So, we learn that there are 5m waves and shitty weather over in Ko Samui and Ko Tao. We make the executive decision to change course and head to Krabi. I'm actually excited about the change, as now I have a chance to check out the several small islands and beaches along the Andaman Sea.
It's about a 3 hour drive from Khao Sok National Park to Ao Nang, our home for three nights. We stay at a small hotel called J Guesthouse, just outside of Ao Nang (which is better, because Ao Nang isn't super nice, just really touristy and a hub to head to other beaches/islands). The hotel is super clean, and I am excited to stay in a nice place for a few nights. We walk around town, lots of touristy shops, etc. and we head to an amazing seafood dinner. Everything is caught fresh. I got a whole red snapper and a tiger prawn. Just simply BBQ'd and served with sauces like sweet and sour sauce, fish sace, something with garlic and chilis.
SNORKELING IN PARIDISE
Our second day in Krabi (BTW, Krabi is a province, but also a city. We stayed in Krabi the province, but the city of Ao Nang), we head out snorkeling and off to different islands. This was an INCREDIBLE DAY. We take a speed boat and hoppped around. We went to:
- Monkey Island
- Ko Phi Phi Lei (Maya Beach...this is where "The Beach" was filmed)
- Ko Phi Phi Lei Lagoon
- Ko Phi Phi Don
- Bamboo Island
My favorite by far was Bamboo Island. So quite, no buildings, as it is a national park. Super white sand beaches and blue/green clear waters. Maya Beach was beautiful too, but it was super packed with people and boats coming in and out.
MUAY THAI BOXING
That night, we head to a muay thai boxing match. By the way, there has been a truck that has been driving up and down the main street in Ao Nang announcing the boxing match nonstop. We hop on a bus to take us to the stadium. It's a free bus (if you have a ticket) and it is suuuuuuper packed. We get there, get some Chang and Singha beers and get setteled. They start off with youngies, about 9 or 10. Kind of weird seeing kids fight, but that's how they start training. Muay Thai boxing is very neat. First of all, there's a live band. By a live band, I mean snake charmer like music...a gong keeping the beat and a recorder type instrument doing the tune. The sport itself is quite spiritual. The fighters wear a head piece and do prayers before each match. After they fight, they help each other up, sometimes hug. Good sportsmanship. We saw about 3 knockouts! Kind of crazy....fun night!
ROCK CLIMBING AND RAILAY
The next day (our last full day in Krabi), I head with a few folks over to Railay (a near by beach reachable only by long tail boat). We rock climb for the morning. A lot harder than I rembember, but I made it to the top of all 4 of my climbs. In the afternoon, we head to Pra Nang beach. This beach is great. One, it has a shrine of penises, called Princes Cave. Two, the sand is super fine and almost white. Three, the water is clear and nice and blue/green. You can stand up far away and see your feet! Four, there are cool caves that you can crawl/swim around. In general, it is a smaller beach, not TOO crowded and made for a fantastic day. After this day, we topped it off with a nice beach side Thai Massage for 200 Baht (the conversion rate is 34 Baht/dollar)
LAST NIGHT IN KRABI/AO NANG
After a splendid time in Krabi, we all hit the bar called Chang Bar. Chang means elephant. This is the last real night with everyone in the group. Some people in the group even got tattoos today!!! We all have some drinks, do some dancing and have a grand time. They play some reggae, one of which is a group called Job 2 Do, which I guess is really poplular Thai reggae. Just my style...I pick up the CD the next day before we leave.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Overnight train and Khao Sok National Park
After I met up with the group, we went out for dinner to THE BEST PAD THAI EVER!!! It was soo delicious. It was the kind that has the egg omelet encasing it. It's located near Golden Mount (a temple that has 360 degree view of the city). I got that with an orange juice. BTW the orange juice is to die for here. Most of the time, it is fresh squeesed, and made from tangerines. YUM.
The next day, Tara (my room mate) and I headed to the Grand Palace. It was huge. I think I like Wat Pho better, but the Grand Palace is super bejewled and beautiful. Then, we did some more shopping on Ko San Road and saw Golden Mount.
Took the overnight train from Bangkok to Suratthani. The trains in Thailand aren't that bad. Better than Vietnam. We were in a car with about 40 seats. They then transformed them into beds and a bunk folds down. Actually quite comfy and clean. They use fresh sheets (they are in plastic bags so you know they are clean).
Once we arrive in Suratthani, we head to Khao Sok National Park. The hotel here consists of simple bungalows. That afternoon, we had a lazy day of tubing down one of the rivers there. I had a yummy dinner of Tom Yum Soup (a sour soup). We head to bed, but you can hear TONS of saketas. So many of them, it sounds like an alarm. They are huge, but harmless. We head to bed, but one happens to get into our room! It was quite an ordeal to get it out.
