We're in Phnom Penh for less than 24 hours--just a quick stopover to catch a (relatively) cheap flight into Bangkok.

Vietnam was wonderful. We loved the coffee and the food and the laid-back vibe of the parts of the country we saw. Obviously, we were a bit shaken up after the "robbery" in Nha Trang, but it didn't stop us from falling in love with the country. How could you hate a country with such a beautiful climate and delicious milkshakes?!

After Nha Trang, we made our way to Mui Ne. Mui Ne was everything we expected Nha Trang to be--lots of sandy beaches, warm water, and gorgeous seashells! I collected shells every day while Joel floated along in the calm water. We're going to have to buy an extra bag to carry them all home!

One day we even got up the courage to rent a motorbike. They're wimpy little things, but it's still daunting considering that they don't give you helmets or any driving lessons! The whole time we were driving I could hear my Mom's voice scolding Joel for the danger he was putting her baby in! And then I could hear his Mom's voice echoing the same concern for her daughter-in-law. True to form, Joel was a wonderful driver. It was a nice touch that there was only one road to drive on. A bit like Barss Corner, Nova Scotia :)

With the bike we were able to get to some sand dunes. Impressive, but nothing like Namibia. We also went to see some Cham towers (built by Cham minority people a long long time ago). On our way we stopped to give our numb butts a rest and the locals all came to see why the white people had stopped by their farms. They got quite a kick out of our overly white skin and Joel's height/hairiness! We taught the kids high 5's and took their photos, which they loved. The adults got jealous so we had to do a photo shoot for them too.

Asians love to have their photos taken. We have seen so many amateur photos shoots in Asia, it's really crazy. On the beach, at the park, on a motorbike, in front of Christmas lights. It's unbelievable, but definitely Asian. Yesterday morning we embarked on a tour of the Mekong delta. We saw a coconut candy farm, an apiary (honey farm), fruit farm, pythons (Joel held one), and monkeys in cages (boo!). We also got rowed down some small canals, which was the best part for me. It was exactly what I pictured when I think of Vietnam. It was excellent. We took a series of busses (crazy scary rides) and more boats to get to the Cambodian border today. Already the poverty in Cambodia has struck us. It was evident in Vietnam, but there was enough prosperity I guess that it managed to mask most of the extreme poverty. There's no hiding it here though. Although, I guess if you wanted to comfort yourself you could say that the kids aren't wearing clothes because of the heat, as opposed to their poverty. But, just like in Lesotho, the poor are still the ones with the biggest smiles and the most open hearts. We hope to come back to Cambodia in mid-January, just before we head to Japan. It's hard to believe that it's almost Christmas. And it's even harder to believe that we're going to hit Canada in less than 2 months! We're looking forward to getting home, but we're still doing our best to make the most of our time away. We know we're lucky and we don't want to forget that! All the best to all of you for Christmas. We'll probably have your inboxes flooded with news of our updates when you get back from vacation. And we'll have a beer for each and every one of you, I'm sure! :) m & j