After about 5 hours on a bus we arrived in the small yet bustling city of Chau Doc. We were about to embark on an adventure the following day and this is where it would begin. The plan was to take a boat up the Mekong River and cross the Vietnam and Cambodian border this way. You know throw a little wrench in the bus adventures we had limited ourselves to for the past month.
As always we needed a place to stay. The four of us got a room for $10. TOTAL! I will leave it up to your imagination how clean, warm, and comfortable place this was. Once again I tried getting some US dollars, with once again, NO LUCK! We stumbled upon a great local restaurant that a Lonely Plant Guide recommended and I had the best bowl of soup since my Pho. Chicken with no bones or skin, juicy little mushrooms, greens for flavor and some homemade chili sauce to spice it up a bit. Yummmmmy!
The four of us got a good nights rest and woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed! We started off the day with getting picked up by bikes with benches attached to the back. Two by two we were peddled to the docks to get some grub and coffee before hoping on the slow boat.
A few surprises and options became available as the morning went on. We were told we got a tour of a floating village and a fish farm to start the day off before the ride to Cambodia. The boat already forgot about us, so once they turned around they brought us to see the feeding of the fish..which consisted of a lot of splashing around and kicking fish that flopped out back into the water! Greedy little guys! Then we walked around a small village, that was not floating. We tried some local coconut pancakes cooked over fire in pots and I bought myself a cute little beaded bracelet.
It was finally time to hop on the boat that would take us to all the riverside checkpoints.We just had to fill out some paperwork, pay some $$ and the crew took care of the rest of it. We got on and off at 2 different places. The 2nd stop is where we got our Cambodia visa, our stamp and passports checked then we were off to spend another 5 hours crusin down the river.
Here is the catch. One of the crew guys kept telling us to take the fast boat that would get us in at 3PM instead of 6PM. We were fine taking a long boat ride. We paid for it and we knew what we were getting ourselves into. He was offering us some great deals though if we would switch. We chose not to as did two other British girls. At the final moment as were were waiting for the slow boat to pick us up right after we crossed the river border...and all the other people were switching to the fast boat....this guys was like, ""okokokok...just go, just go on the fast boat. My gift to you" Ha! So we concluded that we scammed the scammers without meaning to! We don't even think there was a slow boat....just a fast boat that they would charge you extra for. So we gave ourselves all one bonus point!
I would like to report I am sunburn. Being the sun goddess that I am I chose to lay on the roof of both boats. I think I was up there on and off for maybe an 1 1/2 hours. LOBSTER FACE.
We made it into Phnom Penh and even had a fellow by the name of Tony meeting us here to show us the ins and outs of this city. My last two posts I write from Phnoom Penh, Cambodia.
It had been a very eventful 24 hours since we got here. I can't wait to write about it but I still have some processing to do on some of the events and history I came face to face with today. Along with some eye opening experiences and stories we have had some simply amazing food. Speaking of food...we have dinner to get ready for and bus tickets to buy for tomorrow!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saigon/Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam
Hello city of motorbikes....traffic....and people harassing you every step you take.
sunglasses?
boom boom?(I did not really get asked that but the boys do if they walk down the right street. I mean, wrong street)
Massage?
Motor bike ride?
Book?
Peanuts?
It is never ending the thing these people are trying to sell you. We spent 3 nights in this city and I am not going to lie I was feeling a little tired but we tried to get some stuff done while we were there. The problem we were running into was every historical site we tried to go see one day was closed between the hours we just happened to show up!
Night one- Getting in after the loooooooooong bus ride, finding the boys having a cold beer or two then getting some beauty rest.
Day/night 2- Danielle and I went out to see the sites of HCMC. My favorite place was the Reunification Palace. You step inside and you have time traveled right back to the late 60's and 70's. Everything was left as is. It was the home and work place of the South Vietnam President during the war....very interesting place to see and learn about.
-We had a great lunch of fresh spring rolls
-Some walking around and taking in the bustling city
-I had some great Rachel time with a few glasses of red wine and my journal
-We had a happy hour with the boys in the hotel, then I was just exhausted from a full day of walking around and sweating (whoo hoo the sun finally came to play!) I chose to have a few cocktails then hit the sack.
Day 3/Night 3
-I splurged ad got a Subway sandwich for uhh, um, breakfast :)
-Skyped with some lovely people...mother dearest, Sir Bradley, and the SRS girls who where whoopin it up in Nashville
-Group trip to China Town where we went through busy markets and toured Ancient Pagodas..Chinese Temples and out to lunch. I got Chicken and rice I got to pick of the bones and tear off the skin and a braver soul got the pigeon with a side of rice. Oh yes the head was still intact and on his plate in case you were wondering.
It was a pretty chill few days in this crazy city. Taking in what we could and wanted. The last night we watched movies and packed our bags because while it was Brian's turn to get his Indian visa in Vietnam....the 4 of us (Danni, Mike, Zach, and myself) were catching the early bus to our last stop in Vietnam....
sunglasses?
boom boom?(I did not really get asked that but the boys do if they walk down the right street. I mean, wrong street)
Massage?
Motor bike ride?
Book?
Peanuts?
It is never ending the thing these people are trying to sell you. We spent 3 nights in this city and I am not going to lie I was feeling a little tired but we tried to get some stuff done while we were there. The problem we were running into was every historical site we tried to go see one day was closed between the hours we just happened to show up!
Night one- Getting in after the loooooooooong bus ride, finding the boys having a cold beer or two then getting some beauty rest.
Day/night 2- Danielle and I went out to see the sites of HCMC. My favorite place was the Reunification Palace. You step inside and you have time traveled right back to the late 60's and 70's. Everything was left as is. It was the home and work place of the South Vietnam President during the war....very interesting place to see and learn about.
-We had a great lunch of fresh spring rolls
-Some walking around and taking in the bustling city
-I had some great Rachel time with a few glasses of red wine and my journal
-We had a happy hour with the boys in the hotel, then I was just exhausted from a full day of walking around and sweating (whoo hoo the sun finally came to play!) I chose to have a few cocktails then hit the sack.
Day 3/Night 3
-I splurged ad got a Subway sandwich for uhh, um, breakfast :)
-Skyped with some lovely people...mother dearest, Sir Bradley, and the SRS girls who where whoopin it up in Nashville
-Group trip to China Town where we went through busy markets and toured Ancient Pagodas..Chinese Temples and out to lunch. I got Chicken and rice I got to pick of the bones and tear off the skin and a braver soul got the pigeon with a side of rice. Oh yes the head was still intact and on his plate in case you were wondering.
It was a pretty chill few days in this crazy city. Taking in what we could and wanted. The last night we watched movies and packed our bags because while it was Brian's turn to get his Indian visa in Vietnam....the 4 of us (Danni, Mike, Zach, and myself) were catching the early bus to our last stop in Vietnam....
