As our Mekong adventure draws to a close, I'm finding myself in a reflective state. Sure we saw the remnants of the Killing Fields today, the infamous Tuol Sleng prison and drove in a Tuk Tuk through ghastly parts of Phnom Penh, but to me it's more the whole of the experience than any one part that really stands out. We managed to follow our itinerary to near perfection, including some of the less savory bits that frankly I was a little concerned about: thus the title Survivor Mekong. In hindsight nothing was ever that bad, even from the serpentine market alley in Vientiane to the garbage filled lanes and incessant beggars of Phnom Penh, it would appear we've developed a bit of a skin for this sort of thing. Ending the trip in Phnom Penh was truly a gamble; we knew it was going to be difficult and difficult it is, but we are left with a renewed longing to return home, to the safe confines of our ordinary lives. Nothing in our lives is that bad to mimic even a fraction of the problems most people in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Laos have to deal with on a daily basis. Again, we leave here renewed in our perspective that we may just be the most fortunate people on Earth, living the best quality of life out of anyone else. That's something that sustains you, makes you grow and become a better and more tolerant person. It's the true buzz of traveling.
Beyond the joy of these experiences, we've met some wonderful people along the way: hotel staff, tuk-tuk drivers, mysterious people in restaurants, heartfelt smiles from ordinary people and of course the numerous friends we met along the way: Kevin and Lorraine (don't worry, Kevin, I never felt like Mt. Rushmore), Kevin from TO who shouted "Paul!" in downtown Siem Reap (hope to hook up again soon), Daniel and Denise from River Heights (remember Laos cooking day on Niagra Street), Bob and Caroline (travel safe), Paulo and that guy from Moncton (hope you get the property on Magnetic Hill). It's almost over and all you like minded people have inspired us to keep traveling and have given us great ideas about where to go next. Wherever that may be, we hope to meet people like you along the way.
Signing off until Winnipeg. I hope you enjoyed my blog. Photographs and more in-depth analysis to follow. (I bet you can hardly wait--you've probably never slept so well).
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