster off his feet, but he missed. Whew! Unfortunately, the vendor eventually caught the feisty fellow and tied him up in a plastic bag, presumably for a customer.

Phia Yang teaches us about Lao herbs.

Learning about different kinds of rice.

Back at the cooking class, we watched Phia Yang and another teacher, Leng Lee, demonstrate how to prepare several Lao dishes.

Then we were on our own. Megan let me measure a few ingredients, and sometimes I even got to stir things around in the wok, but basically it was her show. We even had a code phrase for when I was getting in her way. She just said, “Why don’t you go take some pictures?”

Megan lets me measure some vinegar.

The loony chef.

By lunchtime, we had whipped up a tasty Luang Prabang salad and delicious Feu Khua (fried rice noodles with chicken and vegetables). Add a beer and friendly conversation with our classmates. Perfect!

In the afternoon, we did a less admirable job with Chicken Laap (minced chicken salad with herbs). We didn’t follow the recipe very carefully, so it turned out pretty dry and chewy. Our Oh Paedak (Lao pork casserole) was also less than impressive. It was supposed to be a soupy dish, but Megan and I couldn’t cope with the watery eggs, so we drained the liquid and served it on a plate instead of a bowl. Thanks, but no thanks. We hit the jackpot with Khua Maak Kheua Gap Moo (fried eggplant with pork). It was scrumptious! We also learned how to make sticky rice and Luang Prabang Chilli Paste, which was surprisingly sweet.

We left our cooking class with a cookbook and full tummies. Here’s the recipe for our favorite dish.
Khua Maak Kheua Gap Moo
Ingredients
60 grams pork (the recipe didn’t say what to do with the pork, so we chopped it in to bite-sized pieces)
3 large spring onions
1 Asian eggplant
2-3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons oil
1. Cut the spring onion into 2-cm pieces. If the white part is large, cut it in half lengthwise.
2. Cut the eggplant into 3-cm pieces; then cut each piece in half lengthwise.
3. Crush the garlic in mortar or use a garlic press.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok, add the eggplant and stir fry until it begins to soften and turn a golden color.
5. Place the cooked eggplant in a dish and set aside.
6. Put the remaining oil into the wok with the crushed garlic, and stir until the garlic begins to change color.
7. Add the pork and keep stir frying until cooked.
8. Add the salt and sugar.
9. Keep stir frying and add the oyster sauce, onion, and cooked eggplant. Keep stir frying until the onions begin to soften.
10. Eat with sticky rice!

Laos, On the Road

Luang Prabang Neighborhood

January 5, 2010 Sharon 1 Comment

My sister and I have spent the last few days exploring Luang Prabang, Laos.

I keep thinking to myself, “Dorothy, you’re not in Vientiane anymore.” Where is the omnipresent dust? Where are the deafening motorbikes and tuktuks? Where is the hustle and bustle? OK, there’s really not much “hustle and bustle” in Vientiane, but there’s even less here.

Our hotel is located in the Historic Temple Area, near the confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers. So peaceful.
Here are some shots from our street. At times, it feels like we’re in Europe!

Last night, we went to a restaurant recommended by several friends (and websites) – Tamarind. As I sipped a ginger and lemon cocktail, and Megan nursed a lime-lemongrass concoction, we listened to the monks chanting at the temple across the road. Here’s a little sample (don’t know why I was so shaky…). That bimbo you see coming out of the temple is a foreigner who had the brilliant idea of wearing her shorts to go watch the monks chant. Geez.

We ordered some appetizers and then … darkness. The electricity went out AGAIN. Seriously, the power has been off more than it’s been on since we got here. The locals just roll with it, so that’s all you can do. The restaurant staff melted the ends of small candles and stuck them directly on the tables and on the top of overturned glasses. We ate our delicious selection of Lao dips with sticky rice and roasted seaweed and chatted with a kind New Zealander who was traveling alone. Eventually, the lights came back on, but the tiny restaurant was packed with a couple large parties and we were having trouble getting the attention of the wait staff. We decided to move on.

