Grand Canyon

Summer means lots of things to lots of people. To us it means fun vacations, easy living, long nights....and Jacob's visit. And once again, we need to thank his parents for letting him come..and his brothers for letting him fill in their spots.
We wait all year for this special time for the three of us...and this year Jacob set the tone. He wanted to go to the Grand Canyon....and we worked the trip around his request.

We flew him out here non-stop from Orlando....a "first" for us, cause when he was in Durham, he had to change planes, so I went to get him and returned him. It gave me a chance to see the rest of the family, which I loved, but it was getting a bit hard to do that "turn-around".

We had a few days here to do the usual stuff. We went to see a a musical called Twist...we went to the LA Museum and saw the Tim Burton Show, as well as the Clock..and we celebrated the Fourth of July at the beach. After those few days,we headed out in the car for Las Vegas...the first stop on our sojourn.

We stayed at the Bellagio,one of our favorite hotels in Las Vegas, in a lake-front suite. From 5 o'clock on, we were able to see the dancing fountain. What a fun thing to watch....and especially from our vantage point!!!

We took Jacob to Caesar's Palace to show him the "life-like" fountains in the mall..and ate dinner in the Italian outdoor cafe. Then we walked back to our hotel...got an ice cream and collapsed. It was very crowded, and we were just exhausted.

The next morning, we got up early and headed to the Hoover Dam, where we took the tour into the bowels of the Dam itself. It is quite impressive...and a fun thing to experience. Just wish it hadn't been quite so hot (102 in the shade!!!)

We were deciding to take a swim upon our return to the hotel, but we decided the air conditioning might feel a bit better. Jacob was coming down with a cold, so we thought this would work for him. We had an early dinner, and then went to see the Cirque de Soleil's show "O", at the Bellagio. We had seen it 10 years ago...and it was as amazing as we remembered. Jacob loved it, as did we. It is so fascinating to watch that water come and go....and we prayed that the acrobats diving into it didn't have a mishap!!! It is a very exciting show...and perfect for a 13 year old.

The next morning, we headed out of Las Vegas towards Flagstaff..our stop before entering the Grand Canyon. Flagstaff is an important educational center...the home of Northern Arizona University, and is a keystone of the cultural scene. There is year-round recreation in Flagstaff..and it is a lovely town. But first, we had to get there.

We drove highway 40, and stopped in Seligman at the Road Kill Cafe for lunch. Really fun menu.We then proceeded onto the town of Williams. It was cloudy and starting to rain so we just drove thru. I would have loved to explore this little town, as it is a resort area before you get to the Grand Canyon..but the guys didn't want to explore in the rain. I guess I understand that.

So we continued on the 40. We pulled into Flagstaff before it really rained..checked into the hotel and decided to have dinner before heading to the Lowell Observatory, one of major astronomy centers in the US. It has been at the forefront of astronomical research since 1894...and it was here that the planet Pluto was discovered. We had hoped to use the huge telescope...but it was still rainy...so no go...no show.

We all got up early the next morning, and went back to the Lowell. This time we had a wonderful tour, but unfortunately, since it was daylight, we couldn't see the stars. We did see the various scopes, however...and it is a place I would highly recommend for a stop.

Next we headed toward the town of Winslow, to see the Meteor Crater. Winslow is a rail shipment and trading community in a desert setting. And this famous crater we were going to see was formed nearly 50,000 years ago . It happened when a meteorite about 150 feet across and weighing several hundred thousand tons slammed into the earth. At the bottom, four football fields could rest side by side. It is quite something to see...and worth the slight detour.

We then headed toward the Wupatki National Monument, on the way to Cameron. There are cave paintings and caverns to explore skirting the edge of the Navajo Indian reservation. You could spend a lot of time here...but we were anxious to head to the Grand Canyon..so off we headed .

We entered the park and headed towards the South Rim. The drive to our hotel was nothing short of spectacular. At the first stop, we got out and the three of us just stood on the rim....speechless. No matter how many times you see this a movie or from an airplane...to stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon takes your breath away. It is just awesome (now I can use this word and it makes sense!!) It is definitely a WOW. And to watch the eagles soaring up the sides, catching an updraft, and then a downdraft...it is nothing short of spectacular.

