Farewell to the SS Toum Teave

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Last night's Captain's Dinner ended too late to make Monday's edition of the Mekong Evening Record. 


Serge Prunier, our intrepid navigator and master of ceremonies, outdid himself with his hospitality, generosity, and charm. He hosted a dinner rich with food, laden with tales of ten years ago when he and the Toum Teave were the river's only passenger ship, and stories of how he and his crew had purchased and prepared our dinner this morning. Like every other night, his rich French accent and hand gestures kept all of us entertained. As he would say, "But yes, this story I am telling you is true. And now, I will tell you more..."

The same as our welcome dinner just seven short days ago, we began with his special cocktail, the Toum Teave Kiss, a secret recipe that, if guessed correctly, would bring another drink for free. "This is my offer to you, but of course I am sure you will never get it right, no?" Eventually, as a team, last night we Road Scholars did, although this morning, we discovered that one of the crew was dropping clues about the last ingredient.

This morning, after cruising since 4:30 am, we arrived in Siem Reap at noon, ready to begin our exploration of ancient Khmer culture. The official Mekong by Barge program ends Wednesday morning, but all of us have signed on for the two-day extension to tour the temples of Angkor Thom, followed by sunrise at Angkor Wat. This afternoon, we tour the Angkor National Museum and its modern displays.

But, for a while, even with all we will do and see for the next few days, today is a time for nostalgia, as all of us appreciate what we have shared with each other, and with the people of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap. For a week, Road Scholar and Captain Prunier have given us the opportunity to live our own lives on the river. None of us will ever forget it.