 An
Archaeological Study Tour
Khmer
Kingdoms
Burma
(Myanmar), Thailand, Laos & Cambodia
Including 4 days at Angkor Wat
January
12 - February 5, 2010
Led
By Professor Richard
Cooler
This
tour will focus on the historical, ethnographic and religious
aspects of these exotic lands. We begin in Luang Praban,
Laos, one of the loviest cities in the region. Dominated
by the Mekong River, Laos has assimilated ideas and culture
from both China and the Indian subcontinent. We will find
examples of its distinctive character in Vientiane and at
the magnificent 7th-century Khmer ruins of Wat Phou.
Myanmar (Burma) was closed to foreigners from 1961 until
recent years; its glittering pagodas, golden temples and
saffron-robed monks create a wondrous atmosphere of vibrant
color. We will have the unique opportunity to see this picturesque
and gentle land on the threshold of transformation. Our
visits will include ancient royal capitals, deserted royal
cities, as well as some of the thousands of pagodas and
temples.
Thailand offers an exotic blend of ancient history and natural
beauty. For nearly two thousand years its countryside has
seen rulers and cities rise and fall, and for the last thousand
it has been the heartland of Theravada Buddhism. Much of
this legacy remains in the art and architecture of its temples
and towns and the still-honored customs of earlier court-centered
civilizations. Our tour will explore this past by visiting
the major Khmer ruins in remote Isan (northeastern Thailand).
Cambodia is a country of contrasts: active Buddhist monasteries,
teeming markets, spectacular palaces and, of course, the
incomparable complex of Angkor Wat. Our time will be divided
between bustling Phnom Penh and serene Siem Reap, where
our five and a half days will provide ample time to explore
the Angkor ruins from every perspective. As we travel through
these wonderful places, we will have the opportunity to
experience traditional music and dance, sample the local
foods, examine crafts and explore lively markets.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, January 12, 13 & 14:
LUANG PRABANG: Departure from Los Angele. We arrive into
Bangkok early Thursday and continue to Luang Prabang, considered
by Southeast Asia aficionados to be the loveliest city in
the region. This evening we will meet for our opening lecture
and dinner. Maison Suvannaphoum.
Meals;
Dinner
Friday,
Saturday, January 15 & 16: LUANG PRABANG:
Our leisurely days in Luang Prabang will include visits
to the former palace of the Lao kings, transformed into
an excellent museum, the lovely Wat May and some of the
wonderful royal wats on Mount Phousi. Saturday we travel
by boat on the Mekong to visit the Pak Ou Caves, where we
will see a vast array of Buddhist images in many ancient
styles. There will be time to stroll in the markets and
relax at the hotel.
Meals;
Breakfast & lunch daily & 1 dinner
Sunday,
January 17: VIENTIANE:
A morning flight brings us to Vientiane. Our exploration
of colonial Vientiane will include visits to Wat Sisaket
and Wat That Luang. Although Wat Sisaket was built in the
Bangkok style in 1818, it is now the oldest temple still
standing in Vientiane and has several unique architectural
features, including small niches containing over 2,000 silver
and ceramic Buddhas. Some of these Buddhas are from the
15th and 16th centuries. Lao Plaza Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Monday,
January 18: PAKSE:
This morning we fly to Pakse. Our touring here will be to
the remote and unspoiled Angkor-period site of Wat Phou
on the lower slopes of Phu Pasak. We will have ample time
to study this lovely spot, whose uppermost pavilions and
sanctuaries are reached by a stairway overgrown with fragrant
jasmine trees. Champasak Grand Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Tuesday,
January 19: KORAT:
This morning we cross the border into Thailand at Mek Pass
and continue to the rarely visited Wat Prasat Phnom Rung.
Built over a period of 200 years, it stands on top of an
inactive volcano overlooking the Thai-Cambodia border. This
sanctuary, with its monumental stairway, is thought to have
been a stopping-off point on the road from Angkor to Phimai.
