On Thai Weddings and catching up with good friends.

We crossed at Poipet/ Aranya Prathet. It's amazing what an "imaginary line" can do. As soon as we crossed this line it was more than clear how much more affluent Thailand is compared to Cambodia. The roads were excellent, showing us the most immediate, obvious and visible difference! In no time at all, we had negotiated a tuk-tuk to take us the 7 kilometers or so to the main bus station, where we organised a bus to Bangkok. Before we knew it, we were on our way. The last time we had been to Thailand was about two and a half years ago, and I was astounded by the change. Over the last 19 years I have been to Thailand some 5 or 6 times, and each time I return, I am overwhelmed by its rate of growth and progress. It was great to see! This country had been very third world when I first visited, in the early 90's, but now, wow, it's moved into the 21st century with its pedal to the metal and in fifth gear!

Although we normally do not book places to sleep in advance, we had done so for our arrival in Bangkok, as we would be meeting some dear friends, and all attending a Thai wedding together. Just a bit of background information: Bec is from Canberra, and I met her in Bolivia in 1999 when I was on my South America trip. Birdie is Bec's partner. Megs is originally from New Zealand, and was house sharing with Bec (she's now back in New Zealand). Pong was also Bec's flatmate - she's Thai and was studying in Australia. Link is the man that Pong was about to marry. Alex and I met up with them all (apart from Link, obviously) on the many occasions we drove through Canberra when we had the jewellery business. So, how is this....Bec and Birdie fly from Australia, Megs from New Zealand, and Alex and I bus it over the border....so we can all hang out, and go to a wedding together. You have to love that!

Once we arrived in Bangkok, we caught a bus to our final destination. In Thailand, whilst tuk-tuks are still used, taxis are a better and inexpensive option if you do not desire to accommodate a decent portion of the city's smog in your lungs. We ended up staying at the Sukhumvit Rd YHA (Youth Hostel). Whilst it was clean, and organised, I found it overpriced and, may I be forgiven for saying, anal. Years ago, I used to use these official youth hostels regularly, but I have found that in recent times they have changed a lot, and believe that they no longer represent the best value for money. In our case, however, it was in a location that was close to the wedding, and where we would all be together. You cannot and shouldn't complain, I suppose, when it suits your purpose.

As soon as we entered we saw Bec and Birdie! Hugs all around! The last time we had seen Bec was in Darwin in June 2006 (just before we came away on this big trip), where a group of us did a several day hike in Kakadu National Park. Bec and I have a penchant of meeting up in exotic locations. We met in Bolivia (before I met Alex actually), we then met up again in Peru, where we crossed the Amazon River all the way through to Brazil, another time it was in Peru, then Kakadu, and now Thailand! Of course we have also caught up several times in both Melbourne and Canberra. Megs was due to arrive later that night. It felt so good to be amongst good friends! We all had so much to chat about, but where to start......with some good food say I!

Ah, Thai food! My favourite cuisine by a long shot! I had been dreaming about it for months, and in places like China, I longed for it desperately. Thailand never fails to impress me with its food, the best part being that decent food is even obtainable on the streets. In no time at all, I was chowing down a vegetarian and tofu pad thai, whilst the others opted for its carnivorous counterpart. After that it was chicken (or beef?) satay sticks....I may not eat meat but the satay had me licking my chops! Yay, at last decent food! It was lovely to be able to kick back and relax and just catch up. Megs arrived later that night, but we did not catch up until the next morning. I was somewhere between la-la land and seventh heaven!

The next few days were spent relaxing, chatting, doing some shopping, and getting ready for the wedding. Pong and Link came to visit us one night at the hostel. Not sure how they did it as they had so much to get organised, and there were only a few more days to go before the wedding. It was nice to be able to finally meet Link, as we had heard so much about him. On another day, Som (Pong's sister) took us shopping as Megs and Bec had to get a traditional skirt and top, as they would both be participating in the wedding. The skirt was found with relative ease, but the top......long after Som had gone, Bec was beading blood, as finding an appropriate top seemed to elude her. I might add here that Bec HATES shopping! She eventually found her top (as did Megs) but she was so over it! And I thought I hated shopping! You win hands down Bec!

Pong and Link would be having a traditional Thai wedding, which would go all day, and include several ceremonies. The date was the 2nd of December. We all had to get up at the crack of dawn, as the gorgeous Pong had organised for we gals to have our hair styled. So get up early, and have ourselves showered and dressed we did. I had bought a lovely orange silk dress in Vietnam, and matched it up with some strappy shoes I had purchased here in Bangkok. Alex on the other hand had nothing to wear, but he seemed far less worried about it than I did. Actually at 4.00pm on the day before the wedding, in MBK, one of the city's largest shopping centres, he had looked at everything but purchased nothing! The pressure was on! He persisted, and finally found the "whole ensemble", including a shirt, slacks and shoes. I had reached the point where I was saying, "Just buy something and throw it away after the wedding if you don't like it!". Perseverance obviously paid off, and he finally got what he was looking for. That's my tranquil Alex!

The boys watched as we had our hair styled. The girls also had their make up done, but I opted for doing my own. We then caught a taxi to our first destination; a beautiful hotel, where Pong and Link would partake in two small, separate and private ceremonies. The former was a Thai one, in honour of Pong's family, and the latter a Chinese one, in honour of Link's Chinese heritage. Being Pong's friends, we attended, along with very small number of people, the first one. Pong wore different, but very beautiful and traditional gowns, for both of these ceremonies.

"ALater, we would all attend a huge lunchtime banquet. This was more for the family than the friends (that was to come later). In this instance there were lots of people, lots of food and lots of drinks. Our table even had a big sign sayingustralia", which left the others with absolutely no doubt as to where we were all from. The food just kept on coming and coming, and the quality was top notch. Unlike Australian weddings there was no band or dancing, but it was still lots of fun and very enjoyable. We felt honored and privileged to be able to experience something so unique and different. It was at this reception that Pong wore a gorgeous, western style, wedding dress.

That evening, but in another location, there would be yet another party. This included nibblies and cocktails, and was for friends rather than family. It was more casual than the lunchtime function, and Pong surprised us again, with yet another exquisite dress. Having said that, Pong is categorically gorgeous, both inside and out, and she would look stunning in anything. If you are reading this Link, you scrubbed up OK as well! (In Australia...that means that you looked great too!)

Wow, it had been quite a day, a fun and munch-fest! And all in good company too! Needless to say, we all returned home exhausted, and in need of a good night's sleep, as well as a sleep in.

The next day saw us all getting ourselves organised for the next part of our prospective journeys. Bec and Birdie had just over 4 weeks in total and wanted to visit Cambodia, and Megs had a total of 6 and was open to suggestions. As for Alex and I (time to let the cat out of the bag!), we had booked a flight home months ago in China, for the evening of the 24th of December, arriving in Melbourne on Christmas Day. We wanted to surprise Dad, but had also wanted to keep it a secret. So, our aim was to spend the last two weeks on a deserted Thai beach, doing nothing but relaxing! Of course, we would allow some shopping days just before our return!

But, where to go? Anything that even whiffed of a resort and a million foreigners, was immediately ruled out for us. Thus places like Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui did not even hit the radar. We finally decided on the area around Ko Chang, in the Gulf of Thailand. What we definitely did not want to do was jump from one place to another, as we'd been doing this on close to 16 months! Bec and Bird were off to Cambodia, and Megs would come along with us. Sorted!

