Siem Reap...

There is no way that photos can capture the vast size and scope of the temples in the Siem Reap area. Angkor Wat is spectacular and massive and iconic; the Bayon temple and Banteay Srei were also intricate and detailed, with hundreds of gorgeous stone carvings. Even several minor temples we visited were epic in scope and absolutely beautiful. We spent two full days visiting temples and getting a sense of the Khmer empire at its peak. What an incredible place to visit.

Phnom Penh and the Killing Fields...

We all fell in love with Cambodia. The Khmer people are warm, welcoming and helpful and everyone has a big smile ready in almost every situation. Phnom Penh is a vibrant city, as well, with some trendy cafes and restaurants. We spent one evening eating delicious Khmer food (we also fell in love with the food in Cambodia) and then sipping drinks at the Foreign Correspondents' Club overlooking the Mekong. It was wonderful. We also spent one full day exploring the Killing Fields and the Tuong Sleng prison museum in the city, both of which document the tragic massacres carried out by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. It was a dark and heavy experience, but we were very grateful to learn more about what happened; awareness is so crucial in standing against darkness. In the midst of recovering from unbelievable collective pain, the people of Cambodia are full of optimism and hope. We were also blessed by visiting the Lighthouse Orphanage and spending a few hours playing with children there. Hannah and Cora wished they could spend days playing with the kids.

The vast Mekong Delta...

For three days we trekked up the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh. That is quite a trek and we covered a lot of miles. The miles by boat were wonderful; the miles by bus were tedious. We saw the largest floating market on the Mekong and did a homestay one night with a local family that involved us staying in small wooden, airy huts with mosquito nets next to the house. Life is simple for many people in the Delta and, while the house where we stayed would be considered very basic and lacking by North American standards, it was fairly well-appointed for the Delta region. It was a good experience to chat with the family members and eat meals with them (not to mention how we got there - in the dark, up a small river with big boats coming the other way, with no lights to speak of except a large flashlight our driver would shine every now and again!). Additional highlights from the Delta: drinking snake wine with a group of new friends, cycling around a town (and having the pedal on my bike fall off, meaning that Brian and I were abandoned for about 30 minutes), being paddled in dugout canoes, checking out crocodiles at a crocodile farm, watching the sun set near Chau Doc and eating Happy New Year cake with our group, watching weavers in a Muslim village and watching life roll by along the Mekong in Cambodia.

Ho Chi Minh City and the Cu Chi Tunnels...

While in Ho Chi Minh City, we went on a day trip to the nearby Cu Chi tunnels and learned about this part of the country during the war. Amazingly, thousands of people were able to survive in this heavily-bombed area by living underground in tunnels that spanned many kilometres. The tunnels were exceptionally small and even the ones that have been plus-sized for foreigners are very tiny and claustrophobic. We had the privilege of being guided by Jackie, a Vietnamese man who served alongside the Americans as an translator during the war. He was an exceptionally colourful character with many stories to share.

Peaceful Halong Bay...

Could anything be more perfect than three days floating in Halong Bay aboard the Prince Junk 3? With only four cabins, two of which our family occupied, this boat was intimate and cozy and lovely. We were fed scrumptious seafood and the staff looked after us very well; we traveled with a couple from London and another couple from Germany and they were delightful. Add in several hours of kayaking, a visit to two gorgeous and simple floating fishing villages, and lunch served with linens on a deserted beach and it all adds up to a spectacular adventure.

Travels in Vietnam...

After a long break from blogging, I am thrilled to post some photos from our big winter trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. We spent two days in Hanoi, three floating and kayaking on stunning Halong Bay, two in Ho Chi Minh City, three days traveling by boat and bus up the Mekong Delta into Cambodia, two days in Phnom Penh and three days in Siem Reap to see the temples at Angkor Wat. It was an unbelievable and wonderful trip. We ended with five days in Bangkok to attend a job fair and to sort out where we should be next year. More on that later! Here are some photo highlights of our days in Hanoi.