Monuments and Monks

The trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya had a steamy start.  It had rained during the night and I was sopping wet with sweat by the time I got to the train station.  Fortunately, the rail car had "air-con" for the hour and a half journey to Ayutthaya.  The city was established in 1350 and remained the capital of Siam until it fell to the Burmese in the 1700s.  Before its destruction, it must have been a marvelous city (built on an island threaded with canals), because even today, the site is remarkable.

Four fellow backpackers got off at the station that morning and we ended up spending the day together, Becky and Rachel, from the U.K. and Jorge from of all places, Ushuia, Argentina.  We skipped on the tuk-tuk drivers offering to take us around the site and, instead, found our way on the ferry to the island where we rented bicycles.  This turned out to be a fantastic way of seeing the complex.  The distances are not so great that you can't cycle between the sites and it's a peaceful way of enjoying the ruins.

We saw three complexes before I had to head back for my afternoon train, Wat Ratburana, Wat Phra Mahathat and Wat Phra Sri Sanphet.  Many of these buildings date from the 1300s.  All of them look like a set out of Indiana Jones.

Wat Ratburana was especially intriguing because you could enter one of the central buildings by walking underneath the chirping bats on the ceiling, make your way down a steep and narrow staircase to surface below in a small room with cobwebs and painted murals.  Awesome!

Above all else, the day was memorable because our little group had a fun time together, despite the heat, humidity and rain.

That afternoon, I caught the train to Phitsanulok en route to the ruins of Sukhothai.  The ride was long (6 hours) and uncomfortable (my clothes were wet from the rain and sweat) with no air-con, just the open windows to circulate the humid air and an occasional bug.  Even so, I had a huge smile on my face as I plopped down next to the man who would eventually show me 700 photos (I saw the counter on the camera) of his recent trip and thought, how could I be so lucky.  

My trip to Sukhothai was a logistical marvel.  Hotel to train station by foot where I left my backpack (10 minutes), train station to bus station by local open air truck (15 minutes), bus station to New Sukhothai bus station by intercity bus (60 minutes) and bus station to Old Sukhotai ruins by local open air truck (30 minutes).  The return was done in reverse, all in time to catch a 1:20 train to Chiang Mai.

View from the back of an open-air truck

The ruins of Sukhothai have been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  They too are splendid.  I again rented a bicycle to explore the site.  However, in this case, perhaps because they are a little inaccessible, the site was virtually empty.  I seemed to have most of the park to myself which resulted in even more of a feeling of remoteness and discovery.  Despite my rising sense of "ruin fatigue", this site was definitely worth visiting.

Note the gold covered  fingernails.

While waiting for the bus back to Phitsanulok I was entertained by this beautiful little girl who liked my sweaty hat. 

Her mom was happy to leave her with me while she chatted with some of her friends.  I guess it made for an unusual site in that I found myself being photographed by several people (perhaps they wanted evidence, in case I made a run with the kid which I was admittedly tempted to do).  Adorable and fun.

While waiting for the train in Phitsanulok to Chiang Mai, I met a woman and her daughter who ended up giving me a bag of these unique fruits called rambutan.  What started with my quizzical look at the fruit ended with her insisting that I take the entire bag.  The generosity and kindness of people to complete strangers fills me with optimism.

Saturday the 5th was my first day in Chiang Mai, a major city in the north of Thailand.  My guest house is beautiful!  What $15 a night can buy in some parts of the world.  The old part of Chiang Mai is surrounded by a crumbling wall and moat, in addition to two traffic loops that run in opposite directions and are practically impossible to cross.  It is known as the jump off point for hill tribe adventures, elephant camps and rafting.  I wanted to spend my day relaxing.  By late morning I had found my way to Wat Phra Singh, where over 700 monks attend university.  Here the monks are unusually friendly and many of them spend some of their free time in the gardens practising English with the tourists. 

This is where I meet "Tiger", I regret that I never came close to correctly pronouncing his Thai name, which sounds something like "Ciu-ah."  What started as a superficial conversation with Tiger and his friend Thong about "Amelika", ended the next day with a 25 kilometer "merit earning" hike up the mountain  to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. 

