More on Sukhothai

Now, most of the chedis and wats are in pretty sad shape, however, we found one with some exquisite elephants that are still in fabulous condition. We have no idea how they have survived the effects of time, but survive they have. Here are a few more pictures of this wonderful area.

Sukhothai

At one time, Sukhothai was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam (I think it was back in the 13th century or thereabouts). Apparently there was a pretty ambitious king at the time, King Ramkhamhaeng, (no one seems to agree on the English spelling of the name so I picked one). This man is credited with ruling the country for a long time(at one time it was larger than Thailand is today), creating the Thai alphabet, opening relations with other cultures, particularly China, bringing Buddhism to the land and generally ruling a pretty happy country…a major accomplishment under the best of times. To support all of this wonderful work for his people, he also had a fabulous capital built.

The area is absolutely stunning. The old royal palace must have been an unbelievable place with extensive carvings and statues. It included the palace itself as well as a temple, all surrounded with a moat. There are literally hundreds of smaller temples and shrines also built within and outside the city walls (yes, walls…there were two of them with a moat in between. They were serious about keeping people out.) Archaeologists have found evidence that some of the temples in the area were actually originally built to honor Vishna and other Hindu gods and then were later changed to Buddhist temples.
The buildings themselves were built with laterite bricks (can you imagine the labor to create millions of bricks????) and then all of the bricks were completely covered with a mortar type substance that was finally intricately carved. Talk about a long term project!!!

Airport Pictures

OK...here are the airport pictures!!!

Tropical Airports

Quick…what do you think of? Security, scanners, concrete buildings, large buildings, long lines, endless waiting…never open, stylish, pretty, comfortable. Well…enter the world of tropical airports. When we flew into Sukhothai we landed a bit away from the terminal and were met by some open-air buses (same plastic to roll down on the sides). They shuttled us to what is probably one of the most gorgeous airports I have ever seen. They have the same security, scanners, lines (though not so long) and certainly waiting but the ambiance is like something I’ve never experienced. They pay attention to the details, the beautiful floral baskets, the orchids hanging down, the lilies in the pots, the pond with a small chedi in the middle of it with lily pads all around. Even a lounging elephant spraying water!!
Even Hawaii with it’s larger airport and many more concrete buildings had a delightful outdoor pond with koi in it and small paths to wander on. The center section was completely open, allowing the breezes to play through the halls. Welcome to the tropics.

Driving and Tuk Tuks

I’ve changed my mind…driving in Japan is a piece of cake and the drivers are courteous and polite and predictable. Drivers here in Thailand are crazy. Not only that, the vehicles are crazy…they drive anything they can connect a motor to and move. The greatest majority of vehicles are motorcycles. Now, they might have a side car for people, or they might have a side care where they prepare food or sell drinks. They also have motorcycles with a side car attached in front…a small kind of tuk tuk. The guy sits in the back, on the bike, and holds onto the cart in front.... like a handlebar and steers the thing by moving it back and forth. The people all climb in and sit on the sides...and in front sometimes, and the guy proceeds to see how quickly he can move down the street with the wind or the rain blasting at you. They go all over the place and every time they want to pass, change lanes, say hi to someone or they're just bored, they honk the horn - and it's not quiet.
They also have tuk tuks that are big like buses. These are old, very old trucks in the front with a covered flatbed that they've added benches to down the sides along with one bench running down the middle. They also go along, honking the horn, probably for a mixture of the same reasons. Anyone who wants a ride just raises their hand a bit and the guy stops. He does stop completely...it's a CLIMB into the back. People were continuously hopping on and off. He's also the delivery guy. One trip we took newspapers, cans of unidentified stuff, fruits, vegetables as well as one fish - very much alive- that got away from the pot and flopped about on the floor. THAT one caused some flurry in the back.

