In loving memory of Lynda Joy Varner.
January 31, 1976 - July 4, 2005
Lynda,
You are always with us and we have felt your presence many times throughout our journey. Thank you for watching over us and keeping us safe. Every time we see a butterfly we remember your beautiful smile, contagious giggle and we feel your loving spirit. We love you.

H-o-t-t-i-e-s
A little excessive for the cost of hygiene...mind you 1,000 dong is @ 6 cents.

Silk Factory, Dalat, Vietnam
Beautiful Dalat!

Crazy intersection in Saigon. Try crossing...we dare you.
Our new friends we met along the way. Victor, Gia and Ryan. Check out his travel website at www.theroadislife.com

Pagoda nestled within the Marble Mountains, just outside of Hoi An. Oldest Pagoda in Hanoi.

My friend, he likes you.
View from Hai Van Pass, Danang
Bullet ridden bunker where my father was stationed during the war in Vietnam. It's almost impossible to imagine that these bullets were aimed towards my Dad. My stomach tightens just looking at this picture.
Old American Bunker used during the Vietnam War. My father was actually stationed here at this very site. The feelings that I experienced here changed me forever. I love you Dad. Thank you for your courage and bravery during the war( and throughout my life)...they did not go unnoticed.


Vietnam. For many of us who were raised in the United States, the word Vietnam is synonymous with the word war. Our parents, friends, siblings and others close to our hearts may have fought and even perished in the infamous American War in Vietnam. In fact, this is the very reason why I chose to visit Vietnam in the first place. My father was a soldier for 13 months during the Vietnam War. I cannot even begin to imagine the repugnant horrors he witnessed, but I always believed that coming to Vietnam would somehow fill this inexpressible void that I have in my heart. I was right. It has not been the easiest part of the journey, but by coming to Vietnam I now feel that I am able to share something with my father in a way that I cannot describe. Historic nostalgia. I must admit I was anxious and terrified to visit Vietnam and face the harsh realities of the damage caused by war. My fears were reinforced the moment that we stepped foot into the War Remnants Museum in Saigon. The tears became an tumultuous river down my face as I grasped Brad to maintain from hysterics. As I faced my fears and tackled the task of actually visiting the museum, I slowly began to see Vietnam for what it is: A truly progressive and extraordinary country that has some of the most exquisite topography, delightful people and heavenly food that I have ever experienced. I see a growing economy that has the ability to please and entice visitors from all over the world. The point of all of this melancholic talk is simple. I no longer think of war when someone mentions Vietnam, I visualize a magical place full of lovely surprises, and I hope that by the end of this blog, so will you. That said, let's begin the fun part of this blog. No more sappy stuff...(but it had to be said.)
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam January 17- 19, 2007

