Hey everyone.  I am in the last few days here and am not feeling well.  I put in a solid couple of hours writing my next post and the page froze, resulting in a loss of 90% of what I wrote.  I cried.  What a waste of good nap time. So I’m in Can Tho Vietnam right now and am about to head to Saigon whereby have one day and then I fly home early the next morning. I have some really great adventures to share but I think they will have to wait until I am back in Canada.…

Sitting in my floatie, paddling away from Celine Dion. The bright blue roof is the guesthouse I stayed in. And yes, I had my toes painted to match the water here on purpose! You know those calendars with a different beautiful white sand beach scene for each month?  Who hasn’t sat at their desk and gazed longingly, wishing they had the time and money to go for a dream vacation to a place so beautiful?  Well, I have and I went there!!  I had to travel halfway around the world to find paradise, but I found it!  Read on and…

The islands off the coast of Cambodia were intended to be near the beginning of my trip and I was going to give the beaches of Thailand a pass. But as I added more and more time to this adventure, I switched directions and chose to make this part near the end.  I’m glad I did.  But to get to the islands, one must first travel to the seedy beachfront party city of Sihanoukville. I mentioned the night bus from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville in my last post.  There are plenty of options but depending on what you want and…

As I travel, I write notes on my phone so when I post here, I have points I want to write about.  I forgot to save that note.  Now I have to remember it while fending off mosquitoes. A whole lot of beds Things getting a bit silly on Gender Bender Night! Kittens at Angkor Wat! Soup of the day: Tequila Taco and Margarita $3. Really good I flew to Siem Ream, Cambodia from Chiang Mai, Thailand via Bangkok on Air Asia.  There is ZERO legroom on Air Asia and I’m not exaggerating.  If you put your bag under the…

After a few glorious days of being lost in Chiang Mai, I decided to head to Pai.  i really hadn’t thought about going to Pai but after publicy posting I was in Chainag Mai, the messages and comments started pouring in. “You HAVE to go to Pai”.  I guess it’s the place to be. So relaxed! Unfortunately, the hammock wasn't all that comfy. It made my butt look and feel like a tray of cinnamon rolls. The Backpacker's Survival Kit Riverside. And no mosquitoes! So at the last minute, I left my air-conditioned room to seek out a travel agent.…

I chose the most delightful little corner of the Old City to stay in. So peaceful Thai cooking class. No coconut or kaffir lime is safe from me now! The Sunday Night Market extends over several city blocks and through many temple grounds. It’s burning season. Very dry and smokey. The city wall and moat. The only reason I’m not still out there wandering. In a place like Thailand, everything is an adventure even when you aren’t looking for one.  I decided I was not willing to take my chances of overpaying for a taxi to the Don Muang Airport…

Stepping out into the crowd. And this was only the beginning! Covering your beer doesn’t really do much. When you stop to buy one, you are a sitting duck and the crowds will try to drown you. You probably shouldn’t drink the water, but it’s going to happen. Embrace it! I left Koh Samui on day 1 of Songkran.  The Internet is a big fat liar and the staff at the resort were of little help as to how to get to the Nathon Pier for my ferry transfer to Surat Thani.  I decided to take my first stab at…

I made the decision to head to Samui and stay at the 2nd most touristy beach there.  I was hesitant due to people on Tripadvisor complaining it was noisy, dirty and crowded but I didn’t find that at all!   Each resort cares for the beach in front and the water is gorgeous!  No sea cucumbers or urchins.  However, there are lots of signs warning of box jellies and instructions of what to do if you get stung.  If you point to the sign and ask a local, they will laugh and tell you it’s not true.  No jellies here.…

Haad Salad. Just beautiful! My 3rd and last night on Koh Phangan.  This has been a very exciting part of my trip.  After the Pirate Party, I cozied into my little bungalow and managed to get under the wrong sheet.  there are 2 single beds pushed together, each with a crisp white sheet.  There is a large flate sheet pulled tightly over both of those that appears to be intended to keep you from getting body parts wedged between the 2.  Whoops!  I also have zero clues as to how mosquito nets work.  They tie them up to look nice…

Ao Nang beach. Beautiful, but noisy.    My air-conditioned cube. When they open the curtains in the morning, the view is spectacular So I left a piece of my heart in Saladan.  Someday, I hope to retrieve it.  Everyone I have encountered so far has commented that Lanta is an ending point, not a beginning.  Well, perfect!  That means I must be doing it right. The Ferry from Saladan to Ao Nang was……well, it was HELL!  It was late, it was hot, it smelled SO BAD like mothballs and…..I don’t know – hopelessness?  And as it turns out, my uterus…