Okay, so before delving into the everyday existence of being a mother of four little ones, I wanted to take one last glance backward at the heavenly experience I had in Asia. (Again, so sorry that this is so much later in coming than I'd originally anticipated).
Most of you could probably care less about most of what I describe in my travel over there. I think I'm doing this more for me to remember on the more monotonous days that I have actually been places and seen things besides my piles of laundry and the time-out chair.
Don't get me wrong--I am currently in a very happy space and am extremely grateful that I can be home raising my children. It's just I also happen to be a mother who also has an intense case of Wanderlust, and adores the idea of a grand adventure. Perhaps there are some of you who can relate?
In any case, I hope that some of this proves valuable/entertaining. At the very least, I hope it inspires some of you to dream of seeing parts of the world you may have never thought possible.
So, the temples at Angkor Wat were amazing and completely surpassed my expectations. The largest religious structure in the world, Angkor Wat was incredibly impressive and none of these pictures of that monument, or any others will give a enough of a perspective of the sheer size or artistic majesty of the thing. It was amazing . . . even if I was dripping with sweat the entire time.
Here Pearly-Q and I are standing by one of the outer walls to the main temple, the entire perimeter of which contains friezes of the entire Ramayana, the famous Hindu epic. There's a better close up of just a small section below.
These are typical carvings found throughout Angkor Wat. They are called Apsara, or Celestial dancers:
This kiddo was enterprising and made his own hat out of leaves.
Inside the main temple complex:
A typical Cambodian wedding outside of Angkor:
Pearly-Q has some competition:
Angkor Thom:
Pearly-Q has some competition:
This little girl fell asleep in the doorway of these ruins, and in the sweltering heat. She killed me b/c she reminded SO much of the Sass!
This kiddo was enterprising and made his own hat out of leaves.
Harvesting rice:
Fishing purely Cambodia style. These use these special cylindrical baskets to trap fish in the muddy rice fields. I felt like I was in the middle of a scene from National Geographic.
One of the things I enjoy most about travelling now that I'm a parent is how I now notice other mothers and what it is like for them to be raising children in their own particular corners of the world. It's strange for me to think about how little I noticed of it before, but scenes like these astound me now. I can't imagine trying to raise little ones from the hull of a boat, or trying to breastfeed while bailing my boat. Whoa.
Here you can see the little hut and family that live in the middle of all these lotuses:
Isn't she just the most darling little mother? She had a great connection with her two little daughters.
These are a fun thing unique to Southeast Asia: a natural pedicure. These fish like to eat dead skin. So, stick your feet in the water with them, and a 1/2 hour later--voila! Hope you're not too grossed out by my feet.
It was SO good to be surrounded by Chinese again. I was surprised to hear so much Mandarin. I was expecting mostly Cantonese, so when I could actually understand and speak with everyone it was such an unexpected treat. Apparently people from the mainland have been emigrating to Hong Kong by the droves. No wonder.
Fishing purely Cambodia style. These use these special cylindrical baskets to trap fish in the muddy rice fields. I felt like I was in the middle of a scene from National Geographic.
Two typical grandmas in the care of their large family.
These are some pictures from a floating village of about 3000 people that all live out on Tonle Sap Lake. It is a fascinating way of life. All their homes, schools, churches, and even the local gym are located out on the lake. They use the same water for the bathroom, drinking, and fishing.
These little "boats" are a typical sight in the floating village. Notice the boy on the left--he's an amputee--something you see a lot of in Cambodia due to the overwhelming number of land mines left throughout the country since the Vietnam war.
One of the things I enjoy most about travelling now that I'm a parent is how I now notice other mothers and what it is like for them to be raising children in their own particular corners of the world. It's strange for me to think about how little I noticed of it before, but scenes like these astound me now. I can't imagine trying to raise little ones from the hull of a boat, or trying to breastfeed while bailing my boat. Whoa.
Here are some scenes from a huge field of lotuses that we came upon at sunset. Breathtaking.
Here you can see the little hut and family that live in the middle of all these lotuses:
Isn't she just the most darling little mother? She had a great connection with her two little daughters.
These are a fun thing unique to Southeast Asia: a natural pedicure. These fish like to eat dead skin. So, stick your feet in the water with them, and a 1/2 hour later--voila! Hope you're not too grossed out by my feet.
Our last day in Cambodia we got to attend church. The people there were amazing. Here's the daughter of the local congregational leader there: Chetana. Her name means "One with great purpose." I'd have to concur. She's one of the most beautiful and bright women I've ever met. Her English was impeccable!
The young women there at church:
On to China! Here a view of the unbelievable skyline of Hong Kong!
On to China! Here a view of the unbelievable skyline of Hong Kong!
Enjoying the craziness with our new wigs:
It was SO good to be surrounded by Chinese again. I was surprised to hear so much Mandarin. I was expecting mostly Cantonese, so when I could actually understand and speak with everyone it was such an unexpected treat. Apparently people from the mainland have been emigrating to Hong Kong by the droves. No wonder.
Fish anyone?
We visited cultural center on Hainan that is similar to the PCC, but for local Chinese ethnic groups in the area. Pearly-Q enters into a surprise marriage with a local girl. Leave it to my husband to be a willing participant. None of the Chinese men would volunteer, so Pearly-Q got the privilege of doing it with language barrier and all. I could not stop laughing.
Check out these womens' feet as a result of their weaving. They've flattened out on the bottom:
Notice the traditional tatoos all over her face:
Vietnam! This beautiful woman is surprisingly an amputee. I barely noticed due to how capable she was in her work:
Scenes from the local market. . . Duck anyone?
Gorgeous produce. They eat everything so fresh.
As we found out, you can get anything custom made in Hoi An.
Halong Bay:
Sigh . . .
Notice the traditional tatoos all over her face:
Vietnam! This beautiful woman is surprisingly an amputee. I barely noticed due to how capable she was in her work:
Scenes from the local market. . . Duck anyone?
Gorgeous produce. They eat everything so fresh.
As we found out, you can get anything custom made in Hoi An.
Halong Bay:
Sigh . . .
Thanks so much for taking me on a virtual trip - I would love to visit that area of the world - our next trip is Hungary and the surrounding countries - should be fun!
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