It started with the coffee. Imagine a lustrous warm silk blanket being delicately teased across your naked body. The goosebumps evanesce into a perpetual sea of harmony as they unite with the most gratifying titillation that they have ever experienced. Right as you are about to explode with uproarious moans of ecstasy... O.K., O.K, I know children may be reading this but what I'm really trying to say is...: That lustrous silk blanket is Vietnamese Coffee, and that body is your tongue. Vietnam is full of an array of the most charming surprises and it all started with the coffee. That is: Cah Phe.
Saigon's population= 6.5 million. Saigon's number of motorbikes=7.5 million. Crazy huh? Just try to visualize yourself crossing a jam packed 6- way intersection with no traffic signals with what seems like an infinite number of motorbikes whizzing around you like a starving pack of rabid ligers.lol... It sounds silly doesn't it? We have seen just about everything on the back, front, and sides of these amazing machines, yet we will never fully understand the physics involved with balancing an entire family on 1 motorbike. We have actually seen up to 5 people on one of these maniacal contraptions, but the day we saw a women nursing her baby while driving with her two other children behind her ( both between the ages of 3-5), we just had to go for a few beers...you know, to help us relax and discuss this truly unbelievable motorbike culture.
Saigon is a bustling city that oozes backpackers out of every pore (some of them actually look like they came out of someones pores...gross. We've been around the world and some of the worst hygiene we've seen has been from fellow backpackers. Come one people, get it together! I will even lend you a comb so you can comb your lice infested, wanna-be dread locked, nasty nasty nasty, thing on your head that kinda resembles hair!) We met some friends on the ever-so-long and disgusting bus ride from Cambodia to Saigon. We went out for some Ginger vodka...truly delicious, and got quite tipsy ( something new). Saigon is a cornucopia of flavors; around every corner something new and exciting teases our imagination and often upsets my sensitive, and oh so vegetarian inner being. Snake wine? Iguana wine? Crow wine? How about a concoction of all three. Seriously, crows with all the feathers and everything, ENTIRE crow, snake and iguana bodies stewed together in a large glass vat, filled with wine. Perfectly viewable to all! We are told this wine is an intense aphrodisiac, and paired with dog meat (yes they eat friendly Lassie's over here), it is quite sensational. We decided to pass because we were still brimming from all of the kittens we ate the night before.
Dalat, Vietnam
After absconding from the city life we we ventured into the mountainous region of Dalat. Humble, quaint villages accompanied by quiescent mountain landscapes and once again, phenomenal food and delicious people. Maybe it's the other way around, but either way, Dalat is marvelous. We hired local guides for the day, The Easy Riders, as they call themselves, and hopped on the back of their motorcycles for an adventure ride through the mountains. Dalat is an extremely childing land. It seems that the land will produce almost anything. We witnessed fields of fresh vegetables, fruits, coffee, rice, wine vineyards, Mulberry trees for the production of silk worms, and an abundance of beautiful flowers. Our guide took us to a local village where we were able to witness the entire process of silk being made into material. It was truly magnificent. First, the silk worms are cultivated and fed a feast of mulberry leaves. The mulberry leaves are the only food that they will eat, therefore the entire plantation grows these trees just to produce food for these hungry worms. The worms are well cared for until maturity (28 days). They weave a tight cocoon of silk produced solely by their saliva. The cocoons are sent to the silk factory where they are handled by workers and turned into silk by machines. The best part is that nothing is wasted. The worms are sold to the market and eaten by locals and brave travelers! The silk produced is gorgeous and I must say I went against my vegetarian nature and purchased some lovely gifts for some seriously lucky people back home.
Let's talk a moment about the delectable food in Vietnam. Until 1958 Vietnam was still very much under French control, a terrible, unwanted and destructive situation, but one good thing did result from the French occupation: French influenced Vietnamese food. Conceptualize if you will; fresh baked baguettes smothered in fresh, creamy French cheese, add to this already heavenly mixture fresh Vietnamese vegetables, soy sauce, and a dash of spices and you have a most palatable treat! That is only the beginning! We had better Italian food here than we had all over Italy. A damn shame isn't it? They have truly honed their culinary talents and conquered the multifaceted world of food.
Nha Trang, Vietnam
A cozy little beach town, Nha Trang brought us many delights. We were able to practice our newly learned Scuba skills in the South China Sea! The visibility was only 5-10 meters, but nothing compares to the feeling of weightlessness as you cruise through the underwater world. The water was warm and the surf was huge, but a quick, refreshing dip or two in the sea was all we needed! This beach haven is where we discovered the best Italian food on the planet. Gorgonzola cream penne, pesto spaghetti, black olive & caper brushcetta, and exquisite French wine made us deliquesce into our seats and come back for more three nights in a row!
Hoi An, Vietnam
This riverside village is known for it's talented tailors and we took advantage of the opportunity to have some success oriented... lol.. suits made at great prices. There are over 200 tailor shops in about a 1 mile square radius...yikes! Madam, madam, myyyyy shop! Chilled here for a bit, drank our share of $3,000 VD( Vietnamese Dong) beers, that's one beer for about 22 cents! However, as always we are on the move, so off to Hanoi! We took an absolutely, excruciating, painful, horrifying, and utterly irritating 16 hour bus trip to Hanoi. All I have to say is if anyone turns on the lights in my bus and starts blaring Vietnamese music at 3 a.m. EVER again I will cause then great harm. I may even turn them into a silk worm.
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Pristine, archaic limestone mountains ascending from the sea towards the blue, haze covered sky. Halong Bay is one of the most beautiful places we have visited, yet the hoards of photo-snapping, Coca Cola drinking tourists took away from its' once undisturbed beauty. It's such a shame that the Vietnamese have turned this place into an all out circus. The excessive tourism has ruined the natural environment and the once clear bay is so over-polluted from all of the tourist boats I doubt any fish even call it their home anymore.However, we have no room to talk because we are tourists, whether we like it or not, and just by us being there we contributed to the demise of this alluring and mystifying natural wonder. Enough about Vietnam...let's talk about the fact that we are going to be home so soon!!!!!!! We can't wait to see everyone and once again we would like to thank all of you faithful readers!!! We love you and can't thank you enough for all of your support. See you soon!
Love, from the place with the cheapest beer in the world, Bangers and Mash 4-ever

