February 11th 2010
At sea
I got up at the crack of dawn to rescue our clothes from the dryer. Our only complaint about the ship is that it is impossible to get your laundry done; the machines are always in use and take far too long!
We decided to skip breakfast and headed up to the terrace on deck 11 where there were plenty of loungers in the shade, and started the hard work of serious relaxation, punctuated by requests for more drinks from the waiters. And dips in the hot tub. The ocean is calm yet again, and a beautiful blue, watching the wake from where we are sitting is mesmerizing. Bob has constantly been asking about going to Todd English for dinner, so I stopped by the Concierge desk and make a reservation for tonight. I am very happy to eat in our restaurant every night, but it does mean that we do at least get to eat with Bob. It is our last formal night, and the senior officers’ party, so it should all be fun
We were unable to go into the harbor on the tour bus, but it was a short walk to the ship. It felt great to be back on board again, and Joseph, our cabin steward, seemed pleased to see us, and hear about all we had done. I dashed to get some laundry done, and then sat and waiting for us to sail. There was the inevitable message over the loud speaker system requesting Mr. and Mrs. so and so from deck such and such, to contact the pursers’ office IMMEDIATELY, yet more people late back to the ship preventing us from having an on time departure. Finally we blew our whistle 3 long times, and off we went on our way down the river and out to sea.
Dinner was excellent as usual. By the time we got to dinner, Eileen had already left to go to the show, but we sat chatting to Shirley and Tony, neither of whom had gone ashore, and told them all about our amazing overland adventure.
February 9th 2010
We fall in love with Cambodia and Bob tries to burn down a Temple
We got up at 4:45 so we could get to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. It was still pitch black when we got to the West entrance to the Temple and crossed the causeway to get into the grounds. We found a good spot to sit and wait for the sunrise. There were quite a few people there, but nothing like I had thought it would be, and we had a great view. Gradually it got lighter and lighter, and suddenly I could make out the shape of the Temple appearing before us. It was breath taking. I had seen so many pictures, but when you first see it by the morn’s early light, you feel you are watching something out of a beautiful movie. Gradually as the light increased you could see the reflection in the moat in front of us, and make out the profusion of red water lilies everywhere. Alas, there were no spectacular colors this morning, and Bob pointed out that it was the most uncolorful sunrise he had ever seen, but the sight of the Temple and its refection with the sun peeping out behind the building is still one of the world’s most spectacular images.
After sunrise, we headed back to the hotel for a serene breakfast. The dining room at the hotel was as peaceful as the rest of the establishment, and they had as much mango as you could eat. I was very happy!
We checked out of the hotel and headed back to Angkor Wat, this time approaching from the East entrance. All of a sudden the main temple became visible through an opening in one of the outer buildings. It was again breathtaking, and we just wanted to sit and stare at it, and take it all in. We walked all around the complex and climbed up to the upper levels of the Temple from where we had a magnificent view of the whole complex. It was very hot and humid, but that really didn’t matter because it was all so amazing.
After Angkor Wat we drove back into Siem Reap for lunch, and then on to Angkor Thom, which if anything was more amazing than Angkor Wat, and finally we went to Ta Prhrom, otherwise known as the ‘Jungle Temple”. It has been left much as it was when it was ‘discovered’ in the late 19th Century, with huge roots growing around the buildings. Tomb Raiders was filmed here, and I quite expected Harrison Ford to appear at any minute (no such luck, that was a different movie anyway).
After our day of Temple Viewing we then took a tuk tuk around the older part of town, ending up at a Buddhist Temple. There our guide showed us the right way to offer up incense. Brian lit his 5 sticks of incense without any problems and embarked on his task of meditating. I had great difficulty lighting mine, putting out most of the candles that were there for you to light the incense from in the process. Luckily our guide took pity on me, and gave me his. I started to embark on my pathway to meditation, but there was a strange smell. Looking around I noticed that Bob had set the carpet alight with his incense and was attempting to extinguish the flames with some currency notes he took out of the offering bowl. This was not working, as the money now also seemed to be getting involved in the conflagration. Luckily an innocent bystander rushed over and put out the fire, and Bob was able to embark on his meditation. After this we were showered in Holy Water by a bunch of chanting monks. This was all meant to bring us good luck on our travels, and must be working, as Bob hasn’t lost anything recently!
By now, we were very hot and sweaty, so we went back to the hotel for a quick shower, and then alas it was time to say goodbye and head to the airport. Our plane was at 9:25 so we thought we would have supper and a drink before we boarded. At the bar they only sold wine by the bottle, not the glass. We ordered a bottle, but then had to request that they opened it, and we also had to ask for glasses. This was a bar, not the duty free shop! All very strange. They boarded the plane earlier than we had expected, and seeing as everyone was there, we left 45 minutes early. I can’t see that happening at O’Hare.
We all felt sad to be leaving Cambodia. We had been in the country for less than 24 hours but it had an almost magical effect on us. Everyone we met was so welcoming and helpful. It was hard to imagine what the country had been through, it was all so incredibly peaceful now.
Our arrival in Viet Nam was uneventful, and although we were there almost an hour early, there was someone to meet us and take us to the hotel. We stayed at the Caravelle Hotel, which was where many journalists had stayed during the war. The roof top bar had been a popular hang out with them, so we had to check it out. It was a great bar; we sat outside and enjoyed the evening breeze. The hotel was the tallest building in Saigon for many years, so used to have a wonderful view, but the view is now partially obscured by the surrounding high rises.
February 8th 2010
A perfect day in Bangkok, we arrive in Cambodia, Bob doesn’t lose anything
I must admit, I was a bit reluctant to leave our beautiful ship, but the magical temples of Angkor Wat beckoned so as soon as we could get our passports from the Pursers’ Office we headed ashore where Kim, our guide was already waiting for us. It was quite a long drive from Laem Chabang, where we had docked, to get to Bangkok, but Kim was very chatty and kept us informed along the way. Although it was not on our itinerary, Kim wanted to show us the produce market, so we got out of the van and wandered around the fruit and vegetable stands, where she explained to us what everything was, and we got to sample some of the fruit. We also went to the flower market, and Kim bought me a bracelet made of orchids, and Bob bought 3 bunches of Orchids which he carried around with him until we returned to the boat.
After the market we took a Tuk Tuk ride to the Royal Palace and the Emerald Buddha Temple. After lunch we took a long tailed boat ride to the Royal Barge Museum, and then to Reclining Buddha Temple and Wat Arun. Alas, it was then time to head to the airport, with a quick stop at a mall on the way fro Brian and Bob to buy battery chargers for their cameras.
Going through security at Bangkok Airport I was most put out that I had to give up my bottle of sunscreen. I really don’t think the plane was in any danger from a spray of Coppertone SPF 30, but the security man told me he was just being careful. However, he did comment that I should be using more sunscreen, as I do look very red! Fortunately there was a Boots the other side of security so we were able to stock up with sunscreen again.
It was only an hour’s flight to Siem Reap, and as we got off the plane we were met by an immigration officer who personally escorted us through immigration, very classy! Our guide and driver then met us, and it was a short drive to our hotel, La Residence d’Angkor. The hotel was amazing, like something out of a fancy magazine! Everyone was so pleasant and helpful, and the room so beautiful, we began to regret that we were only staying for one night! After dumping our bags in our rooms, we headed to the bar and sat there listening to great music. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.
