Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: I'm tired of buses. It took two buses and about 24 hours to get from Krabi to KL. I arrived about 5 a.m. and had to amuse myself for a few hours until my cousin's driver could pick me up. A girl I met on the bus - um - and I - how's that for strange grammar - hung out in a 7-11 then the lobby of a hotel until KL awoke for business; probably my least well-laid travel planning. Anyway, yes, I said I was picked up by a 'driver.' Abrupt transition from backpacker to oil company ex-pat life. My beautiful and charismatic cousin Jill - and her husband Roger of dry humor and books on the Bush dynasty (I enjoyed reading about the relationship to evangelism) - and their sweet, cute son William who reminds me of my brother Bill - have taken me into their home (the balcony of which overlooks a golf course) for the holidays. I almost had a panic attack in one of KL's many, humungus malls, but other than that I'm adjusting quite well. KL has great food as a result of its really cool and historically challenging mix of ethnicity - Malay, Chinese and Indian. Conveniently, I have to wait for my mom and sister to arrive before I do serious sightseeing. So after helping Jill with Christmas shopping, I've spent a lot of time watching pirated movies (apparently every home here has a huge collection) in the AC. I love couches. The only drawback is that the internet here works sporadically. I'm sad not to have written people individually to thank you for your posts (I love reading them), to ask how your day was, or to say... MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! I will be in touch properly sooner or later. Until then, I'm yours via blog. Love, magic and mistletoe, Heather

Then...a couple of buses to get into Bangkok - full circle, I've completed 'the loop'! I was surprised to find myself truly thankful for paved roads. For more of that circle affect, I called the 1/2 Thai, 1/2 American undergrad doing research on Thai health care who I met my first night in Southeast Asia. For however many months he's out here, he's living at the hostel where I was staying. Anyway, he's beautiful and a good laugh. Since we last met, he's become both a 'fire-spinner' - cause that's something cool to do here - and a model - because anyone of mixed white and Thai descent has an open invitation to the beauty and showbusiness markets. After Paul gave me some tips on Thai beaches, I got another massage, bought as much street food as I could hold, bought another book and a sarong (blue with elephants on it)...(oh and went to the Starbucks; Andwele, you understand) ...then got on a bus to South Thailand. I spent two days on Ton Sai and Railey beaches near Krabi. This is rock climbing territory so everyone else looks gorgeous in their bathing suits. Those of you who have seen me scramble up the Rok Haus indoor wall in Lafayette will be proud when I tell you that I have now climbed Real Rocks! Kat, oh, let's be partners now (um should we ever have time and opportunity to be near limestone together) - I can do it and it's so great! I've got bruises all over my shins ("no use knees, use feet" yells instructor) to prove it.

Ok. So now that you finally have all of your pictures, I shall continue. From Siem Reap, I did go to Poipet, a DUSTY bordertown known only in guide books for the casinos that can live in the grey zone that is neither Thailand nor Cambodia. Someone told me gambling is illegal in Thailand, someone else said it wasn't. Either way, Poipet's casinos are filled with Thai businessman. There are also more than a few NGO workers (the area, which isn't officially a city, has alot of them) that seek out the airconditioning, chocolate cake and refuge from the dust (see pic, friend I stayed with is in the middle). Besides the casinos, active border life includes day labor. As I walked across the border I passed carts of vegetables, clothes, etc. waiting for permission to cross over to the Thai markets. These carts are the size of small cars, and you would expect to see oxen pulling them; instead, you see Cambodian men and an almost equal number of women (some of whom are my size). Poipet is really a place to reflect upon misery and question hope. I only stayed one night. [For more, I'm sure Murray won't mind if you read his post. It's under the 'from Cambodia' section.]

Picture catch-up. Angkor Temples, near the city of Siem Reap, Cambodia Note my horrible yet fabulous red sunhat (you can't see but it says "Vietnam") and the young people in traditional costume. The celestial dancers are called 'aspara,' and I had to defy death on a set of stairs we'd never be allowed to climb at home to get the view in pic #3.

Picture catch-up. Mekong Delta Traveling through the delta from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Phnom Penh. The eyes on the boats are to scare the sea monsters. The houses on the water remind me of South Louisiana.

Picture catch-up. Hoi An, Vietnam 1) city street 2) kids I hung out with on the beach 3) dragon 4) incense coil with intention card available for purchase in temple setting (like lighting candles in a church) 5) sunrise on the beach

Picture catch-up. Hue, Vietnam 1) Ushi and her husband outside their restaurant 2) night out with NGO, UN and local university folk

Picture catch-up. Hanoi, Vietnam 1) example of impressive bicycle carrying capacity 2) death defying tall and narrow construction; look closely to see the men 3) find me on the hostel coffee table 4) Halong Bay

From Cambodia: In the way of a where've you been update...From Ho Chi Minh City, I embarked on a two day trip through the Mekong Delta en route to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was a combination of boat and bus trips. Great seeing the river life - boat markets, fish farms, naked 'hello' shouting and waving children everywhere. The brown water and grassy wetlands reminded me of Louisiana; (and our guide seemed surprised when I said we have brown water too in parts of the USA). Spent a few days in Phnom Penh... relics of the Khmer Rouge regime and genocide mix with a bustling and colorful city. Lingering from our time together on the boats/buses, part of our tour group stuck together in Phom Penh. When that group faded out, I spent a night at the Mennonite Central Committee office/guest house. Nice folks and I got to spend the afternoon visiting a program called Youth for Peace; even got a free t-shirt. Next traveled by bus north to Siem Reap, home of the famous Angkor temples. Really, if you haven't heard of them - wait for the pics I will eventually post - they are amazing. Randomly (popular word in this blog), I ended up sharing a room for one night with two girls I met on the bus. Who among you can say you shared a bed with Cambodian sisters? Wait, I don't want to know the answer to that, thanks. Once established in a new room - because really, I couldn't share a room with my own sister very well, as much as I love you, Julie' - I headed off by bicycle (and it's a long and dusty way! I am brave and strong!) to the temples. Highlight - other than the majestic human greatness honoring 'god-kings' - was the return trip: I almost got attacked by a monkey! Split second thought as I looked into his eyes - It won't hurt that much if he bites my leg, will it? I was looking at him as he ran at me and paused at my right pedal; but he was looking at the bag of bananas hanging from my handle-bars, at least until he grabbed them and ran up a tree. And just two days before I complained that, unlike everyone else in Southeast Asia, I'd only ever seen a monkey at a zoo. Tomorrow I visit more temples. Next day I take a bus to the border-town of Poipet and spend the night with a girl I met in Laos who works there (formerly with MCC in Phnom Penh, hence my staying there; now with International Organization for Women or some such). I think. Or I'll just take a bus straight to Bangkok, depending. Either way I'm headed for Thailand in a couple of days. Finishing 'the loop' and heading south towards Malaysia where I'll spend Christmas. xx