Because the only thing on Tiger's agenda was talking with foreigners (falong) he volunteered to show me some of Chiang Mai's other temples.  The most significant of these is Wat Chedi Luang.  The temple was completed in the mid 1400s, only to be destroyed by an earthquake in 1545.  For a time, this complex housed the Emerald Buddha which is now in Bangkok.  The complex looks more primitive than other temples.  I was especially drawn to the massive Nagas that protect the stairways leading up the temple.

Walking around the city with Tiger was a phenomenal experience.  I wish I could report that I found a solution to life's problems.  Unfortunately, it was hard enough communicating about the most basic concepts.  What I learned was mostly factual.  For example, the five rules that are applicable to humans in general are (and these may sound a little familiar):  1.  no killing; 2. no lying; 3.  no stealing; 4. no sex (except with your wife) and 5. no drinking.  For novice monks, the list grows to ten and for full monks, the list expands to over 200.  He didn't feel like he could even explain any of the additional 200 so they must be more conceptual and less practical.

To the lay person, a monk's robe seems rather complicated.  Tiger looked at me quizzically when I made that statement and he said, "No, not hard."  The external portion is actually one large piece of material that is folded and rolled to the appropriate size.  To demonstrate respect when entering a temple, most monks will remove the robe from their right shoulder.  However, when they leave the temple, the shoulder is again covered.

Tiger became a novice when he turned 15.  I believe this path was chosen for him by his parents.  Before becoming a novice, he was very good at Thai boxing.  As a monk, exercise is not permitted.
Monks rely on the alms from devotees to sustain them.  People visit the monasteries daily to deliver food to the monks, or the monks might walk in the street seeking donations.  Monks simply believe that food will be provided.  (The embodiment of a "neither purse, nor scrip" lifestyle.)  Since occasionally, food is not available, they are appreciative for every instance when there is enough.

Because monks and novices do not eat after 12:00 noon, adjusting to that negation can be challenging.  Tiger laughed when he thought about being hungry as a novice and also how angry the senior monks became when one of the novices would sneak some food after the permitted time.  Sticky rice is a good antidote for hunger because it fills the belly and lasts all day.

Because Sunday was also a day for practicing English.  Tiger asked if I would like to walk with him to the Wat at the top of Doi Suthep.  Not only would Tiger earn merit for his devotion, but he would have the opportunity to practice English all day long.  It sounded great to both of us.

Nifty elephant carving made from exposed tree roots.

We met the next morning at a little after 7:00 and caught an open-air truck to the base of the mountain where we began our 25 kilometer mostly uphill hike.

Along the way we learned vocabulary words and practiced pronunciation.  We also stopped at waterfalls and picked figs from trees at the side of the road. 

Tiger says that Thai's believe that figs are good for making a person clever.  He laughed as he would say, "We so clever, but we so poor that we eat food on the roadside!"  We joked at the busloads of tourists and locals who passed us on the way up, many staring at this odd couple.  I learned a Thai term given (affectionately?) to foreigners, falong key noke, which means "foreigner bird poop".  Everyone who passed us in a big bus or smokey truck was quickly identified as either falong key noke or Thai key noke, as applicable.

His faith in divine intervention was absolute.  Ours might be also if we were entirely dependent on the generosity of others.  This brings me to the lady who gave me the bag of rambutan fruit at the train station.    As I packed my day bag for the hike up the mountain, I threw in some cookies, pastries, candy bars and the remaining rambutan fruit.  Tiger didn't like chocolate, but loved the rambutan.  When I explained to Tiger the story about how I had received the fruit days before from a woman in a train station, he said without hesitation that the woman acted by the will of heaven because she sent fruits with me (a complete stranger) that would be delivered to a devoted monk on his climb to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.  When you think about it, it's not a bad explanation.
Other instances of divine intervention included the cloudy day, which was requested the night before so that we would be out of the sun, no rain (even though this is the rainy season) and even a different fruit he had received for breakfast at the monastery (which happened to be a type that he had unsuccessfully tried to find for me the previous day).  It was no surprise to him that it showed up on his plate that morning so he brought it with him to share with me.

It was a relief to finally arrive at the temple about four hours after we began our climb.  Happily we made it with 20 minutes to spare before the 12:00 noon cut off for lunch. 

One of the peppers on that plate left my lips, mouth and throat reeling for about 5 minutes.  Hot!

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is sacred to Buddhists because of the large golden pagoda which houses a bone fragment from the Buddha.

