I've been in Laos for three days and already feel like I've driven through a good chunk of it ... the hours on the bus would be difficult to calculate, the gorgeous mountains impossible to beat. Now in Luang Prabang, an adorable metropolis of 20,000 with a mile of night market vendors. I want to touch everything! Yesterday, I went tubing in Vang Vieng. It was a lazy trip down the Mekong to admire the forested cliffs on either side - very relaxing save for the shrieking next to me of a woman in my group terrified for her very life. [View Full Entry]

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Vietnam just keeps getting better and better. It's a thousand degrees and I've never sweated more profusely, but throw me into Halong Bay with jellyfish and then it's no problem. Took a cruise through the bay on a lovely junk boat to enjoy the magnificent cliffs jutting out of the water - there are three thousand of these rock formations scattered throughout. Thank goodness they're protected by UNESCO. Back in Hanoi - a big city with more condensed space and a richer culture than in Saigon. I've eaten some different things, including crickets, pork tripe, frog's legs, and yes, dog. Sor [View Full Entry]

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Just finished another motorbike tour through town, while still trying to catch up from two overnight trains a few days ago. My driver is named "Be," a tiny, nearly toothless man who worked as an interpreter for the Americans during the war. I've found the people antedated here - there's a tendency to look 10 years younger than reality, then the leap to 10 years older. "Be" is probably in his late 50s, but he could be 75. I can never tell. When age is the subject, everyone loves to take a guess, but I'm usually way off. It's surreal to [View Full Entry]

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Saigon has an energy unlike anyplace I've seen yet on this trip. It has a pulse like New York. I welcome the hustle and bustle, the chaotic sea of motorbikes squeezed into the streets, the shouts of market vendors and stinky smells of fish and garbage. I love it. Being an American also makes reactions to this place unique ... and I felt it full force while visiting the war museum and Cu Chi Tunnels, where a strategic underground community defended the North. Thriftyness was of the essence - old tires became sandals, old bombs could hold new, homemade ones [View Full Entry]

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Arriving in Vietnam in the late afternoon was a blessing. We had to race to fit something into our day after devoting most of it to border crossing from Cambodia. Our guide skillfully shuffled us along on a riverboat tour and organized a motorbike ride while we were lazily drifting down the river. When time is of the essence, it's kind of nice to be told what to do and where to go. We had less than 24 hours in the Mekong Delta to make time for Saigon up ahead. As soon as I got back to the hotel, a [View Full Entry]

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That's it, the gloves are off. After days of travelers' diarrhea, I'm ready to regain control of my trip and my meals. I'm going to eat what I want, and maybe even beat my head cold with five alarm chilies. I figure I can smoke it out of my system. Our guide, Cat, has been taking us to some of the local faves for meals. The rest of the group is up in arms at the lack of Western options- I couldn't be more delighted. And I am feeling better. When I saw pig's brain soup on the menu, I knew [View Full Entry]

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The rain started two days ago and won't stop. Too bad, since I'm at the beach now and there is little to do that involves being inside. The group has scattered today to try to entertain themselves, and if I'm ambitious enough, maybe a ping pong tournament can be held. I think we're all looking forward to heading to Vietnam tomorrow. Cambodia is preparing for elections on Monday so most things are shutting down so everyone can return home and vote, which is required by law. There's also some excitement over a temple becoming a World Heritage Site. The architecture is [View Full Entry]

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Less than thirty years ago, a man named Pol Pot had a dream. It became a nightmare. In a word, genocide. 1.75 million were killed and tortured at his command, and the prison Tuol Sleng remains standing as proof. No one in our group was prepared for the shocking stories upon visiting the compound. By training uneducated teenaged boys from the countryside, the Khmer Rouge created one of the most ruthless armies the world has ever known. The high school transformed prison still holds the photographs of prisoners upon entry, and many upon brutal, bloody, merciless execution. We continued [View Full Entry]

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This is rushed, since I'm running out of adrenaline from a 19-hour day. We got up early to watch the sun rise from Angkor Wat. Only one day there, which is hardly enough time, so we had to cram it all in. With a group of 15, I'm the only American so I need to get used to being the butt of jokes for the next 4 weeks! Angkor Wat is incredible and words can not do it justice, scribbled, thought out, or otherwise. Took tons of photos, the most impressive thing is how nature is completely ripping the place apart [View Full Entry]

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Rain and mysticism surrounded us as we ascended the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Meg and the boys were taking the gondola up - I took the stairs. I started quickly, leaping up the steps two at a time. After only a couple flights, I'm winded. I have to pace myself here, among all the other things I embark upon. A faint scent like jasmine sits in the air as I huff and puff my way up the steep steps. The rain is a blessing, making the climb easier for us and the children as we rose above the tree line [View Full Entry]

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