Farewell to the King Father – Sihanouk's funeral

At the funeral procession of King Sihanouk, Phnom Penh

At the funeral procession of King Sihanouk, Phnom Penh

Armed presence at funeral procession of King Sihanouk, 

Phnom Penh

Armed presence at the funeral procession of King Sihanouk, 

Phnom Penh

Video #1 - Waiting for the funeral procession at the

Independence Monument, Phnom Penh

THE EMPTY STREETS were lined with more then a half million people. Citizens from all over the country, were gathering to mourn the passing of their beloved monarch. The reverence for the deceased King Sihanouk was palpable – crowds quietly lined Norodom Boulevard into the far distance. On this historic February 1, Cambodians were expressing their sorrow for the passing of their King Father, as he was called. This was really the end of an era.

My friend Chhonn and i were not far from the Vimean Akareach or Independance Monument. It was only 9 am so the procession was not expected till midday. We retreated to the shade of a nearby cafe and whiled away the time chatting over coffee. Once again, my friend was educating me on the complexities of modern Cambodian politics. We stayed relatively cool here as the morning drifted by. With noon approaching, the excitement began to mount – then Sihanouk's elaborate cortege came into view. It was a magnificent and solemn display of pomp and pageantry. From the back of the crowd, we watched the groups of official guests, from monks to the military, on foot and in floats, parading by. Near the front of the procession was Prime Minister Hun Sen himself, a most controversial leader. The former Khmer Rouge field commander had been ruling Cambodia for decades. He was more of a strongman then a PM, and even here it was said that he managed this very public event, to enhance his own image (see link below). With the charismatic King Sihanouk, out of the way, Hun Sen could gain even more limelight.

King Sihanouk first assumed the role of monarch when he was only 19. His appointment in 1941, was actually orchestrated by the colonial administration, which was part of the Vichy government of the time. They French thought the young Cambodian would be easy to manipulate. Instead King Sihanouk turned out to be the architect for an independent  Cambodia, making it the first of the three French colonies in the region, to eventually gain freedom. His influence, which spanned six decades, waxed and waned but never disappeared. Not only did he lead the Nation to independence but was a witness to the blood civil wars too.  During his exile to Beijing and under the Khmer Rouge period, he had only limited influence. Perhaps the 1950s and 1960s reflected best on his achievement, marked by political stability and economic development. In this period, Cambodia's gained pride and self-respect, through major constitutional reforms and economic progress. Many of King Sihanouk's sweeping changes also improved the lot of Cambodian society as a whole. For this reason too, he was remembered with particular fondness by the older generation.

News coverage from the BBC:

BBC News - Cambodia begins funeral for King Sihanouk

News coverage from the Al Jazeera:

Huge crowds mourn Cambodia's former king - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

A wikipedia overview of King Sihanouk:
Norodom Sihanouk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prime minister Hun Sen used the event to enhance his own image:
'Miracle' cremation: PM Hun Sen | National | National

Return to Cambodia

Map showing travel destinations in Cambodia in 2012 and 2013

On Russian Federation Boulevard, the airport link in Phnom Penh

Video #1 - Air Asia flight from Bangkok, Phnom Penh to the south, 

and then the runway.

Video #2 - Tuk Tuk ride from the Airport down 
Russian Federation Boulevard, to the Salita Hotel, Phnom Penh

Video #3 - Room at the Salita Hotel, Phnom Penh

THROUGH THE WINDOW smudged land forms appeared, as the veil of cloud slipped slowly away. I was returning to Cambodia a year later. Chhonn, a friend i had visited last year, was now a new Dad and that alone was reason enough to return. I was after all in the region. The 2012 visit had included Phnom Penh followed by Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), Kampong Thom and Battambang, all to the Northwest. This time i wanted to visit the South.