The canyon runs 277 miles long, and is formed by the Colorado River. From the South Rim to the North Rim is about 10 miles. The walls of the canyon itself are said to date back 5-6 million years. However, the floor of the canyon is about 2 billion!!!!. Pretty impressive facts. Even if you don't like nature, you cannot help but being impressed.

There must have been three more camera stops we made before heading to our hotel....the El Tovar...right on the rim of the canyon itself.

There are 8 hotel/lodges on the south rim of the canyon, the El Tover being the oldest and most exclusive. It was built in the early 1900's, and is such a historic landmark, there isn't even an elevator!! Couldn't put one in if they tried. Needless to say, it is a walk up to the 3rd floor...but well worth it. The view from our balcony overlooked the front of the hotel, and the Grand Canyon itself. AMAZING And every day we had visitors who came to graze...a family of elk that was so picturesque as to be nothing short of a movie trailer.

We ate dinner in the hotel and got to bed early..getting ready for the next day. By now, Jacob was feeling "GREAT";...cause Dick caught his cold. So everyone had to get a good night's sleep.

There are a couple of ways to see the Grand Canyon. One is by mule...down to the bottom. We passed on that by a vote of 3-0. The next is by plane/helicopter ..which we also passed on.....unanimously. Then there are 3-day, 4-day and 7-day raft tours...which we nixed as well. That left motorcoach and railroad. The motorcoach allows you to get on and off, take as much time as you want at each stop...and gets you to the West Rim...as far as you can go.... called the Hermits Rest. A unique native stone building was created on this spot by Mary Jane Colter in 1914.

The motorcoach also does the East Rim..and takes you by a Watchtower, where you can see painings of the Hopi people and a panorama of the Canyon and the painted desert. You cannot do this by car. Both require a Tour by motorcoach.
The railway is not a historical train...it is just a train and it just goes along the rim. Most people we spoke to preferred the motorcoach.

If you choose not to do any of these, you have at least 10 stops along the south rim that you can do by car, and get a wonderful sense of this National Treasure.

On Sunday, both of my patients were feeling better, and we headed back to LA. We took part of the historic Route 66 in a loop out of Seligman, down to Kingman. It was really fun, and Jacob enjoyed reading the ads along the highway. Brought back all the old Burma-Shave days from my past!!!

We got back to LA...our minds and eyes filled with gorgeous scenery, Indian monuments, scientific places, and a flash of surrealism called Las Vegas burned into our memory banks.

All in all, it was a lovely trip...and hopefully one that we will all remember. It certainly had a little bit of everything for everybody!!! And I never got sick!!!

Israel

Having bid good-bye to Jordan, we crossed the border at the Arava Border control...which is much easier than the Allenby Bridge Crossing. In fact, we were the only people at the time we were there. Security is strict on both sides..but you never feel strange.

Upon entering Israel, we went thru security again, got into a taxi for the short ride to the airport in Eliat...and boarded our short flight to Tel Aviv. We were meeting friends for one night to enjoy the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra before heading to Jerusalem. Kurt Mazur was supposed to be guest conducting, but due to illness, he was replaced by a young man who was wonderful. It was a lovely evening, and quite a change from the Wadi Rum desert.

The next morning a taxi picked us up and we headed towards Jerusalem...about an hours drive. Not having been in Israel for over 30 years, we just told everyone we had never been there before. It was a lot easier than trying to equate what was then to what is now.

We checked into the King David Hotel, the iconic masterpiece of a historic hotel in Jerusalem. Built in the 1930's, it has been the place to stay for visiting dignitaries the world over. The hotel was bombed when it housed the British Headquarters in 1946, and after being re-built, they added two top floors. These two floors have been newly remodeled and are incredible! We were lucky enough to be able to stay in a glorious suite..overlooking the Old City. What a way to be in Jerusalem. They did a wonderful job of retaining the antique feeling, while updating the bathrooms and interior space. We even had a flatscreen TV in the bathroom mirror!!!

Anyone who goes to Jerusalem should try to experience this magic property. The soul of this hotel abounds in every corner....and on our first evening we had dinner on the patio overlooking the Old City with a wedding going on around us, and a small Russian delegation having drinks before dinner with Joseph Leiberman....the head of the conservative party. Talk about exciting!!

In Israel, you travel back in time through layers of history. And even if you are not a student of history, you are still fascinated by it. And it is amazing what you do remember when you hear names like Herod, Heroditus, Caesar...well, you get the point.

