By Roger:
One evening we were nearly ready to turn out the lights when a cat surprised us by walking through our bedroom (we have a door that opens to the outside allowing cool evening air to circulate). The cat continued toward the kitchen so I followed to make sure that it didn't stop to snack on bread that had been left on the counter.
It passed through the house so I closed and locked the doors for the night.
Next morning…Sue found the cat. It was dead and stiff outside the house.
Later she saw one the the boys carrying the dead cat. He told her that he was taking it to a neighbor's house.
When we asked, "Why would he take it to the neighbor?"
She said, "He likes to eat cat."
We won't be going the that neighbor's house for a meal!
This may help to explain the entire absence of roadkill along the roads that we have been traveling.
It is just another reminder to us that the Americans we know are far from needing to put roadkill or a dead cat on their table to feed their families. How fortunate we are!
About Sue Thompson:
Sue has a heart for helping the needy people in the depressed area near her home. Her heart breaks for so many Cambodians who suffer due to poverty, abuse, physical problems, health issues, etc. She is well aware of the danger of providing too much help and thereby creating unwanted dependency, so she is careful about providing assistance. At the same time she feels compelled to help those who are truly in need. She has told us that she doesn't worry about financial resources because the kind of work she does creates opportunity for those with more to share some of what they have. Money always shows up to cover what is needed. She truly lives by faith… giving to those truly in need is always the right thing to do. We have found a delightful woman who devotes much of her life and savings to helping others. We have been fortunate to be able to pitch in beside her for awhile.
Her facebook posts tell her story.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Update 9
Monday we were up early to hang the white board & bulletin board in the office and at 9, Monk Hun & our tuk tuk arrived. We were off to Siem Reap as there's a monk blessing planned tonight…a unique opportunity we couldn't miss! We left early so we could tour the the Apopo Center—home of the Rat Heroes, African giant pouched rats who with their keen sense of smell can detect a minute amount of DNT and because they're light weight, they don't activate the landmines they find. In 2023, they located over 1000 in Cambodia alone. They are in many countries. They can cover a tennis court size area in 30 minutes. It would take a metal detector close to 4 days! These rats are trained in less than a year & live about 8 years. They can also detect TB. Dogs are also used but because of their weight, it's more dangerous. It's believed there's 4-6 million mines in Cambodia. Over 40,000 amputees can attest to the danger. A map of the world showed other countries with millions more. It was fascinating to learn about & see those Rat Heroes…yet also a painful reminder of the remnants of war.
Next was the new Angkor National Museum…impressive exterior and interior. Excellent displays with several short videos explaining much of what we saw at Angkor Wat. It added much depth & understanding of the Cambodian history. My favorite was the Hindu god of caring who had 20 arms, 4 feet & 10 heads…seems about what you need! Sue had arranged for us to stay in her friend's hotel ($35) & so we headed there for a rest and a HOT shower…first one since I left home! At 5, we meet up with Sue & some of her friends and we walked to where the monk's blessing ceremony was being held which was by the river. After much gonging & music played mostly on xylophones, a procession on young girls with exotic hairstyles carrying a tray of lit candles were followed by 400 monks. (There's about 400,00 here.). Each monk took a seat & then was offered a Coke, Sprite & water. I had to chuckle as I watch one of the monks drink his Coke & take a photo with his phone. Selfie?? A long string of monotone chanting started with hardly a breath taken. Then a couple of the monks walked the length of the crowd sprinkling water on us and later tossing flower buds. Guess that's why they called this a blessing ceremony. Fortunately we were seated next to where the Apsara dancers dressed in the ancient clothing we'd just seen in the Angkor Museum began performing. Such perfection in total synchronized movements that were deliberately done in slow motion. Each finger, foot, head movement & body position was exactly the same for the 12 dancers. The could bend their hands & feet in a backward curve which looked painful to me. Spectacular! Finally, each monk received a "goodie bag" and a wad of money, then they left in a single line. We headed back to our hotel in awe. Next morning we met up with Sue & Hun for breakfast at the Muffin Man. The man who owns got his start when Sue's friend asked him to help her make muffins for some event. He loved it & run with it! ATM & grocery story was our last stops before heading back home. Sue stayed as she has a dentist appt tomorrow. We had our classes & the library and Rog started plans on building a chicken coop. We had our 7 pm class read in pairs a simple, informational English book & then asked them to present what they'd learned. Many just read aloud but some could do it. We'll try that again to see if more will learn to summarize facts. I roasted chicken & we made salads which we ate with some of Rog's bread. First supper with just the two of us!
Next was the new Angkor National Museum…impressive exterior and interior. Excellent displays with several short videos explaining much of what we saw at Angkor Wat. It added much depth & understanding of the Cambodian history. My favorite was the Hindu god of caring who had 20 arms, 4 feet & 10 heads…seems about what you need! Sue had arranged for us to stay in her friend's hotel ($35) & so we headed there for a rest and a HOT shower…first one since I left home! At 5, we meet up with Sue & some of her friends and we walked to where the monk's blessing ceremony was being held which was by the river. After much gonging & music played mostly on xylophones, a procession on young girls with exotic hairstyles carrying a tray of lit candles were followed by 400 monks. (There's about 400,00 here.). Each monk took a seat & then was offered a Coke, Sprite & water. I had to chuckle as I watch one of the monks drink his Coke & take a photo with his phone. Selfie?? A long string of monotone chanting started with hardly a breath taken. Then a couple of the monks walked the length of the crowd sprinkling water on us and later tossing flower buds. Guess that's why they called this a blessing ceremony. Fortunately we were seated next to where the Apsara dancers dressed in the ancient clothing we'd just seen in the Angkor Museum began performing. Such perfection in total synchronized movements that were deliberately done in slow motion. Each finger, foot, head movement & body position was exactly the same for the 12 dancers. The could bend their hands & feet in a backward curve which looked painful to me. Spectacular! Finally, each monk received a "goodie bag" and a wad of money, then they left in a single line. We headed back to our hotel in awe. Next morning we met up with Sue & Hun for breakfast at the Muffin Man. The man who owns got his start when Sue's friend asked him to help her make muffins for some event. He loved it & run with it! ATM & grocery story was our last stops before heading back home. Sue stayed as she has a dentist appt tomorrow. We had our classes & the library and Rog started plans on building a chicken coop. We had our 7 pm class read in pairs a simple, informational English book & then asked them to present what they'd learned. Many just read aloud but some could do it. We'll try that again to see if more will learn to summarize facts. I roasted chicken & we made salads which we ate with some of Rog's bread. First supper with just the two of us!
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Update 8
Saturday-no school-so we found other things to do: Painted boards the boys will put their name on to mark their garden plot; painted large black boards & hung them in the classrooms & screwed on clips to hold posters; tore down another old wicker ceiling; Sue, Rog & the 3 boys building a mushroom house went to get supplies; and Rog made yet another loaf of bread! Then Sue headed off to town to meet with friends who'd flown in & go to a concert. It will be a well deserved break for her! My only complaint today was the red ants! I stepped on a hill & they attacked with utmost speed & vengeance. My feet instantly started burning & turned crimson
red. I quickly washed with soap & took an antihistamine & Tylenol. Then sat in front of a fan for almost an hour. Hate them little ******! At 7 am on Sunday, an 8 passenger spiffy van pulled in. Monk Hun, his mom, his 10 year old niece, his girlfriend, her mom, Rog & I piled in and we headed to Mt. Kulen. It's considered the Holy Mtn & source of all water. It is the place where the then king claimed he was god & the Cambodian Kingdom was born in 802 AD. As we drove to the top, we munched on coconut waffles & egg rolls the moms brought. We cautiously stood on the cliff looking over the valley where Siem Reap & Angkor Wat was. Close by was a tall rock with steps leading up to a massive lying Buddha. Lots of items including money was laid next to him by the people who'd come to honor him. It was lunch time now so we all sat on mats in a small hut next to a river and Hun ordered a group dinner & we asked for stir fry beef. It was fun watching the kids frolic in the water. While we waited, a man came by carrying an overloaded platter of fried silk worms & grasshoppers. The moms bought some to munch on. Rog took a few grasshoppers which put a grin on his face! Ugh! The food finally arrived & I was thankful it included fried rice & a hole in the wood where I could drop my impossible to chew beef. There were several other dishes…all of which Rog & the others heartily devoured. Later—dessert I guess—we were served bee larvae. I was forced to try a small bite. Kinda like rubber. The group almost licked the platter clean. We then walked down a long staircase and there we got a gorgeous view of the roaring waterfall. A wide pool was formed and it was filled with people enjoying the coolness of the water. I sure wish I had my swimsuit! I did wade in along the smooth rock edge. On our way back to our van, we bought some fried bananas. Now that was a real dessert! On our way home we made two stops. One was next to the part of the river where 1000 lingus were carved into the rock river bed. Lingus means penis. Yup—1000 of them. Never thought I'd see that! Our last stop was for cashew smoothies. Delicious! I can't end this without mentioning how many times the moms burst out laughing. They so enjoyed this trip. It was the first time for one of them and 2nd for the other to go to Mt Kulen. We all had a great day and of course, all the bills were given to Rog without a second thought. It's the custom when traveling with a monk & his family! (Van $70, lunch $40, smoothies $10 & entry fee (free for Cambodians) was $40.). No such thing as a free ride….unless you're a monk in Cambodia!!
