Two articles recently appeared on CNN.com and both feature some cool creatures that were recently discovered.

Laotian Rat, thought to be extinct

You can read about rare monkeys found in Vietnam or you can find out about all of the newly discovered species found in the region of the Mekong!

Realizing that this was our last full day on the island, we drove to Long Beach and started the tanning/eating/drinking routine immediately. We hung out at the Thien Hai Son resort admiring the clean water and making a new eager friend – a cute cat wonderfully colored like the golden sand.

In the afternoon, we drove back into town where Kevin taught me how to ride a motorbike! For the first time, I was the one in the driver’s seat going at a raging speed of 20 km/hr! No innocent bystanders were hurt but they all had an amusing time watching me try to shift to 2^nd gear. No, sorry, no video attached.

That was exhausting and I needed some dinner! We drove back to the resort area and chose a great place serving BBQ seafood, it was yum!

Deer and Monkey Go Head to Head over Bananas

We’ve uploaded some new photos from the Royal Palace of Cambodia, The Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary near Phnom Penh as well as our Boat trip to Chau Doc, Vietnam.

At 8:30am we were picked up by Monin, a tuk-tuk driver who was recommended to us. We drove 2 hours south of Phom Penh to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary where we fed deer and monkeys who roam freely and ate from our hands. These and other animals, many of them wounded, like lions, tigers, bears, elephants and birds were rescued from poachers and are being cared for at the sanctuary.

We then went to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek where 17,000 detainees of the Khmer Rouge were systematically executed. A glass tower of 8,000 skulls stands before an otherwise peaceful and scenic rural landscape as a reminder of the atrocities committed there.

Back in Phnom Penh we met with Charis and Stuart, both Americans living and working in Cambodia. They took us out to a cool, modern bar/restaurant called Metro where we dined on a variety of Asian tapas. A pleasant walk along the Tonle Sap River led us to a night market where fried spiders, beetles, crickets, larvae, and tiny birds are sold to be eaten. We ended the wonderful evening at a monthly dance party at Elsewhere, a beautiful garden venue with a pool surrounded by lush local vegetation and people sipping cocktails.