Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
History & Sights of Phnom Penh
Waking up early to maximize our full day in Phnom Penh is exactly what we did, 8.30am as a backpacker is pretty early, but at home I would have already been at work for 40 mins...yikes...work...
So we arranged a Tuk Tuk driver for the day to stay with us and take us to places we requested with some suggestion of coure. First stop was the Royal Palace which dominates the skyline of the riverfront where the Tonle Sap and Mekong meet, with its classic Kmer roofs and ornate gliding. Within the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda, named because it is constructed with 5000 silver tiles weighing 1kg each.
A little history:
Khmer Rouge Rule
Upon taking Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975 - two weeks before the fall of Saigon - the Khmer Rouge implemented one of the most radical and brutal reconstructings of a society ever attempted. It's goal was to tranform Cambodia - renamed the Democratic Kampuchea - into a giant peasant dominated agragarian cooperative untainted by anything that had come before. Within days, the entire populations of Phnom Penh and provincial towns, including the sick, elderly and infirm were forced to march into the countryside and work as slaves for 12-15 hours a day. Disobedience of any sort often brought immediate execution.
The revolution soon set about wiping out all intellectuals - having glasses was reason enough to be killed. The regime wiped out lawyers, doctors, teachers and person to have worked for the former government, they destroyed hospitals, temples, and schools.
Leading the Khmer Rouge was Pol Pot. As a young man, he won a scholarship to study in Paris, where he began developing the radical Marxist ideas. Under his rule, Cambodia became a slave labour camp. Meals consisted of little more than watery rice porridge twice a day, meant to sustain men, woman and children through a back-breaking day in the fields.
Khmer Rouge rule was brought to an end by the Vietnamese on 7 Jan 1979. It is still not known exactly how many Cambodians died during the three years, eight months and 20 days but the most accepted estimation is at least 1.7 million people perished at the hyands of Pol Pot and his followers.
Next stop was where the reality of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge was very apparent. Tuol Sleng Museum. Once a centre of learning, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot (leader of the Khmer Rouge April 1975- Jan 1979) security forces and transformed into Security Prison 21 (S-21). The classrooms were turned into torture chambers and equppied with various instruments to inflict pain and suffering and death, which are still held in the rooms itself for viewing. Tuol Sleng was the largest incarceration centre in the country. The long corridors are hallways of ghosts containing haunting photographs of the victims, their faces staring back eerily from the past.
The Khmer Rouge leaders were meticulous in keeping records of their barbarism and each prisoner who passed through S-21 was photographed. Where the Vietnamese liberated Phnom Penh in early 1979, there were only seven prisoners alive at S-21 from the 20,000 who were incarcerated.
Pretty powerful stuff and to wandering on the grounds that these atrocities took place was very emotional. I'm also reading a book called 'First they Killed My Father' by Loung Ung, who lives to tell her and her families story at this horrible time. It's interesting to read her story while in Cambodia, it makes everything she speaks about that much easier to relate to.
After a couple hours reading and learning more about S-21 we took a 30min Tuk Tuk drive out to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Most of the 17,000 detainees held at the S-21 prison were executed at these Killing Fields. Prisoners were often bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting bullets. It is hard to imagine the brutality that unfolded there when wandering through the peaceful, shady former orchard but the memorial stuipa soon makes you realize, displaying more than 8000 skulls of victims and their ragged clothes.
After these two sites and all the information from the past 6 hours we felt it was time to take a break. We headed to a restaurant called Friends, that is an NGO set up for street kids, which gives them a head start in the hospitality industry. It felt good that the money we spent was going directly to them and their education, not some middle person.
We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with our books in a cafe out of the sun, and then absorbed our minds the intense football match that evening before catching the overnight bus to Siem Reap...
So we arranged a Tuk Tuk driver for the day to stay with us and take us to places we requested with some suggestion of coure. First stop was the Royal Palace which dominates the skyline of the riverfront where the Tonle Sap and Mekong meet, with its classic Kmer roofs and ornate gliding. Within the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda, named because it is constructed with 5000 silver tiles weighing 1kg each.
A little history:
Khmer Rouge Rule
Upon taking Phnom Penh on 17 April 1975 - two weeks before the fall of Saigon - the Khmer Rouge implemented one of the most radical and brutal reconstructings of a society ever attempted. It's goal was to tranform Cambodia - renamed the Democratic Kampuchea - into a giant peasant dominated agragarian cooperative untainted by anything that had come before. Within days, the entire populations of Phnom Penh and provincial towns, including the sick, elderly and infirm were forced to march into the countryside and work as slaves for 12-15 hours a day. Disobedience of any sort often brought immediate execution.
The revolution soon set about wiping out all intellectuals - having glasses was reason enough to be killed. The regime wiped out lawyers, doctors, teachers and person to have worked for the former government, they destroyed hospitals, temples, and schools.
Leading the Khmer Rouge was Pol Pot. As a young man, he won a scholarship to study in Paris, where he began developing the radical Marxist ideas. Under his rule, Cambodia became a slave labour camp. Meals consisted of little more than watery rice porridge twice a day, meant to sustain men, woman and children through a back-breaking day in the fields.
Khmer Rouge rule was brought to an end by the Vietnamese on 7 Jan 1979. It is still not known exactly how many Cambodians died during the three years, eight months and 20 days but the most accepted estimation is at least 1.7 million people perished at the hyands of Pol Pot and his followers.
Next stop was where the reality of the brutality of the Khmer Rouge was very apparent. Tuol Sleng Museum. Once a centre of learning, Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken over by Pol Pot (leader of the Khmer Rouge April 1975- Jan 1979) security forces and transformed into Security Prison 21 (S-21). The classrooms were turned into torture chambers and equppied with various instruments to inflict pain and suffering and death, which are still held in the rooms itself for viewing. Tuol Sleng was the largest incarceration centre in the country. The long corridors are hallways of ghosts containing haunting photographs of the victims, their faces staring back eerily from the past.
The Khmer Rouge leaders were meticulous in keeping records of their barbarism and each prisoner who passed through S-21 was photographed. Where the Vietnamese liberated Phnom Penh in early 1979, there were only seven prisoners alive at S-21 from the 20,000 who were incarcerated.
Pretty powerful stuff and to wandering on the grounds that these atrocities took place was very emotional. I'm also reading a book called 'First they Killed My Father' by Loung Ung, who lives to tell her and her families story at this horrible time. It's interesting to read her story while in Cambodia, it makes everything she speaks about that much easier to relate to.
