Sorry for the delay in posting anything from the Kingdom of Cambodia.  I am alive and well, and so far have survived the experience.  I will say it has not gone according to the original plan.  Things have a way of happening when family is involved.  That isn’t necessarily a bad thing…but I am certainly learning to ‘go with the flow’ so to speak.  Not an easy task for a retired high school teacher whose daily routine was structured around a bell schedule. lol.  Where I am more of a detail oriented person who likes to follow a somewhat regular routine and like to plan things in advance, I know that Cam is completely the opposite.  I had to learn to adapt when we were living together in Bangkok, and now that we are together in Cambodia with all of his family nearby…I really just let things happen and forget about any planning or details.  So, let me back up and fill in the blanks for everyone.  ‘Go with the flow’ also has special meaning as much of Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar are under water at the moment due to extremely heavy rains over a 7 day period.  Too much rainwater and no place for it to go, so there is severe flooding in many places.

Flight from Denver to San Francisco was uneventful.  Since it was the first flight out in the morning, we managed to arrive a few minutes early.  Since it was booked as two separate tickets, I had to retrieve my luggage from domestic baggage claim and make my way to the international terminal and recheck my bags with Singapore Airlines.  The layover was just a little over three hours, so plenty of time to do that without feeling rushed.  I also had to wait around 45 minutes for the Singapore counters to open.  The flight on Singapore Airlines was great, although once again we did experience a fair amount of turbulence the first couple of hours due to that severe weather system hitting California…El Nino.  The cabin was very comfortable and service exceptional.  I know I have said this before, but it is really worth repeating…customer service on Asian airlines is far superior to anything you get on domestic carriers in the US.  There is a reason why Singapore Airlines is ranked number 1 for 2026 and there are no US carriers ranked in the top ten.  While the Singapore airport has free Snooze Lounges available in every terminal, there are also transit hotels within several terminals that you can access without leaving the airport and needing to deal with immigration.  I had opted for one of these, Ambassador Transit Hotel/Lounge, in Terminal 2.  Would definitely recommend to anyone with a long layover, and it was reasonably priced.  I had made a reservation online in advance through Booking.com and it was only $40 USD.  That seemed very reasonable to me.

I must admit with a ten hour layover in Singapore I was concerned if my luggage would actually make it onto the flight to Siem Reap, but on arrival I was very pleased to see both bags had made it.  Since I had already completed the visa process in advance as well as the arrival card for Cambodia, immigration was smooth sailing.  I was able to use the automated system without any problems.  The airport was not busy at all and it took very little wait time at baggage claim.  Walked outside from baggage claim and Cam was right there waiting for me.  He drove up the night before and spent the night in Siem Reap since my flight arrived early morning.  He had arranged for car service to/from the airport, so we traveled back into Siem Reap in comfort.  The original plan was to spend a few days in Siem Reap before traveling on to Battambang.  However, as it turned out the family had other ideas.  Several days ended up just being one night for me in Siem Reap before heading to Banteay Meanchey province.

Unless you are very familiar with Cambodia, you are probably wondering where Banteay Meanchey province is located, and why on earth I would be heading there.  Well, the province is located about halfway between Siem Reap and the Thai-Cambodian border crossing at Poipet.  That is where Cam’s hometown is located.  It would seem that Cam’s father had decided this was the time they needed to go to the farm and fertilize the rice fields.  Cam’s home is not actually on the farm but located more in the small village or commune.  I am somewhat challenged in understanding the difference between village, commune, district, and province.  lol.  The farm is actually a good 45 minutes to one hour drive from Cam’s house in a very rural, isolated area.  We ended up staying at the farm for three nights.  There was no cell service and electricity was spotty.  It was very rustic and reminded me of when I was in junior high and high school and would go to church camp in the summer or on work missions with the church youth group to Belize in Central America.  When you are 13-17 years old, you don’t mind rustic so much and look at it as more of an adventure.  However, when you are mid-70’s it contained almost no excitement for me.  The only good thing was having Cam there beside me for the ordeal.  Cam, his father, and his father’s older brother tended to the rice fields and completed spreading the fertilizer.  There is a small ‘building’ at the farm where we stayed.  For lack of a better word, I refer to it as a shack, but certainly did not have any of the comforts of home.

As I expected, the fence project did not get completed before my arrival.  As a result, once we finished at the farm we went to Cam’s house for the remainder of the first week so that the fence could be finished.  Cam’s brother could only help for a few days because he had other work lined up and would need to return home.  Since the brother has his own construction business, he had the knowledge and the tools needed to finish the fence.  This is why it became necessary for us to spend several days on the front end of my trip at Cam’s house with the family.  I was well aware of the fact that internet connection at his home is not always the greatest or reliable.  Something we have been dealing with since we both returned home.  In addition to that, electricity is very expensive in Cambodia.  Since we were at his parents house for several days, in addition to feeling like it would be very rude to spend time on my computer when his family was going out of their way to make sure I felt welcomed, I also did not want to ‘plug in’ too many devices.  I did charge my cell phone as needed and my watch every night.  Consequently, I have not been online to make any posts until now.

