Hue, Vietnam

Well the shopping didn't end in Hoi An! We got into Hue in the evening after a short 5 hour bus ride. We checked into our hostel and went out for a Vietnamese dinner. The food here is delicious. There specialities are noodle soups including pho, Bon cha, Bon Bo and many others. While we were at dinner we kept staring down the shop across the street. With everything so cheap and made to fit you we just couldn't help ourselves and we ended up shopping after dinner. I got 2 pair of pants and a dress. I literally probably couldn't fit a pencil in my pack right now it's so full. The next morning we had to be up at 5:30am to head out for our DMZ trip. On this trip we visited the former border of Vietnam separating North and South, one of the battlefields where a lot of the fighting took place, more tunnels that Vietnamese soldiers lived in and a cemetery of fallen soldiers. At the battlefield it was an eerie feeling walking on the ground that a major war occurred. It also disgusted me that there were men there selling medals and such from fallen soldiers that they have found over time. Our tour guide gave us many facts about the places we visited and the war but her English was a little difficult to understand so don't ask me for details. This tour was 12 hours in total most of it spent on a bus. When I flew to Seoul for the first time I remember thinking a 12 hour flight felt like an eternity but after this trip and the countless 12-16 hour bus rides I feel like the flight home will fly by! Anyways, back to Hue. The next morning we just hung out at our hostel for awhile. Our hostel had a great lobby where there was always a good deal of backpackers hanging around which allows you to meet a lot of people. Later in the afternoon we rented bicycles and rode to the Citadel. This was the housing for royalty and many religious buildings. It was destroyed during the war but they have been working to rebuild it. It's sad to go to all these major places and hear about what all the war destroyed . After riding and walking for a few hours it was time to go back and shower to get ready for our 15 hour train ride. Lychelle was taking the bus so she had to leave earlier than us but Molly and I just couldn't do another sleeper bus so we opted for the sleeper train. After Lychelle left Molly wanted to go for one last quick bike ride as the city was very beautiful. I stayed bak for a shower. After her being gone for 45 minutes I started getting worried as we were supposed to be leaving in 20 min. She finally shows up and has both of her hands scrapped up and her knee as well. She was riding by the river and a motorbike cut her off which caused her to fall. A sweet Vietnamese family doctored her up before she headed home. Luckily she was ok and we could continue onto the train station. When we arrived at the train station we wanted to eat our sandwiches before we boarded the train so we sat on a bench just minding our own business eating. All the sudden this guy walks up to us and sets his infant on Molly's lap. She has a sandwich in one hand and tries to refuse but this family does not speak English and they just want some humor and photo opps. I guess. They then would not take the child back from her even with her trying to hand him to them. There was a huge crowd around us all taking pictures and after 15 minutes Molly was finally able to give the child back. It was so strange but also hilarious. Our train then arrived so it was time to board and head for Hanoi. We were told the sleeper trains were like riding in luxury so we were excited to get a nice night sleep and wake up in our next city. Well we walked into our cabin which had two sets of bunk beds. There were two guys above us. The beds werent the most comfortable but this was soon to be the least of our worries. We played some cards and then decided to do some reading before bed. We then saw a bug on the floor. This was the start of our issues. In total we killed 20 bugs in our small cabin. I then went to the bathroom which had standing water on the floor which sloshed with each jerk of the train. As we were trying to go to sleep to make it go by faster the staff of the train keep peekig in our cabins looking for he guys in our cabin who had been one for a good hour. One finally comes back in and the staff comes in less than a min later yelling at him. Of course we have no clue what they are saying or what happened but hen he was escorted out and the other guy never showed back up. Our "luxurious" train ride turned into a nightmare from the second we arrived at the train station and we were very anxious to get to Hanoi (mostly just to get off the train). We will only be spending one night in Hanoi before we head to Halong Bay on a 3 day 2 night cruise. I don't know about the wifi situation in Halong Bay so I will try my best to update but I can't make any promises.

