Cambodia

Cambodia now has a special space in my heart. I didn't expect that. Like Thailand, the people were so gentle and kind and humble, but in this country, they haven't recovered from first, three million citizens killed (The Killing Fields,) and then Covid, when all the outside redevelopment and reconstruction money and efforts dried up and never returned. As a result, we saw more empty and half-finished buildings that I could count--a country on the verge of recovery, but not yet.

We had some interesting travels in Cambodia, mostly by tuk-tuk, bus and boat. For starts, I got in the habit of writing key words--thank you, hello, how much, etc--on my hand, something I hadn't done since third grade! JB and I tried hard to communicate in some way, to honor the people so gracious to us, but I have to say we mostly failed. Four countries, different dialects and inflections--it was hard!

We spent a day gallivanting. Here, where this temple is located, we encountered poverty that seemed so dire. Ten year old kids were holding babies and begging us for money, sometimes offering a trinket or a piece of fruit as a fair exchange. We also visited a thriving city, but there's no doubt we saw a lot of poverty and makeshift homes.

Here I am in a tuk-tuk: a familiar mode of transportation that took us to a local market and scooted us around town. 

On our way to the Mangroves, we passed all too many buildings like this--they just never got finished after Covid, the outside investors aren't coming back, and the country hasn't the means to finish them. 

We met Cowboy and Denise from Alabama, while waiting in line for a boat to tour the Mangrove. This was the start of some shared adventures with them and I think the start of an enduring friendship. Cowboy is really Ron, but his introduction made sure his Texas roots were very clear. On a scorching day in Vietnam, a week or so later, when I wasn't sure I'd stay upright during a 95 degree, 2 or 3 mile walk, he kept an eye on me, bought me a fan, gave me water, and pulled me back from a fast-moving motorcycle. We had fun with these two....

How fortunate we were to visit a local home. The family was waiting for our arrival, and greeted us with hands clasped and reverent bows. They served us fresh fruit and gave us a sense of their modest way of life. The main room, seen here, is open air, where the family dines. 

We also visited a monastery/temple, with so much gold and glitter everywhere. This little boy smiled, disappeared, and returned with a flower for JB and me. 

And here is a tribute to the Killing Fields: the War Memorial. It was beautiful and solemn.

 I'm going to be rooting for Cambodia. This is a country and a people that deserve peace and prosperity. 

Southeast Asia

 

I'm so overdue in posting this incredible trip. JB and I have been home a good month and I'm still influenced by the experience. We began in Bangkok Thailand, sailed to Cambodia, and then Vietnam, and ended in Hong Kong China. 

On total impulse, we'd signed up for a Viking Ocean cruise. We had never discussed Southeast Asia, and even now, I'm not sure what led us to book the voyage three days later. We'd be gone almost three weeks,  docking at five ports and traveling by bus, tram, cable car, tuk-tuk, and foot to bustling markets and deltas and mangroves and bays and upscale cities and fishing villages and private homes and monasteries and temples and artist communities. It was all incredible. 

I'll start with Bangkok. We arrived two days before we would board the Viking Venus ship, mostly so we could adjust to a massive time change and to get ourselves settled. We stayed at a lovely hotel and immediately noticed how gentle and polite the Thai people are. And the food: fantastic. Most of these two days was spent relaxing at the pool, eating incredible Thai food, visiting a temple, walking along a very poor section of the city. The temple trip convinced us to cross temples off our list. There was gold glitter everywhere, but it was too crowded and too hot. 

 

Bangkok is a stark mix of high rise buildings and run down shacks. The vibe is clearly upscale and hip, but poverty is pretty apparent. The streets are filled with motorcycles and motorbikes, zig zagging and moving in all directions. Most people don't have cars, so motorcycles transport almost everyone. It's surprising to learn that accidents are rare!

The food was fabulous and the people were gracious. We drove a good two hours inland, but never saw the lush landscape I imagined we would. That surprised me. All in all, Bangkok is a bustling city, one of the most visited in the world.  Some Americans we met at the hotel had had shirts and other clothing made for them, on the spot, and ready for pickup 24 hours later. Others indulged in great local massages at a cost of $10-15 American dollars. 

When we boarded the ship, it was obvious we were in for a fantastic cruise. The ship itself is both elegant and functional--four restaurants, living room style seating everywhere. a buffet at every meal that never disappointed, a theatre, a spa, TED talks, entertainment, and best of all, a sweet 270 foot room with a private sliding glass patio. Our views from that room were amazing.

We sailed overnight to Cambodia, and Cambodia turned out to have a special place in my heart. I'll write about that next. 

love kj