The next day, we head to the lakes. There are two lakes in the national park. We take a long tail boat to a floating hotel. It was awesome! clear waters, simple bungalows. You can jump right from your door into the lake or kayak. We had a fantastic lunch of local fish, curry, and fresh dragon fruit and apples. We then take a hike and take a bamboo raft to a cave. Before heading back to the hotel, we take a nice swim in the lake. That night we had a yummy BBQ dinner of kebabs, fried rice, FRENCH FRIES (which were a nice treat), and fresh fruit.
The next day, Tara (my room mate) and I headed to the Grand Palace. It was huge. I think I like Wat Pho better, but the Grand Palace is super bejewled and beautiful. Then, we did some more shopping on Ko San Road and saw Golden Mount.
Took the overnight train from Bangkok to Suratthani. The trains in Thailand aren't that bad. Better than Vietnam. We were in a car with about 40 seats. They then transformed them into beds and a bunk folds down. Actually quite comfy and clean. They use fresh sheets (they are in plastic bags so you know they are clean).
Once we arrive in Suratthani, we head to Khao Sok National Park. The hotel here consists of simple bungalows. That afternoon, we had a lazy day of tubing down one of the rivers there. I had a yummy dinner of Tom Yum Soup (a sour soup). We head to bed, but you can hear TONS of saketas. So many of them, it sounds like an alarm. They are huge, but harmless. We head to bed, but one happens to get into our room! It was quite an ordeal to get it out.
The next day, we head to the lakes. There are two lakes in the national park. We take a long tail boat to a floating hotel. It was awesome! clear waters, simple bungalows. You can jump right from your door into the lake or kayak. We had a fantastic lunch of local fish, curry, and fresh dragon fruit and apples. We then take a hike and take a bamboo raft to a cave. Before heading back to the hotel, we take a nice swim in the lake. That night we had a yummy BBQ dinner of kebabs, fried rice, FRENCH FRIES (which were a nice treat), and fresh fruit.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Tham bien Vietnam, Sa wat dii kha Thailand!
Goodbye Vietnam, Hello Thailand!
Lily and I stay in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) for one night on the 9th before we have our flights. We don't really see much of it, as we are wiped and ready to move on. After a sad goodbye at the airport, I'm off to Thailand!
I arrive in Bangkok on the 10th, and I have basically two days before I meet up with my tour group. I signed up to do the "Southern Thailand Sojourn" with GAP Adventures. You should check out the site. www.gapadventures.com There's several different types of tours, from involved activity ones to super laid back ones. It's kind of like backpacking with a local. Even if you're not interested in a tour, it's some real fun travel inspiration.
Once I'm in Bangkok, I stay at Trang Hotel, the meeting point for my tour. I need a little time on my own to readjust the brain to a different culture/language/money and also be on my own and without Lily, my travel buddy for the past two weeks.
WAT PHO AND TEMPLE ETIQUETTE AND MASSAGE!
I check out Wat Pho, which is a beautiful temple with a HUGE reclining buddha. Quite stunning and pretty. BTW, when visiting any sort of Wat or temple, you have to dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and you have to take off your shoes when you enter. I guess the feet are considered dirty/unholy, so when you sit in a temple, you have to sit on top of your feet with your knees facing the buddha. You can't point with your feet in that direction...that is considered disrespectful.
After the temple visit, I head to the Wat Pho Massage school and get a foot reflexology massage for an hour. It was fabulous and cost me about 360 baht (coversion rate is 34 baht to 1 USD), which is actually a little on the expensive side here. It was great though!!
KHAO SAN ROAD
I do some shopping on Khao San Road on the way back to the hotel. Aweseom shopping! You can haggle here (not as good haggling as in Vietnam), and they have really cute stuff! This street is also a party street, and lots of vendors and people. It's best in the evening/night. I think Thailand is big on the night markets.
I meet up with my GAP Adventure tour, and everyone is really cool! Most did a tour right before in the northern Thailand hill tribes, so most of them already know each other. My roommate, Tara, is a Canadian, and she is super nice and normal!
Lily and I stay in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) for one night on the 9th before we have our flights. We don't really see much of it, as we are wiped and ready to move on. After a sad goodbye at the airport, I'm off to Thailand!
I arrive in Bangkok on the 10th, and I have basically two days before I meet up with my tour group. I signed up to do the "Southern Thailand Sojourn" with GAP Adventures. You should check out the site. www.gapadventures.com There's several different types of tours, from involved activity ones to super laid back ones. It's kind of like backpacking with a local. Even if you're not interested in a tour, it's some real fun travel inspiration.
