December 27, 2015 – January 9, 2016
I enjoyed a white Christmas Eve in Lake Tahoe with my
grandson, Jack (and parents) and the family before leaving very early Christmas
Day to board a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. I wore sandals to the Reno
Airport at 4am; it was crunchy!
After a mere 30 hours or so of traveling, I arrived at 10 am
December 27 in Siem Reap. It was warm, sunny and gloriously busy! There were decorations of Santa, reindeer and colorful foil Christmas trees with
lights on many buildings and hotels on the ride from the airport to my hotel,
the Park Hyatt. Phot 4435
My tour group was a combination of MIT alums and members of
the Archaeological Institute of America. Our study leaders were Professor
Miriam Stark of the Univeristy of Hawai’I at Manoa and Professor Michael
Golay from the MIT Nuclear Science and Engineering Department.
Our first day of touring was incredible – we saw only a part
of the Angkor Wat complex – but it didn’t fail to impress. It is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site and the largest religious site in the world.
Our second full day in Siem Reap began early with a pre dawn
hike up to the Bekheng Temple to see a panoramic view of the sunrise over
Angkor Wat. It was a dark, steep climb, and my intrepid travelers impressed me
with their nimbleness!
Afterwards we dined on a picnic breakfast before boarding
our elephants – the only way to enter into the Bayon at Angkor Thom.
After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant we visited Ta
Prohm – the silent and mysterious ruin shrouded in jungle vegetation. What a
day!
Difficult, but I think important, was our visit in Phnom
Penh to the Choeung Ek killing fields and Tuol Sleng, a Khmer Rouge prison. It was somber and moving to be standing in the
very place these atrocities happened. The memorial tower is filled with skulls
and bones of the victims categorized by age and the weapons used to kill them.
Our last morning in Siem Reap we visited an arts and crafts
workshop to gain an appreciation of the regional culture and then on to board
our beautiful ship, the Mekong Princess, our home for the next seven nights.
Happy New Year 2016!
Aboard the Mekong Princess my guests were able to really
relax and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the Mekong Delta. We took
Daily excursions to small villages, temples and markets to observe and partake
in the local culture.
The floating market was especially fascinating – not at all like Costco!
Upon Arrival in Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) we were treated to
cooking classes after a tour of the local market with the chef.
The final day of touring included the Chu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels we entered have been enlarged to accommodate western tourists, but if was still a very tight fit!
Thanks for reading, until next time, I am just Out to See.....
Velma
