The Adventures of Brian & Julia

Trying to write about Cambodia is an impossible balancing act. Gloss over everything but the incomparable temples and lush, bucolic countryside, and you give the impression that this country is some hidden paradise, long insulated from the world. If you try and capture all of the tragedy, past and present, the depth of it overshadows everything else, and you realize how insulated the world has been from Cambodia.
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Hey!
Remember the caption contest, with the crazy chicken from Hanoi in the weird shirt? Yeah? Well our buddy Matt “Don Keebals” Hall won the contest with his ribald entry. We’re saving his prize as a surprise, but I can tell you it’s so awesome, so shocking and so unavailable at Walmart that it will surely rock his socks off. They wouldn’t even let me ship it home to him. Seriously. The Vietnam postal service found it too awesome to ship, so I’m delivering it to him personally.

So that’s that. Now for round 2:

Budget cuts hit the dogs the hardest. Well, second hardest if you count the tigers I guess...

Hey Everybody!
I just wanted to say a quick personal thanks to my friends and family who have wished me a happy birthday from afar. Another big thanks goes out from both of us to those of you who’ve made donations to help keep afloat on this big crazy trip. We really appreciate the comments, messages and support you’ve all been so generous with.

Thank You and we love you!

-B&J

The bus ride to Saigon was rough. Leaving from Nha Trang the night before,the journey is about 10 hours, which we spent laid flat in assigned “sleeper seats” (which beg for a more realistic name), bumping along as the bus careened southward. When we arrived in the city, the speakers on the bus ceiling blasted to life, blaring a poorly covered reggae song at full concert volume, and abruptly waking everyone on the bus. When we lurched to a halt a few blocks later, blearily hefting our packs as we searched for baguettes and Vietnamese coffee, it was just after 6 am.

In hindsight, though, our bumpy landing here was a pretty good introduction to one of the most hyperactive cities in Asia. Saigon (which is what everyone calls it, not Ho Chi Minh City) is huge, loud, and fast. It’s also lots of fun.
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