When I left Seoul, we were still having a mild spring with temps in the morning of 48*F and the afternoon highs got up to 52*F- 62*F. So, although, I knew it would be much hotter when I got to my vacation locations.. however, knowing and being prepared for the differences is another matter. I've lived in tropical places, and grew up in the hot, hot, summers of Oklahoma.. but, to immediately arrive to humid temps up to 97*F or more each day.. was still a shock to the body's inner thermostat.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed my trip and it was fun to get away to my first real vacation in 4 years. The food was interesting and most of it was quite good. I was happy to get to eat fresh, ripe pineapples, papayas, tiny ripe, flavorful bananas, and sweet grapefruit sections for breakfast each morning.
The downside? The heat, the heat.. AND, by the time that I arrived early this morning back to still coolish spring weather in Seoul, Korea.. I was severally sleep deprived. Why, you might ask?
Well, one of my 2 hotel room roomies.. had a bad cold for a week prior to going on the trip and as a result she was doing that deep, continous, 'hacking up a lung' kind of coughing.. and since, I was in the middle bed out of the three beds in the room.. and I was only about 3 feet from the 'cough-er'.. add that to the fact that I'm a light sleeper... equals to being awaken several times throughout the night.
all meant that I was only sleeping 3 to 4 hours per night.. and not consecutive hours of sleep either. I'd sleep a few minutes.. the coughing would wake me up.. and then I'd go back to sleep and yes, you guessed it.. the coughing would start again. One roomie was a deep sleeper and didn't seem to be affected by the 'deep hacking coughing' and it might have helped that her bed was furthest away next to the room's window?
I'm afraid that by the the last couple of days that I was on my trip.. that I was basically a sleep deprived zombie. Which equals to limited conservation skills and interacting with my other trip 'attendees'.. and the sucky part? I can't sleep in the daytime unless I am sick.. so, I couldn't make up any of the lost sleep. Sigh..
And, the last couple of mornings, when I'd be awaken early in the morning.. anytime around 4:30- 5:30am.. I finally decided, that since, it was close enough to a 'wake up' time.. to just get up and take a shower and go out and read in the small lobby area by the elevators on the floor that my hotel room was located on- since, I couldn't go back to sleep that close to my usual morning wake-up time..
This ended up being much better than laying there in the dark.. being still and quiet, so I wouldn't bother the other two sleepers, and waiting until it was time to start getting ready.. I wish that I had thought to do it a few other mornings.. since, it is quite boring to just lay there in the dark.. 'waiting' until it was time to get up.. because, I knew that I wasn't going back to sleep once awaken close to my normal 'waking up' time. And, of course if someone is coughing like that.. they can't help it- so, I never said anything because it wouldn't matter, didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, and saying something would do nothing to stop the coughing anyway, right?
ALL in ALL .. I had a great time and looking forward to sharing my photos with you.
Here are some of the sweet children that I encountered. *Click on the photos for a larger image..
A couple of young brothers playing at one of the temples..
Some children bathing in the moat in front of Angkor Temple in Siem Reap
Little girls doing their homework in front of Angkor Temple, Cambodia
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