As the Airbus banked steeply, two broad rivers appeared below, first the Tonlé Sap and then the Mekong. Then the Air Asia jet straightened out and descended over Phnom Penh's northern outskirts. Given the city's arrested development only a few decades ago, it's fortunes had now changed profoundly. Below were more new buildings then ever. The flight  dropped over the last rooftops before the runway. In no time at all we deplaned at the modest terminal. Immigration and Customs, with the usual protocol was next: visa payments, fingerprinting and an electronic mugshot.

Outside, i passed the clamouring drivers clustered around the Arrivals entrance. Across the parking lot were some lone Tuk Tuks (auto rickshaws) out on the busy main road. Soon i going down Russian Federation boulevard into the city and heavy traffic before reaching the Salita Hotel. A half hour later i was in a comfortable room was just like the one i had spent five nights in last year. The Reception Manager, a young man named Dorn Keven, remembered me too, which made the arrival that much more pleasant. Now there was a whiff of familiarity to the place. 

Makes mention of the iconic Remok taxis or Tuk Tuks
Getting around in Phnom Penh the capital of Cambodia

Salita Hotel website:
Welcome to Salita Hotel Phnom Penh

At a fertility shrine, Bangkok

 Approaching Tubtim shrine from the back of the Nai Lert Hotel, 
Chidlom District, Bangkok

 Terra cotta children along the walk into the Tubtim shrine, 
Chidlom District, Bangkok

Spirit house, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

Figurine offerings, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

 Feral cat, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

 Phallic offerings, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

 Phallic offerings, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

Phallic offerings in a tree, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

Phallic offerings near the canal, Tubtim Shrine, 
Chidlom District, Bangkok

Phallic offerings, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

Video #1, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

Video #2, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

Video #3, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

Video #4, Tubtim Shrine, Chidlom District, Bangkok

CHAO MAE TUBTIM SHRINE, not far from the Chidlom Skytrain Station, was tucked away behind the Swissotel run Nai Lert Hotel. It was a surprising sight, right on the edge of a busy canal. Beneath a couple of huge Sai (Ficus) trees were hundreds of phallic sculptures. They were big and small, in wood or stone, in groups, or even standing on their own. One might think this scene had something to do with sex, but that was hardly the case. All these penis shaped objects expressed a desire to have a child. In fact, one was greeted by little terra cotta figures of happy children, near the entrance to this fertility shrine. There were also hotel tables with little rows of figurines (as well as more penuses), coloured ribbons festooned around trees and various other objects and even a mysterious looking filing cabinet. Finally, there were several spirit houses or săan.   

Early in the 20th Century, a property developer named Nai Lert, turned these grounds that measured 18 x 21 metres (60x70 feet), into a place for worship. He dedicated this all to Tubtim, a Chinese goddess associated with the protection of sailors. Now, why then the  connection then to fertility? Long ago, some unknown woman became pregnant, after praying to Tubtim. With the birth of her child she made a phallic offering, known in Thai as a bhalad khik, to show her gratitude to the goddess. Soon, similar objects turned up, after more fertility prayers were imitated and then answered. Today some people leave offerings for many other things, not just children.

It was time to leave this little pocket of worship. In the surroundings streets were luxury hotels and extravagant shopping malls. Given all this chic and prestige, a different kind of religion was in evidence here – at the risk of ending this post with a cliché.


An overview:
Chao Mae Tuptim shrine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Where i found out about this shrine via "Top 10 most unusual sights in Bangkok:
Bangkok Phallic Shrine - Shrine of Goddess Tubtim in Bangkok

Interesting blog write up on Spirit Houses, etc:
A Year in Bangkok – Spirits, Ghosts and Shrines. | Ben Salmons's Blog

Letting off steam in Thonburi, Bangkok

Thonburi railway sheds, State Railway of Thailand, Bangkok

Thonburi railway sheds, State Railway of Thailand, Bangkok

Thonburi railway sheds, State Railway of Thailand, Bangkok

Thonburi railway sheds, State Railway of Thailand, Bangkok

Machine shop, Thonburi railway sheds, State Railway of Thailand, Bangkok

Video #1 – Thonburi railway yards, Bangkok

Video #2 – Thonburi railway yards, Bangkok

IT WAS BANGKOK AGAIN and the frantic energy of the megacity. By late afternoon i reached my hotel in the Riverside District. Being January 26, it was also the half way point on this six week trip of Southeast Asia. The next day i crossed  the Chao Phraya River and back to somewhat familiar ground, in the district of Thonburi. Under the glare of the morning sun i followed a busy road, away from the riverside. I walked beside a hulking hospital complex entering a rundown area. Went by a street market and crossed a dirt lot which brought me up against a tangled perimeter of vegetation. What on earth was i doing in this part of town? Some steam locomotives drew me here.