We had all had a wonderful time together, but as always, it was time to move on! I want to make a special mention of a beautiful French family we met at the Sukhumvit YHA. Sylvie and Serge were travelling around-the-world with three children, the youngest being Milla. Despite the fact that she mostly only spoke French, this little girl clearly showed how desire can bring so many things to fruition. She used her French, a little Spanish (that she had learnt in Peru), a little English and body language to make herself understood. When I asked her, "Do you speak English?", she gave me this cheeky little grin, and answered in French, "Un petite po" (spelling?), which means a little bit. We had absolutely no problem understanding each other. She had such an amazing spirit and energy, and each time she would see me, she would give me a big hug. I will never forget her!

Ombi

Dedication: This one is for Milla. Milla you were like a shining light in a dark room. Although little, your smile was huge and radiant. Every time I saw you you made my heart sing. May you never lose that contagious smile and love of life. I looked at you, and saw myself. May adulthood never change your indomitable spirit!


" I have found that if you love life, life will love you back" - Arthur Rubinstein (1886 - 1982).

(Photos: 1.- Two very itchy pairs of feet in a tuk-tuk,Bangkok. 2.-Entering Thailand on the Cambodia/ Thai border. What part of "don't do drugs" don't people get? 3.-Ombi and Birdie...sipping on a Birdy. Cold coffee in a can, Bangkok. 4.- The future bride and groom to be with the "mob" at the hostel in Bangkok. L to R: (top) Megs, Ombi, Bec & Alex. (bottom) Birdie, Pong & Link. 5.-The bridesmaids and me. L to R: Bec, Ombi & Megs. 6.- Pong and Link after their Thai Wedding Ceremony. 7.-Lunchtime wedding reception. Bec, Birdie, and .....Babe's youngest offspring on a plate! 8.-The Australian contingent at the lunchtime reception. L to R: Alex, Ombi, Megs, Bec & Birdie. 9.- The Aussie contingent yet again at the nighttime wedding reception. Welcome to the "Cafe d'Love". 10.- The Jetsons? No, Bangkok in the 21st century! Makes Melbourne look so yesterday. 11.-Ombi with L to R: Milla, Jodie and Brad. 12.- Ombi & Milla.)

Angkor What?

Siem Reap is Cambodia's cultural and spiritual heartbeat, and indeed no visit would be complete without visiting the infamous temples of Angkor, only a few kilometres away. Siem Reap has become quite the thriving little metropolis! Maybe too much so! It now abounds with throngs of people on tour groups, who probably visit little else in Cambodia. The problem is that many look like they should be on a Milan catwalk, and look rather out of place amongst the poverty that surrounds them. This flaunting of wealth looks not only ridiculous, but totally out of place, in a country where so many people live precariously below the poverty line! Gucci handbags and stilettos have never really been my thing, but here they look both obscene and ostentatious! But that's not all folks (not only do you get the free steak knives......) Siem Reap is full of pumping bars and pubs, pushing equally obscenely priced drinks...........whilst the locals walk around trying to make a living by selling whatever they can on the streets ! Alex and I refused to go to these places and pay the prices, and indulged in some phenomenal street food instead, thus trying to put some money back into the economy and helping the locals, rather than lining the pockets of the big players and the multi-nationals. Our gesture may have been small, but it was our way of showing some of the solidarity that humankind seems to steadfastly be losing!

Angkor Wat is free to the locals (and so it should be!) but overpriced for foreigners; a day pass costs USD $20.00, a three day pass $40.00 and a weekly pass $60.00. I almost would not have minded paying it, had I known that the money was helping its people. But no, a very small amount goes into conservation of the site (as in 10%) and the rest gets sucked into that vortex, possibly called corruption! I have never seen such a famous site so crowded and full of people. As I looked around and did my maths, I figured that the money being made on entry fees would be phenomenal....but where was it going? Was it fixing the roads? Was it feeding its people and eliminating poverty? Was it going towards a better education and thus helping create a future for its people? Having said all of this, as the Cambodians struggle to rebuild their lives after years of tragedy, trauma and terror, the temples are a point of pilgrimage for them, and no traveller would want to miss their extravagant beauty! Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place!

Nothing, however, could take away from the Temples of Angkor. We had been told to prepare for divine inspiration! Indeed the temples of Angkor, capital of Cambodia's ancient Khmer empire, are the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion. Regardless of one's spiritual beliefs, nothing can take away from these most majestic structures, and the spiritual passion that went into their creation. The Cambodian royalty of old each strove to better their ancestors in size, scale and symmetry, culminating in the world's largest religious building, namely Angkor Wat. What most people do not realise is how expansive the area containing the temples actually is. It cannot all be done by foot. One needs a bike, at the very least (and only for the smaller circuit), and only by taking a motorbike or a tuk-tuk (like a motorised motorcycle, with a carriage behind and taking up to 4 people) can you see the bulk of the sights. Can it be done in a day? It depends how long it takes you to get "temple burnout"!

Being the self-confessed culture junkie that I am, we spent a full three days at the various temples. Without a doubt, they were magnificent, and each had something remarkable to offer. On the first day, we did what is known as the Little Circuit, which is 17 kilometres and begins at Angkor Wat. We took a tuk-tuk, and hopped on and off at will. The way it works is that you effectively pay a driver for the day, and he goes where you wish, and waits for you, then taking you on to the next place you wish to visit.

Our first port of call was Angkor Wat. Although it was packed to the rafters with camera toting tourists, nothing could take away from its majesty. On coming around the corner and seeing it, live, for the first time, Alex and I were speechless! (Yeh, I know, doesn't happen often with me!) It's hard to describe, and re-live that spine-tickling moment when you emerge on the inner causeway and this temple of such grandeur presents itself for the very first time. I was overcome with emotion, and my eyes brimmed with tears as I, yet again on this amazing journey, thanked the universe for being able to experience that which I was experiencing! Although full of people, it was still an amazing experience to be able to walk around and explore this temple. Some of it is in excellent condition, and there are other parts that require ducking down and exploring, as if you were in an Indiana Jones movie. The bas reliefs are intricate and delicate, the most famous at this site being its beguiling apsara, or heavenly nymphs. Just to give you an idea of size, and exploration possibilities, Angkor Wat is surrounded by a moat, 190 metres wide, which forms a giant rectangle measuring 1.5 kilometres by 1.3 kilometres.

There were many, many temples, and over the first two days we saw many. On Day 2 we did what is known as the Big Circuit, which at 26 kilometres is an extension of the small circuit, and includes a multitude of other temples as well as the ancient gates that once enclosed the city. To be perfectly honest, it certainly is a lot to take in over a couple of days, and although each temple is different, after seeing so many, it can become difficult to recall each on individually. There are a few, however that really stand out. Bayon is one of these. The temple's most distinctive feature is the multitude of enormous stone faces which are presented upon entering. The overall feeling is that there is a force here that is really bigger than us or that we can imagine! Preah Khan was another. It is a huge, highly explorable monastic complex, full of carvings and passages. The bulk of the fun was to wander and to see where it would take you.

