Cambodian/Thai snapshot: Royal palaces

While I was exploring Phnom Penh and Bangkok I had the opportunity to visit the royal palaces of each country. This was the first time I had been to an Asian palace with its pagoda styled buildings, gold roof coverings and spires. They are incomparable to the palaces you find in europe except in the sense that they are a way to show off the wealth of a country's leaders. In that sense I'd have to say that the Thai royal family is definitely better off then that of Cambodia. The thing to see in Phnom Penh is the silver pagoda, which is almost completely covered in carpets except for a small square to protect the floor and the jade Buddha which resides inside. In Bangkok it was the details which made the palace so absorbing. Giant guardians looming on either side of a gate. Well preserved murals sharing pieces of history and mythology. Gold rooster dragon mix statues. Statues carrying the weight of a spire. Of course it also had its own spectacular pagoda pavilions covered in gold details and gems. When you walk through the gates to either of these two places it is clear that this is not a "normal" person's residence. You can only hope that your jaw doesn't drop and stay open at the ornateness of the palaces of the royal families of these two countries.

Cambodian Snapshot: Wat Ounalom

On the one day I spent wandering around Phnom Penh I spent some time at Wat Ounalom, the Buddhist monastery which is the center of the faith in Cambodia. Talk about a peaceful location! It was hard to believe I had walked through the monastery grounds a couple of times and not seen the grandeur of the holy buildings: several layers, bright paint, interesting designs I don't know the story behind. I went up and down into several of the temples, but my most memorable occurrence of the day was when I wandered around the back to a cemetery (? memorial shrines? I think Buddhists cremate) where an old man was sitting outside another small wat and invited me in. Okay, why not? I don't have any real plans for the day. It was all I could do to not laugh when I realized the Buddha had a fluorescent spinner halo behind its head that lit up. I was really glad I hadn't when the old man then went into a  process of blessing me (? I think; I didn't really have a clue what was going on). He lit an incense stick, waved it over me then handed it to me to bring to my forehead before planting it in the holder. Then he stuck some sticks into water and sprinkled it over me several times; he had me hold out my hand so he could splash some water on it to rub over my face. After all of this and being encouraged to take photos I felt like I needed to make a donation, so out comes a $1 bill. Of course I couldn't just put it in the donation box, no I had to place it in the Buddha's lap. I was sort of glad there was no one else around to see me muddle my way through the interaction while at the same time feeling like I was walking away from a true cultural exchange and probably the most interesting few minutes of the day. You never know what will happen when you are travelling.