Although i am no train spotter and hardly a serious rail enthusiast for that matter, the subject was always of mild interest. Infantile or not, those iron engines were embedded in my earliest memories, and for good reason too. One toddler memory was a summer day, perhaps in 1953, There was my Dad, in his Ford pickup truck, racing a logging steam locomotive. We were near Honeymoon Bay on Vancouver Island. From the cab, i remember sunlight and shadows playing off the moving locomotive and a dramatic plume of black smoke trailing above. The road was more or less parallel to the tracks and the chugging monster would disappear and then reappear out of the forest. Our little adventure, complete with a dash of speed, was a big beautiful memory for a toddler like me. At the time, we lived on a small farm. Here too the romance for those iron beasts was further fortified by their distant movements, down in a little valley – the mournful whistle of passing trains would echo through the stands of timber and across the pastures. 

Now i was following an oily and gravelly way, between the rails. A big shed, which straddled the tracks, lay just ahead. I picked my way around a half dozen steam locomotives. Most of these big engines were Japanese; Kawasaki's and Mitsubishi's, including a few pre-war models. There was even a very antique looking Henschel as well – a compact looking German locomotive used for shunting wagons around the yard. It was Sunday and nearly noon, and the mood here was sleepy and relaxed. The few people in sight, included the skeleton staff and some women and children too. Of course this tourist, with his mild gastrointestinal handicap, was prowling around the place too, in a somewhat groggy state. On the wall, an old TV set blared, near a silent locomotive. To complete this picture was a man sprawled out on an old sofa, looking at his cell phone. Back in the sunlight i could see laundry drying beyond the zone of iron and oil. Woman and children stood in front of some huts. Work and domesticity blended into one, here at the State Railway of Thailand yards. It was time to leave the depot with it's freight of industrial history.

Overview of the Thai rail system:

State Railway of Thailand - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Item by a Thai blogger, which is informative, and about the the train depot:
go to thailand: Steam locomotives in Thonburi train depot

"Tar tar" to Myanmar

My taxi waiting outside the Aung Tha Pyay Hotel, Yangon

Outside the home of Aung San Suu Kyi, Yangon

 Outside the Aung Tha Pyay Hotel on 34th Street, Yangon

Friendly haircut with a mother and her daughters, Yangon

The source of excellent spring rolls, Yangon

Sidewalk shopping, Yangon

Quiet moment in a pagoda, Yangon

The gaping hole in the crotch of my pants, repaired in no time on a vintage machine, 

in a morning market off Merchant Road, Yangon

THE TAXI WAS WAITING in the street below, but before i missed the opportunity, i stuck the iPad out the window. I was grabbing one last fragment of Yangon: with it's ragged beauty, utter decay and promise of huge change. The "Tar Tar" moment had come at last. Of course the Burmese word for goodbye, from the English expression "Ta-Ta," just seemed to fit the mood. Let's not forget that Myanmar is steeped in historical complexities, which included the colonial factor too. Well, i got my video, a jerky pan shot of a street lined with weathered facades, mostly out of the time of the British Empire. Then i rushed downstairs.

The final days here in Yangon had been slow and relaxing. Serious sightseeing was behind me now and there were no little dramas worth sharing. I had supper in a beer joint next to the hotel, on my last night here. A young Burmese man started to talk to me and our conversation was quite open and friendly. Chance encounters like these were always welcome. It brought me a little closer to the realities of daily life and made things look a little less "other."