Once I'm in Bangkok, I stay at Trang Hotel, the meeting point for my tour. I need a little time on my own to readjust the brain to a different culture/language/money and also be on my own and without Lily, my travel buddy for the past two weeks.
WAT PHO AND TEMPLE ETIQUETTE AND MASSAGE!
I check out Wat Pho, which is a beautiful temple with a HUGE reclining buddha. Quite stunning and pretty. BTW, when visiting any sort of Wat or temple, you have to dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and you have to take off your shoes when you enter. I guess the feet are considered dirty/unholy, so when you sit in a temple, you have to sit on top of your feet with your knees facing the buddha. You can't point with your feet in that direction...that is considered disrespectful.
After the temple visit, I head to the Wat Pho Massage school and get a foot reflexology massage for an hour. It was fabulous and cost me about 360 baht (coversion rate is 34 baht to 1 USD), which is actually a little on the expensive side here. It was great though!!
KHAO SAN ROAD
I do some shopping on Khao San Road on the way back to the hotel. Aweseom shopping! You can haggle here (not as good haggling as in Vietnam), and they have really cute stuff! This street is also a party street, and lots of vendors and people. It's best in the evening/night. I think Thailand is big on the night markets.
I meet up with my GAP Adventure tour, and everyone is really cool! Most did a tour right before in the northern Thailand hill tribes, so most of them already know each other. My roommate, Tara, is a Canadian, and she is super nice and normal!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Easy Riders - Day Three, the fare well!
Lily and I are STOKED to get out of the hotel in Bao Loc, as it sucked. Both Tuy and Hung met us in the lobby, and Tuy's eye is totally swollen from the bee sting! SAD! He says he feels fine though.
We head to Dambri (sp?) Falls. A even bigger waterfall then the last. It was kind of like an amusement park, as they also had a zoo there.
After that, we drive for a while and see a hill tribe. I forget the name of it (I'll have to email Tuy and Hung), but the houses traditionally on stilts, with the kithen in the center to heat the house. Tuy tells us some crazy stories about the Vietnamese government trying to educate the hill tribe about birth control, and how it took a while for them to understand how to use a condom!
Bad luck strikes agan, and Tuy gets ANOTHER flat tire! Amazing! I must be really heavy or something! He gets it fixed in a jiffy this time and we are off and running.
DRAGON FRUIT FARM
We check out a Dragon Fruit Farm. This area of the country gets super hot, perfect for Dragon Fruit. They are pretty easy to grow, they don't need much water or care, but just heat. The plants look kinda creepy like something from Little Shop of Horrors, but the fruit is sooo pretty. Tuy buys us some, and we eat road side
RICE PAPER
We stop off and see a family making rice paper (for food, like we learned in the cooking class). Cool too see a family making them. This time, they are putting black sesame seeds in it. BTW, there are not shortage of flies in this joint. The family is super welcoming and happy to see us. Tuy says families are usually pretty welcoming to foreigners, as it is a sign of good luck. Even weddings he says. Sometimes he says he stops at a wedding if they see one with tourists, and the bride and groom want to take pics with the foreigners.
We end up in Mui Ne, which is where we part with Hung and Tuy. We are sad to say good bye...it was so well worth doing the easy riders! Lily and I splurge on a beach resort for one night, as we deserve it after "roughing it" for a few days.
We head to Dambri (sp?) Falls. A even bigger waterfall then the last. It was kind of like an amusement park, as they also had a zoo there.
After that, we drive for a while and see a hill tribe. I forget the name of it (I'll have to email Tuy and Hung), but the houses traditionally on stilts, with the kithen in the center to heat the house. Tuy tells us some crazy stories about the Vietnamese government trying to educate the hill tribe about birth control, and how it took a while for them to understand how to use a condom!
Bad luck strikes agan, and Tuy gets ANOTHER flat tire! Amazing! I must be really heavy or something! He gets it fixed in a jiffy this time and we are off and running.
DRAGON FRUIT FARM
We check out a Dragon Fruit Farm. This area of the country gets super hot, perfect for Dragon Fruit. They are pretty easy to grow, they don't need much water or care, but just heat. The plants look kinda creepy like something from Little Shop of Horrors, but the fruit is sooo pretty. Tuy buys us some, and we eat road side
RICE PAPER
We stop off and see a family making rice paper (for food, like we learned in the cooking class). Cool too see a family making them. This time, they are putting black sesame seeds in it. BTW, there are not shortage of flies in this joint. The family is super welcoming and happy to see us. Tuy says families are usually pretty welcoming to foreigners, as it is a sign of good luck. Even weddings he says. Sometimes he says he stops at a wedding if they see one with tourists, and the bride and groom want to take pics with the foreigners.