Saturday-no school-so we found other things to do: Painted boards the boys will put their name on to mark their garden plot; painted large black boards & hung them in the classrooms & screwed on clips to hold posters; tore down another old wicker ceiling; Sue, Rog & the 3 boys building a mushroom house went to get supplies; and Rog made yet another loaf of bread! Then Sue headed off to town to meet with friends who'd flown in & go to a concert. It will be a well deserved break for her! My only complaint today was the red ants! I stepped on a hill & they attacked with utmost speed & vengeance. My feet instantly started burning & turned crimson
red. I quickly washed with soap & took an antihistamine & Tylenol. Then sat in front of a fan for almost an hour. Hate them little ******! At 7 am on Sunday, an 8 passenger spiffy van pulled in. Monk Hun, his mom, his 10 year old niece, his girlfriend, her mom, Rog & I piled in and we headed to Mt. Kulen. It's considered the Holy Mtn & source of all water. It is the place where the then king claimed he was god & the Cambodian Kingdom was born in 802 AD. As we drove to the top, we munched on coconut waffles & egg rolls the moms brought. We cautiously stood on the cliff looking over the valley where Siem Reap & Angkor Wat was. Close by was a tall rock with steps leading up to a massive lying Buddha. Lots of items including money was laid next to him by the people who'd come to honor him. It was lunch time now so we all sat on mats in a small hut next to a river and Hun ordered a group dinner & we asked for stir fry beef. It was fun watching the kids frolic in the water. While we waited, a man came by carrying an overloaded platter of fried silk worms & grasshoppers. The moms bought some to munch on. Rog took a few grasshoppers which put a grin on his face! Ugh! The food finally arrived & I was thankful it included fried rice & a hole in the wood where I could drop my impossible to chew beef. There were several other dishes…all of which Rog & the others heartily devoured. Later—dessert I guess—we were served bee larvae. I was forced to try a small bite. Kinda like rubber. The group almost licked the platter clean. We then walked down a long staircase and there we got a gorgeous view of the roaring waterfall. A wide pool was formed and it was filled with people enjoying the coolness of the water. I sure wish I had my swimsuit! I did wade in along the smooth rock edge. On our way back to our van, we bought some fried bananas. Now that was a real dessert! On our way home we made two stops. One was next to the part of the river where 1000 lingus were carved into the rock river bed. Lingus means penis. Yup—1000 of them. Never thought I'd see that! Our last stop was for cashew smoothies. Delicious! I can't end this without mentioning how many times the moms burst out laughing. They so enjoyed this trip. It was the first time for one of them and 2nd for the other to go to Mt Kulen. We all had a great day and of course, all the bills were given to Rog without a second thought. It's the custom when traveling with a monk & his family! (Van $70, lunch $40, smoothies $10 & entry fee (free for Cambodians) was $40.). No such thing as a free ride….unless you're a monk in Cambodia!!
Friday, January 26, 2024
Update 7
Ah, back to the weekday routines! I have to note how open & inviting this place is. It's officially called Bakong Development Center. Unofficially, I'd call it Whatever You Need. Kids come all times of day, come into the house, ask for food & she gives them something. The next door 3 year old is nicknamed Tornado—justly earned. He seems to have no boundaries & plays with everything. Currently the toilet plunger is his favorite. Sue will stop him from a few things-like drinking from the spout of the clean water dispenser-but only in a loving voice…and then chuckle. The kids come in & out of the library, play with the badminton set or volleyball and whatever else they find. Some kids come just to crawl up on Sue's lap. In the evening, the boys who live here & a few others play an intense game of volleyball. Though they obviously don't follow all the rules, they have a great time. There's a warm feeling of love and trust that permeates the compound.
Most days, I usually hang out in the library which is filled before & after classes with about 20 kids, ages 4-12 or so, doing puzzles, playing with legos, drawing and a few even look at books! There are three English classes a day. Rog & I alternate being in the day classes with the young kids. We both help out in the evening class of about 25 kids between the ages of 18-28. The teacher, Mr. Chin has quit teaching from the book & has asked us to teach grammar and conversational English instead. So we have had the kids pair up & learn something about their partner and then they took turns introducing their partner. After Day 3, they were getting pretty good at it! Tonight we'll ask them to tell 2 or 3 things about themselves. We have also worked on nouns, contractions, verb tenses, adjectives & adverbs. They laugh often and are eager to learn. The class is free for them and totally voluntary. Bakong Dev. Center, Monk Hun's non profit picks up the bill. Learning English will be a major advantage to them when they look for a job. Early morning & later evening, we work in the garden which is looking pretty good!
My birthday! As my friend Elsi said, "Another Year, Another Country!" After a normal morning, Sue, Monk Hun, Rog & I went to a nice place to eat lunch. We sat by a river…chocolate brown & hardly flowing…and I again ordered egg rolls & D Coke. Hey, if I love them, why not?? I spoiled myself by not going to work in the garden today and reading instead. At 7, we went to our class & soon after, the kids turned the lights off and carried in 2 birthday cakes, each lit with a candle. They sang Happy Birthday to the top of their lungs and covered me with silly string. Sue had bought one of the cakes & the students the other. $5 is a lot of money for them! We manage to teach our lesson, then cut the cakes into 30 tiny pieces. Everyone loved it…especially me!!
Most days, I usually hang out in the library which is filled before & after classes with about 20 kids, ages 4-12 or so, doing puzzles, playing with legos, drawing and a few even look at books! There are three English classes a day. Rog & I alternate being in the day classes with the young kids. We both help out in the evening class of about 25 kids between the ages of 18-28. The teacher, Mr. Chin has quit teaching from the book & has asked us to teach grammar and conversational English instead. So we have had the kids pair up & learn something about their partner and then they took turns introducing their partner. After Day 3, they were getting pretty good at it! Tonight we'll ask them to tell 2 or 3 things about themselves. We have also worked on nouns, contractions, verb tenses, adjectives & adverbs. They laugh often and are eager to learn. The class is free for them and totally voluntary. Bakong Dev. Center, Monk Hun's non profit picks up the bill. Learning English will be a major advantage to them when they look for a job. Early morning & later evening, we work in the garden which is looking pretty good!
My birthday! As my friend Elsi said, "Another Year, Another Country!" After a normal morning, Sue, Monk Hun, Rog & I went to a nice place to eat lunch. We sat by a river…chocolate brown & hardly flowing…and I again ordered egg rolls & D Coke. Hey, if I love them, why not?? I spoiled myself by not going to work in the garden today and reading instead. At 7, we went to our class & soon after, the kids turned the lights off and carried in 2 birthday cakes, each lit with a candle. They sang Happy Birthday to the top of their lungs and covered me with silly string. Sue had bought one of the cakes & the students the other. $5 is a lot of money for them! We manage to teach our lesson, then cut the cakes into 30 tiny pieces. Everyone loved it…especially me!!