On our first day, our knowledgeable and personable guide, Irma, took us to the top of Mount Scopus. It is a wonderful way to get an overview of the Old City..and an orientation of Jerusalem. Irma is a retired teacher, and she shared with us so much of the past so that we could try to understand the present and relate all of it to the future. It is difficult in Israel, because everyone has an opinion, and everyone expresses it. But we dove into the pool, as it were, and became awashws in the daily life/politics.

When you stand on Mt. Scopus and see the Old City, the most important places for the three major religions in the world, your breath is taken away. The Western Wall of Judaism, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christianity and the Dome of the Rock, the third holiest site in Islam. You know very quickly why there is such a struggle for power here.

How do I explain the next two weeks? We dove in and out of history, in and out of modern times. We would visit the Western Wall...and then tour the museum. We would see ancient sites, go through tunnels and excavations, and then see modern shopping malls. The juxtaposition was staggering , and at times I felt as if I couldn't absorb another thing.

We went to the Israeli Philharmonic in Tel Aviv, an opera at the Sultan's Pool (an outdoor venue much akin to the Hollywood Bowl right across from the Old City) , a concert at a church in Abu Ghash outside of Jerusalem...and then the most amazing of all....we saw the opera Aida at the base of Masada. How is that for a diverse bit of culture??. And inbetween, we saw Yad Vashem, the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Israeli Museum, the Hecht Museum at Haifa University .

I need to clarify for myself a bit of the history of the Holy Land. Maybe it will help a bit to understand why this trip is so important on so many levels. And it is a trip that everyone should take. I rarely say that about places, but I feel very strongly about Israel and what is in this small piece of land.

Palestine was ruled by the Romans for many centuries, and there are remains all over to see the cardos and the amphiteatres that still are amazingly intact. The Byzantine Era came after the Romans, and was short lived. So we will pass that. Then came the Prophet Muhammad from neighboring Arabia, who was to change the face of this region again because he brought with him Islam, which was soon to conquer this land.

There were numerous skirmishes before the first of a series of crusades happened. The Crusades were holy wars coming from Europe to regain the rule of Christianity, and they spread over 200 years. The Crusades were supposed to recapture the Holy City from the followers of Islam, and reinstate Christianity as the only religion. All over Israel and Jordan there are remnants of these holy wars...and the fortresses that these crusaders built. There was constant fighting in the name of religion and in 1291, the last to fall was Akko. The crusaders were no more.
As an aside, Akko laid buried until 1996, and when it was discovered, it was the find of the century. It was so well preserved....just in pristine condition.

Now came the Marmalukes..a dynasty of slaves from Egypt, who ruled from there, and who were now in control of the Holy Land . At that time Jerusalem declined in importance. It was where people were sent who fell out of favor.

So then the Jews started coming. The Turks had defeated the Marmalukes (whew!) and the Jews felt they were safer under Turkish rule than European scrutiny. The defeat of the Moors in Spain gave rise to the Inquisition, and 100,000 Jews fled to the Holy Land. Most went to the Galilee, around Tiberius and Safed...and those places are still heavily Sephardic Jewish communities.

Turkish rule in Palestine ended in 1917, when General Allenby and his British troops took control of Jerusalem. This was to last until Partition. The Arabs were so upset that the British had to recognize Trans-Jordan as an Arab emirate, and it became independent in 1946. King Abdullah, the brother of King Faisal was confirmed as king, and his son rules today.

Still with me? Good. When Israel was created in l948...war broke out and Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq joined together to defeat this new country. In 1949 armistice was declared and no country held all of Jerusalem. Jordan held the Old City and East Jerusalem... Israel had control of West Jerusalem. It would take 20 years before the city was whole again.

In l967, fear of the encroaching borders by all sides, lead the Israeli army to launch the infamous 6-day war, taking the Golan Heights from Syria, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai from Egypt and the West Bank from Jordan. They also captured the whole of Jerusalem..never to be given back again.

In 1973,in a "save-face" campaign, the Israelis were caught off guard on Yom Kippur eve ,and Syria launched an attack. Nothing changed from the Six Day war in terms of territory. It did, however, open the doors for peace talks with Egypt and Israel wound up giving back Sinai.