We end up in Mui Ne, which is where we part with Hung and Tuy. We are sad to say good bye...it was so well worth doing the easy riders! Lily and I splurge on a beach resort for one night, as we deserve it after "roughing it" for a few days.
Easy Riders - Day Two
OH, forgot to tell y'all that we also visited some Cham towers on the way to Dalat. Basically, Vietnamese make up about 90% of the population, the other 10% are various indigenous hill tribes and minorites. The Cham belong to this 10%. Anyway, some of the Cham towers are no longer in use, but we went to one that is still a live place of worship. They have festivals and ceremonies at the one we went to. They look like the Angkor Wat temples sort of, but they are made out of brick. Hung, one of our guides tells us that no one knows what is the binding material in between the bricks.
DALAT
After a long day of travel on Day One, we are super stoked to get rolling and ready for Day Two. Tuy's bike is back in action. Hung takes us to breakfast (which we just had the Vietnamese baguette...one of several that Lily and I have...we can't get enough of the bread!!) and head to a cafe for some Vietnamese coffee. BTW, I don't think I explained this before, but Vietnamese coffee is stronger and smaller than American. They serve it to you in a glass almost bigger than a shot glass, with the metal filter on top of it working its magic. You can get black coffee, or with milk AKA cafe sua AKA coffee with sweetened condensed milk. I think this idea is BRILLIANT and will then drink coffee like this more often. Anway, Hung takes us to a cafe, in which Lily and I are the only females in the joint and get tons of stares. I guess the real coffee houses are usually full of guys just shooting the shit, and women do shopping, etc. Funny thing about this cafe is that there is one picture on the wall, and it's a picture of Bill Gates. HA! I guess he came to Vietnam a while ago and donated a lot of computers or something. Then we tour the market for a little bit and walk around town.
CRAZY HOUSE
Now we head visit Crazy House in Dalat. This thing is weird. Quite the tourist attraction, and it looks kind of Gaudi-esque, but cheesier. We spend a total of 5 minutes there and want to peace out. This is where Hung tells me that he's some what of a fortune teller (which I'm not sure I believe, as he's kind of a sarcastic fellow), but he tells me that he can tell that I'm going to be rich someday. He really thinks that I'm going to be super prosperous and that he can tell I am clever. Funny, ha? Let's hope it's true.
FLOWER FARMS
After Crazy House, we head off to the some of the flower farms in the hills of Dalat. We saw these as we drove in at night with all the pretty lights. It's just as pretty in the day light. We stop off at a gerber daisy one, and walked around. Tons of flowers farms in Dalat, and Tuy also pointed out some Avocado trees.
COFFEE PLANTATIONS
We drive around the country side, and it is a GORGEOUS DAY. Super sunny, crisp, a perfect winter day. Lily and I are ecstatic, as the weather is FINALLY better. We drive through several coffee plantation. Now, it's the off season, they've already harvested. You can see house after house with coffee beans laid out in their front yard to dry. Most of the coffee trees this time of year have blossomed, and the smell is great...kind of smells like tea oddly enough.
MUSHROOM FARM/RICE WINE
We stop off and get some coffee at a place that is also a mushroom farm. We check it out, this dark basement type thing with tons of mushroom bag thingys hanging down. Kinda gross, but hey, I love mushrooms. This place also makes rice wine (as do many places), and we got to see the huge jars of it in the basement. Got to drink some too.
ELEPHANT FALLS
We went to see some water falls, which were quite pretty. Hiked around for a bit, then had a PHENOMENAL family style meal. At least 5 courses of seafood, chicken, tofu, beef, veggies, etc. I even tried snail again...these fuckers are huge here. It was chewy like squid, and it was in a curry like sauce. This meal (including a beer) cost Lily and I a total of 70,000 VND (keep in mind the conversion is 17,000).
SILK FACTORY
We stop off at a silk factory, which was rad to see it all made. I can't really explain it, so I'll show in pictures later. Kinda creeps me out since there's a whole bunch of wormies. Once they cook them up and harvest the silk, they sell the silk worms to the markets and people (stir) fry them up and eat 'em
BEE STING
Ok, so I must be bad luck for Tuy or something...as we were driving, he gets stung by a bee near the EYE. Poor guy! First a flat tire, then a bee sting!
We end up in Bao Loc, which is our pit stop for the night. A pretty shitty town in the middle of no where and our hotel sucks. But, the guides tell us that there's no other choice along this route. While Tuy recovers (poor guy), Hung takes us out to eat. We have hot pot, which is basically a big pot with broth and meat, and you cook the veggies and noodles on your own (there's a propane burner). We get the goat one, and I try goat for the first time. I like it! Tastes like pork, kinda. We also got some rice wine, and drink it up.
