Part II of my journey - VACATION!!! Starting off in Bangkok

On Saturday after my CSC team said their goodbyes, I had a relatively short flight to Bangkok, Thailand to start the next leg of my journey - Vacation!  As I suspected, my luggage was overweight (no surprise there) and I had to pay some extra baggage charges.  After arriving in Bangkok I decided to leave one of my bags in storage for the next two weeks - they have a great storage facility at the airport that's secure and relatively inexpensive.  Marc arrived a few hours after me, and we met up at our hotel.  He had a really long flight (Raleigh to Dallas to Tokyo to Bangkok) and was exhausted.  It was great to see him after 5 weeks. 

I originally thought Indonesia was hot.  Then I arrived in Bangkok, which made me realize that Indonesia was simply warm.  Bangkok is noted to be one of the hottest cities in the world.  It doesn't really have seasons and the average temperature every day of the year is between 90 and 100 Farenheit with relatively high humidity.  It was scorching every day we were there and we'd easily each drink 5 to 6 bottles of water each day.

The day after we arrived we decided to take it relatively easy and check out a few of the things near our hotel.  Back in November we booked a hotel near the central shopping district which was very conveniently located to a lot of restaurants and to the Skytrain.  In December, things started to heat up with the political situation in Bangkok with protestors taking over many of the main intersections and blocking them to traffic so we started to get a bit nervous.  Many Thais are looking to have the Prime Minister step down, and it has caused a lot of conflict over the last few months.   Prior to arriving, we had been keeping up to date with a lot of travel blogs and decided to head to Bangkok after multiple assurances that the area we were staying in was outside of the protest zones. In the end, we were really glad we didn't cancel our trip.  As luck would have it, most of the protests disbanded the day we arrived, the six main intersections were cleared, and the remaining protestors moved to a park on the southern side of the city.   The political situation is still not settled but it definitely did not put any damper on the first part of our trip.

Below are some highlights from our first few days in Bangkok. 

Chatuchak Weekend Market 
This is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest flea market in the world.  It has over 15,000 vendor stalls and on a typical weekend day there are more than 200,000 visitors.  We bought a few souvenirs, but were disappointed that haggling wasn't getting us much of a discount so we mostly kept to browsing.  (As many of you know one of our favorite pastimes while traveling is haggling at local markets.)

The Jim Thompson House
Jim Thompson was an American who moved to Thailand and built up a very successful silk company.  After WWII he ran the OSS office in Bangkok (the predecessor to the CIA) and in 1967 he mysteriously disappeared while on a trip to Malaysia.  His house is now a museum and it houses many of the Southeast Asian pieces of art he collected while living in Thailand

Siam Ocean World
This aquarium is housed underneath one of the biggest shopping malls in Bangkok, Siam Paragon.  We decided to check it out as there were a lot of sea creatures from this part of the world that we had never seen before.  It was a bit touristy but interesting nonetheless.

On Monday, we started our four day tour with a local guide and driver that we had hired.  If anyone decides to vacation in Thailand I would highly recommend them - TravelHub.  They were on-time, our guide spoke great English, and we got to see so many things that would have been difficult for us to do on our own in such a short amount of time.  The air conditioned van, cold towels, and water were a plus as well.

The Grand Palace & Wat Prah Kaew
The King of Thailand was based at the Grand Palace until the mid-1920s.  It is still used for ceremonial events and there are several royal offices still inside.  The palace is made up of many buildings.  One of them is Wat Prah Kaew which houses the Emerald Buddha.  This Buddha, which is carved out of a single piece of jade, is relatively small but sits on a giant gold pedestal.  This place was amazingly beautiful and pictures do not do it justice.  We were amazed by the amount of real gold and the intricate detail that went into all of the buildings & statues.

There were a ton of tourists here and I was unfortunately pickpocketed while our tour guide took a picture of us.   Fear not, I never carry anything of value in my bag, and they only got away with my Epi-Pen.  They probably were quite perplexed what they just stole.  It's a good thing I brought extras along with me.  It's funny because I think of myself as a pretty savvy traveler, always sling my bag diagonally across my body, and always think "that only happens to other people."  Apparently this area is notorious for pickpocket gangs and I did see signs all over the place warning of such occurrences.  In a very quick 20 seconds of inattention I slung my bag from my front to my back so it didn't get in the way of the picture, and bam, someone opened my bag.  I didn't feel a thing.  Needless to say the next day I started putting a lock on my bag.  It looks a little ridiculous but I only have 2 Epi-Pens left :-)

 

Wat Pho - The Reclining Buddha

This is a HUGE buddha and is housed in one of the oldest temples in Bangkok.  It stretches the entire length of a building and is 160 feet long.

