Temple Raiders

Sunrise over Angkor Wat

During my time living in Phuket I had always longed to travel to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city of Siem Reap has numerous temples worth visiting, including the one where the Hollywood file Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie was filmed. Numerous times I attempted to make the trip and for various reasons I never made it up there, so I knew this time around that it was a must. As the end of the trip was looming, Jess and I decided that during our long stint in Thailand we would take the short trip up to Cambodia for a couple nights to make this happen. We had too much we wanted to do after Thailand and that stop would cut into valuable time we wanted to spend in Laos and Vietnam. I did not have a great desire to spend a lot of time in Cambodia, as long as I could see the temples I would be happy. So we booked our ticket for the jaunt and headed up to make this long awaited dream a reality.

Tuk-tuk rides were a highlight!

Our flight was quite early so we woke up around 4:30am and quickly made our way to the airport. Our hotel had arranged an airport transfer for us, so we had a lovely tuk-tuk driver waiting for us at the airport. From traveling to India, Thailand and Indonesia I have become acquainted with the tuk-tuk as a common mode of transportation. The fun part is that all these places have their own take on the tuk-tuk, and in Cambodia their version was basically a motorbike with a carriage attached. It was Jess's first tuk-tuk ride so that was super fun, it is a great way to check out the scenery and enjoy a nice breeze. Our first impression of Siem Reap was nice, not as trafficky as many of the other Asian cities we had visited and the people all were quite warm and friendly. The Mekong river runs through the city so there are many little bridges that light up in the evening.

Pub Street

Bridge across the Mekong

Another lit up bridge

Our hotel was situated near Pub Street which is the happening spot filled with restaurants, bars and food stalls and the night market close by.  We enjoyed strolling around this area and stopped at this cute little spot to enjoy some 50 cent draft beers. We encountered a few groups of traveling ladies from the states, and two girls that even used to take Jess's old bus route to work which was funny. Overall we felt there was a large American presence here, as well as a substantial expat community in the city. Cambodia has a French colonial influence so there are also many little cafes and some French looking architecture. We felt safe and comfortable walking around and both agreed we would come back to this place to explore more if we had the chance down the line.

Sunrise is a popular event at Angkor Wat

Hangin' with our tuk-tuk driver/guide KD - he was awesome!

The next day was temple day, and the best way to see the temple is at sunrise. For the second day in a row we got up bright and early at 4:30am and met our tuk-tuk guide, KD, for the tour. Special thank you to my step-sister Emily's mom Carol who recommended the hotel and the tuk-tuk driver, she has spent a lot of time in Cambodia and was a wealth of knowledge. KD was awesome, he seemed to know all the short cuts and was even passing other tuk-tuks as we made our way to the ticket office, we felt as if we were in an exciting race like that old game show Legends of the Hidden Temple. We got our tickets and made it to Angkor Wat for sunrise, it was incredible to see how many people were there for the event (definitely in the 100s). We spent the next eight hours or so (easy to do when you get up that early) exploring Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm (the tomb raider temple) and multiple other small temples along the way. They were all incredible, my favorite was Ta Prohm which is overgrown with trees and has a very magical feel to it. Angkor Thom was also really cool as it has 216 carved faces in the structure. It was a long day and super hot, I think Jess recorded that we walked over five miles and that included a lot of stairs so we were definitely tired by the end of the afternoon. The next morning we headed back to Phuket, pleased we had the chance to experience some of the famous temples of Cambodia. Hard to really describe how it feels to explore these amazing temple grounds and pictures never really do a place like this justice, but I have included some shots to give you an idea. 

Magic hour

Angkor Wat Information:
Angkor Wat (Khmer:"Capital Temple") is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world, with the site measuring 162.6 hectares (1,626,000 m²; 402 acres). It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple of god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, gradually transforming into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura (Khmer: present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Just after sunrise - time to explore!

Angkor Wat with some rock stacks from previous visitors

Can you spot the moon?

