Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Athanas family standing at the back entrance of Angkor Wat.

For Spring Break, we decided to go to Siem Reap, Cambodia.  The flight to Siem Reap is only about two and a half hours.  However, the plane did not have infotainment systems which Spiro feels is “a basic requirement for a passenger plane.” The airport in Siem Reap is nice, in an old school kind of way.  Unfortunately, once we landed, we were in what Spiro described as “the world’s slowest moving immigration line.” We found a currency exchange and got some Cambodian Riel.  We later discovered that pretty much everyone in Cambodia takes US dollars and even the ATMs give you the option of getting US dollars. 

The night market on Southeast Asia New Year's Eve.

We stayed at the J7 Hotel, which is beautiful and centrally located.  We arranged for a tour the next day and found out that at the temples you are supposed to wear pants or skirts that cover your knees and no sleeveless shirts.  Since it is 95 degrees in Siem Reap in the Spring, we had not packed any long pants.  Thus, after having dinner at the hotel we took a tuk tuk to the Night Market.  The Night Market was going crazy because it turned out that we had arrived on Southeast Asian New Years’ Eve (Songkran)!  

The soaking wet Athanas family in the hotel lobby.

It is a South East Asian New Years’ tradition to pour water on statues of Buddha (and everybody else) to wash away your sins and bad luck.  Accordingly, the entire Night Market is transformed into a massive water gun fight with thousands of people blasting each other with supersoakers and hoses.  We managed to remain fairly dry through our arrival and pants shopping experience, but when we left, our tuk tuk ran the gauntlet and we were blasted from both sides of the road.  Spiro said “There were people shooting water guns and throwing water balloons all over the place. It was a circus.” We arrived at the hotel soaking wet. 

The next morning we had breakfast early so we could start our tour before the temples got too crowded.  There are about 50 temples around Siem Reap, so we had to choose which ones to see.  The Angkor area and the various temples were built by the Khmer Empire, which ruled Cambodia, Laos and parts of Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam from 802 to 1431.  “I had no idea how vast and powerful the Khmer Empire was,” Spiro said.

One of the endless halls.

The first temple we visited was Angkor Wat, which we entered from the back.  As we walked through the jungle to the temple, our guide explained that in the 12th century, over a million people lived outside the temple where we were walking, but their wooden homes had long been reclaimed by the jungle.  Angkor Wat is a Hindu temple built in the 12th Century.  According to Peter, “it is the largest religious structure in the world.” It took 50,000 artisans 37 years to build and virtually every square inch is covered by carvings.  There are over 2,000 carvings of celestial dancers alone.  It has very steep steps “because the climb to heaven should not be easy.” “As we wandered through the endless halls of this colossal masterpiece,” Peter said, “we were accompanied by countless worshipers.” Spiro said that Angkor Wat “was the second most amazing place I have ever visited, topped only by Beijing.”

Spiro and Peter walking with the throngs of people visiting Angkor Wat.

Another endless hall at Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat

Spiro and Peter are standing in what use to be a bath in the Temple of Angkor Wat.

This interior photo of Angkor Wat shows how virtually every square inch is covered by carvings.

Details of carvings.

After going through the temple, we came out the front and saw the long and spectacular road that leads from the main gate to the temple.  The road was already filled with throngs of people and the temperature was already in the low 90s.  The temple was built in such a way that when viewing it from the main entrance on the equinox the sun sets perfectly behind the center tower.  Outside the main gate there were numerous vendors selling cold drinks and food.

Carvings of celestial dancers. 

The Athanas boys walking down the very steep steps of Angkor Wat.

Details.

Once again, locals ask to take a picture with the Athanas boys.

Angkor Thom is a massive square walled area containing many temples, including Bayon temple, which we visited.  The walls are each 26 feet high and nearly two miles long.  They are surrounded by a moat that is as wide as a river.  There are five entrance gates that you pass over a bridge lined with statues to enter.  The gates themselves have four giant Buddha faces on them.  Bayon temple was built in the late 12th century and has about 50 towers with four giant faces of Buddha on them, all facing exactly on the points of the compass.  On the outside wall of the temple, there is a huge carving depicting a sea battle between the Khmer Empire and the Cham Empire (which was located in what is now central Vietnam), which Spiro found “stunning.”