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Update 6
Sunday morning, Sue had arranged for us to meet some of her friends for brunch in Siem Reap about 40 minutes away. On our way, we stopped to pick up some stuff to add to the drawing area in the library. Great store. Brunch was interesting. Sue's friends include Expats who were artist, musician, jewelry artist & one who also helps local kids. We also stopped at her friend's shop, The Muffin Man. Delicious treats! Last stop was for groceries…also a well stocked store. We loaded the cart—for $45! After we unloaded the groceries, we took bananas to the boys who were working hard in the garden. Each boy will be given a plot to plant. Sue got some plywood & Rog showed them how to cut out sections to put their names on it. Some boys were already planting seeds in seedling trays & others were hoeing & still others mixing up compost. Roger and I have spent time weeding & tilling parts of the garden to help out some. I picture a lush garden in about a month! Three of the boys had attended a mushroom growing class yesterday and were inspired to start using their newly learned knowledge. They'd cleaned out the chicken coop & drew up a list of needs. Sue told then she'd load them the $$ but they would need to pay her back. The profits then would be split 4 ways-3 boys & herself. That got them working harder!
At 4, the 11 boys who live here, a couple extras & Rog jumped in the motorcycle flatbed cart & Sue, Monk & I got in a tuk tuk and we all headed for the lake through the cloud of dust on the road. Our hair was orange by the time we got there. When we got to a deep part of a river, we hired a boat. 17 excited people boarded and the boat headed upstream. Before long, we were passing a ton of houses built on 15-20 ft stilts. Small fishing boats were unloading their catch. Traps, nets, buckets of fish, kids, laundry, small fires and trash were everywhere. Imagine living here?? The steps alone would do me in! We barely managed to pass through the narrow area not crowded with fishing boats. After about 30 minutes, the river opened wide and there was the Tonlesap Lake. No end in site! The boys were so excited. They were snapping pictures constantly—mostly of themselves. Most had not been on a boat or seen a lake. The boat stopped a ways out and we sat and watched the beautiful sunset. Then turned around and retraced our route…all the way home. The road dust covered us but the happiness & smiles shone through. It was a well spent $70 treat for the boys & us!
Sunday morning, Sue had arranged for us to meet some of her friends for brunch in Siem Reap about 40 minutes away. On our way, we stopped to pick up some stuff to add to the drawing area in the library. Great store. Brunch was interesting. Sue's friends include Expats who were artist, musician, jewelry artist & one who also helps local kids. We also stopped at her friend's shop, The Muffin Man. Delicious treats! Last stop was for groceries…also a well stocked store. We loaded the cart—for $45! After we unloaded the groceries, we took bananas to the boys who were working hard in the garden. Each boy will be given a plot to plant. Sue got some plywood & Rog showed them how to cut out sections to put their names on it. Some boys were already planting seeds in seedling trays & others were hoeing & still others mixing up compost. Roger and I have spent time weeding & tilling parts of the garden to help out some. I picture a lush garden in about a month! Three of the boys had attended a mushroom growing class yesterday and were inspired to start using their newly learned knowledge. They'd cleaned out the chicken coop & drew up a list of needs. Sue told then she'd load them the $$ but they would need to pay her back. The profits then would be split 4 ways-3 boys & herself. That got them working harder!
At 4, the 11 boys who live here, a couple extras & Rog jumped in the motorcycle flatbed cart & Sue, Monk & I got in a tuk tuk and we all headed for the lake through the cloud of dust on the road. Our hair was orange by the time we got there. When we got to a deep part of a river, we hired a boat. 17 excited people boarded and the boat headed upstream. Before long, we were passing a ton of houses built on 15-20 ft stilts. Small fishing boats were unloading their catch. Traps, nets, buckets of fish, kids, laundry, small fires and trash were everywhere. Imagine living here?? The steps alone would do me in! We barely managed to pass through the narrow area not crowded with fishing boats. After about 30 minutes, the river opened wide and there was the Tonlesap Lake. No end in site! The boys were so excited. They were snapping pictures constantly—mostly of themselves. Most had not been on a boat or seen a lake. The boat stopped a ways out and we sat and watched the beautiful sunset. Then turned around and retraced our route…all the way home. The road dust covered us but the happiness & smiles shone through. It was a well spent $70 treat for the boys & us!
Monday, January 22, 2024
Update #5
Today we were tourist! A tuk tuk with Monk Hun arrived at 7:30 and off we went. We drove on the main road along with countless motorcycles, bicycles, cars, carts, two wheeled tractors pulling huge loads of a multitude of stuff piled high & precariously and semi trucks. Along the way, Monk Hun gave us some background information about the temples we'd be seeing. An then, there one was—Banteay Srei in all it's glory and yet wearing the face of an ancient one. The 10th century Hindu temple—a palace for gods—built with exquisite decorative carvings which in some areas, have amazingly survived. Taking a closer look, you see faces of many gods, musicians, animals, flowers & foliage covering every inch. The endless scenes depict events with great detail. Some glorious & others gory. Facial expressions, clothing, hairstyles, jewelry-so much detail! Who designed all this??? Who carved all this in sandstone?? How can it have survived over 1000 years?? Just incredible. After an hour, we headed to a lunch spot. Monk Honk needs to eat before noon-which is nice cause I was hungry & restaurants are nearly empty. Hun picked a great one, of course. I got egg rolls again & D Coke and Rog got sweet & sour chicken. Who knew we'd get Chinese food here? Actually, Hun says it's Cambodian food. The next temple we were awed by was Ta Prohm, late 12th century. This Buddhist temple is being strangled by the massive roots of trees. One of them is now called Tomb Raider and it's where Angelin Jolie picked the jasmine flower. Next we crossed over a bridge lined with figures of gods, passed under a gigantic gateway to discover the Bayon Temple (12th century/Buddist). I was struck again by the details in the carvings especially the humongous smiling faces. There's not enough time to describe the many scenes carved in the walls. Rog loved the scene where a man is tickling the foot of a swordsman. Monkeys liked this temple too. On our way back to our tuk tuk, we passed a band playing. Several plastic legs were propped next to the stage & a sign informed us that they'd been land mine victims. Monk Hun had planned our day well. He left the best for last, Angkor Wat. The jewel. Surrounded by a vast moat. It is considered "heaven on earth", Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith. To me, I consider it an ultimate gem of a might, brilliant & talented ancient civilization. Over a million people lived in this, the biggest city in Asia at the time. Complete with libraries, post office, hospitals, pharmacy and schools. Angkor Wat's massive walls tell in their exquisite carvings, so many Hindu stories of gods which would fill volumes of books…but as the saying goes, "a carving is worth a thousand words." Angkor Wat is truly a magnificent site to see and let soak into your being.
And the cherry on top, was that our guide was Monk Hon. Many tourist stopped and honored him with a bow and asked to have pictures taken with him. I felt very honored, humbled and lucky to walk among these hallowed temples with him.
Today we were tourist! A tuk tuk with Monk Hun arrived at 7:30 and off we went. We drove on the main road along with countless motorcycles, bicycles, cars, carts, two wheeled tractors pulling huge loads of a multitude of stuff piled high & precariously and semi trucks. Along the way, Monk Hun gave us some background information about the temples we'd be seeing. An then, there one was—Banteay Srei in all it's glory and yet wearing the face of an ancient one. The 10th century Hindu temple—a palace for gods—built with exquisite decorative carvings which in some areas, have amazingly survived. Taking a closer look, you see faces of many gods, musicians, animals, flowers & foliage covering every inch. The endless scenes depict events with great detail. Some glorious & others gory. Facial expressions, clothing, hairstyles, jewelry-so much detail! Who designed all this??? Who carved all this in sandstone?? How can it have survived over 1000 years?? Just incredible. After an hour, we headed to a lunch spot. Monk Honk needs to eat before noon-which is nice cause I was hungry & restaurants are nearly empty. Hun picked a great one, of course. I got egg rolls again & D Coke and Rog got sweet & sour chicken. Who knew we'd get Chinese food here? Actually, Hun says it's Cambodian food. The next temple we were awed by was Ta Prohm, late 12th century. This Buddhist temple is being strangled by the massive roots of trees. One of them is now called Tomb Raider and it's where Angelin Jolie picked the jasmine flower. Next we crossed over a bridge lined with figures of gods, passed under a gigantic gateway to discover the Bayon Temple (12th century/Buddist). I was struck again by the details in the carvings especially the humongous smiling faces. There's not enough time to describe the many scenes carved in the walls. Rog loved the scene where a man is tickling the foot of a swordsman. Monkeys liked this temple too. On our way back to our tuk tuk, we passed a band playing. Several plastic legs were propped next to the stage & a sign informed us that they'd been land mine victims. Monk Hun had planned our day well. He left the best for last, Angkor Wat. The jewel. Surrounded by a vast moat. It is considered "heaven on earth", Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith. To me, I consider it an ultimate gem of a might, brilliant & talented ancient civilization. Over a million people lived in this, the biggest city in Asia at the time. Complete with libraries, post office, hospitals, pharmacy and schools. Angkor Wat's massive walls tell in their exquisite carvings, so many Hindu stories of gods which would fill volumes of books…but as the saying goes, "a carving is worth a thousand words." Angkor Wat is truly a magnificent site to see and let soak into your being.