After a couple hours reading and learning more about S-21 we took a 30min Tuk Tuk drive out to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Most of the 17,000 detainees held at the S-21 prison were executed at these Killing Fields. Prisoners were often bludgeoned to death to avoid wasting bullets. It is hard to imagine the brutality that unfolded there when wandering through the peaceful, shady former orchard but the memorial stuipa soon makes you realize, displaying more than 8000 skulls of victims and their ragged clothes.
After these two sites and all the information from the past 6 hours we felt it was time to take a break. We headed to a restaurant called Friends, that is an NGO set up for street kids, which gives them a head start in the hospitality industry. It felt good that the money we spent was going directly to them and their education, not some middle person.
We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with our books in a cafe out of the sun, and then absorbed our minds the intense football match that evening before catching the overnight bus to Siem Reap...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Cambodia - Streets of Phnom Penh
We are now in our fourth country of the trip, Cambodia and in the capital, Phnom Penh. The capital is a crossroad of Asia's past and present, a city of extremes of poverty and excess, of charm and chaos, but one that never fails to captivate. Once the 'Pearl of Asia', Phnom Penh's shine was tarnished by the impact of war and revolution.
Already I have mixed feelings about this place, as Amy and I were checking into our hotel and I was signing my name on the guest list I noticed there were only single (white) males staying there.....hmmmm......then wondering the streets, I had never seen so many middle aged single men wondering around and a quarter of them arm in arm with a local young woman....I know this is common practice around Asia and I have witnessed it before but never to this extent. Both the prostitution and poverty is the worst I've seen yet in South East Asia which is a little sad but still an experience in itself. I'm excited to see what positive things this country has to offer! We plan to visit the sights tomorrow and take in some of the sad and devastating history of this place and then head further north to Siemp Reap......
Already I have mixed feelings about this place, as Amy and I were checking into our hotel and I was signing my name on the guest list I noticed there were only single (white) males staying there.....hmmmm......then wondering the streets, I had never seen so many middle aged single men wondering around and a quarter of them arm in arm with a local young woman....I know this is common practice around Asia and I have witnessed it before but never to this extent. Both the prostitution and poverty is the worst I've seen yet in South East Asia which is a little sad but still an experience in itself. I'm excited to see what positive things this country has to offer! We plan to visit the sights tomorrow and take in some of the sad and devastating history of this place and then head further north to Siemp Reap......
Chiang Mai - Quick learn to cook
After our memorable adventure in the forests of Laos we are now off to a more developed place, Thailand. We crossed the Chiang Khong border into Thailand by boat and then took a 6 hour bus to Chiang Mai. First stop was a Thai Massage where we spent 3 hours in a salon getting a massage and pedicure....definitely needed and deserved I think...(also only cost $8AUS) Then it was off to our cooking class where we learned how to cook Pad Thai, Green curry paste, Green curry with chicken, Fried cashew nut with chicken and wait for it.......Fried bananas in thick coconut toffee served with vanilla icecream...and we got to eat this allllllllllll. Good thing we spent the next 4 hours walking the streets and shopping at Chiang Mai's leading tourist attraction the Night Bazaar, which sprawls over several blocks with hundreds of street vendors, serveral commercial buildings and ordinary shops selling a huge variety of handicrafts as well as designer goods.
It felt different driving into Thailand after spending over 4 weeks in two very underdeveloped countries....first things I noticed that were SO out of place that I forgot Thailand had were 711 and Starbucks, I almost didn't feel like I was travelling anymore because so many more people could speak English....I'm glad I have the opportunity to discover and experience Vietnam and Laos before the western influence invades.
We spent only two nights in Chiang Mai before flying out to Cambodia......which is another story in itself...
It felt different driving into Thailand after spending over 4 weeks in two very underdeveloped countries....first things I noticed that were SO out of place that I forgot Thailand had were 711 and Starbucks, I almost didn't feel like I was travelling anymore because so many more people could speak English....I'm glad I have the opportunity to discover and experience Vietnam and Laos before the western influence invades.
We spent only two nights in Chiang Mai before flying out to Cambodia......which is another story in itself...
Bokeo Province - Livin like a Gibbon
The Gibbon Experience,
Once we settled in our treehouse three after a couple hours of hiking basically up hill with a couple resting periods we relaxed and took in the amazing surrounding and views with a hot chocolate. We created homemade cards and played a few games before our guide ziplined into our treehouse with dinner. We set up little stools around the table overlooking the amazing view and ate our dinner.
The next morning our guide zipped into our house waaaay too early, but apparently it's the best time to side the Gibbons, we went searching for Gibbons, however could not spot any but heard them around...we went back to our treehouse for fresh fruit (pineapple, rambuten (my absolutely favourite fruit now and lychees etc) and tea. In Lao, with the limited English the guides have, we didn't ready understand the itinerary for the rest of the day....so our group (5 of us) set out exploring the numerous ziplines with our hopefully trusty map and our safety harness with a wheel on the end of a cable that attaches to the zip-line...all you need then is a little faith and an adventurous spirit. It's a heart-stopping, superhero experience....We found a zip about 500ft above the canopy that took approx 20 seconds to glide to the other side....it was a pretty surreal experience. We played there for a couple hours, hiking our way to the platform and zipping across to either side and the repeating. We made it back to our treehouse with our guide waiting there with our breakfast...I guess we all misunderstood when he said he's coming back with food. So we ate our breakfast to gather energy for another day in the forest hiking to see the rest of the treehouse, the kitchens that make our meals and the ziplines that connect this amazing ecofriendly adventure.
We spent the next 4 hours with our guide doing the zips we had previously discovered in the morning and more before heading to another treehouse for lunch. After an exhausting morning and afternoon we resorted back to number 3 for more cards and story telling. That evening after dinner the boys and I grabbed our safety harness and headlamps (just incase) to set out for a sunset zip across the long one about 15mins hike from our house. There were a few more clouds in the sky so the pink and orange sunset was spectacular. We made it back before dark and watched the rest of the sunset from our house up in the trees.
That night we got the tropical storm that usually happens in the rainy season throughout Asia. The entire sky was lit up by lightening and the rain didn't come until the early morning. We have an amazing weather up until now, so I guess we deserve a bit of rain....we hiked out in the rain with our ponchos. The rain actually made the zipping faster which was cool try....we hiked out of the Gibbons canopy's and back to the village to be picked up. However the road we came in on was complete mud so we started to trek out which would have taken us 4 hours to the road....still in the rain with feet feeling like lead due to the amount of mud stuck to our shoes we just thought we are truly getting the Lao experience. After about 40 mins of straight up hiking in the mud, our 4wheeler truck arrived and saved the day :) We almost got bogged a couple times, but our drive was pro and managed to stay on the road without flipping the vehicle or going over the edge...eeek...
