Well so much has happened since my last update.  Every day is so full packed with stuff…even on the lazy days.  Since the Thai jungle…we were both mezmerized and saddened by Cambodia.  Learning about the horrors of the Kumer Rough left R and I baffled and deeply sad.  We toured a prison where Pol Pot’s army tourtured and held captive many and went to the Killing Fields outside of Phnom Penh to wittness massive, open graves, the trees they would beat children on, where they hung the loud speaker to drown out the screaming, the skulls with hatchet marks in them.  It was a lot to take in…how could one man command so many to kill they own…in the late seventies..in such psychologically/physically brutal ways?  Two million fell victim to this mass genocide in a mere four years.  R and I could only say a small prayer because there is no comprehension of this, no explanation.

We were also able to experience beautiful splendor in Cambodia in Siem Reap where they infamous Angkor Wat temples are (you know…Tomb Raider???).  I can’t explain how mystifying and gorgeous they were…old, sandsone rock carved intricately and covered in mystical mosses.  Gigantic trees grew hrough many of the enormous structures.

We then made our way to Vietnam.  Ohhh Vietnam…so hard to love at times :) but I did learn a lot there and enjoyed it with at least the baseline love I have for all travel.  We first went to the gorgeous, lesser known island Phu Quoc just south of the mainland.  What a treat.  We stayed in a little beach bumgalow RIGHT ON THE OCEAN (I kid you not…) for $17/night.  The island has many dirt roads, cows roaming on deserted beaches, curious old fishing boats, and sandy, untouched beauty for miles.  However, it won’t be long until they “pave paradise” as Vietnam is learning the tourist potential of Phu Quoc.  When our flight to Ho Chi Min (Saigon) was delayed by two hours Vietnam Airlines (i.e. the government) groomed us by transporting us into the city for a huge, delicious, banquet lunch.  R noted, “they must want tourists to come back!”  At any rate, R and I took a moto (like a mow-ped) around the island throughout our stay.  Two minutes out on the moto I acquired what I would learn later is an “Asian tatoo.”  Due to both R and my fault the moto tipped and I burned the crap out of my right calf on the exhaust pipe.  The relatively deep burn is about 3.5 inches long and 1.5 inches wide with a few other pieces of burnt flesh around it.  It looks totally gross!!!  It’s still pretty painful and I get bummed thinking about the scar I think it will make.  I guess plenty of tourists (especially) have gotten them but I haven’t seen anyone else with one (I know my friend Ankit had one and another traver we met had one in the past).  A Malaysian stopped me in a store yesterday and told me to try oil on it, don’t put antibiotic on it, and let it air out.  So I’m currently trying that folk remedy with baby oil.  Anyone else know how to treat an Asian tatoo???

Phu Quoc was lush and lovely…and gave us strength to encounter Ho Chi Min.  The city is full of methods and madness and made my city girl heart sing again.  We saw some (heh hem) “interesting” government propagated museums focused on the Vietnam War.  I guess I will just say that it was quite uncomfortable being an American going through these…for several reasons…

So Ho Chi Min is a facinating, full of history place.  Significantly, it’s one of the most difficult places in the world to cross the street.  At some points you can look out onto a sea of 1,000’s of moto drivers.  You basically have to cross half of the street at a time weaving in and out of moto’s/cars.  You can’t be afraid and you can’t stop either!  When we were set to leave Ho Chi Min a mass flood greeted us…at first it seemed a little crazy and exhilarating until all the cockroaches started coming up from the streets to find dry land.  One got caught in my shoe as tons gathered under our Hostel entrance!  It was definitely eek!

Also!  I forgout about the rich and interesting Mekong Delta in Vietnam!  We spend a few days exploring the fertile fishing/rice/vegetable land here…seeing how people lived in the boats and houses by the shore was really neat.  Also the kids are so cute while waving wildly as your boat goes by. 

Also notably, R and I try and find what we call a “Fear Factor” street in all the places we go.  These streets are where people are preparing/eating/holding captive things we would not see in the states…  For example in Thailand, there was a huge, encolsed tent area full of rows of dried fish skin…pig heads…raw meats…etc.  In Phnom Penh we say tons of frogs in bags, live fish flopping around in bowls, big, black catfish scurring around in their holding vats, etc.  Will write more later in the Vietnam FF streets later… 

Now the Fear Factor stuff being said…we have had impeccable (and often cheap) food everywhere.  Enjoyed the fa (spelling?), noodles in Vietnam and the Amok chilchen/fish curries in Cambodia.  I bought some Amok spices and can’t wait to cook some up at home!

For now, we are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia…it’s a very modern city yet we both felt a slight pang for the rougher places we’ve been.  The rougher places are, well, rougher, but they have their own unique rewards.  By the way, for those curious, we’ve been staying in  places that cost us each $8-$9 on average per night…so nothin’ too fancy yet but I’m a hostel girl at heart anyway.  We might splurge on something when we get to Bali.

Don’t wanna go home!  Only a few weeks left though…at that :( .

Cheers to all!