the cherry blossoms

Cambodia and Vietnam

Rad part of the world.

The highlight for us was seeing all the history and understanding what the Cambodian people have been through. It was a heavy trip in many ways, seeing what destruction and pain came from the mass genocide during the 1970's under the Khmer Rouge.

Vietnam is beautiful....... we spent the end of the trip at a beautiful beach called Mui Ne, in south central Vietnam.  Everything is relatively inexpensive and the food was nothing but phenomenal the entire time, both in Cambodia and Vietnam.  Here's a few of our photos:

Cambodia and Vietnam

We started in Siem Reap, Cambodia, to see the famous Angkor Wat Temples... a massive civilization constructed over 900 years ago that housed a civilization of a million people in its hayday. It was in a strategic location for the trade routes between India and China. These temples are somewhat raw - you really can walk around anywhere, it hasn't yet become so commercialized - which makes the exploration all the more interesting.

It's the dry season during the winter. In the summer, the fields are flooded so the houses are built on stilts.

Kim and me riding in the tuc-tuc.... with our Krama scarves

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Precious little boys singing for us...... they had this rehearsed with hand-motions and all (see video below)

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

cuuuuuuuute cambodian boys!

These boys followed us when we veered off the path to look at the water buffalo... and they sang for us. We taught them some new dance moves, it was hilarious!

Some escapades at the sand dunes

Mui Ne, Vietnam




Remnants of the Vietnam War

Cu Chi, Vietnam

The Cu Chi Tunnels... one of many extensive underground cities that the punks used; and let me tell you they are TINY, I'm more claustrophobic than I thought! Matthew was fearless as always.

Cu Chi, Vietnam

A vietnamese woman in her rice hat selling fruit along the beach

Mui Ne, Vietnam

Mui Ne, along the south central coast of Vietnam

Apparently these are small elephants......

I can't imagine what this man has been through during his lifetime in Cambodia...... especially surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide during 1975-1979. An incredible account of Pol Pot's horrific regime is told through the eyes of a girl who survived, in her book First, They Killed My Father by Loung Ung... a must-read.

A buddhist monk in his colorful robe

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat, the largest religious architecture in the world, one of the 7 wonders of the world

Siem Reap, Cambodia

These kids LOVE to pose

The dirt bikes the boys rented

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

scooter madness

yep, those are all scooters!

Saigon, Vietnam