My last night was spent at the Aung Tha Pyay Hotel, off Merchant Road. The pleasant room overlooked the friendly bustle of 34th Street, shown in the first video. This was in stark contrast to the night before, at the shabby Garden Guest House. Those much cheaper digs amounted to a windowless space for the night. There was no sign of an electrical outlet, so no place too to recharge my iPad, god forbid. Meanwhile the mosquitos were humming ever so plaintively in the bathroom. Fortunately, that was not going to be my last impression of Yangon.

Meanwhile, outside on the street, the genial driver had agreed to stop for me, on the way to the airport. I had wanted to see the house of Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's legendary opposition leader. What a disappointment when we got there! Nothing matched the images i remembered from several documentaries, at least not from out here on the road. Where was that quirky old white villa by the edge of Inya Lake? Instead we were greeted with brand new surveillance technology that included video cameras, high walls and a bomb proof metal gate. Was this really the address of "the Lady" as they call her here? It looked more like an American Embassy but then i saw her party logo. Instead of being under house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi was now active in the Myanmar Parliament, as the opposition leader of the National League for Democracy Party. With this Burmese politician's rehabilitation came new challenges, that being her personal safety. The airport was next. 

Just in case more on "Tar Tar:"

How do you say goodbye in burmese

Pleasant last night at the Aung Tha Pyay Hotel:

Aung Tha Pyay Hotel

Depressing digs for the second to last night in Yangon:

Cell like rooms but excellent location - Garden Guest House, Yangon (Rangoon) Traveller Reviews - TripAdvisor

"The Lady," as Aung San Suu Kyi is called, in her homeland of Myanmar:

Aung San Suu Kyi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doubt this is relevant, but of anecdotal interest for sure, by Steve Burgess of Vancouver's 

"The Tyee," who wrote about her recently:

The Tyee – What the Lady of Myanmar Reads

In Kimpun village, Mon State

Rattan ball game in the village of Kinpon Village, Mon State

View from a food stall seat, Kinpon Village, Mon State

View from the hotel room, Kinpon Village, Mon State

Broom production in Kinkun, Mon State

Broom production in Kinkun, Mon State

Site of shelter where brooms are made, Kinkun, Mon State

Lane in Kinkun, Mon State

Lane in Kinkun, Mon State

 Cute kids, Kinkun, Mon State

  Evening light, Kinkun, Mon State

 Food stall with great noodles and tofu, Kinkun, Mon State

Pilgrims at a food stall, Kinkun, Mon State

PANIC WAS SETTING IN as i wanted to reach the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, or the Golden Rock, well before sunset. It was nearly 2 pm now and almost too late to be going up the mountain. I rushed up the street to the bus station, where Burmese pilgrims and foreigners were being crammed into the back of a truck, open to the elements. I just managed to squeeze in, at the very end of a long bench, right by the tailgate. Now i was crowded together with Burmese high school students and European tourists. With 16 kilometres of winding roads ahead and lots of steep drop-offs, the ride looked like it would be another adventure. Soon the truck pulled out of Kinkun. Before long we were flying up the narrow road when suddenly, after a few kilometres, my glasses flew off in the wind. I gave several loud hollers! The truck eventually stopped. It was hard to get down  from the high deck, but i managed to somehow. By that time the conductor was long gone, in search of my specs. At last i caught up to him, a hundred metres or so, down the hill. He was holding my once dependable glasses, now a twisted tangle of metal and plastic. As for the lenses, they were no where in sight.

With my daypack i just stood there on the middle of the road. The truck roared off up the hill and into silence. I turned around and trudged back, for three quarters of an hour, in the hot sun. Of course my hat was in the hotel room too. It seemed i was having a silly Tilley moment as well. Clearly i was very disappointed to loose my glasses, and miss out on the Golden Rock too, but then i thought about it. Things weren't so bad after all. Somewhere in my backpack, in the hotel, was a spare pair of glasses. I had also heard on the way here that the Golden Rock might be covered in scaffolding and tarps or rattan mats. The pagoda was apparently being given a good clean-up. All that a little comforting. So i enjoyed the walk back to Kinkun instead. With my strong astigmatism, everything looked blurry in an interesting sort of way, perhaps even a little trippy too for this Boomer in Burma. Gradually the village appeared, in soft focus of course, then the hotel too. Soon i was climbing the stairs to my room. After doing a load of hand wash, i was free to explore the village, with my vintage back-up glasses, from circa 2005. Indeed, things weren't so bad.