Hoi An, Vietnam

Molly and Tyler had to leave our group in Nha Trang since they only had a week so this just left my twinsie, Molly, and me to finish up Vietnam with the final two weeks. It is fun and fine with just the two of us, but then we met a friend from Holland in Nha Trang that is doing the same route as us but by herself so we scooped her us and had her join our duo. Our friend Lychelle left one night before us headed for Hoi An since we just couldn't leave Nha Trang so we decided we would just meet at the hotel. When Molly and I arrived in Hoi An we had 5 hours until we could check in so we left to explore the city. After countless bus rides it has really taken a toll on our bodies so we decided we deserved massages. After that we rented bicycles and rode to the city center where the market, shops and other tourist attractions were. We saw most of the temples, old houses, and bridges, which were the main attractions but we kept finding ourselves distracted by the shopping. Hoi An is known for their tailoring. Of course once we got started we couldn't stop. I got two dresses, one skirt, one pair of sandals and one pair of leather boots all made just for me. Although this sounds great my backpack is filling sooooo quick even after sending a package home. The next morning Molly, Lychelle, and another friend we met in Nha Trang Sander, and I headed out on motorbikes to visit Myson, which are temples dating back to the 18th century. Of course I still don't trust myself driving motorbikes, especially with their driving and lack of traffic laws so I jumped on the back of Sander's bike for the ride. Myson was about an hour ride outside the city and a beautiful ride at that. It was so nice to be out of the city and see mountains, and rice paddies for miles. Myson was beautiful but I feel like I have just been so spoiled after visiting Angkor Wat that no temple can compare. After 2 nights and 3 days in Hoi An it was time to hit the road again for Hue but not after a little more shopping. After spending way too much money we jumped on the bus headed for Hue. The picture below is to show that I'm a millionaire in Vietnam. This has been quite the adjustment with their currency considering 20,000 dong is $1.00 u.s., so pretty much everyone is a millionaire but hey it sounds and looks cool!

Nha Trang, Vietnam

When we arrived in Nha Trang we found the place that we had booked and grabbed a bit to eat to plan out our stay here.  The first day we walked along the beach to Hon Chong Rocks.  With a geologist in our group this was a must see.  It was one large rock being held up by two other larger rocks.  It made it like a doorway that you could walk through.  We of course climbed on a bunch of the rocks that jet out into the ocean.  Some of these rocks were supposed to resemble things such as a giant hand print in the rock and a rock shaped like a seal.  After our rock tour it was time to get down and dirty.  We went to Thap Ba Hot Spring Center. We enjoyed soaking in the mud although it was a little smelly.  We then waited awhile to allow the mud to dry before washing it off.  We then sat in a mineral hot tub for awhile and enjoyed swimming and frolicking in the waterfalls.  It was a relaxing day at the spa after a day full of walking on the beach.  The next morning we had signed up for a rafting trip.  We were told these would be class 2-3 rapids since it is dry season.  We also were shown a picture of white water rafting before booking.  When we got there we find out we would be "rafting" in inflatable kayaks.  There were like 2 small rapids but other than that we just floated down the river with minimal paddling because the currents pull was sufficient. We stopped along the river and ate a delicious meal.  They grilled us up chicken, beef and pork along with wonderful spring rolls we made ourselves.  All in all the day was not what we were anticipating but it was fun nonetheless.  That night we hung out at our hostel and met some awesome new friends and some old friends we met earlier in our trip.  We decided to go to the water/amusement park Vinpearl together the next day.  