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Nha Trang, Vietnam
OK, so this was a beach town. The rainclouds just kept following us!!!!!!!!! We made a plan to get as much done in 1 day then keep high tailing it South. The girls were a day ahead of us so they had found a decent place to stay and sent us the info, we went right there after the night bus dropped us off....another great little hostel for 7 bucks a night, free breakfast, and a free drink at happy hour! Just love when they hook it up like that!
We went for a walk along the water....boy oh boy....the waves were crashing, the wind was blowing.....I am sure it has a great feel when all the beach side cafes and bars are open and running....but everything was stored up and away to keep things from being blown all over. There was am older man and his friend walked a little behind us and we asked him to take our picture, turns out he lives in Lincoln Park...my old hood in Chicago!
Since we could not tan our beautiful...starting to look a bit casperish bodies..we found the next best thing to laying out in the sun. MUD BATHES!! We rounded up some more kids staying at the hostel, rented a van, and all bought entrance fees to the mineral park. We spent the afternoon splashing around in hot mud, taking hot mineral showers and hot mineral baths....our skin and hair were smooth and sparkling and we had some GREAT people watching.
It was the last night all of the girls were going to be together before our Bali trip so we thought of just hanging low and having wine night. Of course we bought the cheapest bottle. You get what you pay for, because we had a bottle of wine that tasted like it was rotten egg was infused. Wine night was canceled and we settled for happy hour...that turned out to be a later night then originally planned. This was a bad idea because Danni and I were getting on the 7 30 AM bus down to Saigon/Ho Chi Min City the next morning.
This may have been one of the roughest starts to a bus ride yet. First a poor little boy was puking all over about 8 min into the ride. That was sad and pretty smelly. Second, we were a little tired and it was a sleeper bus....so we were in the bunk bed style seats for the whole day. The whole day as in from 745 AM to 8PM. These as night buses are not bad at all because we are usually passed out but being confined to this 1/2 laying 1/2 sitting contraption was rough. Oh, oh and my bunk was right next to the bus bathroom! Just like Jimmy Johns....free smells all day!
The idea of taking the day bus was to see the beautiful Vietnam on the drive. Beautiful it was...we always miss the scenery on the night bus so I am glad we did it. We would be driving though mountains, then rice patties, going by sand dunes, then along the coast......Vietnam is a very beautiful country!
Some of our guy friends that we met this 1st semester teaching at ABAC just finished a motorbike trip all the way through Vietnam and just wrapped things up down in HCMC so we will be joining them for a few days...HCMC is more populated then Hanoi and I guess even worse traffic....let the frogger games begin.
We went for a walk along the water....boy oh boy....the waves were crashing, the wind was blowing.....I am sure it has a great feel when all the beach side cafes and bars are open and running....but everything was stored up and away to keep things from being blown all over. There was am older man and his friend walked a little behind us and we asked him to take our picture, turns out he lives in Lincoln Park...my old hood in Chicago!
Since we could not tan our beautiful...starting to look a bit casperish bodies..we found the next best thing to laying out in the sun. MUD BATHES!! We rounded up some more kids staying at the hostel, rented a van, and all bought entrance fees to the mineral park. We spent the afternoon splashing around in hot mud, taking hot mineral showers and hot mineral baths....our skin and hair were smooth and sparkling and we had some GREAT people watching.
It was the last night all of the girls were going to be together before our Bali trip so we thought of just hanging low and having wine night. Of course we bought the cheapest bottle. You get what you pay for, because we had a bottle of wine that tasted like it was rotten egg was infused. Wine night was canceled and we settled for happy hour...that turned out to be a later night then originally planned. This was a bad idea because Danni and I were getting on the 7 30 AM bus down to Saigon/Ho Chi Min City the next morning.
This may have been one of the roughest starts to a bus ride yet. First a poor little boy was puking all over about 8 min into the ride. That was sad and pretty smelly. Second, we were a little tired and it was a sleeper bus....so we were in the bunk bed style seats for the whole day. The whole day as in from 745 AM to 8PM. These as night buses are not bad at all because we are usually passed out but being confined to this 1/2 laying 1/2 sitting contraption was rough. Oh, oh and my bunk was right next to the bus bathroom! Just like Jimmy Johns....free smells all day!
The idea of taking the day bus was to see the beautiful Vietnam on the drive. Beautiful it was...we always miss the scenery on the night bus so I am glad we did it. We would be driving though mountains, then rice patties, going by sand dunes, then along the coast......Vietnam is a very beautiful country!
Some of our guy friends that we met this 1st semester teaching at ABAC just finished a motorbike trip all the way through Vietnam and just wrapped things up down in HCMC so we will be joining them for a few days...HCMC is more populated then Hanoi and I guess even worse traffic....let the frogger games begin.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Hoi An, Vietnam
Well, well, well we found ourselves another great little city.
Highlights:
-Got off the bus and ran into our girls Erin, Emma and Annie (she is a new comer to the pack and we just love her!) They brought us to the hotel they are staying at...quite the upgrade!
-We each have our own double bed, flat screen TV with movie channels and news channels...and are you ready for this? A bathtub!! Last time I saw one of those was in Manila in the beginging of December!! WE are living like Kings in Hoi An
*"Bye....love you** ask me about this one...never say things under your breath,, because there is a good chance the person will hear you and you will turn bright red then have to act like you have NO idea what just happened.*
**On day 2 I picked up a piece of banana bread to go...and last night on the bus ride from Hoi An to Nha Trang I did not know if we were going to make it. So in my delirious sleep and in between the sharp turns and bumpy ride in the downpour I stuffed in my mouth what I though might be my last meal.(2AMish...) Bus drivers are, excuse my French, mother fucking crazy, soooo it may have been the ride or the weird sleep or the fact I was starving from no dinner.....but it was a perfect late/last night snack.*** But I am fine! no worries!!!***
-TRUE STORY: Right when they were about to open 2 months ago workers started coming in on the plot of land beind the deli. They wanted to know who their new neighbors were going to be so they inquired. They were planning on putting a dog processing plant on this particular piece of land. Yes....a dog butcher. YIKES! They thought this was some big scam to get them to purchase the land.....it was not, not at all. But they ended up buying the land anyway because you can see the possible challenges they might have with name Dingo's Deli and that kind of establishment in their backyard.
-We loved to Hoi An....there are very very pushy people in this country. But all in all we really loved this city, even in the on and off rain and mist it charmed us!
-I had peanut butter toast
-A great game of "would you rather" on the bus with Danni
-Delicious roasted peanuts
I write from Nha Trang....we leave here in the morning and I promise a little diddy from this city before we take off. But I have to go participate in happy hour....
xo
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Hue, Vietnam
"Don't take life so seriously. It isn't permanent" This is the motto of Hue Backpackers. The 3rd and last Backpackers Hostel we will stay at in Vietnam. Danielle and I came to a place that felt like home...free breakfast, hot showers, low price laundry fees and bunk beds just like our 1st few days in Hanoi....we just love these guys always so nice with printed maps of the city and every night a fun and inviting happy hour. Friendly and clean! We will miss you Backpackers!
