March 1, 2010 – Day 431 – Vientiane, Laos

In the back of a tuk tuk we bounced and sped out of Vientiane to Buddha Park. About 26 km outside the city is a small park by the Mekong filled with numerous different styles of Buddha statues.

Budda feeling a bit grey

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February 23, 2010 – Day 425 – Luang Prabang, Laos

We walked to the top of Phousi Hill, the site of a very old wat that looks over the city. It was a nice breezy view—we could even see the puny airport from the top! It’s been pretty hot in Luang Prabang and it was a welcome chance to get out of the heat for a bit. We were so winded for climbing a few stairs that we had to go repair to our room to watch HBO. (What’s that you say? Burned out? Nooooo, of course not!)

Vew over the city

Stupa at the top

January 31, 2010 – Day 402 – Siem Reap, Cambodia

Sunrise is a busy time in Siem Reap. You would be surprised at just how many crazy foreigners are up and (mostly) dressed to see sunrise at Angkor Wat. You would be even more surprised that lazy folks like us did it too.

Angkor wat by moon light

January 30, 2010 – Day 401 – Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Wat. Wow, what to say? It was spectacular, fascinating, beautiful, dusty, intriguing. It was also noisy and full of tourists and expensive. But it was worth those few irritations and (many) dollars to see such a historical jewel.

Inside the temples

January 6, 2010 – Day 377 – Bangkok, Thailand

With Latham’s approaching flight this evening, we decided to save some of Bangkok’s best of last. Today we went to the Grand Palace. When they named it, they really were not kidding!

Golden statue

January 4, 2010 – Day 375 – Ayatthaya, Thailand

The ruins of the old capital Ayatthaya are scattered across the now restored, modern city. Renting bicycles is a great way to get yourself around the city, using the extensive road system, a handy map from the rental folks, and a bit of caution when crossing the multi-lane highway that operates on the opposite side you might be used to. This is how we saw Ayatthaya’s ruins and it turned out to be a whole lot of fun.

In the ruins

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December 27, 2009 – Day 367 – Bangkok, Thailand

After a stout breakfast of eggs and toast, we set out for a walking tour of the city’s main attractions. We left Khao San district and headed for the sizable Democracy Monument.

Democracy Monument

November 17, 2009 – Day 326 – Mumbai, India

We really packed in a full sightseeing tour of Mumbai today! We started the morning with a taxi ride to the Hanging Garden for a nice view of the beach and a bit of the city. The garden is very pleasant and extremely well maintained and for this reason, many Indians like to spend time walking around and people watching (yes, they stare at each other too), especially since the park is free to go in. Across the street is another smaller park where we passed a mini-market with 8-10 tables of random wares for sale and the giant shoe to check out the view.

Hazy day on the beach

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November 16, 2009 – Day 325 – Mumbai, India

Whether you call it Mumbai or Bombay, this city is a really happening place! It boasts the richest neighborhoods and most famous people in India but it also holds Asia’s largest slum. From both extremes, Mumbai is a place you will either love or hate. It is India and it is not. The people are different, the food is different, the prices are high and the city is abuzz and never sleeps. At any hour you will hear traffic whizzing and honking its way through the streets below your hotel room. You can always find a snack stand open and there is no shortage or high-end establishments to spend your hard-saved Rupees.

In the streets of Mumbai

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November 4-8, 2009 – Day 314-317 – Jaisalmer, India

Spent the last several days enjoying to slow, relaxing pace of this small desert town. Our days were lazy and uneventful. If you really, really want to know just what that means, here is an outline: breakfast, internet cafe, lunch, internet cafe, walking around town trying to choose a restaurant for dinner, dinner, going back to our hotel room to avoid the after-dark mosquito militia and playing cards or writing posts until we get sleepy.

That lunch we were talking about

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