Ta Prohm was undoubtedly the most atmospheric ruin at Angkor, and quite possibly my favourite one. Unlike most of the temples, it has been left to be swallowed by the jungle, and has that real "Tomb Raider" feel. Indeed part of the movie "Lara Croft - Tomb Raider" , starring Angelina Jolie, was filmed here, and you can even see the infamous "tomb raider" tree, where Jolie picked a jasmine flower before falling through the earth into............probably some studio set! Ta Prohm is a temple of towers, close courtyards and narrow corridors, many clogged with jumbled piles of delicately carved stone blocks, dislodged by the roots of trees that have long since died. This temple truly transported me elsewhere, as my mind wandered.....where, what, why, how!

The list of temples and terraces we saw was both endless and astounding. We saw a spectacular sunset from Baphuon, a temple which is a pyramidal representation of the mythical Mt Meru, highly revered by Hindus and Buddhists alike. It's a 10 to 15 minute climb uphill to get there, and I truly felt like I was on an ant trail (read chock-a-block full of people!), but the views were mesmerising. The fact that all of these temples are set in and amongst the jungle gives the whole area a very surreal and yesteryear feel!

On our third and last day, we took the 50 kilometre and very dusty trip out to Kbal Spean. Bitumen.....what's that! We met a lovely Belgian couple in Siem Reap, split the cost, and took a remorque -moto (a motorcycle with a hooded carriage towed behind) out there. The journey to get there was actually half the fun, as we passed many traditional villages and villagers. These people seem to live a very simple and unfussy life style. As we whizzed by, they looked at us with curiosity. They were probably wondering what all the fuss was about . What we find fascinating and amazing is really just their backyard! Kbal Spean is a spectacularly carved riverbed, set deep in the jungle. Again, it's the stuff that movies are made of. It's a 1.5 kilometre walk up towards the carvings, and the path takes you through the jungle, passing by some interesting boulder formations along the way. The carvings include Vishnu, Shiva and a number of other Hindu deities, but the most interesting is the hundreds of linga that appear on the riverbed downstream. These are phallic symbols which have quite literally been cut into the riverbed, as the water continues to flow over them.

You may have heard that land mines are still a big problem in Cambodia. Although it is not something that affected us directly, it is still a big issue. On our way to Kbal Spean, we read the following in our Cambodia Lonely Planet guide, " LAND MINE ALERT! At no point during a visit to Kbal Spean or Phnom Kulen should you leave well trodden paths, as there are land mines in the area." This is also the thing that movies are made of!

After three days of temple after temple, I admit that we had both had enough of....temples! Instead of going straight to Bangkok, which was effectively supposed to be our next destination, we decided to do a boat trip to Battambang, as we had heard that the scenery was supposed to be amongst Cambodia's best. In a tale to rival all tales, we were picked up early the next morning and crammed into a mini-bus. Crammed as in, no room left and dangerous! Alex and I began to voice our opinions and concerns, but it was obviously falling on deaf ears. After some 15 minutes of travelling in the foetal position (as there wasn't room for much else), we arrived at the "port". I couldn't help thinking that this was going to be a good one! Apart from the trash and junk lying everywhere, I looked at the various "boats" and wondered whether they were going to be used as firewood, or whether they were truly going to be our mode of transportation. Not the safest looking boats I have ever seen! Needless to say, prospective firewood they were not!

The trip to Battambang took some 7 hours, in a rickety and somewhat uncomfortable sea vessel, which albeit survived the odds and stayed afloat! As we travelled along the Sangker River, we did pass some amazing scenery and many riverside villages. Having spent so much time on various bodies of water in the last months, however, we were perhaps a little bit blaze about it. To be brutally honest we were both looking forward to meeting up with Bec, Birdie and Megan in Bangkok, where we would all be meeting up for a Thai wedding. Battambang was an interesting enough place, and after looking for a place to spend the night, and dumping our bags, we had a bit of a walk around. Cambodia's second largest city had an excellent market place and some wonderful coffee and food. We indulged in both! Our time here was short and brief, and we were keen to go. We had a couple of options. The first was to take the bus passing through from Phnom Penh at around 1.00pm. As it would take 8 or 9 hours, we did not want to get to Bangkok that late. Option 2 was to organise a private taxi to the border, and then catch an ongoing bus to our final destination. We opted for the latter, as we could choose our departure time, thus being able to leave early and arrive at our final destination at a reasonable hour.

Our tummies filled with good food and coffee, we had an excellent night's sleep, and were ready to go at 7.30am the next morning. We would be travelling with a Dutch couple who were also on their way to Bangkok. The trip to the border was smooth and pleasant. We did pass an accident along the way, however, which left me a little shell shocked. Lying on the side of the road was a motorbike, and a bloodied person who was being given CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) by a bystander. My humanitarian instinct made me want to stop and help, but then I reconsidered the option of giving mouth-to-mouth to a blood spattered victim in a country with poor hygiene and where the AIDS/ HIV infection rate is the highest in Asia. I sighed deeply and that image I had just beheld was my faithful companion all the way to the border.

We arrived safely some 3 hours later, thanking and paying our taxi driver, and farewelling our recently acquired Dutch friends. Exiting Cambodia was easy and painless, and we soon found ourselves in Thailand, a country that I have visited often and which I love dearly.

Ombi

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act " - George Orwell (1903 - 1950).

(Photos: 1.- One of the many faces of Bayon, on the walkway to the temple, Siem Reap. 2.- The infamous yet impressive temples of Angkor Wat. 3.- Monks entering Bayon Temple. 4.- Intricate bas relief, Angkor Wat. 5.- Ombi & Alex....tomb raiders! Ta Phrom Temple. 6.- Kbal Spean, river carvings. 7.- Some use a boat, some use a bowl! Leaving Siem Reap to go to Battambang by boat. 8.- On the Sangker River, on the way to Battambang. 9.- Loading up a pick-up.....Battambang style! 10.- That's me again in the Tomb Raider Temple, aka Ta Phrom.)

R'n'R in Sihanoukville.

As I have already mentioned, Cambodia wins no prizes in the outstanding road stakes. It's a poor country, and its roads reflect this. The "main drag" from the capital to Sihanoukville was no different. The countryside certainly reflected the nation's poverty, and as always, it's interesting to be the quiet observer. Local transport always gives one the opportunity to do this. Sihanoukville is effectively Cambodia's beach town getaway, but it's still light years behind most Thai resorts and beaches. This alone , however, surely has to be an enticing thing!

Upon arrival, we caught a couple of motorbikes (drivers included!) in a bid to look for some accommodation, as the main sleeping area was a ways from the bus station. What a sight we must have looked, flying along the road, complete with two humongous backpacks hanging off us! It did not take us long to work out that although we had not paid a lot to be driven around, that the drivers were taking us to places where they would get a commission. After stop number two, we thanked them profusely, and scuttled away to look around ourselves. It is always the cheaper option! We eventually did find a nice little room in a place that was made of wood and set up on stilts. It was close enough to walk to the beach, but far enough that we could fall asleep at night without the echoes of duf-duf music!

