This is our final post about our trip to Southeast Asia. Over the first ten posts, we covered all the main events. But there is so much more that we experienced that we needed one final post. Bat Cave We went to a bat cave. Not inside the cave, but on the side of a…
Local Flavor
Culture and local flavors A country’s culture is often displayed in their cuisine, especially that found among the locals. What better way to experience a country than through the local food? In Cambodia, every road is lined with mom & pop shops. Some are selling gasoline in recycled plastic soda bottles (now you know where…
Rice Paper Factory
Have you ever eaten a spring roll? Of course you have. They are quite tasty, stuffed with veggies, meat, and perhaps some fungi. But what holds them together is the key ingredient. I present to you the rice paper wrapper. It is circular, kinda nutritious, and quite tasteless. Without one you wouldn’t be able to…
The Last Ride
The Last Ride (on the Bamboo Train) Ale’, what’s on the schedule for this afternoon? A ride on the bamboo train, and we’ll visit to a small village, and we’ll capture sunset across the rice fields, maybe see a water buffalo. The Bamboo Train Sitting on a simple bamboo woven platform I marvel at the…
An Orgy of Temples
There are almost too many temples in Siem Reap, an orgy of sorts, with over 50 in the Angkor alone. With only a few days visit we could hardly visit them all. The ones we did visit each had its own unique charm. More importantly, each of these had its own photographic charm. Ale’ made…
A Bad Habit
The Habit We have a bad habit. We find something we like and we just have to do it. It doesn’t matter the cost or inconvenience, we do it. Take pizza in Rome, for example. Some number of years ago we discovered a place that serves delicious gluten free pizza, an oxymoron of sorts. Jumbo…
Hot and Humid Hoi An
Hoi An was hot and humid, my favorite combination. Luckily, the AC was working in our room which has been named by the hotel staff , “The Chill Zone.” The temperature difference was enough to cause a mini-vortex at the door jam and more import, condensation on my camera lens upon leaving. It took upwards…
A Trek in Sapa
Sapa Region We are in northwest Vietnam to experience the mountains and the tiered rice fields of Sapa. September is the tail end rainy season which we hope translates to “green”. There is fine line between the end of the rainy season (green) and the harvest (brown). As we drive up to Sapa, it appears…
The Market
Late in the afternoon we arrived in the small town of Bac Ha which is the home of the “most colorful” open market in Southeast Asia. Why it’s in this town, I don’t know. We are in a remote region of northwest Vietnam, almost within spitting distance of the Chinese border. There is not much…
Cruising with the Dragons
I love a good cruise, and I was thrilled to discover our Vietnam itinerary included an over night cruise to explore Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Setting Ha Long Bay, known locally as the Bay of Descending Dragons, because a sea serpent is said to have been seen here by local fisherman….
