We woke up to our last full day in Cambodia and went to have breakfast at USA Donut which is run by a gentleman who had emigrated to the US for a while. He lived n California & Utah for a some time before deciding that he liked the pace of life in Phnom Penh over the rat race in the US. He opened the first, and from what I was told, only donut shop in Phnom Penh. They're fresh, they smell (and taste) wonderful, and they are popular with the locals & visitors alike. They also serve US favorites such as French Toast for breakfast and hot dogs & burgers for lunch. We had a really nice chat with the owner about his experiences while we were waiting for breakfast. The first thing on our ... read more

Finally, I'm starting to make some headway on the backlog of postings. My second bout with heat exhaustion on this day wore me out and I stopped worrying about trying to do everything (such as a daily blog) and concentrated on trying to make the most of the remainder of the trip. We've been staying at the Casa Angkor, a very nice, modern, hotel in the old part of Siem Reap. They have the best continental breakfast we've had anywhere. Our only beef with them was the lack of hot water in the morning. (Renee complained the 2nd morning and they fixed my room, but never seemed to make her hot water work.) Other than that it was very nice. Today's schedule called for a morning visit to the Artisan d'Angkor silk farm in the morning, ... read more

Ok folks, we're connected to the outside world once again! Even though this posting is dated 14 October, I'm doing it on the 16th. Our Hotel lost it's internet connection entirely on the 14th, and I ended up with something like heat exhaustion on the afternoon of the 15th (I'm OK now). Now to catch up. We lazed around the Hotel on the 14th until it was time to go to church. Since the Anglican-Episcopal Church was on the way to the LDS service that Renee and the boys went to we all shared the same Tuk-Tuk. We had a little problem finding the Anglican location, but finally made it. I was drenched with sweat by the time the thing finally started and I was sitting in the shade.... I was brave and took a moto ... read more

Well. What is that saying about the best laid plans of mice & men? Yep, the daily blog has really gone awry alright, what with not finding fast enough service in Siem Reap and my experimenting with heat exhaustion (I'm OK now, but it wasn't fun....) We are back in Phnom Penh (It's now the 18th of October) and will try to catch up quickly tonight on the postings, but the descriptions are going to be briefer than I had wanted.... read more

Today was a day for visiting the city of Phnom Penh. We started with the National Museum with displays of ancient statuary, bells, weapons of war and iron jewelry (ankle bracelets). We visited 2 tailors for suits and shirts for the guys. As Kendal speaks Khmer, it was fun to watch him bargain good and fair prices. We had lunch at the Freebird Bar and Grill; great american food from a guy who owns Hooligans (a bar?) in Pocatello, Idaho. Then we met up with the Lymans; serving for the humanitarian services of the LDS Church. Together we all visited SR 21 the detention and torture site of the Khmer Rouge. We also visited the killing fields where those who survived SR21 were taken to be killed then buried in mass graves. The experience was very ... read more