Travels in Thailand

---

Greetings from Thailand! Am in Thailand to visit some sites I missed four years ago and to wait for the fighting to ease off in Myanmar. First off, I forgot how utterly charming Thailand and the people are!

I spent the day in a little town called Phimai about an hour and a half outside the city I'm in. It has this incredible ruin site that resembles the temples of Angkor in Cambodia. Building began in the late 10th century by King Jayavarman and considering that, it is still in decent shape. It was built a century before Angkor Wat and it took me back to the time I saw the temples in Cambodia. I didn't have a blog back then and be thankful, I would have likely posted many, many pictures of the temples. It is stated that this site is the largest and most religiously significant in Thailand and it is big. Much of the exterior walls have collapsed but it was still worth a wander.

I came across this gorgeous elephant who was chained to a tree, likely there for this festival going on in Phimai. I asked the mahout (trainer) about the elephant, she's female and is 25. That was about all I was able to ask before he went back to sleep. It was sad to see her chained to the tree and not able to roam around. I did get about five feet away from her, didn't want to spook her; she was beautiful and just heartbreaking. Then a little further on was this little man with two other big beasts; he let me take a picture.

Other than the poor elephant chained to the tree, it was a good day. Tomorrow I move onto Phitsanulok, more ruins and a little town called Sukothai with more ruins. I'll try to edit what I post, I know I can get carried away.

---

Photos

korat 037
my foot next to the imprint of that beautiful elephant, glad mine isn't the bigger one....

korat 025
sculpture of King Jayavarman

Comments

[cindy]

chained to a tree
Thank you Cheryl, I am chained to a job - a desk - I could go on forever... Does that help make you feel better about the sad elephant?

[Allan]

hello from Taipei
Hi Cheryl......wow you sure like your ruins!! I think you are in the wrong field career wise....you should be an archaeologist or anthropologist!! I have been enjoying your blogs but been too busy here in Asia to do much emailing myself! I had a great time in Beijing and Shanghai although the disparity between the rich and the poor really got to me; so much for Communism. I have been very lucky to be traveling with Chinese friends that speak the language. So much easier and cheaper. I have thought of you many times.....wondering "how did Cheryl ever manage that on her own". I know it's possible because I have done it in the past on my own but it just takes so much more time and can be very frustrating. We were at Expo for 3 days and the place is so huge! Amazing architecture but line ups way too long to go inside the major ones. Although we did get into Canada and US using our passports to go in via the Green line.............yes I hate to say it I had to pretend I was an American for the first time in my life.....lol. I am in Taipei right now staying with my friends.....so nice! Very easy vacationing! Very cheap when you have someone that knows what to do and where to go. I am off to BKK on Monday for 4 days and then to your fav, Angkor Wat. Then down to Bali for a week. You won't be in BKK next week will you?? I am going to forward you an email about something I did in Beijing.........it's a little embarrassing to share with 'a patient' but we've moved on.....anyway if you don't want to know how crazy your dentist can be then just delete before reading...lol Gotta run love Allan

[Allan]

hello from Taipei
Hi Cheryl......wow you sure like your ruins!! I think you are in the wrong field career wise....you should be an archaeologist or anthropologist!! I have been enjoying your blogs but been too busy here in Asia to do much emailing myself! I had a great time in Beijing and Shanghai although the disparity between the rich and the poor really got to me; so much for Communism. I have been very lucky to be traveling with Chinese friends that speak the language. So much easier and cheaper. I have thought of you many times.....wondering "how did Cheryl ever manage that on her own". I know it's possible because I have done it in the past on my own but it just takes so much more time and can be very frustrating. We were at Expo for 3 days and the place is so huge! Amazing architecture but line ups way too long to go inside the major ones. Although we did get into Canada and US using our passports to go in via the Green line.............yes I hate to say it I had to pretend I was an American for the first time in my life.....lol. I am in Taipei right now staying with my friends.....so nice! Very easy vacationing! Very cheap when you have someone that knows what to do and where to go. I am off to BKK on Monday for 4 days and then to your fav, Angkor Wat. Then down to Bali for a week. You won't be in BKK next week will you?? I am going to forward you an email about something I did in Beijing.........it's a little embarrassing to share with 'a patient' but we've moved on.....anyway if you don't want to know how crazy your dentist can be then just delete before reading...lol Gotta run love Allan

[Linda Knaus]

Spectacular pictures. And, sounds like you are taking in so much culture. Hope you are having a wonderful time !!