I have tried a lot of food in the last three and a half months - much I have not blogged about becuase I have been without camera or too distracted by the yumminess to take pictures. But I have to say that Vietnamese food has been my favourite thus far. Which is a big surprise, because in all my years of going for pho and other dishes back home, the cuisine has never really caught my attention. Fortunately, it has it now. So why have I fallen in love with Vietnamese? Simple - the flavour. While other countries get the flavour of food talked up, I think Vietnamese is marginalized because so many people think of pho when they think of the cuisine. As that flavour is partly DIY, the lack of spice you choose ... read more

So I have to say, I think this was one of the coolest days I've had since I began this trip. While in Hoi An, I went on a day trip to go repelling at Marble Mountains in Da Nang. We were told that the repelling would involved one cave drop (10m), one cliff drop (25m) and a drop into a temple at the bootom of a cave (55m). It sounded awesome, and turned out to be better than expected because what we were neglected to be told was the temple we would be repelling into was unique. The day started out drizzly and overcast, but fortunately not enough to stop us from repelling. We completed some basic training on how to reppel before trying the 10m drop into a cave, and completed that successfully twice. ... read more

One of my favourite things about Cambodia was the food. Khmer cuisine is full of flavour, spice, and delicious sauces - everything I look for in a good meal. From the famous Fish Amok to more "common" food like spicy noodles, my taste buds went crazy the entire time I was in Cambodia. I even ate a cricket, something I didn't think I would have the guts to do. It wasn't bad either - I would liken it to popcorn. For anyone visiting Siem Reap, I would strongly recommend is having a meal at the New Hope Cambodia Training Restaurant. It is part of a fantastic charitable organization, New Hope Cambodia, that is focused on providing education, healthcare, general support, and skills to one of the most impoverished communities in Cambodia. We went for a meal ... read more

So I'm going to keep this short, but I can't go without acknowledging it. Yesterday I was in Phnom Penh and visited S-21 and The Killing Fields. I knew about Cambodia's tragic history and the genocide long before this trip and arriving in Cambodia, but I wasn't prepared for the emotion that the visit of these two horrible sites inspired in me. Cambodia very recent history is a harsh reminder of the horrible things we as humans are capable of and how innocent children can be so easily influenced to committ atrocious acts. I wish I could say that hopefully something like the genocide seen in Cambodia will never happen again, but similar atrocities are occuring right now in so many parts of the world. The visit was a harsh wake-up call as I continue on ... read more

For the better part of my life, I have wanted to visit Hong Kong. My father actually worked there (visiting for week long stints every month or so) from the time I was 11 or 12, and I have grown up hearing stories about the city pre and post-handover. I had high expectations for Hong Kong, and it did not disappoint. When I arrived in Hong Kong, I was still feeling quite fragile. It was the day after my laptop and money were stolen, and part of me just wanted to go home. Thank-god for Hong Kong. It provided me with exactly what I needed to lick my wounds and move on with my travels. As we travelled to where we were staying, I was immediately struck with the biggest difference between Hong Kong and the ... read more