We arrived in Hue yesterday about 10 AM......very calm and quiet city compared to Hanoi. I mean there is still traffic and people...but nothing like the last place. Weather has been same, same.....a little chilly with mist and on and off rain. We started the day off with showers and food then went to see some old, old buildings. Dani and I took a cyclo around which is a contraption that looks like a wheel chair and bike connected. A guy named Chuck wheeled us around through the city and pointed out some of the historical points....nice guy..loved taking our picture and answering our questions!
On our way home we saw a traffic accident. I guess those our bound to happen with no traffic control. This guy got hit on his motorbike by other motor bikers. His rain jacket was up over his head, his bike on his leg, his cell phone in pieces all over the intersection...no one stopped...everyone kept going except me, Danni and 2 other "tourists"..we helped him collect his things out of the middle of the road while he limped his bike to the side....
Had a fresh salad for lunch then crawled up to the top bunk for a rainy day afternoon nap waking up just in time for some hot tea and hang time before we ventured out for a Vietnamese dish called Bun Bo Hue. For less then $2.00 we had just one of the best bowls of soup I have it was just the perfect dinner to warm up our insides! I am hoping to find some more of this good stuff as we venture south...........
Heading to Hoi An this morning just a 31/2 hour bus ride...how simps is that!? We will probably be running into our long lost friends, Emma and Erin. We are going to try to get lots done by 6PM tomorrow night so we can continue heading south...we are hoping to find blue skies or at least hit a dry streak! Come on good weather, come on!!
We arrived in Hue yesterday about 10 AM......very calm and quiet city compared to Hanoi. I mean there is still traffic and people...but nothing like the last place. Weather has been same, same.....a little chilly with mist and on and off rain. We started the day off with showers and food then went to see some old, old buildings. Dani and I took a cyclo around which is a contraption that looks like a wheel chair and bike connected. A guy named Chuck wheeled us around through the city and pointed out some of the historical points....nice guy..loved taking our picture and answering our questions!
On our way home we saw a traffic accident. I guess those our bound to happen with no traffic control. This guy got hit on his motorbike by other motor bikers. His rain jacket was up over his head, his bike on his leg, his cell phone in pieces all over the intersection...no one stopped...everyone kept going except me, Danni and 2 other "tourists"..we helped him collect his things out of the middle of the road while he limped his bike to the side....
Had a fresh salad for lunch then crawled up to the top bunk for a rainy day afternoon nap waking up just in time for some hot tea and hang time before we ventured out for a Vietnamese dish called Bun Bo Hue. For less then $2.00 we had just one of the best bowls of soup I have it was just the perfect dinner to warm up our insides! I am hoping to find some more of this good stuff as we venture south...........
Heading to Hoi An this morning just a 31/2 hour bus ride...how simps is that!? We will probably be running into our long lost friends, Emma and Erin. We are going to try to get lots done by 6PM tomorrow night so we can continue heading south...we are hoping to find blue skies or at least hit a dry streak! Come on good weather, come on!!
Monday, March 21, 2011
just when I thought there was nothing left to do...
The last 24 hours in Hanoi, sweet Hanoi...
-Dani got sick and stayed in bed all day yesterday...fever...I stayed far far away...I checked on her, but I let her have the room for sleeping
-I went to a water puppet show. Paid 2 bucks for the afternoon show....I did not understand what was being sung or said but it was pretty cool....puppets in water!
-Found a Mexican resturant and got myself a corona and chips and salsa...chatted it up with a Canadian and a dude from IL
-Went to my favorite little "reminds me of chicago bars" pub...got me some honey roasted peanuts and a carlsburg draft( for less then a dollar)
-Played some more pool with locals and an oil driller from Sydney....these guys were not as good as the ones in the club a few nights ago..but still WAY better then me
-bought "jump on, jump off" bus ticket....so as I type this I am waiting for the bus to come pick us up to take us to Hue...14 hour night bus ride..piece of cake, we are getting good at these bus rides.
-Picked up our passports from the Indian Embassy today. This was a close call...we went there in the morning and they said we were not "cleared"..uhhh this was not good news since we have been waiting in this city for SO LONG because of this dang visa we were trying to get. We were told to come back at 3...we were there at 2:45 and recived our passports at 3:15 with the Visas compleated and in our passports. They are letting us in! Whew...they had us sweating for a minute!
-We got lost at least 2 times since my last post which was yesterday....just when I thought I was really getting to know this city...it throws me for another loop...I have really, honestly never gotten so lost or turned around in my life as I have here. I really always thought I had a good since of direction. jokes on me I guess!
-Dani got sick and stayed in bed all day yesterday...fever...I stayed far far away...I checked on her, but I let her have the room for sleeping
-I went to a water puppet show. Paid 2 bucks for the afternoon show....I did not understand what was being sung or said but it was pretty cool....puppets in water!
-Found a Mexican resturant and got myself a corona and chips and salsa...chatted it up with a Canadian and a dude from IL
-Went to my favorite little "reminds me of chicago bars" pub...got me some honey roasted peanuts and a carlsburg draft( for less then a dollar)
-Played some more pool with locals and an oil driller from Sydney....these guys were not as good as the ones in the club a few nights ago..but still WAY better then me
-bought "jump on, jump off" bus ticket....so as I type this I am waiting for the bus to come pick us up to take us to Hue...14 hour night bus ride..piece of cake, we are getting good at these bus rides.
-Picked up our passports from the Indian Embassy today. This was a close call...we went there in the morning and they said we were not "cleared"..uhhh this was not good news since we have been waiting in this city for SO LONG because of this dang visa we were trying to get. We were told to come back at 3...we were there at 2:45 and recived our passports at 3:15 with the Visas compleated and in our passports. They are letting us in! Whew...they had us sweating for a minute!
-We got lost at least 2 times since my last post which was yesterday....just when I thought I was really getting to know this city...it throws me for another loop...I have really, honestly never gotten so lost or turned around in my life as I have here. I really always thought I had a good since of direction. jokes on me I guess!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The City That Grew On Us
Reporting from Hanoi India visa to process...so the group has gone ahead and stared going south while we stay nestled in Hanoi
From my last post you can see the weather has not been the best. We did not get to experience the beautiful Sapa and we were mostly soggy backpackers in this city up until yesterday. But since I am not the wicked witch of the west I have not melted...and have had some great moments, met wonderful people, tried new food, explored this city backwards, forwards and inside out...and have found lots of little things to appreciate aboutHanoi
-Have you ever heard of the game Frogger???? Well we are the Frogs every time we cross the street. No stop lights, stop signs or any kind of controlled traffic. I feel like I need a helmet just walking. Motor bikes everywhere....carrying everything from families, to bags of produce, I even saw one with 4 pigs. It was not pretty folks. The sidewalks are the parking lots....and it has been constant honking of horns since we got here....I am actually confused and get nervous if I don't hear horns.....
