My overnight train ride to Sapa was more pleasurable than expected. Then train left a 9:50pm, I was asleep by 11:00 and before I realized what happened, I woke up in Sapa the next morning. Sapa's elevation is around 5200 feet so I immediately noticed the change in weather. Sapa was a whole lot colder than any place I've been so far. Luckily I picked up some extra warm clothes and socks in Hanoi so the cold was not much of a problem. Besides, the foggy mist that hugged the landscape created an creepy, yet peaceful atmosphere over the countryside. Sapa [View Full Entry]

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Time has really been flying by in Vietnam. This bustling country with the second fastest growing economy of Asia is certainly a contrast from the laid back, relaxing atmosphere I experienced in Laos. Vietnam has been a welcome change and with unique culture and social characteristics apart from the partially homogeneous nature of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Over a thousand years of Chinese influence has left its mark in many parts of the country, both culturally and socially. It's been less than 100 years since the Vietnamese switched over to the Roman alphabet from Chinese characters. [View Full Entry]

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After a quick flight from Luang Prabang, I arrived in Vietnam's capitol city, Hanoi. Hanoi is a bustling city with an insane amount of motor bikes and plenty of crazy drivers to boot. Vietnam's rapid economic develop is especially evident here with a massive population of 20-something's racing around the city on their bikes. Because owning cars here is beyond the means of most of the population, motor bikes provide the quickest and most efficient way to get around. This hustling and bustling city is certainly a dramatic change from the laid-back and relaxing atmosphere I experienced in Lao [View Full Entry]

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So this is my farewell blog from Laos. I wish I could have made an update sooner but certain prohibiting circumstances prevailed. Lack of available and/or reliable internet, a 4 day power outage, getting sick, broken camera lens, uncharged camera batteries, and villages with no power at all, were among the things keeping me from telling everyone about my trip. But before I get into all the details and mishaps I encountered along the way, I think I should explain why I love Laos so much. My transition from Cambodia to Laos was a lot like leaving a hectic, smog-filled, dirty [View Full Entry]

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I was lucky enough to leave half my gear with the kind folks at the hotel in Pakse. I figured I'd be doing a fair amount of walking along roadsides so I made sure that my pack was as light as possible. Much easier to hitch rides with people when you're not carrying much with you. So we left Pakse and headed toward Tat Fan, an enormous waterfall surrounded by hundreds of acres of forest in one of Laos's several NPA's (Nationally Protected Area). Although I never saw or heard one, this particular NPA is still home to a healthy tiger [View Full Entry]

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When I eventually crossed the Cambodian-Laos border I was glad to finally be there. My trip from Phnom Penh to the Laos border took longer than expected and was much worse than I imagined. But that's okay cause traveling here is all about removing any expectations. Many things do not operate in accordance with a clock or by any defined schedule. You just have to take it easy and be very patient, sometimes easier said than done. In fact, I've often heard that the 'PDR' in Laos PDR (People's Democratic Republic) actually stands for "Please Don't Rush" cause things just happen [View Full Entry]

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Well for the past week I have been staying in the Cambodian town known as Siem Reap. Located in nearly central Cambodia, Siem Reap is the gateway to perhaps one of the most treasured ancient civilizations on earth. Known by most of the world as Angkor Wat, the ruins of the ancient Khmer Empire are spread out over a vast area just a short motor bike ride away from the main part of town. Angkor Wat, listed as one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, just so happens to be the largest religious monument on the face of the [View Full Entry]

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Another update already! So, after spending a few day in Phnom Penh it was off to Sihanoukville, a beach town on Cambodia's southern border. Sihanoukville is a popular weekend destination for wealthier Cambodians from Phnom Penh (sadly there aren't that many) as it takes around 2 hours to get there by car. Sihanoukville was described to me as a much more toned down version of Thailand's beaches and islands. After spending 5 days there, I would say that's probably the best way to put it. Small by many city standards, Sihanoukville has several beaches facing different directions but we manag [View Full Entry]

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So it's been a little while since my last update...sorry again for those of you who check frequently. FYI: on the main page of my blog, you can click the small button that says "Subscribe" and enter your email address, so that when I post a new blog entry, you guys will be automatically emailed and informed that I have written something new. Also, a word of warning...Cambodia is not a place for the faint-hearted. It is terribly dirty, poor, and many of the beggars on the street look sadly tragic. In the last 30 years, Camdodia has experienced some of [View Full Entry]

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After spending a few days in Bangkok, we decided it was time to head down south for the holidays. I took a flight from the Bangkok airport to Krabi located in the southern peninsula of Thailand. There's an airline in Southeast Asia called AirAsia that offers super low-fare flights between different cities. It's basically a clone of Southwest Airlines in the US, except their flights are even cheaper than the domestic US flights. So...instead of taking a 15 hour train ride for about US$25 Joey and I took a 1.5 hour flight for $40, not a bad trade-off. So after staying [View Full Entry]

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