Aaaaaaaaaaaah! That is the only word to describe the culture shock we are suffering here. Well, not so much culture shock as shell shock. This place makes Bangkok look like Windsor, Ontario (Moss Vegas for the Aussies). We've heard people complain that Delhi is a filthy place - it's certainly dirty here, but not so much more than southeast Asia that we would remark on it. Actually what really knocks us off our feet here is the mind-boggling over-stimulation. Walking down a street here there are so many things happening at once that you could never hope to catch them all. [View Full Entry]

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WARNING: If your name is Suyoko, you shouldn't read this blog. You know why. Back in KL! It was a bit of a whirlwind trip getting from Phnom Penh to here, but we managed to cut it by spending one night in Siem Reap, a few days in Bangkok, and a couple days in the Cameron Highlands. The bus trip back to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh was much nicer than that ear-splitting trip the other way. We managed to stay overnight at some anonymous guesthouse in Siem Reap (the place is filled with them) before catching a taxi to the [View Full Entry]

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Welcome to a new kind of craziness. After our last entry, we took the following day to rent bicycles and bike around Angkor temples to get a different, slower, more serene feel to the visit (and to go get those pictures we didn't get in the first three days). If anyone suggests renting bicycles is more relaxing, at least here in SE Asia, just punch them in the face (unless they're bigger than you). Cycling around the temples was about as serene as riding down the middle of Yonge St. or Robson during rush hour, what with all the tour buses [View Full Entry]

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Okay. You're all expecting the Blog to End All Blogs. We thought this would be our big chance to get on the front webpage, seeing as how Angkor Wat is one of the most photogenic sites on our trip. This isn't going to happen, for a couple of reasons. First, there are too many wonderful photographer bloggers such as Cumberland Sausage, who consistently produces some of the most amazing travel photos we've ever seen (he must be a pro), and second, we had so much trouble deciding on which photos of Angkor to put up on the blog that we've decided [View Full Entry]

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Hello and welcome to the year 2644 (cool futuristic music playing in the background)..... Yes, in Laos where we rang in the new year it is in fact the year 2644, as they adhere to the Buddhist Era (BE) calendar date which began earlier than the Roman/Christian calendar we use. Funny, it feels a lot like 2006 to us. We hope everyone back home partied like it was 2599! When last we wrote we were in Luang Prabang, and since then we have been on the move, stopping only briefly in the Laos capital of Vientiane before making our way south [View Full Entry]

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'Twas the night before Christmas And all through the Laos, Not a creature was stirring (because here they're Buddhist). The stockings (and underwear, rain jackets, etc.) were scattered all over the floor, And Sarah hoped to God that St. Nick wouldn't snore The travellers were nestled all snug in their beds While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads (actually this is a Lariam side-effect. Other symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, light-headedness, loss of balance, headache, sleepiness, inability to sleep, abnormal dreams, diarrhea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, [View Full Entry]

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Hey All, we hope you're all enjoying the holiday season (or at least coping well)! We'll just give you a run-down on the latest from Laos before wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. Luang Prabang continues to be a comfortable place to stay, offering excellent food (especially good cheese) and wonderful atmosphere. Definitely our favourite place so far. About a week ago we started getting the itch to explore, and the closest site outside the city is the Kuang Si waterfall, about 30 km south of the town. In Laos, 30 km means a one hour [View Full Entry]

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We have made it to Luang Prabang all the way from Thailand. We started in a place called Chiang Kong which is right on the border with Laos separated only by the Mekong River. We had no problems getting our visa to Laos although we were a little unnerved when the man at the tour office told us he had to take our passports until the next day (the way international crime is these days, there are now probably a number of Nicks and Sarahs in southern China, Myanmar, and perhaps even India). We stayed overnight at the "Boom House" hostel, [View Full Entry]

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Another week has flown by here in Chiang Mai. We thought we would update you all before we head off to Laos via the slow boat. We will head up to a place called Chiang Rai and then to the border where we will board a boat on the Mekong River down through Laos to Luang Prebang. Last Thursday was Nick's 27th birthday which was kicked off with the best present any traveller could want: toilet paper and M&Ms. In the massage class everyone sang happy birthday and in the evening we went out for a very nice and fancy dinner [View Full Entry]

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The end of November and we've made it up to northern Thailand...Chiang Mai to be exact. This is the Thai destination we've been rather excited about because it's where we had planned to settle down for a few weeks and take cultural courses. The best part about this place: NOT HUMID. Oh and it's even a touch cool at night. Now this is our kind of Southeast Asia. Chiang Mai is right on the tourist trail through the region, and it shows. While it feels like there are significantly more Thai people than foreigners here, most if not all Thais speak [View Full Entry]

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