Setting sail in Phnom Penh

Our Mekong River cruise kicked off in the capital of Cambodia on a brand new boat that launched last year. It was our first experience on a vessel this small and I must say I'd highly recommend it. We visited the Tonle Sap Lake via a cruise down the river. It reminded me of the mud gumbo waterways where I grew up in Southeast Texas. The poverty was pervasive, but the adults and kids we saw were hard at work making the most of the circumstances they were dealt.

Above you see a family planting rice by hand in the paddy. The great thing about this itinerary is that we got to see a mix of big modern cities and the local villages in the countryside. En route to the river, we passed by some interesting sights. I asked our guide about the liquor and soda bottles I saw displayed along the side of the road. He said it was a "drink" for the motor scooters that were a popular means of transport in the country, filled with gas for the tank on these back roads where you couldn't just pull into Buc-ee's. Folks back in Texas know what I'm talking about. The net and light rigging below that is all about snacking. At night the lights attract crickets and they fall into the water filled area beneath the plastic tarp. They're collected the following morning and fried up as a tasty treat.

The electricity poles were quite entertaining, weighed down with dozens of lines running to and fro.

I knew little about the Khmer Rouge, but got an earful on this tour. We visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school where prisoners of this sadistic regime were tortured and killed them in a bid to wring confessions and family member names from them. One of only a handful of prisoners that survived of the almost 18,000 housed here was onsite and I purchased his autobiography. I don't even want to think about the things he witnessed.

Next we toured the Killing Fields Memorial, where the you walk past the shallow pits where they executed and buried approximately 1.3M victims of the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror.

Friends and family know that I have a fascination with cemeteries. It's not ghoulish, but rather an interest in cultural rituals and art that memorialise the dead. The SE Asian version of mausoleums are called stupas. Many of them were quite colourful. 

Lastly are two final animal moments from our time around the capital, involving oxen and a dog. The dog in the pic belonged to a local silversmith we visited. He was chillin' while we learned how to tell the difference between solid silver vs silver-plate. The oxen were used to take us on a cart ride. The tour guide joked it was the local version of a Mercedes Benz.

Summer Travels - Angkor Temple Complex

I know, I know, I'm waaaaaay behind with my posting from our Mekong River cruise in the summer. Probably a big part of my hesitancy in tackling this task is because I have a zillion pics and it was all so impressive that I feel like I need to create a bunch of posts that includes a lot of pictorial editing and recollection of what we saw. At the risk of coming across like a slacker, I've decided to just give you the 2-3 post highlights of the trip because seriously, y'all, I've got a lot on my plate right now. I don't want to splash it out on social media just yet, so I'll get back to you with more deets later this month. 

In the meantime, here are some of my favourite pics from our visit to the Angkor temple complex when we kicked off our cruise tour in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The tour guide was fabulous, the temples were incredible and the weather was Southeast Texas icky - heat and humidity that had me dripping in sweat. Literally. I could feel it running down my back and legs. This trip was definitely a two shower per day undertaking. But so worth the soap and water because it was breathtaking. 

The carving was intricate, most from the 10-12th centuries, so I as surprised it was in such good shape considering the climate, wars, etc. You can see how mother nature is making inroads to take it all back. 

My favourite pic en route to Cambodia was taken in the Bangkok airport when we changed planes. Mom slept while the kiddo sat atop her with his electronic game in hand and entertained himself for about an hour.

Back to School, Day 2

The college coed returned to classes on August 29, and the 10th grader got back into the school groove the following day. Have I mentioned lately how much I love uniforms, because I really, really do. 

Ollie the cairn goes to doggie daycare every week, so nothing new there. He continues to be tagged in pics that I can access on the daycare website. It's a dream schedule - recess the whole time he's there!

Starting Senior Year

I'm taking a moment to brag on my oldest, the college coed. She's wrapping up rush this week, her third going into the history books. She and her sorority sisters have shown up two weeks before classes start every August to learn songs and skits and prep for a week before welcoming freshman women to Greek life on the campuses of her colleges in South Carolina and Texas.

She has participated in a worthwhile philanthropy and made some great friends along the way, all while maintaining a strong 3.8 GPA. We're so proud of her accomplishments and can't wait to see the next chapter of her life unfold as she takes the GRE next month and begins applying to graduate programs. FYI - she's on the far right in all three pictures!

Toes in the Sand

If I was being honest, the title would be sand tracked into the beach house by kids. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful time with our friends enjoying a bit of a break at Texas' Port Aransas. We were a total of three adults and eight kids, ages 10-21, that enjoyed some time at the coast during our first week back home to visit family and friends in July.

The house we rented was large and lovely, less than a 2 minute walk to the surf. The little development where we rented had all of the properties painted in fun beach colours. There was plenty of room for everyone to spread out and be comfortable all week.

We rented a six seater beach buggy for the kids to entertain themselves. They hit the souvenir shops and local eateries. It's so nice to have licensed drivers in the mix so we don't have to schlep them everywhere.

To break up the stay, we went into Corpus with our herd for a visit to the Texas State Aquarium. The husband and I have taken our girls many times before. They appeared to be in the middle of a big expansion, so we'll undoubtedly have to visit once it's finished.

All of the kids got along swimmingly (couldn't resist!) and were very well-behaved. Best part of every day was going out for a leisurely dinner with these two amazing ladies because I always enjoy spending time with them. I've been friends with one since 8th grade and the other one for 15 years. I'm so happy they were able to join us for the week to reconnect and relax.