Our Great Big Western USA Roadtrip

On the road with a bug splattered windshield

After years of planning, it's done. Our great big roadtrip to see the scenic wonders of the Western USA. The seed was planted ages ago in 2006 when we came up with our 10 year plan of summer vacations, and Yellowstone National Park made the list of places to take our kids before they grew up. The first attempt to visit in 2010 was thwarted when I discovered that the Old Faithful hotels book up a full year ahead of time for the peak summer season. In 2011, I had to cancel our reservations for lodging when we moved to Malaysia, an event which opened us up traveling all over the world, not just the USA. 2015 was the year when we finally succeeded.

Penang's Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Golden chedi and a brilliant hued Naga statue

I have many fond memories of the Temple of the Reclining Buddha in Penang. This Thai temple's curvy, golden chedi tower looms over Kelawai Road, one of the main thoroughfares up to where I lived on the island. When we first moved to Malaysia, I would tell myself, "I don't think we're in Kansas Texas, anymore," each time I drove past it.

Family Trip Tips: Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, Cambodia with Kids

The kids explore Ta Prohm - The Tomb Raider temple

Siem Reap, Cambodia is #9 on TripAdvisor's 2014 Travelers' Choice Destinations in the World. Planning our trip was easy since so many expat families in Penang visit there that I could pick up a ton of suggestions while hanging out at the school playground. Knowing that many friends had successful family trips to Angkor Wat and surrounding attractions appeased any worries I had about taking the kids to such an exotic location in a developing country. In case if you don't have a cadre of travelers to Cambodia available to you, here are their ideas.

Chiang Mai's Golden Temple on the Hill

Wat Phra That is the crown jewel of Chiang Mai's temples. Perched high above the city on the summit of Doi Suthep mountain, most tourists refer to is as "Wat Doi Suthep." Its signature golden spire and filigree umbrellas glitter in the sunlight, and the surrounding temple complex is filled with gorgeous, intricate Lanna art and architecture.

The Ruins of Chiang Mai's Chedi Luang Temple

The ancient Wat Chedi Luang with its partially collapsed chedi.

For centuries, Wat Chedi Luang towered over ancient Chiang Mai. Construction began in the late 14th century, and by 1481, the Lanna-style chedi (pagoda) reached up 82 meters (246 feet) to the sky. Imagine what a humbling sight that must have been back then. Varying accounts have popped up to explain how the top of the chedi partially collapsed. Some say that it was an earthquake in 1545 while others claim it was caught in cannon fire when  King Taksin recaptured Chiang Mai from the Burmese in 1775. Either way,  I found it to be one of the more interesting temples in the old city.

 

No building within Chiang Mai's walled city are permitted to be taller than Wat Chedi Luang (60 meters/180 feet tall).

The Emerald Buddha used to reside within this temple until the Laotian king took it to Luang Prabang, Laos around 1545. That buddha is now in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew, but a black jade Buddha carved in 1995 sits in its place in the eastern niche. Other Buddha's are located all around the Wat, and a wire and pulley system is in place for pouring spiritual cleansing water over the ones at the top of the stairs.



Incense sticks in front of the Wat's many Buddhas.

A couple decades ago, the Japanese government and UNESCO contributed money for a restoration of the temple. However, no one knows what the original chedi looks like, so that was left untouched. The work that was completed has been controversial because some have declared it to be done in the central Thai style instead of the more authentic, northern Lanna style. In any case, it's quite easy for even a novice like myself to spot the restored versus untouched sections.




Left: Original brick and stucco elephant
Right: Cement restorations

Statues of Naga, a mythical serpent beast that sheltered Buddha while he was meditating.

This temple is also one of the most significant within Chiang Mai as it holds the city pillar, and is thus considered to be the home of the city's guardian spirits. The building is only open during the annual Inthakin festival in May, and only men may enter. At that time, blessings of peace, happiness and prosperity are invoked for Chiang Mai and its people.



The city pillar inside this building protects the city, especially from Burmese invaders.

The viharn (sermon hall) near the street entrance was built in 1928 and holds a large, standing 14th century Buddha with a disciple on both sides who are known for their mysticism and meditation. Everyone is welcome in this building, but please exhibit proper manners such as never pointing your feet at Buddha. Don't sit straight-legged! Sit "mermaid-style" with your legs curled around to the back. 

Inside the Sermon Hall

If you want to donate to the temple, numerous containers are located around the temple grounds.

A different pot for each monk.



This is the most secure donation box I have ever seen.