-Picture this. A big, huge pile of shit. But its white. Well...it is one of the best things I have put in my mouth since I have been here! Danni and I were brave last night and finally bought one. They really look like fresh poo from a large animal staying warm and toasty in big steamers.....they are sticky buns with "pork" and spices stuffed in along with an egg....it was mouth watering! I bet we get at least one more before we leave.
-I strapped on my walking tennis and went for a 3 hour walk...which really means I got so turned around I was lost for hours. I had a map. I felt safe. BIG CITY. Small streets....soooo many things to see and keep me interested. I found the second location of the hostel we were staying at and they laughed at me and pointed me in the direction home. It was a rainy day so I had to stand in a hot shower for a while to defrost...but it was worth it.
-I keep saying each street or section of this city is like a section of target. We stumble upon shops and shops of all the same thing for a few blocks. Children’s toys, shoes, clothes, food, spices, bikes.....and they are not really shops they remind me more of just garage sales cause all the shops are 1/2 inside 1/2 outside....
-We got hour foot massages last night
-We found a soccer bar with peanuts and draft beer playing American tunes.....We tricked ourselves for about an hour into thinking we were in Chicago
-We made friends with the staff of our hostel. We go out with them in the evenings and hang with them on the rainy days playing cards or reading books
-Dance parties in my "laundry day clothes" in night clubs....like running shoes, stretch pants and my rain jacket
-Playing pool with pool sharks....like really well dressed...and really good pool players...male and female....I wish I had a video of me and my little English boys(only a year or two older then my brother.....they were actually calling me their older sister) trying to play these people in pool. It was sad. I could feel their eyes laughing at my frizzy hair and horrible shots.....but it was still fun and I am sure the looks on all of our faces were priceless when all of our balls were still on the table and they were shooting the black ball in!
-Walking though history museums and an old prison. The Hoa Lo Prison, my friends, where John McCain was. We saw his flight suit and and parachute he was wearing when his plane got shot down....the prison had translations....some of the other places did not. So I was left to be the "tour guide" aka "storyteller"....you may as well sign me up for Second City with the shit I was coming up with......(*second city...improve group based in Chi town...my future place of employment. )
-Note to all future travelers...BRING AMERICAN CASH WITH YOU...at least in this country. WE needed 80 USD for our India Visas....we went through hell and back to try to get it...doors slammed in our face, people yelling at us to get out of their shops, banks saying they don't understand...we finally got it but it was from some shady people....who had the bills rolled up and hidden upstairs and they made it a very fast transaction...making it clear they were doing us a favor and we neded to scram casue they would be in trouble if the police happend to stumble in....not one of the best moments....
-What else, what else......thats all I got for now..today we are going to buy an open bus ticket and head south tomorrow to try to meet up with the other ladies. Hoping for some more dry weather, maybe go back to our little pub tonight
-We did switch out of dorm style beds last night and opted for our own room in a different part of the city...just for kicks and giggles. You win you some you loose some. We gained or own room so we could keep our stuff out and not locked in lockers, we got a flat screen TV with HBO and Star movies to put us to sleep, and a shower with a door!!!! All of our past showers were right over the toilet...but it was OK because the back of the toilet is a perfect place for shampoo and body wash...IT is a pretty clean room.....but it is very cold...and damp?? And we have to heat the hot water for about 45 min before we shower...details, details....
-Oh and the noodle soup cooked right on the street.....is called pho. We sit at child size plastic chairs and tables eating this noodle soup...sometimes with chicken...sometimes veggies...we docter it up with whatever is on the table...its like a finger print...not one bowl of pho is ever the same.....
From my last post you can see the weather has not been the best. We did not get to experience the beautiful Sapa and we were mostly soggy backpackers in this city up until yesterday. But since I am not the wicked witch of the west I have not melted...and have had some great moments, met wonderful people, tried new food, explored this city backwards, forwards and inside out...and have found lots of little things to appreciate about
-Have you ever heard of the game Frogger???? Well we are the Frogs every time we cross the street. No stop lights, stop signs or any kind of controlled traffic. I feel like I need a helmet just walking. Motor bikes everywhere....carrying everything from families, to bags of produce, I even saw one with 4 pigs. It was not pretty folks. The sidewalks are the parking lots....and it has been constant honking of horns since we got here....I am actually confused and get nervous if I don't hear horns.....
-Picture this. A big, huge pile of shit. But its white. Well...it is one of the best things I have put in my mouth since I have been here! Danni and I were brave last night and finally bought one. They really look like fresh poo from a large animal staying warm and toasty in big steamers.....they are sticky buns with "pork" and spices stuffed in along with an egg....it was mouth watering! I bet we get at least one more before we leave.
-I strapped on my walking tennis and went for a 3 hour walk...which really means I got so turned around I was lost for hours. I had a map. I felt safe. BIG CITY. Small streets....soooo many things to see and keep me interested. I found the second location of the hostel we were staying at and they laughed at me and pointed me in the direction home. It was a rainy day so I had to stand in a hot shower for a while to defrost...but it was worth it.
-I keep saying each street or section of this city is like a section of target. We stumble upon shops and shops of all the same thing for a few blocks. Children’s toys, shoes, clothes, food, spices, bikes.....and they are not really shops they remind me more of just garage sales cause all the shops are 1/2 inside 1/2 outside....
-We got hour foot massages last night
-We found a soccer bar with peanuts and draft beer playing American tunes.....We tricked ourselves for about an hour into thinking we were in Chicago
-We made friends with the staff of our hostel. We go out with them in the evenings and hang with them on the rainy days playing cards or reading books
-Dance parties in my "laundry day clothes" in night clubs....like running shoes, stretch pants and my rain jacket
-Playing pool with pool sharks....like really well dressed...and really good pool players...male and female....I wish I had a video of me and my little English boys(only a year or two older then my brother.....they were actually calling me their older sister) trying to play these people in pool. It was sad. I could feel their eyes laughing at my frizzy hair and horrible shots.....but it was still fun and I am sure the looks on all of our faces were priceless when all of our balls were still on the table and they were shooting the black ball in!
-Walking though history museums and an old prison. The Hoa Lo Prison, my friends, where John McCain was. We saw his flight suit and and parachute he was wearing when his plane got shot down....the prison had translations....some of the other places did not. So I was left to be the "tour guide" aka "storyteller"....you may as well sign me up for Second City with the shit I was coming up with......(*second city...improve group based in Chi town...my future place of employment. )
-Note to all future travelers...BRING AMERICAN CASH WITH YOU...at least in this country. WE needed 80 USD for our India Visas....we went through hell and back to try to get it...doors slammed in our face, people yelling at us to get out of their shops, banks saying they don't understand...we finally got it but it was from some shady people....who had the bills rolled up and hidden upstairs and they made it a very fast transaction...making it clear they were doing us a favor and we neded to scram casue they would be in trouble if the police happend to stumble in....not one of the best moments....