All of this in such a short time... 63 years.....but when you see the Galilee and visit the Golan Heights, it begins to make sense. Moses lead his people out of Sinai into the Holy Land.... Jesus walked this land, and was baptized in the waters...only to be crucified and later rise to heaven from the Temple Mount. And Mohammad preached peace and humanity...but there is no peace.

In between all of our travels, we needed a couple of "down days"...so we retreated to the Carmel Forest and spent a night at the Carmel spa. What an amazing place. It was built as a place of quiet and contemplation, and was offered free of charge to any survivor of the Holocaust to come and relax. The forest itself is a lovely place, and the tranquility was surely needed.

Time to resume our travels, and we continued onto the Haifa and the surrounding areas. We visited a Druze village, and went back into time again. The Bahai religion has roots in Israel..and the gardens were amazing.

We visited the town of Rosh Hanikra, which lies on the border of Israel and Lebanon. On the road to get there, we had a major traffic jam. Someone had reported a mysterious bag on the road, so the bomb squad was called out. A tank-like vehicle pulled up, a robot came out, and the said robot detonated the bag, and returned to the vehicle. Turned out not to be a bomb...but you never know. And then the traffic resumed, and we all moved on. Just another day in Israel. But even with this daily occurrence, you feel amazingly safe in Israel. Safer, in fact, than in many cities we have experienced. Maybe it is because the Israelis know what to do....and when. Whatever...you do feel safe, and don't even think about it.

After so much history, we headed to the secular city of Tel Aviv, which was built 100 years ago on sand dunes north of the Arab city of Jaffa. Talk about stunning. This could be any major European seaside city, lined with gorgeous beaches and storefront shops and cafes. And the Bauhaus architecture of the buildings lining the main part of Tel Aviv is dazzling...4000 examples, to be exact.They were built in the 1930's by architects immigrating mostly from Germany and give the city a splendid feeling of opulence with modernism.

Tel Aviv was, as I said, built as a modern city...but because of the proximity to Jaffa, and to the other ancient cities, it holds a wonderful mixture of old and new. And because it is a secular city, stores and restaurants are open all the time!!!

What more can I say about Israel? When our friends, Sharon and Richard invited us to come visit them, and to experience their home away from home....we put it on our list, but something else always came up. I can only tell you to bump Israel up on your list. It has everything that you want in a vacation. You can experience hospitality at the highest level.....food is a wonderful blend of old and new....the beaches are as good as anywhere in the Med, the history is fascinating...the culture is astounding...the hiking is exceptional....Israel has everything. I really don't work for the Chamber of Commerce....but after being in the travel business for a long time, I can tell you that it has everything. And if you want anything.....it is here for the finding.
Aida on Masada was the drawing card....but it was just one of many fascinating experiences we had during these two weeks. I am so grateful to have been able to do this trip...physically, financially and emotionally!!!! I only hope more people could experience what we did. Maybe then people would understand, and there could be hope for a peace in this land.

Jordan

Jordan...the name conjures up so many things. Most people who go to Jordan only go to Petra.But we were lucky enough to be able to spend a couple of days in this Hashemite Kingdom. We used the Four Seasons hotel in Amman as our pivot point of touring, and it was fabulous to come back every afternoon and enjoy the pool! It was HOT in Jordan.
On our first day, we drove around the city, looking at the old sites and the new...the luxurious and the not-so-luxurious. In Amman, there is a law that says all buildings must be faced on all sides with limestone (which is what Jordan is composed of).So the city is gorgeous. It is also clean....has no graffiti and is very safe. As our guide said "Jordan is ruled by the Hamarabi code...so no one steals...or their hand get cut off. Very effective, I must say.

We saw the King Hussein Mosque, which was built in 1924 , on the same site as a mosque erected in AD640. Then we went to the Citadel which has ruins from the Temple of Hercules.It is a huge complex which includes a collonaded street, a racetrack like in Spartacus, and a huge theater.
The most obvious ruin in Amman is the roman theater, which dates from AD170. It seats about 6,000 and is in amazing shape.
The Oil Money side of town is spectacular...and the houses look like many in Beverly Hills. Only, there isn't the land in Amman like in Beverly Hills.. BIG houses, tho.
Our guide was quick to tell us not to lump Jordan in with the other Middle East countries like Syria and Lebanon. They are pleased with the peace treaty with Israel, because they are getting lots of tourists and Israel is supporting their economy. Most of the tourists are going to Petra...but people are also going to the hotsprings of Hamat Main and the Wadi Rum desert.