We made it back in once piece with a very memorable experience into the world of a Gibbon, although we didn't spot a black crested Gibbon, the experience in itself could not have been any better. Not only was the adventure of the ziplining and hiking through pristine forest amazing, the friendships and interaction with the local Lao people was very special. This country is a place I would love to come back to. It's an escape from the developed world where people live off the land and value family and friends rather than possessions.
Adrenaline meets conservation on this ecofriendly adventure into the 106 000 hectares of the Bokeo Nature Reserve wilderness. This 3 day trek is essentially a series of navigable 'ziplines' criss-crossing the canopy of some of Laos' most pristine forest, home to tigers, clouded leopards, black bears, wild elephants and the black crested gibbon, which unfortunately we saw none of.
We set off in the morning on a 2 hours drive through the villages surrounding Houai Xai before turning onto a dirt road and driving further into the forest. There were 15 of us altogether but we chose to stay in treehouse 3 which is based in the middle of the entire network of ziplines, not only the best location for accessing the longest and highest zips but the highest treehouse with the best view of the canopy and surrounding mountains. We stayed in a fantastical tree house perched 200 feet up. Our treehouse slept 5 (myself, Amy, Ak, Ollie and Rosa). The treehouses are equppied with cooking facilities and running rainwater showers and a personal zipline to access the house.Once we settled in our treehouse three after a couple hours of hiking basically up hill with a couple resting periods we relaxed and took in the amazing surrounding and views with a hot chocolate. We created homemade cards and played a few games before our guide ziplined into our treehouse with dinner. We set up little stools around the table overlooking the amazing view and ate our dinner.
The next morning our guide zipped into our house waaaay too early, but apparently it's the best time to side the Gibbons, we went searching for Gibbons, however could not spot any but heard them around...we went back to our treehouse for fresh fruit (pineapple, rambuten (my absolutely favourite fruit now and lychees etc) and tea. In Lao, with the limited English the guides have, we didn't ready understand the itinerary for the rest of the day....so our group (5 of us) set out exploring the numerous ziplines with our hopefully trusty map and our safety harness with a wheel on the end of a cable that attaches to the zip-line...all you need then is a little faith and an adventurous spirit. It's a heart-stopping, superhero experience....We found a zip about 500ft above the canopy that took approx 20 seconds to glide to the other side....it was a pretty surreal experience. We played there for a couple hours, hiking our way to the platform and zipping across to either side and the repeating. We made it back to our treehouse with our guide waiting there with our breakfast...I guess we all misunderstood when he said he's coming back with food. So we ate our breakfast to gather energy for another day in the forest hiking to see the rest of the treehouse, the kitchens that make our meals and the ziplines that connect this amazing ecofriendly adventure.
We spent the next 4 hours with our guide doing the zips we had previously discovered in the morning and more before heading to another treehouse for lunch. After an exhausting morning and afternoon we resorted back to number 3 for more cards and story telling. That evening after dinner the boys and I grabbed our safety harness and headlamps (just incase) to set out for a sunset zip across the long one about 15mins hike from our house. There were a few more clouds in the sky so the pink and orange sunset was spectacular. We made it back before dark and watched the rest of the sunset from our house up in the trees.
That night we got the tropical storm that usually happens in the rainy season throughout Asia. The entire sky was lit up by lightening and the rain didn't come until the early morning. We have an amazing weather up until now, so I guess we deserve a bit of rain....we hiked out in the rain with our ponchos. The rain actually made the zipping faster which was cool try....we hiked out of the Gibbons canopy's and back to the village to be picked up. However the road we came in on was complete mud so we started to trek out which would have taken us 4 hours to the road....still in the rain with feet feeling like lead due to the amount of mud stuck to our shoes we just thought we are truly getting the Lao experience. After about 40 mins of straight up hiking in the mud, our 4wheeler truck arrived and saved the day :) We almost got bogged a couple times, but our drive was pro and managed to stay on the road without flipping the vehicle or going over the edge...eeek...
We made it back in once piece with a very memorable experience into the world of a Gibbon, although we didn't spot a black crested Gibbon, the experience in itself could not have been any better. Not only was the adventure of the ziplining and hiking through pristine forest amazing, the friendships and interaction with the local Lao people was very special. This country is a place I would love to come back to. It's an escape from the developed world where people live off the land and value family and friends rather than possessions.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Laos - Vang Vieng & Luang Prabang
After a great 3 weeks traveling through Vietnam we were ready to move onto our next country. Laos.
We flew into the nations capital, Vientiane and just spent the evening at a lively pub watching the first game of the World Cup. Laos has a nationwide curfew of about 11.30pm but that was extended due to the crowds watching the football.
The next morning we took at 4 hour bus north to a little place called Vang Vieng....known for it's party atmosphere and tarzan swings and ziplines on the mekong. The entire town is built up for tubing down the river, with waterside bar, ropeswings, ziplines, mud wrestling, so there is a little bit of something for everyone. Not much tubing get done after you hit the bars. We actually got stuck at the first four because the buckets of vodka redbulls were just going down too good. We met up with a group of Aussie blokes that Amy knows from back home and met a group of Canadian guys from Vancouver, so between the two groups we definitely had our hands full. The first day we spent touring the town, buying a few souvenirs and laying down in the restaurants with a fruit smoothie watching the endless episodes of Friends they've got playing on the tv. Exactly what the lifestyle is like all over Laos....very laidback. They have this saying when in Laos (PDR - Please Don't Rush)....so that's exatly what we did :)
We spent a day on the river with a tube, however like I said we got stuck at the first few bars. The first had an epic rope swing and you could sit at the side of the bar with your legs dangling watching all the drunk daredevils trying to show off. I managed to do the swings a couple times with minor injuries! As I attempted to float down the river to observe the beautiful surroundings, all of a sudden I had a mini floatation device on my lap attached to a rope and on the other end was a Laos guy yelling at me to pull myself into the side to come join the festivities at his bar!!!! Wow...great service I thought, so we headed into the next circus. After a memorable night out on the river with great friends and surroundings we decided to do it all again the next day. But before that Amy and I did a bit of exploring. We hired a tuk tuk for the morning, went out to the Blue Hole which is fresh, turquoise runoff from the mtns where we were delightfully cooled off after climbing 200m straight up to view Tham Phu Kahm cave.
We had another evening out on the river after one of our favourite meals, a road side chicken baguette....this was our last night so I decided to make it last until the early morning...after more swinging on the river, buckets and beer bong, we headed to QBar to watch another football game, then out to Bucket Bar where the music and entertainment last all night. One moment I'm dancing and the next I'm doing a rain dance in a the tropical storm with fire dancers, fire limboers, flashing lights and music all around. It was a pretty surreal night.