I don't know honey, Kraft Dinner? How about tomato sandwiches? No, I feel like a Tombstone Pizza, yeah that's it, with some Ranch dressing. It's O.K. to dream right? Well, soon enough I guess.

The ancient ruins of the temple Angkor Wat.

The trees have taken over the ruins at Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat. It's surreal and creepy, yet utterly fascinating.

Babies raising babies. Outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Probably the coolest picture ever.Yeah, I know, I should give up writing and become a professional photographer...who knows, maybe a combination of the two?

Siem Reap, Cambodia January 11-14, 2007

Wow, Angkor Wat. We can now scratch another one off the "things we MUST do in our lifetime" list. A little history...Angkor Wat is an ancient city dating back as early as the 6th century. It is, in fact, the oldest remaining religious monument in the world. It's a kind of "lost city"in the middle of the Cambodian jungle and within the 70+ Kilometer range there exists hundreds of religious monuments, temples, shrines, libraries, Royal Palaces, and so much more. We were completely blown away by the architecture and the enormity of this spiritual niche hidden within the jungle. We spent two full days roaming and exploring the ruins. We started at sunrise and finished at sunset, and were still not able to see everything. Unfortunately, due to the horrific ambush of the Khmer Rouge in the early 1970's much of these ruins are now bullet ridden and many of the sacred heads of Buddhas have been removed, blown up, or shot to pieces.

I find it tragic that in the United States we offer no history about the rest of the world. Only racist, biased and completely Eurocentic accounts of falsified history, but don't get me started....

This trip has provided us with knowledge and experience that no school has ever even come close to providing. Self educate. I have found it to be incredibly useful and fulfilling to read books by local authors about the country that I choose to experience. Our visit to Cambodia, similar to that of our visit to South Africa (a country ruled by overt racist practices under the Apartheid Party until only 15 years ago) has taught us invaluable life lessons.

We feel that it is our duty to spread and share the knowledge that we have obtained on this trip. We will share everything with anyone who is interested ( and probably to those who aren't interested, but that's just me...). The Cambodian people have been through so much I am honestly baffled at their ability to recover, progress as a people, all while continuing to be some of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever met. It gives me hope. Some more history...

The Khmer Rouge is a communist party that took over Cambodia's weak government in 1975. Pol Pot, the leader of this party believed that everyone who has been living "the good life", meaning anyone living in the cities, anyone educated, anyone who can read, anyone who has ever worked for the government, and pretty much everyone else ....should be exterminated and under Pol Pot's reign, mass genocide swept this nation. From 1975-1979, only 4 years, 4 YEARS, the Khmer Rouge murdered 1/4 of the entire population of Cambodia. This was happening when I was 2 years old. Not ancient history right? Do any of you ever remember hearing about this? I know for sure I have never, ever learned in any history book or class about the millions of people, babies and children murdered, tortured, starved to death and buried alive by the evil reign of the Khmer Rouge. Millions of people. Bullets were to expensive to waste so they would use the back end of a hoe and smash the head in of their victims. They showed no remorse and if the Vietnamese didn't step in and finally take control of the situation, the entire population would have been eradicated by these demons. The atrocities are innumerable and we are not able or prepared to even begin to describe the horrors surrounding this most devastating period. We offer only this meagre blog, a microscopic piece of information regarding the genocide of the Cambodian people. If you are interested in learning more, please ask us, or check out the book called "First They Killed My Father" by Loung Ung. This book destroyed us for many days and still continues to haunt our thoughts and lurk in our dreams.

