Angkor Wat (pictured) are believed to be the oldest temples discovered to date. My trip to Cambodia was a mysterious delight. Having been raised in Japan I feel comfortable in any Asian environment. I seem to related to their energy and way of thinking. I love the manners and public consciousness. Any car ride in any part of Asian I have been is a mad-cap race to nowhere fast, and in Cambodia there are few cars and lots of motor bikes, mini trucks & TUK TUKs - basically a motor bike with a rickshaw attached. My stay in Siem Reap was very nice. My travel club always books clean, safe, and beautiful hotels. The food in Cambodia was not as good as I'd expected. In Thailand everything is delicious, but in Cambodia with exception of my breakfast soup it just wasn't anything to blog about. Odd considering Thailand and Cambodia were at one time one country. Seems like all the best cooks went to Thailand. It's also much cheaper to buy things in Cambodia than in Thailand and I didn't think massage could get cheaper but in Cambodia we got a 90 minute Thai massage for $10 US and tipped $2 US. Clothing is super cheap; beautiful scarves $2 US, harem pants $4.50 US, Tshirts $3 US and they do prefer US dollars or Thai Baht over their own currency so don't bother changing money. I was traveling with many friends who came over from Malaysia and China who had been on a trip with me in Thailand a couple of months before and they had Thai Baht they brought and there was an advantage because say something was $1 US you could pay in Baht and it translated to $.80.

This country is rich in history and I can't tell it all in one post. I've got much to catch up on and am sorry for the huge gap in posts. Part of me felt I wasn't reaching an audience, and I was just traveling so much that I couldn't keep up with my life.

So, put Camodia on your Bucket List and stay tuned for special spots to add to your "must see" while there agenda.

SHREK MEETS GAYLORD

Gaylord Entertainment has made a deal with DreamWorks Animation to bring the studio's characters to Gaylord hotels across the country. The Gaylord Palms Hotel in Kissimmee may hold the greatest interest for our family travelers. All the DreamWorks' cartoon characters, such as "Shrek," "Kung Fu Panda" and "Madagascar," will be part of the new program to compete with theme-park hotels by offering amenities such as character breakfasts, parades, meet-and-greet sessions, poolside activities and more. So far the plan extends only to entertainment and Gaylord is not planning on redecorating their rooms to fit with the child-oriented themes such as princess-rooms. More details and pricing to be announced this summer. The debut of the characters will be Christmas-time events, which begin in November.

Since last year you could experience these characters when sailing on one of the four  Royal Caribbean ships featuring DreamWorks characters. So, if you're looking for a new family experience and your kids (or you) are a fan of Shrek here are some new options for immersing yourselves in GREEN!

Travel Teaches Life Lessons

When I was growing up our family didn't take vacations, but we traveled quite often because my father's career took him to new towns, new states & new countries every couple of years. My Dad always said, "Travel is the best education you'll ever get." He was right. The travels of my youth taught me to appreciate the differences in cultures and others opposed to wanting the world and the people in it to be one way. Travel taught me patience and to go with the flow. It taught me that it is better to face challenges with a light heart and laughter... to make the best of what you have. It taught me to trust that whatever happens it ultimately happens for the higher good of all concerned. Travel is a classroom for living a more open, loving, tolerant and appreciative life.