And the cherry on top, was that our guide was Monk Hon. Many tourist stopped and honored him with a bow and asked to have pictures taken with him. I felt very honored, humbled and lucky to walk among these hallowed temples with him.
Update #5
Today we were tourist! A tuk tuk with Monk Hun arrived at 7:30 and off we went. We drove on the main road along with countless motorcycles, bicycles, cars, carts, two wheeled tractors pulling huge loads of a multitude of stuff piled high & precariously and semi trucks. Along the way, Monk Hun gave us some background information about the temples we'd be seeing. An then, there one was—Banteay Srei in all it's glory and yet wearing the face of an ancient one. The 10th century Hindu temple—a palace for gods—built with exquisite decorative carvings which in some areas, have amazingly survived. Taking a closer look, you see faces of many gods, musicians, animals, flowers & foliage covering every inch. The endless scenes depict events with great detail. Some glorious & others gory. Facial expressions, clothing, hairstyles, jewelry-so much detail! Who designed all this??? Who carved all this in sandstone?? How can it have survived over 1000 years?? Just incredible. After an hour, we headed to a lunch spot. Monk Honk needs to eat before noon-which is nice cause I was hungry & restaurants are nearly empty. Hun picked a great one, of course. I got egg rolls again & D Coke and Rog got sweet & sour chicken. Who knew we'd get Chinese food here? Actually, Hun says it's Cambodian food. The next temple we were awed by was Ta Prohm, late 12th century. This Buddhist temple is being strangled by the massive roots of trees. One of them is now called Tomb Raider and it's where Angelin Jolie picked the jasmine flower. Next we crossed over a bridge lined with figures of gods, passed under a gigantic gateway to discover the Bayon Temple (12th century/Buddist). I was struck again by the details in the carvings especially the humongous smiling faces. There's not enough time to describe the many scenes carved in the walls. Rog loved the scene where a man is tickling the foot of a swordsman. Monkeys liked this temple too. On our way back to our tuk tuk, we passed a band playing. Several plastic legs were propped next to the stage & a sign informed us that they'd been land mine victims. Monk Hun had planned our day well. He left the best for last, Angkor Wat. The jewel. Surrounded by a vast moat. It is considered "heaven on earth", Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith. To me, I consider it an ultimate gem of a might, brilliant & talented ancient civilization. Over a million people lived in this, the biggest city in Asia at the time. Complete with libraries, post office, hospitals, pharmacy and schools. Angkor Wat's massive walls tell in their exquisite carvings, so many Hindu stories of gods which would fill volumes of books…but as the saying goes, "a carving is worth a thousand words." Angkor Wat is truly a magnificent site to see and let soak into your being.
And the cherry on top, was that our guide was Monk Hon. Many tourist stopped and honored him with a bow and asked to have pictures taken with him. I felt very honored, humbled and lucky to walk among these hallowed temples with him.
Today we were tourist! A tuk tuk with Monk Hun arrived at 7:30 and off we went. We drove on the main road along with countless motorcycles, bicycles, cars, carts, two wheeled tractors pulling huge loads of a multitude of stuff piled high & precariously and semi trucks. Along the way, Monk Hun gave us some background information about the temples we'd be seeing. An then, there one was—Banteay Srei in all it's glory and yet wearing the face of an ancient one. The 10th century Hindu temple—a palace for gods—built with exquisite decorative carvings which in some areas, have amazingly survived. Taking a closer look, you see faces of many gods, musicians, animals, flowers & foliage covering every inch. The endless scenes depict events with great detail. Some glorious & others gory. Facial expressions, clothing, hairstyles, jewelry-so much detail! Who designed all this??? Who carved all this in sandstone?? How can it have survived over 1000 years?? Just incredible. After an hour, we headed to a lunch spot. Monk Honk needs to eat before noon-which is nice cause I was hungry & restaurants are nearly empty. Hun picked a great one, of course. I got egg rolls again & D Coke and Rog got sweet & sour chicken. Who knew we'd get Chinese food here? Actually, Hun says it's Cambodian food. The next temple we were awed by was Ta Prohm, late 12th century. This Buddhist temple is being strangled by the massive roots of trees. One of them is now called Tomb Raider and it's where Angelin Jolie picked the jasmine flower. Next we crossed over a bridge lined with figures of gods, passed under a gigantic gateway to discover the Bayon Temple (12th century/Buddist). I was struck again by the details in the carvings especially the humongous smiling faces. There's not enough time to describe the many scenes carved in the walls. Rog loved the scene where a man is tickling the foot of a swordsman. Monkeys liked this temple too. On our way back to our tuk tuk, we passed a band playing. Several plastic legs were propped next to the stage & a sign informed us that they'd been land mine victims. Monk Hun had planned our day well. He left the best for last, Angkor Wat. The jewel. Surrounded by a vast moat. It is considered "heaven on earth", Mt Olympus of the Hindu faith. To me, I consider it an ultimate gem of a might, brilliant & talented ancient civilization. Over a million people lived in this, the biggest city in Asia at the time. Complete with libraries, post office, hospitals, pharmacy and schools. Angkor Wat's massive walls tell in their exquisite carvings, so many Hindu stories of gods which would fill volumes of books…but as the saying goes, "a carving is worth a thousand words." Angkor Wat is truly a magnificent site to see and let soak into your being.
And the cherry on top, was that our guide was Monk Hon. Many tourist stopped and honored him with a bow and asked to have pictures taken with him. I felt very honored, humbled and lucky to walk among these hallowed temples with him.
Friday, January 19, 2024
Update #4
I'm getting use to waking up to the chickens. It was a treat to call David on his birthday and talk to the rest of Jake's family. Thank you WhatsApp! Our routine is now working in the garden early, being in the library or classroom most the rest of the day. They found a new driver for the school bus (motorcycle pulling a covered flatbed) so one day we rode along after school to see where the kids live. We have spent time talking to the teachers giving them ideas and commending them on keeping the kids engaged. The English classes are extra and the kids come either before or after their regular school hours. Totally a bonus class but if they didn't like it, they could easily choose not to come. On Friday, the teachers asked me to show them some classroom games so yet another country learned about Doggie, Doggie Where's Your Bone, I Spy with my little Eye, and 7 Up. Kids and teachers loved all three. During our lunch break, went to a market to get seeds & take one of the boys to the dentist for an estimate to fix his two rotten teeth. $20. Sue will ask his family to pay as she tries hard not to create dependent people. That being said, she & Hun do understand when the need is critical and they jump in with both feet to do whatever needs to be done…like the 2 young girls living with their aging grandparents in a shack. Hun has figured out the cost of building them a better home and Sue is doing a fund raiser. She does it mostly by writing their story & then posting it on Facebook and on their website. In 3 days, she has raised $3200. Only $800 to go. (Her Facebook page is Sue Thompson). Once all the money is raised, Hun will arrange for the workers & supplies. They make an impressive team!
