The end!

Hello and goodbye! This will be the concluding entry to our blog! We've had fun tromping around Vietnam and Cambodia and would love to do it again some time. Who knows, maybe 20years in the future we will!
The night before we left we decided to stay up late so that we would be tired enough to sleep on the plane. Bradyn fell asleep about 1:30 and I couldn't sleep until 3. We woke up at 4:45 so yes, we were tired.
Two nights previously we had booked a taxi to pick us up at our hotel. The only problem was that our hotel was down a little ally that no car would fit down. It barely fit a motorbike! So we weren't sure how our taxi driver would find us. When we woke up we decided to try meeting the taxi driver on the street. We just didn't know what street. It didn't take long for a taxi to pull up. We showed him the receipt, showing that we had booked and already paid for a taxi. The driver looked at it and then nodded his head and said, "yes yes." We climbed in and were off. Turns out it wasn't the right taxi driver (didn't come as a surprise) and he insisted that we pay him. We were tired and just wanted to be on our way so we paid the driver and walked into the airport. Once again getting ripped off. We figured out that everytime we got in a taxi we were ripped off! They're done now! Hooray!!!
First flight took was just over 2 hours long and took us to Hong Kong. We then had a short layover and boarded the next plane to San Fransisco. That plane was just over a 12 hour ride. LONG! And unfortunately, niether one of us slept. We were tired, but the space was small making it very difficult to get comfortable enough to sleep. Instead we played chess, watched movies and read books. I'm just happy the flight back was shorter then the 14 1/2 hour flight to Hong Kong we were on four weeks earlier!
At San Fransisco we went through customs and then had to wait to get cleared because there was a mix up with my old student visa I had for going to BYU. They just needed to verify that I was indeed no longer a student. We picked up our bags and re-checked them then went through security and waited! By this time we were already exhausted but anxious to get on the next plane and be homeward bound!
Our flight to Calgary was shared with a synchronized swimming team of young teenage girls. We had a good laugh. When we were landing in Calgary, one of the girls said out loud, "I wonder if there are many people here who speak American." Bradyn then said, "I hope you girls have been practising your Canadian!" What can we say? It made us chuckle.
Calgary was a welcome sight. We were through customs in a heartbeat and then were on to pick up our bags. Bradyn's came then we waited for mine. And waited. And waited. It didn't come! Apparently it got left in San Fransisco!!! So my bag was once again lost! Oh well. At least we were going home.
Rod and Sherri picked us up and we started with the stories. A nice dinner to Olive Garden was a wonderful touch! Real Western food again!!! mmmm! We talked and showed pictures until Bradyn nearly fell asleep at the table! We were tired!!!! The drive home was uneventful. We made a couple stops but eventually pulled into the driveway! Yay! Home sweet home!
The welcome home was a little bit dampened when we went to crawl into to bed. Bradyn put his hand under the pillow to find a nice pile of saw dust and mouse poop! Mice had been living under our pillows and our bed while we were gone!!!! Sick sick sick! And when we went to get clean sheets, each drawer that had the sheets was also covered in saw dust and mouse poop! We did a quick clean up job and used what clean-ish sheets we could find and then crashed! The soft bed and soft pillows were great. We weren't conscious for very long, so we couldn't relish the feeling of the comfort. But it was nice either way. This morning the mouse came and visited Bradyn up on the bed!!! Eek! So we are off to get some traps! And pick up our cat!!!! Yucky yucky yucky!!! Even at home, there is never a dull moment!

Last stop .... Saigon/Ho Chi Minh

Our last day in Asia has too quickly come, and the last day will shorty come to an end. We had the problem again today of having all day of nothing planned and a bit of money. We went shopping, and it is funny how easy you can tell what you are craving by what you buy. Today Nikki bought her 3rd pair of flip flops, and I bought my 115th movie. :) Well I think I want to sit down and watch a movie. That is my guess from what I have bought. 90 something movies are disney movies. You name it, we got it, except for The Lion King. We spent $30 on the lot of the disney, so hopefully they work. We then bought 20 other shows that we havent seen. They are less than a dollar here, so hopefully they are alright, and babies dont cry through the show. They were pirated. We have also bought many cookware that we thought were cool that they have here. (I can hardly think I am sooooo hot sitting here. We try to always be moving, because we can stay cooler that way, because the air will blow on us then.) We also have had the icecream crave here in Ho Chi Minh City, so in a couple hours we are going out for our 3rd icecream today. It is too hot, and something like that is needed.
In general, most things that we have in Canada are in Vienam and Cambodia, though not quite as much in Cambodia. We only do this once, so why try and save money by not doing things? Mind you though, we are already planning on going to Burma, Cambodia, and maybe Laos on our next trip, even if it is not going to happen for a while. We have sure fallen in love with Cambodia and its people. It is very slow pace and the people are extremely kind. We had a conversation with a lady a couple days ago and she invited us back to her farm so she could sit and talk again, with a transulator of course, and she could then feed us mangos and other fruit, if we go during their seasons.
So pretty much we have wandered around all day trying to kill time and save money.... We might go to a movie tonight at the cineplex. And maybe see if we can develop some of our pictures, and or go swimming (we did try to find the roman baths, but just ended up wandering through the park and not seeing anything except for lots of lovers...). Maybe we might even go out for ice cream a 3rd and 4th time :). Who knows, all I know is I can't sit at this computer much longer, it is too hot.
Next time you hear from us will hopefully be face to face! Astalavista! Take care and tune in next time!!!! I guess we might be able to let you know if and when we land safely. Adios!

