Time to leave Bangkok and begin our journey home...

We caught a taxi to the airport. We were supposed to leave at 5.30pm but the plane was delayed until 6.30. The cargo door was jammed shut and they couldn't open or close it! We waited 4 hours and still nothing happened. We thought we were stranded at the airport ... but finally ... Hooray! We were on our way! Goodbye Thailand ... Hello Sydney!
But trouble was on the way again!
We had missed our connecting flight to Wellington so we ended up spending the day in Sydney airport. We were pleased to see the gleaming stars of New Zealand!

That was a great experience!
- Amber -

We caught a taxi to the airport. We were supposed to go a 5.30 but it ended up 9.30 before we left! We were told there was a problem with the cargo door. We missed our connecting flight to Wellington! The flight was awesome because there was a TV.
Our trip was worth it because we did heaps of cool things like riding an elephant.
We also learnt lots of new things. Did you know that some Vietnamese lived in a tunnel for 9 years!
That was a great trip!!!
- Zahn -

Zahn's Birthday

I spent my birthday with Tane in Hanoi. We went to the movies. Amber went with Tane and his dad to see The princess and the frog but i watched Alvin and the chipmunks - the squeakquel. It was cool because Alvin saved the chipmunk girls on a toy motorbike. Then we went to KFC. When we got home we had 2 birthday cakes! Did you know that I got to choose my own birthday cake.
It was better to stay with Michelle, Ben, Tane and his baby brother Blake, in Hanoi , because we had more space.
- Zahn -

What's for dinner?

We sure have been spoilt for choice!!! Can you pick them all?

Cat Ba - 20-22 January

In Cat Ba we hired a boat with Choon and Linda and headed out into Lan Ha bay. This is known for its absolute beauty. Even in the overcast, slightly dreary hue of the day, the sandy beaches and sheer cliffs of limestone islands stood out! Dotted between them were fish farms and floating houses with rowboats attached to use as we use cars; and other Vietnamese would ride Honda 50's!
-
Amber and I jumped off the boat. I jumped off the top level. Sometimes it hurt and it got all red on my thigh. It was awesome to jump from so high. Then we went kayaking. I went with mum on a blue kayak and i had a paddle too.
- Zahn -

Vinh Moc - 18 January

We caught a motor bike taxi to the Vinh Moc tunnels. As we walked to the tunnels, we saw big bomb craters. The biggest ones were made by B52's. Then we saw the bomb shells. The bomb from the B52 was the biggest. Then we went into the tunnels. There were hospital rooms and everything! Dad held up a piece of plastic and said it was a skull and Amber got scared. It made me imagine what it would be like to live there for nine years.
- Zahn -
On the 18th we went to the Vinh Moc tunnels. We walked deep underground and into the tunnels. Actually an entire village lived under the ground in these tunnels. Babies were born and new lives were made. Each family had their own little dug out rectangle off the main tunnel to live in. When we went down, feeling our way, into a dark tunnel we approached dad holding a piece of plastic. Thinking it was a skull, I ran back to the light. What would it feel like to live there for nine years?
- Amber -

Riding an Elephant in Hue

We rode an elephant in Hue. It was at the Imperial Palace. I dressed as a Nyugen prince. It was bumpy and as we started my hat fell off on a branch. It was awesome because I got to feel how it would be to ride an elephant.
- Zahn -
We caught a cyclo to the Imperial city. There was an elephant and we got to ride on it. We dressed like emperors and emperesses and climbed onto a stand to hop onto the elephant. It was so freaky because we were up so high.It was so bumpy that it felt like I was sitting on the back of the hump of a camel. It was one of the best experiences in my life.
- Amber -

