Hong Kong, 31st June and 16th - 19th July

Above: Views from Victoria Peak

Above: Fish market on Kowloon

Above: Big Buddha on Lantau Island

Above: Hong Kong night time skyline. Every night at 8pm, the buildings come alive with the world's largest permanent light display (no less). 30 or so buildings on the waterfront display moving colourful lights, all in time to music. Very nice too!

Visit home, 2nd - 16th July

Above: The parents modelling their gifts from Japan and Cambodia - hee hee! My Dad seems to love his new hat. He has been wearing it in the garden and around town in Barton-on-Sea.

Above: New niece baby Sophie Mae

Above: A new witch joins the coven. Ange with gorgeous baby Neve.

After a fantastic holiday away from our holiday, I sobbed all the way through the tunnel at Heathrow Airport. It was so wonderful to see our friends and family and it was hard to say goodbye again! Hong Kong, here we come.

Cambodia - 24th - 29th June

Above: The lovely kids of rural Cambodia come to wave at the rubber neck tourists. So cute.

Above: Did I mention it was the wet season in South East Asia?

Above: With help from Tek, I attempted to wear my 'Krama' cloth as a head scarf. Never had much luck with accessorising. Most Cambodians carry a piece of checked cloth, or krama, which is used for multiple purposes, from carrying groceries and children, to mopping one's brow.

Above: Gladly, no sign of the nauseating Angelina Jolie at the Tomb Raider temple, Ta Phrohm. Incredible to see the routes of the giant Sponge trees penetrating these ancient ruins.

Above: Orphans working hard, creating leather carvings. We found a number of kids busy preparing dinner for their evening meal. They were shaving a pigs head with a cut throat razor. This orphanage is great project which is giving over 50 rural kids a fighting chance.


Above: The stunning Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is at the heart of the giant temple complex which was uncovered by French archaeologists in the late 1800's.

Angkor Wat was built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. The largest and best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained since its foundation a significant religious centre — first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Above: One of the four city gates into Angkor
Above: The 54 towers of Bayon Temple. An amazing place to watch the sun go down.

Phnom Penh, the capital city

Above: Adam tucking into deep fried tarantulas. He did not get a good night kiss! Was like chewing a pencil apparently.

It's not only spiders on the menu. Crickets, locusts and cockroaches, fried with fish oil and chili are also enjoyed as a beer snack. Insect sellers line the streets and we spotted cricket traps amongst the paddy fields during our trip from Phnom Penh to Siam Reap.

Above: Once a high school, turned prison, today is the 'Genocide Museum.' A chilling education on the reign of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, from 1975 - 1979. The period saw the death of approximately 2 million Cambodians through the combined result of political executions, starvation, and forced labor, about 25% to 30% of the entire population. We also visited mass graves, named the 'killing fields' where executions took place.

Above: Home to the hippies of Cambodia, lakeside at Phnom Penh. A cool place for a sun downer.

Above: National museum, home to many restored statues and religious relics. Adam was more interested in the fish ponds!

Above: The beautiful royal palace complex, home to a stunning emerald and diamond studded Buddha.

Vietnam continued

17th - 23rd June - Views from Vietnam

Above: Ancient citadel of Hue, prior home to the Vietnamese royal family and scene of vicious battle during Vietnam war.

Above: Views of the Perfume River, Hue (named as such, due to fragrance of flowers that grow on the river banks)

Above: Nha Trang Beach

Above: Beautiful dive sites, Nha Trang

Above: Our beachside bungalow and beach view, Mui Ne. Not bad for $18 a night.

Above: White sand dunes and Lotus Flower Lake, Mui Ne

Above: The Red Canyon, Mui Ne

Above: Preparing Mui Ne's famous fish sauce, pooooooh!

Above: Having a little drinkee on Mui Ne Beach. After dark, this bar blasted Celine Dion tracks until the early hours. That women can really kill a potentially romantic moment!

Above: Back to stinking old Ho Chi Minh City to finish off our trip. Did I mention it was the wet season in South East Asia?