Kelly and Josh's Thai and Cambodian trip. Oct - Nov, 2008
We sorted through well over 1000 photos and 3 hours of video. Here we share the best of it. Each set has slide shows as well as an enhanced, full screen image view. Some of the sets have over 100 pictures in them, so please be patient with the load times. Within certain sets, we have included some memorable videos which we encourage watching. Experiencing moments from our view is much more engaging than simply looking at the pictures and reading the descriptions.
Bangkok around town
Riding around Bangkok in the "tuk-tuk" (named after the sound it makes), walking and taking cabs. Traffic is awful in Bangkok. So many interesting things to discover in the street markets. The last in this slideshow is a video of a street vendor and our waitress dancing in the streets of Bangkok at night.
Bangkok Palace
This is where the royal family sometimes lives. The day we visited, it rained quite heavily, so we were under shelter for much of our time there. Entering the palace requires all arms and legs to be covered; we had to buy long pants and shirts to enter. Never point your feet at images of Buddah (sit on your knees with feet pointed back).
Mui Thai
Traditional Thai boxing. All non-Thais sit in the specially designated "Foreigners" section. Talk about segregation! Last frame of this slideshow is a short video of the arena.
Floating Markets and Boat Ride
Eating fresh young coconut (Yum!) and boating through like the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. We were initially charmed by the sights here, until we were taken to a very touristy area. Nearly every Thai who lived here sold tourist trinkets and food via their boat and/or home.
Monkey Show
We were smiling on the outside but saddened on the inside as these monkeys were not happy. Wish we could have released them into the wild and away from tourists. On the plus side, we were able to touch and play with the monkeys, which was a unique experience (but likely the very same experience that makes these monkeys so sad).
Cambodia is very different from Thailand. There is much more poverty and begging as well as beautiful, unspoiled areas. The Cambodian people are very friendly, gracious and speak English surprising well. Rice patties or jungles line the roads throughout most of the area we were in.
These photos include the town of Siem Reap ("Siam Defeated," in reference to the Cambodian-Thailand war) and the small houses lined along the dirt roads through Angkor and the temples. Many landmines (between 3 and 6 million) still exist throughout Cambodia, so we stayed close to the main roads at all times.
**This page has quite a few pictures and videos. It may take a minute to download.
Angkor Wat
The most impressive in terms of restoration, scale and intricacies. The most well-known of all the sites. Incredibly beautiful; pictures do it no justice. We arrived before sunrise and followed a bunch of other visitors in through the main gates in total darkness. As the sun started to rise behind the temple, you could just start to make out the form and the size.
Banteay Srei
The "red" temple as it was carved and constructed of a red colored stone. While this was one of the smaller temples in size, it was certainly quite pretty.
Ta Prohm
It was decided to leave the temple in the same state as it was 're-discovered" (not restore it). Because of this, it is our favorite site at Angkor. A small Cambodian boy served as our unofficial tour guide.
The ride into Ta Prohm
We arrived to the site by motorbike as the very long pathway was flooded in certain spots by as much as 3 feet.
Cambodian sales force outside Ta Prohm
This is the only time we captured this on video, but sadly this happened before you walked in, and after you walked out, of nearly every temple.
Angkor Thom
The largest of the temple sites; but mostly made up of smaller temples inside of a larger site.
The Floating Villages
The Floating Villages in Cambodia are exactly that-floating houseboats and houses raised high on wooden stilts. Many Vietnamese refugees have lived here for generations. We chartered a boat to come and watch the sunset. While here, we found out about a school that existed on a wooden barge that was in need basic necessities for the children. We purchased books and pencils for the school and delivered it to the kids. We also saw monkeys, alligators, snakes and one of the most beautiful sunsets either of us had ever seen.
{image 2}
