Appropriately, our farewell journey in Vietnam was a 23-hour bus trip from Hanoi to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. We crossed the border and shouted with glee as we walked into a new, supposedly much friendlier country, fingers crossed. I never knew before that Laos actually sustained far more bombing than Vietnam during the Vietnam war, and around 25 per cent of all bombs dropped on the country did not explode, still lying around the country. The change from Vietnam was instant. The people had softer, gentler faces and nobody was trying to rip us off. We entered through green, tree-covered mountains as the sun came up. Even the air smelled sweeter. I knew I was going to like it here. We arrived in Vientiane around the same time Tam's plane got in and caught ... read more

31 July - 19 August: Ahh Vietnam. The endless months of dreaming of edible food, gorgeous landscapes and pretending I'm not really American (we opted for Swiss German... what, it's funny!)... I have to say, we were not prepared for the tourism circus that is Vietnam. And the food is really not what I expected... everything is deep fried! Huh? As we overheard a Canadian traveller succinctly say "Vietnamese food... better in your home country!" In a nutshell (and I don't want to overly kvetch, but it must be said) Vietnam is a holiday DISASTER. Fellow travellers (especially those on short holidays) you might just give the whole place a miss, since the point of a holiday is to come back rejeuvenated and relaxed, not more stressed out than when you arrived. The basic problem is ... read more

17-24 July After a chaotic, early morning exit from Siem Reap, Kris, Carrie and I found ourselves aboard the boat for a leisurely 8 hour journey to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. We began in the Tonle Sap lake, the largest in Cambodia, which later narrowed to the Tonle Sap River and to our destination. We were coming from a place that evidenced the beauty and wonder of the ancient Khmers in Angkor to the capital city, which still reeled from the recent atrocities of the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. Phnom Penh was set up as the country's capital by the occupying French, and as a result, the riverside is lined with Parisian-style bistros, cafes and esplanade. It's a mixture of colonial architecture, a myriad of hotels and everyday street vendors; from tuk ... read more

Now, speaking of TERRIFYING ferry boats, our 3 hour boat trip from Koh Tao to Chumpon, on the Thai mainland, firmly placed my heart in my throat and I think I have some new grey hair. When the huge boat pulled up at the ferry, with calm waters and sunny skies, Kris and I thought, now WHY are all of the windows sealed and why is the boat sopping wet all over? Was it raining somewhere? No, it's just that the boat flies across the open sea at something like 500 million knots per hour, against the current. The result is a mammoth boat filled with people literally jumping over massive waves and rocking violently back and forth. Plus they were showing some tomb raider movie on the boat which was all about scuba diving ... read more

13-19 June -- After our eventful jungle trek, we decided on Sipadan island, one of the world's most renowned spots for scuba diving due to its crystal clear waters, volcanic archipellago and abundant aqualife. We arrived early afternoon into Semporna to find a cheap room, do some email and rest up for some serious scuba. We checked into a cheap-o place built on stilts that sat literally on the ocean called the Dragon Inn. We found out later the locals call it the Drag 'em in, since it pulls in and spits out the backpackers, but 15 ringget is good enough for me. Dive shops abounded in Semporna as all development on the islands is strictly controlled. There are no resorts or hotels even allowed on Sipadan, due to a kidnapping incident with some Filipino ... read more