DALAT
After a long day of travel on Day One, we are super stoked to get rolling and ready for Day Two. Tuy's bike is back in action. Hung takes us to breakfast (which we just had the Vietnamese baguette...one of several that Lily and I have...we can't get enough of the bread!!) and head to a cafe for some Vietnamese coffee. BTW, I don't think I explained this before, but Vietnamese coffee is stronger and smaller than American. They serve it to you in a glass almost bigger than a shot glass, with the metal filter on top of it working its magic. You can get black coffee, or with milk AKA cafe sua AKA coffee with sweetened condensed milk. I think this idea is BRILLIANT and will then drink coffee like this more often. Anway, Hung takes us to a cafe, in which Lily and I are the only females in the joint and get tons of stares. I guess the real coffee houses are usually full of guys just shooting the shit, and women do shopping, etc. Funny thing about this cafe is that there is one picture on the wall, and it's a picture of Bill Gates. HA! I guess he came to Vietnam a while ago and donated a lot of computers or something. Then we tour the market for a little bit and walk around town.
CRAZY HOUSE
Now we head visit Crazy House in Dalat. This thing is weird. Quite the tourist attraction, and it looks kind of Gaudi-esque, but cheesier. We spend a total of 5 minutes there and want to peace out. This is where Hung tells me that he's some what of a fortune teller (which I'm not sure I believe, as he's kind of a sarcastic fellow), but he tells me that he can tell that I'm going to be rich someday. He really thinks that I'm going to be super prosperous and that he can tell I am clever. Funny, ha? Let's hope it's true.
FLOWER FARMS
After Crazy House, we head off to the some of the flower farms in the hills of Dalat. We saw these as we drove in at night with all the pretty lights. It's just as pretty in the day light. We stop off at a gerber daisy one, and walked around. Tons of flowers farms in Dalat, and Tuy also pointed out some Avocado trees.
COFFEE PLANTATIONS
We drive around the country side, and it is a GORGEOUS DAY. Super sunny, crisp, a perfect winter day. Lily and I are ecstatic, as the weather is FINALLY better. We drive through several coffee plantation. Now, it's the off season, they've already harvested. You can see house after house with coffee beans laid out in their front yard to dry. Most of the coffee trees this time of year have blossomed, and the smell is great...kind of smells like tea oddly enough.
MUSHROOM FARM/RICE WINE
We stop off and get some coffee at a place that is also a mushroom farm. We check it out, this dark basement type thing with tons of mushroom bag thingys hanging down. Kinda gross, but hey, I love mushrooms. This place also makes rice wine (as do many places), and we got to see the huge jars of it in the basement. Got to drink some too.
ELEPHANT FALLS
We went to see some water falls, which were quite pretty. Hiked around for a bit, then had a PHENOMENAL family style meal. At least 5 courses of seafood, chicken, tofu, beef, veggies, etc. I even tried snail again...these fuckers are huge here. It was chewy like squid, and it was in a curry like sauce. This meal (including a beer) cost Lily and I a total of 70,000 VND (keep in mind the conversion is 17,000).
SILK FACTORY
We stop off at a silk factory, which was rad to see it all made. I can't really explain it, so I'll show in pictures later. Kinda creeps me out since there's a whole bunch of wormies. Once they cook them up and harvest the silk, they sell the silk worms to the markets and people (stir) fry them up and eat 'em
BEE STING
Ok, so I must be bad luck for Tuy or something...as we were driving, he gets stung by a bee near the EYE. Poor guy! First a flat tire, then a bee sting!
We end up in Bao Loc, which is our pit stop for the night. A pretty shitty town in the middle of no where and our hotel sucks. But, the guides tell us that there's no other choice along this route. While Tuy recovers (poor guy), Hung takes us out to eat. We have hot pot, which is basically a big pot with broth and meat, and you cook the veggies and noodles on your own (there's a propane burner). We get the goat one, and I try goat for the first time. I like it! Tastes like pork, kinda. We also got some rice wine, and drink it up.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Easy Riders - Day One
So, after shopping heaven in Hoi An, we leave super early on Tuesday morning and take a car to the Da Nang airport. From there, we took a short flight to Nha Trang, a beach city known for partying it up. It's supposed to be super resorty too. We don't stay in Nha Trang, but we booked an Easy Riders tour and they pick us up from the airport. There are severaly of them, but we went with this website: www.easy-riders.net
Our guides are Tuy (pronounced "Twee") and Hung. They immediately start packing our bags onto their motorcycles. I only had my backpack and my messenger bag (as I shipped all the stuff I had bought thus far in Hoi An...BTW, it was super expeno, almost $100...but I had no choice as I'm headed on to Thailand after 'Nam). I guess it was quite a sight, as all the other drivers were standing around us watching Tuy and Hung pack up our belongings. At least it wasn't raining and I wasn't sick, these were our two biggest worries.
