Day 1: 11 April - Getting there

A long day!  Taxi at 5am to make the flight to Sydney.  Not a lot of spare time there with transfer to International and the usual queues at security and passport control.  Vietnam Airlines put on an Airbus A330-200 for the flight which took 8 and a half hours.  Food ordinary, service just OK.  Legroom non-existent.

Had a 3 hour layover at Ho Chi Minh airport.  Sitting in the bar, looking out towards Saigon across the only runway was a moving experience as I though about all the TV footage I had seen of happenings right there, especially at the end of the Vietnam War.  I am sure we'll learn more of that when we return there next week.

Siem Reap is just a 45 minute flight across the border into Cambodia.  Very casual entry:  just toss your customs declaration in a box as you exit the terminal.

Was met by the tour guide and brought to this quite luxurious hotel where a hostess took me to the room and explained all the services, equipment etc... She stressed several times the variety of massages on offer!!  I am alread totally confused about tipping here.  We pay a block tipping fee upfront; but people rush to open doors and take bags etc  like it or not, and then seem to wait for a tip (in US dollars only).  Have to sort that out tomorrow with someone in the know.

Bed time now -- it is 1 am back home there.