Rain in Thainland

OK… I know that it rains a lot in the good old PNW, but we have NOTHING on the rain here in Thailand. We arrived during the rainy season… the luck of the draw with summer vacation. Now…the rain here is intense and, predictably, it arrives daily. It usually is ushered in with a driving wind. The trick is to watch the people… if they start moving toward shelter, closing windows and such, you know it's coming. All of the restaurants will move the people inside or pull down plastic sheets to keep the rain out. Even the open air buses, called tuk tuks, are ready with tarps on the side.(The tuk tuk was a little disconcerting because he was shifting, holding the tarp open and wiping down the fog on the window at the same time. Made for an interesting ride.)


And then… when the rain comes down it is an absolute cloudburst. Having failed to pay attention to the actions of the locals (it was our first day after all), we found ourselves standing underneath a very small, inadequate, shelter, waiting out the storm. Fortunately, the rains are generally short as well as intense so after a time we were able to put our Japanese skills to use and take off, riding our bikes with umbrellas in hand.

Now, I would think that a city with extreme rain during part of the year would have developed its drainage system, however, I am wrong. They all seem to have a similar problem with flooding. We sloshed our way through the streets, winding between the available cover, stepping into many hidden, deep, puddles. The street leading up to Lotus Village, our hotel, was the worst. There, we were met with a surprise...the rain was still pouring down and the water was up to our knees. We waded through the mucky, brown, fast running water, attempting not to think of the lack of dog scoop laws in Thailand. We did discover that the water is drained off fairly quickly, thanks to some huge machines that apparently pull the water off the streets – though maybe it's connected to the system underground, I'm not sure. The water, however, complete with all of the aforementioned debris, is poured into the river. If this is happening all over Thailand….

On To Bangkok

Oh my gosh!!! What an experience this place is. Bangkok is BIG, BUSY and HECTIC. We were in an area of town that was pretty far from the airport but close to one of the early king's palace (not sure how many there are). Guess the current king, who is well loved by his people, decided to build his own palace and open this one up to the public so they could enjoy it. Jeff had a chance to visit it while he waited for me to come in. The architecture is absolutely fabulous – the gardens and buildings are just exquisite.
We were in a pretty simple place that definitely catered to the backpackers. Enjoyed wandering the streets and ate at a fabulous restaurant with a number of vegetarian options

Night Life in Lisbon

The Tagus River is the main river that flows through Portugal and it includes some large shipping areas but, in general, the river seems to cater to the boating enthusiast rather than the commercial fishing industry. We had a delightful cruise up the river from close to the mouth at Belem, up to the site of the 1998 worlds' fair at Oriente. It was a picture perfect evening with clear skies and warm weather, perfect for a 3 hour cruise.
Now…a cruise would be enough for most people, arriving home at about 10:00 at night, however, we had yet to see a Fado singer so we headed off for the subway and a late dinner and drink in one of the Fado clubs downtown.
Now, you might as what is Fado???? Well, Fado happens to be the Portuguese version of the blues and it's found almost exclusively in Lisbon. The songs tend to follow strict rules, dealing with love (unsatisfactory to say the least) and yearning, longing, nostalgia, homesickness... kinda all rolled up together. Now, the singer (always a woman) is the central figure and the audience is expected to pay due attention - no chattering. That’s great if you can understand all of the above…but at least interesting even if you can’t.
This restaurant wasn't just expensive, it was unbelievably expensive. A dish of shrimp fixed in some special way (my Portuguese is lacking) was 139 euros (like in the vicinity of $180). The appetizers were 22 to 27 euros and the breadbasket was 7 euros EACH.
Fortunately, the subway runs late...we were on the last run and made it back to the hotel somewhere around 1:00 in the morning!!!

Lisbon Oceanarium

Portugal is very much a sea-going country with boats of various sizes located all along the coastal area in any sheltered harbor available. It is truly no wonder that when they hosted the World Expo in 1998, their theme was…”The Oceans: A Heritage for the Future”. Although the Portuguese made many historical discoveries, the expo was actually focused on encouraging individuals as well as international societies to do what we could to preserve the oceans.
Of course the expo itself is closed, but they have many of the permanent buildings still there, including a fabulous oceanarium. The huge aquarium includes journeys through the Atlantic, Antarctica, Indian and Pacific Oceans with fish and other sea life populating well over 30 tanks. It’s definitely one of the best!!!
I couldn't resist the "mermaid's purse"...I've never seen them before. They're the egg case for sharks!!!