Walking the grounds

Many doorways to pass through

Paying respects

One of the alters inside

Corridors seem to go on forever

Looking out

Monkeys on the rooftop

Enjoying the early morning light in a sacred place

Beautiful architecture

Bas relief carvings cover the walls and tell many stories

Dancing ladies bas relief

Monk blessings for good luck

Angkor Thom (Bayon) Information: 
The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.​ Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.
The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The temple is known also for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. The current main conservatory body, the Japanese Government Team for the Safeguarding of Angkor (the JSA) has described the temple as "the most striking expression of the baroque style" of Khmer architecture, as contrasted with the classical style of Angkor Wat.

Elephant rides into Angkor Thom as seen from our tuk-tuk

Gateway to Angkor Thom

Jess and I at the front of Angkor Thom temple

A few of the many faces of Angkor Thom

Beautiful carvings

Oh hey there

Monks all around

Monk temple tour - this was a smaller temple nearby Angkor Thom

Beautiful setting

Messing around trying to beat the heat

Obligatory yoga in a sacred place shot

Ta Prohm Information: 
Ta Prohm is the modern name of the temple built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara. Located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors. UNESCO inscribed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992. Today, it is one of the most visited complexes in Cambodia’s Angkor region. The conservation and restoration of Ta Prohm is a partnership project of the Archaeological Survey of India and the APSARA (Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap).

Entry into the forest temple Ta Phrom

The trees have taken over

Amazing what nature can do...

A closer look

Really cool to see nature merge with the architecture

Happy hunting!

Sawasdee Phuket

Sunset over Phuket

We love...

a good swing!

After living in Phuket for a year and a half back in 2011 I have a special place in my heart for Thailand, which is often referred to as "the land of smiles" due to the warmth of the Thai people. I love the food, the locals, the landscape and the overall feel of the country. I was able to come back and visit in 2012 after moving back to California, but have not been back since then. I knew if I was coming to this part of the world again I would have to return to my old home of Phuket, and spend some time in my old neighborhood of Nai Yang beach. I was eager to show Jess around the island and visit my favorite spots as well as eat as much Thai food as possible and drink as many Mah Prao (young coconuts) as I could, the food and coconuts in the states just aren't the same! What I was not expecting was how much has changed in the last five years, and how that would make me feel. While this leg of the journey started off admittedly a bit rocky for me, overall it has been a great return to Thailand.

Nai Yang Beach - Long tail boats

LOVE Thai coconuts

Thai beach life :)

The first shock was the airport. During my residency it was small and quaint (although international) with a laid back vibe, and has since gained an entirely new terminal and a massive multi-story parking garage replacing the old lot. I immediately felt a bit disoriented walking off the plane into this newly expanded bustling airport. The next challenge for some reason my debit card decided to shut down immediately upon my arrival to Phuket, which was odd that after all my traveling the past couple months it decided to stop working at that point in time. Nothing says "welcome" like not being able to access your funds in a foreign country, luckily Jess was able to withdraw some Thai Baht to cover us until I called my bank. We headed to the curb to find our driver (I had arranged a taxi for our arrival) only to find out the driver was tied up and we had to source our own ride. No big deal, but paired with the other hiccups I was beginning to feel like Phuket, my beloved past home, was rejecting me! We made it to our house without any further issues, but that itself brought some mixed feelings as I had arranged for us to stay in my old neighborhood that brought up some strong emotions immediately upon arrival. I had reached out to my old landlord, a lovely Thai gal named Supha, and reserved the old house of my good yachtie buddies Cuan, Richie and Jurgen. It was strange to be back in the living room where so many memories had been made, and to realize that time in my life was incredibly special but also very much over. I love the area and wanted to come back to it and I am glad I did, but still strange nonetheless after everything else that had happened that day.

At least the view looks the same...