Ancient history thrives in Jordan with the Roman city of Jerash, which was built by Hadrian and looks today much like what it must have looked then. It is much better than the ruins of Pompeii It is truly one of the best preserved and most original Roman city in the Middle East..so I am told.
We then went to the city of Ajloun, which houses the defensive Mamluk Castle on the mountain.
Jordan was ruled by the Romans, the Mamluks and the Crusaders...and then the Turks. All of these civilizations are built on top of the other...but many fabulous spots remain.
In the town of Maadaba, we saw the 6th century Byzantine map of the Holy Land on the floor of a church that is in perfect condition. Madaba was a Moabite city that was conquered by the tribes of Israel. ( trying so much to remember my Bible) It changed hands many times , flourished under Rome, survived the Persians and Muslims and then went into decline under the Mamluks. It was abandoned in the 16th C...later occupied again in the 19th C. We also went to Mt. Nevo where Moses brought the Children of Israel and looked across the Jordan Valley into the Land of Canaan....and was denied entry.
We floated in the Dead Sea...on the Jordanian side...only later to be on the Israeli side. And we saw the place where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.
All of your bible stories come rushing back into your memory...flooding the gateposts...making you wish you had studied more and skipped Sunday school less. However, at my age, I most likely wouldn't have remembered much more anyway, no matter how I had studied.
Each day, after 7 hours of touring, we would retreat back into the hotel, and try to put into some kind of perspective, what we had seen. It was all overwhelming. But we were getting a good sense of Jordan..and it was all very positive.
On the next day we drove south the the amazing Crusader Fortress of Kerak. There were 3 crusades...and these fortresses (the one at Shobuk as well) were destroyed and then rebuilt as each new group wandered in and needed a vantage point for protection
.
We then headed to Petra, the Nabatean city that is one of the new 7 Wonders of the World and a major archaeological site. Many civilizations have lived in Petra, but before the Nabateans, it was nothing...just a small blimp on a trading map. But then, these incredible people built this magnificent city and made it the centre of the vast trading empire on the spice route. Rome annexed it in AD106, and then Christianity arrived. The Muslims came in the 7th C and the Crusaders (again) came thru in the 12th. Then Petra lay abandoned until 1812, when it was rediscoved by a swiss explorer, Ludwig Burckhardt. Hard to imagine that this city of tombs and temples with facades carved into pink sandstone lay abandoned...but it did. You could easily spend days exploring this place..and find something new every day.

We arrived in the upper city of Petra at about 2 and checked into the Movenpick hotel. I had heard that there was a "light" show in Petra at night, and thought it would be fun. Dick and I had been to sound and light shows in India and Egypt...so figured this would be amazing.
Little did we know that the walk down to Petra was 21/2 kilometers each way....and doing it in the dark is one of the craziest things we have ever done. The path was lit by votives in small paper bags. And you are climbing thru a river bed and then a split in the earth, which created caverns and rifts. I kept thinking "the end will justify the means"...but I was terrified that either one of us would take a header on the slippery rocks and have a catastrophe.
We finally got down to the Treasury Building in Petra (which I will explain later how it got its name) and there were rows of chairs set up and hundreds of bags with votives. There was a man playing a flute in front of the building...and that was all she wrote!!! BTW, if you remember the Harrison Ford "Last Crusader" movie...it was filmed right here, in front of this site. It was AMAZING...but not worth the climb down....nor the thought of the climb up.
We were exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel, and had a pizza at a little restaurant on the street.
Undaunted, our guide met us at the hotel at 9Am...ready for us to really explore Petra....so down we went again. Only this time, it was light out, and we were able to see what had merely scared us to death last night. This time we were just shocked at what we had done the night before. We walked down the access thru this deep ravine, which is called the Siq. You pass thru the Obelisk tomb and the Nabatean pavements, thru the water channels and the various niches. And then you come around a bend, and your eyes pop out of your head. Ahead of you is the Treasury Building....in all of her glory.
That is when you say "WOW".....Petra is AMAZING!!!!
Petra is comprised of the Monastery, which was a Nabatean temple..later to become a church; the royal tombs, the theatre , the street of facades and of course, the Treasury. The Treasury of the Pharoahs was the magical creation of a wizard who was supposed to have deposited a large treasure inside the building....hence the name "The Treasury". Never has anything been found there...but the name remains. It was the backdrop of the Indiana Jones "Last Crusader" movie...for those movie buffs who will remember the scenes there.
We walked to the end of the Roman city, and then began the SLOW ascent back up. Another few climbs like this, and we will be ready to tackle a 10 incline on the treadmill!! Many people spend the day down in this incredible ediface. Was it a city...or just tombs? Did people flourish here...or was it so unimportant that it could lay undiscovered for 2000 years? No answers...just questions.
On our last day in Jordan, we drove south to the spectacular Wadi Rum desert. We took a jeep ride thru the dunes and saw many fabulous mountain formations. We climbed up one to see some lovely cave drawings. And we went to a bedouin village and visited for a while. By then it was time to leave, as we had to be at the Arava Border control crossing into Israel in time to catch our plane to Tel Aviv.
The crossing was simple...just a few dinar to leave...walked thru "no-man's land" and crossed into Israel. After security, we got into a taxi to the commuter airport in Eilat to catch our plane. Our head is filled with the sites of Jordan....and we are off to the next part of our historical adventure. So many facts....so many civilizations....so much to absorb. But we are loving all of it, and look forward to the next chapter.