We set out on the road, both Lily and I are anxious, as we've never really been on motorcycles before (we rode some in Hoi An to get to the hotel, but that's about it). Tuy and Hung are suuuuper nice, and we stop a few times and they point stuff out to us. I am immediately glad we did this trip, as we get out of tourist hell.
On the road up to Dalat (where we are sleeping the first night), Tuy and I get a flat tire!!! Unfortunately, they didn't have the proper materials to fix it, so Tuy had to go down the big hill to get it fixed. It was taking a while, so Hung put us on a bus that will take us to Dalat. Quite the first day, but glad we ended up taking the bus because it was starting to get dark, and it gets really foggy up there (Dalat is high up on a mountain). It was a little nerve-racking, as no one on the bus spoke English, and they made us transfer to another bus...we had no idea if we were going to make it to Dalat. Alas, we did make it ok, and our accomodations were ok. Tuy finally made it several hours later....poor guy!
Dalat - it is suuuuper pretty and clean. I'm glad we stopped hear. We weren't originally going to go, but glad we did. I guess it's considered a "Little Paris," since there are tons of coffee shops, flower vendors, and a tower that resembles some what of an Eiffel Tower. We were pooped when we got to Dalat. It has a pretty lake in the center of town too, and as we drove in, we see all the green houses for the flower farms all lit up along the moutain. GORGEOUS. Hung pointed us in the direction of a good restaurant, and we ate soooo much. It was delicious though. Hung is from Dalat, and is married with a young daughter. We told him to get home and visit his family. During tourist season, the easy riders don't get much time at home and drive all over Vietnam...sometimes for month long trips.
We stayed at a hotel that's connected to the bar called The Hangout Bar, which is also their easy riders office. I ended the night with a Saigon beer with Tuan, the manager, and Tuy (once he finally makes it in from the flat tire!).
Our guides are Tuy (pronounced "Twee") and Hung. They immediately start packing our bags onto their motorcycles. I only had my backpack and my messenger bag (as I shipped all the stuff I had bought thus far in Hoi An...BTW, it was super expeno, almost $100...but I had no choice as I'm headed on to Thailand after 'Nam). I guess it was quite a sight, as all the other drivers were standing around us watching Tuy and Hung pack up our belongings. At least it wasn't raining and I wasn't sick, these were our two biggest worries.
We set out on the road, both Lily and I are anxious, as we've never really been on motorcycles before (we rode some in Hoi An to get to the hotel, but that's about it). Tuy and Hung are suuuuper nice, and we stop a few times and they point stuff out to us. I am immediately glad we did this trip, as we get out of tourist hell.
On the road up to Dalat (where we are sleeping the first night), Tuy and I get a flat tire!!! Unfortunately, they didn't have the proper materials to fix it, so Tuy had to go down the big hill to get it fixed. It was taking a while, so Hung put us on a bus that will take us to Dalat. Quite the first day, but glad we ended up taking the bus because it was starting to get dark, and it gets really foggy up there (Dalat is high up on a mountain). It was a little nerve-racking, as no one on the bus spoke English, and they made us transfer to another bus...we had no idea if we were going to make it to Dalat. Alas, we did make it ok, and our accomodations were ok. Tuy finally made it several hours later....poor guy!
Dalat - it is suuuuper pretty and clean. I'm glad we stopped hear. We weren't originally going to go, but glad we did. I guess it's considered a "Little Paris," since there are tons of coffee shops, flower vendors, and a tower that resembles some what of an Eiffel Tower. We were pooped when we got to Dalat. It has a pretty lake in the center of town too, and as we drove in, we see all the green houses for the flower farms all lit up along the moutain. GORGEOUS. Hung pointed us in the direction of a good restaurant, and we ate soooo much. It was delicious though. Hung is from Dalat, and is married with a young daughter. We told him to get home and visit his family. During tourist season, the easy riders don't get much time at home and drive all over Vietnam...sometimes for month long trips.
We stayed at a hotel that's connected to the bar called The Hangout Bar, which is also their easy riders office. I ended the night with a Saigon beer with Tuan, the manager, and Tuy (once he finally makes it in from the flat tire!).
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Hoi An - Shopping, Shopping, Shopping! And an amazing cooking class!
Just getting over my sickness, I immediately enjoy Hoi An. For one thing it wasn't raining as hard as Hue. The service at the hotel is impeccable....and they already lead us to a tailor right next door and give us a deal. They also own the tailor, but we were excited to get the process started. I got a two jackets made...one kind of a motorcycle style, and another long wool coat. Lily got a cute houndstooth jacket made and a pair of suit trousers.