Meg and I wandered through the quiet alleys of our neighborhood, perusing the dessert menus at several cafes. Like moths to a flame, we were drawn down a side street to a restaurant draped in twinkly lights with a small Lao band performing traditional music. The only patrons, we received a lot of attention at our outdoor table. The head waiter, in a starched coat two sizes too big, asked if we had already eaten and then encouraged us to come back some time for dinner. We ordered drinks, which were delivered by two more waiters. When Megan asked for another mug to share her tea with me, the confused waiter nodded and said, “cup” and then summoned two other waiters. They rushed over to hear our request and then scurried off to get the cup.

Before too long … the twinkly lights went dark. Yet another power outage!

Despite the lack of customers, the restaurant was soon ablaze in candles, and the band didn’t miss a beat. We enjoyed lingering with the marimba-ish melody wafting on the cool breeze. It would have been very romantic to be there with someone who wasn’t my sister. Walking back to our hotel, we stared up into the inky sky. Without city lights for competition, the stars glittered brightly and the moon lit our path.

Laos, On the Road

Luang Prabang – Taking It Easy

January 5, 2010 Sharon Leave a comment

I’m sitting at a coffee shop in Luang Prabang, Laos, sipping yet another refreshing “soda maak nao” (soda water with lime). I had hoped for a fruit shake, but the power’s out all over town. No electricity = no blender = no fruit shake. Bummer. Megan is getting her daily massage. Until my banged up legs heal a bit (mementos of rock climbing in Krabi), I’m taking a hiatus from aggressive rubdowns.
We arrived here Saturday evening and took a stroll around town. It’s hard to believe we’re in Laos. The French, who landed in Luang Prabang in 1887 and refused to leave till 1954, left quite an architectural mark. Since the city became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995, many colonial villas, shops and offices have been converted to guesthouses, restaurants and art galleries. Located at the confluence of the Mekong and Khan rivers and surrounded by mountains, the town takes on a quiet vibe. Tourists rise early to snap photos of the monks collecting alms in the chilly mist, so mornings are a bit lively along the main boulevards. Then the clouds burn off, and everyone seems to take a long afternoon nap to escape the scorching heat. Cool breezes prevail after sunset, and the town comes to life again but in a gentle way with twinkly lights dangling from the trees.

Our first night in Luang Prabang, we went out for a casual dinner. Megan tried her first “laap,” a popular Lao dish of minced chicken and herbs, eaten with sticky rice.

The next morning, we followed part of a Lonely Planet walking tour, visiting a couple temples and then climbing up the 100-meter-high hill, Phu Si, to see the golden That Chomsi stupa at the top and to enjoy stunning views of the two rivers.

Hiking up the hill.

We made it!

A pretty little spot on top of the hill.

Inside the little temple at the top.

Buddha’s footprint. He must have been huge!

Great views of the two rivers. Here’s the Mekong:

And here’s the Khan:

After lunch (and Meg’s daily massage), we jumped on a longboat for a little cruise on the Mekong. The riverbanks were bustling with village routines: ladies washing laundry, children chasing each other, farmers tending the crops and animals, workers building a boat, fishermen pulling in their nets, and monks strolling to and from the hillside temples. Around 5 p.m. it seemed everyone decided to take a bath. Mothers stood in waist-deep water to give the kids and themselves a good scrubbing. Men stripped down to their skivvies and waded in for a wash. Although other people on our boat took pictures, it seemed quite invasive. They must have been thinking, “Geez, can’t a person have a little privacy around here?” When the sun dropped behind the mountains, everything and everyone was bathed in a pinkish golden light. As our boat pulled back to shore at Luang Prabang, long lines of Lao people were waiting for the river taxi-boats.

Walking down to the river.

Ready to go!

Beautiful sunset.

This is what Megan has seen the most on this trip.

This is what happens when you ask Megan to take pictures. Sigh.

People waiting to catch the river taxis.