Portuguese Tiles

It’s really hard to find any old buildings in Portugal (famous ones at least) that isn’t adorned in some way with the blue-toned ceramic tiles (they’re called azulejos in Portuguese). Even newer buildings have the tile added to it (there’s been some new interest in reviving the art). They seem to have it everywhere, at the zoo, in parks, on houses and apartments, mansions, churches, stores and shops. Many are predominately blue but many other colors can be found. It was influenced by the Moorish occupation but none of the actual tile work from that period of time is to be found in Portugal. Sintra has some beautiful examples of various stages of tile work, cut tiles, stained tiles as well as the traditional blues. Unfortunately, the best examples were in the Palace Real and they wouldn’t let you take photos.

Lisbon

Lisbon is also an enchanting city, filled with wonderful architecture and spectacular views. There are still remains and buildings left from many periods of Portugal's history, but the earthquake of 1755 flattened much of the city center along the riverside. From the ruins, the city's grandest square, the Paca do Comercio, emerged. At one time, people arriving or leaving by sea landed in this area. (Now,of course, the waterfront area itself has a number of obras in progress – you can see them along the river edge.)

Cathedral

The Palacio Real is a splendid looking "Italian baroque palace" that is spectacular! Unfortunately, due to many more obras, they temporarily had it closed to tours. Fortunately, having walked all the way over, I discovered the palatial church Caderal de Nuestra Senora de la Almudena and it was open without any obras. The carvings on the door were spectacular and the interior was unsurpassed! The statues were ornate and detailed and the gold work inside was outstanding.

Arboretum and Park

Spain is fairly hot and dry. I was surprised to find such a cool pitcher plant hiding out in the "tropical" area of the arboretum. They also had some unusually shaped trees throughout the park.

Parque del Buen Retiro

Nearby is a small but very well done arboretum as well as the serene Parque del Buen Retiro (though I doubt it is so serene immediately after a big football (soccer) game. The park was originally the palatial grounds with an artificial lake adjacent to the massive Alfonso some number mausoleum, complete with many more partially dressed (or undressed) statues of marble, plaster and bronze. Obviously the Spanish do not share the American view of appropriate statues.

Museo del Prado

The Museo del Prado is probably the most spectacular art museum I have ever seen. It is located in a spectacular park area with numerous fountains and statues, complete with the required number of obras. The one I thought most fanciful, fountain, not obra, was the Plaza de Neptuno, also the site of celebration for athletic fans when their team has won. Since they played their last world cup game the night I was there, I'm sure that it was the scene of many tears, not revelry. The Museo itself is filled with absolutely stunning artwork El Greco to Goya and many others. It was delightful!

Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor was originally an area outside the city walls and the place where traders conducted most of their trading. Tarps had to be erected over the stalls to protect the traders and their wares from the refuse that was dumped from the windows above. Sounds like a very aromatic place to live and work. Fortunately, things have improved now so only the center of the plaza has the umbrellas and they're up to protect the diners from the relentless sun. The trade is now conducted in the building itself, filled with the prerequisite souvenir shops and numerous cafes using those umbrellas in the middle. The walls of the buildings are adorned with some interesting paintings of people in various states of undress.

Plaza de la Puerta del Sol

The Plaza de la Puerta del Sol is Madrid's most central point, in fact, there is a marker that indicates the point "0 km". The distances along the highways all across Spain are all measured from that particular point.
There is also an interesting statue of a bronze bear nuzzling a madrono tree. It's the symbol of the city and one of those "must see" landmarks. At night they have various bands playing in the plaza – one was a group playing music very similar to the Andes music from Ecuador. Everyone stood around listening to them for a good hour at least. This little bear is so well known it's used as a meeting place for people...course then you can't find your friends because EVERYONE is waiting there.

There's no such thing as an early dinner in Madrid. In fact, most restaurants don't even open until 8:30 and 9:00 is far more common.
My most interesting meal was in an Argentinian restaurant where I ate Italian pasta while listening to Chinese music. Quite an international experience. They also had a very nice vegetarian restaurant with natural foods native to Spain.