In the late afternoon, i found myself on the far edge of Kinpun. The dirt lane, just wide enough for ox carts, led down a gentle slope. The way ahead was a patchwork of light and shadow. Left and right were simple houses of rattan, wood, many with thatch roofs. Next to some of the homes were ox carts with large wooden wheels. The poor community of rural farmers was at least tidy and vibrant. Families in one or two room huts. The adults i met  were a little reserved but not unfriendly. Some of the kids overcame their shyness and came up to me. That was especially the case around one of the communal wells. Further along on my walk, were a group of young men, playing with a wicker ball. The net game moved fast and involved only their heads and feet.

Finally, i found myself back in Kinpun again. Shops and stall fronted a long lane, catering to the pilgrim trade. The odd tourist found themselves here too, near the edge of the village. While i was eating some delicious fried tofu and noodles, a gregarious young couple and backpackers from the States, sat down with me. Then an older French woman joined us too. The mood was mellow and friendly. To add to this was the quiet pleasure of watching villagers pass by as the daylight slipped away.

A good all purpose link:

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cool link to a video taken by a tourist – what i missed in the end:
Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (Golden rock), Mon State, Myanmar - YouTube

Through the eyes of a tourist named Harry Mateman:
Burma / Myanmar: the road to the Golden Rock at Kyaiktiyo (hd-video).mp4 - YouTube

Pilgrims up at the Golden Rock:

Globetrekker.nl - Myanmar - Kyaiktiyo, Golden Rock Pagoda - YouTube

By highway bus in Myanmar

Waiting to leave Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal, Yangon

Driving out of the Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal, Yangon

Heading East to Mon State

Village stop, Mon State, Yangon bound

The passing game, Mon State, Yangon bound

Driving west in Mon State back to Yangon

Went from Yangon almost to Kyaikto return

Ticket office in the Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal, Yangon

Waiting in the Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal, Yangon

Serious lunch, bus break, return trip to Yangon

After the lunch break, return trip to Yangon

WITH A TOUCH of melodrama, the bus maneuvered carefully out of Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal. At the front of the coach, a Burmese soap opera was unfolding on the monitor above, drawing our attention away from the chaos outside. Meanwhile, the bus horn sounded constantly, as we edged out slowly to the open road and yes, more traffic. We were leaving Yangon, and travelling towards Mon State. My destination was the Golden Rock, high up on Mt. Kyaiktiyo. All morning we travelled across flat green countryside—mostly lush fields fringed by trees. Towards midday there was a meal stop, at a busy roadside restaurant in Bago, with few private cars, but a colourful fleet of parked buses. 

Well beyond Bago, the bus left me at a small junction in Mon State. I wondered how i would reach Kinpun village, at the foot of the Eastern Yoma Hills. This was also where trucks  took pilgrims up the mountain. It was not long before i was spotted by two motorcycle taxi drivers. The question was, how could a big guy like me, fit on a small motor cycle like these ones, with my heavy backpack. Well i did! Hanging off my back was 18 kgs (40 lbs) swaying above the tail light, but we did manage to wobble across the highway and follow a country road to my destination. Nothing awful came of the precarious ride and in twenty minutes i stepped off, with relief, in Kinpun Village. With luck i got a simple, clean room in a modern hotel, right across the road. The shared bathroom, down the hall, was hardly used by anyone else, breakfast downstairs was included the next day and the price was right too.

From here in the story becomes a fork in the road. This post will continue with the ride back to Yangon. The next post will be keep to the area around Kinpun village, where i stayed the night.

By bus | Go-myanmar