Hoi An - 12-16th January

It was the day we arrived in HoiAn. 'Shop, shop, shopping!' I said.
We walked into a tailors shop. Mum, dad and I treated ourselves and got some things made but Zahn decided to save his money. I decided to buy myself a coat, a pair of shorts, some jeans, a sundress and a pair of boots. They were all hand made and fitted. I also got some scarves. It felt great to buy my own clothes.
Our next buy was DVD's. I got 12 of them.
Our favourite restaurant was 'Mr Linh'. When you walked in you thought it was one big street restaurant, but actually each long table was a different restaurant. There were 14 of them.Here we sampled HoiAn's specialties. One of them was the noodle dish; Cao Lau.
After that we went to the silk work farm. If you get a cocoon from a silk worm, put it in boiling water and unravel the thread, you can spin 300 metres of silk thread. Down at the bottom of the stairs we saw a lady weaving cloth out of the silk thread.
- Amber -
We bought presents in HoiAn and bartered hard! I bought 10 dragonflies for 60 dong. The people beside us were surprised because they had just bought 3 for 50 dong! A boy was walking around selling them.
For dinner i got steak and chips. It wasn't what you'd imagine! It was little bits of steak. I put them in a bread roll.
We went to this DVD shop and i bought heaps of DVD's.
HoiAn is an old city with lots of historical builings. There were small cobbled alleyways. The chinese lanterns in house and shop windows shone in the dark. The windows, window shutters and doors were made of heavy wood (teak).
- Zahn -

Quay Nhon - 10-11 January

Each night we wandered along the beach looking at each of the tiny round boats propped on the water edge. Each bamboo boat had tar on it to make sure that it was was waterproof. I spied a little ferris wheel and a roller coaster but sadly we didn't go on them. We met up with a dutch couple that came out to dinner with us each night. One night a lady went to put some parafin wax into the fire for our steam boat. It spilt out and fell right in front of me but Choong poured beer over it.
On the same day we went to the arcade. As we walked in all of the high school girls gathered around me and wanted to take their photo with me. My favourite thing was a dance game. Arrows came up on the screen in time to music. You had to follow the pattern by tapping your feet on the correct pad with your feet. That day rocked.
- Amber -
We went to the arcade and played games. First dad and i went to a zombie game. Dad kept on wasting them ... till he died! Then we went to play table soccer. We beat Amber and mum on the first day but not on the second day. I played a bowling game. My total score was 12. My challenge was to bowl down the pins. I got two strikes.
- Zahn -

Nga Trang - 9th January 2010

We stayed in a ten story hotel. It was 3 star. Did you know that it had a swimming poool and we got free breakfast. There was a floating thing in the swimming pool as well. I set up diving challenges and Amber had to do them. The beach was a lot less cramped than Sihanoukville.
- Amber -

Back to Ho Chi Min

"Look at that! A tank! A Sihanouk! A huey!" That's what i said as dad and i looked at all of the military weapons left over from the Vietnam war.

By the way, we were at the War Museum.

This man said, "It's pretty tough in there" as dad and i approached the tiger cages. These were very small barbed wire cages that were used to hold political prisoners.

Then dad told me about a weed killer, Agent Orange, which was made in New Zealand and sprayed on trees in Vietnam. Because of it children started to be born with no arms or legs.

After seeing those pictures i think war is stupid because heaps of innocent people died.

- Zahn -

"Hey look Zahn! Turtles ... Iguanas ... snakes ... frogs!"

Oh no! What comes next?? Yum ... Snails!

No it wasn't the zoo. We were out for dinner at a restaurant! I can't believe that i tried a snail. The one i had tasted like sand. Zahn only like the head part.

This restaurant was a wild food Restaurant. It was jammed packed with Vietnamese people guzzling beer, conversing and sampling all of the different foods.

After that it was 9 pm and we caught the night bus from Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) to Nga Trang.

- Amber -

Ben Tre - 6-7 / 1 / 10

Cruising the Mekong River with Lahn

Heading into Vietnam - 3 / 1 / 10

Big boring bus ride!! We were heading to Vietnam.

The story starts...

"It is like a fantasyland!" I said. We had arrived in the capital city of Vietnam and there was a big show going on! The trees were like fairy lights and there were all sorts of people singing and dancing as we wandered around the square. We got icecreams and started watching. I really enjoyed watching ... the icecream stand!

WE were in Ho Chi Min City!

- Zahn -

New Year at the beach in Sihanoukville

We went to the beach and caught up with Dina and her family. We had met them on the bus on the way to Sihanoukville.

I jumped in the water as quick as a bullet!

There was rubbish all around. I kept playing with plastic bags in the water and making water bombs and throwing them at Amber. The water was really salty.

- Zahn -

The beach was absolutely packed and certainly party central for Cambodians. Actually i don't think that the everyday would be too different. Forget your images of lapping blue waves and huge open expanses of white sand. Shihanouville is lined with restaurant bars crammed side by

side, each happy to lend you a seat for the day in return for your patriotism when it comes to refreshments.