You have to take a cable car to get to Vinpearl and it is actually the longest cable car over water in the world.  This allowed for some awesome photo opps as well.  Vinpearl was AMAZING.  There were tons of water slides, a wave pool, many rides/roller coasters, an aquarium, arcade games, bumper cars, and 4-D movie room.  All this for just a small fee of $22.  After our group of 13 hung out all day having a ball at the park we decided to go on the party boat the following day together.  There were some other people on the boat that were not really there to party, but we didn't let them slow us down.  We went to 2 different islands and were able to snorkel at one and ride on a banana boat at the next.  We also had a phenomenal lunch on the boat as well.  We also had the privilege of witnessing the boat staff perform as a Vietnamese Boy Band.  It was hilarious and provided us with great entertainment.  As we were getting back our friends were planning to meet up for dinner at a BBQ restaurant we fell in love with here.  This made me sad because Molly and I were supposed to be getting on a sleeper bus headed for Hoi An at 6:00pm so we would miss dinner.  We decided we just couldn't part from our friends just yet and luckily we have a pretty flexible schedule to allow for another night.  Molly then put on quite the act at the ticket office saying that I had food poisoning and we could not get on the bus because I was still ill.  Luckily it worked so it allowed us to hang out with our friends for one more night.  Molly should win an Oscar for her performance.  Now we are sitting around at the hostel after most of our friends have left waiting for our sleeper bus to come get us this evening.  After 12 hours on the sleeper bus we will be in Hoi An! Nha Trang has by far been my favorite place so far so it saddens me to leave but I am also excited about our next stops.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Well once again we had bad luck with our bus. What should have been 6 hours turned into an 8 hour ride due to a blow out and traffic, but we successfully crossed the border into Vietnam. We got in to Ho Chi Minh at about 11:00pm so we went to a hostel Molly read about immediately. Luckily the Vietnam Inn Saigon had a dorm room available for us. This was our first dorm room on our trip and it definitely has its ups a downs. You meet awesome people but your also in bunk beds in a large room so you have 10 other people in your room going to bed at different times and waking up at different times. It was not a good sound night of sleep but a bed to sleep in none the less. The next morning we ate breakfast on the rooftop restaurant of our hostel which was quite the view. We then headed out to start our day. We first went to the Reunification Palace. It was built in the late 60's and housed the president of South Vietnam. The palace was taken over by Ho Chi Minh & company and the palace was left as is inside. The next stop was the war memorial museum. The name alone says what it was but does not even scratch the surface of explaining how depressing this museum was. There was a lot of war memorabilia and photos. Let's just say this was the first time(but not the last time) I have felt guilty/ saddened to be from America. It made me want to throw on a Canada shirt and just pretend I'm Canadian. There were many brutal pictures from the war, agent orange victims and many anti- American signs and articles. The next morning we went to the Cu Chi tunnels. These underground tunnels were used by the Viet Kong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat. We climbed through the tunnels, looked at all the boobie traps used to kill the American soldiers and even got to shoot a gun. I've never shot a gun before and was a little nervous but it was so fun. I shot an AK-47 and let's just say I'm not very good. All in all Ho Chi Minh was an awesome city with great night life and a lot of history. After another 2 days of sombering sights we were ready for some beaches. We booked another sleeper bus for our next 10 hour bus ride to Nha Trang.