Here's pictures of that family:
Update #3
Monday morning starts our routine days. Up early at 5:30 giving us time to learn more about where we are at from Sue. Kids arrive around 8. I headed to the library where kids have free play with many activities & can explore the nice collection of books. I read aloud to them and also with individuals. Rog joined the English class just adding whatever and whenever he could. Kids left around 10. We had a good lunch of corn fritters. Soon after, we cleared a room & then Rog & some boys pulled down a rotting thatch ceiling. Dirty work. Jane worked on packing up donated clothes. After Rog cleaned up, Sue helped him make bread. This could be dangerous newly learned skill. Fresh bread was great with the delicious roast. At 7, we went to the evening English class where climate change was the topic. We were asked to teach a bit more about global warming.
Next morning was a repeat of yesterday with English class & library activities from 8-10 and again from 1-3. In the time between, Hun stop by & we put together some plans for the next two weeks. We then took him to his home at the temple. It was quite a massive area with lots of buildings and several temples. It was located right next to ancient, crumbling temple that is over 700 years old. The road we took to get there is through rice fields and ends at the local school. Hun was instrumental in getting it built so it is called Hun Road. It is a must safer route to school since most must bike there. We ended the evening walking down the road to a small market…where they sold cold Coke! Not Diet but it tasted wonderful! A hot air balloon was overhead so kids came running as sometimes they drop candy. They did. This adds to the rotten teeth we see in most the kids. We were in bed before 9.
Up at 5 & off to meet Hun. We had to drive through a herd of water buffalo to get to the pond where we'd agreed to meet him. At 6 we were sitting on a mat looking over the pond & learning about Buddhism, importance of Karma & the rules monks live by. He challenged us to meditate for 10 minutes. Then he blessed us by sprinkling water on us & tying a string bracelet on us. Pretty neat experience. A tuk tuk brought us home in time for our 8 am duties. We all went out for a very nice lunch where I got spring rolls & Diet Coke, Rog got a traditional soup & Hun got a hamburger & FF! He can't kill an ant but….
After our 1 o'clock duties, Rog worked in the garden & I did a thorough cleaning of the washing machine. With about 15 boys using it, the vents were badly plugged. We were both ready for a cool shower before dinner. The evening English class was fun as they were studying weather related words and had lots of questions about snow & ice. The teacher is very engaging & has a wonderful rapport with the kids.
Another good day.
Monday morning starts our routine days. Up early at 5:30 giving us time to learn more about where we are at from Sue. Kids arrive around 8. I headed to the library where kids have free play with many activities & can explore the nice collection of books. I read aloud to them and also with individuals. Rog joined the English class just adding whatever and whenever he could. Kids left around 10. We had a good lunch of corn fritters. Soon after, we cleared a room & then Rog & some boys pulled down a rotting thatch ceiling. Dirty work. Jane worked on packing up donated clothes. After Rog cleaned up, Sue helped him make bread. This could be dangerous newly learned skill. Fresh bread was great with the delicious roast. At 7, we went to the evening English class where climate change was the topic. We were asked to teach a bit more about global warming.
Next morning was a repeat of yesterday with English class & library activities from 8-10 and again from 1-3. In the time between, Hun stop by & we put together some plans for the next two weeks. We then took him to his home at the temple. It was quite a massive area with lots of buildings and several temples. It was located right next to ancient, crumbling temple that is over 700 years old. The road we took to get there is through rice fields and ends at the local school. Hun was instrumental in getting it built so it is called Hun Road. It is a must safer route to school since most must bike there. We ended the evening walking down the road to a small market…where they sold cold Coke! Not Diet but it tasted wonderful! A hot air balloon was overhead so kids came running as sometimes they drop candy. They did. This adds to the rotten teeth we see in most the kids. We were in bed before 9.
Up at 5 & off to meet Hun. We had to drive through a herd of water buffalo to get to the pond where we'd agreed to meet him. At 6 we were sitting on a mat looking over the pond & learning about Buddhism, importance of Karma & the rules monks live by. He challenged us to meditate for 10 minutes. Then he blessed us by sprinkling water on us & tying a string bracelet on us. Pretty neat experience. A tuk tuk brought us home in time for our 8 am duties. We all went out for a very nice lunch where I got spring rolls & Diet Coke, Rog got a traditional soup & Hun got a hamburger & FF! He can't kill an ant but….
After our 1 o'clock duties, Rog worked in the garden & I did a thorough cleaning of the washing machine. With about 15 boys using it, the vents were badly plugged. We were both ready for a cool shower before dinner. The evening English class was fun as they were studying weather related words and had lots of questions about snow & ice. The teacher is very engaging & has a wonderful rapport with the kids.
Another good day.
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Update#2
*As usual, I won't be editing my updates as the idea is to just get our days events and my thoughts recorded. This isn't for a grade or publication! Thanks for understanding and feel free to reply. We love hearing from you!
We were warmly welcomed by Sue and Monk Hun as soon as we got outside the airport. In about 25 minutes, we arrived at her lovely home. It's quite unique with beaded doors, stone sink & doors that open completely to the outside. Simple yet elegant. We walked the compound that includes two bunk houses for the boys who live here, a bath house, a library and a school. We met several of the boys who range in age 6-28. Wegot a brief back story and all this while a loud band played with intensity in the background. There's a wedding across the street. Sue made us a delicious chicken salad & fresh homemade bread. Hun didn't join us as he doesn't eat after noon. Tomorrow plans were discussed and then Sue went to the upstairs bedroom as she'd insisted we stay in her downstair suite as the water pressure isn't working. We were in bed by 8. And ready. All slept well until 2:30 when the dogs had a party and then 4:00 when the local wedding celebration began again. Such an effective loud speaker! After some coffee & toast, we walked over to peek at the wedding. We were encouraged to pass the crowd of elegantly, glitzy attired guest, each holding a golden platter with various items on top & held on with cellophane. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, sodas, beer, etc. We watched as the parents exchanged gifts & the guest entered each given some $$. We were immersed! At 9, we loaded the car with school supplies, clothing, Monk Hun, us & Sue at the wheel…out for a Sunday drive. Not the leisurely normal Sunday drive with stops at an ice cream shop or park. Our drive was over rutted roads with stops at homes where people with many needs lived. Sue and Hun had been alerted to these needs by the village chief who joined us at several stops. There was the young girls whose mother had died & father raped her. Using rice & $ to bribe the father, he agreed to keep his distance and let her go to school. She had received a bike, school uniform & supplies earlier. This was just a check up to see all was well. We stopped for lunch at a relaxing spot with lots of shade. The village chief, the administrator of the area and a photographer, Jo met us there. Jo is working on a documentary on Monk Hun. I jumped in the tuk tuk with her so I could feel the air & taste the dust and we went off to our next stop. It was the home where an albino girl lived with a neighbor as her parents left to work a year ago & has only been home once. The young girl had extreme vision issues when Sue first met her and had already taken her to get glasses. Since then, she has learned to read and ride a bike so we gave her one of her very own with a basket filled with school supplies! We all clapped as she took off on her bike. On to the next stop where a blind boy lived with his grandmother as both parents had died. Sue & Monk talked with the Gma getting permission to take him to a school for blind. Hun had also arranged for us to stop at the home of another blind person. A father who lost his sight about 10 years ago and last year his wife died. His 8 year old daughter cares for him. Again, with much encouragement, he agreed to have Sue take him to see an eye doctor soon. Some of Hun's boys meet us at village center. They'd driven the motorcycle with a flatbed loaded with bikes. There 3 other kids were gifted bikes with baskets filled with school supplies. Lots more smiles!!! It was almost 5 by now but there was one more stop. The home…shack…of an old couple (actually about my age) who lived there with two granddaughters. The Gma was a skeleton and could hardly move. The Gpa was blind and almost completely deaf. The parents of the girls were dead and the gparents were worried about what would happen to the girls as they surely couldn't take care of them much longer. Also, the girls were beautiful and they couldn't protect them either. Sue is hoping to build them a small brick home where the girls will be safe and can care for the gparents. When they pass, the girls will have a decent home. Hun said it'll take about $4000 and they must check to make sure the land will be theirs. That's the next step. It seems so wrong to have to wait to get them all in a better place. We arrived home exhausted but filled with a deep sense of satisfaction. Rog & I made a supper of scrambled eggs & toast and cleaned up. Sue headed up to her room to journal…as did I.