Monk Chat

A monk chat club is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the northern side of the grounds. Drop in to chat with them about Buddhism, a monk's life, Thai culture or other relevant topics. They get to practice English, and you get face time with a Buddhist monk. (Ladies, be sure not to touch them as it is taboo.) As their sign says, "Don't just stand looking from afar and walk away."

Dress Code

Please remember to show respect when visiting temples by dressing demurely and removing your shoes at the entrance to buildings. Ladies, despite how hot you may feel touring Chiang Mai, spaghetti straps and short shorts are big no-nos. You can fashion a skirt coverup out of a sarong and bring a wrap for your shoulders. They didn't seem to mind knee-length shorts on me. It is also forbidden for females to climb the corners of the moat structure around the chedi.

Keep these Do's and Don'ts in mind.

Kid point of view:

My kids would like me to let you know that they think this place is boring. My oldest son has done a Buddhism unit in Social Studies, and both boys have done field trips to the Thai Buddhist temple in Penang. They have a background understanding of temples but were still completely uninterested. So, I resorted to the age-old bribery trick. I traded a cultural morning of my choices for an afternoon of paintball and go-karts.

Related Posts

Dirty, Hungry Elephants

Visiting the Long Neck Tribe

Longing for a Chiang Mai Wet Market

Chiang Mai Sunday Market

Getting Lay's in Thailand

It’s Your Turn, Link Up Your Newest Travel Inspiration

I've joined up as one of the co-hosts of Weekend Travel Inspiration.

1. Link one of your inspirational travel photos or stories to this post by adding your info.
2. Copy and paste our badge and a link to this page.
3. Visit some of the other wonderful travel bloggers, read their posts, and leave a comment.  It would be great if you could comment on 2-3 posts.
4. Tweet it and include this hashtag. #wkendtravelinspiration .
5. Follow all the hosts of Weekend Travel Inspiration who are working hard to spread the word on what wonderful work travel bloggers are doing.
6. Don’t forget to check out my amazing co-hosts and their pages: Reflections Enroute,  ContentedTraveller, Albom Adventures, Safari 254, and FamiliesGo.

I've also joined with the following linkups. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

• The Weekly Postcard on Travel Notes and Beyond
• Weekend Wanderlust on Justin + Lauren
• Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox
• Travel Photo Mondays on Travel Photo Discovery
• Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? 

Wishes Made at Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple

The veranda and 3-story pagoda of Kyoto's legendary Kiyomizu Temple

One of the most popular places to visit in Kyoto is Kiyomizu Temple (Kiyomizu-dera), especially during cherry blossom season. Even though I realized this when planning the trip, I didn't fully appreciate the magnitude of the crowd. Our first clue was the extremely long queue at Kyoto Station to board a bus to the temple. After calculating that we wouldn't get on the first two buses to come by, we opted for a taxi. The driver ran into traffic along the way, and we ended up taking a winding detour through back alley streets to get there. The kids took this as an opportunity to zonk out and nap, and I thought this was a good way to see a part of the city that's off the tourist track. Almost an hour went by, and we were just beginning to very slowly creep up the road leading to the temple entrance. Finally, the cab driver told us it would be faster to  walk, so we hopped out and jumped into the crowd, tightly gripping our kids' hands. We strolled through the busy, narrow market street of the Higashiyama District taking time to ply the young ones with a few snacks to raise their flagging spirits since I really wanted to see this one last place before calling it quits for the day. In the end, it turned out to be worthy of all the hoopla and praise heaped on this scenic site.

Enter by the Deva Gate with the 3-Story Pagoda behind it

Many Japanese tourists enjoyed this national treasure and UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site along with us. Some were bundled up against the chill weather while others were dressed in traditional kimonos.

Dressed for a day of picture taking and sightseeing

One of the iconic buildings of the temple grounds is the Main Hall and the veranda of its Kiyomizu stage. Its 12 meter high (36 feet) support pillars were constructed without using a single nail, and
the floor was assembled from more than 410 cypress boards. The view of Kyoto from up here is spectacular. This place inspired the Japanese idiom "jumping from the veranda of Kiyomizu Temple" to mean that someone is about to take a bold or daring adventure. Supposedly, you would be granted your wish if you survived the jump. In the Edo era, 234 jumps were recorded, and 85.4% survived. The others were not so lucky. I decided not to test it out.

Looking up at the veranda. No way would I jump from there!

