Here, Somehow

It is always a welcome sight when the sun rises after nearly twenty hours on various planes in total darkness. In those long hours only the occasional brilliantly illuminated ship and then, eventually, a tiny Pacific island would send a beam of confirmation that the earth was still beneath us. The dawn began to blush past the tip of the wing. The clouds cleared except for a cluster of pink meringues seemingly swimming in the muted silvery grey of the ocean. The coast of Queensland was just beyond that cloak.

I transferred to Air New Zealand in Sydney and was off to Wellington. I guess it's strange that I always fly into Wellington instead of Auckland but I can not resist the view down the south island. First it's the stretch of the Tasman Sea crashing against the sand down the west coast. Then the mountain ranges come into view, dominated by Mount Cook, always topped with the long white clouds that Aotearoa is named for. Then we swing around over the Marlborough Sound and the rough waters of Cook Strait. The whole progression just makes me very happy.

Totally exhausted from two days without sleep I passed effortlessly through immigration and customs, though I did put 22.1.2009 as my birth date. I promised myself I would not sleep until at least 21:00 so I geared up for the windy day outside. I spent some time in Te Papa, the free national museum, but all the dark exhibits were encouraging my comatose state. After some exploration along the pier and down Cuba Street it started to rain and I went back to the hostel to read, stupidly choosing my comfy bunk instead of a common area chair.

Five hours later I woke up. This did not aid in my acclimating and resetting my internal clock.

I feel strange, in a lot of ways, to be here. It felt wrong for the first time to be leaving New England. Hopefully a plan for my future here will emerge and I will begin to feel more certain and enthuiastic. Maybe I'm just jetlagged and a dose of family time with Fritha and Rowan will do me good. On to Hastings tomorrow!

homemade sushi travels quite well

The rest of our time in New Zealand was so lovely. We hopped around the coast, visiting lighthouses and small hidden cottages. Every kilometer brought us closer to Fritha and Rowan and suddenly we were in Napier, hearing their voices on a payphone!

Fritha treated us like queens and it was nice to be with family once again. It's been quite a trip for that. Rowan was large and in charge, as Gwill had promised, and I treasured those moments with him. He is wise and excitable and musical and thoughtful.

We organized a two day tramp through the ethereal Whirinaki forest. This involved driving several hours to the national park and then having a guy drive us to the start of the trail and bringing our car to meet us at the end. Sort of complicated but well worth it. There was a bit of a late start and much of our tramp to the bunk house was in the dusk and darkness. While moderately frightening, this allowed for a peaceful moonlit time in the woods and the sighting of a rare owl. Arriving at the hut we found a group of hunters having a blokely time. They were alarmed by our homemade sushi dinner and tried to get all of us to eat venison. As I lay on my bunk trying to turn the snores from below into soothing lullabies, Maggie and Stacey (Fritha's sister and her husband) arrived! They had left well after dark and clung to the narrow path walls the whole three hours. We had been sure they wouldn't arrive at all as they had just flown in from Chile and had to make quite a journey to meet us. Incredible to see them again! The next day we all high tailed it to the end of the trail to meet our pick up.



Jessica and I had a day of rest back at gorgeous Tauroa farm in Fritha's precious cottage then headed back to Wellington to catch our flight back to the states. On the way I got a speeding ticket. Bollocks.

It is surreal to be back in America. I am living in Winter Harbor and commuting an hour to Bar Harbor most days. Forgetting what it means to sleep quickly... It's good to be near family but hard to be away from my favourite hemisphere. Counting down the days until November 23rd.

All photos from this trip should be up so until next departure, be well and happy!

Drunken Sailors

After a very long driving day out of Auckland we arrived at our hostel in Whanarua Bay. I loved this hostel when I stayed there several years ago. I made a reservation while we were still several hours away but when we arrived well after dark, the already inebriated owner was startled to see us. He didn't remember speaking to me though he had taken the reservation and copied down my name and credit card number. They didn't have a room for us, but the campervan was available which turned out to be a comfortable and comical place to sleep. The door didn't lock, or even fully close, but the window did look out onto the bay so that when we woke the water greeted us first. The owner, who is a very friendly Maori fellow, decided he would awkwardly attempt to engage Jessica and at one point came into the campervan while I was in bed with my pajamas on while heavily intoxicated. The high point of this hostel, besides the fact it is basically a treehouse that looks like it's out of Swiss Family Robinson, is that they let you use their sea kayaks for free. We enjoyed several hours of paddling about the bay once the sun began to shine. This is an extremely relaxing stop on a long drive around the cape.