Phnom Penh

We are finishing up Cambodia in the capital city, Phnom Penh. We are eager to get to Vietnam so we only stayed one night. Two days and one night was plenty for the city. The first day we went to S-21 Genocide Prison which was used in the late 70's to hold Khmer (Cambodian) citizens who we captured by the Khmer Rouge for mass termination. The S-21 Prison was a torture facility, with brutal living conditions, that held citizens before they were trucked to Choeung Ek, now known as the 'Killing Fields'. Historians say that over a million innocent Khmer people were slaughtered before the Khmer Rouge was overthrown in 1979. The next day we went and visited the killing fields where there were mass graves, countless skulls and many torture weapons on display. We had a free audio headset tour that explained each area of the fields which was very helpful. This was a very devastating time in Cambodia's history and left each of us in a somber state after witnessing both these place. We tried to end our stay on a less depressing note by visiting the National Museum which held many ancient artifact including pieces of Angkor Temples, Statues of the Hindu gods and you guessed it more Buddhas. It was all set up around a beautiful garden area. Now we will head to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!

Sihanouk Ville, Cambodia

Well what was supposed to be a 10 hour sleeper bus turned into a 6 hour sleeper bus, then sit around for an hour waiting for a different bus (which wasn't a sleeper), then sit in traffic, then break down, then sit an hour while they fix it. All in all it ended up taking 16 hours. Once we got there we told the tuk-tuk driver we wanted to go to Mic and Craig's, which was a hostel we found in our guide book. The driver then informed us that it had burnt down 1 day prior. I guess it's good we didn't arrive 1 day earlier. Once we found a new place we hit Serendipity Beach for a bit. It was a very dirty beach with so much trash and washed up flip flops on the beach but it was a beach none the less. The next day we decided to change up the scenery and go to the "nicer" beach, Oches Beach. On this beach we also found random odd and ends on the shoreline including a lot of rope, clothes and syringes. Aside from the trash and washed up things it was a nicer beach. A little less crowded and a little more secluded. To help you get a gauge of how hot it is here the beach seriously feels like bath water. We sweat constantly and then the water doesn't even cool you off. The next day we went on yet another booze cruise. It set sail at 1:00 and we got back at 6:00 for dinner served by the restaurant that hosted the cruise. This morning we got up and ready to head to our next destination, Phnom Penh. Now we are in a minivan which is said to be a 4 hour journey but after our last experience I never can be sure. It is a very nice minivan though with comfy seats, air conditioning that works and wifi. I can't believe today marks that we only have 3 weeks left of our travels. It has flown by but has been the best time of my life.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Well what was supposed to be a 12 bus ride turned into 18 hours traveling with border crossing, multiple stops and bus switchings. We finally arrived in Siem Reap at 2:30am. Luckily there were tuk-tuk drivers waiting at the bus station to take us to a nearby hotel that had 24 hour reception. It turned out to be a nice hotel with a pool so we decided we would spend all our time here at Temple Villa. After sleeping in, day one was just a relaxing day. We ran a few errands, checked out the town and sat by the pool. The next morning would be our first day of our three day ticket to Angkor Wat so as excited as we were we wanted to get there at sunrise to take in some pretty spectacular views. The first day we did what is known as the outer loop of the Angkor temples. It consisted of 5 temples. After living in a predominantly Buddhist country for year and now traveling in other Buddhist countries I thought I had seen my fair share of temples but boy was I wrong. These temples were built in the 1200's. Of course they have done some conservation to the buildings but they all still looked ancient and majestic. After exploring 5 temples and getting up at 4:30 it was time for a nap! We then went to dinner and shopping through the night market. The night markets are always my favorite with locals selling their hand crafted things or other typical souvenirs. The next day we slept in a bit hoping to catch the sunset at the temples. We explored 5 more temples in the central area of the temple grounds. At one of our stops as we were walking back to our tuk- tuk our driver was flagging us down. As we got closer we noticed that there were 2 monkeys on the backseat of our tuk- tuk. They had stolen my water bottle opened it and were drinking it. There were many monkeys in the area and many babies so although I was robbed by the monkeys they did allow for some great pictures and videos. With the temperature being in the 90's and my water stolen all we could take was a few hours before we needed to leave. Our tuk-tuk driver suggested we go see the floating village so we headed out for Tonle Sap. It is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. It is dry season now so the lake is only 1-2 meters deep right now but in wet season it can rise to 10-11 meters. There are about 3,000 people that live in the floating village. The housing is free as you are living on a boat with no running water. These people make their living by fishing. They are also in charge of the upkeep of their houses such as replacing bamboo and keeping it afloat. There are also floating restaurants, convenient stores, a basketball court, and a school in the village. The school houses 122 orphan children who's parents have been killed in storms or tsunamis while fishing. At the convenient store we bought the school a large bag of rice that is said to feed the children for 3 days. We then got to go play with the children. It was so much fun learning their games and seeing the smiles on their faces. The next morning was our last day at the temples and we had saved the best for last...Angkor Wat. This temple is the largest in the world and I known to have beautiful sunrise views. We of course had to see this so that meant another 4:30 am wake up for us. Waking up early was well worth it as we watched the sunrise over the temple. Words can not explain the beauty but it was simply spectacular. We then did a bit more exploring through other temples until we could no longer take the heat. We then ate lunch and packed up our belongings as we will soon be heading out to Sihanouk, a beach town on the Southern coast of Cambodia. Happy Easter to everyone from Siem Reap! At midnight tonight I will be getting on yet another 12 hour bus ride. This one will fortunately be a sleeper bus again.