Another tradition at Kiyomizu temple is walking between the Love Stones at Jishu Shrine. This Shinto shrine behind the Main Hall is the dwelling place of Okuninushi, the god of love and matchmaking. According to the sign, "If you walk safely from this stone to the other with your eyes closed, for once, your wish will be granted soon. If you can't, it will be long before your love is realized." The greatest challenge of crossing the 6 meters (18 feet) between the two stones was avoiding the numerous people wandering across your path and being deflected off course. I'm sure it's easier to stay straight on less busy days. My daughter failed in her attempt, but since she was only 6 years old, I was hoping it would be a long, long, very long time before her love is realized, anyways.

Walking between the Love-fortune-telling Stones

Kiyomizu-dera means "Temple of the Clear Water" and is named after Otowa Falls. Water from a mountain spring has been falling her since before it was originally built back in 778. Many visitors drink the sacred spring water from a ladle since it's supposed to have wish granting powers. In retrospect, I really should have done it and asked for quick transport back to our hotel after a long day.

I think drinking spring water from Otowa Falls seems like a better option for gaining luck than jumping off the veranda.

The cherry blossoms were indeed beautiful, and I can see why so many people flock to this site in the springtime. When we were there, the temple was going to have one of its rare night openings, but we were too tuckered out to last much past sunset.

Cherry Blossoms blooming over the pond by the 3-Story Pagoda

We eventually left and began walking back down the hill through the shopping street. It's been catering to temple tourists for centuries and have used that time well to hone their skills at offering tempting wares.  I really could have done some damage to my wallet here, but all of us just wanted to get home. (Or perhaps my hubby drank from the Otowa Falls when I wasn't looking and wished for me to have an uncharacteristic lack of interest in shopping.) Eventually, we made it to the main street where we caught a bus back to Kyoto Station. Kiyomuzi Temple is an Ancient Kyoto icon and a must-see when visiting this town.

Oddly, I wasn't at all inclined to shop despite the gorgeous wares displayed in the shops.
Perhaps strange forces were at work.

Click here to view the Visitor's Guide with Admission fees, Operating Hours, and an Access Guide for Kiyomizu Temple.

Related Posts:
Kyoto Station is Enchanted
The 10,000 Torii Gates of Kyoto's Fushimi-Inari Shrine

It’s Your Turn, Link Up Your Newest Travel Inspiration

I've joined up as one of the co-hosts of Weekend Travel Inspiration.

1. Link one of your inspirational travel photos or stories to this post by adding your info.
2. Copy and paste our badge and a link to this page.
3. Visit some of the other wonderful travel bloggers, read their posts, and leave a comment.  It would be great if you could comment on 2-3 posts.
4. Tweet it and include this hashtag. #wkendtravelinspiration .
5. Follow all the hosts of Weekend Travel Inspiration who are working hard to spread the word on what wonderful work travel bloggers are doing.
6. Don’t forget to check out my amazing co-hosts and their pages: Reflections Enroute,  ContentedTraveller, Albom Adventures, Safari 254, and FamiliesGo.

I've also joined with the following linkups. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

• Travel Photo Thursday on Budget Travelers Sandbox 
• Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom?
• The Weekly Postcard on Travel Notes and Beyond
• Weekend Wanderlust on Justin + Lauren

The Street of Religious Harmony

Last week, stories swept the news about anti-American attacks in the Middle East and North Africa. When we first considered moving to Malaysia, a moderate Muslim country, I will admit that I was a tad concerned about what the atmosphere here towards Americans and Christianity would be. Thank goodness, I've found this country to be overall tolerant of various religions. Well, it's against the law to proselytize to Muslims, and we weren't allowed to bring over goods made in Israel. But other than that, it's a Freedom of Religion kind of country, a remnant of England's multi-century rule over Malaya. Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, nicknamed The Street of Harmony, in Penang's historic George Town is an excellent example of this. As you stroll down the street (dodging motor scooters and trishaws), you'll find a mosque, Chinese temple, Hindu temple and an Anglican church. All are evidence of the waves of immigrants who shaped Penang.

St. George's Anglican Church

Major renovation completed in 2011

St. George's Church, the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia, surely must have made the early British colonists feel quite at home. Completed in 1818, it is the one and only church on Malaysia's official list of 50 National Heritage Treasures and received government money for its recent restoration. Surprisingly, the congregation is mostly local Chinese, not Westerners as I had assumed. They no longer open the many windows that line each side of the building during services, but I can just imagine what a lovely crossbreeze would have come through in the pre-air-conditioning days. The docent here is very well informed if you have a chance to chat with him. Once again, I came off as an idiot by asking if the church bell is real or just a recorded sound.




