looking glass

the hype is just for the angkorean temples here in cambodia. as nearly every traveller i've met has said, angkor wat is just stunning. the massive stone structures were built around 900 years ago, and many still stand over 50m. the steep staircases leading up to the temples, especially the one reserved for the king, are a thrill to ascend each time. the angkor wat complex is the most famous, but i absolutely love the bayon with its' 200 stone, buddha faces. as you look around there are eyes on every inch of your body and the feeling is just exhilirating.

this has been the highlight of the trip thus far, and cambodia has really impressed. phnom penh's downtown is a bit seedy, but the silver pagoda and palace are wonderful examples of khmer architecture. the french streets have become commonplace in these former colonies, and the ethnic lao and khmer have continued to renovate and build more francais streets. just about the only disappointing part of cambodia has been the food, which just doesn't compete with n. thailand and laos. my favorite dish is still a good curry, red or green, with loads of veggies and some chicken.

here are some pictures

THAILAND

LAOS

CAMBODIA

i ended my laos trip in vientiane, which was a bit of a disappointment after luang phabang. the architecture in vientiane wasn't nearly as gorgeous as the red-brick streets and detailed temples in the riverside city of luang phabang. the capital city, vientiane, was full of sex-tourists and drug-dealers, and probably a few people who were both. i didnt bother with the nightlife there since it seemed a bit seedy. the only nice part of the town was a french boulevard which led upto the national temple. it's a bit odd walking down the streets of the old french colonial towns and seeing poor lao people sleeping on the sidewalk, but that was definitely a common sight in vientiane.
after an overnight train i returned to ko chang, where i spent a week last year as well. the beaches are still picturesque, but the prices have already started going up. heaps of european families are on winter holiday and they chose to spend it in ko chang. i can't blame the thai business owners who want to attract wealthy families, but they are really pushing out the backpackers. it was only $5 a day for a beach-frong bungalow, so i can't complain too much. after a ferry ride to the mainland, my brother and i parted ways. he's off to university and im off to other asian destinations. i wonder who will learn more......

as for cambodia, the border town was a real treat. ko khong was full of people trying to scam or rob you, but luckily i arrived before sundown. at the actual border crossing four groups of people colluded together and set an insanely high price for a taxi ride into town. i was with a few dutch guys and we decided to start walking down the road. within seconds we had a couple cars trailing us lowering their prices. it was quite a marketplace. currently im in sihanoukville, which isnt much better than the border crossing but atleast it has a decent beach. im heading into phnom penh and then to angkor wat next week. ive been hearing nothing but amazing stories about the temples of angkor, and now its turned into my camobodian pilgrimage. i hope it lives up to the hype.

bangkok's seedy areas rarely phase me these days with the last few towns we've stopped at in laos. the absolute poverty the people live in here is more appalling than transvestites with bulges in their pants.
my brother and i rendezvoused in bangkok on the 19th and quickly made our way up to the northern center of thailand, chiang mai. after scoping out some ornate temples we hopped on a bus and headed for the mekong. once we reached the thai side we had a good look at what life was like across the river in laos. nothing is quite like walking around a port town with people who want to stuff their pockets with your money. that was the vibe in both Chiang Khong, Thailand and its' Lao counterpart Houesai. we only spent a night in the enchanting village of houesai, but we quickly got the idea that the communist government is still fully in control of the lao people. that includes cutting the power at 11pm. the next day we cruised down the mekong and got to see the outside of raw jungle. a few stone faces were thrown in between the lush forest, but for the most part it was the shit-brown color of the mekong against a backdrop of giant green trees.
we slept in pakbeng, another village that exists to extract money from tourists and give lao people the true feeling of capitalism. the food was tasty, especially the morning glory and spring onion. we've been sampling the cuisine from both the street vendors and restaurants, and our expert opinion concludes that vendors are the way to go. not only are they cheaper but the fresh vegetables in the stand just give you a good feeling.
from pakbeng, laos we had another day on the mekong full of dice games, exquisitely-rolled white cylinders and some conversation about taking pictures of poor people (make a post and let me know your thoughts......)
as for luang prabang, the general feel here is much more subdued than in bangkok, a bussling metropolis with seemingly no soul. the people here aren't as hawkish about selling goods, throwing you in their taxis or ripping you off (or maybe im just that naive...)
the temples here have the lao style with a french walkway of red-bricks and cement. surprisingly the two make a nice pair and the mesh of boulders, gold buddhas and colonialist architecture make a nice atmosphere. we just climbed Mt. Phousi and viewed the beautiful setting luang prabang has at the corner of the mekong and nam khan rivers. from here we'll probably be off to Vientiane to explore more of what the french did to lao culture. should be quite a treat.

When I set foot in Japan, which is my new "home" country, I met up with my mom and brother for a whirlwind tour of Japan. We sped through Nara, the old ancient capital, and also through a few sections of Kyoto that are a must-see for anyone who comes over. The best part of this trip was practicing my Japanese to help my family get around. It's pretty amazing how much you can learn living in the native country of a language, and it doesn't hurt that I take free lessons every week. Without thinking about it, I left all my guidebooks at home and just asked people their recommendation on temples, shrines, restaurants etc. It turned out to be a blast, although I don't think a full-time tour guide position is quite up my alley.
The trip ended with my brother and I going on a 2 day hike in a gorgeous area just south of where the Nagano Olympics were held. We summited Yarigatake, which literally means spear mountain, and had to work pretty damn hard getting up the last stretch. There were a few vertical ladders and helpful chains along the way. Once we reached the summit there was an awesome 360 view of the N. Alps, not to mention the chocolate and peanut butter goodness we devoured.