Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 11

Banan Mountain – Cambodian blog entry #34

Afterwe left the grape farms (aka flower gardens), we rode our tuk-tuk to the baseof Banan Mountain.

Ontop of that mountain was another fascinating and ancient temple with the addedbonus of 365-degree views of the surrounding countryside. The downside is thatthe only way to get there is to climb nearly four hundred daunting steps. Iwould be game had I been in the cool forests of Michigan's UP, but inCambodia's oppressive heat and humidity? Us three ladies who hail from coolerclimates took a hard pass.

However,after a short tuk-tuk ride down the road, we arrived at yet another bamboorailroad. This one was anything but authentic. In fact, it was verycommercialized and definitely a tourist trap.

Itwas still a lot of fun. 

Atthe end of the line were extensive gardens with a plethora of statues andflowers and one big Buddha. 

Once again, it was a great place to shoot too manypictures, and it would be the venue to take the little kiddos for a familypicnic. But it was pretty empty the day we were there.

Which I would nevercomplain about.

Flowers, Flowers, and Grapes – Cambodia blog entry #33

Ireally don’t have much to say about these two places. We were told they weregrape farms, but the growing season had passed.

We saw a few random grape clumps, but nothing remarkable. And because the majority of them had been picked, the people running these places were no longer giving tours.

But my friend Denise and I thrive on triumphing over disappointment. We wandered the grounds of the first place, which turned out to have more beautiful flowers than many greenhouses back home.

And I naturally took way too many pictures.

As if I’ve never seen any of these flowers before.

Even set up the timer on my camera for a selfie.

The second place had a few more lingering grapes on the vine, but way less flowers, so we were soon on our way to our next adventure.

Jesus’ First Followers

 

As Jesus was walking byLake Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew.They were throwing a net into the lake because they were fishermen. Jesus said,“Come follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” So Simon and Andrewimmediately left their nets and followed him.

As Jesus continuedwalking by Lake Galilee, he saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons ofZebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.Jesus told them to come with him. Immediately they left the boat and their father,and they followed Jesus. (Matthew 4:18-22, New Century Version)

I tend to assume that if you are reading my Sundayblog posts, you already know the story of Jesus – His birth, His teachings, andHis death and resurrection. But what if you don’t? What if you don’t know mewell enough to know about my faith, or what if you don’t know me at all andjust stumbled upon my blog? What if you only know about Jesus from what you’veheard about Christmas or Easter and want to know more? 

This year, I’ve decided to write about a differentBible Story on my blog each Sunday. Since we just got through the Christmasseason and the birth of Jesus, and last week I wrote about His baptism, Ithought I’d begin with when He started calling His disciples.  

Throughout His ministry, Jesus had many followers, buteventually, He named twelve men to be His chosen few, His disciples – SimonPeter, Andrew (Simon’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (called the Zealot), Judas (son ofJames), and Judas Iscariot. If there is only one of these men whom you haveheard of, it would be Judas Iscariot, right? We’ll get to him when we get closeto Easter.

Instead, over the next eight weeks, I’ll tell youabout other things Jesus did and said.         

Two Different Houses - Cambodia blog entry #32

 

TodayI’m going to tell you about two very different residences we visited inBattambang. 

First is the Battambang Royal Residence, built by the French in the early twentieth century. It looks very impressive from the outside.

Inside however, it was mostly a museum. Many of the items weren’t properly marked and some of them were only in the Khmer language, and we hated to make K constantly translate for us.

The governor actually lives in a similar building just behind this one. So, at least we were able to wander unimpeded in this building.

The next day we visited the Khmer Ancient House.

Not sure why it’s called the ancient house, as it was built in 1920.

The owner gave us the history of the building and her family, how it was taken over during the reign of the Khmer Rouge, and how the family was miraculously able to return to it years later.

It was a simple home with simple furnishings.

But had as much history as the Royal Residence. And as many stories are within its walls.

Wat What – Cambodia blog entry #31

 

Onthe way back to our hotel in Battambang one afternoon, K detoured us to a spotthat confused me and fascinated me. 

Accordingto the internet, this complex is called Wat Kandal and is a “serene testamentto the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of Cambodia”, as quoted by onetourist website. 

Itgoes on to say that “this Buddhist temple, renowned for its strikingarchitecture and peaceful ambiance, offers visitors a chance to immersethemselves in the local spiritual practices and traditions. Surrounded by lushgreenery, the temple is not only a place of worship but also a tranquil retreatfor those seeking solace from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Theintricate carvings and vibrant murals that adorn the walls of Wat Kandal tellstories of Buddhist teachings and historical events, providing an enlighteningexperience for tourists.” 

Idon’t know. It was certainly beautiful and intriguing, but I really had no ideawhat I was seeing, all the buildings I was walking past. Plus, on Google maps this area of several square blocks, also includes Wat Pacha and a replica of Angkor Wat.   

Anotherwebsite says that “the temple is large in scale and very beautiful inappearance, in the style of a Thai temple. There are many tombs in the temple,mostly Chinese.” 

Butthe best description I could come up with is that it is a complex of temples, pagodas,stupas, chapels, gravestones, greenery, topiaries, and even a few monks andpuppies. (But I didn't want to be disrepectful by taking a pictures of the monks and the puppies did not look friendly.) And I think the whole area should have a single name. Or maybe it's more accurate to call it a monastery, where I can easily visualize multiple buildings on the grounds.  

And– surprise! – I took way too many pictures. 

