Sorry Everybody for the long delay in writing. For a while I didn't have net access except in internet cafes, and it is a royal pain to do this there since it takes so much time. I am now hooked up again in my apartment here in Phnom Penh, and although the access is very slow, at least I feel like part of the world again. For a while I also had computer problems and had to reinstall Windows, etc...

Mike visited me for 3 weeks, and while here we toured the temples at Angkor, came to Phnom Penh and then went on to Viet Nam. We especially liked our time at the Saigon Mui Ne Resort near Phan Thiet, Viet Nam. It was idyllic, just like what you imagine Hawaii should be. And perhaps best of all, we were there during the week and felt like we almost had the place to ourselves.

We had a cottage right by the beach. It was just beautiful with flowers blooming everywhere, a wonderful swimming pool, sauna, massage, and everything else you can imagine. I felt like some kind of celebrity being there. And it was all for I think about $85 a night. It would be a perfect choice if you decide to visit, I promise! If it wasn't a five star resort, it was very close!

Our only regret was not spending more time in Viet Nam, and missing the Northern parts such as Hue and Ha Long Bay. But my visa took longer to get than I had counted on, and we wasted a couple of days waiting for it since we arrived in Phnom Penh on the weekend, and the offices for visas are closed. His 3 weeks off went by in no time, and he left from Ho Chi Minh City, (Saigon) to fly back to Bangkok and then the USA about 2 weeks ago.

I am telling this all out of order, but it's really difficult to sum it all up in that way, so bear with me. :)

We also had a great time while in HCMC. The shopping there is great! Clothes are dirt cheap, and I wish I had more money to spend, but then, I'd later have to figure out a way to get it all home... I had my hair done while there, (I really needed it!) a whole head of foils, a massage, a pedicure and a really great haircut all for only about $60. The same thing in the US would have been close to $200, I am sure. At one time I had 4 people working on me at once, and I have to tell you-- feeling like a celebrity is nice. :)

We almost had a big problem getting into Viet Nam. A travel company had promised to have Mikes' visa waiting for him at the Cambodia/Vietnamese border crossing. He even had a fax from the travel company in both English and Vietnamese explaining it. After much frustration, and having to deal with less than friendly Khmer and Vietnamese border police for close to two hours, they granted him a visa and let us through. It is now my understanding that they never do this. We were more than a little fortunate to get through at all, and when we finally boarded the bus to go on-- like I said, close to two hours late, the bus full of people knew it was us who were holding things up. I tried very hard to not care, as the fault was not ours, but we boarded the bus feeling a little embarrassed but elated at the same time. We only got through due to Mike carrying the fax, and the Vietnamese Police calling the travel company. I wish I had known Vietnamese at the time, I would have liked to have known what he said to them. He was not happy.

Mike went home after having many $3-6 massages, and enjoying himself a lot. I was happy that he finally got to visit the country that he has studied so much about. To see the people, and see the places with your own eyes... you really just can't understand and get the "big picture" from any book.

I am now thinking about coming home. I am not sure when, but I have looked at fare prices and plan on having a few BBQ's at the house before the summer weather is finally over. God knows, I have spent quite a long "summer" here. It has been hot, steamy and at times almost unbearable with the heat. But that was April, and now things are much nicer, staying about 85-90 degrees most days. The rains have started, and I am glad because it cools the day down quite a bit each time it rains. There has also been a problem here in Cambodia for the last couple of years with drought, but it looks like that won't be a problem this year. The rice crops that so many depend on are well on their way. There has already been famine in some areas, and I am seeing more people who have just come from the Provinces, looking for work on the streets of Phnom Penh, which is hopeless without some college degree or tie to someone in the government who is powerful.

My time here has flown by so fast... In many ways it seems as though I just got here. It has been wonderful, bewildering, strange, maddening, fantastic, and amazing all at once. Experiences here are unlike anything in the US. It cannot adequately be described either-- you just have to come and see for yourself.

***I am dedicating this entry to my cousin, Jinx Smith, who recently drowned while working on a boat on the Mississippi River, as he had done since childhood. You will be missed by many, Jinx.***