The next morning Amy and I took a 6 hour bus north to Luang Prabang. This bus ride was absolutely beautiful, driving through the mtns and small villages of this very under developed country.
Fables, riverside Luang Prabang, with its lantern-lit streets, Indochinese architecture and heady fusion of Gallic and Asian cuisine, is truly something to experience. Many regard it as the Pearl of the Orient, with it's World Heritage status to protect its sacred peninsula of crumbling French villas and glittering gold-and-emerald wat. This was a perfect place to recover from a few days in Vang Vieng. After a nice sleep in we got in a tuk tuk and headed out to the 100m waterfall about 25km through the hills where we hiked through the national park to see the Moon Bear rehabilitation centre and ending up in the pools of cool, blue waters from the falls to cool off in. We spent a few hours exploring the forest and swimming in the pools before heading back to town and climbing the 350 steps (100m high) to Phu Si temple overlooking the World Heritage town to watch the sunset. We wandered through the Hmong night market a seemingly endless ribbon of colourful textiles, paper lanterns, T-shirts and weavings align the candlelit street, that come alive once the sun sets and the world cools down, when we were shopped out we stopped for tradition Lao food (bbq grilled fish, chicken, bamboo salad, ricenoodle salads, fresh spring rolls)... at the night food market..
The next day was just getting organized to head to Houai Xai...we caught a 15hour overnight bus to the Bokeo province where my knees hit the seat infront of me, it was over hot to start and then freezing cold and the seat didn't recline more than 90degrees...haha not the best experience of my life, but tolerable, at least I slept a little bit. It was nice to wake up in Houai Xai where there was literally nothing to do so I didn't feel guilty about napping during the day :) One day to gear up for our trek into Gibbon territory....
We flew into the nations capital, Vientiane and just spent the evening at a lively pub watching the first game of the World Cup. Laos has a nationwide curfew of about 11.30pm but that was extended due to the crowds watching the football.
The next morning we took at 4 hour bus north to a little place called Vang Vieng....known for it's party atmosphere and tarzan swings and ziplines on the mekong. The entire town is built up for tubing down the river, with waterside bar, ropeswings, ziplines, mud wrestling, so there is a little bit of something for everyone. Not much tubing get done after you hit the bars. We actually got stuck at the first four because the buckets of vodka redbulls were just going down too good. We met up with a group of Aussie blokes that Amy knows from back home and met a group of Canadian guys from Vancouver, so between the two groups we definitely had our hands full. The first day we spent touring the town, buying a few souvenirs and laying down in the restaurants with a fruit smoothie watching the endless episodes of Friends they've got playing on the tv. Exactly what the lifestyle is like all over Laos....very laidback. They have this saying when in Laos (PDR - Please Don't Rush)....so that's exatly what we did :)
We spent a day on the river with a tube, however like I said we got stuck at the first few bars. The first had an epic rope swing and you could sit at the side of the bar with your legs dangling watching all the drunk daredevils trying to show off. I managed to do the swings a couple times with minor injuries! As I attempted to float down the river to observe the beautiful surroundings, all of a sudden I had a mini floatation device on my lap attached to a rope and on the other end was a Laos guy yelling at me to pull myself into the side to come join the festivities at his bar!!!! Wow...great service I thought, so we headed into the next circus. After a memorable night out on the river with great friends and surroundings we decided to do it all again the next day. But before that Amy and I did a bit of exploring. We hired a tuk tuk for the morning, went out to the Blue Hole which is fresh, turquoise runoff from the mtns where we were delightfully cooled off after climbing 200m straight up to view Tham Phu Kahm cave.
We had another evening out on the river after one of our favourite meals, a road side chicken baguette....this was our last night so I decided to make it last until the early morning...after more swinging on the river, buckets and beer bong, we headed to QBar to watch another football game, then out to Bucket Bar where the music and entertainment last all night. One moment I'm dancing and the next I'm doing a rain dance in a the tropical storm with fire dancers, fire limboers, flashing lights and music all around. It was a pretty surreal night.
The next morning Amy and I took a 6 hour bus north to Luang Prabang. This bus ride was absolutely beautiful, driving through the mtns and small villages of this very under developed country.
Fables, riverside Luang Prabang, with its lantern-lit streets, Indochinese architecture and heady fusion of Gallic and Asian cuisine, is truly something to experience. Many regard it as the Pearl of the Orient, with it's World Heritage status to protect its sacred peninsula of crumbling French villas and glittering gold-and-emerald wat. This was a perfect place to recover from a few days in Vang Vieng. After a nice sleep in we got in a tuk tuk and headed out to the 100m waterfall about 25km through the hills where we hiked through the national park to see the Moon Bear rehabilitation centre and ending up in the pools of cool, blue waters from the falls to cool off in. We spent a few hours exploring the forest and swimming in the pools before heading back to town and climbing the 350 steps (100m high) to Phu Si temple overlooking the World Heritage town to watch the sunset. We wandered through the Hmong night market a seemingly endless ribbon of colourful textiles, paper lanterns, T-shirts and weavings align the candlelit street, that come alive once the sun sets and the world cools down, when we were shopped out we stopped for tradition Lao food (bbq grilled fish, chicken, bamboo salad, ricenoodle salads, fresh spring rolls)... at the night food market..
The next day was just getting organized to head to Houai Xai...we caught a 15hour overnight bus to the Bokeo province where my knees hit the seat infront of me, it was over hot to start and then freezing cold and the seat didn't recline more than 90degrees...haha not the best experience of my life, but tolerable, at least I slept a little bit. It was nice to wake up in Houai Xai where there was literally nothing to do so I didn't feel guilty about napping during the day :) One day to gear up for our trek into Gibbon territory....
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Northern Vietnam - Sapa
After an amazing 3 days in Halong Bay we are now off to the hills of Sapa. Perched on a steep slope, Sapa overlooks a plunging valley of cascading rice terraces, with mountains towering above the town on all sides. Founded as a French hill station in 1922. We caught the overnight train from Hanoi to Lao Cai, one of the gateways to China and then caught a mini bus (1hr) up the hills to this small town usually shrouded in mist, but we with our amazing luck had sunshine and weather that wasn't too hot with no rain! Not sure who is on our side but I like it :) We arrived at our hotel to a dozen local girls dressed in traditional where greeting us with huge smiles and screams like we were celebrities. Soon enough they were our little tails following us around the town. It was very cute because allow they wanted us to buy stuff they were curious to know about our lives...