From here we are heading further east and on towards Hawke's Bay.

Thanks for Visiting Pokeno: Home of Pokeno Bacon!

It didn't stop raining for the three days we were in Wellington but I was exceedingly happy to be in New Zealand. We rented a car and began to head out of the city. The clouds cleared and the sun started to illuminate the harbor. So beautiful!

We ventured through the gorgeous Tongariro Crossing and on to Lake Taupo for the night. Sitting by the lake we witnessed a breathtaking sunset.



Today we pushed on, unintentionally, through to Auckland. It's a small country and sometimes you're there before you can blink. The hostel we had booked for tomorrow night was full when we called to switch dates but the owner put us up in his sweet B&B in Ponsonby for the same rate. While here we'll be visiting Will and Iona, who we met in Irkutsk, Russia and doing little else. I will attempt to make Jessica bungy jump from the Auckland Sky Tower but I do not anticipate being successful.

Four Seasons In One Day

I have been terrible about blogging, I know. When my journey is winding down I always kind of fall apart myself and there's no energy to describe a time so rich and full of adventure. But my post on Indonesia will come. It was remarkable.

We flew into Perth and spent several weeks with Dad. It was so so so wonderful to see him, after so many years. We had a grand time. Other than a brief side trip to the Kalbarri National Park, eight hours north, we stayed in Perth for the duration of our Western Australia visit. On this journey to Australia it was all about family for me.


The beaches in Perth are the nicest that I've seen in the world. On days when the temperature climbed above 100 degrees we visited the beach every day. We'd bring George, the dog, and he'd grandly display his neurotic tendencies while we played with the ball. (The video is one of George in the car as we drive towards the beach) On lazier days, when George was sleeping at home, we would float on our backs and let the salty waves dance our bodies out to sea and back to shore. It was hard to leave Perth and harder to leave Dad.



Now I am in Melbourne with Ross. Seriously lazy days. It has been typical Melbourne weather with 100 degree days bordering 70 days. Let me tell you my body is not used to 70 degree days! It feels frigid to me! On the Saturday before Easter we went on a decadent chocolate shop tour that I mapped through the city. We have been sloths but this trip about visiting family and that is being accomplished if nothing else is.

Keeping it Together in Malaysia

Feeling incredibly ill in KL. We have been sick for ages, the worst of it was during our last days in Laos. But it's still hard to get motivated and nearly impossible to eat. This is a huge shame as Malaysian food is meant to be fantastic.

Our hostel, Anjung II, is very nice though quite basic. Luckily we booked our own room with AC so it's possible to escape when the humidity gets intense. Unfortunately there was a water shortage today and the city shut off all running water. NO showers. MISERABLE.

The only thing we have been up to is visiting the Petronas Towers. We've been there three times in two days. The skybridge walk was good fun. Jessica detailed the scenes of Entrapment that were filmed around the landmark.

Tomorrow we fly to Medan in Sumatra and make our way to Lake Toba.

one of the most memorable journeys of my life

We crossed into Laos in Huay Xai. Here we met Greg who saw the Winter Harbor address on Jessica's luggage tag and noted that his father had been stationed at the Navy base there briefly. It sparked a conversation that led to his asking us to join him in travelling to a remote village on the Mekong.

The next day we started on a two day boat journey south along the Mekong. The first night we stopped in Pak Beng, a mandatory rest for all boats on their way to Luang Prabang. The next day, about 2 hours shy of the city we hopped off the boat in the middle of nowhere. We trekked up the steep, sandy beach and entered the village through a canopy of trees. Children started to surround us and followed us through the maze of bamboo houses. We were led to the house we would be sleeping in (Peng's Ma and Pa) and the children stood at the window, watching us move our belongings around. It is hard to say how many people lived in the house. Ma and Pa (proud grandparents) slept upstairs and their son and daughter-in-law lived downstairs with their infant daughter. There may have also been several more children who lived there as children seemed to come and go at will. As the sun began to set we wandered down to the beach, followed by close to a hundred children who ran around us, posing for the camera or just watching us with curious eyes.