Royal Princess Dusit Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Wednesday, January 20: KORAT:
Touring today will be to the ancient Khmer-style ruins of
Phimai. Apart from Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Khmer sites
of this region are the best representatives of this distinctive
period. Built between AD 986 and 1001, Phimai is one of
the oldest and best-preserved temples of this area. After
visiting the wonderful museum and exploring the charming
little shops selling the necessities for Buddhist worship,
we return to Korat.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Thursday,
January 21: BANGKOK:
Today we drive to Bangkok, stopping to tour Ayutthaya, capital
of Siam from 1350 to 1767. As time permits, we will visit
several beautifully restored temples at this UNESCO World
Heritage Site, including the fabulous collection of gold
jewelry and religious objects in the National Museum. Novotel
Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel.
Meals;
Breakfast & lunch
Friday, January 22: YANGON:
A short flight to Burma and its capital, Yangon, formerly
known as Rangoon.We begin our touring of Yangon with a drive
through the heart of the city to view the colonial buildings,
with a stop at the golden chedi at Sule Pagoda. After lunch,
we will visit Burma’s most important religious building,
the Shwedagon Pagoda. Our overnight is at the deluxe Governor’s
Residence Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Saturday, January 23: MANDALAY:
A morning flight brings us to Burma’s cultural and
religious center, Mandalay, capital of the last Burmese
monarchs. Touring begins at the Mahamuni Pagoda, the holiest
of Burmese shrines, where the devout continue to apply layers
of gold leaf to its Buddha. We then visit the Kyauktawgyi
Pagoda, with its images of Buddha’s 80 disciples standing
guard, the beautifully adorned wooden Shwesandaw monastery,
the only remaining vestige of the royal palace, and Kuthodaw
Pagoda, which houses an enormous carved book containing
all of the Buddhist canons, each page chiseled into a marble
slab and housed in its own shrine. Sedona Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Sunday, January 24: MANDALAY:
Driving south of Mandalay, we visit the deserted royal cities
of Amarapura and Ava. We will visit a functioning monastery
and witness the silent, ritual meal for over 500 monks.
After a stroll on U Bein’s mile-long teak bridge,
we will stop at a shop where silk fabrics are still woven
by a rare technique once used for the royal family. After
lunch we ferry across the Myit Nge River to Ava, the 14th-century
Burmese capital. Traveling by pony cart across verdant rice
fields, we visit a traditional wooden monastery and stop
at Ava village to watch the lacquering of monk’s begging
bowls.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Monday,
January 25: MANDALAY:
This morning we board a boat for a delightful excursion
up the Irrawaddy to Mingun to see the partially constructed
pagoda begun in 1790 and known as “King Bodawpaya’s
Folly” for his attempt to construct the world’s
largest stupa. Among the monuments to be seen here is the
famous Mingun Bell, at 90 tons, one of the world’s
largest. In the afternoon we will visit some of Mandalay’s
royal craft guilds, including stone carvers, tapestry (Kalaga)
weavers, the beaters of gold leaf and the girls who produce
a unique “paper that makes gold grow.”
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Tuesday,
January 26: BAGAN:
A short flight brings us to Bagan (Pagan), the first capital
of united Burma, founded in AD 900 and containing over 5,000
pagodas and temples. Touring begins at the Shwezigon Pagoda,
which along with Ananda are the only temples in Bagan that
have been in continuous use since the 11th century and where
the first shrine dedicated to the 37 indigenous spirits
(nats) is located. We will also visit Gubyaukgi Wetkyiin,
which has the most complete frescoes in Bagan. Touring continues
with selected temples that are representative of the major
changes in religious architecture from the early Mon to
the later, fully developed Burmese style. We visit four
very different 11th-century Mon-style temples: Nanpaya,
Manuha, Nagayon and Abeyadana, with its beautifully restored
Mahayana wall paintings. Thante Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Wednesday,
January 27: BAGAN:
After an early morning carriage ride to one of the pagodas
to see the sunrise, we depart for charming Myinkaba, a village
that predates the founding of Bagan. Here we visit the first
of two transitional temples, the Gubyaukgyi Myinkaba Temple,
built in traditional Indian style, and then the Ananda Temple,
which is famous for its 3,000 images, including four colossal
images of the Buddha standing. Lastly, we stop to see lacquerware
being made and engraved by four different processes. There
will be an opportunity for an optional early morning hot
air balloon flight over Bagan.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Thursday, January 28: BAGAN:
After visiting the Archaeological Museum, we drive into
the heart of the dry zone to visit Mt. Popa, a dormant volcano
that rises to a height of 1,520 meters from lush groves
of toddy palms and flowers in the valley. Mt. Popa is the
Mount Olympus of Burma, where abides the entire pantheon
of 37 local spirits and is therefore a pilgrimage site.