Sherri! I hope you're happy! This is all your fault! After church today we walked through a shaded area by something called Wat Phnom and we passed a lady with a basket full of eggs! Not just any eggs, but THE eggs. Bradyn, being the brave one that he is just couldn't pass up the challenge and we bought two! I was ok until I realized we really needed to go through with it! I got so upset that I wouldn't talk to Bradyn the rest of the walk to the hotel and for a few minutes after! I was already sick just thinking about it!!!!! Here's how it went. We packed then headed downstairs for lunch hoping that having normal food would make it easier. Does anything make in easier?

Sherri this is all your fault!!!! Oh and it wasn't an almost hatched chicken egg, but it was a DUCK fetus!!!! Look closely and you can see the feathers coming off it. Sick sick sick sick sick sick sick.... etc!!!

Sherri, this is still your fault! Here is the duck fetus all curled up! Can you see the beak? How about the feet??? And one girl where we bought it at was sitting and eating it like desert!!!!!!

And of course Bradyn is the brave one who went first. He is also the successful one who was able to swallow the fetus! I was gagging as he was putting it into his mouth!

Here he is! Gagging but keeping it down. One chew at a time he got it down!!! Superman!

Need I say more? It got as far as into my mouth and one bite.... then out and back onto the plate!

So needless to say, after this our appetites were completely lost and we could barely finish our food! Luckily there was a little puppy nearby that I fed half of mine too and the remainder of the duck fetuses!

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What? You didn't expect it to be dry like Alberta, did you? This is Cambodia in WET season. It's supposed to be wet.



Look at the blockade they have. This is the only thing stopping the water from going right into the boys bed area outside on the ground! And it is clay. Over where the lady is they have to scoop the water out every little while. Wish there was something we could do to help them


This is the ground in their school room. Water!! Everything in there is suspended above the ground to keep it dry. How bought that, going to school with your feet in water all day.

Countdown . . .

Bradyn and I can't decide if the countdown is backed up with feelings of excitement or sadness. I'm sure it's a bit of both. We're excited to come home and see family and get a rest from tuk tuk drivers, moto drivers, tourist traps, beggars, noisy city streets, climbing endless stairs up to our hotel rooms. We're excited to eat garden vegetables, taber corn, icecream on waffles with berries, milk shakes and crispy cream donuts! Oh and icecream and raspberries! We're excited for our soft bed, the quiet sounds of the countryside and fresh, clean air! Mmmm! But on the other hand we will miss much about Cambodia and would love to come back. There is still so much that we wish we could do but just don't have time for. The people here are wonderful (give or a take a few) and the children are cute!!!!! The life is simple and happy and people just live and love their families. What a blessing it has been to be among these people! We will miss the lush green countryside dotted with rice fields and people working in them. It's just been wonderful and tomorrow we leave Cambodia perhaps forever! :(

Today has been a day like most other days - not quite as planned! I think we've decided to stop having expectations because things always turn out different then what we expect! Breakfast was good though at a bakery! All for two dollars. Then we called a lady that works at the orphanage we were planning on visiting today. Arrangements were made for us to meet her in front of central market at 2 to be picked up. She did warn us that there was lots of water but the warning didn't really sink in.

Meeting Botevy (the lady from the orphanage) at 2 meant we had a full morning to kill and a full wallet! We've since learned that those are bad combinations!!! The day was spent walking around looking here and buying there. The deals were good and perhaps a bit too good because our wallet emptied much quicker then we had hoped. Well, not emptied but dangerously close! After a yummy lunch consisting of mostly fruit shake (So yummy here!) we met a tuk tuk driver who took us around to buy rice, candy, noodles and balloons before we were to meet Botevy. Bradyn and I had already bought a big branch of bananas and a bottle of nail polish. We were prepared so we sat and waited on a corner in front of central market.

