Kylejee

We arrived safe and sound in India on August 21st! My first few days in India have been wonderful and relaxed. Though I was prepared for the incredible heat that everyone warned me about, I was pleasantly surprised that it was much cooler here than in Cambodia. We were greeted by the warm smiling faces of amma, appa and vassu mama. The airport was not very crowded as ours was the only flight arriving at that time so we quickly got our luggage and made our way home to Basat Nagar. Even the traffic was much less than I expected. I found out quickly however that I spoke too soon about the traffic in India. What can I say other than it is completely crazy......cars, buses, bicycles, motor scooters, people walking, and most dangerous of all ... read more

August 20th We entered Angkor by a Tuk Tuk (motorized cart) and discovered that this was a better way to experience the surroundings. Our itinerary today was Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Kdei and the Sras Srang (a large lake). We toured the temples leisurely stopping frequently. The temples were an architectural delight and we took plenty of pictures. We returned to the hotel for a brief break and headed back in late afternoon to visit the crown jewel of Angkor-Angkor Wat! Angkor Wat was a Hindu Temple devoted to Vishnu and was built between 1113AD and 1150AD by Suryavarman II. The outer limits is bounded by a broad water filled moat. The total dimensions of the temple is 1.5 km x 1.3 km making this the single largest religious monument in the world. Subsequently the ... read more

August 15th Our two days in Chiang mai were spent absorbing the local culture. After visiting Doi Suthep Wat the first day we looked for something uniquely Thai that we could immerse ourselves in…we were roaming the streets of Chiangmai visiting various Buddhist Wats when a sign lead us to a Thai Cooking Class. We signed up for the cooking class beginning the following day. August 16th We were picked up by the cookery school bus and were transported to the school were we joined others and headed out to the market to learn Thai ingredients. After picking up produce, we headed back to the class and began our first dish.Thom Khe Ghai…we then quickly advanced to Red Curry Tofu, Papaya Salad and Flat noodles in vegetable sauce. For dessert we prepared Steamed Banana Cake which ... read more

We spent the last 2 days exploring the immediate vicinity of where we were staying. We walked all around savoring the sights and sounds that have now become so familiar to us. The sounds of Balinese music in temples and the traffic down main street (Jalan Hanoman, Jalan Monkey Forest and Jalan Jambavan). We spent a nice evening in the monkey forest where the inhabitants run loose and hold court every day..they are visited by the local human beings who are eager spectators of the endless frolicking and antics that the monkeys put on display. The monkeys seem to love coconuts and the stronger ones spend a lot of time tearing the coconut to get to the meat. Several tried to get close to us and one actually sat on Kyles head.... read more

After a few days we were ready to head back to Ubud. Our journey back lead us high up into the mountains close to Kintamani. We drove through slopes where there were several varieties of fruits, coffee, and cloves are grown (plantations). We enjoyed freshly cut mangos (Sanjay’s favorite), passion fruit (Kyle’s favorite), and tamarillos. Also on the way back we stopped at the Tirtha Temple close to Tamparksiring where many people come to bath in the holy water that pours forth from a natural spring. ... read more