The temple is beautiful and the setting on top of the mountain more so.  Despite the throngs of worshipers, it remains a peaceful location.  A word of caution as you approach the temple, you will still need to make it past what has to be the best tourist trap in Thailand.  I failed miserably and gladly spent the 40 Bahts required to get past these hucksters.

She held her position for about 15 seconds while Tiger tried to get the shot.

After visiting the temple, we hiked an additional four kilometers to visit Phuping Palace, the King's summer residence in Chiang Mai.  The mountaintop location is beautiful as are the many gardens adorning the same.

Sculpture carved from tree trunk.

Stands of giant bamboo.

We returned by walking the four kilometers back to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, where we gladly caught an open truck back to the city. 

The day was full of memorable feelings and expressions.  Perhaps the most heart warming was Tiger's frequent exclamations, "I so happy", "I so lucky", "We so clever" to which I could only shake my head gratefully and respond  "I so happy", "I so lucky" "We so clever."

Bangkok!

Can I just say how much I like this place?!  Bangkok grew up around the Chao Phraya River and the river still plays a vital role in terms of industry and transportation.  I made my way to the historical center of the city by hopping on one of the frequent river taxis that run up, down and across the river.  The river is quite wide and in the morning runs fast with islands of water hyacinth.

Novelty boat used to ferry passengers between fancy hotels.

Fifteen minutes after boarding (and after having paid  my .50 cent fare), I hopped off at the pier closest to Wat Po.  Wat Po is the home of the Reclining Buddha.  Of all of the Buddha images I've seen, he is my favorite.  At almost 50 yards long and 50 feet high, the golden image is simply overpowering.  The details of his  feet were similarly wonderful as the individual toes and soles are inlaid with intricate mother of pearl designs.

The temple grounds are full of buildings each of which is covered by intricate gilded carvings and brilliant colored tiles.  These buildings are almost indescribably ornate.  The sites are clearly venerated in ways that are difficult to fathom.  Although all of the buildings are exposed both inside and outside to Bangkok's pollution, none of the buildings show evidence of such exposure.  Each is absolutely pristine.

Next was a hop on the ferry to the other side of the river to visit Wat Aran or the Temple of Dawn.  It received this name after King Tuskin, Bangkok's founder, wanted to signal optimism at the new kingdom being established in Bangkok after the old capital, Ayutthaya, was destroyed by the invading Burmese 1767.

This temple is covered with stone carvings, plaster and painted ceramic tiles, many of which were donated by the King's subjects when the temple was being enlarged to its present size.

 It's a very steep climb to the central "prang" but the views of Bangkok are inspiring from on top.

After picking up a British med student who was traveling my route, we walked to Wat Traimit, which houses the Golden Buddha.  Unlike other golden statues found everywhere, in this case, we are talking about the real deal.  The 10 foot tall image weighs over 5 tons and is believed to have been cast of solid gold. 

At one point it was covered in plaster, possibly to hide it from the invading Burmese.  The plaster was broken accidentally during a move in 1957 and the Golden Buddha was discovered safely inside.  

Day two in Bangkok started with a run in Lumphini Park.  I love visiting community parks because I think they are places you can go to actually see locals living their lives.  As I hoped, it was full of runners and other fitness types enjoying the hot, humid morning.  I also saw several large lizards (4 feet in length) which were fascinating and a little creepy from so close.  To my surprise at 8:00 a.m. everyone stopped in their tracks while the national anthem was played on loud speakers.  I later learned that this happens at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. everyday.  This is one place that loves both king and country. 

The day was sweltering which made the visit to Wat Phra Kaew (home of the Emerald Buddha) and the Grand Palace a bit of an endurance contest.  Getting into the temple can prove challenging.  First you have to make it past a slew of "tourist guides" and tuk-tuk (tri-wheeled taxis) drivers directing you away from the site by telling you it's closed  so that they can take you on a tour of town with stops at all of the tailors and jewelery outlets.


Shifty tuk-tuk driver hauling me to a tailor shop.  He eventually left me behind
when he realized I really wasn't going to buy anything from his buddies.