Obras...

I stayed in a hotel near the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, in, I believe, the Los Austrias barrio, with somewhat of a Moorish influence(so I read) in the building styles and streets. The Plaza, unfortunately, is undergoing 'obras', or construction. It seems that the Spanish have obras going on during the majority of the year so despite the influx of summer tourists and the hundreds of people who
pack the streets at night, they just continue working, everywhere on everything, statues, fountains, plazas, subways, buildings, roads, sidewalks, you name it, it is torn up somewhere.

Madrid

Madrid is a city that I think would take years to discover. Each barrio seems to have its own flavor and sights from stuccoed buildings to charming narrow, winding streets, perfect for getting lost in. There are also hundreds of traditional restaurants, most including inviting outside dining to take in the ambiance (and the smoke) and enjoy the cooling evenings.
The days start late and they still indulge in the afternoon siestas. While stores were open for the tourists, there seemed to be a slackening of pace at least on the part of the locals during the early evening. However, Madrid is the city of night-life and by 9:00 pm it is starting to gather steam.

Lawn Mower

Quick! Think of associations for this word……Lawn Mower….ok…grass, hot weather, fresh cut grass smell, summer, tall ice teas, beer, sweat, weeds. Hmmm…I didn’t hear the word cute in that collection. Here in Japan the lawn mowers are a little different. Small, narrow, tiny, in a word…..cute. Please note in the picture that my sandal is in front of it just for comparison. It took me well over an hour to “mow” the lawn and I had to dump that bag probably 8 times! In comparison, I probably could have used a regular lawn mower, finished the job in 15 min. and dumped the bag once. The problem ….real lawn mowers cost approximately 7 times as much…..

Tsuramai Park Tea Ceremonies

Ah…spring….blossoms, fresh air, sunlight and….tea ceremonies. It’s a special time in the Japanese yearly cycle of festivals and one that should not be missed.
Once again we found ourselves at Tsuramai Park, though this time the skies were merely cloudy rather than smoggy. Though the rain fell all night long, the day proved to be dry.
Scattered throughout the park were large tents (just in case the rain returned). Inside benches, platforms and other props for preparing tea were set up. Each included a small area that was elegantly decorated; it might be a simple flower arrangement or a bit of landscape, taking in, of course, the natural setting of the park. The irises were in bloom, or at least a good number of them were, so many of the items incorporated irises as the theme for the day.

Kimonos

The women were not to be outdone by the setting. They all wore elegant kimonos and carefully picked their way through the various paths to attend the different tea ceremonies representing numerous schools.

Tea Ceremonies

The ceremony varied a bit. Instead of sitting on the ground with the hostess, we sat upon benches, covered with red cloth, set around the hostess. While the hostess made the ceremonial cup of tea, other members of the school made and passed out tea to all of the people who were watching the process of making the tea. It is a very stylized and rigidly adhered to process, with each “school” having slight variations in hand movements and proscribed equipment. Each movement is done individually; there is no setting down the bowl while you are reaching for the tea pot. It can be relaxing to watch them work.
It takes YEARS before you are allowed to participate in the formal tea ceremony. The first year you are an observer only, in fact, you can come but not to do anything at all. The next year you can help out a bit…answering questions, collecting tickets, watching the line. The following year you MIGHT be able to help with passing out the dessert plate. It’s quite literally years before you even help with passing out the tea that someone made in the back.

Making tea

However, if you’re naïve and trusting, you just might get conned into making tea. They had a special, small area behind the main tent. It included a small table with the red tablecloth, small decoration and the tea pot/tea and such. Marjon (my ‘friend’) said “oh gee, I wonder what they’re doing here”. Well, we went to look and found a woman making tea under the VERY watchful eye of the master. She did quite well (to my untutored eye) and drank her tea. Lo and behold, when she finished, it turned into “gee, Karen. Why don’t you do it?” Needless to say I got to sit and try to make tea, with everyone looking on and all directions in Japanese. It was fortunate that Tomi-san had shown us how to do a simple ceremony so I could understand a bit of what was said but still…..it was difficult but fun. Turns out Marjon had been tempted into the same area last year so as the new person…she thought it should only be my turn!!!