Back in the old neighborhood - we even found "GJ" my old soi dog friend

We headed down to the beach area to grab a bite and I was again reminded of how much can change over time. When I lived in Nai Yang the beach was filled with restaurants and bars that were right on the sand, places to sit on beach loungers and enjoy the sunset over an amazing Thai meal. Apparently a couple years back the government ruled the land public, and had all the beach front establishments bulldozed. Many of the restaurants I loved were unfortunately no longer there, but luckily some of them had just moved across the street. I was saddened by the change of atmosphere, but was excited to see our old watering hole, Wat's bar, had survived and was still kicking! This was THE spot for all the yachties and local expats and Wat had all the yacht shirts and flags form various boats hanging all around the bar. To see Wat, and have him run over to greet me and give me a bug hug, immediately put me at ease. We had enjoyed many fun nights here and he still had my friend's yacht shirts hanging up that a bunch of us had signed which was cool to see. Thank goodness Wat was still around long enough for Jess to meet him as she had heard many stories of our nights spent at this funky beach bar.

The old stomping grounds

Wat's always had an array of flags and yacht shirts decorating the bar

Cuan's old Yacht is still represented - M/Y Tanvas

Richie's Fishing Yacht Serenity is also still around

The day after arriving in Phuket was Songkran, the Thai New Year. After experiencing Nyeppi in Bali we decided it would be fun to make it to Phuket in time for their celebration; this trip is about new beginnings in so many ways so it seemed fitting. Songkran is one of the most popular times to visit Thailand as the celebration involves a country wide water fight lasting up to three days in certain places. In Phuket the water fight portion of the celebration only lasts a day, which is probably for the best as in reality it can get dangerous for people out on the roads as locals get incredibly involved in the water splashing. You see families and friends piled in the back of pick-up trucks with massive barrels filled with water driving around dousing everyone they drive by, little kids with giant water guns out to get you and there is also the use of colored talcum powder that is smeared on each other as part of the fun. It is a lively and spirited affair, and we walked the streets with our water guns and joined in on the craziness of this day! Songkran traditions as described in Wikipedia:

The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues is considered an iconic ritual for this holiday. It represents purification and the washing away of one's sins and bad luck. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. As a way to show respect, younger people often practice water pouring over the palms of elders' hands. Paying reverence to ancestors is also an important part of Songkran tradition. The holiday is known for its water festival which is mostly celebrated by young people. Major streets are closed to traffic, and are used as arenas for water fights. Celebrants, young and old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other. 

Songkran madness

Trucks packed with local families roam the streets looking for victims to drench with sometimes icy water

Party bus Songkran style

In the spirit - we sat and watched the festivities and discussed things we wanted to cleanse, or let go, in this new beginning

After the excitement of Songkran Jess and I rented scooters and started exploring different parts of the island, often having the same experience of visible changes everywhere. We have had a lot of fun doing different activities such as finding local markets, watching a turtle release, taking a cooking class and hanging out at another favorite spot Catch beach club - which was also relocated and gave me quite a fright when I went to the old location and thought I was losing my mind, only to be told the club was at a different beach entirely now. We even found my old neighborhood soi (street) dog that we called "GJ" (Giant Jack Russel - because she used to look like one) and her presumed offspring, who we affectionately named "Greg" for no known reason. I am so glad I have been able to share this place with Jess and give her an idea of what my day to day life was like back then, we have had a great time scooting around the island and enjoying the Thai life (and food of course!).

Loved seeing a turtle release - so sweet watching these guys make their way into the sea

Yacht Haven Marina - where my yachtie friends were docked when I met them years ago 

The food at the local markets and stands is the best - and cheapest around.

Sunday night walking street market in Old Phuket Town

Sino Portugese architecture and pretty lights

Our cooking class set in the hills

Curry at the market - part of the cooking class tour

Picking up fresh ingredients for our recipes

Making green curry

Tom Yum Goong Soup

Master chef status!

Finished product

Enjoying an afternoon at Catch Beach Club

So happy to be in Thailand with Jess - have loved showing her around my old home!