We were warmly welcomed by Sue and Monk Hun as soon as we got outside the airport. In about 25 minutes, we arrived at her lovely home. It's quite unique with beaded doors, stone sink & doors that open completely to the outside. Simple yet elegant. We walked the compound that includes two bunk houses for the boys who live here, a bath house, a library and a school. We met several of the boys who range in age 6-28. Wegot a brief back story and all this while a loud band played with intensity in the background. There's a wedding across the street. Sue made us a delicious chicken salad & fresh homemade bread. Hun didn't join us as he doesn't eat after noon. Tomorrow plans were discussed and then Sue went to the upstairs bedroom as she'd insisted we stay in her downstair suite as the water pressure isn't working. We were in bed by 8. And ready. All slept well until 2:30 when the dogs had a party and then 4:00 when the local wedding celebration began again. Such an effective loud speaker! After some coffee & toast, we walked over to peek at the wedding. We were encouraged to pass the crowd of elegantly, glitzy attired guest, each holding a golden platter with various items on top & held on with cellophane. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, sodas, beer, etc. We watched as the parents exchanged gifts & the guest entered each given some $$. We were immersed! At 9, we loaded the car with school supplies, clothing, Monk Hun, us & Sue at the wheel…out for a Sunday drive. Not the leisurely normal Sunday drive with stops at an ice cream shop or park. Our drive was over rutted roads with stops at homes where people with many needs lived. Sue and Hun had been alerted to these needs by the village chief who joined us at several stops. There was the young girls whose mother had died & father raped her. Using rice & $ to bribe the father, he agreed to keep his distance and let her go to school. She had received a bike, school uniform & supplies earlier. This was just a check up to see all was well. We stopped for lunch at a relaxing spot with lots of shade. The village chief, the administrator of the area and a photographer, Jo met us there. Jo is working on a documentary on Monk Hun. I jumped in the tuk tuk with her so I could feel the air & taste the dust and we went off to our next stop. It was the home where an albino girl lived with a neighbor as her parents left to work a year ago & has only been home once. The young girl had extreme vision issues when Sue first met her and had already taken her to get glasses. Since then, she has learned to read and ride a bike so we gave her one of her very own with a basket filled with school supplies! We all clapped as she took off on her bike. On to the next stop where a blind boy lived with his grandmother as both parents had died. Sue & Monk talked with the Gma getting permission to take him to a school for blind. Hun had also arranged for us to stop at the home of another blind person. A father who lost his sight about 10 years ago and last year his wife died. His 8 year old daughter cares for him. Again, with much encouragement, he agreed to have Sue take him to see an eye doctor soon. Some of Hun's boys meet us at village center. They'd driven the motorcycle with a flatbed loaded with bikes. There 3 other kids were gifted bikes with baskets filled with school supplies. Lots more smiles!!! It was almost 5 by now but there was one more stop. The home…shack…of an old couple (actually about my age) who lived there with two granddaughters. The Gma was a skeleton and could hardly move. The Gpa was blind and almost completely deaf. The parents of the girls were dead and the gparents were worried about what would happen to the girls as they surely couldn't take care of them much longer. Also, the girls were beautiful and they couldn't protect them either. Sue is hoping to build them a small brick home where the girls will be safe and can care for the gparents. When they pass, the girls will have a decent home. Hun said it'll take about $4000 and they must check to make sure the land will be theirs. That's the next step. It seems so wrong to have to wait to get them all in a better place. We arrived home exhausted but filled with a deep sense of satisfaction. Rog & I made a supper of scrambled eggs & toast and cleaned up. Sue headed up to her room to journal…as did I.
Sunday, January 14, 2024
Update #1
We're off again on another adventure…and another chance to experience yet again another part of the world. I love that part…getting the chance to step into other cultures and spend time with the people in their own homes. I know it's a small window it greatly expands my vision and love of this world and the people in it!
Day 1…that last a looong time:
After carefully checking off our packing list & listening to the weather forecast, we asked Ben to take us to an airport hotel so we'd avoid problems in the morning. We got up before 6 and were at the gate by 7:30. Our flight to Chicago was delayed but fortunately, we made our connecting flight to Istanbul. Ten hours got us there—the ancient city once called Constantinople. Mosque everywhere. Gorgeous, humongous and with minarets reaching to the sky, many surrounded by tombs honoring sultans. We heard there are 81,000+ mosque in Turkey. We took the subway to the downtown area, we could walk to see the Blue Mosque, Haifa Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Bosporus Strait that separates Asia from Europe. We ate sharma at a small street restaurant and when we got tired of trying to navigate the crowded sidewalks—many of them uneven stone-we got on a Hop On Hop Off bus & rode around getting a good view of the city. We hit the wall about 4 pm ( 26 hours since we'd left our hotel in Detroit) and went to a hotel for a long rest. Up at 12:30 am & headed to the airport to catch our 3 am flight. Another 10 hours filled with more movies, uncomfortable naps, airplane food and landed in Ho Chi Minh City where we just wanted to go to our hotel. But since line to get through customs was so long, our ride had long gone, we ended up maneuvering the walk to the hotel, dodging motorcycles thick as a swarm of mosquitoes. But we made it. We ate chicken skewers and sweet sticky rice cake at the restaurant on the top floor of our hotel. Nice location and excellent service. Also quite cheap at a bit under 400,000 dong!
We were reminded of a meal in Thailand where it seemed we were served the parts of the chicken that we don't eat. Best to eat small bites and be prepared to remove any offending joints or cartilage. Or we could just eat less often and be happy to eat every morsel. Our flight to Cambodia wasn't till noon so we got a good long night's sleep.
We're off again on another adventure…and another chance to experience yet again another part of the world. I love that part…getting the chance to step into other cultures and spend time with the people in their own homes. I know it's a small window it greatly expands my vision and love of this world and the people in it!
Day 1…that last a looong time:
After carefully checking off our packing list & listening to the weather forecast, we asked Ben to take us to an airport hotel so we'd avoid problems in the morning. We got up before 6 and were at the gate by 7:30. Our flight to Chicago was delayed but fortunately, we made our connecting flight to Istanbul. Ten hours got us there—the ancient city once called Constantinople. Mosque everywhere. Gorgeous, humongous and with minarets reaching to the sky, many surrounded by tombs honoring sultans. We heard there are 81,000+ mosque in Turkey. We took the subway to the downtown area, we could walk to see the Blue Mosque, Haifa Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Bosporus Strait that separates Asia from Europe. We ate sharma at a small street restaurant and when we got tired of trying to navigate the crowded sidewalks—many of them uneven stone-we got on a Hop On Hop Off bus & rode around getting a good view of the city. We hit the wall about 4 pm ( 26 hours since we'd left our hotel in Detroit) and went to a hotel for a long rest. Up at 12:30 am & headed to the airport to catch our 3 am flight. Another 10 hours filled with more movies, uncomfortable naps, airplane food and landed in Ho Chi Minh City where we just wanted to go to our hotel. But since line to get through customs was so long, our ride had long gone, we ended up maneuvering the walk to the hotel, dodging motorcycles thick as a swarm of mosquitoes. But we made it. We ate chicken skewers and sweet sticky rice cake at the restaurant on the top floor of our hotel. Nice location and excellent service. Also quite cheap at a bit under 400,000 dong!
We were reminded of a meal in Thailand where it seemed we were served the parts of the chicken that we don't eat. Best to eat small bites and be prepared to remove any offending joints or cartilage. Or we could just eat less often and be happy to eat every morsel. Our flight to Cambodia wasn't till noon so we got a good long night's sleep.
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Testing
Since we leave in less than a week, I'm doing my test to see if I have email addresses correct and to give you the opportunity to say, please remove me!!! Truly, I mean it. I totally want you to say remove me if you don't want my deluge of long updates as we travel around Cambodia and Vietnam.
Either way, stay healthy and enjoy!
Jane and Roger
Either way, stay healthy and enjoy!
