Running the Ruins

Marathon runners have a lot of options for interesting race routes.  The Paris Marathon takes racers straight down the famous Champs-Élysées, while the Philadelphia Marathon paces in front of the steps made famous from the "Rocky" movie.

For more than 20 years, the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon in Cambodia boasts a unique course of taking runners throughout the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the same name, an area of over 400 acres outside of Siem Reap, dotted with temples dating back to the 12th Century.  The event is also for charity, benefiting those victims of antipersonnel mines in the country.

This year's race, the 22nd annual, had a slight change of course due to a spontaneously scheduled* Buddhist ceremony to be held that same morning at the main and namesake Angkor Wat temple itself. This meant that the new route began further north near another famous temple area, Angkor Thom.  While starting near the base of the Bayon Temple and running along the Terrace of the Elephants is still an inspiring experience, nothing really compares to the sunrise aura of Angkor Wat itself.

Post-race running crew

After a bit of stress getting to the starting line, which resulted in me ditching my tuk tuk driver in a literal tuk tuk jam, and doing a nice 2km "warm-up" run, the race ultimately started about 30 minutes behind schedule.  Despite the increasing heat as the early morning wore on, the course was fairly flat, well marked, and with frequent water stations.

Posing alongside the Terrace of the Elephants

Though I had a lofty goal of at least going sub-1:30 again - my last long distance race was a full marathon back in 2013 in São Paulo - I was pleased to be able to finish in 1:34.43 which put me 53rd overall for all male runners and in the top 3% of finishers.  At just shy of 36, I'll take it!

Myanmarvelous (Part II)

With so many enchanting places to visit in the world, it is always a blessing to be able to revisit a place that takes your breath away. Having been sent to Myanmar two years ago for a school trip, I was excited to revisit the country again for several reasons.  Foremost was that I had been relatively new to Southeast Asia at the time of my first visit, and I wanted to take a look at the sites through more seasoned eyes. 

Secondly, was the changing political situation; shortly after we departed in 2015, the people of Myanmar successfully elected the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, the former political prisoner and advocate of democracy. How had the country adjusted now that they were out of the former military dictatorship?  What is the current sentiment in the country regarding the human rights abuses of the Rohingya people in the west of the nation? Has there been an increase in tourism with a changing international reputation?

Happy kids at a local school we did some service work for.
The cream-colored "makeup" on many faces is a paste called Thanaka made from
the bark of a local tree. It is used for sun protection, but also is said to have
anti-acne properties and promote smooth, soft skin.

The itinerary this time around was similar to the previous journey, just with no time spent in Yangon and a bit more time in both Inle Lake and Bagan.  While much of the sites and timeless, provincial feel of the places remains the same, it was quickly apparent that tourism is a booming industry, as we were far from the only Western visitors.  More hostels, restaurants, tour operators, and busses - oh, the busses - made for a slightly more frenetic scene, where before life seemed more tranquil. 

One of the "new" places we visited this trip was the ancient Indein Temple
complex, found up a tributary leading into Inle Lake.  If you've read Amy Tan's
Saving Fish From Drowning you'll understand why I was a little nervous!

The sites are still beautiful and breathtaking, however, more crowded.  The streets more vibrant, but also with more exhaust and dust. Where before the street vendors smiled and gently asked for "lucky money," now they made more aggressive offers, such as following you back to your hotel where you had more money.

While it is still hard to take a bad picture in Bagan, it does take a bit more strategy to not include other
tourists in your shots, especially when you're not the only bus-load of visitors on a single temple.

The newly renovated UNESCO Heritage Site, the Ananda Temple is one of the center-pieces
of Bagan. This site was still under renovation two years ago so it was exciting to see the
restorative work done on such an important structure in Burmese history.