So we settled into our deck chair and watched the kids ducking in and our of the brown surf, dodging floating rubbish and actually having an absolute ball! It is after all Cambodia's leading

beach! And should we be relaxing a little too much there was always someone to paint your nails, offer a massage, sell you a tasty street morsel or barter a new book price!

- Nicki -

Phnom Pen - 31 / 12 / 09

Today we visited the ...

Phrom Tamao Animal rescue Centre

Oh my gosh ... it's just another zoo! But no ...

This is 40 km from the capital city and a huge rescue centre in the forest. The people there save

wild animals that have been taken, kept as pets or have been exported illegally.

When i walked in i noticed an enclosure. We went in to explore. We were with dear and monkeys roaming free.

I shook its hand and it wouldn't let it go! We just kept on shaking hands. It was pretty cute. Mum said that it had probably been

someone's pet.Later as we walked on i noticed a monkey in a cage. It put its hand out to shake hands with me.

Then we saw a tiger. The tiger looked quite hungry because it was stalking Zahn. When it charged toward Zahn it was pretty scary and we all decided to walk on!

Next ... Otters. These guys were so cute!! One kept doing back flips into the water. Dad sneakily slipped the otter a fish. It loved it so we decided to buy 4 fish for R1000. Of course they loved that!

Our next stop was the 'Free the bears' programme. We arrived

just in time for feeding. They were Malaysian Sun Bears. For feeding they hid bananas around the enclosure. Then they let the bears in for dinner. One bear was really cute. It could smell the banana in a barrel. It rolled around with it trying to get it out. It was quite a game!

Onto the leopards and then the elephants. We were just in time.

They had come back from roaming in the forest all day and put on a show for us. A baby and mother elephant kicked the ball and got an apple for it. The mother elephant did

things like lifting up a man and spinning him around. The baby elephant had stood on a land mine

and was wearing a false shoe.

I especially like the way all of the animals are cared for.

- Amber -

Siem reap & Anchor Wat - 27-28 / 12 / 09

Did you know ... Anchor Wat is over 1000 years old.
Everyone lived at Anchor Tohm an
d in the surrounding area.
Ta Prohm was the 3rd to be built. It took 10 000 people 10 years to
build!
This was where they studied and
worshipped. The king ate bread here
before he went to battle.


- Amber & Zahn -

The Killing Caves - 24 / 12 / 09

My first sight was a picture of Pol Pot's men with swords. As mum and dad paid the policeman at the bottom of the hill, i thought i would probably see bones and skulls.

We jumped on the moto and drove up the hill. It was amazing because nobody had helmets and we has 3 people on each motorbike. Half way up i thought i would fall of my motorbike because it was so steep but luckily that didn't happen.

The caves were 1/2 way up the hill. We walked down steep concrete steps into the scary cave. It had huge rock structures with caverns and big pointed rocks coming down.

Inside the cave was a monk wearing white. This means that she is a lady. She gave us a blessing b

y wrapping 2 pieces of red cotton around our wrist.

When i looked to the right i saw a big sheb. Inside it were heaps of bones. This was not what i was expecting. As i looked closer, i could see bullet holes throuh the skulls. It made me feel scared.

The picture outside showed Poll Pot's men with swords standing over

a huge cliff. I'm not sure how the bullet holes and the swords go together??

It was worthwhile and it made me realise how sad it was that so many people died ... just because they were intelligent!

- Zahn -

Battambang - 24 / 12 / 09

Brum! Brum! We were flying like the wind ... well actually chugging along and viewing the countryside! We were on a bamboo train; a bamboo mat being carried along a rail tack on make shift wheels. It was incredibly ingenious and is still used to transport goods between villages.

Oh no! It's stopped! Someone is coming the other way. We have to get off! That's how the train works. The bamboo carraige with the least on it gets off the tracks, lets the other go past and then continues on its way.

After every hedge we caught a glimpse of something new; either rice workers, a water buffalo or rice paddies for miles.

- Amber & Nicki -

Heading into Cambodia - 23 / 12 / 09

We caught the bus to Aranya Prathet and crossed the border into Poipet in Cambodia. Our first impression was to be surrounded by very persistent taxi and tuk tuk drivers. Our sole aim was to head inland and see what Cambodia was really like!

And Zahn has seen bugs everywhere ... Yum???