We will visit the shrines housing these spirits at the bottom
of the mountain and watch the throngs of pilgrims as they
climb to the shrines that cling to the mountain rocks. This
evening we will attend a typical puppet show.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Friday,
January 29: YANGON:
Our flight back to Yangon will give us time to visit the
Scott (Bogyoke) Market, to revisit our favorite spots and
wander in town, stopping for lunch at the Old Strand Hotel.
Governor’s Residence Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Saturday,
January 30: PHNOM PENH:Our
flight back to Bangkok connects to our flight to the Cambodian
capital of Phnom Penh. We will transfer to the Cambodiana
Hotel, which looks out on the junction of four great rivers:
the Tonle Sap, the Upper Mekong, the Lower Mekong and the
Bassac. This evening we will take a sunset cruise on the
Tonle Sap River.
Meals:
Breakfast & dinner
Sunday,
January 31: PHNOM PENH:
A full morning will be spent at the National Museum, where
much of the sculpture and small objects from the temples
at Angkor are displayed. In the afternoon we will visit
the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda and explore the Russian
market.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Monday,
Tuesday, February 1 & 2: SIEM REAP:
We fly to Siem Reap and the centrally located Sofitel Royal
Hotel, our luxurious home for the next four nights. As we
will have ample time to explore the amazing Angkor complex,
we have the luxury of scheduling our temple visits to retrace
the historical development of the architecture at this extraordinary
site, with time to return on our own. The first two days
will be spent touring the older temples of the Roluos group
and the magnificent sanctuaries and temples of the Angkor
Wat complex. We will visit the city of Angkor Thom, with
the many-towered Bayon Temple at its center, the adjacent
city square and elephant terrace, the cremation platform
and royal palace compound containing the royal temple mountain
and the royal bathing ponds. We will also visit Prasat Kravan,
with unique brick sculptures, and Eastern Mebon, guarded
by elephants. Tuesday’s dinner will be accompanied
by a performance of Cambodian dance.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Wednesday,
February 3: SIEM REAP:
We will visit three temples built by Jayavarman VII, Preah
Khan, Neak Pean and Ta Som, which are now under the auspices
of the World Monument Fund. We will tour Preah Khan and
discuss the professional restoration of these monuments.
Neak Pean is a totally novel construction of a religious
“spa,” where the devout went to bathe. Ta Som
is an intimate structure, until recently completely engulfed
by the forest but still having its monumental four-faced
towers encased in living foliage. We will spend the afternoon
in the countryside visiting the lovely little temple of
Banteay Srei, remarkably preserved and so beautifully decorated
that its surface resembles carved sandalwood or ivory.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Thurs day, February 4: SIEM REAP:
We will conclude our temple program this morning with a
walk through the temple of Ta Phrom, a magically overgrown
temple inhabited only by green parrots, where delicately
carved faces are cradled in the tendrils of strangler fig
trees. This afternoon we will visit the new Siem Reap Museum
and the school and workshops of the Artisan d’Angkor,
a state school where traditional Cambodian crafts are taught
such as stone and wood carving, ikat weaving, handmade paper
accessories, jewelry and puppet making. Our tour ends with
a gala farewell dinner at our hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Friday, February 5:
After a full morning at leisure, our flight to Bangkok connects
to our international flight, arriving in Los Angeles Friday
night.
Meals:
Breakfast
|
|