We wondered around the town that held such a French influence in the architecture and food with beautiful ladies in colourful garments running around smiling as we passed.
We ate breakfast and headed off on our trek into the hills passing villages and rice paddies along the way. The weather was sunny but they had had rain the past few days so the trek was a little muddy. The ladies and girls who had greeted us in the morning were now our personal helper down the hills to make sure we didn't fall in the mud. They guided us through the rough terrain all the way to their village (Tan Van Village). We arrived at our homestay around 2pm and in the most intense heat of the day we took off our shoes and went straight to work in the rice paddies. They showed us how to bundle the rice plants and knock off the mud to be made into little teepees to dry out before replanting. Every few minutes I'd hear little giggles from the ladies while they watched us work, I'm sure it would have been a funny sight. I honestly thought we were making more work for them in the end, but they really appreciated it. After about an hour of back breaking (not really) work we went onto the viranda in the shade for a nice cold beverage while we watched the villagers continue in the fields and the water buffalo plow paddies that would be relpanted. They work for 12 hour days with an hour for lunch bent over caring to these paddies....I can definitely appreciate that work and energy that goes into this even after one hour. Vietnam, after Thailand, is the largest exporting country for rice and we helped out very very minutely :)
Our homestay was half way up the mtn overlooking the cascading rice paddies which was a perfect spot to sip a Hanoi beer and watch the sun set.
We had dinner with the family and played with the kids, who had rotting teeth from the amount of candy they were fed from all of the locals....I joined in and ate it with them feeling bad that my teeth weren't rotted. We hit the hay pretty early in our loft bedroom and woke the next morning to the roosters, luckily no more work was to be done in the fields, just a nice crepe, banana and honey breakfast waiting for us.
After a lazy morning watching the villagers slowly increase in numbers in the fields we packed our bags and headed to the next village which was about 2hours away of straigh up and straigh down trekking. It was amazing walking through different villages and witnessing such a different way of life. Our trek was almost done as we sat at the top of a waterfall looking down on the Glang Ta Chai Village. We hiked down, ate a nice pho meal at the bottom of the waterfall, near the stream and waited for our motorbikes to take us back to Sapa. This was probably the most spectacular ride back to Sapa...on the top of the valley weaving back and forth as we watched the life happen below.
Back in Sapa Amy and I found a bar that had Shisha, so like old Cairo times, I had myself a Shisha and then went for a midnight hot chocolate and coconut bread...when in Sapa :)
The next morning Amy wanted to rest her legs so I hiked down 3km to Cat Cat Village. I trekked into the valley on my own and learned how to move a waterbuffalo from my path...good thing I had seen our guide do it the previous day, so I knew it could be done. I grabbed a long stick, started making a hissing sound and hit some nearby branches like I had a whip...surely enough this buffalo moved out of my path and down the hill to graze somewhere else. The hike down was very steep so I decided to catch a motorbike to the top again. Amy and I then hiked a mtn in Sapa which took about 30mins to view the entire town from the microwave tower. It was pretty surreal, it actually almost reminded me of a littler Whister Village, with it's European feel and look to it.
Before our overnight train back to Hanoi, Amy and I met some travellers and went to drink some Bia Hoi, which we had recently discovered. It's the cheapest beer in the world, literally .30cents for a pint...originally brought to Vietnam by the Czech's, it was continually brewed here after they left. It's a light coloured beer served from kegs on the side of the streets. It's a very local thing to do but you see the experienced traveller getting in there once and a while! After a few Bia Hoi's with a kiwi, Canadian, Irish, Aussie and the locals we made our way back through the valley to Lao Cai where we caught the overnight train back to Hanoi.
We wondered around the town that held such a French influence in the architecture and food with beautiful ladies in colourful garments running around smiling as we passed.
We ate breakfast and headed off on our trek into the hills passing villages and rice paddies along the way. The weather was sunny but they had had rain the past few days so the trek was a little muddy. The ladies and girls who had greeted us in the morning were now our personal helper down the hills to make sure we didn't fall in the mud. They guided us through the rough terrain all the way to their village (Tan Van Village). We arrived at our homestay around 2pm and in the most intense heat of the day we took off our shoes and went straight to work in the rice paddies. They showed us how to bundle the rice plants and knock off the mud to be made into little teepees to dry out before replanting. Every few minutes I'd hear little giggles from the ladies while they watched us work, I'm sure it would have been a funny sight. I honestly thought we were making more work for them in the end, but they really appreciated it. After about an hour of back breaking (not really) work we went onto the viranda in the shade for a nice cold beverage while we watched the villagers continue in the fields and the water buffalo plow paddies that would be relpanted. They work for 12 hour days with an hour for lunch bent over caring to these paddies....I can definitely appreciate that work and energy that goes into this even after one hour. Vietnam, after Thailand, is the largest exporting country for rice and we helped out very very minutely :)
Our homestay was half way up the mtn overlooking the cascading rice paddies which was a perfect spot to sip a Hanoi beer and watch the sun set.
We had dinner with the family and played with the kids, who had rotting teeth from the amount of candy they were fed from all of the locals....I joined in and ate it with them feeling bad that my teeth weren't rotted. We hit the hay pretty early in our loft bedroom and woke the next morning to the roosters, luckily no more work was to be done in the fields, just a nice crepe, banana and honey breakfast waiting for us.
After a lazy morning watching the villagers slowly increase in numbers in the fields we packed our bags and headed to the next village which was about 2hours away of straigh up and straigh down trekking. It was amazing walking through different villages and witnessing such a different way of life. Our trek was almost done as we sat at the top of a waterfall looking down on the Glang Ta Chai Village. We hiked down, ate a nice pho meal at the bottom of the waterfall, near the stream and waited for our motorbikes to take us back to Sapa. This was probably the most spectacular ride back to Sapa...on the top of the valley weaving back and forth as we watched the life happen below.
Back in Sapa Amy and I found a bar that had Shisha, so like old Cairo times, I had myself a Shisha and then went for a midnight hot chocolate and coconut bread...when in Sapa :)
The next morning Amy wanted to rest her legs so I hiked down 3km to Cat Cat Village. I trekked into the valley on my own and learned how to move a waterbuffalo from my path...good thing I had seen our guide do it the previous day, so I knew it could be done. I grabbed a long stick, started making a hissing sound and hit some nearby branches like I had a whip...surely enough this buffalo moved out of my path and down the hill to graze somewhere else. The hike down was very steep so I decided to catch a motorbike to the top again. Amy and I then hiked a mtn in Sapa which took about 30mins to view the entire town from the microwave tower. It was pretty surreal, it actually almost reminded me of a littler Whister Village, with it's European feel and look to it.