That said, expand your horizons, learn about the world in which we live...TRAVEL.

Love, Sam and Brad

Does it get better than this? If it does, shoot us an email and we'll check it out.

We really, really like the Royal Orchid Sheraton in Bangkok, so much we had to return!. I got to blow my hair dry for the first time in many, many months, not to mention the joy one gets from a hot shower and a bed that is not crawling with insects of all kinds. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........

January 14, 2007

Sawadee!!!!!!!
We would like to let all of you know how much we miss you and want to remind you that we will be home soon!!!!
We have been meaning to keep up with the blog but somehow all of the beaches, elephant(Chang) rides, cocktails, massages, friends, scuba diving lessons, Wats, spa days, white water rafting trips, Muay Tai boxing matches, massages, massages, shopping, kayaking, snorkeling, tanning, laying in hammocks, swimming, moped riding, tuk tuk but different cruising, and spring roll eating have seriously hindered our blogging energy, and we apologize profusely for our negligence. But, Sabai Sabai, sit back, crack open a nice cold Corona (for us cauz we haven't had a Corona in 6 months, heartbreaking really), and enjoy our attempt to replay our crazy Thailand adventures through pictures, and a little dialogue.
It all started in a boisterous little city called Chiang Mai, located in Northern Thailand. We arrived completely and totally exhausted from our 48 hour journey from Chennai, India. Yes folks, it took us 48 hours of non stop travelling to go from Kerala to Chiang Mai...we're not bitter, no no, not us. #@$*!! Luckily we had two wonderful friends Sarah Kinney kinney kinney and Big Bott Aesha waiting there to greet us upon our arrival...let the adventure begin!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, life the past month flew by us so quickly it is difficult to recapture all of the laughs (we had so many!), songs, moments of utter frustration, cocktails, beaches, tuk tuk drivers, etc...and adventures we enjoyed together as "Team Elephant Said In Thai". From getting stuck on a rock while white water rafting, and needing to be RESCUED ( white water rafting and Sam don't get along so well), to learning to Scuba in one of the most beautiful places in the world, we have encountered all kinds of mishaps, "My Shops", shitty guesthouses and obnoxious travel days to make all of your heads swim. We did not stop...ever. In fact our bodies are still in motion, only now we are in Cambodia about to enter Vietnam, and who knows, maybe cruise by Laos before we finally head home....home? Wow, time flies when you are getting eaten alive by every species of bed bug, mosquito, and jellyfish ( seriously we all got stung 1,000's of times by those little fu*#ers!) on the freakin' planet! Be not afraid..we were prepared for everything...or were we?
At this time I would like to give a superficial "shot-out" to J from Jo-Burg who convinced us that Ko Phagnan was the place to be. Thanks for nothing, let's just call you J for Jerky from now on. What, you might ask is wrong with the beautiful island of Ko Phagnan? Well, after 28 hours of travelling on shiitie buses, ferries, trains, tuk tuk's, and pick-up trucks, the last thing we expected was a drug-frenzied, alcoholic, frat party that seemed to be filming "Girls Gone Wild Ko Phagnan". Gross. I felt dirty even after I showered, and as I desperately tried cleanse my oh-so-pure self for stepping foot on this disgusting garbage beach that insatiable tourism has infected like maggots invading the rotting flesh of a dead moose ( I want my liver.....I want my liver...), I noticed blood on the wall in our room. Great. Just great. Get us the hell outta here!!!!!!!!!!! That said, being that we had only one night there, we decided that if you can't beat em'...join em'! Grab a bucket and let's get wasted! A bucket is a bucket in every sense of the word. What they do in Thailand is fill this huge bucket with alcohol and Pure Red Bull (only found in Asia), give you a couple of straws, and let nature take it's course. Sambo=0/ Cocktails=10 Nighty night...
"Hey, like do you know where the nearest veterinarian clinic is???...Cauz' these puppies are SICK." Take a freakin' hike Frat boy. This place has a party for every type of moon. No kidding. The infamous Full Moon Party, then the 1/2 moon, 1/4 moon, 1/8 moon, no moon, black moon, well you get it. These people are crazy, not like us at all.
It was then off to some Real beaches. We landed on the beaches of Ko Lanta. Not bad except the jelly fish are really really really mean, cauz they kept really stinging me. We spent most of our time here under the water! This is where we got Scuba certified. Go Us!!!!!! We went diving at the pristine island of Ko Phi Phi, where "The Beach" was filmed, Ko Ha, and Brad and I went out an extra day and went diving at Hin Daeng and Hin Meung, one of the Top 10 dive spots in the world. This was the highlight of our entire trip. Words truly cannot explain what we experienced 30 meters under the ocean. It's a whole new world, a new fantastic point of view, no one to tell us no, or where to go, just let us share this whole new world with you. O.k.,we just had to, lyrics compliments of www.awholenewworldalladin.com he he he we're goofy. Sing along with us 1, 2, 3 altogether now "A whole new world...' no seriously..