4,000 Islands (Don Det), Laos

4000 islands got its name because there are literally thousands of islands in the Mekong river in one small little area.  You can only stay on two of the islands. We stayed on Don Det. We arrived in the dead heat of the afternoon so once we found an air conditioned room we headed straight for the water. We just relaxed on the "beach" area for the day but mostly in the water as it was brutally hot. That night we heard there would be a temple party. The island always celebrates together when something new opens such as a restaurant or guesthouse. In this case they built more bungalows near the temple to house more monks on the island. The party was held in a huge field and consisted of a lot of music and traditional Lao dancing. This was my second experience with Lao dancing after crashing the wedding so I would say I'm pretty much a pro. The next day we rented tubes and floated around on the Mekong. We went out to another little island and just relaxed on our tubes. We did get caught in a bit of rain but it was nice that it cooled us off for a bit since the river felt like a bathtub. The next day we went on a half day tour. We first took a boat to an area near the Border of Cambodia where there are a few Irrawaddy dolphins. We were lucky enough to see them surface numerous times. These dolphins are endangered and they say there are only 60 left worldwide. Although we did see them they were way too fast to get pictures so you will just have to take my word for it. After that we went to Khone Pha Pheng waterfall. This waterfall has the largest volume of water flowing in Southeast Asia. It was not very tall but very wide and very strong. We were also attacked by a family here that were in love with foreigners. They asked Molly and me to be in all their family pictures. They even snuck in our pictures and took solo pictures of us. I don't really understand the obsession or what they will do with those picture but I guess I can say it was flattering. 4000 islands was such a chill place and definitely a place I would have spent more time if our travels were longer. Molly's condition continued to get worse while we were here as the antibiotics seemed to not be working. She was only able to talk a little and could only eat yogurt or smoothies. With no food and being a mute it was our running joke that she was our Bernie from the movie Weekend At Bernie's. We would put her in a tube and drag her around and have her pose for pictures. She is now getting a little better but it's a slow process. We will be visiting the hospital in Siem Reap since we have heard it is much better than Laos. As we headed out we prepared for another 12 hour bus ride as we cross the border into Cambodia headed for Siem Reap!

Vientane, Laos

Vientane is the capital of Laos and we had heard there were a few things to do and see in the city but we knew this would just kind of help us break up our trip to the next destination. In Vientane we spent 1 night and two days. We spent our time walking around the city, exploring temples, overlooking the city from the top of Patuaxi which is comparable to France's Arc de Triomphe and taking Molly to the international clinic. We knew coming into this trip that one of us would probably end up in a clinic of some sort in each country. We just happened to skip Thailand. She had tonsillitis and now has meds to help her get on the road to recovery. If it doesn't get any better the other Molly and I will start blending up her food to help her swallow easier. On the one night we stayed we happened to stumble across a singing contest sponsored by Pepsi. There were local high schoolers competing in the contest but it seemed as if it would be aired on television with all the cameras and setup they put into the show. There were a few English songs that we could sing along with. With sitting in one of the front rows and being the only foreigners and singing along we had the camera in our faces very often so I wouldn't be surprised if we are famous in Laos. Other than these events Vientane wasn't much to write about. They did have awesome food and awesome singers. We then caught another 16 hour bus headed for 4000 islands, luckily 12 of it would be on a sleeper bus with full beds to sleep in.

Vang Vieng, Laos

Once we arrived in Vang Vieng we were on the hunt for a guesthouse once again! Walking down the street you are usually greeted by people trying to sell you their room and take you on a tour. After the guesthouse we wanted was full we stumbled across a cute little guesthouse with a riverfront view and a nice open terrace with bar. It was also the cheapest we had found and a really nice room. The guesthouse came complete with two little puppies to play with for the three nights we would be staying. We got in in the afternoon so the first day we just walked around to explore the city and take in the beautiful river and mountain views. The next morning we had breakfast and went to rent tubes to float down the Namsong River. This river used to be known for quite the party. They used to have bars lined on both sides of the river along with zip lines, rope swings and water slides all leading you into the river. They had to close down everything because too many people were partying too much and not paying attention to where they were jumping and killing themselves. They have re-opened the tubing but all the other things still remain closed. Tubing down the river allowed for some spectacular sights. There are giant mountains on either side of you and a gentle current pulling you down the river. All in all it took us about 4 hours make our way to the endpoint. The next day we signed up for an all day tour. The tour included 2 caves, tubing and kayaking. We started with elephant cave. This cave like all the others we have seen had many Bhudda statues in it. They call it elephant cave because there are a few sections on the wall that look like elephants. The next stop would be tubing. Although we had been tubing before this time we would be tubing through the next cave. We grabbed onto a rope and pulled our tube through a gigantic cave. It was very dark, cold and a bit spooky but with our headlamp we saw some pretty awesome rock formations throughout the cave. The next stop would be kayaking! Me and Molly buddied up since I hadn't kayaked in forever and I wasn't super confident with my paddling skills. We kayaked down the river for about 3 hours. We did get caught up on rocks 3 times but nothing we couldn't manage getting out of and it made the experience that much more interesting. The next morning we packed our bags and prepared for our next stop...Vientane!