For dinner, we went to 3 Nagas, a posh open-air restaurant connected to a boutique hotel. The food was delicious, but even better was the ambience. I had made a reservation earlier in the day, so when we showed up, our outdoor table was marked by a banana leaf with my name written in silver ink. (The leaf said “Sharan,” but close enough, eh?) A tiny vase held a delicate white flower with spindly petals. White lights swayed in the trees, and vintage cars were parked on the street. It felt like a movie set.

Today, we rented bikes and cycled to the outskirts of town. Twice we turned off the main road and pedaled till we ran out of asphalt. Once we left the historic area, the city looked very similar to Vientiane. People doing their jobs, living their lives.

Back in town, we traded our mountain bikes for these cruisers and pedaled around the back alleys.

After our ride, we stopped for a coffee but that’s when we learned of the power outage. We parked the bikes at the hotel and went for a stroll, and then Meg headed for her massage du jour. (Turns out the massage therapist was falling asleep, so Meg cut it short and met me at the café!) So, I’ll just suck down the rest of this soda with lime, and we’ll look for diversions that don’t require electricity…

On the Road

Help Cambodians BLOOM

January 4, 2010 Sharon 1 Comment

Every few years, somebody in Asia comes up with a new style of purse or pillowcase or clothing item that proves popular with the tourists, and before you know it, copies pop up all over the local markets.
In Shanghai, one of our teachers produced and sold beautiful bags made from Chinese silk. It didn’t take long before copies of those bags were hanging in nearly every silk and souvenir shop in town. Once I was shopping at the underground “knock-off market” with one of her bags tossed over my shoulder, and a vendor actually whipped out a tape measure and recorded the bag’s dimensions before I could stop him.
In Turkey, we often spotted a unique piece of “mavi boncuk” jewelry at a market, and within weeks, the same design could be found everywhere.
In Siem Reap, Cambodia, Megan and I got swept up in the latest trend: recycled fish food/rice bags. We met Diana Saw, a Singaporean woman who started a social enterprise called Bloom three years ago. She buys discarded heavy-duty plastic bags with interesting designs and writing (mostly from Vietnam), and teaches disadvantaged Cambodians how to turn those bags into trendy purses, wallets, backpacks, duffel bags and other products. Her company’s motto is: “Buy something beautiful. Do something beautiful.” I bought a funky green backpack with blue Vietnamese writing and illustrations of sea creatures. Meg bought an expandable purse in blue and white.
Diana said she takes two steps forward and one step back in the effort to create a sustainable business that pays workers a fair wage. “There’s no copyright protection in Cambodia,” she said.
Sure enough, copies of her designs hang in market stalls throughout Siem Reap. In fact, Meg and I guiltily admitted buying a few of the knock-off bags in the market before we knew about Bloom. “I can’t compete with them,” Diana said. “I just wonder how much they pay the women who do the work.”
So, if your journeys take you to Siem Reap, I strongly encourage you to check out Bloom. It’s next to Warehouse Pub in the Old Market Area. Or if you don’t plan to travel there, check out the Bloom Bags website. Be sure to read the “behind the scenes” stories about the workers who create the bags.

These aren’t the greatest photos in the world (the camera’s settings were goofed up), but here are the Bloom Bags we bought in Cambodia.

On the Road

Indiana Jones Meets Lara Croft – Beng Melea

January 1, 2010 Sharon 3 Comments

Yesterday’s temple tour was fascinating, but I had already visited all those places during my 2007 trip to Cambodia. This morning, I looked forward to seeing something new. Kim San picked us up early for the drive to Beng Melea, a Hindu temple located about 37 miles outside of Siem Reap. It was absolutely worth the drive!

Although Mother Nature called “dibs” on these temples hundreds of years ago, the jungle was hacked back at most locations in the late 19th century to reveal the ruins, giving tourists and historians a detailed glimpse of life in the Khmer Empire.