Another shot within the Ananda Temple

As the political situation (hopefully) continues to improve and the tourism reputation continues to open and thrive, I hope that the powers that be in Myanmar recognize the need to protect what tourists are coming to visit and put some restrictions in place to preserve the feel and integrity of both the culture but also the architecture itself.  Thousand year old temples cannot be easily repaired once roads and modern buildings have been built around them and floating islands cannot draw in visitors looking for a tranquil scene with a myriad of buzzing motored long boats zig zagging across the lake.

Myanmar is still an enchanting place, however, one that might be teetering on the edge of major change, for better or for worse.

A peaceful morning scene: fisherman doing his thing on Inle Lake, handling
nets and leg-rowing all at once.

On the Wings of an Eagle

The first I heard about Langkawi was that it was a duty-free zone. And in Malaysia, with the high "sin tax" on alcohol, this is enough to set the island apart from other beach destinations in the country.  However, aside from its resorts, Langkawi has a lot of culture and nature to entice travellers, as well.

Located off the west coast of peninsular Malaysia near the Thai border, the island's name is said to derive from the presence of brahminy kites, a bird of prey common on the island and, subsequently, in it's iconography.

In addition to the aforementioned beach resorts, Langkawi is also home to three UNESCO Geoforest Parks, comprising a large amount of the northern and east parks of the island. Mostly made of karst, the formations date back millennia and are home to mangrove swamps, several caves, and myriad fauna including sea otters, eagles, crab-eating macaques, and kingfishers. (Side note: Should you do a tour, be sure to book with an operator that does not bait the eagles as this promotes their dependance on humans and can adverse effects on their diets.)

Legenda Park in Kuah

Boat tour through the mangrove swamps and soaring cliffs
of the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park

Looking out from the raised entrance of Gua Cerita (or Cave of Legends).
It is said the Princess of China was kidnapped and held here during the
mythical Battle of the Big Birds.  Silver lining: the Princess
had an amazing view of the Andaman Sea from her front door!

Higher, Faster, Stronger

On the heels of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, came this year's SEA Games, where athletes from all over South East Asia gather, biennially, to compete in a variety of events.  Hosted by Malaysia from the first time since 2001, the event was met with much fanfare and enthusiasm as the events were spread out across the city and were relatively inexpensive to attend, if you could get tickets to some of the smaller venued competitions.

Fortunately, Rugby tickets were plentiful and, after my crash course introduction to the sport last spring at the Singapore 7's, I was now a knowledgeable rugby fanatic. It was a hot day at the MBPJ Stadium, but the Malaysian fans were out in full force with their cheers of "Malaysia Boleh" echoing from the stands throughout the entirety of the matches of the countrymen.  Due to the heat we only stayed for a few hours, but it was more than enough time to see some impressive plays from Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar.

Hot and steamy Malaysian afternoon for some Rugby

The one event I was truly coveting was swimming.  Not only as an athlete and coach, but also because I had a former swimmer competing for her home country!  Though the Buki Jalil National Aquatics Centre is an impressive facility, the seating is surprisingly limited.  Coupled with the fact that swimming is always a popular spectator sport at these types of events, tickets were sold out.  Fortunately, again, a colleague had an extra and I was graciously invited along.

With the one and only Nadia Redza!  Also, can we talk about how awesome
these event mascots are?  Harimau Malaya can do it all!

Under My Belt - Part II

Two years has flown by here in Kuala Lumpur, and happily at that. To be complete honest, this is an incredibly easy place to be an expat who already speaks English. It's international, navigable, modern, and accessible.

I feel I have gotten to now the city and surrounding area a lot better this year for a couple reasons.  One: I can drive! Getting behind the wheel of my own car for the first time in nine years - and a right driving one at that - felt strange at first, but I am loving having my "freedom" back, especially when public transportation here is not as extensive as it has been other places I've lived.  Secondly, there is always a group of friends keen to go hiking on weekends and I'm happy to have been able to continue exploring new trails and water falls as well as discover new ones...with vary levels of success!

Hiking Club!