We totally went berzerker with the shopping. Tons of it in Hoi An. Bought some more laquer bowls, and some awesome jewlery made from jade or buffalo horn (sounds gross, but it looks cool!) I even got shoes made. A pair of short boots and some sandals. A little crazy since I worked for a shoe company.
We also took a cooking class at Red Bridge Cooking School. This is one of my favorite experiences in Vietnam. It started with a market tour, which was cool. Saw tumeric in its raw form (looks like ginger, but more orange), saw the fish market (tons of ladies making fish paste and nasty stuff), lots of crazy meats and such. I bought some really neat Vietnamese cooking tools....aweseom knives, graters, and even a thing that seeds chilis. We took a boat ride to the cooking class, which was fabulous. Our first day of real sunshine! The facilities where fantastic and beautiful. We learned to cook:
- Rice paper (from scratch...can use to make noodles)
- Fresh spring rolls
- Eggplant in clay pot
- Rice pancake (suuuuper yummy)
It was a great day.....and after this, we ended up doing more shopping! Then a quick flight to Nha Trang for our Easy Riders motorbike trip....more in next entry
We totally went berzerker with the shopping. Tons of it in Hoi An. Bought some more laquer bowls, and some awesome jewlery made from jade or buffalo horn (sounds gross, but it looks cool!) I even got shoes made. A pair of short boots and some sandals. A little crazy since I worked for a shoe company.
We also took a cooking class at Red Bridge Cooking School. This is one of my favorite experiences in Vietnam. It started with a market tour, which was cool. Saw tumeric in its raw form (looks like ginger, but more orange), saw the fish market (tons of ladies making fish paste and nasty stuff), lots of crazy meats and such. I bought some really neat Vietnamese cooking tools....aweseom knives, graters, and even a thing that seeds chilis. We took a boat ride to the cooking class, which was fabulous. Our first day of real sunshine! The facilities where fantastic and beautiful. We learned to cook:
- Rice paper (from scratch...can use to make noodles)
- Fresh spring rolls
- Eggplant in clay pot
- Rice pancake (suuuuper yummy)
It was a great day.....and after this, we ended up doing more shopping! Then a quick flight to Nha Trang for our Easy Riders motorbike trip....more in next entry
Friday, January 2, 2009
Halong Bay, Hanoi, overnight train and Hue
Once we got into Hanoi, we immediately left the next day to Halong Bay. We did a package that was 2 days/1 night, including transportation and all meals. The food was really good! Multiple course meals and yummy. The drive to Halong Bay was about 3.5-4 hours....a little long. But the boat (they call them junk boats) was nice. Our guide's name was Duke, and he was super nice. Too bad the weather was overcast, but it felt great to be out there. The water was super blue once we got to some of the rocks/islands, and I could only imagine how amazing it would look if it was sunny! We ended up kayaking one morning, and that was fun. We got to go into some of the grottos. Quite a work out! Got to see some of the floating villages as well. Some of the locals would paddle their little row boats with their feet! Funny. Also, there are vendors (with drinks, goods, etc.) that would paddle up to you to sell you stuff.
Women really do wear the conical hats here! Hanoi was super busy, but we walked around some, ate some good food. I had a sandwich from this one shop near the lake that had steak, onions, egg. It was really good....the bread in general here is really good. Very light and delicious. They also sell bao here, just a slight variation on the filling. For New Year's, Lily and I ate at this restaurant called Quan An Ngong. A lot of locals eat there, but some tourists as well. Really nice, but still cheap! We got four dishes (vegetable dumplings, Hanoi pancake (sweet potatoe with shrimp fried up), egg noodles stir fry, and rice paper rolled with shrimp and pork), and it cost about $9 total. My favorite was the Hanoi pancake. After dinner, we walked around the lake...they light up lanterns and let them float into the night sky. Then we grabbed some drinks at a bar called the Golden Cock, or GC for short. We met a really nice girl from London named Jade....we are almost on the same itinerary!
The next night, we took an overnight train. Quite an experience! We had been told that we have to get a soft berth sleeper car, which we did. Let me just say it wasn't the cleanest. But, we did end up sharing the car with this nice couple from London/Hong Kong, Daniel and Eunice. It took our minds off the train and we talked for a long time.
Arrived in Hue yesterday morning, and it has been raining non stop since we got here. It has put a damper on our mood, and we have just been chilling for the most part. I'm also getting a little sick, so I have to get better! We ate a Hue pancake...which was sooooooooo good. It was a fried pancake folded over (looked like a chulupa) filled with pork, egg, and bean sprouts. Dipped in home made peanut sauce, it was been one of our favorite things we have eaten on this trip.
