Angkor Wat: Indiana Jones, eat your heart out!!

The flight to Siem Reap on Vietnam Airlines was actually great. It was short (40 minutes) and smooth, despite my pre-flight apprehension - and they even gave us breakfast muffins and water at no additional cost, unlike our domestic carriers!
We were greeted by our tour guide, Tra - with a terrific white van that became our home base, complete with cooler full of water and local fruits and snacks provided by Robert. He is an adorable young man who speaks English VERY well, sings, and wants to be on American Idol. He planned everything for us, from meals to activities, absolutely perfectly. I did my best to teach him as many American colloquialisms as possible, like, "Robert, if you forget our luggage, you're TOAST!!", which cracked him up.

Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom were simply breathtaking. And the INTREPID Team Angkor felt right at home with Laura Croft and Indiana Jones (we're thinking of using that as our official name with t-shirts and the whole nine yards..) - except we're clearly in better shape and more compelling than Harrison Ford or Angelina Jolie. We're expecting the call from Speilberg any day now....

At the entrance to Angkor Thom, they have incredible elephants that are very gentle and SUCK bananas out of your hands (I know from experience) - And being a hopeless animal-lover, I was admonished by everyone I know to NOT TOUCH ANY ANIMALS because of fleas, rabies, ringworm, lice, and zillions of other hideous things. I have really tried, but thus far have patted the elephants, a bull, a dog and cat, and yes folks, a snake hanging around a little girl's neck. Thus far all my skin is still attached. I am a walking advertisement for Purell.








Here's our incredible manager of the clinic, Gabi, and one of the elephants. She is a one-woman tour de force, and has done so much for the clinic, the Cambodian people, and the nursing students at the hospital. She lives half the year in Colorado, and the other half in Cambodia. She is really amazing, and her enthusiasm is infectious! Giant hug to Gabi..

It takes so long to upload here I don't have time for more - and please excuse any typos, I'm typing this very quickly!
We went to the Floating Village today which was just incredible to see.
I got great pics and even videos on my iphone which I'll post tomorrow if possible.  I'll eventually share all my stuff and try to get up a full gallery, or at least a link to one ASAP. The images, people, feeling, and intensity of this place are definitely easier to understand with pictures than with words...but I'm trying! Love to all..I'm too sleepy to do more now..