On our second day we went across the river to work in Peng's rice fields. What an experience! I had no idea what was involved and it was so interesting to see the process. We planted rice alongside the women of the village while they asked persistently about our husbands, children and lives.

The second night we slept at Peng's house. It was easy to bond with Peng right away. She speaks no English, except for one or two basic sentences. But even when she is speaking to you in Lao at rocket speed you can hear the intention in her voice, the kindness. She laughs often. She says she is 38 but in Lao it is hard to tell exactly how old anyone is. Her documents says she is 35. Right now she is living in a stilted bamboo hut as a single mother. Her husband has run away to live in isolation on the other side of the Mekong. When we talk about him she says only that he is "baw dii" (not good). The night before we left her home the whole family had a baci ceremony for us, tying spirit strings around our wrists for protection on our journey.

(above: Me, Greg, Peng's Aunt, Peng, one of her daughters and Jessica at the baci)

She decided to join us on the boat trip to Luang Prabang. Once in the city she and Greg decided to stay the night so we joined them at her family's home on the Xieng Maen side of the river. The next day we were all getting a little teary at the thought of not seeing her again for who knows how long, so we asked her to come travel with us. And to our surprise she said yes! She and Greg went back to the village that night and returned the next day to plan our travels. We had another baci ceremony with more family in Luang Prabang and then left for Vang Vieng. Here, in the shadow of towering limestone mountains we went tubing down the Nam Song river. We also walked the 6km to the Phu Kham cave and swam in its pristine blue lagoon.



From here we travelled to Vientianne. Peng was amazed at the city, the sights, the people. She had never been further south than Luang Prabang and Vientianne is mammoth compared with Luang Prabang. She rode on an escalator and elavator for the first time. It was surreal to see the wonder in her eyes at every turn. Seeing her off we were all an emotional mess. Greg tried to take a photo of the three of us, Jessica and I with tears streaming down our faces and Peng looking at the ground.

(right: out the window of our hotel in Vientiane)

This post will never be able to do justice to that journey. I am still processing it myself. I know that I made a lifelong friend, even if we never are able to meet again. I hope that is not the case. Until I am on that boat again, gliding down the Mekong I know I will be dreaming of that village.

one moment plucked from a million

We spent a wonderful new year's eve in the always welcoming Chiang Mai. During the course of the evening we sent off traditional flying lanterns and were nearly struck by the flames of unregulated fireworks exploding too close to the ground.



I hope everyone else had a gorgeous start to the new year! Wishing peace and happiness will follow you all through 2008...

Christmas Pai

We have been lazily enjoying the holidays in northern Thailand in a town called Pai (pie). During a shopping expedition to Carrefour in Chiang Mai Jessica made sure to pick out a two foot tall plastic tree, lights and decorations so we would be properly outfitted for Christmas. We set it up in our gorgeous room in the hills above the town. Combined with the chilly nights it felt almost like we were back in New England.

We have been loving the atmosphere here. Though it is now heavily touristed it's still a charming town in a valley surrounded by towers of amber and gold tree-covered mountains. On Christmas eve there was a full moon. It stunningly illuminated our walk down the hill into town.

Christmas morning we awoke to a room (and town) without power! We opened our stockings (smartwool socks) and had our Weetbix breakfast on the porch. Though the sun shone on the verdant greenery of our resort, it was a deceptively cold morning and we stayed wrapped in blankets. In what Jessica refers to as "a Christmas miracle" the power came back on and we started the festivities.

What I mean by that is Jessica started the festivities. First she turned on her extraordinarily large collection of Christmas music. Then she made a "Christmas buffet of Hors D'oeuvres" which consisted of crackers, nori flavoured tuna, pickles, wholegrain mustard and cheddar cheese. This was followed by blood orange mimosas. She set a blanket on the floor in front of the tree and we tore into our gifts.