Jesus is Baptized

 

Then Jesus came fromGalilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have preventedhim, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesusanswered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill allrighteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately hewent up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he sawthe Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold,a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am wellpleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17, English Standard Version)

Only two and a half weeks ago, we celebrated the birthof Jesus, and now, in just a blink of an eye, just like with our own sons, thattiny baby is a grown man.  

We always think of baptism as a way of washing awayour sins, so why was Jesus baptized if He was sinless? When I went looking forthat answer, I found more than I had anticipated. Such as: Jesus was baptizedto show humility and set an example for others, to fulfill all righteousness,to show God confirming Jesus was His Son, and to be able to begin His ministry.

I don’t know. All of those reasons are probablyaccurate, but I’m all about keeping it simple. Jesus had to be baptized becauseeven though He would never sin, He became one of us when He came to earth. Butthe part I focus on is when God says to Jesus, “This is my beloved Child who Iam pleased with.”

I want to be a beloved child, too. I want to pleaseGod and hear Him say those words to me someday when I meet Him in heaven.

Best Ride Ever - Cambodia blog entry #30

 

Formonths before my trip to Cambodia, I was scouring all the channels streaming onmy TV in search of all things Cambodian. One day, I came across an episode ofExpedition Unknown with Josh Gates. On it, he was digging up ancient stuff inCambodia, but at one point, he needed to (or, more like, wanted to forHollywood allure) ride an unconventional train. Part of the bamboo railroad.

Iwatched that segment several times and became convinced that, after seeingAngkor Wat, this was what I wanted to experience the most on my trip.

 

Inthe 1930s, French colonists built the Cambodian railroad to transfer rice andother goods between Phnom Penh and Poipet. Unfortunately, during the VietnamWar, the railroads were easy targets for bombs, and in 1975, when the KhmerRouge took control of the country, a large proportion of the track was removed.Once the Khmer Rouge was overthrown, locals used the scrap that was left fromtanks and other vehicles to mend and reinstate the track. They then built smallbamboo ‘trains’ to transport goods and passengers locally. 

Passengersride on a wooden or bamboo platform called a norri. This base sits on a set ofwheels and is powered by a small engine. 

Notmuch more I can add to that, except, “Wheeee!”

And also, that this ride gave us a chance to view more of the beautiful countryside. 

Where-Was-I Wednesday - Cambodia blog entry #29

Goodness,it has only been a month since I last posted a story from my trip to Cambodia,but it feels way longer than that. I gotta figure out where I was.

Okay,the last time I wrote about that amazing trip, we spent our last night in thecaptivating little city of Siem Reap.

The next morning, which would have been Wednesday, September 25, we checked out of the Darling Pub Hostel and boarded a bus for the town of Battambang. It was a three-hour bus ride up and over the top of the Tonle Sap River/Lake. We had the bus to ourselves, so we spread out and made ourselves at home. Okay, I did anyway.   

The name Battambang translates to mean "lost stick.". Located on the Sangker River, Battambang was founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire but was mostly under Thai jurisdiction instead of Khmer. It is the country's leading rice-producing province. We had another two very full days exploring all the city offers. 

The first evening we were there, we walked along the riverwalk. So much to see, but in many ways, just like any other town.

In one place, an extended family was playing a game of hacky sack around one of their children, who was strapped in a walker chained to a tire. Hey, at least the kid was with their family.

The Emerald Hotel, where we stayed.

Our room.

Our view.

I'll be sharing much more about this city in the coming days, including another one of the things I had really been looking forward to.

The Wisemen

 

Ah,here we are – the visit from the Wisemen. Hopefully, you have heard enoughabout them to know that they didn’t find Jesus at the manger and that it wasmany months, possibly up to two years, before they tracked Him down in thehumble home of Mary and Joseph.

Ithink it makes it easier for us to picture the Wisemen in Bethlehem just afterJesus’ birth, because then we can take down our nativity set right afterChristmas and move on. But something just dawned on me.

RememberMary and Joseph trudging all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem, maybe –hopefully – Mary riding on a donkey. Then they had to trudge home again, with ababy this time. And even though they would appreciate gifts at any time, maybethey would rather have these gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh deliveredstraight to their home. Don’t you think?

     Oncoming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they boweddown and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him withgifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11, NIV)

Andwhat about those gifts? What do they symbolize? Wealth, sacrifice, and death.Gold was for a king, frankincense was used by the priests when makingsacrifices, and myrrh was a spice for embalming.

Butthis year, I heard it a little differently. Not that these items were used byor on Jesus. But that they symbolize who He is. A King, a Teacher or Priest,and our Savior, one who would die to save us.

Frightful Fog

I was going to title this post "Foggy Friday," but only my head isfoggy today (as usual). The foggy day was last Thursday, the day afterChristmas, when Hubby and I were going to see his brother in Iowa.

It was a frightful fog. Thicker than pea soup fog. The only time I'd been in fog this thick was on Bokor Mountain in Cambodia last September.

Andthen Hubby took a wrong turn while I was having a short snooze. As we werenavigating the backroads, trying to get back to the state highway, we saw theselights in the distance. 

Beforelong, the same lights were on the other side of the road. 

Yes,they were Amish horses and buggies. Out in this miserable weather. Andwe met or passed over ten of them in about a ten-mile stretch of that road. 

Itwas a bit ridiculous. I didn't think we should be out driving in this pea soup;I sure didn't think anyone should be out with a horse and buggy. There are manypeople out there who are more resilient than me. 

Havea good week, and drive safe if you're out and about.