It was lovely to be able to just hang out and relax on a beach. Actually, it had been so long since we had done absolutely nothing! Being a tourist is easy, being a traveller is not! Most of our time was spent hanging out on the beach......my hobby being running along it, and Alex's eating on it! There was always some vendor walking along and selling various tidbits, like fruit or grilled seafood. Speaking of seafood, it was a great place to indulge, and most nights were spent at one of the various beach front restaurants (read: tables and chairs on the sand, only metres away from the sea). No problemo, we vegetarians were also well catered for, and I had night after night of some truly excellent cuisine, mainly in the form of curries. The green curry in particular was top notch! Imagine.....tables and chairs on the beach, relaxing by the moonlight, and eating fresh and yummy food! We were definitely onto a winner! As far as how "beautiful" the beach was is debatable. Rubbish everywhere! That always ruins it for me! A believer in "leading by example", one day Alex and I walked along the beach, with two plastic bags, and filled them up to the brim with scattered trash. The freaks were back! Our biggest stares were from the locals! I am always saddened by the sight of garbage strewn everywhere, and am mostly infuriated when foreigners throw it. They do not do it in their own country (or maybe they do), so why do it in somebody else's?

There are a few beaches in and around Sihanoukville. We decided to stay at a place called Serendipity Beach. It's also a place surrounded by little islands and reefs. We had heard that the diving was only average, compared to Thailand, so we decided to save our money, and do a little snorkeling instead. There are many operators who organise day trips, so we chose one (they all seemed much of a muchness) and just went with it. Our snorkeling day trip proved to be both fun and relaxing, with a stopover on an almost deserted island (I can see that that will not be for long though!), where we also had a picnic lunch. There were a few (overpriced!) bungalows on the island, and a few bar/restaurants with even more overpriced cocktails. I could not help but think that this would eventually become another Phuket. One can only hope not! From what we were looking at, the odds were stacked against it.

On another day, we also hired a bike and visited the local market. Lots of fruit, veggies, food, people, and information (too much of it!). There are parts of the markets we visit that I simply refuse to go through. The meat section is one of them! Sorry, I just don't do slabs of unrefrigerated meat, under hot tin roofs with flies hanging around! Guess what those flies use as a landing pad? In many of these markets, the hygiene has been appalling; well, the hygiene that I am used yo any way!

We also cycled to a beach called Victory Beach, which used to be the original backpacker hang out. I must say, the beach is hardly very enticing, nor are the people who seem to frequent the area. I found the whole area rather seedy and full of grotesque foreigners with young Cambodian girls. Prostitution is indeed a huge problem in Cambodia, and also huge is the amount of foreigners, with neither morals nor social conscience, who go out with these prostitutes! Whilst I pass absolutely no judgement on these women, I do on the men! Get a grip fellas, do you think these women are with you because you are hot......or because you can provide them with more in a day than they can make in a year! I would imagine that with the paltry wages women make in Cambodia being taken out for dinner for a night, and perhaps being given a piece of jewellery is not only a luxury but a big deal indeed. Not to mention the food for the family, that that newly acquired (tiny amount of) money might buy!

Siem Riep and Angkor Wat were going to be our next destination, but yet again, we would have to go through Phnom Penh (remember, all roads lead to Phnom Penh). At the very time we would be passing through, there would be Bon Om Tuk, the water festival is held here each year sometime between late October and November. Boat races are held on the Tonle Sap river and up to 2 million people are supposed to flood the capital for fun and frolics. Finding accommodation is supposed to be a nightmare! Neither of us were in the mood to find out, and besides, time was running out, as we would be meeting some friends (more of this later) in Bangkok at the end of November for a Thai wedding. We had been told that we would not be able to go straight through to Siem Riep as the traffic in the capital would be horrendous, which it was. The capital was full of party goers, and it was crowded to capacity, but we did find a bus that would be going on to our final destination, thankfully, where we eventually arrived quite late at night.

It was probably around 8.00pm, and we were exhausted. It had been a long day, and all we wanted was a place to rest our weary heads. It's never that easy though, is it? So, we trudged around until we found a place to our liking, and we finally did! Once in Siem Riep, apart from wanting to rest my weary head, the only thing I wanted to know was...."Who won the election????". We were travelling on election day, and I was anxious to get the results. So, we walked around for a while, whilst I asked a few people, "Are you Australian?". I am pretty good with guessing nationalities, so it did not take me long to find a compatriot. And YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES, the race was finally over for Johhny Bush (or is his name George Howard?), his "presidential" term was over, and he even lost his own seat!!!!!! Johnny who? Perhaps there is a god after all!

Ombi

"If you don't run your own life, somebody else will" - John Atkinson.

(Photos:1.- R'n'R in Sihanoukville. 2.- Serendipity Beach, Sihanoukville. 3.- Throw another fish on the barbie, Sihanoukville. 4.- Paradise, on one of the islands near Sihanoukville.
5.- More R'n'R in Sihanoukville. 6.- It's pretty sad when advertising has to come to this...........TOURISTS SAY NO TO CHILD SEX!!! 7.- A portrait of the photographer (one of the few I can take credit for). 8.- Outside Angkor Wat. Q: Why are we so blissfully happy? Answer 1: Because we are at Angkor Wat? or Answer 2: Because Johnny lost the elections? )

Coming face to face with Pol Pot and his brutal regime.

Like all too many people passing through Cambodia, we didn't spend enough time here! My usual war cry here, yet again, was next time, next time! Wedged in-between Vietnam and Thailand, most visitors to this small but fascinating country usually whip through as they pass from one side to the other, often not fitting in much more than Angkor Wat. But Cambodia is so much more than Angkor! We should have spent less time in Vietnam, we both kept repeating to ourselves. Hindsight is such a tremendous thing really!


We decided that our first stop would be Phnom Penh, the country's capital. We also found out very quickly that in Cambodia, pretty much all roads lead to Phnom Penh , or at the very least, pass through it! It was a short boat ride to the border, Vinh Xuong on the Vietnamese side and Kaam Samnor on the Cambodian. The border formalities, well were not very formal, and after passing through both borders, we were left to our own devices. We soon organised a bus, and were on our way to the capital. Although the distance between the border and the capital is not necessarily a big one, the roads in this very poor country are horrendous, making the trip unnecessarily long. We arrived both tired and quite late, and we both dislike searching for accommodation in the dark. Surprise, surprise, someone jumps on the bus and has a "recommendation" for us. So, off we go, and...............it was atrocious! Filthy, dirty and seedy, and I told them so! Needless to say, they didn't appreciate my getting upfront and personal. Stiff! I wish I could remember the name of the place so that should you ever go to Phnom Penh, you never end up there. We were both cranky and tired, but were adamant about not sleeping in a crud hole. We eventually found Malis Guesthouse, a quiet place run by a lovely local family. We were happy to be able to dump our packs, but we were also starving. Luckily there was a little restaurant upstairs, so we relaxed whilst having a bite to eat, and promptly went to bed! I cannot say that I was overly fond of the area that we were staying in, but I was too tired to care!