Angkor Thom has 26 feet tall walls that are nearly two miles long.

The bridge to Angkor Thom is lined with statues.

Statues on bridge to the entrance of Angkor Thom.

Angkor Thom

The outside wall of Bayon temple showing a huge carving
depicting a sea battle between the Khmer Empire and the Cham Empire

Inside Bayon temple.

Bayon temple.

Ta Prohm temple.

Ta Prohm temple.

Spiro and Peter at Ta Prohm temple.

After lunch, we went to Ta Prohm temple.  Ta Prohm was built in the late 12th century.  It was a 600 room monastery inhabited by 12,500 people.  The jungle has grown into the temple and the trees have become intertwined with the architecture, making it a strange and wonderful place to see.  After that, we saw one last temple and headed back to the hotel, exhausted and overheated.   

That night, the boys just watched a movie and went to bed early.  Stella and Joe ventured back out into the New Year’s celebrations, finding a nice outdoor bar with a traditional Cambodian band playing relaxing music for tips.  The chaos of water gun battles swirled around the outdoor bar, but we were able to stay dry and enjoy the view.  We also, after extensive haggling, purchased a wooden statute at the night market.   

The Cambodian people could not be more friendly or polite.  They seemed to love talking to us to practice their English.   

The next day was spent by the beautiful pool at our hotel and then we cruised back to the airport and headed home.

Showing the intertwining of tree and architecture.

Stella’s Family Visits Hong Kong

DAY 4 Yia Yia and Papou on a Sampan boat ride in Aberdeen.

Stella’s parents (Yia Yia and Papou) arrived exhausted in Hong Kong in the evening of March 17, 2017 after their delayed 16 hour flight from Chicago.  Spiro and Stella met them at the airport.  All finally arrived at our flat around midnight.

DAY 2 Stella and her mom at dinner.

DAY 2 Wan Chai

DAY2 Peter with his grandparents in Wan Chai.

DAY 2 Papou, Peter and Yia Yia at a Greek restaurant in Wan Chai.

Day 2

Joe was away in Australia on business, but the rest of the family took Yia Yia and Papou on the MTR (subway) under Victoria Harbor to Kowloon to shop in Mong Kok.  Mong Kok preserves its traditional characteristics with an array of markets and has been described as the busiest district in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records.  After checking out the markets in Mong Kok, we took the Star ferry back across Victoria Harbor to Hong Kong Island and went to an amazing Greek restaurant in Wan Chai for dinner.  After dinner we walked around Wan Chai and took the tram (trolley) from Wan Chai through Causeway Bay to Happy Valley.  The tram started service in 1904 and is the oldest form of public transportation in Hong Kong.  The high vantage point of the second level of the tram combined with its meandering pace make it a great way to see the sights.

DAY 3 Graham Street Market

Day 3 

After some homemade biscuits and breakfast sandwiches, Spiro, Peter, and Papou decided to hang around the flat and watch the History Channel while Stella and Yia Yia ventured off to grocery shop.  Stella took Yia Yia to a wet market in Central called the Graham Street Market with fresh vegetables and meat.  The very narrow and steep market is one of the oldest markets in Hong Kong. It reminded Yia Yia of the Chicago markets when she was growing up. From there, Yia Yia and Stella walked to City Super, a large the grocery store in very high-end shopping mall.  After the cashier individually wrapped the meats and cheeses with ice and bagged everything, they were out the door in Hong Kong time.  The boys and girls reunited for dinner and Gin Rummy at the local pub, the Jockey.

DAY 4 Yia Yia and Papou in front of the Big Bus in Central.

DAY 4 Papou on bus going to Stanley.

DAY 4 Stella and her dad at Pier 8 in Central. 