If you make it to the entrance, you will next be faced with the temple fashion police who make certain that men and women are dressed modestly (no shorts or skirts and no shoulders showing).  Rent sarongs and loose pants are available if you don't pass muster.  Finally, you should be allowed to enter the grounds. 
Wat Phra Kaew is highly revered by the Thai people.  The emerald (actually, jade) Buddha was made in northern Thailand (or possibly) Laos in the 1500s and was later stolen/retaken by the Thais and installed in a temple in Chiang Mai before being moved to Bangkok.  Apparently, this is still a sore subject between the two countries.  The gold thrown is possibly more impressive than the rather small and distant Buddha which sits atop it.  Photography is not allowed within the building so you'll have to check the Internet for photos.  The grounds surrounding the temple contain many other ornate buildings and structures, including a model of Angkor Wat.

The site also includes the Grand Palace, which would not have been disappointing except when compared to the other sites around.  By comparison, it appears somewhat ordinary, at least for Grand Palace standards.  Coupled with the fact that the buildings are closed to the public, it got a rather quick pass by.

That night I did what I had to do while in Bangkok ... saw Hangover II.  Given that the movie takes place in Bangkok, I really had no choice.  Immediately prior to the start of the movie, the theatre showed a montage about the King's life, accompanied by a lush soundtrack, rich chorus and dramatic climax throughout which everyone remained standing.  (Did I mention that the Thais love their King.)  The movie (crude and funny) focuses on the seedy elements of Bangkok that seem to fill peoples imaginations.  The audience which was comprised of both Thais and foreigners seemed to love being in on the joke.  Perhaps you get what you are looking for in Bangkok, but I really haven't seen much of this highly-negative element in the city.  Yes there are dirty alleys filled with bars and obvious prostitution, but this seems to be limited to very small areas.  Those areas actually looked an awful lot like New Orleans and are easily avoidable if you chose to.

Soi (Street) Cowboy  in Bangkok

So, I hate to ruin its otherwise sordid reputation, but in my view Bangkok just ain't as bad as the world would like to think.

Day three was a business day which involved finding the train station to get a schedule, sending a package at the local post office and getting down and dirty by riding through one of the canals, before ending with a final jog in the park.  I briefly joined in on one of the open aerobics classes being taught in the park which had hundreds of participants.  I can report that I am as awful at aerobics in Thailand as I ever was in the United States.

Water taxis on smaller and very polluted canals.  Riders raise the blue tarps
on the sides of the boat to avoid being splashed with the sludgy water.

I had mixed feelings about leaving Bangkok because it was starting to feel comfortable, but this trip is not about comfort, it's about endurance (with some enjoyment scattered about) so its off to the north.

Beijing

My apologies for the especially long post and for the delay in posting it.  It turns out that the Chinese government is not overly keen on granting access to sites such as Facebook, Youtube, Skype, or Blogspot within China.   

On Thursday the 26th, we flew to Beijing.  This left only a few hours to see some attractions.  The Forbidden City was my first and only stop.  Emerging from the metro station onto Tian ‘Anmen Square which faces the Forbidden City is breathtaking, not only for the crush of tourists, but also for the grand scale of the area. 

The Forbidden City contains 800 buildings with over 9,000 rooms and is the largest palace complex in the world.  While stone was used in the walls and floors of the buildings, the majority are constructed primarily of wood.   The complex contains buildings with names such as the Hall of Terrestrial Tranquility, the Hall of Celestial Purity and the Hall of Supreme Harmony each of which had a specific function. 

Two hours inside the complex were barely enough to walk from one end to the other, let along examine the avenues, palaces and courtyards on either side of the central complex.  

A very determined cell phone user who stepped into my shot.

For me, one of the most interesting sites was the Imperial Garden at the far end of the complex.  The space is landscaped with ancient trees, minor pavilions and exotic stone work. 

The visit was only marred by the difficulty in finding my way back to the hotel in the pouring rain.  Taxis tend to disappear whenever it rains, or if they are around, the prices go up … a lot.    

On the 27th I took a group tour of the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall.  Our group consisted of 1 American, 1 Ecuadorian, 1 Chinese, 2 Indians, 2 Argentines and 3 Germans.  For Beijing, I think the weather was almost perfect and most of the day we could even make out a light blue color in the sky.

First stop, the Ming Tombs, which are the burial grounds to 13 out of the 16 Ming Emperors.  Apparently, some of the most important tombs (which by themselves appear to be big hills of dirt) remain unexcavated because of the fear of damaging the invaluable items which are thought to be inside.  (I couldn’t get an idea from our guide why this was so different than any other of the thousands of historic tombs in the world that are routinely excavated.) 