Jane and Roger
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Update #33- Final Thoughts
First, I fell amazingly blessed to have the time, resources & a husband willing to do a trip like this. I am so privileged to live the life I do. Such a rich, comfortable and exciting life! There's no comparison to the life of most Gambians. It makes me feel guilty even though I thought most Gambians I met seemed happy. I wish I'd been able to spend more time getting below the surface & really know how they felt about their lives. Language was a barrier. I wish I could see a brighter future for them. I wish I could have done more for them.
Morocco was just fun especially our day with Mariame and the desert was stunning. Portugal was so amazingly full of history, culture & remarkable buildings. Overall, we had a fabulous trip with few hiccups and we're anxious to be home again with our family & friends. It's so true that absence makes the heart fonder!
Here's Roger's final thoughts:
Traveling with a purpose
The last month in Morocco and Portugal has reminded us that we still truly enjoy volunteering when we travel. Our interactions with the locals in these countries were often the result of us needing something, or someone thinking that we should buy something they had to offer.
We did see and briefly connect with other travelers at times, but it was just not the same as our experience in Gambia where we were able to work with many people in several locations…the bike shop, the school, My Farm, even at the prison! The richness of our experience there came from enjoying longer term connections and working together to accomplish shared goals.
We had anticipated that the schedule, the work, or other issues would eventually lead us to decide to stop volunteering. While it's true that we are definitely less energetic than we were 15 years ago when we took our first long winter trip, our efforts are still truly appreciated. We hope that we might "travel to volunteer" again!
Update #32
Side note: There are still cigarette vending machines here! We've seen lots of smokers and many vaping as well. It seems especially odd that we've seen many serious bikers, stop for a break & pull out their cigarettes!
Next morning we were back on the fast train to Lisbon. It was actually our least favorite train ride as our assigned seats were facing the opposite way the train was going, our window was dirty & besides we were going so fast, it was nauseating to try to see what we were going by. But we did get to Lisbon quickly. Took us a little while to find the room we'd booked which turned out to be a dump. We'd been so lucky so far! So instead of being miserable, we called it a loss & walked down a block & luckily found a nice room available! After a couple glasses of cold water & an orange, we felt ready to go to the aquarium. It had a humongous center tank divided with clear walls into 4 sections…one for each of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian & Arctic Oceans. We saw several species we'd never seen before. It was very well done and included a film about some of the outreach projects they are involved in both working with other aquariums & environmentalists. We got back to our room about 8 ready for a good night's sleep.
Our last full day here, we took the subway to the Jeronimos Monestery. After waiting in line for this #1 Lisbon attraction, we had to admit that though it was beautiful, it wasn't the best we'd seen. Jaded is the word to describe us. From there we took the train to Cascais, a town on the Atlantic where the waves were huge and the beach was full of sun lovers & football games. I enjoyed soaking up some of that sun! We walked the streets admiring unique & well kept homes & along the ocean walkway which gave us views of lots of sailboats & yachts. When we got back to Lisbon, we had a delicious steak dinner & headed back to our hotel.
We both woke up our last day of this 10+ week trip feeling very much like we were ready to be home. We kind of bummed around just riding the trolley that we happened to get off at near St. Anthony's Church which had an attached museum that supposedly was the spot he was born. The museum was filled with a huge variety of statues of him. Since St. Anthony is the saint of lost things, it was a lucky find. He was also the one my mother prayed to the most as she was always losing things! We packed up & moved to a hotel close to the airport around 3. Played cards, had a pizza & tried to get to bed early as our flight leaves at 6:15 am. We'll fly 3 hours to Munich, then 9 to Toronto & the final 1 and a half to Detroit.
Well—that changed! And this is not an April Fool's joke!
We missed our connection to Detroit as our flight to Toronto landed late so they booked us for a later flight which got us almost to Detroit before turning around due to bad weather and taking us back to Toronto. They did give us a voucher for the airport hotel and we crashed around midnight. We'd been up 26 hours by then. So here we are in Toronto hoping to get on the flight scheduled at 3 pm to day! We can only laugh and realize this is part of traveling too!
If all goes well, Dick & Nell will pick us up, we'll go out to dinner, pick up a few groceries and be home around 8 pm tonight…April 1st. Ben & Bek's family will be coming home from their spring break trips today also.
So that'll end this jam-packed trip to Gambia, Morocco & Portugal!
Next morning we were back on the fast train to Lisbon. It was actually our least favorite train ride as our assigned seats were facing the opposite way the train was going, our window was dirty & besides we were going so fast, it was nauseating to try to see what we were going by. But we did get to Lisbon quickly. Took us a little while to find the room we'd booked which turned out to be a dump. We'd been so lucky so far! So instead of being miserable, we called it a loss & walked down a block & luckily found a nice room available! After a couple glasses of cold water & an orange, we felt ready to go to the aquarium. It had a humongous center tank divided with clear walls into 4 sections…one for each of the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian & Arctic Oceans. We saw several species we'd never seen before. It was very well done and included a film about some of the outreach projects they are involved in both working with other aquariums & environmentalists. We got back to our room about 8 ready for a good night's sleep.
Our last full day here, we took the subway to the Jeronimos Monestery. After waiting in line for this #1 Lisbon attraction, we had to admit that though it was beautiful, it wasn't the best we'd seen. Jaded is the word to describe us. From there we took the train to Cascais, a town on the Atlantic where the waves were huge and the beach was full of sun lovers & football games. I enjoyed soaking up some of that sun! We walked the streets admiring unique & well kept homes & along the ocean walkway which gave us views of lots of sailboats & yachts. When we got back to Lisbon, we had a delicious steak dinner & headed back to our hotel.
We both woke up our last day of this 10+ week trip feeling very much like we were ready to be home. We kind of bummed around just riding the trolley that we happened to get off at near St. Anthony's Church which had an attached museum that supposedly was the spot he was born. The museum was filled with a huge variety of statues of him. Since St. Anthony is the saint of lost things, it was a lucky find. He was also the one my mother prayed to the most as she was always losing things! We packed up & moved to a hotel close to the airport around 3. Played cards, had a pizza & tried to get to bed early as our flight leaves at 6:15 am. We'll fly 3 hours to Munich, then 9 to Toronto & the final 1 and a half to Detroit.
Well—that changed! And this is not an April Fool's joke!
We missed our connection to Detroit as our flight to Toronto landed late so they booked us for a later flight which got us almost to Detroit before turning around due to bad weather and taking us back to Toronto. They did give us a voucher for the airport hotel and we crashed around midnight. We'd been up 26 hours by then. So here we are in Toronto hoping to get on the flight scheduled at 3 pm to day! We can only laugh and realize this is part of traveling too!
If all goes well, Dick & Nell will pick us up, we'll go out to dinner, pick up a few groceries and be home around 8 pm tonight…April 1st. Ben & Bek's family will be coming home from their spring break trips today also.
So that'll end this jam-packed trip to Gambia, Morocco & Portugal!
Update #31
Porto—a city built on the cliffs over looking the Douro River with more churches than even I could visit! More on that later. We got to Porto late afternoon so first we figured out the subway system, then went to a visitor center for maps & finally found a nice place & had a lasagna dinner & a port wine for Rog. I'm actually drinking regular Coke as they don't have Diet Coke …only Coke Lite…I found a few in Gambia but that's it. We had to laugh cause we finished off the water I had in my backpack & put the empty bottle on our table. The waitress had brought us de Natas which we thought was a nice touch but when we got the bill…we got charged for the de Natas & a bottle of water!! A sign was posted saying they charged for everything on the table. Live & learn! We then tracked down a Fado venue and were totally entertained by the Portuguese guitar, the base guitar & the singer. They told us no two shows were they same because as musicians, Fado tradition is to improvise according to how you feel at the time. A glass of port wine was part of the admission price…which meant two for Rog! Thanks Sue Ivey for encouraging us to go. It was a good way to spend the first night here!