The Reclining Buddha

One of my favorite pictures thusfar from our trip

Long-tail boat ride on Chao Praya River and exploring the Thornburi Canals
We chartered a traditional Thai Long-tail boat and set off exploring some of the canals around Bangkok and then down the Chao Praya River that divides the city.   This type of boat is very common in Southeast Asia and runs off of a car engine with a very long propeller shaft attached to it.  This journey was very interesting as it got us off the beaten path and we got to see some of the daily life in Bangkok along the canals and the river.

Sitting in our Long-tail boat for the ride through the canals

Wat Arun
Our boat dropped us off on the western shore of the river, where Wat Arun is located. By this point in the afternoon we were very hot and the thought of climbing to the top of the temple wasn't making us feel better, but we did it anyway.  We knew we would have regretted it if we passed up the opportunity.  The climb up was so steep - it was more difficult than when we visited the Great Wall in China, but the views from the upper terrace were gorgeous overlooking the river and the rest of the temple below.

Wat Arun

Overlooking the Chao Praya River

Marc climbing down Wat Arun

Exploring Chinatown

There is a very vibrant Chinese community in Bangkok and we set off to explore Chinatown and its markets.  

Various types of dried fish (?) in the market

Handguns for sale on the street in Chinatown

Preparing some seafood in a road-side food stall

Wat Traimit - the Golden Buddha
This Buddha is made out of solid 18K gold.  It truly was stunning in the light.

Us looking overheated in front of the Golden Buddha

By the end of this second day of exploring we were utterly exhausted. The temperature had to be around 100 degrees and we had done a good amount of walking around many of the temples.  By this point in the day we had also taken our shoes off about 10 times to enter the temples out of respect for the Buddhas.  Each time bending down to put our shoes back on made us never want to get up again.

Our last day in Jogja - Prambanan Temple & packing

Friday was our last day in Jogja.  A few of us had heard that Prambanan was closed due to the ash, but we were very glad we decided to check it out.  It turned out to be open, although three of the temples were closed so the workers could hose down some of the ash.  We were all thrilled that we were able to go in to the complex as it was much more impressive up-close than it was from a distance several weeks ago when overlooking it from the Ramayana Ballet.  The temples are very grand and intricate up-close.  As is common with many religious temples, we had to make sure we were wearing the right clothing.  Everyone (including the men) were required to wear traditional sarongs.

Prambanan is a 9th century Hindu temple, and it is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia.  It also ranks as one of the largest in Southeast Asia.  Along with Borobudur, it is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The three main temples are dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva.  There are smaller temples that directly face each of these three.

Yuan Yuan, me & Nicole at Prambanan

In the mid-1990s there was a very strong earthquake that significantly damages many of the temples.  They are still undertaking the reconstruction process.  It was amazing to see so many toppled stones.

Damage from the 2006 earthquake

A warrior statue at Candi Sewu

Candi Sewu

After returning to the hotel, my next mission was to finish packing.  Considering that packing for the trip in January was a pretty stressful experience (really, it all needs to fit in my bag?) I was not looking forward to packing up to come home.  Luckily it turned out to be ok and after some creative packing I was able to get everything to fit.  I did have to pay extra luggage charges but that was worth it to be able to bring home some special souvenirs.

My hotel room, mid-packing

 Friday night we said goodbye to Shannon, whose husband was arriving that evening and they were transferring to a small guest house near Via Via Cafe. On Saturday, I met Jay, Antonella, Daniel, Alberto, Rosa. Jay & Jibu bright and early to catch the taxis the airport.  The reality hit that this was to be goodbye - for now.  At some point in the next year or two we are hoping to try to get a few of the CSC team members together for a reunion.

Terimeh Kasih Yogyakarta - Thank you Yogyakarta - for a wonderful 5 weeks.  The time just flew by - the experiences I had and the people I met will be forever ingrained in my memories.

Meeting the King of Pakualaman & Farewell Dinner

On Thursday, our team met bright and early at 8am at the governor's offices to have a closing ceremony hosted by the King of Pakualaman (who is also the Vice Governor of Yogyakarta.)  We were very honored to be guests of a King!  None of us quite knew what to expect - so we all dressed in our business formal attire (men in suites and most of the women in batik), reminded ourselves of the Indonesian greetings, and did a quick run-down of what not to do (don't point with fingers, don't cross your legs, etc.) so we didn't make fools of ourselves in the King's presence.  Our clients met us at the ceremony.  Before the ceremony started, we spent some time in a beautiful garden reception are and took some team pictures.

The ladies of the tourism project dressed in our batik - me, Nicole & Yuan Yuan

Our sub-team and our clients from the Tourism Authority

A week or so prior, a few of us had walked from our hotel to the Pakualaman Palace.  This is the palace of the King we met, although he only stays there on occasion and the rest of the time spends his time in his central office located near Malioboro Street in downtown Yogyakarta.  

For some history, during the Dutch occupation of what is now Indonesia, there were two principalities - Yogyakarta and Pakualaman - that had an autonomous goverment.  When Indonesia declared its independence, these two principalities agreed to become part of Indonesia.  The two regions were unified to form the Yogyakarta Special Region in 1950.  The Sultan of Yogakarta and the King of Pakualaman work very closely with the President of Indonesia.

