I really struggled with this post and I’d love your feedback. I like to think I’m a responsible traveler. I try to travel unobtrusively and experience people and places without feeling in exploiting or treating people in a way I wouldn’t be treated. Yesterday while on a visit to Ream

National forest the group made a stop in a small village and we visited a local school. Of course the kids were adorable and like children everywhere animated and curious about us as we were them. There were lots of photo opportunities and then they sang a song for us. As the group snapped picture after picture I couldn’t help thinking that instead of engaging in their learning process or really helping the school we were essentially treating these kids like they were tourist attractions. Would I want my kids to have everyday a group of rich (in comparison) tourists watch my kids paraded in front of people like they were another roadside attraction. I sort of reconciled myself to it thinking well I’m sure the school is getting some money directly for the visit and they can buy supplies or pay the teacher a better salary . When I asked our guide what the arrangement was he said the school only gets what we give the teacher personally. So NCL and the tour company makes serious money parading these kids like trained performers but don’t share a penny with the school or kids? . I got very depressed thinking how I was impacting these kids and was I exploiting them

like the tour company and the cruise line. Am I being responsible to these kids and their parents to help improve their education and their future or am I just watching a show. I gave a big donation to the teacher but resolved this would be last trip to a situation like this and going forward I’ll find a way to donate directly to educational charities that support these type of schools and their mission and not to further enrich NCL and their tour partners. Maybe I’m overreacting..I’d like to hear your thoughts. They were so alive and eager I hope I can find suitable ways to help support their educational goals and future. Maybe I’m just being ridiculous but I

Kept thinking what if these were my kids

Morning trip to Ream National Park and a long boat trip down the river thru the heart of Cambodia’s largest preserved jungle and Mangrove swamp I was a bit concerned when they loaded 22 of us into the boat despite the sign that said in Cambodian something something 18 but hey I can swim and apparently there are no sharks.

Lots of birds and a few dolphins but most interesting to me we’re the fishing boats using nets to haul in river shrimp which they then dried in the sun. I kept seeing floating plastic bottles and thought wow lots of litter till I realized they were being used as floaters so fishermen could locate their nets

So many things to see and do but today we just decided to chill. Well, chill in our way. Got up early and took a taxi into Pattaya and then hopped on the public ferry for 1 dollar (30 Baht) and took 45 minute trip to Koh Larn An island just off the coast.

We rented scooters and headed for the beach and swam in crystal clear water then grabbed lunch at a small seaside place for a total of 10 bucks then headed to the top of the mountain for a view. We just made the 4:00 ferry and headed back to town and to the ship by 7 pm. Great day. I love Thailand

I’ve been here a zillion times for work I found it efficient , very clean and a bit boring. Sort of like existing in a high end shopping mall. The food is always excellent with very high standards and I could see that coming home here from the rest if Asia was probably a nice thing When I came I usually was jet lagged stayed 3 or 4 days and moved on and never once did I think this would be a place I’d come for vacation. I was wrong. Coming here as a traveler is a completely different story. It’s a beautiful city. Green and elegant. Great restaurants and interesting architecture. The parks are interesting with a touch of whimsy and the service levels are quite high. Definitely we will be back

Ten years ago

9 years ago when I first came to Cambodia I fell in love with it. I came to see Angkor Wat but left having been besotted by the people and the countryside and the optimism for a group of people who had been through hell. Between 1975 and 1979 more than 2 million Cambodians were killed by the Khmer Rouge A failed scheme that sought to turn a developing country into an agrarian paradise became a place of despair and horror 25% of the population died in those 5 years ..think about that. 25% of the population. Since I first visited the country It is clearly more prosperous , overrun with tourists a tad bit less optimistic but still a group of people determined to survive and care for their families. I love Cambodia and though tourism is making its historic sites less accessible and more expensive its still a place to visit and support its development

So much to love about this place. The history. The people. The culture but when I think of a Thailand I always come back to the food. It’s everywhere and it’s an essential part of the Thai character. I thought I’d leave Thailand with some shots of the rich tradition of food that I totally connect with !

The Chao Phraya river runs through the heart of a Bangkok Like the Ganges or the Seine or the Thames it is the heart and soul of this city. Along its banks are the Palaces and Temples and Malls and Buildings that comprise this city. Running into this river are a series of side canals along which millions live and worship and work. Here you’ll find impressive mansions and tumble down shanteys. Like all of Bangkok tossed together in a big teeming celebration of life. We rented a long tail boat for a trip along the river and the canals that make up a lot of traditional Bangkok

Bangkok is a veritable feast for all the senses but perhaps visually the juxtaposition of ancient and new and the brilliant and somber make it one of the most visually stunning places in the world. I love the temples

here. Magnificent from afar and equally magnificent in the detail up close . I literally come back here every time I’m here and am blown away time after time. This is truly a city to experience before you die