So, what's next?  Goals are good and I've got a few for the next twelve months:

• Travel more...in Malaysia!  I had big plans to visit Ipoh, Malacca, and Redang this year which never happened. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that the only locales within the country I visited this year were due to work.  Tioman Island was a beautiful place to take students for ecology field work and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah (Eastern Malaysia - Borneo) for a regional conference was stunning and full of culture that I need to go back to experience in full.
• Continue to do competitions. There was a marathon that was a bust and got cancelled, however, I was able to complete a Spartan Sprint race. Next year I am already signed up for a half marathon through Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I have a swimming friend who is encouraging me to train for an open water race.  And then there is always the possibility of completing the Spartan "trifecta" and capping it off with the Beast event.  So many possibilities...
• Move!  This is basically a done deal but it is still going to happen. After two years in a beautiful apartment with a panoramic view of the city, that was truthfully too large for me, I am moving a bit closer down town, a bit closer to school and more reasonably spaced. Also, the view became blocked this year due to construction of an inconceivable number of high rise condos.

The sunsets in Kota Kinabalu were stunning every single night. There is so much
more to do here, it's almost a shame I was at a conference in a hotel learning how
to be a better teacher! It is a must that I return.

Spartans Aroo!!!
Only three of us this year but still a good, dirty time!

Malaysia: I feel I'm just starting to scratch the surface!  Looking forward to the adventures ahead...

I Like Rugby Now

Confession time. I've never been a fan of (American) football.  To me it has always been a bit of a bore; it's slow, the action is sporadic, and nothing seems to happen until the last two minutes (which actually take forty). Fortunately, the Vikings are a franchise anyone good Minnesota can get away with have lukewarm to no feelings about without judgement.  I've feigned interest in games, reading politely on the couch until people scream and then intently watching the replay. For me, Super Bowl parties were more interesting for the food spread and half-time shows than anything else.

Therefore, from a distance, I assumed rugby was essentially the same thing, just with a fatter ball and less pads.  My indoctrination into the sport was slow at first. Many of my students are on the school's team and I was occasionally stop by the pitch and watch a bit of their matches.  Often, a sympathetic colleague or parent would tutor me through different aspects of the game.  I had to admit, it was more exciting than I thought it would be, mostly because it kept moving!

Fast forward to an invitation to travel to neighboring Singapore for the famous Singapore 7's tournament, a world-class event featuring the best players from some of the biggest rugby countries facing off in quick games of seven-a-side.

And now let's talk about a perfect learning curve. With only seven minute halves and a brief, couple minute half-time huddle, the matches move along at a rapid pace, giving a first timer (me) a lot of opportunities to piece this beautiful game together.

A unique cultural part of the rugby experience is the fans' love of dressing up.  It is apparently tradition to support the event or your favorite team by going all out on a costume, especially if you're part of a group.  Our crew decided on the relatively easy theme of Thai Boxers for the first day of the tournament, and then home country pride for the second.

Team USA, represent!

In the end Team Canada and Team USA landed deserved spots in the Finals, with the Canucks coming out on top.  It was an exciting journey for both teams as their had to get passed powerhouse rugby nations like Australia, Fiji, and of course, the New Zealand All Blacks.

Stoked about Canada and USA in the Finals! 

Delicious Mauritius

I'm thinking I might need to either 1) travel and write about traveling in Malaysia more or 2) change the name of this blog to "Malaysia is a Great Jumping Off Point to All these Other Places!" Or maybe something with a better ring to it...

This trip to Mauritius - a tiny island in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar-ish - is brought to you courtesy of amazing deals on Air Asia booked way back in September!  And because this was essentially the travel-equivalent of an impulse-buy at the gas-station checkout, here are some fun things I learned about Mautitius once there:

1. There are no native Mauritians. The island was originally uninhabited, then the French came, then they brought slaves from Africa, then they didn't want/need it anymore and gave it to England, who couldn't use the French-speaking Africans so shipped in indentured workers (still slaves, basically) from India because it was an English-speaking colony. Modern Mauritians are an ethnic mix of African, Indian, and European who speak a Creole French at home and English in business and educational settings.
2. The dodo went extinct here. Basically, this is the scene of the crime.
3. Mauritian rum is a thing and it's very good. Along with sugar cane, it is a major export for the tiny country.
4. Mauritius is technically part of Africa. (So, after my day trip to Morocco while visiting Spain, this is my second African country!)

