Even though India has had female prime ministers, India is not as progressive about women as you would think. Women at the higher ends of society generally do well, however those in the middle and lower socio-economic levels don’t fare so well. One of our guides told us that other than banks and some government offices, few women work with men as there is so much sexual harassment in the work place. Men tend to make inappropriate comments to women and then want to get overly friendly. Rape is not uncommon. As Kelly said, it makes our 76 cents on the dollar of pay look pretty good!

Women in their saris — whether rich or poor — are full of color and beautiful.

Shopping is a challenge as all the people in the shops are men. They love to hover and can be somewhat aggressive. We learned to ignore them and just walk around to look on our own.

The horrendous amount of garbage in the countryside is overwhelming. It is hard to fault the people as there is no government assistance in collecting and disposing of the litter that seems to be everywhere. My garbologist friend John Schert may have some thoughts on this issue, but I found it to be quite a challenge.

The people are kind, helpful and curious. Kelly and I were quite the celebrities at most tourist places. Everyone wanted a photograph with us and we were the center of attention. It was explained to us that many of the Indian people were traveling as it was summer vacation and they don’t frequently see foreigners if they live in a non-tourist area.

They went out of their way to accommodate us. When we found out our shopping weighed in at $60 in extra baggage charges, our guide kept our suitcase which had our purchases at his house in Delhi for two days so we could avoid the extra charges on a two-day excursion to Varanasi. Then he met us at the airport as we transferred for our flight out of India to Dubai, after carefully checking shipping charges if we needed to ship the bag home from India.

I tried to love Indian food, I really did. But after three bouts of tummy problems, including a visit from the local doctor and pain worse than I have ever experienced, I can’t face another Indian dish. I did enjoy the spiciness of the foods before I got sick!

Often there were two people doing the job of one person. Although it seemed to be inefficient to us, on reflection we realized it is better to employ people than not.

My favorite job in India is this guy who hits a rug to scare away the birds from the fountain — all day long!

Anyone who persists in believing that there is no global warning needs to come to India to see the dry river beds and the lack of water due to wells drying up and experience the tremendous heat. Really, can anyone still ignore the evidence in front of our faces?

Driving in India is not for the weak of heart! Lanes are merely a suggestion and just because traffic is going one way, look out for people heading right toward you in your lane. There are cars, motor scooters, bicycles, cows, rickshaws and pedestrians. They all cut in front of each other and act like they are playing dodge ball.

Cows are everywhere. But having to step over their droppings gets a little rough — especially when you are trying to navigate a narrow lane with fifty zillion people bumping into you.

Siem Reap is the city closest to the most other-worldly collection of temples and ruins I have ever seen. Fly here from Bangkok, after you have enjoyed the joys of shopping for Thai silk and scarves. It takes less than an hour.

We have always stayed at the Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor. It is historical and well-run and very reasonably priced. Be sure to get breakfast included with your room, as you will want to be fortified for a morning of touring.

Our “program” as they say, has been to eat breakfast in the morning and then go out for two hours of touring. We then come back to the hotel for lunch, take a bit of a rest and then go out again around 3-4 pm for some more touring. We hired a Tuk-tuk driver and paid him $30 per day and he was fabulous. He knew all the temples and which ones would be crowded when and took us to some very cool out-of-the-way spots. Riding in the tuk-tuk is so much better than a car. You move slower and get to really see the countryside and the people.

Don’t worry about changing money at the airport. US dollars are the currency of choice. You can pay your hotel bill with a credit card, but have plenty of small bills for paying your driver, guides and for buying souvenirs at the markets. No one there takes credit cards.

You can hire a guide to go with you if you like or just look up the information online for each of the temples you visit. Kelly did the research and reviewed it while we had our meals, so we understood the history of this amazing place.

The hotel has some high end shops that are lovely and full of fabulous things — but a bit pricey. There is also an artist’s cooperative that has a large and lovely store, with lots of temptation. The general market and night market in town are full of small shops/stalls stocked with clothing, silk scarves, wood carvings, lacquer ware and all kinds of things you really don’t need. Take your time and chat with the ladies who run the stalls and you’ll have a great time bargaining prices for the treasures you find.

The people here are charming, kind and so lovely your heart almost breaks — knowing the violent history they endured under the Khmer Rouge. Since our first visit here 15 years ago, much has changed. The tiny shack that was the airport is now a huge multi-building complex and the road from the airport and many other roads are now paved. Tourism is alive and well here, as there are busloads of Koreans, Chinese and Vietnamese. Your driver can help you avoid the crowds. Just ask.