30 Dec: Touring Angkor, Day Two (note: There are a number of photos (84) associated with this entry. Believe me when I say this is just a fraction of the photos taken that day – e.g. you’re getting off easy, and getting only the highlights. Some have commentary immediately below the image, which will give a bit of an explanation of what you are looking at). In an attempt to avoid the crush of tourists seen yesterday, we set out for Angkor Wat proper at 7:30am. While we still found our first stop of the day full of tourists it was significantly fewer than the number we’d seen at the site the day before – should you make this journey I recommend you start your morning as early as possible so that you can enjoy the ... read more

29 Dec: Touring Angkor, Day One (note: There are a number of photos (111) associated with this entry. Believe me when I say this is just a fraction of the photos taken that day – e.g. you’re getting off easy, and getting only the highlights. Most have commentary immediately below the image, which will give a bit of an explanation of what you are looking at). I'll make a seperate post with a few videos next. Flashback to winter of 1996 (Vancouver WA); I was nearing the halfway point for my senior year of high school and the second year of my college coursework. A misty drizzle hung in the chilly air as I dashed from Clark College’s carpark to the Fine Art’s building and the art history lecture hall. I didn’t yet know that the ... read more

25 to 27 Dec: Messing about in Nong Khiaw (note: a number of photos appear towards the bottom of the page). Nong Khiaw is such a restful and relaxing destination you can help but slow down and take it easy. I’ll leave my photos to capture some of what I saw and did. Highlights of this time included: 1. I completed two full books during this time. Reading either on my bungalow’s balcony or at the local eating/drinking establishment. 2. I met a number of fascinating people and had a number of interesting conversations. One particularly memorable individual was a guy named John and his wife Maggie, who live in Korea (teaching English), but was originally from Newport, Oregon. John was a character and was well known by the locals as they had spent three months ... read more

23 Dec: Luang Prabang to Nong Khiaw (note: given the number of photos a number appear towards the bottom of the page below the video). Nong Khiaw (also spelled Kiaow) is a small town on the banks of the Nam Ou River and boasts a gorgeous backdrop of imposing limestone mountains, picturesque river views and genuine local colour. The town is 3-4 hours via the road or 7+ hours by boat from Luang Prabang along the Mekong and Ou River. As I had heard that boat travel was by far the more spectacular option (though more costly) I set my mind to ensuring that I got a seat on the infrequent boat runs that make the trip. I started the day early in Luang Prabang and made my way to the boat launch around 8am. The ... read more

20 to 21 Dec: Auckland, Sydney, Taipei, Hanoi and finally Luang Prabang (26 hrs) All great extended holidays generally begin a few days before the actual date of departure with the ritualistic packing, repacking, regretting what hasn’t fit in the luggage, deciding to reshuffle and repack and finally resigning yourself to the fact that you have packed too much yet not enough. My trip to Laos and Cambodia began in a similar fashion. Knowing that a rolling suitcase was out of the question for two countries known for their dirt roads and rudimentary public transportation – I decided to go with a large trapping backpack and a small day bag. The day bag was simple: two different cameras (one for better quality photos and the other that would be used on excursions that would possibly end ... read more