Tsumago again

We took our 2nd hiking trip between Magome and Tsumago over Golden Week. (The historic post towns along the old Nakasendo, that connected Kyoto and old Edo (better known as Tokyo). Most of the buildings in the two towns date from the Edo Period (like early1600 something to mid 1800 something – obviously you don’t want me on your Trivial Pursuit team). Most of this stuff was in the October 2005 post so if you’re interested, check it out.
Spring is definitely an interesting time to go. First…the place is packed with people…the weather was gorgeous and everyone decided that a trip on the old road was a great activity (probably not a sentiment shared by the daimyo’s of the olden days). In contrast to the fall scenes shot earlier, here are some wonderful spring offerings.

Tsumago - 2nd round!

The picture of the path took a while to get...we had to wait until it was clear of people!!!
The path was originally paved with the stones you see there. I'm not so certain that they really helped the footing. The stones are uneven and difficult to walk on, though I suppose that during the rainy season they might have been nicer than the mud.

Meiji Mura

Meiji Mura is an “open air museum” that takes you on a trip into the past. It includes buildings from the Meiji period (1867) through the Showa period (1989). The architecture from these periods is characterized by a strong influence of western ideas and techniques. The fusion of Japanese style with Greek columns, ranch style houses, gothic churches and more led to some very interesting structures.
Probably the most famous building is the entrance and lobby for the Tokyo Imperial Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and originally completed in 1923. It was created in a Mayan Style that is really interesting. The bricks are all different shapes and while they are art by themselves, they blend together to create a really interesting structure.

Meiji Mura Post Office

The post office is still working. You can sit in the center, write a note and actually mail it there. It’s really an interesting building, the main section is round and it includes a history of postal services around the world. Now...the Japanese was lost on us but the pictures of different boxes were cool. Actually, all of the different buildings had explanations in Japanese, English and Korean so it was easy to learn about each building.

Meiji Mura again

Here are some more of the interesting buildings at Meiji Mura. The first one is the entrance porch to a girls’ religious college. The 2nd picture is that of a ‘foreigners’ home in Kobe. They even had a completely separate building in the back, connected by a covered walk on the 2nd floor, for servants.

Meiji Mura Train

The train at Meiji Mura is a coal powered steam train. It runs on a single track from the top of the hill down to the midpoint of the museum. At either end, the conductors turn the engine around on a “hand powered” turn table. They put on quite a show for the kids…big and little…with lots of steam, many whistles and lots of waves.

Hanami 2

Another picture of hanami (read the article below for more information). The hillsides are just spectacular!

Hanami: Cherry Blossom Viewing

Hanami, or “cherry blossom viewing’ is taken very seriously here. There are websites available that track the blossoming of the famous sakura blossoms, letting you know when you might expect the ultimate viewing experience. The local trades people, not to miss out on an opportunity for a festival, set up their stalls ahead of time so that they’ll be ready for the matsuri (festival) the minute the blossoms come out in force.
The week before is a tease. You can see the promise…the tiny buds, the slight pink shade to the trees, the mountainside taking on a pink hue. A few bold blossoms poke out but the rest are still slumbering. And then…the moment arrives. ALL of the blossoms seem to unveil simultaneously. We went to work in the morning, noting the pink, the handful of blooms peeking out and the brave trees in full bloom but nothing spectacular. On our way home, the same day mind you,....oh my gosh it was like a switch had been turned on and EVERY tree had bloomed that very afternoon. Gorgeous!!!
Needless to say, the vendors went into high gear, the blue tarps were laid out under the trees, the sake (or beer) was purchased and people began VIEWING with a passion. We went to Tsuramai park on Saturday, a horribly windy day with a strange sun (thanks to pollution from China cascading into the region). It was cold, it was threatening to rain, it was gritty, but the people were everywhere. Some people had placed their blue tarp out with a note giving the group name and what time they’d be arriving AND, lo and behold, people respect that and the tarp will be waiting for you when you arrive after work (only in Japan….).