Angkor Wat at sunrise..and then some

Trip to Chiang Dao and from Chiang Dao Nest

At Doi Suthep hill outside of Chiang Mai

Sending off Thai paper lanterns for good luck:

Top 10 Reasons I love Laos, and especially Luang Prabang/Northern Laos:

10. Fried Rice Salad at Tum Tum Cheng in Luang Prabang

From December-January 20082009 Trip

9. Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream at L'elephant in LP

From December-January 20082009 Trip

8. Christmas lunch at Tamarind in LP (I realize it might be piggish to have food be 3 of your 10 favorites, but the food in LP was really, really good!!)

From December-January 20082009 Trip

7. Monks

From December-January 20082009 Trip

6. Puppies
Note: I have no pictures of puppies. I was too busy playing with them, but look at www.dailypuppy.com for some cuties!
5. Monks and puppies together!

From December-January 20082009 Trip

4. Cutest. Kids. Ever!

From December-January 20082009 Trip

3. Gorgeous, charming architecture

From December-January 20082009 Trip

2. The incredible night market

From December-January 20082009 Trip

From December-January 20082009 Trip

1. Laos is where Chris and I got engaged!!! The big moment took place in these caves!

From December-January 20082009 Trip

This is a photo taken right after we came out into the light, dazed and excited (and giving direction to the man we asked to take our photo)!

From December-January 20082009 Trip

This is a photo of the "temporary" ring, which I still do love and might even consider wearing still, if I didn't lose so many "stones" throughout the week or so that I wore it, and if I didn't get such a beautiful replacement in Chiang Mai!

From December-January 20082009 Trip

Also.....

From December-January 20082009 Trip

A Long Overdue and Quick Update

I know that I haven't posted anything in over 2 months, almost 3. But I have a good excuse! I have been so busy with my coursework that I didn't have the energy to write anything else. And, as I'm finishing my last paper tonight, I still don't.

We leave tomorrow for a 3+ week trip around Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. We'll be spending about 10 days with our friends Abigail and Jesse, in Vientiane, Luang Prabang and an unknown location that Chris has organized for us. Then, we'll spend New Year's in Bangkok and, after recovering on the 1st, we'll welcome my parents as they make their first trip to Southeast Asia. We'll visit Bangkok, Koh Samet, Chiang Mai and Chiang Dao in Thailand, then head to Cambodia for a stop at the Wats in Siem Reap and a quick visit to Phnom Penh.

I'm excited for the whole trip and to show my parents our adopted and adored "home." But I'm really excited for Laos. Every person we've mentioned it to has either said, "Ohhhhh I LOVED Laos" or "Ohhhh I can't WAIT to go to Laos." I just stumbled upon a blog post whose writer put into words what I've expected Laos to be like (the last paragraph, not the "Dragon" part...) and I'm even more excited to get this paper done, get packed and get out!

Here it is: http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/12/18/gonzo-traveler-robin-esrock-discovers-why-he-travels-in-laos/

Happy Holidays to any of our friends and family who read this! We wish you all every happiness as we move into a new and HOPEful year!

xoxo Jenna and Chris

A great website!

I just came across this website that tells you (out loud) how to pronounce words...I always wondering if I am pronouncing words from other languages correctly (place names, food names, etc.) and this is a great resource!

http://www.forvo.com/

Check it out...

Below are some photos from our recent trip to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat and the other nearby temples. I'm not sure what I expected from Cambodia, but it was really amazing. It is a poor country, filled with people who have suffered unbelievable atrocities under Pol Pot and his regime, yet everyone seems to have a smile on their face. I can't wait to go back! More details to come...