Vietnam 2013

 Street food and market stall in Bangkok, Thailand.

 Eggs and other items for sale in Bangkok, Thailand.

 Leaf, pak choi and cilantro/coriander for sale alongside other vegetables in Bangkok

 Motorcycle parts market stall, Bangkok

Hugo asleep (and in a bit of a state) in the bowels of a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

 Cambodia family of tourists and Jessica and Barbara, our fellow Swiss tourist.

 The ruins at the Angkor Wat derelict Khmer City built in the 10th - 12th Century.

 Pond between Phnom Penh and HCMC, Vietnam.

 Cambodian family sized Tuk Tuk.

 Bayon Temple at the city of Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

 The staff at the massage center in Siem Reap. These girls particularly liked Jessica and Barbara. They work 6-7 days a week and for 10 hours a day. The tourist trade is certainly benefiting them in the short term as the alternative is working the fields for less than $25 a month. We chose this establishment because it seemed kosher - in fact most of the central salons and massage centres in Siem Reap seem sound, however it is worth checking locally because the poverty of the people combined with the vulgar and exploitative sex-tourists flocking from the west (and China) mean that services that exploit these lovely people are inevitable.

The girls spoke very little English but were desperate to communicate as much as they could about their daily lives.They know they are poor and the contrast between their wealth and that of European or other visitors from more developed nations is stark. However, their attitude is powerfully positive and alarmingly uncomplaining; so much so that it induces a guilt in sensitive visitors, a guilt that makes me regret complaining about any of my past discomforts.

Please excuse the delay in posting some photos. It is incredibly humid today and there are storms looming in the north.