cambodia

Having been in Bangkok 3 times, and never getting to the Angkor Wat was torture for me. So when Dick said he had to be in Singapore and Bangkok...I said "This time make time for Cambodia!!"
So after his business was concluded...we flew to Siem Reap, where we were met by a lovely man named Pauli, who was to be our constant companion for the next two days.
He took us to the Raffles hotel so that we could check in. Once again..and here it comes....this is a MAGIC property. Ok...so I said it for you...how can there be so many of these? It is just that I need to see these places as much as need to see the Angkor Wat.
The Raffles was the old Grand Hotel in Siem Reap...and it is fabulous. As its sister in Singapore, you are greeted on the drive way, lead into the hotel lobby, and handed a cool towel to wipe your hands. There is ALWAYS someone to greet you. And then you are escorted to your room. The normal rooms in the hotel are lovely. They could be a bit updated by some standards...but if it meant changing the feeling...then I would opt not. If it means new pipes and new air conditioning and new electrical...then I am all for it. But don't ever change the feeling of the history. That is what is so difficult to maintain.
We were lucky enough to have been given a major suite in a lanai at the pool. It was AMAZING...I could have lived there forever. The bedroom was huge, with a lovely porch off of it on one side, and a very large bath with a separate tub and shower. There was also another bathroom off the living room/dining room combination...and a full kitchen. As I said, I could live there forever.
The dining room in the hotel where we ate breakfast and lunch was just lovely...only to be matched by the service and the food. If I hadn't mentioned it before, the service at this hotel is fantastic. They are so well trained, and make you feel as if this is your home. It made me fall in love with Cambodia so quickly. I was already hyperventilating that we only had two night here. Much too short..but I was grateful for anything...having tried to get here so many times.

Our guide took us first to the Angkor Thom, where we got on top of an elephant for a ride from the South gate to the main complex. It was quite an amazing thing...being on this huge mammal...and I must admit, I liked it better than the camel in Morocco!!
We then went to Ta Prohm, which is the jungle-clad temple with overgrown trees.and roots. It was one of the creepiest places, cause the jungle had almost swallowed it up, and the roots are HUGE!!!.These roots move the huge rocks and comprised the temple walls, which is why it has almost been reclaimed by the jungle.
That night we took a tuk-tuk (a motorized bike with a seat for two on the back) into town. The first thing we did was watch a group of people having the dead skin on their feet being nibbled off by a tank of fish. I never thought in my lifetime that I would be one of those people...but I did it!!! I really did. It is the oddest sensation. You sit around this tank, and there are people on all sides, and put your feet into about a foot of water. Then these little fish come over to you, and grab onto your toes and start nibbling!!! After I quit laughing (cause I am very ticklish) it becomes sort of relaxing...altho I never moved onto the larger tank...filled with bigger fish. The little ones were just fine. They charged $2.00 for a 1/2 hour of "pleasure". By the way, did I mention that all prices in Cambodia are quoted in US dollars? True!!! and how nice after coming out of two countries that we had to convert either Sing dollars or Baht!!
Anyway, after my feet were cleaned...we had our first dinner in Cambodia. I see now why everyone raves about Viet Nam and the French influence in their cooking. The same is in Cambodia...and the food was delicate, light and exquisite. We wandered about the town a bit...and then went home and collapsed. Had dreams about elephants, temples and my toes!!