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Once we arrived in Chiang Mai and checked into the Smile House guesthouse. I had a feeling this place was going to be my favorite. Our place had 2 swimming pools and a nice lounge area. It had a really chill vibe to it and I knew we would love it. The first day we just kind of hung out by the pool planning the remainder of our trip in Thailand.  We knew a lot of things we wanted to do so our next stop was booking all the tours we were interested in. We found a travel/tour office right by our place with the sweetest lady that spoke perfect English. Little did we know she would be such a huge help throughout the week. We booked a few things with her them headed out to dinner. We ate at a restaurant called Tiger Kingdom. No they didn't have a tiger there like Tyler thought but they do have amazing food and a wonderful band playing on the deck. It was then that I really wanted to take a picture. I went to get my camera and realized my camera was not in there. I remembered taking it off the charger that morning in Bangkok and thought I put it in my purse but we were I'm a rush so I think I left it on my bed. We tried calling the hostel and nothing was turned in or found in the room. I was really upset because I was so cautious with my purse in Bangkok because I've heard all the horror stories but I still managed to lose my camera. Also it was upsetting to realize I had lost all my vacation pictures. Luckily Molly takes amazing pictures and we saw the same things so I will just have to steal hers and just keep my memories. The next morning we went to the Women's Correctional Institute to get Thai massages. This is a place for former inmates, sort of like their halfway house before making it back out in the real world. Although it is a strange thing if you really think about it, it was dirt cheap costing a whopping $6.00 for an  hour massage.  Molly had broken her party camera in Ko Phi Phi and I had lost mine in Bangkok,yes we are hot messes I know, so we decided to go shopping for cameras because I knew I needed a camera for the trip. We both were successful shoppers!  Later that night we went to a Thai cooking class. We started the the local market looking at the ingredients we would be using to cook. It was then time to start in the kitchen. You got to chose 4 different things you wanted to cook. I chose chicken with coconut milk soup, pad tai, green curry and vegetable spring rolls. It was a really neat experience filled with delicious food and we even got a cookbook at the end of quite a few traditional meals.  After filling our bellies we then went to a Maui Thai boxing match.  I don't do well watching boxing but it's part of the culture so I figured I needed to see it. There were about 8 fights and only 3 of them went further than the first round and only 2 went all five. As an intermission of the fights they put in a few guys in Muai Thai training and blindfolded them as they fought each other. It was pretty humorous. The next day we went to Baanchang Elephant Park. We started the day by feeding the elephants bananas and sugar cane. They had elephants of all ages and sizes. Most of these elephants have been rescued from logging or performing. After feeding time we learned how to be a mahout (elephant trainer). We learned simply commands such as lay down, turn left, turn right, go straight and stop. We then got some practice guiding them. We had lunch at the camp then it was time for riding. We each got our own elephant that we got to ride bareback. We rode a course which was probably 45 min long. We then got to bath them in the pond at the end I the trail. The elephants just plop down and we scrubbed them up. Molly, Molly and I then got in a water fight with our marhouts while Tyler got in a water fight with his elephant. The only bad thing about this is the elephants started pooping in the water and the marhouts  started throwing poop bombs! Needless to say woods a good scrub down before heading home. This was such a neat experience. I'm glad these elephants were saved from the days when they worked longer hours than the average person does.  The next day Molly and I went zip-lining through a jungle for half the day.  It was voted the best zip-lining course in Asia and is the longest course also. There were various types of lines, bridges and free falls to go through the jungle. We then ate lunch and checked out a waterfall before heading home. We met some really nice guys from England. They Mentioned the temple we wanted to go check out so we went back to e hostel to get Tyler and Molly. We all rented scooters and drove up to a beautiful temple at the top of a mountain overlooking the city. They driving is a little nerve- racking for me since they drive on the wrong side of the road and there are scooters constantly swerving through traffic. Luckily our English friends were willing to drive considering that normal for them. I probably would have killed someone. Then we hopped on a bus to head for the border for our next stop...Laos! It has been quite the experience so far and I'm excited for the rest of it. I will try to be better about posting about each place we stay since I can't call and tell stories and it's hard to skype with time difference and being on vacation. I just got lucky I had another 12 hour bus ride on the way from the border to Luang Prabang. These bus rides are not fun but allow me to catch up on things.