The feeling of breathing underwater, that pure weightlessness is indescribable, not to mention the complete and constant visual stimulation. Let's just say we have another new addiction. First skydiving, then white water rafting, and now Scuba. What is going to happen to us when we have to come back to reality? I'm scared, but we can always scuba in Lake Michigan right? I heard that the Chicago River has class 5 rapids, and that the top of the Sears Tower is an excellent spot for base jumping. So what else?
We took a longtail boat to Railay Beach for the New Year and had a superb time ringing it in with close friends. We were so excited to be reunited with our pals Andy and Eric that we met in Corfu, Greece. The New Year was really, really really, sweet. All I have to say is Sarah, swimming, bucket in hand, fully clothed, 2 A.M., salty drinkies, water taxi waiting. Aesha claiming "You are not from Quuuba, you must be from America because if you were from Cuba you would ay Koo-ba, not Quu-ba" sure, sure Aesh, have another. Brad and I laid low that night for we knew what demons lie ahead the next week. Yep, you guessed it, our good pal Stevo was coming to visit. Safe dammit, safe.
The girls left, we cried, and an entirely new type of adventure began. Well not entirely new, debauchery is an old friend of ours.

Round Two ding ding ding ding ding ding
For Steve's portion of the trip we've decided to just post some short phrases or words that re-capture our time together. We love you Steve and are truly sorry about everything. Chase- Chase. Mike Tyson ( would you?), Markus and Chanued, Bologna sandwiches, Safe, Lipper, Smooching toothless Thai fighter, Steve attempting to find live sea creatures...at 4a.m I-pod, Marti and Christine, Bi-Playful Writer, more french fries, garlic bread and spring rolls please. Beef up, pork down. Banana splits, oh yeah, safe. Sleeping bartender, drunken Italian pool players, Grey Poupon, the Mac Daddy Palace, Crescent Bay, Same Same but different, pyjamas Samsung, "Night Swimming", hooker bar, magic trick bar, ocean toilet, Mamma, connect four, safe. Maa-a. ChaseChase, one word, no hyphon. Safe. Sad ending. Sad fan. Rummy. More french fries and so on..... No identity. Chase, Chase. Safe. Saskia and Scottie. Pot for free. That is about as much as you're gonna get sucka's but before we sign off we would like to leave you with a song. Aesha, Sarah, Brad, and Sam all wrote this song throughout the course of this trip. It is a remake of the old Murray Head song "One Night in Bangkok"...here goes
Thailand, Asian town.......
With 4 friends that are on the prowl,
One Night in Chiang Mai and we had a stalker,
Massages and colonics aren't free,
We met a new friend named Bambi
she'll get a boob job but her penis she'll keep,
One day in Chiang Mai and we rode some Chang-ies',
down the river we saw ghosty creepies,
our guide was really really splashing me,
I think he had to go pee pee,
One night in Bangkok and the world's our oyster,
the ping pong ball is really slimy,
Sarah cries out"it's really goopy",
the tuk tuk driver's really mean,
the tuk tuk driver's chasin' after me,
One day in Bangkok and "my shops" are a problem,
"my box" and the wats aren't for free,
I can feel the devil walking next to me
One night in Bangkok and the world's our oyster,
we have Kinney, big bott, Brad and me,
that is really really sweet.
One month in Thailand and the country's our playground,
We met lots of locals and a bunch of L.B's,
Just remember to keep your stuff in the safe-y,
otherwise the trip's not free,
the tuk tuk driver's really mean,
he's really chasing after me.
That's all folks! Please check out the amazing pictures that follow this blog!!!! We had a great time in Thailand, all but the last week or so... well that's another story entirely. We'll give you all of the juicy details in 25 days!!!!!!!! We arrive back home in Chicago on February, 8, 2007!!!! Yeah baby! Love from the "land of the fastest moped thieves"- Sam and Brad

