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Siem Reap, Cambodia
Our trip to Angkor Wat and other temples in Siam Reap, Cambodia provided a truly amazing experience. I really didn’t know much about the monument except its name. Visiting it was a real treat. We had a guide and a driver who we hired through the hotel. We planned to see the sunrise behind Angkor Wat the morning after our arrival. It’s the largest religious monument in the world and was built in the first half of the 12th century. It encompasses 402 acres.
After Angkor Wat we traveled to Angkor Thom. This is where the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, with Angelina Jolie was filmed. The next day we visited Banteay Srei known as the Red Temple because of the pink sandstone used to build it. Coincidentally, it’s the only temple that was not commissioned by a King. Instead, a Brahman who was tutor to the Royal Family founded it.
Thimphu, Bhutan
Paro, Bhutan
We visited Bhutan in early April. The flowers were just beginning to bloom, but it was still quite cool, especially in the evenings. The first day we walked around Paro with Pema, our guide. The next day we climbed to Tiger’s Nest with Pema. It is believed that Guru Rinpoche (Indian Buddhist Master) selected the site in the 8th century and flew to it on a tiger. He brought the form of Buddhism practiced in Bhutan today. The monastery was built in 1692. We learned a lot about the temple and of course enjoyed the trek up. It’s truly spectacular. Bhutan is a wonderful country with wonderful people. The children all speak their native language as well as English.
To learn more about Bhutan’s effort to measure prosperity, i.e., Gross National Happiness, please check out the link below: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/01/bhutan-wealth-happiness-counts
On the way back to Bangkok, on the Bhutanese airline, Drukair, Land of the Thunder Dragon, the country’s King who is in his early thirties, was seated two rows ahead of us with an entourage of three, two of whom sat in the back.