Jan 23, 2020 - Bangkok to Cambodia

Monday January 20 Another 5:30 am wake-up call! They have had to start early since the ship is leaving at 3:00 rather than 5:00 like it used to do. The international breakfast buffet certainly catered to every continent. Teriyaki chicken for breakfast?! We met the group who had some concerns with the damp ground, but I had my trusty umbrella. It turned out that rain wasn’t an issue, although it was more overcast than the day before. We trooped off to catch our boat for the morning. Bangkok is divided by a huge river and many canals, and...

Oct 10, 2019 - Angkor Thom, Angkor Wat

Thursday 10th Oct 2019 Tony arrives down to breakfast and Shane grins, he says he is in for a surprise this morning. There is no buffet breakfast, instead we have to choose from the menu. Tony gets the American omelette, and Shane laughs. The feed turns up looking like of those degustation meals. Tony is also wary of the “cold” meat on the plate, a couple of rubbery looking triangles. Shane said his were ok, Joanne didn’t touch hers. Cynthea arrives and orders an Asian style breakfast, and that is much more substantial, no fancy pants...

Oct 9, 2019 - Siem Reap

Wednesday 9th Happy birthday Loren and Sonya Up early for breakfast, as our driver will pick us up at 7.15, he is actually here a lot earlier but tells Tony we have plenty of time. That is good to hear as Tony has no intention of rushing breakfast any more than he has to. Shane and Joanne decided to fly, but we decided the bus would not save a lot of time, by the time we spent an hour getting there, being there an hour before take off, and getting into town after the hour flight. As we leave the hotel we find the main street blocked off...

Oct 8, 2019 - S21 torture prison, Killing Fields :-(

Tuesday 8th October We are on a tour today, it is just us, Shane and Joanne, with a guide and the driver who picked us up yesterday. We decide we will re-write the itinerary, as none of us want to see too much of the prison and the killing fields. We feel it will be another deeply disturbing day and that there is no need to spend too much time at the sites. We ask our guide how flexible things are, and he says as long as we all agree, he can sort something out. We four are all on the same wavelength, so that is not an issue. We tell him...

Oct 7, 2019 - Cambodia

Monday 7th October We are at reception for a 7.45 pick up, by 8.20 we are still waiting, this is the latest they have been. An Aussie couple we have seen before are also waiting, they are also booked on the bus. Like us they have no idea what time we are supposed to be at the bus depot by, or even the time we are leaving. All we know is we are being picked up and taken to the bus depot. Tony has emailed Bella at the tour company, but she has been away on holiday, and is due back today according to the auto reply. Tony phones the hotline,...

Sep 28, 2019 - Siem Reap, Cambodia (Jul 4- Jul 7 2019)

4 day trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia Jul 4: Siem Reap city - Landed in Siem Reap around 3:00 PM - Hotel shuttle picked us up (We stayed at Borei Angkor Resort & Spa) - Local shopping at night market/ $3 Fish spa (w/ complimentary beer) / $2 Foot massage - Pub street (Khmer kitchen restaurant, The Angkor Wat? bar, Miss Wong for cocktails) Jul 5: Full day temple visit with Asean tour guide - Started at 8AM - Angkor Thom ....King Jayavarman VII, late twelfth century ....Entered through north gate ( Churning of the Sea of Milk statues) ....First...

Mar 16, 2019 - Phnom Penh on the Mekong

Our journey thru Cambodia will culminate in Phnom Penh, the nation's capital. Drove back north from Kampot upon the same gravel, bumpy, dusty roads we had 'enjoyed' two days ago - still not paved, though this traverse thereof was daylit, at least illuminating the experience, if one cared to observe ! The only site we visited in Phnom Penh was the Royal Palace. It is relatively new - built in the 19th century. Interesting building was that used by the king to get onto his elephant; don't know as I've seen one of those elsewhere. This...

Mar 14, 2019 - Birding at the Kampot Salt Flats

It was a long ride from eastern central Cambodia to the southern coastal city of Kampot. Especially as the paved roads disappeared as we left the outskirts of Phnom Penh. And after 8 hours of driving we still had more than 100 km to go, and it was now dark, and the road was rutted gravel under construction, and there were various vehicle types all trying to find the 'smooth' way; and there was not one. Our caravan of four Toyota Land Cruisers was often granted right of way, which made for a quicker journey than had we been on a scooter !...

Mar 13, 2019 - Eastern Highlands

The journey from the north/northeastern to the eastern central area of Cambodia was depressing. The landscape has been raped. Acres upon acres, nay miles upon miles, of smoldering stubble laid waste for ???? There were acres of pepper bush and rubber tree plantations, but their acreage is minimal vs. the widespread devastation. The heresay/heresy is that 100-200 semi-trucks come across the border from Vietnam at night and clear cut, load & leave before daybreak. Don't know if that is true, but it would be interesting to know the 'otherwise'...

Mar 9, 2019 - Kratie on the Mekong

After many miles of gravel/dirt/sometimes paved roads thru the countryside and small towns & villages we cross the mighty Mekong at Stoeng Treng and stop there for lunch. Then we are on to Route 7 and a highway ride south to Kratie. Nice riverside modern hotel with great views of the Mekong. We board two small boats the next morning for a few hours on the Mekong. Specifically the goal is to spot the rare & elusive Mekong Wagtail, and the Endangered Irrawaddy Dolphins. Lady Luck is with us as we see both; many of the dolphins actually....

Mar 8, 2019 - Okoki

We have now travelled deep into the countryside to a remote village in the Chhep Wildlife Sanctuary. A few hours of gravel/dirt roads leads to a campsite in the forest. Not a radio tower or power pole has been seen for many dusty miles. A single light bulb depends on its electron source from a solar powered battery. Cooking provided by local villagers who over wood-fired campfires prepared some great tasty meals; a soup of local tree leaves was especially good. The canvas bag (manually filled by manually transported water) with nozzle...

Mar 5, 2019 - The Vulture Restaurant at Boeng Toal

One might not consider vultures a 'sight-to-be-seen' but they are actually quite magnificent birds who perform a necessary function, and who like Rodney Dangerfield can truly utter the phrase, "I get no respect". The vulture populations in Cambodia are extremely threatened because : 1) the lack of large native animal carcasses, and 2) the use of diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug used in livestock, which is poisonous when ingested by vultures who eat upon dead livestock. We were lucky enough to see three species of endangered vultures...