Southeast Asian trip a delight

Priscilla Yamano

Cambodia is out of this world ... WONDERFUL!

We came to see Angkor Wat, and though Angkor Thom was the one we

fell in love with, none of us were disappointed. Giant tree roots

strangling the stone temples that were unearthed in recent history

reduced us to lilliputians. The roots alone were as thick as some

Redwoods. The ancient jungle-city was like stepping into National

Geographic.

In Siem Reap we stayed at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor (as did

Jackie Onassis) like the days of the Raj with beautiful old colonial

architecture and grounds. The immense blue pool mirrored a grove of

plumeria, ginger halyconia, and lotus ponds. Truly a Garden of Eden!

The Cambodian people are sweet, but it was gut wrenching when we

chanced upon some with limbs blown off and faces marred by exploding

land mines.

We flew into Vietnam with Robin William’s “Good morning Vietnam!”

reverberating in my head. Then it was on to Hue (hway) which was like

China 100 years ago ... delightful! It’s the oldest intact city in

Vietnam and full of history. We have so much and people here have

nothing, but the guides and people we have met were lovely.

We had dinner at a private mansion in a garden lighted with lotus

lanterns. It was a magical evening. Equally excellent were other

restaurants of French-Indochine cuisine. Everyone agrees that up here

in the north it is most interesting with the rice paddies and

villages around the waterways. We visited Marble Mountain and at the

base of it are stonecarvers trying to emulate Michelangelo. We had a

great day in the rain traveling along the Mekong River to the

Forbidden City and Imperial Tombs.

One could imagine a fabulous court in its heyday, but now its

palaces and gold throne room sit in silence -- housing the ghosts of

the past. The tombs were stripped of their once colorful mosaic walls

but the rain added to the drama, as if lost souls were still mourning

for their emperors.

Hello Myanmar! The Burmese are a true and gentle folk. In Bagan it

felt like heaven atop a towering pagoda as we viewed hundreds of

other pagodas on red ochre soil and became part of the magic with the

sun sweeping over the expanse and beyond the horizon. In the very

last days we glided across Inle Lake in canoes and somehow this

surreal surrounding was the crowning glory! Fishermen rowed in a

one-legged style and each one carried a large cone shaped fishing

basket on their head.

Twenty-six days and 10 flights later, I realize that a picture is

worth a thousand words. This trip to Shangri-la has afforded me

priceless images that border on perfection!

* The success of this adventure through Thailand, Cambodia, North

Vietnam and Myanmar is from the enthusiasm, knowledge and

organizational skills of Darrell and Deborah Ebert.