When we ceremony started, we were led into a long rectangular room with chairs organized on both sides of the room.  We were instructed of the protocol and given pointers for how we should address the King.  A brief introduction was given about our CSC projects and then the King shared some remarks.  We were then encouraged to ask questions in a roundtable, before adjourning and going back out to the garden to take more formal photos.

Receiving a plaque

Our full CSC team & our clients with the King

Posing with the King

After the ceremony, we also were given permission to explore the grounds and went into the receiving room of the King.  There was a large section of gamelan instruments which are often played during receptions and other services.

Gamelan instruments in the King's receiving area

That evening, we had a little surprise in store for Waya and Diane.  We organized a team going-away dinner at the posh Phoenix Hotel, one of the few 5 star hotels in Yogyakarta.  We wanted to surprise Waya for her birthday and also wanted to give her and Diane some gifts to remember us by.  Our team made two small photo remembrance books with notes from each of us to give to Waya and Diane.  The food at the restaurant was delicious and the atmosphere was beautiful.  Nicole led the "cake brigade" and arranged for two birthday cakes to be purchased from a bakery in the nearby mall.  Transporting 2 cakes in boxes via taxis without the cream melting and without them getting smooshed was no small task - it took 6 of us to do it.  We had a nice evening and then headed back to the hotel to start on our packing.

Waya opening her photo book

Diane opening her gift

Farewell dinner at the Phoenix Hotel

The courtyard of the Phoenix Hotel

Team activities for our final week

The internet was broken at our hotel for a few days (so no blogging for me for a while!) so we were off the grid but not by choice.  There is something nice about not connecting, although the internet broke mid-way through a skype conversation with my parents so that was a bit inconvenient.  Our team had a nice few days with some team activities - first a nice dinner at a local restaurant called R&B Grill.  Daniel and a few others had tried this restaurant out a few nights before and highly recommended it, so we we gave it a try.  Like I mentioned earlier, I like rice & noodles (the typical staple diet here in Indonesia) but it's nice sometimes to completely change gears and get something different - in this case a steak that you cook on your very own hot stone.  There were also some live musicians, which was a welcome change from the 300X repeated CD we've been hearing in our hotel lobby and restaurant for the last month.

Steak at R&B Grill

Next up was a team excursion to the zoo.  I am typically not a huge fan of zoos, as I was a bit worried about what type of conditions the animals would be in and I hoped they would be taken care of.   The zoo turned out to be pretty small but nice.  The reptile exhibit was the most impressive, with lots of lizards and snakes that I had never seen before.  A few of us were brave enough to hold a young python, although I chickened out and didn't actually put it around my neck.  It seemed friendly (?) enough and was docile.  In the picture below it appears that I am calm but the zoo attendants were just out of view probably saying soothing things to the snake.

 

A "baby" python

The zoo also had an exhibit of Komodo Dragons. One of my teammates, Shannon, is heading to the island of Komodo with her husband in a few days -for the rest of us though, this is as close as we will ever get to a live one.  They were basking in the sun and one was even drooling from his mouth.  My guess is that we just missed feeding time or he had something on his mind other than me taking a picture!

Komodo Dragons in the background

Komodo dragon salivating at something (me?!?!)

Hungry hippo

After about two hours we were ready to head back to the hotel.  We all have found much notoriety here in Jogja as every day at least 2-3 people ask to have their picture taken with us.  Some even hold their children up near us to get them in the photo.  We are all used to it by now and it is kind of neat being a celebrity of sorts in a foreign land.

While waiting for our driver to pick us up, we sat at the zoo entrance and did some people-watching.   Probably one of the most interesting things here in Jogja is just sitting back watching the locals go about their everyday lives.  You soon realize that what is important in one culture takes on a completely different meaning or level or importance in another.  Sitting in front of the zoo we saw an older woman  riding a bicycle equipped with a drink cart and she soon stopped for a group of locals.  She started serving fruit juice out of old plastic containers (they looked like kerosene containers) into a single glass.  Someone would pay her, she's mix together a concoction of juices in the glass, then when the person was done she would dip the glass into a bucket of water she had hanging from her bike handle, and start all over again with the same glass with another customer.  She seemed quite popular with the locals but I am sure if we ever tried something like that, our foreign-not-yet-iron-clad stomachs would not be too happy.

The fruit juice cart

Speaking of fruit juice, one of the nice surprises here in Jogja has been all of the freshly squeezed juices you can buy.  I have only ordered them from our hotel and restaurants for safety reasons, but there are many food carts around town that squeeze the juices to order.  After a day sweating out in the heat, some nice refreshing juice hits the spot. My favorite juice here is called Sirsak juice - which comes from a white fruit that I had never seen anywhere else in the world.  I tried buying some squeeze-juice boxes of Sirsak juice from the supermarket but the fresh variety is much much better.