As I mentioned, there's a lot of churches in Porto. I visited several and did get awed by the Se Cathedral where King John I married his Queen Philippa (Portuagal -England) which cemented their countries and their son, Henry the Navigator was baptized. Yup…Henry again. As expected, it was dripping with gold plated, intricate designs, statues and the ceiling reached high up showing off a stain glass window & huge organ pipes. Rog sat outside & listened to a violinist play beautifully. I also could hear it echoing through the Cathedral & the attached monastery. Such a perfect sound to hear there. We also managed to find the Sao Bento train station which was richly decorated with detailed blue/white tiles that showed much about the history of Porto. Next we got on a boat to take us on an hour cruise on the river admiring Porto from that viewpoint. It was quite a climb up to get to the Jardins de Palaciade Cristal where tulips, petunia, daisies and bougainvilea were in full bloom! That was enough for one day so we went back to our room to rest up before dinner at an Indian restaurant. I must confess, I had McD for lunch…first time in Portugal and though it was okay…it wasn't as good as USA. After dinner, Rog went to the train station to buy tickets for tomorrow. He has done a fabulous job of figuring out bus, trains & subways and all our really cheap & easy ways for us to travel. That said, Portugal is not a place for anyone who wasn't willing to go up & down uneven cobblestone sidewalks!
We'd decided we needed a less strenuous day, so we got on the train that took us through the Douro Valley. It was a great plan! Endless terraces filled with neat grapevine rows stepped down the steep mountain side giving us stunning scenic views as we followed the wide Douro River. Small villages snuggled at the base of some mountains hugging the shoreline. A few large home sat higher up & along…seemingly proud. We traveled about 2 hours enjoying the views & the company of a couple from Ireland…about 20 yrs younger but it was amazing how similar our views were on family, politics & the world situation. We got off at Peso do Régua where we walked the nice walkway along the river stopping often to take in the view. We brought sandwiches with us to eat & Rog enjoyed a glass of wine…of course. We went by an area with about 20 motor homes parked & hooked up. Several people sat in lawn chairs out front & others were getting on/off bikes. We'd only seen 2 motor homes since we left in January. After we tired of walking, we went to a museums. It was quite nice and had several videos about the history, culture & religion of the area. Strong faith in God & appreciation for the good things in their lives were strong themes. Cave drawings have recently been discovered near here that they think are 50,000+ years old! Around 5, we headed back to Porto enjoying the 2 hour ride seeing views going the other direction. When we got to Porto, it was dinner time. Rog braved eating the famed Porto dish: francesinha sandwich. I had to divert my eyes as he discovered what was in it: bread, ham, sausage, roast & cheese with a thick spicy tomato sauce poured over it and a fried egg on top. He was up for the challenge! I had ordered a baked potato which turned out to be boiled potatoes. I ate some bread & cheese packets the waiter had put on our table and put some of the butter on my potatoes. Guess we hadn't learned our lesson because our bill included the bread, cheese packets & even the butter packets.
At least we didn't get charged for the salt I used!
As I mentioned, there's a lot of churches in Porto. I visited several and did get awed by the Se Cathedral where King John I married his Queen Philippa (Portuagal -England) which cemented their countries and their son, Henry the Navigator was baptized. Yup…Henry again. As expected, it was dripping with gold plated, intricate designs, statues and the ceiling reached high up showing off a stain glass window & huge organ pipes. Rog sat outside & listened to a violinist play beautifully. I also could hear it echoing through the Cathedral & the attached monastery. Such a perfect sound to hear there. We also managed to find the Sao Bento train station which was richly decorated with detailed blue/white tiles that showed much about the history of Porto. Next we got on a boat to take us on an hour cruise on the river admiring Porto from that viewpoint. It was quite a climb up to get to the Jardins de Palaciade Cristal where tulips, petunia, daisies and bougainvilea were in full bloom! That was enough for one day so we went back to our room to rest up before dinner at an Indian restaurant. I must confess, I had McD for lunch…first time in Portugal and though it was okay…it wasn't as good as USA. After dinner, Rog went to the train station to buy tickets for tomorrow. He has done a fabulous job of figuring out bus, trains & subways and all our really cheap & easy ways for us to travel. That said, Portugal is not a place for anyone who wasn't willing to go up & down uneven cobblestone sidewalks!
We'd decided we needed a less strenuous day, so we got on the train that took us through the Douro Valley. It was a great plan! Endless terraces filled with neat grapevine rows stepped down the steep mountain side giving us stunning scenic views as we followed the wide Douro River. Small villages snuggled at the base of some mountains hugging the shoreline. A few large home sat higher up & along…seemingly proud. We traveled about 2 hours enjoying the views & the company of a couple from Ireland…about 20 yrs younger but it was amazing how similar our views were on family, politics & the world situation. We got off at Peso do Régua where we walked the nice walkway along the river stopping often to take in the view. We brought sandwiches with us to eat & Rog enjoyed a glass of wine…of course. We went by an area with about 20 motor homes parked & hooked up. Several people sat in lawn chairs out front & others were getting on/off bikes. We'd only seen 2 motor homes since we left in January. After we tired of walking, we went to a museums. It was quite nice and had several videos about the history, culture & religion of the area. Strong faith in God & appreciation for the good things in their lives were strong themes. Cave drawings have recently been discovered near here that they think are 50,000+ years old! Around 5, we headed back to Porto enjoying the 2 hour ride seeing views going the other direction. When we got to Porto, it was dinner time. Rog braved eating the famed Porto dish: francesinha sandwich. I had to divert my eyes as he discovered what was in it: bread, ham, sausage, roast & cheese with a thick spicy tomato sauce poured over it and a fried egg on top. He was up for the challenge! I had ordered a baked potato which turned out to be boiled potatoes. I ate some bread & cheese packets the waiter had put on our table and put some of the butter on my potatoes. Guess we hadn't learned our lesson because our bill included the bread, cheese packets & even the butter packets.
At least we didn't get charged for the salt I used!
Update #30
We found our hotel in Coombes quickly. Roger has been able to locate hotels close to train/bus stations which makes it a short walk. We got things situated in our room & then walked around the squares nearby. Quaint narrow passage ways with no traffic make it fun to walk. Next we headed up to the University area. It's in the former palace and quite impressive. We saw students wearing long black capes walking around—like Harry Potter! The Science Museum & Cabinets of Curiosity filled the rest of the day. We brought the bus back which ended up taking us all over town…cheap tour. It was raining when we got up the next morning so I stayed in bed & Rog took the umbrella & went for coffee and a sweet pastry. Speaking of sweet pastry, they are on every corner & every street. I think they should rename Portugal to Pastryville. After the weather cleared up around 11, we took off to find the bus to Conimbriga where there were Roman ruins. Those Roman knew how to build things to last! Here 300 BC, about 10,000 lived for almost 500 years. Most amazing were the tile floors still looking pretty good. We had quite a wait for the return bus but it was sunny & we just enjoyed the down time. We've done what we'd hoped to do here in Coimbra so off to Porto we go!
Side story: We've been seeing rooster images on so many things here: signs, table clothes, aprons & even on top of churches. I decided to find out why. According the legend, a village had been the site of a terrible crime. A stranger happen to be passing through so they accused him, convicted him & sentenced him to hang. He claimed he was innocent & ask to see the judge who happen to be just sitting down to a dinner of roasted rooster. The stranger pleaded his case but the judge refused to change the sentence. So the stranger told him that the cooked rooster on his table would crow at the time of the hanging. The judge decided not to eat the rooster & brought it to the hanging where most of the villagers had turned out. All were laughing & enjoying the story. But sure enough, just as they were ready to hang the stranger, the rooster crowed. The stranger lived and the rooster is now considered Good Luck & Long Life!
Side story: We've been seeing rooster images on so many things here: signs, table clothes, aprons & even on top of churches. I decided to find out why. According the legend, a village had been the site of a terrible crime. A stranger happen to be passing through so they accused him, convicted him & sentenced him to hang. He claimed he was innocent & ask to see the judge who happen to be just sitting down to a dinner of roasted rooster. The stranger pleaded his case but the judge refused to change the sentence. So the stranger told him that the cooked rooster on his table would crow at the time of the hanging. The judge decided not to eat the rooster & brought it to the hanging where most of the villagers had turned out. All were laughing & enjoying the story. But sure enough, just as they were ready to hang the stranger, the rooster crowed. The stranger lived and the rooster is now considered Good Luck & Long Life!
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