Archaeologists intentionally left Beng Melea camouflaged by the forest foliage with tree roots wrapping around the hefty sandstone blocks and weaving a tapestry across the temple walls. Trees spread their canopy at the top of the towers, shading the rubble below. Dappled light plays off the lichen and moss, creating a feeling of tranquility despite the crumbling colonnade and signs that warn of landmines.

Scholars believe Beng Melea was built by King Suryavarman II, the same guy who built Angkor Wat, in the 12th century. They think his parents were buried there. We did see this shattered stone coffin, but researchers have never found any human remains.

Sitting on the temple’s library, which would have housed religious writings.

Meg and I paused for a few yoga poses in this setting of mystery. It’s my new favorite Angkor temple!

On the way back to Siem Reap, we stopped for a snack from a roadside stand – sticky rice with red beans and coconut milk were jammed into a piece of bamboo and grilled. Deee-lish!
Kim San translates – two for a dollar (they use American money here!).

The girl peels back the bamboo for us.

That ought to keep the kids busy in the backseat for awhile.

Here are some more shots from Beng Melea.

Daily Life

2010 Reading Challenge

January 1, 2010 Sharon 3 Comments

My friend Colleen blogged about this reading challenge, and I decided it sounded like fun. Then another friend, Tara, jumped on board and blogged about keeping a journal of every book she’s ever read. Another cool idea!

I decided to do both. In my first few months in Laos, I plowed through about 10 books (not much of a social life, new-job stress, rainy season, no car…). I hope I can keep up the pace now that the weather’s gorgeous and I’ve found a few friends. I really have no idea how many books I usually read in a year.

Although I’d love to reminisce about the books I read in 2009, I’m sitting in a cafe drinking fresh coconut milk (they just hack off the top of the coconut and pop in a straw) in Cambodia with my sister Megan. We are taking a little break before heading back out to explore. I’ll have to write a 2009 recap when I get home!

On the Road

Temples of Angkor

December 31, 2009 Sharon 1 Comment

The Lonely Planet guidebook tells you to “prepare for divine inspiration!” when you visit the temples of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer empire. Although this was my second visit and the throngs of tourists precluded any semblance of peace, I still felt a sense of awe and reverence faced with nearly 1,000-year-old structures, intricate carvings, soaring towers, massive restoration projects, and the jungle’s unstoppable reclamation.

For my sister Megan, even jetlag and the sizzling heat couldn’t diminish the experience. As always, photos don’t come close to conveying the spirit of the place.

Our guide, Kim San, picked us up at our hotel at 8:30 a.m., and we joined the caravan of tour buses heading to Angkor Thom. First, we clomped around the Buddha-bedazzled temple of Bayon, one of my favorite places in Siem Reap.

Click on the Sacred Destinations website for some details about Bayon Temple.

Next we visited Ta Phrom, a lesson in humility. An original Khmer inscription at the entrance says nearly 80,000 people worked at the temple in its heyday, including 2,700 officials and 615 dancers. The sprawling Buddhist temple was built to honor the mother of King Jayavarman VII, and at least one room still bears the marks of the opulent gems that once covered the walls. Over the last few hundred years, however, the jungle has crept back and taken over. Thick tree roots crawl along temple walls and worm their way through the stone blocks, slowly toppling the mighty towers. Kim San says Angelina Jolie filmed some parts of “Tomb Raider” here, but neither Megan nor I have seen the movie, so we’ll just have to take his word for it.

Lunch break. We gobbled up some Cambodian food, including dessert – sweet glutinous balls covered with shredded coconut. Yum!

Finally, we braved the crowds and blazing sun to visit Angkor Wat, believed to be the largest religious structure in the world.

For more than you probably ever wanted to know about the temples of Angkor, check out The Angkor Guide.

Our guide, Kim San. Click on his name to visit his website.