We get it; you're a beautiful tropical island!

Biking through sugar cane fields to visit the L'Aventure du Sucre Museum,
a former processing factory for sugar cane and rum...with a tasting room at the end.

Never forget.
Is it just me, or is it weird that the place where the dodo was infamously killed
off still uses it was a sort of unofficial national symbol?

The Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical
Garden (SSRBG) in the town of Pamplemousse.

Not sure if tortoises are native to Mauritius or not,
but there were some wandering around the SSR
Botanical Garden grounds.

Grand Baie to Gabriel Island:
A day on a yacht to with friends on a tropical island a good day.
Not getting sunburned is even better! 

My Chiang-Mai

Statue on a bridge over the moat.

Since New Year's 2013 I've made a sort-of tradition of starting the new year off with a run, usually before many have crawled out of bed. That inaugural year was spend in Rio de Janeiro and the morning run down Copacabana beach, watching the orange-suited sanitation workers transform the iconic coast from party-central back to pristine sand was impressive. (As was dodging hard-core revellers stumbling off of said beaches, scratching their heads trying to figure out where they were!) Since then I've had memorable morning jogs in São Paulo's Ibirapuera Park, and Kuala Lumpur's KLCC, ringing in the new year with deep breaths and exercise-induced endorphins.

This year's jog-about-town featured the old walled city of Chiang-Mai, in northern Thailand.  A settlement since 1296, a square moat and defensive wall were established to protect against invasions from nearby Myanmar (Burma). A popular tourist destination, it is an easy place to wander the ancient streets, visit wats (Buddhist temples), and enjoy the slightly cooler temperatures of the Thai highlands.

Tha Phae Gate
Much of the walls are gone or in ruins. The most in-tact sections are found at
the corners or along the sides as the original entrances.
This particular gate is in the center of the east side of the walled city.

The main ubosot (ordination room) of the Wat Phra Singh
complex, the largest wat within the walled city.

More elephants...
Wat Phra Singh was built in 1345 and restored in 1925.

Buddhist worshipers place gold leafs on the Buddha statues
throughout the wats. Some become so covered over time
that they begin to lose their original dimensions.*

Wat Phan Tao
On New Years Eve we wandered in to this Buddhist monastery
after hearing melodious chanting from the street. I didn't have
my camera but seated all throughout the sand amidst hundreds
of tiny candles were dozens of monks, singing for several hours
leading up to the new year. It was a mesmerizing experience. 

Prayer bells in the small Wat Phan Tao monastery.

This city loves their elephants!

While most of the historic and cultural sites are within the walled city of Chiang-Mai, one wat, Phra That Doi Suthep, dating to 1383, sits atop a hill overlooking the city, about 15 km away. An easy Jeep or tuk-tuk ride away, this temple and monastery affords a great panoramic view of the city and surrounding countryside, once you hike up the 300+ steps to the top!

A lot of gold going on up at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep!

The complex is composed of many stupas and pagodas of various sizes.

Truth be told, I stumbled on a crooked piece of sidewalk on my New Year's Day morning run and took a bit of a spill. Picking myself up off the pavement and telling myself this was not an omen for the coming year, I couldn't help but think instead of all the other people these walls have seen fall in the hundreds of years they have been standing.  

On New Years Eve, as tradition goes, everyone lights a large paper lantern and
lets it go into the night sky. The sight of thousands of lanterns catching the same
air current, created a beautiful lighted "road" high overhead.

__________________________________________

*I believe this picture was taken at Wat Pan On, however, in my wanderings, I have lost track of where some of these shots were taken...or if I even was where I thought myself to be! Contrary to popular belief, it's surprisingly easy to become "lost" in a walled city.