Day 4

Stella and her parents were ready to start their Monday adventure with the Big Bus tour. They explored Central, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Stanley, Aberdeen and the Peak, with a break for a Sampan ride.  At night, they took the Kowloon night tour, the highlight of the Big Bus tour.  The boys met Stella and her parents for dinner at Rocco’s Pizzaeria in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) in Kowloon.  After a long MTR ride home, the boys’ finished their homework while Stella, Yia Yia and Papou played Gin Rummy until midnight.

Day 5

Stella took her parents on a 30 minute ferry ride to Lantau Island where they enjoyed the day at the Discovery Bay Golf Club. Everyone had a lovely time sitting outside on a perfect day sipping some wine while enjoying the beautiful mountain views.

DAY 6 Hong Kong International School in Tai Tam.

Day 6

Stella and her parents took a 25 minute taxi to the south side of Hong Kong Island to the boys’ school, Hong Kong International School (HKIS) in Tai Tam, where they met Stella’s friend, Ilene. After a personal tour of the campus, they all enjoyed a nice lunch in the seaside resort town of Stanley a short distance away, while looking out over picturesque Stanley Bay.  Upon returning home, the family, Yia Yia and Papou had dinner and the Gin Rummy continued.

DAY 7 Stella and her parents at the Art Basel show.

DAY 7 Papou and Yia Yia walking around the Central Piers.

Day 7

DAY 7 California Tower

Before moving to Hong Kong, the family learned that the Art Museum would be closed for remodeling for two years; a great disappointment for Stella.  After arriving in Hong Kong, Stella learned that every March, Art Basel comes to Hong Kong.  Art Basel features 291 premier galleries from 34 countries and territories. Stella and her parents spent the day surrounded by inspiring works of over 4,000 artists.  That evening, Joe finally returned from Australia.  Stella, Spiro, Yia Yia and Papou met Joe at his office and all walked to Lan Kwai Fong (LKF).  LKF is one of Hong Kong’s most popular nightlife hot spots and home to over 90 restaurants and bars in a single one-square-block area.  Joe and Stella wanted to show Yia Yia and Papou what Hong Kong was like at night.  What better place than the rooftop bar at Ce La Vie in the California Tower.  Being amazed by the 360 degree breathtaking views,  Yia Yia said, “Now I know why you love Hong Kong so much.”  After a drink at Ce La Vie, they enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Ciao Chow.  Of course, the evening would not be complete without more Gin Rummy after dinner.

DAY 7 Spiro with his grandparents at Joe's office before going to CeLa Vie.

DAY 7 Spiro, Papou, YiaYia and Stella walking to CeLa Vie.

DAY 7 Spiro, Joe, Stella, Papou and YiaYia at CeLa Vie.

DAY 8 Papou, Peter and Yia Yia at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

DAY 8 Yia Yia at the Zoo.

Day 8

With the boys off to school and Joe at work, Stella and her parents went to Wan Chai for coffee and homemade French pastries.  Then they rode the tram to the famous shopping district of Causeway Bay.  They started at SOGO, a multi-floor Japanese-style department store with 400,000 square feet of shopping.  It is truly a “one-stop shop.”  Each floor is designated to one theme… shoe floor, women’s casual floor, etc.  After a few hours, Papou must have been “shopped out” because he bought both Rosemary and Stella two pairs of shoes each.  Peter’s classes ended early that afternoon, so the four of them had lunch at Peter’s favorite New York style deli in Central before heading to the the oldest park in Hong Kong — the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. It was another perfect day for all.  Yia Yia got two pairs of shoes, Peter got out of school early, Papou was inspired by the tropical gardens and Stella enjoyed showing what Hong Kong has to offer.

DAY 9 Joe, Spiro, Yia Yia, Papou and Peter at the ruins of St. Paul's in Macau.

DAY 9 Walking around Macau at night.

