Vandana Pai

Tag: temples

  • Wannabe Lara Croft

    It’s been grey and rainy in northern Vietnam, so I feel no desire to do anything but read, watch TV, sip on chai (I wish), and laze around. But, here I am finally writing a new post, catching up on the last month of traveling.

    After nearly 3 weeks in Laos, I was really excited to head to Cambodia. I needed a change of scenery as I was getting bored and restless, which is absurd to think can actually happen while traveling, but it does. While on the bus to the 4,000 islands in Laos, I made friends with this bubbly girl from New York (who is also coincidentally a Theta) who was headed all the way to Siem Reap.  Last minute, I decide to instead go all the way to Siem Reap with her. Ultimately ended up on the road for more than 24 hours, going though the worst scammy border patrol, with little sitting space. Definitely one of my worst long-term travel and border-crossing experiences. At least I had a friend to commiserate with.

    Immediately the next morning I got on a bike to explore Angkor Wat, which was a hundred times larger and grander than I had expected. Only three temples were most memorable to me.

    Angkor Thom

     

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    This temple was beautiful, covered with Buddha faces. The whole thing smelled wonderfully of bat poop.

    Angkor Wat

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    The first time I saw Angkor Wat it was crazy packed and unbearable. I skipped it, and then headed back for sunrise the next morning. Along with about 500 other people crowded around lake, we watched as the sun rose over the pillars. The sheer number of people and flashes that were going off definitely detracted from the experience, but it was still nice. My friends and I decided to head into the temple before the crowds rushed in, which was absolutely the right thing to do. It was so quiet and peaceful inside. We climbed around the temple watching the sun rise completely. Now I was actually in awe of its beauty. I was able to capture one of my favorite pictures of all time now, a trio of monks walking around the serene Angkor Wat.

    Ta Prohm

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    Okay, the Tomb Raider temple was definitely my favorite. The trees growing over the complex made it feel like a true forest temple. A relic of the past. I got a lovely stranger to take a bunch of photos of me as I paraded around posing.

    So, this might be an unpopular opinion, but…

    I prefer Bagan to Angkor Wat. 

    I wasn’t as impressed with Angkor Wat as I expected to be. There! I said it. I think the number of people there just bothered me. I wondered what it must have been like 10 or 20 years ago, when no one was visiting Angkor Wat. However, it was still beautiful. During the two days I was there, I definitely wished my family had been there to also see it. This is something they would have loved, since it is an ancient Hindu temple. The dancers and other carvings in the architecture were enchanting. The level of detail in all of the temples were very impressive.

  • Chiang Mai’s Hidden Gems

    I can’t stop talking about Chiang Mai!!! I love it. I spent nearly two weeks in the city but I easily could have spent the entire month there. One day I’ll live there. I had already done all the touristy stuff during my last visit to Chiang Mai, so I made it a point to get out of the Old City and really explore the surrounding areas. It paid off, and I found four amazing areas around Chiang Mai that most people never get to. I’m going to be a good citizen and share these with the world.

    The Sticky Waterfall

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    Otherwise known as the Bua Thong Waterfalls, these limestone waterfalls are so fun to spend a day at. A friend and I took a motorcycle out there, about an hour’s drive. We eventually found them after getting lost. There aren’t a lot of people around, unless a tour group comes by. There are three different levels to the waterfalls, but it’s best to start at the very bottom and walk all the way up to the top. So glad I made it out here, it was worth the long drive (and getting very lost). Lounging around on the waterfall while the water crashes down around you is a lovely feeling.

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    The Forest Temple

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    This temple in the forest, Wat Pha Lat, is hidden behind the Chiang Mai Zoo, way past the university. I walked all the way there, which took about two hours, but it was a great hike up. After walking past the zoo, there’s a sign that indicates the start of the monk’s path. It was maybe about a 30 minute hike up. The path was indicated by strips of orange cloth wrapped on the trees. There were only two other people there when I got to the temple, making it the most serene and peaceful temple I had ever been to. This was truly a very zen place, perfect for meditation. I took to writing in my journal on the rocks over the river as I look out at the killer view of Chiang Mai. The atmosphere was so tranquil and made you feel so at peace with life. Absolutely my favorite place in Chiang Mai now.

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    The Terracotta Garden

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    So, this is in the Old City, but on northeast side which most tourists don’t venture to. There’s a cafe here now, which makes it a great place to focus and do work. There are tons of broken terracotta statues around here which are amazing to photograph.

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    Wat Suan Dok

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    This temple is enormous and also doubles as a university for the monks. Tourists don’t usually venture to this part of Chiang Mai, which is only just north of the Old City. Monk Chat can also be found here. I found the most interesting part to be the white mausoleums, which contain the ashes of the royal family of Chiang Mai. This funeral ground is stunningly beautiful, especially in the evening when the light is perfect.

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