Angkor Wat - Cambodia

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

Chuck and I were really excited to visit Angkor Wat, the famous temple complex in Cambodia which is the largest religious monument in the entire world. I expected it to be a lot like Bagan with thousands of temples spread across a plain divided only by low brush and tall grasses. Instead, I was surprised to find that there are a lot fewer temples, which are individually quite large. Each one was very unique, and since the climate is wetter, many temples have massive moats around them. The jungle is slowly taking over many of the temples, and you see huge trees growing from the walls. 

Read More

Bagan - Myanmar

Bagan - Myanmar

After our few days in Yangon, Samantha and I took an overnight bus north to Bagan.  The bus ride took about 9 hours, and we started at 8pm.  We sprang for the VIP class for a whopping $4 extra, and it was definitely worth it.  While not luxurious by any means, the bus had only three seats per row, two on one side and one on the other.  The seats were like first class airline seats, though much less legroom. 

Read More

Yangon - Myanmar

Yangon - Myanmar

We visited Yangon mainly to visit Shwedagon Pagoda, the largest and most beautiful Buddhist pagoda in Yangon. Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is the largest city in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and is also the capital. Travel websites frequently mention Yangon's colonial architecture as a major reason to visit, and while Yangon certainly had its charms--mainly the friendly people and delicious food--I'm not sure the architecture is anything to write home about.

Read More