The next day we went to the Angkor Wat...the reason for being in Siem Reap. It was built around 900...and is still used as a Buddhist temple today. What can I say? The carvings are unreal and the massive hallways are the way they were a thousand years ago!!
Much like the Taj, the time to see the Angkor Wat is either at sunrise or sunset...when the light is the most favorable on all of the surfaces. We chose the night...hopefully to catch a break in the humidity, as well. It was a perfect choice. What a treasure.
Was it worth the flight, the visa, the traveling to get there? ABSOLUTELY...it should be bumped up on anyone's list of places to see. And do it while you can climb up the steep steps and see the view from the top of the Angkor Wat. We only got to the second level. When the guide pointed to the staircase to heaven, and took a pass. I knew I could get up.....it was the coming down that scared me!!! This is someplace to experience in your 40's.

After a long day of major sightseeing, my eyes hurt from all the beauty it had seen. And my mind hurt from trying to take in all the history. Lest it to say....I hope to come back and experience more of Cambodia. The people are hospitable, the sites are fantastic, the food is incredible and the country is filled with history and treasures to explore.

bangkok 2011

After leaving Singapore, we headed to Bangkok. We have not been here in 2 years, and unlike Singapore, not much has changed. Our favorite hotel, the Mandarin Oriental remains a haven in the repertoire of magic properties. I know I say that a lot...but to me, there are hotels...wonderful hotels...and magic properties.
The Beverly Hills Hotel is a magic property...the Peninsula is a wonderful hotel. To be magical, there has to be a history and a reason that people keep coming back year after year. Is it to be greeted by hotel staff no matter what time you arrive with a bracelet of jasmine that smells divine? Or is it to have staff put you into an elevator, and have your butler greet you on your floor and take you to your room? Or maybe, the welcoming drink or "amuse-bouche" that they bring, as the panorama of the river opens up to your room.Whatever it is, whatever the combination, the Mandarin Oriental has it.

Bangkok is a city filled with traffic noise, and people moving quickly from one place to another.Not the people in cars, however. They move VERY SLOWLY because the traffic is worse than the 405 at rush hour.But the speed train is a wonderful way to navigate the city...and it is easy to figure out.

Having dissed the traffic, and the heat, let me just say that Bangkok is also a city filled with tradition and beauty wherever you go.
Life on the Chao Phraya River is amazing...and the boats scurry around filled with foodstuffs, people and goods to sell. To be in Bangkok, you must experience the river. The Buddhist temples are amazing, and you can see some from the river itself.
We went to the Wat Po, the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace...all on the river. We also saw schools for the children, as well as hospitals and fabulous restaurants. Rive life is a major part of Bangkok.

Because we were there on a week-end, we were able to experience the Chatuchak Market. It is about 30 minutes out of town, and is HUGE. It is filled with stalls only open on week-ends that have "antiques", clothing, jewelry and touristy-stuff. It is not as good as the week-end market in Beijing...which is AMAZING....but it was fun, nevertheless. We didn't find any treasures...but we got to experience what the Thai people did on Saturdays!!!

The restaurants are wonderful, and for those of us who eat Thai food all the time, to taste it in its Mother Country is a real treat. The blend of spices, along with the seafood is taking your tongue for a real gastronomic journey. We cannot match it at home, and I think that is because of the spices. We had dinner one night on the river (the restaurant sent their boat for us) and had the freshest shrimp, crab and fish I have ever eaten. It was all done by pointing....and we savored every morsel!!
I hope to return to Bangkok again...as it is truly a wonderful city. Next time for longer than 3 days!!!