We realised the next day that we were in the area known as Boeng Kak, which is a backpacker strip along the eastern shore of Boeng Kak Lake. Most of the guest houses here are built on a seriously polluted body of water. Having said that, we also soon realised that it was an area full of alcohol guzzling foreigners, Cambodian prostitutes, and drug pushers! I would categorically describe the area as a ghetto, and was quite appalled by it. On a number of occasions, Alex and I were offered the whole gamut of illegal substances, from weed to cocaine. Don't even get me started (as Laura and I would fondly say!). Supply meets demand! It is appalling and unethical that any foreigner should accept any drugs from any of the locals, as they are only doing it to fund those people's habit or whim! If you want to damage yourself, that is your choice, but please do not damage others through your own selfish choices! When asked (on a multitude of occasions) if I wanted marijuana, I resorted to saying very loudly, "No thanks, I don't smoke marijuana", to which I was told to keep my voice down. On one occasion, I lost it, and told the person offering me the drugs that I didn't do any drugs at all, and that he should take a good look at me, including my profile, and circulate my nationality and looks around to all the other drug pushers, leaving him with, "I don't do drugs! Don't ask me again!". He was flabbergasted, but the tourists watching my little scenario more so! A couple of them were quite taken aback, saying that they did not understand what the big deal was about, and voicing their opinion that perhaps I had been a little OTT (over the top). I took a big breath in, and breathed out slowly, telling myself not to go there; I have recently come to the realisation that I cannot change the world single-handedly (although in essence I would dearly love to) . I breathed in again, and looked at them.....probably the very people whom had bought some drugs only moments before I had passed through. My point had been made!

We spent our first day wandering around central Phnom Penh, observing and checking out the sights. Overwhelming, eye-opening, mind-boggling and paralysing are some of the words that come to mind in a bid to try and describe this city. Whilst each of these adjectives aids in capturing a part of this place, none seem to encompass its entirety or complexity! Children begging and running on the street naked, often pushed forth by their mothers; more Lexus cars than you could poke a stick at; billboards stating that "Sex with children is a crime"; foreigners being offered 7 year old girls for sex; people with no arms, or legs, or neither! Talk about tugging at the heartstrings. I felt like they'd been ripped out completely, and then placed around my neck in order to strangle me! I felt alternate waves of nausea and devastation come over me so many times, as I found myself wondering, yet again, where humanity was really heading!

There's actually quite a lot to see and do in Cambodia's capital, let alone observe. We also arrived here in time to go to the Australian Embassy to vote. We didn't have to, as we had so oft been reminded, but we oh so very wanted to! I am not about to enter a political tirade here, but I will say, yet again, that things do not change due to the masses sitting back and simply hoping that change will actually vapourise, or simply come to be! Remember my thing on complacency? So, off we both went and voted. This was Alex's first time voting as an Australian citizen. You may or may not recall that Alex became a True Blue (Aussie) in August 2006, just before we embarked on this long adventure. Ask him how much easier life has been travelling on an Australian passport, rather than an Ecuadorian one! So there he was, Ecuadorian born, now citizen of Australia, voting for the very first time....and in Cambodia!

We visited the very interesting National Museum of Cambodia, which is home to the world's finest collection of Khmer sculpture. It is housed in a beautiful traditional building, with a delightful courtyard, from where one can sit and observe. It was a great introduction to what we would witness later on, especially Angkor Wat. Wat Phnom was another place of tradition and tranquility. Set up on a 27 metre high hill (the only hill in town) it provided some arresting views. Other places of interest were the Independence Monument, built in 1958 to commemorate the country's independence from France and the Psar O Russei (or Russian market), full of anything and everything you can imagine, from food and second hand clothes, to designer label rip-offs and pirated CDs, movies, and computer programs. My favourite market, however, was Psar Thmei, the mustardy coloured art deco building also referred to as the Central Market. Quite obviously, it's in the city centre. Whereas the Russian Market was somewhat over priced and touristy, the Central Market seemed to cater much more to the local population. Having said that, it still has a bit of a name for overcharging. Having said this, markets frequented by locals, are an amazing way to help understand a culture. Markets are without a doubt one of my favourite cultural activities! Not bad for buying some unusual and exotic food either.

Coming to Phnom Penh and not visiting Security Prison S-21 or the Killing Fields would be like having a shower after bush walking and not using soap! They are both pretty full on, so we chose to do them on separate days. We decided to go the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, 15 kilometres from the city centre first. Our mode of transportation was a motorbike......that's to say, Alex and I both on the one motorbike behind the driver! Whilst I would not call the drivers in Cambodia aggressive, I would certainly regard them as risk takers! I had seen one too many motorbike accidents in Vietnam and Cambodia, and hoped that we were not about to become statistics ourselves. Nothing could really have prepared me for Choeung Ek, the site of a former orchard. Between 1975 and 1978, approximately 17,000 men, women, children and babies were brought here, after having been detained and tortured at S-21. Effectively, this was an extermination camp, where the excessively cruel and ruthless Pol Pot Regime, often had them bludgeoned to death, so as not to waste precious bullets. Thus the name, The Killing Fields! The area is not large, but the overwhelmingly sad energy is of gargantuan proportions! It's an instant knot in the throat that brings immediate tears, and leaves many questions unanswered!

On entering, and reading several panels of information the brutal reality of this place slowly unfolds, and along with it a total revulsion! The remains of close to 9000 people, many of whom were bound and blind folded, were exhumed in 1980 from mass graves. What makes the experience so eerie and spine-chilling is that several of the communal graves have been left totally untouched, and fragments of human bone and bits of cloth are still scattered around the pits. Somebody's mother's top! Somebody's father's pants! Somebody's daughter's bones! It was gut wrenching, and I felt a wave of nausea sweep over me as I tried to reconcile the evil before me! How had this happened? What sinister forces had been at work here? We keep saying "never again" after what happened in Nazi Germany, but it did happen again, and continues to do so in a multitude of other countries today. Why, why, why????? Why do we persist in making history repeat itself? How could we allow this to happen? So many questions, yet so very few answers! Funnily, or oddly, enough it was at this very time that Blood Brother Number 2 (as opposed to Blood Brother Number 1, being Pot) was finally being tried. Too little too late!

As if all the fragments of bones and clothes weren't enough, there is yet another imposing, very brutal reminder of Cambodia's horrific past. Also at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, is the infamous Memorial Stupa, holding more than 8000 skulls, behind clear glass panels. The skulls of adults, children and babies that had been maimed , killed and destroyed, for some supposedly higher purpose or ideal! It was erected in 1988, lest we never forget the brutality that occurred. It seems that "lest we never forget" , however, is a phrase that falls on deaf ears, as that's all we seem to have done as well as continue to do....forget, forget, forget! The silence in that stupa was phenomenal. Everyone who stepped in was quite obviously moved. I wept inwardly, and outwardly, as I again pondered the cruelty of man, in his quest for...........what, exactly! It is moments like these that continue to profoundly change my life! The impact has been and continues to be prodigious!

The next day we visited the Tuol Sleng Museum, in the heart of Phnom Penh. In 1975, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and turned into a prison, known as Security Prison 21 (S-21). It went on to become the largest detention centre and torture chamber in the country. Between 1975 and 1978 some 17,000 people were taken from this very place to Choeung Ek, to effectively be executed and annihilated. Like the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge were meticulous in keeping records of its barbarism. What is now simply an empty shell of a high school, still has an eerie if not calm feel about it. It's not a place to scream and yell, but one of profound contemplation. Whilst there are still some items of torture laying about, and several cells that would barely fit a single chicken, it's the room after room of harrowing black and white photographs of each and every person that would later be killed, that is so disturbing. Nobody had a name, but everyone had a number! I was profoundly affected! I was, again, looking at someone's daughter, someone's father, someone's brother! Name unknown, destiny confirmed! I walked from room to room with a lump in my throat. The magnitude of my sorrow was immense. In this place, my tears were not silent; I went from room to room, with the tears pouring down my face!

