As we disembarked from the boat to get our Cambodian visas and have our passports checked, I met a twenty-something couple from the Dordogne, my favorite region in France. Romane, Alexander and I spoke in French for at least a half hour. They were headed to New Zealand to work as part of a Wwoofing-like program for young people under 30. I shared some of my adventures while living in Paris in my 20’s. Romane and I had a New York connection because she had been an au pair for a French couple with four young children–a huge challenge for anybody but an especially unfair one for a 17 year old I commented.
Back in the boat, an elegantly dressed Parisian woman in her 60’s or 70’s told me several times that my French was “impeccable”–something I know to be untrue because I know I make grammatical errors. She had apparently overheard my conversation with Romane and Alexandre. I found myself pleased by the compliment and susceptible to flattery even though I didn’t believe it. Only days later when I thought about the Parisian’s repetition of “impeccable,” did I realize that she was probably not trying to flatter me. She appeared astonished because she had heard me say that I lived in Paris for two years more than 40 years ago.
Then I met Erin, the 36 year old woman from the class of 2000 of Homewood Flossmoor High School who has been living in NYC for the past 14 years, most recently in Prospect Heights, and working for large advertising agencies. She quit her job and Volkswagen client on Aug 1 and has been traveling since. Is it no wonder that we talked non-stop for at least two hours straight on the boat?
Erin, Mark and I reconnected several days later at her hostel in Siem Reap, Lub d, in order to compare notes on getting to Angkor Wat. Mark and I had tried to bike there but got exhausted when we had to backtrack 5 km to THE ticket center to buy tickets for Angkor Wat 3 km south of the famous temples. Meanwhile Erin had visited the temples with a Tuk Tuk driver and we decided to do the same.
Erin keeps a wonderful travel blog called trainsplanesandvino.com and her fabulous photos and comments about Luang Prabang, Laos were very helpful as we began to plan for our week there.
