Travelling Devo: July 2007

Narita, Japan

On our way home to Canada, we have a 11 hour layover in Japan. We used the time to check out the Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple and Park.

Gwen in Japan!

Front Gate to Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple

Turtle Island

Kanchanaburi, Southern Thailand

Kanchanaburi's claim to fame is the Kwai Bridge (think, Bridge over the River Kwai). The bridge itself is nothing spectacular, but the city hosts some excellent museums that discuss it's significants in WWII. There are also some excellent temples in the area to check out.

Bridge over the River Kwai

Window of a Chinese-Thai Temple

Lizard!

Buddha in a Cave

Cha-am, Southern Thailand

Cha-am is where young adults from Bangkok visit to enjoy the sun and ocean-side life.

Umbrella lined Beach

Sunset

Local Fishing Boat (crabs I believe)

Krabi, Southern Thailand

Krabi is a small town on the west coast of southern Thailand. It sits at the mouth of the Krabi River which flows into the Andaman Sea. It is a relaxed, laid-back town that is a joy to stay in. The surrounding area hosts numerous beaches and some wonderful temples.

Boat at Beach near Krabi

Bring Boat into Dock

Temple Cave

Sleeping Monkey

View from Mountain-top Temple

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century as a state temple and capital city for King Suryavarman II. Simply put, Angkor Wat hosts the best temples in all of SE Asia if not the world.

Old Building, New Tree

Entrance to Temple Complex

Angkor Tom

Banana Boy

Relief at Angkor Wat

Another Relief at Angkor Wat

Relief at Small Auxiliary Wat

Vang Vieng, Laos

It seems everyday is Spring Break in Vang Vieng. The town contains an improbable number of restaurants playing episodes of Friends and Simpsons. So many in fact, that it has become an advertising strategy for restaurants to explicitly state they are not playing these TV shows. The town sits on the Nam Song river which is famed for its tubing. Not because the tubing is particularly noteworthy, but because the banks host a good dozen bars to keep you happy on the way down. The surrounding country side is remarkable. Similar to the karst topography on Ninh Binh, Vietnam. If you want to party, you won't be disappointed here. If you want beautiful scenery, this is the place to go assuming you can handle the Spring Break atmosphere. If you want to see beautiful scenery while drunk, I know of no better place.

View from Hotel Room Balcony

Rice Fields in Vang Vieng

Tubing into a Cave near Vang Vieng

View of outskirts of Vang Vieng

Bridge in Vang Vieng

Fishing Village near Vang Vieng

Vietniane, Laos

Vientiane is the capital of Laos and host a staggering population of 200,000. It isn't the most exciting city although it has at least one interesting Wat and is nicely situated on the Mekong river.

Buddha Image in front of Buddha Images

Buddha Posing next to Wall

Not a Buddha

Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang was the capital of the Kingdom of Loas until 1975 when Communists took control of the country and moved the capital to Vientiane. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to the numerous temples it contains. I found it to be the most beautiful city we saw in SE Asia.

Elephant Head at one of the Cities many Wats

Quiet Street in Luang Prabang

Kuang Si Falls near Luang Prabang

Market at base of Kuang Si Falls

Monks Walking along the Cities Main Street

Monk outside Wat Entrance

Elephant Trekking around Luang Prabang

Monkey being kept at local Wat (presumably for a good reason!)

Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An was the largest harbour in South East Asia in the First Century. It is now home to a thriving textiles industry. You can have basically anything made for you within 24 hours. Thanks to a large number of heritage building from the 15th to 19th centuries, Hoi An is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. On a more personal note, it is also the town which broke Gwen and I and left us running for Laos.

Footbridge

Riverfront of Hoi An

Selling Wares at the Beach

Hue, Vietnam

Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. The practical upshot of this is that it now contains tons of temples to attract tourists.

Roof of Temple Building