Botevy arrived shortly after two. Problem - she was on a moto! And not even by herself. How to fit 50kg of rice, a branch of bananas, a box of noodles and four adults onto a motot? We didn't. Bradyn and I and another lady from the orphanage found a tuk tuk (which was quite easy really! It's actually easier to get a tuk tuk then it is to avoid them all! We had three at our disposal in a matter of seconds.) The ladies spoke to the drivers all in Khmer so Bradyn and I just looked at each other and shrugged!

It didn't take long for us to fully understand Botevy's warning of lots of water! The road a km before the orphanage became a lake! Our tuk tuk even died from flooding! So... we waited and soon a bunch of little boys on pedal bikes showed up. Three loaded the rice onto the back of one bike (we thought they were going to ride the bike and I was ready with the camera!) They walked them. The bananas were put on the back of another bike and Bradyn and I were both taken by the hand and walked through the knee deep water. So much for keeping our feet clean! The gauze we had on our toes quickly came off and we walked on. Soon we came to the orphanage but you couldn't tell by looking at the ground. The yard was an extension of the lake and the kids had built a dam out of mud to block the water from coming into their sleeping area. Their classroom was even filled with water!

The kids were so cute! They lined up, girls in one row and boys in another as we handed out bananas and candy. Only after all the bananas were handed out did we notice the slew of banana trees they had in their backyard! Oh well! We tried. Bradyn then started blowing up balloons while I started painting nails. The kids also performed for us. They began by singing songs that were oddly familiar! They were primary songs! They sang Children of the world, Love is Spoken here, A child's prayer, There's a right way and a few khmer songs. Then they danced for us. I couldn't see much of the dances because I was focused on nails, but Bradyn did some filming! Then they played a game of .... MINGLE! One I knew! And it proved to Bradyn that it's not just a crazy Johnson family game! It's played on the other side of the world too!!! :)

Too soon we had to go. They were getting ready to eat supper and the clouds were moving in. As a gesture of kindness, they offered me gum boots to protect my feet but the boots had a great big hole on the top of the foot and it was 2 sizes too small. So, not only did water and little rocks get in, but my sore toe was squished against the front of the boot. Oh well! They tried too and I just grinned and bore it. Cute kids and we have an email address to send pictures to.

After a shower and a supper of Japanese food (it was yummy but too expensive! Prices here were the same if not more then as at home and we got half the food!) Bradyn said he wasn't sure if he liked the place not because of the food because it was delicious, but because of the service! It was amazing and we felt obligated to tip lots! We didn't even half empty our glasses before they were filled again and if we set anything down wrong, it was soon put in its proper place!

Across the street from us was a taste of Vegas. Not the gambling but something very similar to the Bilagio. There was a fountain that kind of danced to the music and was all lit up in cool colors. We watched it for a little while. I think it was something new to Phnom Penh because the locals gathered too and were all taking pictures. It was beautiful and neat to see. Now we're on our way to the hotel for a good night's sleep!

The boys at the orphanage. They were sure happy and wouldn't let go of our hand. They wanted to play with us and show us everything.


This is the kids at the orphanage yard. They played in it anyways. They were drenched and muddy by the end. Not to mention that a block away the sewer was running into the stream.


Not just frog. Breaded Frog. They sure know how to make things look yummy here. Not!




Nikki is passing out bananas to the kids. Little did we know, they had a whole back yard made out of banana trees! Oh well.

You're on Candid Camera

Mmm! :( Look at how eaten my foot is! The ants, mosquitoes and whatever else bites have feasted on my feet over the last few days! It's hard to sleep at night they're so itchy!


That's it Bradyn. Plant the rice using ONLY your thumb! Who knew there was a trick to it?


"So bring me two pina coladas!" In this case two coconuts and we aren't exactly sitting on the beach under a palm tree but that's ok! A lady farmer who we had a chance to talk to while President Som interpretted for us cut us fresh coconut to drink the juice from. Not bad but I still prefer orange juice! And dad you're comment about fresh garden veggies, TABER CORN (we had some corn here....sick!), icecream and raspberries! That was just mean! I just hope you're saving us some. We'll be back in a few days!!!!! P.s. I've had fresh pineapple and bananas till I'm sick!


Look at this... bug? Actually it's a gecko that eats mosquitoes! Yay! We like them! This one was massive and they're fast! This one also sang to us during the night and we're actually glad to be away from it. That way we can sleep. It was so loud! But I guess look at it's size!


Here's my new boyfriend! Sorry Bradyn! Ok, so I'm not being serious but isn't he CUTE???? This is an old picture but I had to put it up. It was taken when we were at the orphanage in Battambang and this was one of the kids that wouldn't hardly let go of my hand.