 Day 9 

Yia Yia, Papou, Stella, Joe and the boys all headed to Central with our passports to take the ferry to Macau, a former Portuguese colony.  Its giant casinos and malls have earned it the nickname the “Las Vegas of Asia.”  We passed through a few casinos and visited Senado Square and the ruins of St. Paul’s.  Everyone enjoyed a big Portuguese dinner before heading back to Hong Kong.

Day 10

The next evening, Stella’s cousin Stacey and her son Yanni arrived in Hong Kong.  The Athanas family and the four visitors all enjoyed a long dinner at the local pub, the Jockey.

DAY 11 Stacey and Yanni standing in front of the Koi fish pond at the Nan Lian Garden.

DAY 11 Papou at the Nan Lian Garden and the Chi Lin Nunnery.

DAY 11 Yia Yia and Papou at the Nan Lian Garden and the Chi Lin Nunnery.

DAY 11 Yanni at suit fitting.

Day 11

With the boys off to school and Yia Yia, Papou and Yanni sleeping in, Joe, Stella and Stacey walked down the very steep mountain to Happy Valley for breakfast and then back up.  Joe left for work and Stella, her parents, Stacey and Yanni went to TST for Yanni to have a bespoke suit made.  From there, they took the MTR to Diamond Hill, Kowloon, to visit the Nan Lian Garden and the Chi Lin Nunnery.  Everyone was amazed that this elegant and serene garden is right in the middle of the bustling city.  Before dinner, Stella, Yia Yia, Papou and Stacey enjoyed a cocktail and appetizers on the ninth floor of our home building.  We had dinner in Soho at Linguini Fini.  Afterwards, the boys went off with their cousin Yanni and the adults enjoyed a nightcap before heading home.  Stacey joined in the evening game of Gin Rummy.

DAY 12 At the Zoo.

Day 12

Stella, Stacey and Yanni walked to the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.  After a brief lesson by Yanni on Red-crowned Cranes, they ventured to see the main attraction, the Bornean orangutan family.  The zoo is known for its Bornean orangutan family because they are very rare and on the verge of extinction.  You may have heard the saying, “that is as rare as a Bornean orangutan.”  After breakfast, Stella and her four guests took a taxi, four MTR lines and a 40 minute bus ride to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha.  This majestic statue sits atop the peak of Mount Muk Yue and is the largest sitting Buddha statute built outdoors.  Po Lin Monastery took 12 years to plan and build the Buddha statue, which symbolizes the stability of Hong Kong, prosperity of China and peace on Earth.  From the bus, they walked through Ngong Ping Village to the Bodhi Path where they were accompanied by grazing cows.  Yes, cows were freely walking amongst the herd of people!  At the end of the Bodhi Path they found the entrance of the Bog Buddha and the countless steps leading up to the Big Buddha platform. Stella, Stacey, and Yanni were brave enough to climb to the top and walked around the platform of the Big Buddha and admired his serene, calm, dignity and charisma. The tranquil atmosphere paired with the amazing and beautiful views of Lantau Island transformed us into a calm and relaxed state, until we realized we had to climb back down.  After a long day, we showered and met Joe for a pre-dinner cocktail at another rooftop in Central—Sevva.  We had a Korean dinner in LKF and a final cocktail at the Mo bar in Central before heading home.

DAY 12 This majestic Big Buddha statue sits atop the peak of Mount Muk Yue. 

DAY 12 Stacey and Stella before walking up to the Big Buddha platform.

DAY 12 Walking up to the Platform of the Big Buddha.

DAY 12 Yanni on the steps walking up to the Big Buddha platform.

DAY 12 A grazing cow in Ngong Ping Village.

DAY 12 The Po Lin Monastery at the Big Buddha.

DAY 12 The view from the Big Buddha platform.

Day 13 Stella and Stacey at the Happy Valley race track.

Day 13

The next day was Wednesday.  Wednesdays are known as “Happy Wednesdays” in Happy Valley because there is horse racing every Wednesday.  In 1845, the British people built a horse racing track in what was then rural Happy Valley.  Today, Happy Valley is filled with skyscrapers, in the middle of which sits the horse racing track.  Our guests enjoyed the local passion for horse racing as they gripped their betting sheets and cheered on their favorites. Not eveyone came home a winner, but everyone enjoyed the local tradition of “Happy Wednesdays.”  