Bangkok, Thailand

We caught the ferry out of Ko Phi Phi that went to Krabi. We then caught a bus to Bangkok. This was a 12 hour long bus ride with our seats barely reclining so needless to say it was a sleepless night. We got into Bangkok at 6:00am with a hostel in mind but found out we couldn't check in until 11:00. Exhausted but bored we dropped our bags and headed off to explore. We found an open air market that was surprisingly very busy for so early on the morning. After checking in and a short power nap me and the Mollys headed out to explore more. We found a Kahlong Boat Tour. These boats are the long narrow wooden boats. On our tour we went through many canals with traditional Thai houses. We then went to a floating market. It was not the big one they have that we wanted to see but a floating market nonetheless. It was really neat to see all these people cooking up food in there boats to sell in the market.  We then fed humongous catfish in the river. The river boat tour was wonderful especially since we had the whole boat to ourselves. Later that night we had arranged to meet up with Jeff, a friend from South Korea, who was stopping in Bangkok to star off his traveling. It was so great to meet up with him and have a night out on the town with him just like old times. The next day we went to explore the temples of Bangkok. We went to Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew. These were beautiful temples. We luckily showed up just in time to snag a free English tour with an amazing and funny tour guide. After exploring the temples and royal palace we were exhausted and drenched in sweat since we had been walking for hours in 100 degree weather with pants on since they won't let you in in shorts. That night we went to a place that was recommended by a friend we met. All we knew of the place was the name and that it was a rooftop bar. With backpacking its not like any other vacation clothing wise. You have very limited outfits mostly all being quick dry clothing which we all know is not fancy. Well anyways we walk in to a hotel and ride the elevator to the 59th floor and immediately get stopped by a woman behind the desk who informs us that there was a dress code that we needed follow she then gave Tyler a pair of black pants and gave all three of us girls closed toe shoes. It was a bit embarrassing but what we were about to see was well worth the embarrassment. We went up to the rooftop that overlooked all of Bangkok. It was so beautiful to see the whole city lit up with sly rises every which way on the horizon.  The next morning we checked out and headed to the airport to fly to Chiang Mai.

Ko Phi Phi, Thailand

After a bus ride and ferry ride we had arrived in Ko Phi Phi! We found a hostel right away with the help of a local. We stayed at the Scenery Guesthouse. It may sound nice and luxurious but the biggest flaw it had was no air conditioning. You would think this would be ok in March but March and April are Thailand's hottest months of the year. Needless to say is was some hot, sticky, sweaty sleep.   The next day we got up and went on a boat cruise around the island. The boat first took us to Monkey Beach where we feed monkeys out of the palm of our hand. We then went cliff jumping. I had been cliff jumping before in Boracay so I was expecting something similar. We then get to a literal cliff not all dolled up with diving boards and lifeguards like the one in Boracay. We then had to put on climbing shoes to climb the cliff that we would be jumping from. It was actually quite difficult. I then jumped off and landed wrong of course. I was not injured just a big smack on the butt. It then was black , blue and purple for the next few days. After cliff jumping we headed to Viking  Cave. We then went to Maya Beach which is where the movie "The Beach" was filmed. We got to get out swim around and even started up a soccer game on the beach. It was absolutely beautiful. We then started to head home but on the way back we used a sea jacuzzi. It is just like a big net off the side of the boat that you could sit in as you coast through the ocean. As we headed home we watched a beautiful sunset while eating dinner on the boat. The next day we just relaxed on the beach. The tide was really low so you had to walk out pretty far out and step over a lot of coral to finally get to waist high water. Not the best beach of the trip but a beach nonetheless. We had to soak it in because the next day we would be heading out of paradise and making  our way to Bangkok.