Before our overnight train back to Hanoi, Amy and I met some travellers and went to drink some Bia Hoi, which we had recently discovered. It's the cheapest beer in the world, literally .30cents for a pint...originally brought to Vietnam by the Czech's, it was continually brewed here after they left. It's a light coloured beer served from kegs on the side of the streets. It's a very local thing to do but you see the experienced traveller getting in there once and a while! After a few Bia Hoi's with a kiwi, Canadian, Irish, Aussie and the locals we made our way back through the valley to Lao Cai where we caught the overnight train back to Hanoi.
Northern Vietnam - Hanoi & Halong Bay
We arrived in the grand old dame of the Orient, Hanoi is the most graceful, atmoshperic and captivating capital city. A mass of motorbikes swarms through the tangles web of streets that is the Old Quarter where we stayed and used as a base to Halong Bay and Sapa. We walked the narrow streets of Hanoi checking out the food markets and hiring a cyclos to get around when our legs got tired. This is a little carriage attached to a bike that we pay someone to peddle us around. Great way to manouver through the streets.
Halong Bay was next our sights to see in the north to the next morning we ventured out on a 3 day tour of this amazing natural wonder. Majestic and masterious, inspiring and imperious - words cannot alone do justice to the natural wonder that is Halong Bay, where 3000 or more incredible islands rise from the emerald water of the Gulf of Tonkin. The vegetation covered islands are dotted with many grottoes created by the wind and waves. Ha Long means 'where the dragon descends into the sea.' Legend says that the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon that lived in the mountains.
We were picked up at our hotel in Hanoi and drove 3.5 hrs to Halong City where we boarded our junk (boat) for that would be our home for the next 3 days. Phoenix deluxe it was called and deluxe it was :) Amy and I shared a cabin that looked straight out onto the water. 15 of us loaded onto the junk and we set sail straight away....while sailing through the Gulf of Tonkin (off the north shores of Vietnam). The food on this cruise was absolutely amazing, more than enough food for an entire week. They served us Veg soup, pork with pepper, steamed prawns, stirfried squid, fried tuna in tomato sauce, mixed veg and rice.
After lunch we boarded a smaller boat which took us to visit a large cave because it was geared at those tourist who just did the one day tour. It was still great to see the cave and do a bit of kayaking but the adventure on the next day definitely showed up the first day. We headed back to the boat around 4pm for red wine and fresh fruit served on the top deck. Everyone on the boat was mid 20-40 so at this point we were just getting to know everyone. The deck staff said we could go swimming and I immediately asked if we could jump off the top deck (about 20-20ft to the water) thinking they were going to say 'no'.....then I thought hey, I'm in Vietnam, there are no rules here as they answered my question with a, 'yes'! So we did a bit of jumping off our junk into the sea....Around all of the junks parked in the area for the night there are small row boats that have everything from chips, to smoked fish, to BEER. So I thought it would be nice to float with a beer...I shouted everyone in the water a beer and then the rest of the party came to join us while we floated drinking beer and watching the sun set in the horizon in Halong Bay. Playing with a local boy who was on his Mom's shop boat selling us the beer while feeding us smoked fish....it was a pretty cool experience. The little boy was supposed to be doing his homework which I was very impressed that in the middle of the sea, with no actual land cities, this boy goes to school. She actually showed us his work!!! After a few beers floating and fun with the locals it was time for another massive meal consisting of seafood soup, deep fried tofu with egg, fresh spring rolls, steamed prawn, crab meat stuffed in a crab shell, steams clams with lemomgrass, stirfried chicken with mushrooms, fried beed with pepper and the list goes on!!! We finished the evening with drinks on the roof top as we listen to the sound of karaoke on some of the other boats...
The next day Amy and I boarded a small boat with our guide Tuan.....paid for a tour and got a private tour for the day. There was only one other couple we saw the entire day as we kayaked through Cat Ba National Park. We sailed for an hour in the morning on our own boat, then kayaked through a 100m dark cave with only a headlamp as light as bats swooped by our faces, eventually to come to a beautiful lagoon type enclosure which is home to various species of monkey which we were lucky enough to spot a few of one kind. We kayaked through two more shorter caves and then sat in a turquiose lagoon mesmorize by the beauty and tranquility of the peaceful waters and surroundings...I though for a moment that I had been transported to Jurassic Park....without the dinasours of course..
We jumped out of the Kayaks and went for a little float in the lagoon before making our way in the kayaks to Van Gia one of the largest floating fishing villages in the area. It had about 1000 people living in this village that reminded me of waterworld. These kids have probably never kicked a soccer ball or ran faster than a slow jog....it was amazing to see. It was very good to hear that the kids do go to a local floating school there. They get up in the morning and row across to their school....Our private boat was waiting for us here where we had another amazing lunch with endless seafood. We relaxed on the boat and swam around before mingling with the locals who would come visit us on there little row boats. I even got delivered a cafe surda (Iced coffee). What service :)
On the way back to our big boat we hiked a few minutes to another cave that looked as if no tourist had ever stepped foot in it and they guide said very few had...I think we definitely lucked out on this day.....private tour, sunny weather, a little breeze to give us a break from the humidity and a perfect guide and surroundings.
That evening there was a tropical storm after we all stuffed ourselves and went to bed. It was amazing to wake up in the middle of the night and go outside to see the heaviest rain fall I'd ever seen.
The next morning we cruised through the islands with a little rain back to the port where we drove back to Hanoi.
Halong Bay was next our sights to see in the north to the next morning we ventured out on a 3 day tour of this amazing natural wonder. Majestic and masterious, inspiring and imperious - words cannot alone do justice to the natural wonder that is Halong Bay, where 3000 or more incredible islands rise from the emerald water of the Gulf of Tonkin. The vegetation covered islands are dotted with many grottoes created by the wind and waves. Ha Long means 'where the dragon descends into the sea.' Legend says that the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon that lived in the mountains.
We were picked up at our hotel in Hanoi and drove 3.5 hrs to Halong City where we boarded our junk (boat) for that would be our home for the next 3 days. Phoenix deluxe it was called and deluxe it was :) Amy and I shared a cabin that looked straight out onto the water. 15 of us loaded onto the junk and we set sail straight away....while sailing through the Gulf of Tonkin (off the north shores of Vietnam). The food on this cruise was absolutely amazing, more than enough food for an entire week. They served us Veg soup, pork with pepper, steamed prawns, stirfried squid, fried tuna in tomato sauce, mixed veg and rice.