Day14

After two weeks in Hong Kong, Yia Yia and Papou headed home.  After seeing them off, Stella, Stacey and Yanni took the train to Shenzhen, China for some shopping. Before they started their “Shenzhen” shopping experience, they decided to have a traditional Chinese meal—Peking Duck. Peking Duck is a dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era. Since zero English was spoken at the restaurant, Stella ordered for the table solely with photos from her last visit with her Chinese friends. In the U.S. it is common to receive a bread basket with a meal, in China it is customary to receive complementary chicken feet. Stella and Stacey watched Yanni distressingly as he gnawed the little feet. After what seemed to be an hour of waiting they all wondered whether “ordering via Pictionary” had been effective.  Just then, the Peking Duck was presented and sliced at the table proudly by the chef. After hours of shopping, they went though customs and began their journey back to Hong Kong. Stacey and Yanni enjoyed the food and the extreme haggling with the vendors in Shenzhen. 

Day15, 16 and 17

Stella, Stacey and Yanni visited the HKIS campus and had lunch with Peter in Stanley. After racing to the airport and almost missing their flight, Stella, Spiro, Stacey and Yanni flew to Beijing for the weekend where they met with Belle, the world’s greatest tour guide.  Stacey and Yanni got to see Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the Olympic Village and, finally, the Great Wall of China. For lunch, they went to a “local” restaurant and, while enjoying the variety of dishes Belle ordered, a beautiful sound was heard throughout the restaurant. Belle explained, “So it is like this… the beautiful music you hear is emanating from a pet cricket.” Belle told us that throughout the Imperial era the Chinese kept pet cicadas and grasshoppers, but crickets were the favorites in the Forbidden City for their music. Belle then excused herself from the table and returned with a local wearing his “pet” around his neck in an elaborate gourd—Yanni’s highlight of the Beijing weekend. That evening, Belle took them to a very trendy and upscale Peking Duck restaurant. Having just had this traditional style duck in Shenzhen, everyone was resistant, but Belle insisted this would be a different experience. She said to dip the skin in the special kind of sugar and the skin would melt in your mouth. Stella, Spiro, Stacey, and Yanni were skeptical. To their astonishment, before they could swallow, the duck completely dissolved.  

DAY 16 Spiro, Stella, Stacey and Yanni at the Forbidden City in Beijing. 

DAY 17 Stacey at the Summer Palace.

DAY 17 Yanni at the Summer Palace.

DAY 16 Stella and Stacey outside the Forbidden City in Beijing.

DAY 16 Spiro and Yanni outside the Forbidden City in Beijing.

DAY 17 Spiro, Stella, Stacey and Yanni at the Great Wall of China.

DAY 17 Spiro, Yanni and Belle at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

DAY 17 Yanni, Spiro, Stella and Stacey at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

DAY 16  Spiro, Stella, Stacey and Yanni at the Temple of Heaven.

DAY 17 Spiro and Stella at the Summer Palace. 

DAY 16 Yanni, Spiro, Stella and Stacey at a local restaurant with a local and his "pet" in Beijing. 

DAY 16 A local from Beijing and his pet cricket.

DAY 18 Cousins at the peak.

Day 18

Spiro stayed home from school to spend the day with Yanni on his last full day in Asia.  Stella, Stacey, Spiro and Yanni went to Victoria Peak, which stands 428 meters above sea level.  It is the highest outdoor viewing platform in Hong Kong, offering a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of Hong Kong.  In the evening, Yanni and Spiro went out on the town with Spiro’s friends, while the adults had Vietnamese food at Chom Chom and fancy cocktails at a speakeasy. 

The Athanas family had a wonderful time with our visitors.  According to Stella’s Fitbit, they walked 95 miles, an average of 5 miles a day.

DAY 11 Papou, Yai Yai, Stacey and Yanni in Wan Chai.