-What else, what else......thats all I got for now..today we are going to buy an open bus ticket and head south tomorrow to try to meet up with the other ladies. Hoping for some more dry weather, maybe go back to our little pub tonight
-We did switch out of dorm style beds last night and opted for our own room in a different part of the city...just for kicks and giggles. You win you some you loose some. We gained or own room so we could keep our stuff out and not locked in lockers, we got a flat screen TV with HBO and Star movies to put us to sleep, and a shower with a door!!!! All of our past showers were right over the toilet...but it was OK because the back of the toilet is a perfect place for shampoo and body wash...IT is a pretty clean room.....but it is very cold...and damp?? And we have to heat the hot water for about 45 min before we shower...details, details....
-Oh and the noodle soup cooked right on the street.....is called pho. We sit at child size plastic chairs and tables eating this noodle soup...sometimes with chicken...sometimes veggies...we docter it up with whatever is on the table...its like a finger print...not one bowl of pho is ever the same.....
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Sapa, Vietnam
We arrived this morning after night bus. So cold. No hiking or home stays. Waahhhhhhhhhh It is soooo pretty here!!!!!!!
So when everything goes the wrong and no one to blame but the weather...there is only one thing to do. Say happy St. Patrick's Day order a few bts of cheap wine and get after until you can feel your toes...spending the day in Northern Vietnam, listening to Celine Dion greatest Hits Volume 1. Thankfully I have wonderful people to share this moment with me.
Miss the Fun Bunch xoxoxoxox
But This is a St. Patrick's Day I will never forget! Ok I can't feel my fingers...maybe after a bt or two I will come back for story time
So when everything goes the wrong and no one to blame but the weather...there is only one thing to do. Say happy St. Patrick's Day order a few bts of cheap wine and get after until you can feel your toes...spending the day in Northern Vietnam, listening to Celine Dion greatest Hits Volume 1. Thankfully I have wonderful people to share this moment with me.
Miss the Fun Bunch xoxoxoxox
But This is a St. Patrick's Day I will never forget! Ok I can't feel my fingers...maybe after a bt or two I will come back for story time
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Hanoi, Vietnam
The keyboard is very bad on this computer so I can't write much without pulling my hair out.....but it is an interesting city! We found a really cool place to stay, it reminds me of camp becasue we are sleeping in bunkbeds!
I just wanted to share with you it is sooooo cold here we had to buy hats today and we can see our breath!!!God must have know we missed the seasons so he is giving us a few days to bundle up! Its a whopping 40 degrees and rainy. Heading north for a few days to do a family stay and hiking. I will hopefully find a better keybord and time to give some blog love.
St. Pattys day will be spent hiking through green rice pattys.(At least we are surrouded by green!!Festive in a way...)
So everyone throw back some jamo shots, green beer, and do a little shamrock shake for me!!
Stories to come- Why not to try to exchange Dong for Dollars, India Embassy 20 questions, How to Bargin for Winter Hats, Late Night Snacks with Security Guards, Just Baby Powder It, 30 Hour Bus Ride Highlights and "I'm sorry..Lotties? Are you from Chicago..."
xo Rach
I just wanted to share with you it is sooooo cold here we had to buy hats today and we can see our breath!!!God must have know we missed the seasons so he is giving us a few days to bundle up! Its a whopping 40 degrees and rainy. Heading north for a few days to do a family stay and hiking. I will hopefully find a better keybord and time to give some blog love.
St. Pattys day will be spent hiking through green rice pattys.(At least we are surrouded by green!!Festive in a way...)
So everyone throw back some jamo shots, green beer, and do a little shamrock shake for me!!
Stories to come- Why not to try to exchange Dong for Dollars, India Embassy 20 questions, How to Bargin for Winter Hats, Late Night Snacks with Security Guards, Just Baby Powder It, 30 Hour Bus Ride Highlights and "I'm sorry..Lotties? Are you from Chicago..."
xo Rach
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Vang Vieng,Laos
All I have to say about it this place is it is WILD.
Spring break everyday.
Nothing about this town should be legal.
We all wore swimsuits and Vang Vieng Tube shirts....no pants...and I should have left my flops safe in the room...because I went from two pairs of shoes to one yesterday. Good thing there are flip flops sold everywhere on this side of the world.
I have SPRAY paint all over my body
Red and blue and green fabric tied to my wrist and ankles...
I went off diving boards and rope swings and ziplines and slides...
My body is battered and brusied from the rocks...but I would not take anypart of yesterday back..it was craaazzzyyy fun
I woke up on a full samy..like we have mustard and tomatos all over our clothes and sheets....Why Dani brought a full sammy into bed last night is still a mystery
I am very very tired and have a 30 hour bus ride to Vietnam in 30 minutes...ha!
Vang Vieng...thank you verrrry much for your hospitalty but if we stayed one more day we might not make it out alive.
Spring break everyday.
Nothing about this town should be legal.
We all wore swimsuits and Vang Vieng Tube shirts....no pants...and I should have left my flops safe in the room...because I went from two pairs of shoes to one yesterday. Good thing there are flip flops sold everywhere on this side of the world.
I have SPRAY paint all over my body
Red and blue and green fabric tied to my wrist and ankles...
I went off diving boards and rope swings and ziplines and slides...
My body is battered and brusied from the rocks...but I would not take anypart of yesterday back..it was craaazzzyyy fun
I woke up on a full samy..like we have mustard and tomatos all over our clothes and sheets....Why Dani brought a full sammy into bed last night is still a mystery
I am very very tired and have a 30 hour bus ride to Vietnam in 30 minutes...ha!
Vang Vieng...thank you verrrry much for your hospitalty but if we stayed one more day we might not make it out alive.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Luang Prabang, Laos
Highlights from the quaint Mountain town along Mekong and Mae Kok Rivers..
-Night bus from Vientiane. It was a twisty and bumpy nighttime ride. We could not see out the windows....which was actually probably a good thing for the way up there...I will explain later. So we slept the best we could....the problem with this night bus is it lets all the paying customers on then let in file the locals to sleep on the floor in the ailes of the bus....soo it was pretty cramped. We rolled into Luang Prabang earrlyyy in the morning. We found a guest house for 10 bucks a night....divided by three...and took an early morning nap.