We are now back in Siem Reap and will stay here for one week.  Getting here was a challenge because of seven or eight days straight of torrential rains.  Flooding is quite severe in many areas.  Some roads are closed or probably should be closed due to the flooding.  It is not isolated to any one area, but most of northwest Cambodia is under water.  There is finally a little bit of blue sky and sunshine today, although the forecast still calls for rain later this evening.  We will be doing some sightseeing this week, as well as taking care of business.  I need to do the visa extension process to get the retirement visa.  There are a number of businesses in Siem Reap that provide this service.  I have narrowed it down to two based upon recommendations from the online Facebook expat group in Cambodia.  A little apprehensive about letting go of my passport, but no choice in the matter.  It has to be sent to Phnom Penh.

As far as me and Cam…things are going quite well.  We have picked up right where we left off in our relationship…have not skipped a beat.  Cam was always very attentive and showed affection towards me.  If anything, that has increased…regardless if his family is around or not.  It did not seem to bother anyone in the least, and his mother was constantly fussing over me.  I will say that Cam is slightly different away from the Bangkok scene…in a good way.  Even though he might hang out with friends, these are real friends he has known his entire life.  In Bangkok, just by nature of the work environment and his so-called ‘friends’ there, he would drink quite heavily and usually hard liquor.  His hours were very different as well…sleep all day and up all night.  Of course, when we were living together away from Silom, during those three months he was more regulated and what I call normal daily routines and sleep habits.  Being back in Cambodia, he is usually in bed by 10pm and up around 6:30am to prepare for work.  He might have one or two beers when out with friends, but that is not very often.  He loves spending time with the nieces and nephews, is really great with them, and they all seem to adore him as well.  All in all, it just is very natural and comfortable.  As I said…we have not skipped a beat.

Welcome back @jimmie50 you have been missed..

I thought Cam was from near Battambang but it seems his village is closer to Poipet, where are a number of boys I know are from. It is a gambling border town I believe and thrived while the Thai-Cambodia border was open but now it is closed the economy is suffering, some have moved on to Phnom Penh to make a living.

Just wondering if it would not have made sense for you to stay in Siem Reap and done some tourism, learn the lay of the land, while Cam farmed, rather than being whisked into the remote countryside upon arrival? But then again perhaps you both did not want to be separated after all that time apart. Great to hear the family has been welcoming.

@jimmie50 Thanks for this update - as many of us were worried about you. I am so happy to hear that you and Cam are doing well. And to learn that he is even more attentive and affectionate to you is amazing because what I saw with my own eyes when we were on Koh Larn together was that Cam was already very attentive and affectionate on that day we had on the beach.

Regarding the never ending rain, the Thai meteorological department is saying that in the next days that this monsoon storm system should start to dissipate - Hallelujah!!

Wishing you and Cam and his family all the best :>))

23 minutes ago, hank75 said:

Just wondering if it would not have made sense for you to stay in Siem Reap and done some tourism, learn the lay of the land, while Cam farmed, rather than being whisked into the remote countryside upon arrival? But then again perhaps you both did not want to be separated after all that time apart. Great to hear the family has been welcoming.

To be honest, it all happened so fast and I wasn't exactly asked. lol. I was told there was a change in plans and this is what we were going to be doing instead. I was not asked what my personal preference would be. It was definitely an experience I had not planned on, but as long as we were together I made do with the situation. That was more important to me. What is that expression...the things we do for love. LOL.

https://cambodianess.com/article/authorities-prepare-evacuations-as-floods-hit-northwest-provinces

44 minutes ago, hank75 said:

I thought Cam was from near Battambang but it seems his village is closer to Poipet

It takes one hour to drive either direction to Battambang or Poipet from his village. He has family and friends in Battambang and Poipet, but associates more with Battambang. I have not been to Poipet, so have no point of reference as to distance. We will go to Battambang next, but travel there from Siem Reap, so again, my point of reference in regards to his hometown will be unknown. However, once in Battambang we will probably travel to his hometown so that will give me a better idea of distance and road conditions. The one friend he has in Poipet is from his hometown and they grew up together. He works in Poipet now. His one sister also lives in Poipet. She is the one who has the convenience or general type store...well, she and her husband.

1 hour ago, jimmie50 said:

Wow!!!

Oh, dear!

Thanks for updates! Happy to hear that you are adapting well to Cambodia. Your relationship with Cam is truly romantic! 💗 Wishing you all the best!

The situation is a lot more rustic and dire than I imagined and I feel sorry for the folks who have to be evacuated because of the floods, not to mention the cats, dogs and livestock, which are bound to be left behind. It's as if these folks haven't suffered enough hardship in their day-to-day lives as it is.

On a happier note, your relationship with Cam seems to be getting stronger which no doubt is what's sustaining your motivation for staying. Good luck and stay in touch! 🫶

6 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

Oh, dear !

wow !