Yesterday was my Double Lucky Seven Day - or I turned 77 years old and sometimes act like I'm 20 years old and sometimes like I'm 85 years old!! This is my 1964 high school graduation picture and i was 17 years old.
And here I was 2 years old or so and definitely shows "don't mess with Me" face!!!
And another maybe a little over 1 year old in front of our farmhouse thinking "why do I have to be in the dumb wooden sled?"
So enough said about my birthday.
I'm looking back at my journal notes of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand:
28 February 2024 - Wednesday
Today we flew from Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Siem Reap Cambodia to stay a couple nights at the Raffles Angkor Grand Hotel in Siem Reap where a new airport was just opened in 2023 and built by the Chinese "good friends":)
And we did get to go on a speedy Vespa ride - one driver, one passenger city tour weaving in and out of traffic and never saw an accident - amazing.
We also visited the famous Angkor Wat temple and had to have a formal ID with out photo to get in to the amazing place.
We did get to cruise on Tonle Sap lake which is southeast Asia's largest lake and we were on a covered boat - thank goodness and ever day the sun was shining with temps in the 90s and humid. It is a fresh water lake but the color is a bit brown - sand I would guess.
We saw all kinds of boats and fishing boats too and in comparison our boat was pretty fancy.
We were there in dry season and during the rainy season the water rises many feet so the houses close to water are built on high stilts and many have to move to a different area. 6 months of rainy season from May to November.
We did visit the floating villages on Tonle Sap lake which also have a floating school, floating church and floating place to buy food and deal with business stuff.
And back to the town of Siem Reap with the floating lanterns hanging above one of the streets.
We were entertained at dinner by local dancers who were amazing and then they visited each table to tie red yarn pieces around our wrists which we were never to remove and they would bring us health and good luck.
Of course we had a traditional Cambodian dinner and I must say we enjoyed the food on this trip but after 18 days we were ready for hamburger and fries by the time we got home.
Journal notes told by our local tour guides: The current King has no power and last of the monarchy and this king was born in 1922. France invested in this area and took "control". In 1955 King abdicated and didn't tell his parents then won the election as Prime Minister of Cambodia. The French had left Indochina due to defeat. In 1970 overthrown in a coup e'etat while in France. Khmer Rouge (Red) now communists supported by China and changed to Pol Pot aka "Political Potential" and "General #1". Ho Chi Minh City bombed by US; teachers and people who wore glasses or who were "smart" such as doctors who were killed or were sent to outdoor work in dumps and such or to "Killing Fields" which lasted until 1969. Pol Pot sent troops via borders to South Vietnam and pushed Khmer Rouge back and Pol Pot fled to jungles and died in 1990s of diabetes. In 1991 UNTAC - first general elections and UN came in and now $US used even in ATMs.
The Khmer (not Rouge) people are very friendly and welcoming. Cambodia population 17 million and 1/3 of population killed by Khmer Rouge. 70% of farmers are in Siem Reap area and grow cashews, casova and "rabbit tree"??? Rice is eaten 3 times a day for meals.
Our local guide was a soldier for 9 years searching for land mine fields; there are 11 million land mines and he is now a land mine teacher; 115,272 places that mines landed and during Khmer Rouge he lost 9 family members. 1996 Khmer made their own mines of TNT and gunpowder to make cluster bombs.
Mines are active 120 years and are now only 40 years in so 80 years left not safe! The current Prime Minister graduated from West Point in the USA.
29 February 2024 - Siem Reap, Cambodia
Visited the famous Angkor Wat which is also on the Cambodian flag. our hotel was built between 1929-1932. After lunch visited Temple Ta Prohn where scenes from movie "Tomb Raider" were filmed.
$2 US bill is called "lucky money" here and is worth $5.
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