Ok, now off to a 3 hour bus ride to Hoi An....we are quite excited, as we have heard great things from fellow travelers, and we can get things tailor made and possibly take a cooking class.
Women really do wear the conical hats here! Hanoi was super busy, but we walked around some, ate some good food. I had a sandwich from this one shop near the lake that had steak, onions, egg. It was really good....the bread in general here is really good. Very light and delicious. They also sell bao here, just a slight variation on the filling. For New Year's, Lily and I ate at this restaurant called Quan An Ngong. A lot of locals eat there, but some tourists as well. Really nice, but still cheap! We got four dishes (vegetable dumplings, Hanoi pancake (sweet potatoe with shrimp fried up), egg noodles stir fry, and rice paper rolled with shrimp and pork), and it cost about $9 total. My favorite was the Hanoi pancake. After dinner, we walked around the lake...they light up lanterns and let them float into the night sky. Then we grabbed some drinks at a bar called the Golden Cock, or GC for short. We met a really nice girl from London named Jade....we are almost on the same itinerary!
The next night, we took an overnight train. Quite an experience! We had been told that we have to get a soft berth sleeper car, which we did. Let me just say it wasn't the cleanest. But, we did end up sharing the car with this nice couple from London/Hong Kong, Daniel and Eunice. It took our minds off the train and we talked for a long time.
Arrived in Hue yesterday morning, and it has been raining non stop since we got here. It has put a damper on our mood, and we have just been chilling for the most part. I'm also getting a little sick, so I have to get better! We ate a Hue pancake...which was sooooooooo good. It was a fried pancake folded over (looked like a chulupa) filled with pork, egg, and bean sprouts. Dipped in home made peanut sauce, it was been one of our favorite things we have eaten on this trip.
Ok, now off to a 3 hour bus ride to Hoi An....we are quite excited, as we have heard great things from fellow travelers, and we can get things tailor made and possibly take a cooking class.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Sensory details
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA:
Hearing - "Lady!" "Tuk-tuk, lady?" "You buy?"
Seeing - Everyone in flip flops. Even on motor bikes/tuk-tuks. People squatting in the streets while hanging out. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G temples. They leave me in awe. Roadside vendors selling what looks like tiny snails.
Taste - Khmer BBQ...simple, with a slightly sweet taste.
HANOI, VIETNAM:
Hearing - Horns from cars, motorbikes....a lot of them! "Motobai?" "Cyclo?" "Lady! Lady!" (Lai-dee! Lai-dee!)
Seeing - Slide sandals....most people take their shoes off inside. Even the boat workers wore their slide sandals as they worked on deck in Halong Bay. Bright colored balloons (there are always vendors, but more so with the New Year). Big lanterns...they are lit up (by fire) on New Year's...like mini hot air balloons. They fill the night sky.
Smells - Fermented and dried items. Fish sauce, dried seafood (shrimp, fish, pork). The market smells like ass, but quite a sight.
Taste - Fish sauce!!! Som Chua Ngot (sweet & sour chili sauce...one of my fave condiments here). Pho is sooo good (not like home...they don't do the plate of bean sprouts/basil, but they use tons of green onion/cilantro). The bread is amazing! Mini baguette/roll type...super light and crispy on the outside, airy on the inside. Tons of eggs for some reason. Grilled seafood, like shrimp (some vendors grill them right on the street).
Hearing - "Lady!" "Tuk-tuk, lady?" "You buy?"
Seeing - Everyone in flip flops. Even on motor bikes/tuk-tuks. People squatting in the streets while hanging out. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G temples. They leave me in awe. Roadside vendors selling what looks like tiny snails.
Taste - Khmer BBQ...simple, with a slightly sweet taste.
HANOI, VIETNAM:
Hearing - Horns from cars, motorbikes....a lot of them! "Motobai?" "Cyclo?" "Lady! Lady!" (Lai-dee! Lai-dee!)
Seeing - Slide sandals....most people take their shoes off inside. Even the boat workers wore their slide sandals as they worked on deck in Halong Bay. Bright colored balloons (there are always vendors, but more so with the New Year). Big lanterns...they are lit up (by fire) on New Year's...like mini hot air balloons. They fill the night sky.
Smells - Fermented and dried items. Fish sauce, dried seafood (shrimp, fish, pork). The market smells like ass, but quite a sight.
Taste - Fish sauce!!! Som Chua Ngot (sweet & sour chili sauce...one of my fave condiments here). Pho is sooo good (not like home...they don't do the plate of bean sprouts/basil, but they use tons of green onion/cilantro). The bread is amazing! Mini baguette/roll type...super light and crispy on the outside, airy on the inside. Tons of eggs for some reason. Grilled seafood, like shrimp (some vendors grill them right on the street).
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