I must say, after two days of tales of despair and destruction, both Alex and I felt a little shell shocked and emotionally exhausted. We had seen most of what we wanted to, but had to hang around for an extra day as the Australian National Elections were on, and we were definitely going to vote. I make it sound like we had to, but it was very, very much a calculated choice. Overseas or not, Alex and I both wanted a say as to who (or who was not!) going to govern us over the next four years. I was surprised at how many Australians we had met, who simply had said that they could not be bothered to vote whilst travelling! The very ones that probably whinge about the results! Gotta be in it to win it, I say!

What an eye opener Phnom Penh had been! Too much prostitution, too much poverty, far too many people without limbs (thanks to all the land mines....some still undetonated!), and too many lexus cars (thank you corruption)! We'd heard about a place called Sihanoukville, in the west of the country, known for its laid back atmosphere and for its beautiful beaches and superb seafood (that had Alex's ears pricking up, as a lover of seafood). Sounded too good!

Ombi

Dedication: To all those people over the millennia who have died so needlessly, in the name of war! And for the many more who will continue to die in the name of war! May we realise, sooner rather than later, that war does not equal peace!

"I just want you to know that when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace" - George W. Bush. (What a profound statement from a profound man! Sorry, couldn't help myself!)

(Photos: 1.- Border crossing from Vietnam into Cambodia. L to R: Felipe, Alex, a Norwegian friend. 2.- On the banks of the riverfront which runs through the city centre of Phnom Penh. Houses and clothes lines look very different here, with little comfort and certainly no Hills Hoist! 3.- Near the area where we slept. Although Cambodia is mostly Buddhist, there is still a degree of cultural and religious diversity, Phnom Penh. 4.- One man's trash is another couple of girls treasure! Phnom Penh. 5.- The beautiful buildings of the National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. 6.- How the other half live. Kids on the Phnom Penh streets. 7.- First time Aussie voter. Alex outside the Australian Embassy, Phnom Penh. 8.- The lively markets of Phnom Penh. 9.- Wasted lives! Photos at Security Prison S-21, Phnom Penh. 10.- Can you read the sign under one of the trees at The Killing Fields? It reads, "Magic tree.....the tree was used as a tool to hang a loudspeaker which make sound louder to avoid the moan of victims while they were being executed". 11.- The skulls of some of the many people that were executed at The Killing Fields. 12.- The Khmer Rouge fighters. Could have been your young son! Indoctrination started early, and the youth of Cambodia often become bold and ruthless killers! 13.- Whose son? Unknown! Simply, Number 1! Photo taken at Security Prison S-21, Phnom Penh).

Saigon, the Mekong Delta and beyond.

We had heard horror stories about Saigon, or as it is correctly referred to nowadays, Ho Chi Minh City. Although Ho Chi Minh City has been the city's official name since 1976, it is still often referred to as Saigon. We had heard that it was dangerous, full of pick pockets, that you would be easily robbed, that it was dirty and that it was a waste of time. We actually really enjoyed it, and had no problems whatsoever. Having said that, after 15 months on the road, Alex and I have a small array of combat moves, both physical and verbal, in order to disarm anyone who challenges us. Our recent blogs have most possibly demonstrated this. If Alex is Bruce Lee, I am Madam Lash (as in tongue)! My tongue is quicker than the speed of light. Again, many of my family and friends will attest to this. I can see my Dad nodding his head in agreement!

We thoroughly enjoyed the food in Saigon, and I want to make a special mention of the street food: the iced coffee (I chose to ignore the ice that went into it!) packed a mean punch, and the vegetarian rice paper rolls (again, I tried not to look underneath the fingernails of the lady who was rolling them) were delicious! Actually, street food can be found all over Vietnam, and often it's much better than the stuff sold in restaurants, especially the western ones, which usually give you a fraction of the food at triple the price, and the food is usually very average, if even that!

After 5 weeks and almost 2000 kilometres later, making our way from the northern Vietnamese border (with China) all the way to Saigon, we were exhausted, and wanted to take it easy. Having said that there are some things one just has to do, such as the Cuchi tunnels,the War Museum and the Reunification Palace. We'd heard about these sights, but were still not prepared for the visions our eyes were about to behold. We'd heard a few "dodgy brothers" stories about Ho Chi Minh, but I quite liked it, if I may say so myself! It has this kind of electric, in your face energy. Sure, we were back in "dodge the cars and motorbikes, or get annihilated territory", but that's all part of the fun.............isn't it!!??

The Cuchi tunnels are effectively a network of tunnels some 30 to 40 kilometres away from Ho Chi Minh, and they are famed for their role in facilitating the Viet Cong (VC) during the Vietnam War. At their height, the tunnels stretched all the way to the Cambodian border with approximately 250 kilometres of tunnels. It was fascinating to observe, especially the extremely narrow spaces these people had to fit or slip into. Alex gave it a try, but with my mild claustrophobia, I decided to give them a miss! At one point we had to walk through some of the tunnels through a bigger network of tunnels. Although I tried to give it a go, I was soon scrambling for out! My "favourite" part, surely, had to be the firing range at the end of the tour. Yes, for what they obviously deemed a small price( on a humanitarian level, Alex and I felt it to be enormous!), you could fire a few bullets into a target.......to "see how it felt"! What an oxymoron! How many people had aimlessly died in this war? And yet, here we were with the opportunity to see how it felt! Even out of such great misery comes the human desire to reap money! It's that G word again, greed!

One of the other HCMC must see is the War Remnants Museum. What can I say? Whilst there are interesting remnants of US armoured vehicles, artillery pieces and bombs and infantry weapons on display, it's the many photographs illustrating the US atrocities(from US sources, may I add), that leaves one gob smacked and with their heart around about ankle high (or low). For me, the photos were so distressing that I could not even talk and share my sentiments with Alex as we walked around. We actually ended up doing it separately, and whilst doing so, the tears streamed down my face (as they are now, as I relive this moment). Again, I found myself crying for humanity, for the heinous crimes committed, but most of all for the so many innocent victims who died in such a horrific and senseless way. Will we ever, ever learn? I was not the only one who needed down time. Many others were also walking around, alone and crying, and many had to stop and rest from sheer distress.

Our Vietnamese adventure was coming to an end, but not before we did a three day Mekong Delta trip, which would take us all the way through to the Cambodian border. I may have mentioned before that Vietnam is big on organised tours, and (often, unfortunately!) it is both cheaper and faster to do so. The Mekong really is Vietnam's big bowl of rice, and the landscape consists of open green fields and sleepy villages, crisscrossed by a plethora of canals, which are fed by the Mekong. Our trip involved using a combination of small local boats and buses, and provided us with a brilliant insight to these peoples lives on the river. We had a few obligatory touristy stops, such as a crocodile farm, and a candy making factory (you know, see and buy!), but mostly it was fascinating. At one point I even had a python wrapped around my neck, and after a few seconds I wanted out! Poor serpent, it kind of hit the floor as I tried to quickly slither away! Oops, no pun intended!

Whilst on the Mekong tour we also visited a couple of riverside markets as well as a floating market. It's always fascinating to see how people trade and do commerce, especially when it's not on land. Ultimately, making a living is making a living! Whilst the accommodation on offer was mainly in the form of hotels, we were also given the opportunity to do a home stay, which we opted for, in a place close to Can Tho. For Alex and I it was undoubtedly the highlight of our Mekong trip. We had to travel down a tiny canal, in the dark, guided only by moonlight, for about 8 kilometres until we reached a small mud house, and that's where we slept the night! Our hosts offered us traditional food, and also a look into their traditional lifestyle. It was light years away from a life as we know it in the west! They seem to have so little by our standards, yet they also seem content! Is more better?

