We recently returned from a two-week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia which included a seven-day cruise on the Mekong, a trip on my husband’s bucket list. I had misgivings because Southeast Asia was not in my comfort zone. I still have bad memories of what happened last year when I got Covid in Morocco. Going to an emergency room in Marrakech was an experience I did not want to duplicate in Vietnam or Cambodia.
I was not sure about the food especially since I don’t eat pork or seafood which is abundant. The good news is that we stayed healthy and food was not a problem at all with plenty of delicious vegetarian options. We loved meeting friendly people along the way. We learned from our knowledgeable guides, saw bustling markets, visited quaint farms and villages, observed craft making, and cooking demonstrations. We toured bustling cities of Hanoi and Ho Chih Minh City, navigated streets crowded with scooters, experienced the wonders of limestone formations of Ha Long Bay and were wowed by the incredible ruins of Angkor Wat.
The cruise company, Avalon, was experienced with travelers of a certain age and kept our excursions short with rest time in between. I loved the river boat; hanging out on the deck, watching fishermen, enjoying the sunrise from the large windows of our comfortable stateroom, and getting to know the other guests at cocktail hour.
I realized one does have to be in rather good working order to go on a trip like this. There are long distances to walk in airports. Many days the weather was very hot and humid. The other potential perils were steps. There were narrow, rickety steps sometimes to get off the boat, to go on sampans, to navigate the ruins in Angkor Wat. There were steps off and on the tour buses. Even the luxurious hotels had hidden little steps, My husband slipped getting out of the pool at our luxurious hotel in Siem Riep, but he was OK. It was especially fun climbing on and off the local transportation; cyclos, tuk tuks and oxcarts.
As a baby boomer traveler, even though I’m not climbing mountains or bungee jumping, ( not that I ever did) there is still so much to see and appreciate in this wide and amazing world, especially if I venture out of my comfort zone!
Joanne Jagoda