Since then we have been trying to decide what to do and where to go. Our visas expire on the fourth so we need to be in Laos by then but we are completely unmotivated to move on. Yesterday we moved to a cheaper bungalow at a sweet little place called Farmer Home. Our room feels like a tree house and when we step out the door we are greeted with a spectacular view of rice paddys, mountains and Wat Mae Yen. Slowly we are plotting our course.
Until then...

I feel betrayed by the climate

I am in Mae Hong Son right now. It is supposed to be chilly. Warnings about needing socks and sweaters were given.

It is positively sweltering.

Chiang Mai is lovely.

We've been doing a lot of wandering. Jessica is getting acquainted with the maze of streets quite well. Last night was the Sunday walking street market which is a never-ending carnival. There are blankets laid out along the streets with handmade clothing, bags and candles. Food vendors set up wherever there is room and turn out handfuls of waffles, fried taro cakes, fresh steamed corn, pad thai and candy floss. The noise levels are high with the calls of beggars, children's singing and the amplified karaoke of the blind. Divine! It took nearly five hours to walk the market because though it is called the Sunday walking street it actually lines several side streets as well.
Of course we went to the summit of Doi Suthep. It is still a calming place to gaze out across the horizon and listen to the chiming of a million bells. The colours right now are stunning.


Today I went to the Thai Farm Cooking School. (Our instructor, Tommy, is above showing us fresh galangal) After visiting a local market we drove to the organic farm where we learned about the different herbs, fruits and vegetables we would be using.


This was a highlight for me and really made the whole experience worthwhile. The cooking instruction was very basic, but having the opportunity to see the roots and other ingredients in the ground was very interesting. (Photos are of a banana tree and a "pea eggplant")


On the ride home I had a great conversation with Alice, from Seattle, about her seasonal gig in salmon country (Bristol Bay, Alaska). She had just decided to move to San Francisco with the contents of her backpack. Now that's an adventure. I wonder what the best city would be for the contents of MY current backpack...

BEWARE of Shaven Head Child Pickpocket

We crossed the border into Thailand through Poipet. This is the most hateful place on earth but surprisingly the crossing was hassle-free. And, defying my worst fears, there was a posh double decker AC bus waiting for us on the other side. There was even an amusing sign to occupy us while we waited to depart:

Though the bus blew a tire (scary) we still managed to arrive into Bangkok by 9pm. Found a room with relative ease and set out in search of sustenance.

We spent several days in Bangkok. Longer than expected, but this was due to the fact that we found the cinema in the Siam Paragon shopping center and saw two movies in two days, including Beowulf in IMAX 3D. Totally ridiculous but we considered it an early Christmas present to ourselves. Beowulf was phenomenal in 3D and I highly recommend that's how anyone sees it.

The train from Hualamphong brought us to Ayutthaya where we've been for the past two days. Before we left the station Jessica spotted some sushi and the obsession could not be silenced. She ate it on the train.

We're staying at a place called "Streetlamp". It's hardly a guesthouse and isn't on any map but it's quite a nice teak house with really cheap, clean rooms. A good find. At 23:30 tonight we'll board an overnight train for Chiang Mai.

PS. All the photos from Cambodia have now been uploaded. You can find photos specifically of Angkor or Bokor by searching for those tags.

Look Expensive But Not

It is interesting to see how Angkor is slowly turning into Disney World. They have done a lot of "improving" since my last visit with new walkways, "this way out" signs and ropes at every turn. There are even plans to install electric cars to run a loop through the complex. The only benefit I see in such a scheme is a reduction on pollution which I'm sure is adding to the destruction of the structure and bas-relief at the temples. It is certainly a wonder worth seeing, I'm just glad I have the frame of reference from visits over the years.

We went in to buy our passes in the evening and to watch the sun set over Tonle Sap (if you buy a pass after 5pm you get a "free sunset" and your pass begins on the following day). The usual steep and treacherous path up to Phnom Bakheng (such an adventure!) was roped off and we were forced to use the manicured trail which circled and slowly climbed the hill. There were approximately 3000 people at the summit. On the way down we decided to be daring and hopped the rope to our near deaths down the forbidden, steep decline. During the dark descent, Jessica was stung by a scorpion or some such creature and had to pull it's wriggling body from her foot. I'm sure she's eager to tell you more if you're curious.