Singapore

Singapore....what does the name conjure up for those of you who have heard it mentioned in history and literature? A polyglot of cultures and people, all sharing the same diamond-shaped flat land measuring 26 miles across and 14 miles from top to bottom. Singapore island is the main island, with about 60 smaller ones surrounding it. It is relatively small in size, but makes up for it in culture and history.
Lying at the crossroads of the East and West...what a blend of Chinese, Malays, Indians, Arabs, Brits and European and American ex-pats. No wonder people have a hard time defining a Singaporean...it is like defining an American!
The Singapore River is the main focal point of the island. It is located in the southern part of the island and flows from west to east. All along the banks, the Chinese built row houses, with businesses on the bottom and homes on the top. Those used to be the flavor of Singapore, filled with opium dens, gambling casinos and restaurants. Today, it has been cleaned out, and now houses law firms, gentrified apartments and upscale restaurants. So much for the old flavor of Singapore. But it is still a lovely place to take a walk...and eat wonderful food.

The north bank of the river is the historic area, where most of the government buildings are. And that is where Orchard Road was developed. Mainly for the Europeans, huge homes and plantations gave way to huge hotels and shopping arcades. One after another, filled with the ubiquitous High-end universal stores: Gucci, Prada, Dior and Takashemaya. You could shop for days and never make a dent! And we tried!!.
The newest area in Singapore is the Marina Bay, which is now a focal point in the city. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Resort is comprised of three hotel towers connected on the top by a "boat-shaped" pool and recreation area. The casino is in the lower level of the buildings. What an addition to the skyline!! Once all the office buildings and luxury condos are completed, it will encircle the bay,making it quite a sight.

And outside of the urban area, on the island of Sentosa, they have built 4 major hotels...with two more on the drawing board. These hotels share a huge casino. To avoid having Singaporeans coming to gamble, you need a passport to get into the casino. And they check very well.
The property is amazing. There is a Family Hotel, a Hard Rock Hotel, a High-end hotel named after the architect who designed the resort, and a Major Gambler Hotel for High Rollers...complete with lanai accommodations that are spectacular. They also have their own gambling casino...exclusively for people who aim to gamble at least 2 million dollars!!!

And let's not forget Universal Studios..which is on the Sentosa property. It is quite something for everyone!!! You can go for the day (it is connected by bridge to Singapore and only takes 30 minutes) or for a week.
While we were in Singapore, they were hosting the 2011 Biennale. Much like the one in Venice and in South Beach...it was held in different venues from March thru May. The art was exciting, different, and very interesting.
The Merlion...the combination of a lion and a mermaid, is the symbol of Singapore.You can see its picture at the beginning of my article. Well, an artist encased the Merlion in a huge red box, and made it the world's smallest hotel. He put a bed and an ensuite toilet in the space, and people are renting it out for a night!!! It is quite an installation, and makes the wrapping of the Reichstag in Berlin almost passe. In case you missed it on your last trip, the Singapore Art Museum is great...and their permanent collection is very impressive.

We stayed at the Raffles Hotel, which is always my first choice. As I have said many times, this is a magical property. The history follows you from the moment you get out of your car, and are welcomed by Mr. Singh, the the Sikh who greets you on the driveway. "Welcome back" never sounds so good as it does here. He is probably the most photographed man in Singapore!!

The rooms at the Raffles are all suites, and depending on the position it faces, is how it is ranked. Also, if famous people resided in the suites, like James Michener, John Wayne,Noel Coward and Joseph Conrad, then they are now called "Personality Suites"...and cost a bit more.

In 1887, when the Sarkie Brothers opened the Raffles Hotel...all the plantation owners as well as the high society came to see this magnificent structure. And from then on, it was a focal point in the city of Singapore. Visiting Kings, Queens, authors, movie stars....everyone stayed at the Raffles. And when she was closed in 1989 for renovation, everyone was worried what would happen. Well....everything happened for the best. The "innards" were all updated...and the hotel kept her flavor.
Now, rumor has it , that the company with controlling interest in the hotel wants to shut her down for a year to do another extensive update. They are considering keeping the Long Bar open during that time, so that the loyal customers to the fantastic group who entertains there 24-7 will have somewhere to still go until the doors can re-open. One can only pray that the management will respect the history and tradition this fantastic property displays. The Raffles in Singapore has few rivals.

When people say that Singapore has lost its mojo because it is so clean, so safe, and so inviting...just be glad that they don't want you to chew gum and spit it on the street. Singapore should serve as an example of how wonderful a place can be with no graffitti marring any buildings. I long to go back...as it is a very special place.