After lunch we boarded a smaller boat which took us to visit a large cave because it was geared at those tourist who just did the one day tour. It was still great to see the cave and do a bit of kayaking but the adventure on the next day definitely showed up the first day. We headed back to the boat around 4pm for red wine and fresh fruit served on the top deck. Everyone on the boat was mid 20-40 so at this point we were just getting to know everyone. The deck staff said we could go swimming and I immediately asked if we could jump off the top deck (about 20-20ft to the water) thinking they were going to say 'no'.....then I thought hey, I'm in Vietnam, there are no rules here as they answered my question with a, 'yes'! So we did a bit of jumping off our junk into the sea....Around all of the junks parked in the area for the night there are small row boats that have everything from chips, to smoked fish, to BEER. So I thought it would be nice to float with a beer...I shouted everyone in the water a beer and then the rest of the party came to join us while we floated drinking beer and watching the sun set in the horizon in Halong Bay. Playing with a local boy who was on his Mom's shop boat selling us the beer while feeding us smoked fish....it was a pretty cool experience. The little boy was supposed to be doing his homework which I was very impressed that in the middle of the sea, with no actual land cities, this boy goes to school. She actually showed us his work!!! After a few beers floating and fun with the locals it was time for another massive meal consisting of seafood soup, deep fried tofu with egg, fresh spring rolls, steamed prawn, crab meat stuffed in a crab shell, steams clams with lemomgrass, stirfried chicken with mushrooms, fried beed with pepper and the list goes on!!! We finished the evening with drinks on the roof top as we listen to the sound of karaoke on some of the other boats...
The next day Amy and I boarded a small boat with our guide Tuan.....paid for a tour and got a private tour for the day. There was only one other couple we saw the entire day as we kayaked through Cat Ba National Park. We sailed for an hour in the morning on our own boat, then kayaked through a 100m dark cave with only a headlamp as light as bats swooped by our faces, eventually to come to a beautiful lagoon type enclosure which is home to various species of monkey which we were lucky enough to spot a few of one kind. We kayaked through two more shorter caves and then sat in a turquiose lagoon mesmorize by the beauty and tranquility of the peaceful waters and surroundings...I though for a moment that I had been transported to Jurassic Park....without the dinasours of course..
We jumped out of the Kayaks and went for a little float in the lagoon before making our way in the kayaks to Van Gia one of the largest floating fishing villages in the area. It had about 1000 people living in this village that reminded me of waterworld. These kids have probably never kicked a soccer ball or ran faster than a slow jog....it was amazing to see. It was very good to hear that the kids do go to a local floating school there. They get up in the morning and row across to their school....Our private boat was waiting for us here where we had another amazing lunch with endless seafood. We relaxed on the boat and swam around before mingling with the locals who would come visit us on there little row boats. I even got delivered a cafe surda (Iced coffee). What service :)
On the way back to our big boat we hiked a few minutes to another cave that looked as if no tourist had ever stepped foot in it and they guide said very few had...I think we definitely lucked out on this day.....private tour, sunny weather, a little breeze to give us a break from the humidity and a perfect guide and surroundings.
That evening there was a tropical storm after we all stuffed ourselves and went to bed. It was amazing to wake up in the middle of the night and go outside to see the heaviest rain fall I'd ever seen.
The next morning we cruised through the islands with a little rain back to the port where we drove back to Hanoi.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Photos - Vietnam
1. Amy & I on Cua Dai Beach - Hoi An
2. Red sanddunes in Mui Ne
3. Amy, Joe & I at the Sailing Club in Nha trang after buckets of Vodka Redbull
4. Our 100 km motorbike ride to the dunes - Mui Ne
5. Dynasty Resort in Mui Ne
6. The Crew on the sanddunes - Mui Ne
7. Joe being patriotic with the flag!
8. Mon Island, Nha Trang - dive site
9. Sand Sledding - Mui Ne sanddunes
10. Workers in the field - Mui Ne
11. Underwater at Moray Beach dive site - Nha Trang
12. Diving and OK in Nha Trang
13. Boat ride to dive site - Nha Trang
14. Nha Trang Beach
15. Fruit at Dam Market - Nha Trang
16. Traditional way to carry anything...2 hooked on either side of bamboo
17. Cua Dai Beach - Hoi An
2. Red sanddunes in Mui Ne
3. Amy, Joe & I at the Sailing Club in Nha trang after buckets of Vodka Redbull
4. Our 100 km motorbike ride to the dunes - Mui Ne
5. Dynasty Resort in Mui Ne
6. The Crew on the sanddunes - Mui Ne
7. Joe being patriotic with the flag!
8. Mon Island, Nha Trang - dive site
9. Sand Sledding - Mui Ne sanddunes
10. Workers in the field - Mui Ne
11. Underwater at Moray Beach dive site - Nha Trang
12. Diving and OK in Nha Trang
13. Boat ride to dive site - Nha Trang
14. Nha Trang Beach
15. Fruit at Dam Market - Nha Trang
16. Traditional way to carry anything...2 hooked on either side of bamboo
17. Cua Dai Beach - Hoi An
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Beachin along the coast - Nha Trang & Mui Ne
Next stop Nha Trang which is the beach capital of Vietnam. I would kind of consider this place similar to Sharm but quite a bit smaller. Not too touristy but has a load of people around and many things to do. Nha Trang also has the best diving in Vietnam and that is exactly what we did, spent a day discovering the underwater world.
This was the first town that Joe, Amy and I went out to really experience the night life. We loaded ourselves for delicious belini's at a place called Guava which is run by two guys from Vancouver Island then we ventured to the Sailing Club which is located right on the beach. Watched a live band and the most talented fire dancer I've ever seen and then started the dance floor right on the sand after comsuming a few lethal buckets of Vodka Redbull, not the best idea when you have booked in for diving the next morning.
Amy and I barely made it to the dive shop to start our day out at sea early the next morning, around the 9 islands that surround Nha Trang. I dove two sites, Octopus Rock and Moray Beach. I saw schools of tropical coloured fish, the most colourful, vibrant coral, a moray eel, cutle fish, blow fish, massive star fish and a dozen more types of fish I could not name unfortunately and also swam through my first cave which was about 15 feet long and filled with fish(lots of fish:)..such a thrilling experience! The water was 26degrees with 10-15m visibility....for me this is just heaven because I get cold easily but for most people it may be a bit too warm. The air temperature was over 33 degrees I think and beautifully sunny, so no lack of warmth :) The boat ride out to the site was spectacular, a variety of islands surrounded by blue and red fishing boats, turquoise waters and endless sunshine! This has definitely been the highlight of the trip so far!