Our first day we took a moto to Angkor Thom and concentrated several hours in that walled section. The second day we decided it would be super fun to rent bicycles and pedal the complex ourselves. We set out at dawn and enjoyed a peaceful ride into the park with the sun rising over our right shoulders. Speeding past the hordes at Angkor Wat we biked into Angkor Thom and out again, through the east gate. The air was cool and all was quiet except for the whirring of our tires. We sped to Ta Prohm, a favourite destination within the park. It was almost completely empty and we enjoyed some relatively tranquil wanderings among the ruins and towering trees with their massive root systems.

After that we were feeling pretty good, despite the fact we had stupidly eaten nothing before setting out. We decided it would be possible to bike the entire Grand Tour before lunch. Idiots. We backtracked through the eastern gate of Angkor Thom and headed up through the north gate. Five hours and thirteen temples later we were completely exhausted, famished and scorched. We collapsed into a couple of restaurant chairs and ordered a feast. In all we biked around 70km that day and felt like super heroes at the end of it. Very stupid super heroes.

Our final day we hired a tuk tuk to bring us to Angkor Wat for sunrise. This is always thrilling; walking across the moat bridge and through the gates in the darkness, watching the sky brighten behind the silhouetted peaks of the temple. Always a stunning scene and worth waking up early.

A couple of days of recuperation later, we took a hellish bus ride to Battambang. We should have listened to the agent at the hotel in Siem Reap who advised "you should really take the boat". I always warn others about the conditions on the #6 road and then find myself on it clinging to a vinyl seat with the sun in my eyes, inhaling red earth by the bucket load.

Battambang is lovely and quiet. We took motos to Wat Banan, an Angkorian temple on a hill (translation: up 200 stairs). This day trip also included a ride on the bamboo train, a perilous contraption that speeds along the tracks for several kilometers narrowly avoiding people and animals who walk beside it. There is word it will soon be made illegal because of the danger.



Having now ridden on it, I can not object.

On to Thailand...

Lettuce Reporting

We spent a few seriously lazy days in Kratie, eastern Cambodia, waiting for the madness of the Water Festival to be over. The only interesting thing to happen during our stay was a young tout continually mispronouncing my name. When I introduced myself he said "Nice to meet you Nesreen" and the next day he greeted me with "Hello Lettuce".

A hellish bus ride later we were in Siem Reap. Every time I come here I am surprised by how foreign it looks. I have stayed in such different areas of the city each time and I realize now how isolated I've been because of the attention focused on Angkor. More on that, and photos, soon.

Five days left on our Cambodian visa. Devastated to be leaving...

Bokor Hill Station

After the embrace of beachy Sihanoukville we travelled east to Kampot (see previous entry) and hopped in the back of a truck to brave the rough, ruddy jungle road to Bokor National Park. It was a bumpy ascent through the cacophony of insects and strange tropical birds with deep, resonant song. 41km on the edge, and off the edge, of our seats. On several occasions we were nearly decapitated by low, fallen trees.

We opted to stay overnight and once the tour groups left we had the complex to ourselves. The mysterious caverns of ill-lit hallways, rooms and makeshift dungeons were eerie. The fog rolled up the mountain and we watched the approach. It swirled over the treetops as they sloped towards the summit.

There are many dilapidated buildings at the hill station (casino, hotel, post office, church) which were used as bunkers during intense, lengthy battles between the Khmer and Vietnamese armies. Where the walls haven't been blown away bullet holes filter in the sunlight. We wandered the abandoned rooms as wind howled through the hallways and empty spaces.

We slept in the ranger station. The power there is run by generator until about 9pm, then there is darkness and silence except for the wind. In the morning I awoke thinking there was rain pelting against our window. In fact it was just the force of the wind tearing through the space between our building and its neighbour. It sounded like a typhoon.

Before our group arrived to carry us back down the mountain we ate a breakfast of crackers, bananas and peanut butter on the terrace of the casino. Note to future visitors to Bokor: Bring food.



At least we had a nice view:

Cosy Ride

It was hard to leave the beach. Even in the days leading up to departure when it rained furiously it was hard to think of leaving.

