Have you read Part II yet? If not, click here for Part II. 020c - Cambodia - Siem Reap Part III 05/28/08 - 05/31/08 Recovery: Compassion, Corruption, and Closure written by Hannah Compassion Envision the following. We are at the bottom of the mountain of Kbal Spean, a temple site in rural Cambodia, trying to sort out what had just happened, while at the same time, explaining the incident to the non-English speaking ambulance crew from the International Hospital, the Tourist Police, and the Criminal Police. Nico and I are exhausted, having administered non-stop CPR for the last hour and a half (our bodies were sore for the next 3 days from the physical exertion), and Leslie (Star's wife) is still in a daze trying to cope with the loss of her otherwise healthy hus... read more

NOTE: Our journey through Siem Reap is best described as three distinct stages, two of which have changed our lives forever. The first part is standard enough (at least as standard as the largest religious buildings in the world can be) and describes the majestic Angkor temples of Cambodia. The second part is unexpected, and describes a tragedy no visitor in any country, especially a 'developing' one, will ever want to experience (Click here for Part II). The final part is our attempt to pull the pieces back together in an effort marked by compassion, corruption, and finally, closure (Click here for Part III). All three stories stand on their own but should be read consecutively. Start with the first entry and then follow the ... read more

019 - Laos - Luang Prabang 05/16/08 - 05/24/08 A slice of Indochina Luang Prabang offers postcard views of the Mekong River and its surrounding mountains. The dozens of temples scattered about the city and constant monk sightings, especially during the morning alms hours, are a testament to how prominent Buddhism is within the culture. The Laotian people are genuinely friendly and 'saba di' greetings are gauranteed while walking around town. Both of us agreed that this was an amazing country to visit, albeit a little (pleasantly) underdeveloped, and more worthy of the title 'Land of a Thousand Smiles' than Thailand. One of the most talked about ways of getting to Luang Prabang (especially on the cheap) is to take a slow boat from the Thai/Lao border town of Huay Xai southeast along the Mekong River ... read more

017 - Thailand - Koh Tao 04/17/08 - 05/11/08 Save Koh Tao Koh Tao is a small tropical island off the east coast of Thailand that is full of lush forests, white sandy beaches, rocky cliffs, and an abundance of coral and marine life. It is also home to over 60 dive shops, hundreds of self-absorbed farangs (tourists) that enjoy being catered to, as many or more locals that cater to them, and what seems like a million loud, polluting motor bikes, ATVs, and pick-up trucks. Unfortunately, the over-development of Koh Tao has led to problems of pollution, waste management, and marine erosion. We came to Koh Tao on a volunteer project to teach English to local Thai children and to help with conservation efforts on the island. Our main contact on the island was Bee, ... read more

015 - Indonesia - Gili Air 04/07/08 - 04/12/08 We Like Gili Air Gili Air is a tiny island just north of Lombok that showed us the genuine, mellower side of Indonesia. Although it is only a few kilometers away from it's larger sister island, Gili Air feels like a different place; a place that both Hannah and I learned to love. As if to highlight the differences in location, the departure point from Lombok is the port town of Bangsal where we waited for 45 minutes as unrelenting touts tried to sell us bracelets, beer, and false stories of what to expect on Gili Air. A group of 4 young English travelers told us a story of how they had been hustled at Bangsal: porters grabbed their bags as their bus pulled up and then ... read more