Another great thing about traveling the coast is the endless amount of fresh seafood we have been eating...BQQ prawns, squid, clams and more...
So after two days it was time to see more of the coast so we travelled 4 hours south to a beach called Mui Ne, arguably the best all-round beach in Vietnam according to the Lonely Planet guide. Mui Ne is also known as the 'Sahara' of Vietnam, with the most dramatic sand dunes in the region looming large. It is a lot more peaceful than Nha Trang without huge crowds on the beach and few motorcycles on the roads. We thought this is a perfect place to rent our own motorbikes for a couple of days and explore. We settled at the most amazing resort with an infinity pool that looks straight out onto the beach....backpackers with style! Then we were off to choose our bikes. That evening Joe, Tung (Joe's brother) and I went for a night ride to see some of the coast. The next morning all 6 of us, Amy, Joe, Aigh, Tung, Dave and I got on our own bikes and Joe's mom hopped on the guides bike and we sailed along the coast about 45km to the white sand dunes...the ride was beautiful with the wind in our helmets and the freedom at the throttle, it was as beautiful as the Great Ocean Rd in Australia!
We had a few refreshments at the sanddunes, Coconuts with fresh juice, before we set on our sandsledding expedition. Sand sledding was fun, but I prefer running and jumping down the dunes like an idiot and getting sand everywhere possible :)
The farm fields were a lot different than we had seen up the coast, the soil was red/orange similar to the soil in Kuai Island in Hawaii for those of you who have been there. I loved the farmers out in the fields with their rice hats and full length pants and shirts in the 35 degree heat. Not something I could do...
The afternoon got very hot so we resided around the pool and beach to catch some more rays...
Joe and I that evening did a bit of stargazing in the pool and caught up from the past 10 years!!! It was good to have my best friend back :)
All good things have to come to an end...it was time for Amy and I to say goodbye to Joe and his family. After everything they had done for us, organizing taxi's, hotels, tours...etc it was sad to say goodbye. It was so much fun to share the experience of traveling with them especially since that was their first time here also. We said our farwells and watched them drive south to Saigon. Amy and I hit the tanning once again to make the most of the beautiful resort which we probably wouldn't be staying in something so nice for a while! We caught a bus north back to Nha Trang to get one last fix of this liveliness. Although we ended up spending the day relaxing in the sun on comfy beds, swimming in the clear waters and getting fresh fruit served to us all day long. We tried to bargain for a cheap massage but they wouldn't budge on 140dong ($9) for both of us so we passed on that...now that I think about it, that is pretty damn cheap but we are stubborn negotiators!
Tomorrow morning we have an early flight to Hanoi which is the capital of Vietnam. Stay tuned for more adventures and fun !
Love both of us xx
This was the first town that Joe, Amy and I went out to really experience the night life. We loaded ourselves for delicious belini's at a place called Guava which is run by two guys from Vancouver Island then we ventured to the Sailing Club which is located right on the beach. Watched a live band and the most talented fire dancer I've ever seen and then started the dance floor right on the sand after comsuming a few lethal buckets of Vodka Redbull, not the best idea when you have booked in for diving the next morning.
Amy and I barely made it to the dive shop to start our day out at sea early the next morning, around the 9 islands that surround Nha Trang. I dove two sites, Octopus Rock and Moray Beach. I saw schools of tropical coloured fish, the most colourful, vibrant coral, a moray eel, cutle fish, blow fish, massive star fish and a dozen more types of fish I could not name unfortunately and also swam through my first cave which was about 15 feet long and filled with fish(lots of fish:)..such a thrilling experience! The water was 26degrees with 10-15m visibility....for me this is just heaven because I get cold easily but for most people it may be a bit too warm. The air temperature was over 33 degrees I think and beautifully sunny, so no lack of warmth :) The boat ride out to the site was spectacular, a variety of islands surrounded by blue and red fishing boats, turquoise waters and endless sunshine! This has definitely been the highlight of the trip so far!
Another great thing about traveling the coast is the endless amount of fresh seafood we have been eating...BQQ prawns, squid, clams and more...
So after two days it was time to see more of the coast so we travelled 4 hours south to a beach called Mui Ne, arguably the best all-round beach in Vietnam according to the Lonely Planet guide. Mui Ne is also known as the 'Sahara' of Vietnam, with the most dramatic sand dunes in the region looming large. It is a lot more peaceful than Nha Trang without huge crowds on the beach and few motorcycles on the roads. We thought this is a perfect place to rent our own motorbikes for a couple of days and explore. We settled at the most amazing resort with an infinity pool that looks straight out onto the beach....backpackers with style! Then we were off to choose our bikes. That evening Joe, Tung (Joe's brother) and I went for a night ride to see some of the coast. The next morning all 6 of us, Amy, Joe, Aigh, Tung, Dave and I got on our own bikes and Joe's mom hopped on the guides bike and we sailed along the coast about 45km to the white sand dunes...the ride was beautiful with the wind in our helmets and the freedom at the throttle, it was as beautiful as the Great Ocean Rd in Australia!
We had a few refreshments at the sanddunes, Coconuts with fresh juice, before we set on our sandsledding expedition. Sand sledding was fun, but I prefer running and jumping down the dunes like an idiot and getting sand everywhere possible :)
The farm fields were a lot different than we had seen up the coast, the soil was red/orange similar to the soil in Kuai Island in Hawaii for those of you who have been there. I loved the farmers out in the fields with their rice hats and full length pants and shirts in the 35 degree heat. Not something I could do...
The afternoon got very hot so we resided around the pool and beach to catch some more rays...
Joe and I that evening did a bit of stargazing in the pool and caught up from the past 10 years!!! It was good to have my best friend back :)
All good things have to come to an end...it was time for Amy and I to say goodbye to Joe and his family. After everything they had done for us, organizing taxi's, hotels, tours...etc it was sad to say goodbye. It was so much fun to share the experience of traveling with them especially since that was their first time here also. We said our farwells and watched them drive south to Saigon. Amy and I hit the tanning once again to make the most of the beautiful resort which we probably wouldn't be staying in something so nice for a while! We caught a bus north back to Nha Trang to get one last fix of this liveliness. Although we ended up spending the day relaxing in the sun on comfy beds, swimming in the clear waters and getting fresh fruit served to us all day long. We tried to bargain for a cheap massage but they wouldn't budge on 140dong ($9) for both of us so we passed on that...now that I think about it, that is pretty damn cheap but we are stubborn negotiators!
Tomorrow morning we have an early flight to Hanoi which is the capital of Vietnam. Stay tuned for more adventures and fun !
Love both of us xx
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