The guesthouse in Sihanoukville arranged a shared taxi to Kampot. When the driver stopped a mile down the road to let someone else in he opened our door and said "four people in back". I laughed with relief when I saw the woman and her young daughter. The small girl sat on her lap and we rode on. The car dipped around the hilly town and pulled up to a guesthouse in Victory beach. A tall man and woman opened the door and the woman with her child slipped out. "Okay, in the back" said the driver. The French couple slid into the back and found that closing the door would be impossible. The woman slid to the front of her seat, between the two front seats. The woman and child sat in the middle seat in front, between the driver and a random man who fills the passenger seat in every shared taxi I have ever ridden in, though I suspect he is just along for the ride for some reason.

Our troubles were few in comparison to others who travelled Route 3 between Sihanoukville and Kampot. We frequently found ourselves behind a hatchback packed beyond limits, with the trunk open and a person or three dangling precariously from the bumper:



Crazy crazy roads.

Safely in Kampot and with an arduous trip to Bokor Hill station also in the past (which I will write more of soon) I am enjoying our current riverside retreat, Bodhi Villa. Not sure what's next or when...

IKEA SPONGY FURNITURE COMPANY

We flew from Hoi An (well, Danang) to Saigon on the 4th. Good old Pacific Air (or Specific Air, as we renamed it) was delayed again. I don't know why we thought it would be any different this time. The funny thing that we noticed about this airport (and I'm sure this is true of public places in general it was just illuminated here) is that in a nearly empty section of seats someone will sit directly next to you. For me and Jessica it was reminiscent of going to a movie in Florida where, in an empty cinema, a senior citizen will sit in the seat right next to you. First someone sat down next to Kip's mom when there were literally a hundred places she could have sat and not been near ANYONE.

Notice the seats all around this individual. Even right in front of her is a row of empty chairs...

Our two nights and one day in Saigon were functional. We booked bus tickets to Phnom Penh and spent the majority of the afternoon in Bobby Brewer's watching one terrible movie (Game Plan) and one exceptional one (Things We Lost in the Fire).

Bright and early we boarded the bus for the Mochbai/Bavet border crossing. Prepared for the worst we were nothing but pleased. It took all of half an hour. At no time did we even have to wait in the sun, which is unheard of. Also, Jessica received a lovely marriage proposal from the visa issuing agent.

In the morning we said our goodbyes to Kip and Rosemarie. They were on to the majesty of Angkor. We were heading south to the beaches of Sihanoukville. In the bus on the way here we passed the IKEA SPONGY FURNITURE COMPANY. And just the day before Jessica had assured Kip's Mum that there were no IKEAs in Cambodia.

Sihanoukville has really blossomed since I was here last. There are about five times the restaurant shacks lining the Ochheuteal beach and at night the sands shake with the beats of a hundred stereos. It is still a beautiful place and I'm finding it relaxing if not peaceful. Planning to be here for a few days more...

Please explain this item to me.

Da Lat was a bust. Heralded as the Paris of Vietnam, it was like a cheap Disney version of a generic European city. There was a distinctly European feel through the hilly and tree-shaded streets, along the stone stacked walls, the open markets, the terraced buildings but the details were not there. Aside the river is a radio tower made to look a small version of the Eiffel tower. Cheesy.

We stayed two nights but started planning our escape rather quickly. Kip was arriving into Hoi An and to meet her there we needed to take two buses over the course of 24 hours. The first bus was from Da Lat to Nha Trang and carried only four passengers. In Nha Trang it was drizzling so our plans to spend the day by the ocean were drowned. We ate lunch at a place called Cheers Cafe and went back to the hotel to watch Jurassic Park while waiting for the bus.

I knew it was going to be an unhappy event, this overnight bus, so I was glad to have two seats to myself. The rain started late in the evening and continued to alternate between a light mist and a torrential downpour all night. Water poured in through cracks around the window, making it difficult to find a dry place to sit. As the morning began to brighten the surroundings the amount of accumulated water was astounding. Fields were flooded enough to make them look like wide coves. Homes were flooded several feet high in places. The water rushed over the road and turned it into a river, causing us to swerve occasionally. A sixteen wheeler was overturned in our path and caused a brief delay.