Kuan Yin Temple is Penang's oldest Chinese Temple

Kuan Yin Temple, also known as "Temple of the Goddess of Mercy" as well as "Temple of the Hokkien and Cantonese Communities" (Kong Hock Keong), is hard to miss due to the massive plumes of incense smoke curling away from enormous joss sticks out in front. Construction on this Taoist temple began in 1728. It was built according to feng shui principles and originally dedicated to Ma Chor Po, the patron of the seas. In the mid-1800's the growing Chinese community began to splinter. Instead of everyone being united at the Kuan Yin Temple, each group tried to outdo the others by building the most opulent clan temple in town.




Small stand selling offerings for Taoist temple on one side of the street. Tiny, yellow Hindu shrine on the other corner.

Flower garlands, milk and coconut halves left at the Hindu shrine by both Chinese and Indians.

Selling flower garlands for the Hindu temple and shrine on this street.

Chinese goods for sale near the flower garland stall

Eventually, you'll reach Kapitan Keling Mosque, built in 1800, after which the street is named. This was my first time inside a mosque, and our Muslim guide was open to answering the many questions my group asked.

Kapitan Keling Mosque

Rows of prayer rugs line the prayer hall.

Across the street from the mosque, you'll see the back side of Sri Mahamariamman Temple.

Sri Mahamariamman Temple - Penang's oldest Hindu temple

The front of the temple faces Lebuh Queen (Queen Street) in Little India. It started out in 1801 as a simple shrine for the Indian community that was enlarged into a temple in 1833. Alas, we arrived here just after it had closed for an afternoon break between morning and evening prayers. So, we did not have a chance to go inside. I guess it's an excuse for me to head back!

Many goddesses adorn the facade over the main entrance.

Related Post:
Ramadan and Penang's Kapitan Keling Mosque
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Cue the Bollywood Music: Part 2
Strolling down Armenian Street

This post is part of Friday Daydreamin' at R We There Yet Mom? Check it out for more around-the-world travel inspiration.

Penang's Thai New Year Songkran Water Festival

Wat Chayamankalaram Thai Buddhist Temple

Today kicks off the New Years Celebration in both Thailand and Myanmar. In Thai, it's called "Songkran," and in Burmese, it's "Thingyan." The primary way to celebrate is by throwing water on each other. Doesn't that sound like the perfect way to cool off on a hot day? In Penang, the Thai Buddhist Temple and the Burmese Buddhist Temple sit across the street from each other which makes this place the center of action.

Temple Lights at Night are Big and Bright

This doesn't even begin to capture the scope of this place.

Kek Lok Si (Temple of Supreme Bliss) is the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia and one of the major sightseeing spots in Penang. Chinese New Year is an especially good time to visit it because it is lit up by thousands of lanterns at night. Imagine the biggest Christmas light display in your town. Now, imagine that it's the only light display in town. That's how magnificent the site is perched on a hill above the city.

I had heard that Kek Lok Si is extremely crowded this time of year with some people waiting in a traffic jam for hours to get in. So, I somewhat justified my lack of planning and total disregard for children's bedtimes when we drove right up at 9:45 p.m. and immediately found a parking spot. The boys were reluctant participants (to put it mildly) but my little girl thought the lights were beautiful.

Prayer lamps hung in remembrance of those who have passed on.

This temple complex is huge. There are several large halls, prayer rooms and courtyards with a dizzying array of Buddhas, Chinese gods and Bodhisattvas. Steps lead us up higher and higher through the terraced levels.

Swastikas?

I even learned something when I went home and Googled the swastikas that were painted on the ends of support beams for one hall. The swastika symbol represents eternity and has been used by Buddhists since centuries before Jesus walked the Earth. In East Asia, counterclockwise swastikas often mark the location of Buddhist temples on maps. At least, that's what the collective minds at Wikipedia tell me.

At one point, I reached a man semi-guarding a partially closed door. "Can lah?" I asked which is perfectly acceptable Manglish (a mix of English and Malay languages) to find out if we could go through. He shook his head no but proceeded to permit pushier people to enter. So, I just barged ahead through the door, too.

These joss sticks filled the air with incense.

We made our way up into a hall filled with joss sticks and pineapple-shaped jars holding oil candles.  The kids were particularly attracted to the wishing tree. For a small donation, you could select a ribbon pre-printed with a wish. Each of the kids selected one to hang on the tree. My sweet, little girl picked out "World Peace." My younger boy picked out "Everything as You Wish."

Well, he must have some mighty strong wishing power because the lights in the temple started going off. At first, I thought it was some fluke since there were still plenty of tourists around and that they'd turn them on again. Or maybe they'd flash them on and off a few times to let us know it was time to leave. Nope, they were being turned off for good. My boy who had been asking "When are we leaving?" ever since we arrived 15 minutes earlier was getting his wish. Perhaps I should have listend to that guard.