The grounds are divided by a wooden gate that represents  the border between this world and the next.  Tourist etiquette requires that you shout something that sounds like “ Ohwa Hue Lai Lu!”, which means “We are back!” as you pass through the gate into the here-and-now just to be certain that your soul follows you out.  

Next we toured a jade factory.  These shopping stops are mandatory on every organized tour.  While the craftsmanship was splendid, dodging the persistent sales associates, was not.  Thank goodness for the Indians in our group who actually bought some items, otherwise, we might still be waiting for our tour bus to come and get us.

Tours of the Great Wall from Beijing take you to several major portions of the Wall.  Guide books and on-line references are divided as to what constitutes the “best” portion of the Wall to visit.  Our tour went to the Badaling portion and it was phenomenal! 

When you surface onto the Wall, you can either follow it to the left or to the right … go left.  I did both, and  while the right side looks most impressive as it winds over the hills into the distance, you can’t see it as effectively while you’re climbing because you're on top of it.  On the left side, however, you have an unfolding view (at least when you turn around) of the more dramatic right side.  

The right side was also distractingly crowded and steeper, although on both sides the inclines are surprising steep (at one point, I saw people crawling up the stairs on all fours).   As you wander around on top of the wall you are stuck by the massive undertaking the Great Wall represents.  Everyone seemed intent on storing as much of the experience as our cameras would allow.

That evening we wandered around one of the quaint Hutong districts.  These old streets are narrow and winding and give you a feel for what it might have been like to live in Beijing many years ago.  Unfortunately, many are being razed to make room for new development at the expense of the city's character. 

We also managed to come across a pedestrian street full of vendors selling kabobbed horrors of every kind  which were deep fat fried to order.  Sadly, no Twinkies or funnel cakes, just sea urchins, star fish, squid, sheep testicles, hearts, kidneys, grass hoppers, silk worm larva, scorpions (both dead and alive), crickets and a few other unrecognizable items.  (Unfortunately, no camera.)  I didn’t see almost anyone eating this fare, except for a couple of brave tourists from the United States, including two guys on a BYU study abroad stint.  For dinner, we had Peking Duck, a vast improvement over the other choices.

Saturday, the 28th started with a trip to the Bell Tower and to the Drum Tower.   The Bell Tower  (seen in the distance) ... 

contains a massive cast bronze bell weighing approximately 63 tons. 

Simon and me.

According to legend, the Emperor grew tired of waiting for the bell to be cast.  The blacksmiths had been unsuccessful after many attempts and unless they remedied the situation, they were soon to be put to death.  Fortunately, the daughter of one of the blacksmiths appeased the gods by throwing herself into the molten copper, allowing the bell to be cast.  Hooray! 

Both towers were instrumental in determining time in ancient Beijing.  The Drum Tower originally contained 25 large drums (the largest of which is still in existence, although severely deteriorated) and today contains replicas of each. 

It also contains replicas of both a mechanical clock which allowed metal balls to roll down a track at a set speed, 3,600 per 24 hours, and a clepsydra (as the smart Chinese translator called it) or water clock which measured time by regulating the flow of water through several small openings.

Next we went to the Temple of Heaven  which is located on beautiful park land in central Beijing.  The park is a place with Beijingers meet to socialize and enjoy the weather.  Among other activities are the spontaneous dance parties which seem to draw from all age groups.  It’s a pleasant custom, one which we saw on several occasions.  

The Temple of Heaven was used as a place to make sacrifices to heaven and to pray for good harvests.  The site is drenched in religious significance and ceremony.  For most tourists, however,  the Temple is notable because it is both gorgeously designed, colorfully painted and well-preserved. 

Our last day in Beijing took us to the Summer Palace, the summer home to some of the Ming emperors.  I could imagine that under ideal circumstances, the site would be beautiful.  Unfortunately, the smog was so bad that even the closest items appeared fuzzy and virtually colorless.  Nevertheless, here are a few of the scenes.

 

This roof decoration reminded me of a Chinese Santa being followed by a train of misfit animal toys. 

Beijing was a great city to visit, but I think that living there would be a challenge. It's crowded and hectic and the air quality seemed exceptionally poor.  A momentary visitor (especially a non-Chinese speaker) would be hard pressed to discover many of its charms without guidance.  Thanks Simon for helping me uncover some of them.