The slug makes an entry

Attempting to study my Japanese. Oops, I'm
not doing too well.



Sorry I have not yet talked about our vacation. I am so drained from the heat that I can't think straight. Really, it's been bad and I have fallen into somewhat of a depression because of it. I feel like I am sick, actually. A real break today, it cooled off considerably, and I had a cup of hot tea, something unthinkable lately.

But anyway I am here to post a few shots and say a couple things.

Nick Gaulier, (15) my cousins kid was here for a couple weeks. Had a great time. Nick is funny and easy to get along with . We took a trip out of town into the mountains and saw great stuff. He got quite good with the chopsticks, even though at times he ate his rice grain by grain.
Now off to Cambodia...

Here is Angkor Wat. These temples are nearly 900 years old. There are several of these ancient Buddhist sites around Siem Reap, but this is the largest and most well preserved.I loved Cambodia. I am not sure why, but the people seemed to be crazy about us. Must not get too many foreigners with kids, and a curly blond baby. They would stop in their tracks to come over to see us, like we were long lost family, and gave off such a genuine feeling of happiness with gigantic smiles.
One excited woman approached me asking, "Your family?"
I said "yes."
she gleefully yelled, "You so happy!"

I don't remember if I was really happy quite at that very moment, but, she decided I was, so I got happy right then. They don't have much material stuff there, and family must be everything, so the bigger the family, surely the better and happier your life must be.

It was one of those moments to be thankful for. And there were quite a few of them.

One of the "7-11's" of Siem Reap.

More on Cambodia later. I'm tired and going to bed.

Hi from the Kingdom

Hi everybody

Thought it would be kind of cool to type an entry from Cambodia. Don't have much time, as we are leaving this afternoon and I need to buy some cheap souvenirs before heading to the airport.

We are in Siem Reap, where the highlight is the amazing Ankor Wat temples . We have spent most of the 2-3 days here touring these incredible places. The religious temples are around 900 years old. More details on those to come.

The food is amazing. I think it is the sauces. So light and flavorful. Maybe all those fresh herbs they use in everything. Initially I was to eat nothing raw, even the veggies in the spring rolls, but I have succumbed. Heck, we had our typhoid and hep A shots, I am going for it. And glad I did..... I am in heaven with the food. More details on that later too.

There is quite a bit of poverty here, and it is devastating to occasionally see these poor land mine victims. Went to a killing fields monument yesterday where there are displays of human skulls and bones from the tortured victims under POLPOT'S (sp) rule. That shut everybody up for awhile.

It's hot and muggy here, but at the tail end of rainy season, so the clouds save us a bit from the blazing sun. Thought there would be many more mosquitos---there are tons in Japan. We are all taking malaria pills anyway. Thankfully with the 'new' pills there are no side effects thatI have noticed.

People are very friendly and are crazy about the baby. The men love her! SO different from the Japanese men who don't give her a 2nd look.

Gotta run. Today we fly to Saigon for 1 night, then off to Hoi An, central Vietnam, to the beach.

Lots of photos to post soon.

Katrina