The rain continued until the MOMENT we got off the bus in Hoi An. Then the sun broke through the clouds as we set off to find a hotel. There have been several more serious storms since we arrived. Sometimes at night the sounds of wind and water seem to be bringing the building down. The ceiling in our bathroom is constantly dripping like a cave.

It is fantastic to see Kip in Asia again. It's wonderful that she's here, because it saves me from having to buy insane things (which are appropriate gifts only for her) like this:

(will resist urge to enter willy nelson lyrics here)

It is nearly impossible for my body to accept that it is sitting in an internet cafe in Saigon. The humid air is heavy on my skin.

We left New York smoothly, though the ticketing agent at JFK was hesitant to print our boarding passes due to our lack of itinerary or return ticket. Because of the one way ticket we were chosen for what she called "super duper security screening". Basically this meant that we skipped ahead of everyone waiting to pass security to go to a private line where our bags were merely scanned (not unpacked and dissected) while our bodies were given a brief and unobtrusive pat down. It took about two minutes. I have a new found adoration for JFK.

The flight to Tokyo was 14 hours. After three hours of examining various airport convenience store treats we were on to Saigon. A quiet boy waved a sign with my name on it as we exited the terminal and drove us silently through the still heavily trafficked streets to our dark hotel. Though we had been travelling for more than a day it was hard to drift to sleep and MTV pulsed in the background as I finally managed to fall.

We are leaving the city as soon as possible. I need tranquility and hopefully will find it in Da Lat, where we head tomorrow.

that palm tree is in a "no parking" zone

I can't believe we spent ten days in Hoi An. It has to be the most comfortable town in the country. On the river it is possible to be mesmerized and caressed by the cooling breeze for hours. Beware! The restaurants are some of the best in the country and most are sinfully cheap. I have lots of fantastic recipes brewing in my mind, like daydreams of our idyllic stay.

My Son was average. (I'm so spoiled by Angkor!) We were disheartened by the dishonest tour guide who stole thousands of dong from our bus by insisting that no one could buy their own tickets, buying an insufficient amount of them and pocketing the remaining funds. The guards counted the tickets and the people frantically as the guide hurried us through the entrance. When the guard pointed out that the ticket/person ratio was off the guide insisted some of us weren't even in his tour! C'est la Vietnam! The complex was destroyed by the Americans during the war and while I'm sure it was once magnificent, now it is literally just a pile of red bricks which makes the whole scene look like a collection of colonial buildings fell down.

We returned down the Hoi An river by boat while enjoying a bizarre lunch of cold, sticky rice covered in fat sugar crystals and peanuts.

On the 10th we woke up at 5:30 and rode bikes to Cao Dai beach (part of China beach). We splashed around in the temperate ocean and laid on the bleached sand for hours. The experience was everything you could want from a day at the beach. Long fishing boats trolled the waters a short distance out, the waves teased and tossed us, the air was dry and hot, the only sound was the strong pull of the tide's retreat. It was blissful and we were only approached once by a woman selling fruit. We packed up and rode off when a girl told us we couldn't leave our bikes padlocked to a palm tree on the sand any longer.

Even after such a long stay it was hard to leave.

Our flight last night was a half hour late arriving from Hanoi and an hour late departing for Saigon. As we waited for a boarding call feisty rats scurried around the displays of Pringles and Oreos. Though it was a mostly empty plane they had seated every passenger in a large clump, three to a row in the center of the aircraft. When the service cart came down the aisle our row was totally ignored. Pacific Airlines: Just so you know, you're in Vietnam.

We arrived at the hotel around midnight. The walls in our room were completely covered in ants this morning, which was awesome. Also, the bathroom door fell off and hit Jessica in the head. And the TV doesn't have any sound. So we kindly suggested that we should move rooms and headed out to pick up our plane tickets.

Monday we fly to Tokyo, where our layover is ten hours. Narita is one of my favourite airports and I am seriously looking forward to being "stuck" there. The airline is providing us with a hotel because of the long delay. I have promised Jessica that we can have sushi at the airport because otherwise she will make me eat sushi in Saigon, which does not appeal. Then we are on to New York. My despair is only mollified when I remember who will be waiting for us there...