Enjoyed reading of your trip to Cambodia and Laos. Loved the photo of the monks. We travelled through Vietnam and Cambodia in February this year and loved it. Such a different experience from travel in Europe or US/Canada. Friendly people, beautiful countryside and an insight into a very different lifestyle left a lasting impression for us. The heat, yep, can get pretty draining by the arvo but we would have had less humidity as it was the dry season. I guess we also have pretty hot summers here in South Australia so a little conditioned. We had a bet each way on our trip, with a week of biking and trekking in Vietnam (personal tour by Phat Tire Ventures) followed by a week or so on a fancy Mekong River Cruise. Loved both parts of the trip but very different experiences. All the local guides were just amazing. As you mentioned, their personal stories were just incredible and often sad. We are thinking of doing another trip to either Burma or Laos. How did you find travel in Laos vs Cambodia?

Great post. I'm hitting 50 later this year so maybe people will seems a little less surprised when I say I'm retired.. Sometimes I go with house husband instead of retired. Keeping my wife in the manner she would like to be accustomed too.

Great post Syd. I think retirement is about choice. Today I chose to explore/map some new trails on my mountain bike and meet my wife and daughter for a nice latte. After uploading my new trails I recommissioned the air conditioner on the roof for summer, replaced some broken tiles, and cleaned leaves from the gutter for bushfire season. So the ride and the coffee where good fun. The chores not so much but I got to choose what I did and when. So good. Just like now, glass of wine in hand at end of the day, catching up on emails etc.

"I love not thinking about work" Spot on. So liberating. Nice to enjoy Sunday arvo's without dreading Monday.