On the Road

Sisters in Cambodia

December 31, 2009 Sharon 1 Comment

My sister Megan arrived late Tuesday, spent one night in Bangkok, and then hit the road running! Wednesday morning we flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia, where we checked in to our hotel, sipped mojitos by the pool, walked around the town, did some shopping in the markets, ate a yummy dinner, got our toes nibbled at Doctor Fish, had a Khmer massage and just started to check out the night market when her jetlag smacked her in the face. Today, we’re off to Angkor Wat!

Meggie by the pool.

Mmmm … mojitos!

I posed with my drink …

… and then knocked the glass over. I guess I could have sucked the mojito out of my pants.

Dinner at Khmer Kitchen. Fish Amok – yum!

These little girls were selling bracelets. The taller one asked where we were from, and when we answered, she said, “America. It’s between Canada and Mexico. It has 300 million people. The president is Barack Obama. He has two daughters. One is 11 years old. One is 9 years old.” And so on. Smart little street kid.

Megan FLIPPED OUT at the fish spa. I’m an old pro (see my Fish Feet post), so I didn’t have any qualms about sticking my tootsies in the pool. But Meg was shrieking!

Just like cats always want to sit on the laps of people who are allergic to them, these fish were in love with Megan’s feet. She kept screaming and kicking her legs out of the water, but the fish just waited patiently. Even though my tasty toes were in the water, begging for some fish action, they all just stared up at the surface, waiting for Meg’s bunion buffet.

We had just started to check out this night market when Megan hit the wall. Jetlag-o-rama.

On the Road

Rock Climbing in Krabi

December 28, 2009 Sharon 3 Comments

From what we’ve heard, Krabi is a rock climbing mecca. I had done a little research and read stuff like this on www.railay.com:

The rock is all limestone and is part of the worlds largest coral reef, stretching from China down to Papua New Guinea. The routes are all bolted sport climbing routes. The French grading system is used. With over 700 routes ranging from beginner 5a’s to classic multipitch 6a’s right up to the extremes of 8c there’s enough here to keep any climber busy for years.

But that meant nothing to me. I’ve seen many photos of climbers scrambling around on the karst formations jutting up out of the water, and it looked like fun.

When we realized that our friends, Dean and Elaine Voge, would also be here in Krabi at the same time, we decided to spend a day climbing together. Unfortunately, many of the climbing schools were fully booked. One lady said, “Hmmm… we already have a full group, but we could take you if I can find some more instructors.” I pictured her recruiting a couple tuk tuk drivers and opted out. I called Elaine and said we would have to come up with an alternate plan. Kayaking? Beach time?

I was eating breakfast at my hotel yesterday when I got a call at 7:45 a.m. “We’re ready to pick you up for climbing.” It was a climbing school I had contacted online the day before, but when I didn’t hear back right away, I assumed we didn’t get a reservation. I told the woman on the phone that we weren’t ready to go, so she offered to pick us up later. Perfect!

King Climbers drove us to a long-tailed boat for the ride to Railay Beach, where we met the Voges and their kids at the climbing shop. From there, we walked to the rock wall. The instructors showed us how to tie the figure-eight knot, but otherwise we got no instructions on what to do. They even had us take turns with the belay device! So maybe it wasn’t the safest operation ever, but we had fun.

Wading from the long-tailed boat to the shore. Some people were checking in to hotels at Railay Beach and had to lug their suitcases through the water.

Tony learns how to tie the knot.

Owen Voge (aka Mountain Goat) helps me tie my knot.

OMG, I had no idea what I was doing and some poor Swiss guy’s life was in my hands.

Tony on the rock.

Me at the top of my second climb. I thought my arms would fall off.

The Dents and the Voges – we “rock”!!

The Guide Hog

Wats ‘O’ the Week – Luang Prabang Temples

Cookin’ Up a Lao Storm

Luang Prabang Neighborhood

Luang Prabang – Taking It Easy

Help Cambodians BLOOM

Indiana Jones Meets Lara Croft – Beng Melea

2010 Reading Challenge

Temples of Angkor

Sisters in Cambodia

Rock Climbing in Krabi

Adventures in Teaching and Travel