Hi, Just a quick note. It’s the first day of 2010. It’s our last night in Hong Kong. (Hong Kong rocks BTW). Tomorrow we go to China. It’s a funny procedure, because you cross the border on the subway system. I’ve never heard of a subway that runs across a border before. After customs, we’ll…
Beyond the Killing Fields: Cambodia’s heart and soul
For most people, Cambodia is Angkor Wat. But the country has so much more to offer than that. The Khmer Rouge genocide happened during our lifetimes, making the Killing Fields every bit as poignant if not more than the sunrise over Angkor Wat. It’s impossible not to be impressed by the resilience of people who…
Buses and Beers in Vietnam
The Mai Linh Express bus from Saigon to Phnom Penh lasts about 7 hours including the border crossing. That’s about 2 hours longer than they claim but it was a smooth ride. Our bus was peopled with other peculiar passengers including a couple traveling on Cuban passports, and a Vietnamese-Australian family. Cambodian customs and immigration…
Cherry to Cup: A Journey Through a Vietnamese Coffee Heartland
Robusta coffee cherries are bunched like grapes on their trees in the hills outside Dalat. Vietnam’s central mountains are country’s backbone, running hundreds of kilometres in a north-south direction. Tropical mountains just happen to make wonderful coffee-growing territory, and that’s just what the French had in mind when they first came here. In the…
Some Nha Trang Notes
Nha Trang is Vietnam’s premier beach town. It’s scenic, surrounded by mountains and islands in the sea. It’s got a sizeable population and a (perhaps poorly deserved) reputation for good nightlife. All things considered, we really liked Nha Trang (all things = bad weather). We came during the rainy season and we got what we…
Something to be Thankful For
Cramped into the tiny beds on the sleeper bus – well, one of us was cramped anyway – we cruised south, with the next three legs of the journey pretty much set. We probably liked our first week in Hoi An better. The weather was brilliant, the hotel room as large as any we’ve had….
Random notes from Hoi An
For the past couple of weeks we’ve been holed up in Hoi An. It’s a nice place, quiet and with lots of things to do. Our room was big and cheap so we decided just to let it roll a while. We ended up getting busy with work – freelancing comes in waves – and…
Hue to Go
We left Hanoi in a dizzying flurry as I scrambled to get my work done before we had to leave for the airport. It was a mad scramble. We barely had time to hit the coffee shop. Vietnamese coffee, for those unfamiliar, is a small cup of very thick, almost extract-like stuff. It is sweetened…
Hanoi Eat/Drink
Hanoi Eat/Drink FOOD: First bit of advice is to check ReidOn. The author is a Lonely Planet writer and knows his stuff. We didn’t get around to all his tips but we can certainly vouch for some. The SavourAsia page is also very helpful. 1. Quan An Ngon is a must. Especially if you are…
Hanoi Hopes, Dashed
Some places feel like home as soon as you get there. Hanoi wasn’t one of them. It’s too bad because we wanted to get into an apartment and live there for at least three months. After just three days both of us knew we weren’t going to be happy. That was after we gave it…
the Kuala Lumpur story
It’s been a while since we’ve been able to post as we’ve been incredibly busy. After an epic two day multi-leg extravaganza we arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Why KL? Why not. Sun’s always wanted to visit and we knew that the food would be incredible. It was. I was totally out of it when we…
Ungespundetes in Malaysia
The saying “Know Thyself” is etched on a lintel at the Greek Temple of Apollo at Delphi. You can still read, “γνῶθι σεαυτόν” while marvelling at the evolutionary leap in consciousness such self-awareness represented. We have become complacent. We think we know ourselves and assume so while affirming our existence with material belongings, shoes and…
Love and Barley 