From Laos to Cambodia

Today we left Luang Prabang in a driving rainstorm, huddled in the back of a covered tuktuk, marveling at the locals riding through town on their motorcycles while carrying umbrellas.

Airport security consisted of shoving our luggage through a metal detector of sorts as we entered the airport, but there was no removing of shoes, no restriction on liquids, and while checking in at Lao Airlines, the airport power briefly flickered out and we had to wait for the ticket agent’s computer to re-boot. Steve stopped in at the Bangkok Airlines office to retrieve Jaz’s iPod, which she had left on the plane when we flew into Laos - she was pleased to get it back,

Jaz spent much of the day demonstrating her amazing knack for sleeping anywhere. She slept on the floor of the Luang Prabang airport and she slept on the flight, her nap broken up only when we landed briefly in Pakse and had to get off the plane for a little while before continuing on to Siem Reap.

At the Siem Reap airport, as planned, one of my travel wishes was finally fulfilled: As the hotel had promised, there was a man waiting for us with my name on a sign held up in front of him. I have always wanted to be one of those people with my name on a sign at the airport, and it was just as delightful as I had imagined I would be. He loaded up our bags into a van, and we arrived at our hotel 20 minutes later.

We are staying at the saved-the-best-for-last hotel (sorry, Mom!), otherwise known as the Bopha Angkor Hotel. We have a suite (and the kids have their own room) with a balcony. The hotel has a salt-water pool, beautiful landscaping with orchids and palm trees and flowering plants everywhere, and almost resembles a tropical Italian villa. And being in Cambodia, they greeted us at check-in with cold damp washcloths. How much better can it get? I may never leave the hotel.

I knew it would be nice, and figured that a pool would be a good idea with the kids especially, but I had no idea how nice it would be. We’re within ten minutes walk of “downtown” Siem Reap, within earshot of a temple where we can hear monks chanting and traditional music being played, there’s a poolside bar and we had a room service lunch for 4 for $26. (A little pricey!) I console myself with the thought that it’s eco-friendly and Cambodian-owned. I feel like a queen.

On the other hand, there’s no wifi here. What a shame.

After our mid-afternoon lunch, we ventured out to explore the town. It’s fun for me because I’ve been here already and navigating is easy. We made a stop in my favorite air-conditioned bar with free wifi, where we lounged on couches and had a cold drink. (The Cambodian waiter greeted Dylan with, “What’s up, dog?” and a smile.) We wandered through the side streets full of restaurants, and the Old Market, and then walked a few blocks to Siem Reap’s Night Market, which Mom and I had missed visiting. It was wonderful - full of stalls with interesting merchandise, friendly but not overbearing vendors, no crowds, and right in the middle of it all was a thatched roof bar with good fans and more cold drinks. I was reminded that the Cambodians here have generally very good English, so communication is not much of a challenge.

Jaz had looked at a restaurant guide in the afternoon and took a liking to the idea of eating at the Cambodian BBQ where they serve unusual items: snake, ostrich, crocodile, and kangaroo. Since most of those are not Cambodian products, I think the “Cambodian” part of the experience was the pot of hot coals they bring to the table so you can grill your own meat, as well as adding vegetables and noodles to the hot water encircling the grill like a moat. It was an interesting - but sweaty - experience, though we all agreed that snake is pretty chewy.

While we sat and ate, we approached by a few little kids selling flowers (“No, thank you” sent them easily on their way) and a man I had seen around town while mom and I were here before. He has no arms below the elbow, and wears a basket of books for sale around his neck, and is always smiling. He came to our table and we chatted with him for a minute, reading his sign about his family and how he’s trying to earn a living. He asked Jaz how old she is, and then pointed out the photo of his family and his daughter the same age. Then he waved his arms and explained to her, “Boom! Bomb, so no arms.” and turned to show the scars on his ribcage as well. He seemed totally unselfconscious and was incredibly friendly, and he offered a good selection of books about Cambodia and the Angkor temples in a variety of languages at good prices, so Jaz and I each bought a book from him. I had wondered earlier how he makes change when people buy from him, and we soon found out: he gestured to a cloth bag hanging over his shoulder and invited me to reach in to take out his money. I made change for myself, folding it all back up carefully and replacing it in his bag. He thanked us and went on his way, and while I can’t begin to imagine the experiences he’s had, I have nothing but enormous admiration for his effort and attitude. Next time I complain about something, I hope someone will remind me to keep it in perspective.

By the end of dinner, it was getting close to 10:00, so we called it a day and went back to the hotel. We don’t have any plans yet for tomorrow, but on Monday we’re going on a field trip to the temples with a group of local schoolchildren. Jaz has made a generous donation to an organization called the Ponheary Ly Foundation, which works to support Cambodian children’s education. She’s been in contact with the American and Cambodian coordinators, and arranged for her donation to be used to charter a bus and a guide to bring these children from their village three hours away so they can see Angkor Wat and some other temples for the first time in their lives. According to the Cambodian coordinator, it will also be the first time they ever have seen multi-story buildings or a big town, and this many of these children have recently recovered from malaria and dengue fever, so their doctor is coming along as well. It ought to be quite an experience for all of us!

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