Cambodian Snapshot: Bamboo Railroad

Barreling down a track at what feels like a high speed (only about 15 km/hour) while a foot above the rails is a bit disconcerting to say the least. You feel every bump and jolt as one piece of railroad connects to the next (unevenly of course). Really it is quite amazing that two axles, a bamboo mat and a motor can take you down a 30 minute stretch of rail. Did I mention it only has one set of rails, and the "trains" run both ways? No worries, when two meet one of them (based off of passenger load and how many others are following it) simply moves off the rail. Passengers stand to the side, the drivers of both platforms unhook the belt, lift the platform off to one side then drop the axles beside the rails. Those still on the rails pass by then the process is reversed. After a push start you're off and running at a break neck pace down the rails again, until you meet another traveler.

Vietnam Snapshots

I spent my Spring Break visiting friends in Hanoi, Vietnam. While I don't have any big story to share with all y'all I will keep several small snapshots of that trip in my memories

• sidewalks of people perched on low stools eating a meal
• bicycles, motos, cars and pedestrians performing a weave which somehow works
• school children in their uniforms complete with a red scarf tied around the neck
• intricate carvings , a red theme and waving flags at the temples
• dragons, dragons everywhere
• large rock islands emerging out of the water in Halong Bay
• A sense of mystery, fantasy in that misty scenery leading one to believe a pirate ship could be around any of the rocks or that maybe a dragon will fly out of the fog
• sticky rice stuffed into a bamboo tube, with seasoning salt poured onto a rectangle of newspaper to dip it into making a nice road side snack
• spare sidewalks being turned into badmitton courts, sometimes with nets, sometimes not
• birdcages, birdcages everywhere - but hardly any birds outside of them in the city
• pottery so fine it looks like china, in stall after stall in the town of Bat Trang
• rain ponchos that cover almost an entire scooter not just a person - including a clear plastic square for the lights 
• vibrant green rice fields with men and women spending their days working, almost hidden in the crop
• unexpectedly running across a temple parade, seeing my first dragon weave its way down a street and men, women and children in traditional dress

Handcrafted Happiness

It's ridiculous sometimes how a special purchase is enough to make you giddy, and turn your day around. Shopping therapy? Perhaps. Or maybe I really am more materialistic then I'd hoped. But that is exactly what happened to me one evening when we were in Jaipur.

Doreen spied an interesting looking stall out of the car window, that she had glimpsed earlier but we hadn't stopped at. She thought maybe they had some sort of table. We were done for the evening, so why not stop and take a look? I should have known better, after all I seem to have a weakness for furniture. We got out of the car to the intense interest of the three kids playing on the concrete stoop. I suspect people don't usually buy directly from here. But that is exactly what made it so interesting. A woman sat off to the left in front of her sewing machine piecing  together these fabulous embroidered covers for wicker chairs. Each one was a unique brightly covered design. I ended up with two chairs (gotta have a pair) that make me smile each time I see them and I'm sure I'll remember the experience of buying directly from the woman each time I sit in one.

Holy Cow

After seeing these two cows, and one other earlier in the week, while in Jaipur I had some curiosity to satisfy. Clearly these cows wearing capes and head coverings were special. They were holy cows according to our driver. When I asked what made them holy his response was "the cape." Of course. How silly of me. But what I really wanted to know is what made these cows holier than the ones I regularly see walking down the street. So when I got home it was time for an internet search. Along the way I learned a bit about why cows are considered holy here - particularly the ones with a hump on their back. It is believed that there is a tie between Lord Krishna and cows, particularly the surabhi cow, a wish fulfilling cow, that descended from the heavenly spheres. There is also a connection to motherhood, as they are a type of surrogate which provides milk for life. Sadly, at no point could I  find any information about holier cows, or cows in capes led by holy men. So I'm left with what little I gleaned from our driver. That people pay the holy man to walk his cow in circles in front of their house for a blessing; while others are paid to walk between towns as a form of prayer. My conclusion - it is the cape that makes it a holy cow.

Am(b)er Fort

Not far outside the city of Jaipur, perched half way up a hill lies Am(b)er Fort. There is some discussion as to if it  really Amer Fort (named for the small town it is a part of) or Amber Fort (after its yellowish golden glow). The fort dates back to the 16th century and wandering around inside evokes a feeling of discovering another time period. You can follow which ever path your feet take you on, slipping up dark stairways, around more corners then should exist in a fort modeled around a courtyard, into unexpected vistas, and under small pavilions; all without knowing exactly where you are in the four story fort or how you got there from where you were before. At times I swear I only walked a few steps and the next thing I knew I was looking into the courtyard or the hills from the opposite side then I'd been earlier. It is the type of place you need to embrace getting lost in so that you can fully appreciate all that it has to reveal. I loved the views out over the hills, where old walls dividing Rajasthan from the next state over still stand and how you realize that you really are only half way up the hill since there are two more forts above you. The small attention to detail found in the small buttresses and the animals carved in between each support. The vibrant green garden and the impressive water system which required the use of an animal to keep water pots rising from the lake below. The central pagoda, Jai Mandir, that sparkled in the sun since it was covered by mirrors and silver accents. What else does Am(b)er Fort have to offer? It all depends on what you stumble upon.