We started making our way down through the many terraces and stairs. At first, the remaining lanterns lit our way, but after a while, even those were off. Luckily, some well-prepared tourist had brought along a strong flashlight and was kind enough to shine it on the stone steps for everyone.

On the drive home, we listened to Whitney Houston singing "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" on the radio, not realizing that she'd be gone the next day.

I tucked in the kids hours past bedtime and asked my oldest if there was any teeny-tiny redeeming part about our excursion. He thought about it for a second then replied, "Well, if my wish for 'Success in Everything' comes true, I guess it was okay."

May all your wishes come true, too.

Now that's a lot of Body Piercing! Thaipusam in Penang

That is not a shirt. It's multiple body piercings.

Warning: This post is not for the faint of heart. But if you've already looked at the first photo, you might as well proceed.

Back in Austin, I knew quite a few people with body piercings where I used to work. On the tamer end of the scale was anyone with multiple ear piercings or belly button rings. The lovely receptionist had a few rings going through her eyebrow with a thin chain connecting them to the piercings on her earlobes. During meetings, I could sometimes hear the clack-clack-clack noise of another coworker running the tiny barbell in her tongue back and forth across her teeth. One man had pierced his belly button, nipples and nether regions (although no one independently confirmed the last one). Are you thinking that I worked at some club or bar? Nope! It was a biotech company.

Anyways, these people had absolutely nothing on the rows and rows of body piercing I saw at Penang's Thaipusam festivities. It was quite a sight. In the picture above, all those silver urns covering the man's torso and arms have been hooked directly into his skin. Dozens more hooks covered his back. The man would occasionally stop and lean forward, pulling the ropes taut to add more discomfort (to put it mildly). From the front, I could see he had at least eight sets of chains and hooks draped across his face.

Thaipusam is one of Penang's biggest Hindu celebrations and also a public holiday. This being the multi-ethnic country of Malaysia, it overlapped with the the last day of Chinese New Year as well as the Islamic observation of Prophet Muhammad's birthday. Thaipusum marks the triumph of good over evil when Lord Murugan received a spear and defeated an evil demon.  I first heard of it when I was researching our trip to Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur which has an even bigger crowd for the occasion.

The festival starts in Little India with a beautiful, silver chariot carrying a statue of Lord Murugan along an all-day, 10-kilometer pilgrimage to the Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple on Waterfall Road. To symbolically cleanse the chariot's path, devotees walk ahead of it smashing coconuts on the road. I didn't go to this part of the celebration, but a friend who witnessed it tells me that a mini bulldozer followed the chariot, pushing the shells aside to literally clean up after the symbolic cleansing. Apparently, coconut smashing can only occur during approved times.

Hubby and I joined in on the activity closer to the temple. As we approached, I could hear the loud music and rhythmic drumming. The scent of incense and savory spices from the snack stalls mingled in the air. It was definitely a festival atmosphere — lots of people and food, souvenirs for sale, and Angry Bird balloons. Those birds are popping up everywhere.

Numerous companies and families set up booths along Waterfall Road to offer drinks and nourishment to the devotees. HEB was a major sponsor. No, not the Texas grocery store chain. I'm referring to the Hindu Endowment Board.



Intel's Thaipusam booth.
I bet they don't have this at their Santa Clara, California headquarters.

Forget your offering of milk and sweets? No worries. Pick some up here.



Beautiful sidewalk chalk drawings lined the road, too.

All along the road, devotees of Lord Murugan carried kavadis, or physical burdens, to offer up to him as penance, thanksgiving, or in supplication. The simplest kavadis are urns of milk carried upon the head. Others kavadis are tall portable altars decorated with peacock feathers. They are balanced upon a man's shoulders and hips and then connected to him with hooks piercing his skin.




Woman with milk urn on her head in front and a two giant kavadis behind her.



 I wanna see your jaw dropping, eye popping, head turning, body shocking peacock kavadi.

The biggest burden is the multiple body piercings. Sometimes a spear representing Lord Murugan's weapon threads its way in one cheek, through the tongue, and out the other cheek. The piercings are done in front of a public crowd in Little India before the pilgrimage begins and removed after the offering is made at the temple.

I am truly amazed by how devoted these people are. It makes my promise to give up chocolate for Lent kind of lame in comparison. But hey, that's just how I roll.

Related Posts:
Kuala Lumpur: Temples and Caves


This post is part of Photo World Mondays on Travel Photo Discovery. Check it out for more visual delights.