-We got a feel for the little town and walked the streets.....up and down...watched some kids play in the river, browsed the used book stores, passed by the real nice hotels and motels saying..."one day we an stay there", perused the night market, and signed up for the next day adventures
-Erin, Danielle and I have been early birds...so we signed up for a full day of activities! I woke up Wednesday morning had some yogurt and muesli, walked through the morning market then walked over to the travel lodge. We got picked up and went on elephant rides! I of course got the baby elelphant. It was 10 years old and 1/2 the size of everyone elses. WE pretty much sat in strapped on highchairs and went for a ride. We got to ride "bareback" or i guess on their necks..but since mine was so dang small it was kinda uncomfortable. I got up there for a photoshoot then I crawled back into my highchair. The pictures are pretty great from this ride and the girls are usually bent over in tear of laughter when looking at some of the pictures with me and Dumbo....so I promise you some good laughs.
-Facts about my elephant driver
--He was "18'" years old
--His name was Lenny
--He was hung over from drinking to much Beer Laos the night before
--He was jealous of his friend "driving" aka passed out in the highchair attached to the elephant ahead of us, next to some British girl (paying customer) while her friend(paying customer) was on the elephants neck making sure it stayed on the path. Lenny boy kept trying to get me to switch places with him so he could take a nap and I could be a real elephant driver. No thanks pal.
--Lenny was convinced his girlfriend may be a lady boy. "She is my girlfriend for one year. She not pregnant. Maybe a lady boy??!!!" (I almost started lecturing....but I held my tongue and said your to young for girlfriends.)
--He played hot beats off his cell phone while trekking through the jungle. There is nothing like being surround by beautiful nature and Justin Bieber singing Baby, Baby, Baby...ohhhh ...
-After elephant riding we got picked up and brought to the Kuang Si Waterfall. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. I was just hanging out inside a post card or on some watercolor on the wall...at least that's what it felt like!!
-Sooooo there are many places to eat in Luang Prabang. Many places have western food and are geared toward the tourists....well we found the night street food market.....aka for the locals and for the back packers on a budget.....we pad a whopping 10,000 kip which is a little less then $2.00...for all you can pile on your plate of this.....
-Night bus from Vientiane. It was a twisty and bumpy nighttime ride. We could not see out the windows....which was actually probably a good thing for the way up there...I will explain later. So we slept the best we could....the problem with this night bus is it lets all the paying customers on then let in file the locals to sleep on the floor in the ailes of the bus....soo it was pretty cramped. We rolled into Luang Prabang earrlyyy in the morning. We found a guest house for 10 bucks a night....divided by three...and took an early morning nap.
-We got a feel for the little town and walked the streets.....up and down...watched some kids play in the river, browsed the used book stores, passed by the real nice hotels and motels saying..."one day we an stay there", perused the night market, and signed up for the next day adventures
-Erin, Danielle and I have been early birds...so we signed up for a full day of activities! I woke up Wednesday morning had some yogurt and muesli, walked through the morning market then walked over to the travel lodge. We got picked up and went on elephant rides! I of course got the baby elelphant. It was 10 years old and 1/2 the size of everyone elses. WE pretty much sat in strapped on highchairs and went for a ride. We got to ride "bareback" or i guess on their necks..but since mine was so dang small it was kinda uncomfortable. I got up there for a photoshoot then I crawled back into my highchair. The pictures are pretty great from this ride and the girls are usually bent over in tear of laughter when looking at some of the pictures with me and Dumbo....so I promise you some good laughs.
-Facts about my elephant driver
--He was "18'" years old
--His name was Lenny
--He was hung over from drinking to much Beer Laos the night before
--He was jealous of his friend "driving" aka passed out in the highchair attached to the elephant ahead of us, next to some British girl (paying customer) while her friend(paying customer) was on the elephants neck making sure it stayed on the path. Lenny boy kept trying to get me to switch places with him so he could take a nap and I could be a real elephant driver. No thanks pal.
--Lenny was convinced his girlfriend may be a lady boy. "She is my girlfriend for one year. She not pregnant. Maybe a lady boy??!!!" (I almost started lecturing....but I held my tongue and said your to young for girlfriends.)
--He played hot beats off his cell phone while trekking through the jungle. There is nothing like being surround by beautiful nature and Justin Bieber singing Baby, Baby, Baby...ohhhh ...
-After elephant riding we got picked up and brought to the Kuang Si Waterfall. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. I was just hanging out inside a post card or on some watercolor on the wall...at least that's what it felt like!!
-Sooooo there are many places to eat in Luang Prabang. Many places have western food and are geared toward the tourists....well we found the night street food market.....aka for the locals and for the back packers on a budget.....we pad a whopping 10,000 kip which is a little less then $2.00...for all you can pile on your plate of this.....
Soooooooooooooooo Goooooooooooooooood
We ate this 2 nights in a row both at family style tables with other travelers...we got lots of tricks of the trade from people who were on day 100 of living out of their bags to people who were on day 5. We were only on about day 8 and 9 at this point but we shared what we could! :)
The best part about this was it was down a really small alley. A small dirty alley....this is true to the phrase..finding a diamond in the rough. Some of the best food I have had. We picked what we wanted and then she warmed it up for us in a wok.
-We got our laundry done.....but not before I ruined some of our clothes by pouring softer on them...thinking it was detergent...we wanted to save our money and do laundry in the sink. No English on the bottle..it was as I was pouring we realized this was not thick enough to be detergent....I guess when you let that sit for a night and day in a bag then give it to be hand washed it leaves dark, dried in spots on your clothes. I am going to trade it for some water bottles or something cause we have no need for just softer on this trip. jeeez rachel....where is your head at!!!!
-A cliff hanger of a mini bus ride back down the Mountain to Vang Vieng. The views spectacular....the little towns we passed though...unimaginable as far as daily living conditions.....the curves of the mountain crazy steep, with no guard rails.....but we arrived safe and sound in this little town I am once again at loss of words to describe where I sit today. At least for the moment. I want another day to really feel out the city. So I will take a day on the river and "ponder" and report back on Vang Vieng, Laos.
xo Rach
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Vientiane, Laos
Well this was such a cute little city! We arrived in Vientiane very early in the morning. I took my 1st sleeper bus that night. Twin size bed, oreos and milk and a bunk mate (slept right next to me in a "bed" maybe a little bigger then a twin size bed at home). Her name was Cathrine and she was French. Thats about all I got from her cause I was passed out soon after we started rolling....
Something I learned from the sleeper bus....if your going to take the inside...or the "wall" side...better put the window side....don't drink water. I had to crawl over poor French Cathrine 2x to use the bathroom in the middle of the night...I will spare you details of a sleeper bus bathroom.....but all in all I like the sleeper bus better for night bus rides because I got to lay down and not switch 5 different sleeping positions on a bus seat. whoo hoo
We got some coffee and knew the next few days was going to be indulging in western food ( salads!!!!) Our favorite place was a cafe called Full Moon where we dived into novels, talked with other travelers and planned for the upcoming travel days!
The girls and I heard of a place called Buddha Park....and we also knew they rented bikes to ride around the city. We came up with a brilliant idea to ride our bikes to and from Buddha park....let me tell you. All the locals were like..."No, can do" "To far, don't do it!"