On the second day of the tour, we visited a Cham Village, and as in many areas of the delta, the house we visited was on stilts, and we had to walk on a wooden boardwalk (which partially collapsed as we walked on it!) to get there. It is believed that these people are of Malay ancestry, and they now live in parts of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Their peculiarity is that they are Muslim, and adhere to their customs, dress and culture as in any other Muslim country. We also visited a temple, more famous for the view one has if one indulges in the 15 to 20 minute walk uphill, than the temple itself. And yes, for the record, the view was amazing indeed. At the top, we were greeted by a small group of rather intoxicated locals, who urged us to join in with them and drink some beer. Whilst not wanting to offend, I just don't do beer! I politely declined, whilst Alex joined them with throwing back a couple. Being the only female around there, they still seemed pretty happy to have me around. We were with Filipe, a great Portuguese guy who was on the tour with us. The locals were stoked with the excellent participation of the foreigners beer guzzling antics, and it really was one of those "minties moments". We had to virtually fly down that hill, in order to get back onto a bus full of waiting people. They appeared mildly agitated that we were fractionally late, but cest la vie. Whilst most people just wanted to do the touristy temple look see, we were getting up and personal with the locals! It is these memories, not those of the temple that will forever remain in our hearts and minds!

Our last night was spent in a town called Chau Doc, a tranquil town near the Cambodian border. It is interesting as it's rather multicultural for Vietnam, and has sizable Chinese, Cham and Khmer communities. I knew I liked it as soon as we arrived, but with our Vietnamese visas expiring the next day, I also knew that we would have to make do with a short stay. The most fascinating part of visiting this tiny town, ever so briefly, was specifically meeting one of the locals. I do not remember his name, but I do remember the very poignant conversation we had. We met him whilst walking around the main square. He worked as a taxi driver. Alex and I were lucky to be able to do what we were doing he said, and then he continued to tell us that due to the poverty and corruption in his country (he also seemed to think that the former was somewhat exacerbated by the latter) he and many others had no hope of fulfilling such a dream. He then went off on a political tangent, stating that the so-called socialist country in which he lived was a farce, and that even today, as an educated man, he was unable to get a decent job, as most government positions required the applicant to be at least "3 generations communist". As his father had fought with the US during the war, he reiterated that he had buckley's hope! Tell me what you think about that, he said a few times! Now, you tell me....what could I possible say to him? So much was running through my head! The fact that it is so easy for us to "bag and judge" when we can do virtually anything we want seems somewhat ironical. There are so many things that outrage me about capitalism, but at least I am allowed and have the opportunity to flap my arms and scream if I so desire! Communism and socialism appear to be marvelous ideas on paper, and this trip has shown me exactly that.......on paper! The reality is that in practice, it simply does not work! I have reached this conclusion from living and breathing it, not by simply reading about it! It seems that humankind is still not ready for that quantum leap which excludes greed and includes equality!

It was with our heads reeling, and our hearts thumping that we left Vietnam, the border to Cambodia only a short trip away. Little did we know that we were in for even more heartbreak in Cambodia. It is with our love of both people and life, and a profound fascination for different cultures, that every day of our trip has filled us with experiences which have included both intoxicating highs and exasperating lows. With each new experience and day, we continued to grow as individuals, our world never ceasing to amaze us!

Ombi

Dedication: To all the victims of war, past, present and future. To all the people who have aimlessly died in wars, and to all of those who will continue to do so. One day, we will wake up and realise the futility, but only time will tell if it will be too late!

"The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder" - Ralph W. Sockman.

(Photos:1.- So, where exactly do the pedestrians cross?, Saigon. 2.- Mobile fruit vendor, Saigon. 3.- I get the feeling the soldiers were a fraction slimmer than Alex, Cuchi Tunnels. 4.- A photo of a photo, War Remnants Museum, Saigon. 5.- Ombi does python! Mekong River Delta trip. 6.- Frogs for lunch? Riverside market, Mekong Delta, southern Vietnam. 7.- Hanging out with the locals, view from the walk above the temple, Mekong River Delta trip. 8.- Fruit vendor on her way to market, Mekong River. 9.- Goodbye Vietnam! Little girl in boat, Mekong River. 10.- Chillin' out in Chau Doc. One of the educated professionals? 11.- Pictures speak louder than words! A child's impression of the Vietnam war, War Remnants Museum, Saigon.)

Swimming through Central Vietnam.

We woke up bright and early the next morning..upon the insistence of the bus driver! For some reason, we were being subjected to Vietnamese music, up full boar, at 5.30 in the morning. Go figure! I was not about to psychoanalyse this as well, but I did go and politely ask him to turn it down. On the bright side, it couldn't possibly get worse than the night before (recall the kung-fu fighting).....or could it?

I had read that Hue boasts some of Vietnam's most aggressive touts, but I was not really prepared for what was about to happen upon our arrival. It was mid-morning when we arrived, and we were virtually mauled as we stepped off the bus, with a range of people trying to sell us accommodation at their hotel. Have I previously mentioned how very difficult it is to listen to a multitude of people all at once? One man was tranquilly telling us about his hotel, when another almost bowled him over, wedging himself between us, and then placing himself almost on top of me, as he began to give us his spiel. In no mood at all after last night, I put my hand up to his face, and told him that he would have to step back a little and wait, as I was speaking to someone else. He got all hoity-toity and aggressively asserted that, no, I had to speak to him then and there! I don't think so! I was in no mood after last night! I virtually barked at him, and screamed that I chose who I spoke to, and when, and where! He did not like that at all! As he came towards me, and his hand approached my shoulder and pushed me back, it was again on for young and old. It was like the sequel to the night before! Again, Alex was bellowing at him to lay off me. There was another karate kick on Alex's behalf, followed by someone hitting him on the back of the neck (luckily, he was not hurt). When I saw Alex hit, it was my turn to see red, and this time it was my turn to go wild. I was like a dog with rabies, and it was with virtual spittle oozing from my mouth that I howled at him. Livid, I bellowed that he was a disgrace to his people. I went on to cry that bulling and being aggressive is not the way to treat people. The piece de resistance, was when I was several inches away from his face, begging him to show all of his friends what a man he was by punching me! Needless to say, that did not occur and he ran away like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs! By this point I was hyperventilating, and needed to sit down and cool off! I was by no means proud of my public display of anger at all. I had had a rather large audience of both Vietnamese as well as foreigners, but I repeat, this behaviour is NOT all right, and I will not let it happen and do nothing about it! I will not be complacent! I am currently well aware that after some 14 months, patience is no longer my best friend! Not that it ever was!

With kung-fu episode number two out of the way, it was on to look for a place to stay. Luckily, we were very close to the bulk of the budget accommodation, and found a decent place to stay, rather quickly. It even came with a computer in our room, at virtually no extra charge! That was a first! But, you will later learn that it was a blessing in disguise! Once settled, we had a relaxing afternoon walking around Hue, and taking in its atmospheric surroundings. This place is all about art and architecture, and it's packed with palaces, pagodas, temples and tombs. We were hoping for a cultural injection, and the next day provided us with just that.

