Asian destinations

A planned trip to Bangkok got sidetracked. I e-mailed a Filipina with whom I have been communicating online on-and-off for a couple of years for a list of recommended hotels when she asked if, by any chance, I’m planning on traveling north from Bangkok to Chiang Mai where she lived.

I read up on Chiang Mai and I decided it wasn’t Bangkok that I wanted to visit, after all. Chiang Mai is on an elevated plain (cooler weather), less crowded, has a more laid back ambience, has just as many temples as Bangkok and it is where all the cooking schools are. In fact, there is one cooking school that also runs a Guest House and a boutique hotel.

It just makes more sense to skip Bangkok altogether. I don’t like big cities with the crowds, noise and pollution. That’s the reason we moved to the suburb in the first place—we wanted to get away from the city. So, why travel to a city that’s just as crowded and polluted as Metro Manila? I thought about it and realized that if a foreigner were to ask me to recommend places to visit in the Philippines, I’d point him to Bohol, Vigan or Palawan. He or she can see as much of Manila for as much as the waiting time between connecting flights will allow. In short, I won’t include Metro Manila among my recommended places to visit unless the person is someone I want to wreak vengeance on.

So, I decided that when I go to Thailand, I’ll only get to see as much of Bangkok from the Suvarnabhumi International Airport while waiting for the northbound flight to Chang Mai to start boarding. Or, if I’m up to it, I’ll take the train or an air-conditioned bus north so that I can see as much of the countryside as I can for nine to 12 hours.

Why the trip to Thailand? It’s about a personal project that needs a lot of research on Asian food, arts and culture. And Thailand is supposed to be only the first leg. After that, it’ll be Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Cambodia. No expensive First World countries. And since I’m personally bankrolling this project, it’s possible that by the time I am done with the research, my older daughter who is graduating from high school will be graduating from college.

I’ve made up my mind though—I’ll try to avoid big cities and go where I can experience indigenous cultures, see exotic architecture and eat food cooked from locally grown ingredients. I call my itinerary my alternative destinations. Some places I’d like to visit aside from Chiang Mai:

1. Penang Island in Malaysia. Chosen by TIME magazine in 2004 for having the Best Street Food in Asia, Penang is where one finds the Tropical Spice Garden, the eight-acre valley with its 100 varieties of tropical spice and herb plants. Penang is also home to Kek Lok Si, reputedly the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia which houses a 36.5-m high statue of Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy. I have to admit a bias here. I have been obsessed with Kuan Yin folklore since I was in high school after reading Victoria Holt’s The House of a Thousand Lanterns.

2. Hangzhou in China. It has been called the most beautiful and scenic city and China and part of its allure may be because despite modernization and urbanization, Hangzhou has retained much or its historical and ethnic heritage. Probably best known for the scenic spots of Xi Hú (Westlake), Hangzhou is also home to various temples and pagodas as well as the Longjing tea or “dragon well”, the superior hand produced green tea.

3. Xi’an in China. My interest in Xi’an was influenced by my younger daughter’s obsession with Oriental mythology and folk tales. If Xi’an sounds unfamiliar, think of the third installment of “The Mummy” (yes, that terrible film) and recall the terracotta warriors that came to life. Jet Li’s character, Emperor Han, is based on the historical Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China whose burial ground is “guarded” by figures of some 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses (figures from Wikipedia) made from clay. These figures have come to be known as the Terracotta Army. The story of the terracotta warriors is a long one that touches on ancient belief in the afterlife. The discovery also unearthed a lot of information that sheds light on the mystery of ancient Chinese military strategies, including what Sun Tzu’s describes in The Art of War. Perhaps, I’ll write about it another time.

4. Hanoi in Vietnam. Yes, it is a city and, yes, it is the capital of Vietnam but, no, it is not as densely populated as Ho Chi Minh. Moreover, Hanoi has been the capital for over a thousand years and considered by many as the cultural center of Vietnam. More importantly, it is home to the Ph- which has captivated the world.

5. Siem Reap in Cambodia. Siem Reap is still largely a rural town with its French-style houses and shops but it is growing so fast that it now has an international airport. What’s the attraction? The Angkor Wat about five kilometers north of the city. Angkor what? Oh, you know that massive temple structure exemplifying Khmer culture where Lara Croft found the first half of the triangle in Tomb Raider. It’s not a movie set. That’s Angkor Wat.

In case you’re wondering why I’m fixated with Asia, well, I’m still trying to figure it out too.