So we did it! 25 Kilometers ONE WAY. It took us 2 hours to get there. We were sweaty, sunburn, but had smiles on our face because we were so proud we made it! It was a looong hot ride!! (we were not thinking about the ride home just yet...)
Walking around the park was great, very neat statues...we met a couple named Chris and Linda who met us for dinner later that night...they were telling us about their son and all the traveling they have done, giving us hints and tips throughout the evening!
As we started the 2 hour bike ride back to Vientiane we were all looking at each other like....it seemed like a good idea, but man oh man this ride home is going to be bad news bears. It had gotten hotter...our legs were feeling a little heavy...
Erin and Danielle were ahead of me and Erin dropped her camera case so I stopped to pick it up. Right in the front of a neighbor and family gathering party. We were called to the patio for Laos Beer and cold water. You have to have Laos beer in Laos.... especially since we rode right past the brewery!!! The music was cranked up and we were just having a merry only time. A beer, water, some Laos dancing lessons, some homemade food.....about an hour of that we were back on the bikes with a little higher moral. That lasted about 45 min.
You know how your parents always tell you don't talk to strangers....well we failed. We had to have looked like hot messes biking down the side of the highway. This nice looking Thai man pulled over in his pick-up and loaded us into the bed of the truck(we got good vibes from him, we did not sit in the cab of the truck, there were lots of people around)....bikes and all. So there we were going "native" riding in the back of trucks down highways. Thats what they do here...ride in back of trucks. In Asia I guess its safe?
We figured we rode about 24 miles that day. We were dusty, sweaty, smelly, and hot but what a great day!!!!! Buddha park, hangin with the locals, pick-up truck rides....you better believe we slept like babies that night!
We got our Vietnam Visas squared away in Vientiane, I walked along the river banks and through a few parks that kinda sorta, but kinda sorta not, reminded me of North Ave beach in Chicago, I ate a really good chicken pita SMOTHERED in French's Yellow Mustard, we saw historical sites around the city (pictures one day) and stayed in a guest house with lots of "character".
Mimi's Guest House. I will save that one for the post I dedicate to lodging. You will need pictures.
I am now in Luang Prabang, Laos. Up in the north and in the mountains....again a very cute town, very relaxing and chill. I have stories of elephants, waterfalls, food night markets, sunsets that are indescribable and temple stair workouts.
We head to Vang Vieng early in the morning. Which we keep hearing is "Spring Break"...ohh goodie! I can say I have been a sober (1 beer Laos does not really get a buzz up and running....) for a solid ten days! We are to busy waking up and being productive to be tired the next day...but tomorrow we might decide to shake, rattle and roll with tubes, rope swings and zip lines....I need to find myself a life jacket!
Something I learned from the sleeper bus....if your going to take the inside...or the "wall" side...better put the window side....don't drink water. I had to crawl over poor French Cathrine 2x to use the bathroom in the middle of the night...I will spare you details of a sleeper bus bathroom.....but all in all I like the sleeper bus better for night bus rides because I got to lay down and not switch 5 different sleeping positions on a bus seat. whoo hoo
We got some coffee and knew the next few days was going to be indulging in western food ( salads!!!!) Our favorite place was a cafe called Full Moon where we dived into novels, talked with other travelers and planned for the upcoming travel days!
The girls and I heard of a place called Buddha Park....and we also knew they rented bikes to ride around the city. We came up with a brilliant idea to ride our bikes to and from Buddha park....let me tell you. All the locals were like..."No, can do" "To far, don't do it!"
So we did it! 25 Kilometers ONE WAY. It took us 2 hours to get there. We were sweaty, sunburn, but had smiles on our face because we were so proud we made it! It was a looong hot ride!! (we were not thinking about the ride home just yet...)
Walking around the park was great, very neat statues...we met a couple named Chris and Linda who met us for dinner later that night...they were telling us about their son and all the traveling they have done, giving us hints and tips throughout the evening!
As we started the 2 hour bike ride back to Vientiane we were all looking at each other like....it seemed like a good idea, but man oh man this ride home is going to be bad news bears. It had gotten hotter...our legs were feeling a little heavy...
Erin and Danielle were ahead of me and Erin dropped her camera case so I stopped to pick it up. Right in the front of a neighbor and family gathering party. We were called to the patio for Laos Beer and cold water. You have to have Laos beer in Laos.... especially since we rode right past the brewery!!! The music was cranked up and we were just having a merry only time. A beer, water, some Laos dancing lessons, some homemade food.....about an hour of that we were back on the bikes with a little higher moral. That lasted about 45 min.
You know how your parents always tell you don't talk to strangers....well we failed. We had to have looked like hot messes biking down the side of the highway. This nice looking Thai man pulled over in his pick-up and loaded us into the bed of the truck(we got good vibes from him, we did not sit in the cab of the truck, there were lots of people around)....bikes and all. So there we were going "native" riding in the back of trucks down highways. Thats what they do here...ride in back of trucks. In Asia I guess its safe?
We figured we rode about 24 miles that day. We were dusty, sweaty, smelly, and hot but what a great day!!!!! Buddha park, hangin with the locals, pick-up truck rides....you better believe we slept like babies that night!
We got our Vietnam Visas squared away in Vientiane, I walked along the river banks and through a few parks that kinda sorta, but kinda sorta not, reminded me of North Ave beach in Chicago, I ate a really good chicken pita SMOTHERED in French's Yellow Mustard, we saw historical sites around the city (pictures one day) and stayed in a guest house with lots of "character".
Mimi's Guest House. I will save that one for the post I dedicate to lodging. You will need pictures.
I am now in Luang Prabang, Laos. Up in the north and in the mountains....again a very cute town, very relaxing and chill. I have stories of elephants, waterfalls, food night markets, sunsets that are indescribable and temple stair workouts.
We head to Vang Vieng early in the morning. Which we keep hearing is "Spring Break"...ohh goodie! I can say I have been a sober (1 beer Laos does not really get a buzz up and running....) for a solid ten days! We are to busy waking up and being productive to be tired the next day...but tomorrow we might decide to shake, rattle and roll with tubes, rope swings and zip lines....I need to find myself a life jacket!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Don Det, LAOS....4,000 Islands
Helllooo Laos!!
Ok I have so many things I am bursting to write about so I am going to give a real quick highlights of the 4,000 Islands.
-I kid you not we took 8 different ways to actually get to our destination. But before we even left Bangkok we made a pit stop at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases. (This whole experience..is a novel, damn $$ internet cafes for making me pick and choose my stories) I got shot up with Hep A and Typhoid. Check, check. check. We roll out of the hospital. Backpacks strapped on and cotton balls tapped to our right and left arms hailing a cab to the bus station.