Hue is justifiably famous for its Imperial City, or Imperial Enclosure, housing the emperor's residence and the main buildings of the state. As most of Hue's sights and population reside within the 2 kilometre thick , 10 kilometre walls that surround the city, the Imperial closure really is a citadel within a citadel. We had a wonderful, and very laid back afternoon wandering around and exploring. In true Vietnamese style, peak hours were packed with package tourists, but as they only go and look at the "main" buildings, the rest is wide open for relaxation and exploration. We felt like we had been thrown back in time, as we walked up, around and over parts of buildings that were hundreds of years old. We walked into the Halls of the Mandarins when we were suddenly shaken from our tranquil dream. This building is the one in which the mandarins prepared for the court ceremonies. I could almost imagine the royal splendour...... we walked in to find a cheesy tourist set up in which one can pose....in Imperial costume...on the throne...and.......for a price! Alex and I sat down, observed, and chuckled quietly. I think it was part of the Asian Disneyland theme!

Later in the day, we visited a museum, which was housed in an exquisite building which was once a school for princes and the sons of high-ranking mandarins. I felt the most fascinating part to be the collection of several old war tanks out the front. As I walked past, read and observed, a tingle shot up and down my spine. I have never understood, do not understand and will never understand war! What a waste of sooooooooo many things, and needless to say, lives!

Luckily we got in a bit of sightseeing in Hue, because the next day it was all over! The skies opened and it hammered (as in poured) for some thirty five hours! I have categorically never seen anything like it in my life! It was raining elephants and whales! Get the picture? It reached the point where it was impossible to even walk around! Step in computer in our room! All we did over the next two days was sleep, relax, and get brilliant value out of our "in house" computer! Occasionally, we would step, or I should say wade,out for a meal. At one point the water was knee high, and over dinner one night we actually saw a tourist jump out and have a swim in the street. I should mention that it was the rainy season in Vietnam, and only a few weeks earlier there had been a major typhoon. As my Dad will attest to, I have this amazing penchant of rocking up to places just before or after some major catastrophe has occurred! I want to make a special mention of Brown Eyes Cafe, run and owned by the very affable Bich (pronounced Big)....great food, great portions, great coffee, and great person! As it was only a short swim away from our hotel, and due to the horrendous weather, we virtually lived there for a few days! Bich assured us that this kind of weather this time of year was actually quite normal!

After being couped up for a couple of days, we decided that it was time to move on. It had not stopped raining completely, but at least the elephants and whales seemed to have stopped falling from the sky. So, we booked an overnight bus to Hoi An, which is further down the coast.

Hoi An was once a sleepy riverside village, but now firmly set on the tourist trail, well, the tourists are now busting from its seams! And speaking of seams, this is the place to have anything sewn and made -up, from jackets to shoes! This is definitely one of the town's claims to fame! The old, or historical centre oozes charm, with its old wooden buildings, many sitting right on the edge of the Thu Bon River. Whilst we did spend a couple of days here, it pretty much rained the entire time, but not as heavily as it had in Hue. Having said that, it was heavy enough to not be able to hire a bicycle, and/or explore properly on foot. Yes, I did attempt to get a couple of pairs of shoes made, which ended up being a small disaster, but I managed to escape without the disastrous shoes, and persuaded the lady to sell me a newly made "sample"pair! I am personally not into having things made up. My theory is if you try it and fits you, buy it! Having things made up especially, seems to include too many "unknown" factors and probabilities. Not into that! The street food was also great here. To be honest, it seems to get better as you move down the coast, and get further away from China, where it begins to lose that Chinese influence (as it has up north).

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! Over, over, over it! Time to move on, so we booked another overnighter to Nha Trang. What can I say, another day (or night!), another adventure! What was supposed to be an overnight trip, ended up finishing at around 1.00pm the next day. Why? Because part of the road was so flooded that it was impassable! The bus had to stop for some 5 hours, as we waited for the water level to drop enough to...well, pass! Needless to say, we were sooooooo over it upon our arrival, and all we wanted was a place to dump our bags and chill out. We settled on a small, and clean room, in a quiet part of town, which was still central. This part of the country also had rain predicted, but we had to stop somewhere. Luckily, we were in luck, so to speak. We only spent a couple of days here, and the weather was great! Great, as in no rain!

Nha Trang is known for its pristine beaches and its scuba diving. The former? Well, I am Australian, and a thus a bit of a beach snob! Yeh, the beach was OK. The latter? After weeks of alluvial downpours, we were told that the visibility was shocking. So, we bypassed both, and opted for a mud bath at the Thap Ba Hot Spring Centre. It was a five kilometre walk out of town, and an interesting walk at that. We had to pass the Cai River, where we saw traditional houses on stilts, lots of fishermen, lots of fish drying out in the open (and on piles of rubbish at that!), and the subsequent smell that came with it! It was obviously an area which was quite poor. It's amazing to see how the real people live, only kilometres out of the central area, where most foreigners end up staying. We also stopped to see Po Nagar Cham Towers, which were built between the 7th and 12th centuries. The pagodas and temples are very beautiful, and very tranquil, and to this day Cham, ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese Buddhists come to pray and make offerings, according to their respective traditions.

A little further on, we arrived at the Thap Ba Hot Spring Centre. What a brilliant way to chill out and do something both different and healthy at the same time! Our experience began with sitting and slopping around in a wooden tub full of hot thermal mud, after which we baked in the sun for a while, waiting for it to dry. A bit like a face mask , but all over your body! We then washed off, and got to soak in another wooden bath tub, this one full of soothing natural mineral water. After this "treatment" there were plenty of other pools of varying temperatures to laze and lie about in. We did them all, and loved it! Needless to say, we felt exhausted after all the pampering and relaxing. Not about to walk back after all that, we caught a ride on a couple of motorbikes, which is very much the done thing, here in Vietnam.

We only had a little over a week left before our Vietnamese visas would run out, so we decided to move on, and check out Dalat in the central highlands. The weather was pleasantly fresh here, and the vibe quite different to the coast. Actually, it was quite different to anywhere we had visited in Vietnam. Once a former French colonial outpost, it looked a little more like the French Alps. Whilst it did not pour, there was certainly on and off drizzle. We managed to eat some great food here, finding a local place with some girls who were able to help translate the menu (as we were the only foreigners in there). This ensured, real, traditional food at local prices. Remember the old saying about when you are onto a good thing.............yep, we stuck to it, and went back several times. We also walked a few kilometres out of town and took a cable car to a temple close by. The views of the surrounding, and very lush countryside were breathtaking, and the temple was an oasis of calm. A beautiful end to our short time in Dalat. Very close to the Xuan Huong Lake (created by a dam in 1919), I went for a run here for the short duration of our stay here. It can be circumnavigated along a 7 kilometre path which runs all the way around it, and past many of Dalat's main sights, including a flower garden. So, I got to sight see whilst running!

Speaking of running, time to move on. Last but not least we would be off to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), from where we wanted to cruise the Mekong Delta by boat, before finishing up in Cambodia.

Ombi

This time I will leave you not with a quote, but a poem of sorts. It (along with some comments)was sent to me by a friend, Samantha Bulmer, after she read our last blog. She writes:

"First they came is a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller(1892 -1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.