Chiang Mai, Thailand - Temples & Tigers - OH MY!

Uncle Smelly is the King! With him leading the way, we had the zaniest adventures and bought the most extraordinary non-essential souvenirs we could find. Our trip to Chiang Mai was nonstop fun from the moment we landed. We stopped at our hotel to drop off our bags and grab a quick breakfast. Then it was off to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (Temple on the Hill). This was quite the contrast to the temples we had spent the past few days exploring in Cambodia. We climbed the 300 steps to the top and were rewarded with a stunning view of Chiang Mai. Wat Phra That was built as a Buddhist Monastery in 1383 and is still a working Monastery today. We viewed the historic murals and were given a little information on each from our guide, Joey. We also saw an Emerald Buddha, a shrine to the White Elephant and were blessed by a Monk.

Chris was an instant fan of Wat Phra That as soon  he found this guy hanging with his pitchfork!

We had fun learning how to wear the proper attire!

Next stop, The Tiger Kingdom. The Tiger Kingdom is essentially a tiger park where visitors have the opportunity to get into the exhibits with tigers of various sizes. Admittedly, I was a little skeptical at first. I had no intention of feeding my 4 year old to a tiger and didn't feel like is was a particularly great day for my 12 year old to get mauled by a tiger either. I was also concerned about the treatment of the tigers. After watching the tigers while eating our lunch, we decided to go for it. Dustin was only allowed in with the baby tigers (2-3 months old). The rest of us were able to play with various sizes.

This guy was a little too interested in Emilie's hand for her comfort!

Um, I don't think he likes it when you pull his tail!

And now, we can all cross "hug a tiger" off our bucket lists!   

The Kingdom of Cambodia - The Rest of the Story

I know it's been a while...if you need a refresher on Part One of our trip to Cambodia, you can find it here.

The majority of our time in Cambodia was spent exploring the famous temples. We saw the sunrise at the famed Angkor Wat. We visited the Bayon Temple where 216 faces of King Jayavarman VII are carved throughout. We saw the Elephant Terrace and climbed a million steep steps to the top of Baphuon to enjoy the views of the countryside, as well as the giant reclining Buddha. One of my favorites was Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm was discovered buried under the jungle and still has many roots and trees intertwined through-out. 

The local people are ready and willing to sell everything and anything. Cristina quickly learned not to show any interest or you get bombarded. We also learned that the local kids go to "school" for a couple hours per day simply to learn enough English to impress the tourists. They ask where you are from and start spouting off facts about your country. Then they ask for a donation or "scholarship." The youngest kids follow you around with trinkets saying, "one dolla, one dolla."  By the end of our time in Cambodia, Dustin was bringing us little trinkets and asking us for, "One Dolla, One Dolla?"

At several temples, there are areas where people would stack rocks to signify they had been there. Dustin had fun adding lots of rocks to the stacks!

If you visit Siem Reap and see newly placed "NO PLANKING" signs throughout the temples, this is why...

We climbed a few stairs to see some breathtaking views. Dustin was not allowed up to the top of most of these areas. Luckily Grammie was more than happy to forgo the heights and hang with Dustin while we worked on our Buns of Steel...

Uncle Smelly seems to have a knack for finding some pretty cool places to take a picture.

Our TukTuk drivers hung out with us for our entire trip. One of our favorite things was when they took us on an impromptu visit to a local night market. The locals set up little stands every evening and sell everything you can imagine, and a few things you can't possibly imagine.  We saw everything from textiles to fried crickets and bugs. Tourists do not frequent this market, which made it even more fun for us to see this "real life" side of Siem Reap

When we weren't out exploring temples, we took in a local musical theater show (which is almost as indescribable as traditional Vietnamese singing). We took a pottery class (complete with a scene from the movie Ghost), got Grammie her first ever foot massage (which she giggled through the entirety of), and had our feet nibbled by hungry fish during a stroll along Pub Street.

Of all the AMAZING places we have been lucky enough to visit, Cambodia is one of my absolute favorites. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend a few days in this wonderful Kingdom!