Stokes in Peru

  Following our time in Siem Reap and hiking through the various temples, we shifted dramatically from the sweltering jungle interior to the warm yet refreshing southern coast of Cambodia.  Another shift occurred when we transitioned from the ancient history that surrounds Siem Reap to the impact of Pol Pot and Cambodia's war with Vietnam that occurred from the mid '70s into the '80s and is evidenced throughout the towns of Kampot, Kep, and the capital city of Phnom Penh.  When originally putting together the trip, it was the plans after Siem Reap where I was hopeful that Cambodia would maintain our interest; not only did it maintain our interest, but many of our favorite moments of our vacation occurred during this leg of the trip.  Onto the details. . . Kampot   Meet my latest town for top choice when we retire.  Located next to the Kampot River which lazily flows into the Indian Ocean several miles downstream, the town lives from its riverfront and evokes an image

  Greetings folks, And a Happy New Year to you all.  Marianella and I landed back at home just yesterday after an extended winter vacation in Cambodia which began in mid-December and stretched through Christmas and the New Year.  I will admit, before we left on the trip I was a bit apprehensive-would three weeks in Cambodia be too much?  Would we be able to stay interested and engaged throughout our travel in the country? Fortunately, no such issues crept up for us; in fact, I could see three weeks in Cambodia easily morphing into three months and remaining quite content in this beautiful country.  After our initial flight into the capital city of Phnom Penh, we traveled by bus, boat, and tuk-tuk (you'll read/see more about that soon) to visit ancient temples, stroll the streets of old French colonial towns, relax on tropical beaches and learn more about the tragic history of Cambodia that occurred within our lifetimes.  Present throughout our travels were the people of C