Ubud, Bali proved to be as magical as we had heard. Our days were spent strolling the back streets in awe of the local culture, eating amazing local cuisine, visiting temples and cultural events such as the Fire Show, and simply sitting on the patio of our gorgeously carved cabana and wondering how we ever got so lucky as to be spending time in this enchanting town.
**** Warning – this post contains some graphic photos and disturbing text. It’s an incredibly important history lesson but be warned, the story isn’t pretty ***
Cambodia, a country that touched my heart for many reasons. Much of our time in the country was spent feeling disturbed but the history and modern reality of this little country in SE Asia is an important lesson to all of us about how power can corrupt with terrifying results. In other posts I’ll cover the good of the country, the gorgeous beaches, friendly people and, of course, the awe-inspiring temples of Angkor Wat but this is about the horror that was the Pol Pot Regime and the destruction it brought to the country over three short years.
Ubud Bali is full of enchanting temples where the locals leave their daily sacrifices. We never tired of the peace and tranquility that surrounded them.
We always appreciate local, environmentally aware companies when we travel and, unfortunately, such companies are not the norm so were more than thrilled to find Green Discovery Tours in Laos. We had been hanging out for over a week in the delightful capital, Vientiane, when we found our Indian visas would not be ready for at least five more days. What better way to spend our time than on a trekking and kayaking tour in Vang Vieng. We signed on for a 3 night adventure with 1 night at the Ben Sabai resort, 1 night on the tour, and 1 night back in Vang Vieng at Ben Sabai.
Vietnam- that one word still has the power to create mixed emotions and adamant reactions from many Americans. What we found was a fascinating country, a crossroads of French and Asian culture, and a complicated history. With none of the pre-conceived ideas that taint our parents feelings for this SE Asian country, we were more able to fully appreciate both the remaining traumas from “the American War” as well as a society with strong ties to it’s French colonialism and location in Asia.
Laos is one of our favorite countries, and one of the joys of wandering it’s back roads is the lack of mass tourism. Luang Prabang, an exceptionally gorgeous town in Northern Laos is certainly ON the tourist path, but is so amazing we, nonetheless, spent a fair bit of time there and enjoyed every minute of exploring this UNESCO World Heritage City.
We’ve been to Chiang Mai, Thailand several times and can easily see us joining the many ex-pats who’ve made it their home. The mountain top temple at Duh Suthep is an amazing day trip to enjoy the gorgeous temple as well as the views of the city below.
Laos is one of our favorite countries, having all the attributes of it’s SE Asian neighbors but still retaining a unique charm all it’s own. The Buddhist culture is absolutely fascinating and we marveled over their many amazing temples, all with fantastic, gilded doors. We enjoyed our time there more than most places we’ve ever been. We can’t wait to go back!
We were incredibly touched by the children of Cambodia, who have seen such an ugly past and are still dealing with an uncertain future. This adorable little girl accompanied us on some our sightseeing at Angkor Wat.
Foto Friday once again comes to you from Vietnam, a gorgeous country, seeped in history. We really enjoyed our time in Hoi An, one of the few cities not maimed by the war. Wandering the narrow streets is like walking back in time to the colonial era of the country, smelling french bread baking next to a street cart selling fish sauce – a perfect combination of Vietnamese society.