Brad and a local woman. How cute. Where's the frog? Bangkok, Thailand.
Sunset from the Royal Orchid Sheraton, compliments of Sarah and Aesha. What an amazing Christmas gift. Thanks ladies, we love you!

Thailand Fever! We just can't post enough great pictures! You'll just have to wait until we get back to view all of the adventures!

You know Aesha, there are places for people like you, for example ...Shopaholics Anonymous! Myyyyyy Box. My box! My box! My box!
Just tryin'to fit in, ...cauz I'm really, really sweet.
Buddha, Buddha and More Buddha.
Precious and beautiful, and the Buddha is pretty sweet too.
One night in Bangkok and the world's our oyster!!!!

Handweaving scarfs. Karen Tribe, Thai jungle, North of Chiang Mai. Don't worry, I bought myself a few...
Yellow makes us happy!
The tuk tuk crew coming at ya, cause the Tuk Tuk driver's chasin' after ME...cha cha cha
I can feel the devil walking next to ME
Two lovebirds, Thailand, and what else...oh yeah, and a Buddha
Oink Oink! Sam the "air pig's"distant cousin Piglet.Here we are in the Thai jungle, hangin'with the Karen Tribe and loving every minute. Just don't smell the elephant's butt.
Friends forever, and ever, and ever.....
The best of times with the girls! We are just taking some time to stop and smell the flowers at the Royal Flora Expedition in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Thailand, December 10, 2006-January 11, 2007
Alas...more photos!!!!!!!! The ever-so-long-awaited blog haseth finally arrived!

Carpe Diem
Gopoerlk kloohyw@ qd6fhruei!!!!L;;"pik?
We swear it wasn't us officer...it was Bambi! She said she will get a boob job for her husband, but she will not cut her d*@k off!
Too cute!
Elephant trekking in Chiang Mai. Aesha and Sarah refused to feed their poor elephant....how mean...just like the tuk tuk driver.lol!!!
Go Brad Go!!!!! Just try not to hit anyone in the face O.K? Looookkk ooouuttt Liiipppeeerrrrr!!!!!
Andy, a.k.a "Crazybaseballcrackheadsweetheart" Better stick to yoga.
"Lipper", Baseball anyone? and...Where's Chanued, Markus wants his damn Bologni sandwich!
Scottie, Samba,Stevee, Saskia...S4 to the max!!!!


Is everybody ready for some Scuba??????? PADI certified forever! Best time ever!
Too hot for words... Brad the "always breaks out in song guy", Sam the "Air Pig", Sarah, ""Mamma, Mamma tsstt tsstt ttsst", and "Big Bott"Aesha Yeah Baby! On the beach in Ko Lanta, Thailand
Waiting for a boat taxi, how sweet it is!Life is good, especially when you actually wear your backpack..he he he
Playtime!!!!!!!!!! In Ko Ya Noi, our favorite island in Thailand.

Thailand, December 10, 2006 -January 11, 2007
Here are some random pictures that we know you are going to love!!!!!