-Cab, bus, tuk tuk, van, tuk tuk, motor bike with cart attached...to what we thought was a city bus stop!! Ha. yeah right girls welcome to Laos. The city bus was pretty much a large pickup truck with 3 benches. We were leg between leg with all sorts of people. People that offered us green bugs to eat. WE ATE GREEN BUGS!!!!!!! 3 HOURS later butts were bruised and we were covered in dust from barreling down dirt roads... we arrived to the boating aspect of the trip. 12 minute boat ride to the Island of Don Det where we found a cute little hut to sleep.
-2 plastic chairs, 2 hammocks, a little wooden table took up the deck. One large bed with a skeeter net over it was all that fit in the room with us three and our new besties...the backpacks. What else do we need!? (Will have a blog post dedicated to lodging. Pics and everything...stay tuned, coming this May! )
-The bathroom was a few huts down. Just lovely accommodations...2 squatter stalls and then one sink and shower. I mean it was perfect if I pissed on my feet I could just jump next door and wash them off in the shower. What more could I ask for!
-Our humble home also consisted of some great neighbors that had some pretty interesting conversations then would wake us up in the middle of the night doing the dirty. We had to turn the fan on and crank the ipods....we don't want to hear that! Don't you guys know the roster wakes us up at sunrise, the family starts banging pots and pans around and chopping things, the babies that live behind us start crying and the pig, dogs and chickens are up making noise early too!
-I don't know whether to call Don Det a farm, a cabin, a mini Amsterdamn, a camp site......
-Mini Amsterdam? Say what? Well I will only tell you this. Take what you will. They had "happy" just about everything. Happy shakes, happy cake, happy cookies....you name it they could make it happy. Heck, I heard from some mouse they would even roll you a joint. I am not sure what joint translates to in English but let me tell you......
-They had a beautiful waterfall on the other side of the island. We rode our rented bikes for 30 minutes, crossed a bridge, saw local schools (dirt floors and old school desks), local village people and beautiful views of the Mekong River. I am going to be calling some moments on my trip...living in the postcard...cause some of the things we saw I don't think I believed was REAL! But it was!!!!
- After seeing the waterfalls we went hiking down to the beach and went swimming in the water that we just saw crashing against the rocks. I have never seen water like this water....I am not even going to describe it....I promise lots of pictures in a few months.
-Great food on the island. fresh fruit, muesli, pumpkin burgers..yum.yum.yum. We were tired girls from all the traveling and bike riding and swimming we were sleeping by 9 30 PM each night. OLD LADIES!
-We did not get to see the dolphins, but it's ok, I did not cry.
-We were glad we made the trip...but we were ready to leave after two nights (2 1/2 days plus a full day).....we packed our bags and hopped on a boat back to mainland to catch a van to catch a bus to bring us to the Capital of Laos......I am going to try to give updates dates city by city? I will try.
-I will tell you about the night bus ride and our 1st 2 days in Vientiane soon. I love Vientiane. Love. Love. Love. I am very dirty from today's activities. So it is time to take a shower and get some grub with a lovely older couple we met today at Buddha Park. They are going to give us some tips on Vietnam because they LOVE it there and want to make sure we enjoy ourselves, are safe, don't get ripped off and I think they miss their 22 year old son so they adopted us three girls for the night instead.
Vientiane coming soon.........
Ok I have so many things I am bursting to write about so I am going to give a real quick highlights of the 4,000 Islands.
-I kid you not we took 8 different ways to actually get to our destination. But before we even left Bangkok we made a pit stop at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases. (This whole experience..is a novel, damn $$ internet cafes for making me pick and choose my stories) I got shot up with Hep A and Typhoid. Check, check. check. We roll out of the hospital. Backpacks strapped on and cotton balls tapped to our right and left arms hailing a cab to the bus station.
-Cab, bus, tuk tuk, van, tuk tuk, motor bike with cart attached...to what we thought was a city bus stop!! Ha. yeah right girls welcome to Laos. The city bus was pretty much a large pickup truck with 3 benches. We were leg between leg with all sorts of people. People that offered us green bugs to eat. WE ATE GREEN BUGS!!!!!!! 3 HOURS later butts were bruised and we were covered in dust from barreling down dirt roads... we arrived to the boating aspect of the trip. 12 minute boat ride to the Island of Don Det where we found a cute little hut to sleep.
-2 plastic chairs, 2 hammocks, a little wooden table took up the deck. One large bed with a skeeter net over it was all that fit in the room with us three and our new besties...the backpacks. What else do we need!? (Will have a blog post dedicated to lodging. Pics and everything...stay tuned, coming this May! )
-The bathroom was a few huts down. Just lovely accommodations...2 squatter stalls and then one sink and shower. I mean it was perfect if I pissed on my feet I could just jump next door and wash them off in the shower. What more could I ask for!
-Our humble home also consisted of some great neighbors that had some pretty interesting conversations then would wake us up in the middle of the night doing the dirty. We had to turn the fan on and crank the ipods....we don't want to hear that! Don't you guys know the roster wakes us up at sunrise, the family starts banging pots and pans around and chopping things, the babies that live behind us start crying and the pig, dogs and chickens are up making noise early too!
-I don't know whether to call Don Det a farm, a cabin, a mini Amsterdamn, a camp site......
-Mini Amsterdam? Say what? Well I will only tell you this. Take what you will. They had "happy" just about everything. Happy shakes, happy cake, happy cookies....you name it they could make it happy. Heck, I heard from some mouse they would even roll you a joint. I am not sure what joint translates to in English but let me tell you......
-They had a beautiful waterfall on the other side of the island. We rode our rented bikes for 30 minutes, crossed a bridge, saw local schools (dirt floors and old school desks), local village people and beautiful views of the Mekong River. I am going to be calling some moments on my trip...living in the postcard...cause some of the things we saw I don't think I believed was REAL! But it was!!!!
- After seeing the waterfalls we went hiking down to the beach and went swimming in the water that we just saw crashing against the rocks. I have never seen water like this water....I am not even going to describe it....I promise lots of pictures in a few months.
-Great food on the island. fresh fruit, muesli, pumpkin burgers..yum.yum.yum. We were tired girls from all the traveling and bike riding and swimming we were sleeping by 9 30 PM each night. OLD LADIES!
-We did not get to see the dolphins, but it's ok, I did not cry.
-We were glad we made the trip...but we were ready to leave after two nights (2 1/2 days plus a full day).....we packed our bags and hopped on a boat back to mainland to catch a van to catch a bus to bring us to the Capital of Laos......I am going to try to give updates dates city by city? I will try.
-I will tell you about the night bus ride and our 1st 2 days in Vientiane soon. I love Vientiane. Love. Love. Love. I am very dirty from today's activities. So it is time to take a shower and get some grub with a lovely older couple we met today at Buddha Park. They are going to give us some tips on Vietnam because they LOVE it there and want to make sure we enjoy ourselves, are safe, don't get ripped off and I think they miss their 22 year old son so they adopted us three girls for the night instead.
Vientiane coming soon.........
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