1st Stop: Phucket, Thailand

 Our southeast Asia tour has finally begun! I have been looking forward to this for so long. We started our traveling by flying out of Seoul headed to Phuket with a short layover in Shanghai. Phuket is known for it's beautiful beaches. After teaching for a year with minimal vacation time it was a must that we start in paradise. We got in to Phuket really late Sunday night so we just crashed at the first hotel we found open near the hostel we would be staying at the next day. The next morning we checked into Bodega hostel and headed straight for Patong Beach. It was nice to just sit and relax and play some cards with the sun shining down on us. The next day we decided to change up the scenery and check out Kata Beach. It was just as beautiful as the other. I don't think there is such thing as a bad beach in paradise. The next afternoon is was time to jump on the ferry Headed toKo Phi Phi.

Saying Goodbye to Seoul

I know I didn't write to fill everyone in about the end of the year but it was a great end to my time abroad. It was really hard to say goodbye to all my children and all the friends I have made throughout the year. This year really would not have been the same without all these people. It is hard being away from family and friends but when you have a great group of friends that act as your family and children that can bring a smile to your face each day it makes time fly by and the experience so much more enjoyable. I was however very excited to hit the road and start my southeast Asia tour with Molly, Tyler and Molly's friend from home Molly. I am also excited that my flight home will have a weekend layover in Seoul so I can see all my friend one more time and check in on my kiddos to see how they are doing in kindergarten. I was so blessed to have the opportunity to move across the world and learn about another culture. This is an experience I will never forget. If I wrote about my traveling in this post it would be WAY too long so I will write a separate on for the start of my travel. 

New Year's in Boracay

After being in snowy Seoul freezing everyday I was really looking forward to my New Year's vacation to Boracay. We had worked Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas and had a very stressful month so I was BEYOND ready to relax on the beach.  Boracay is in the Philippines and is home to the slanted palm tree that is on almost every one's computer.  We left Saturday morning on the 5:00am bus headed to the airport.  After traveling on bus, plane, taxi, plane, bus, ferry and tricycle a total of 19 hours due to layovers and delayed flights we were all ready to crash once we got there.  The next morning we woke up and laid on the beach most of the day with beautiful weather.  Molly, Katie & I got manicures & pedicures on the beach and were total beach bums most of the day.   That evening we went on a sunset sailboat cruise.  All the boats in Boracay are not like any other boats I have seen.  They are mostly all wooden and have long poles on either side making them kind of look like a spider. 

On our sailboat their was a netting on either side so we were able to lounge on the net out above open water.  The sunset was amazing and being out on a sailboat watching it go down made it even better.  We then went out for dinner and met up with some of Tyler's friends that were staying on the island.  The next morning, New Year's Eve, we went snorkeling.  They took us out for about 5 hours.  We were supposed to go island hopping on this trip but the waves were too bad at the other islands.  Instead we went to 2 snorkeling spots and had lunch on another part of the island overlooking the water. That evening we had reservations at a buffet on the beach.  

Every night on Boracay there are numerous buffets set up along the beach.  The four of us had dinner and then went our separate ways.  Molly and I met up with some friends from the previous night and they told us they would be doing a pub crawl for the night.  We of course signed up with them.  This pub crawl had about 60 people and took us to 6 different bars.  There were beach bars, rooftop bars and dance clubs.  We rang in the New Year with an hour long firework show and live music on the beach.  It was an amazing night and a New Year's I will never forget.  

 

The next day consisted of a lot more lounging on the beach, drinking fresh coconuts and soaking up paradise.  This was Katie's last day because she had to head back to work so we went out to a nice dinner that evening.  Molly and I then hung out on the beach drinking sangria and listening to live music.  The next morning we had to move to a new hostile so we packed our bags and headed out to check in to our new place.  By this time I had developed quite the heat rash that was driving me crazy and spreading on my legs and arms.  I couldn't take it any longer and before it could get any worse I decided it was time to go see a doctor.  It is not a vacation with me and Molly without one of us having medical issues.  It also allowed us to check out the health care in another country.  It was quite the experience and not like any other doctor I have been to.  I sat in a plastic chair at a plastic table with only a sheet separating me from the waiting room.  The doctor told me to avoid the sun, lotions, chicken, eggs, and seafood as any of these could worsen the reaction.  As all of us know that is exactly what every beach vacation is all about so I nodded and smiled took my steroids prescription and went on my merry way.  I was not going to let a heat rash ruin my vacation and planned on still hanging on the beach but luckily for my legs sake it was cloudy the next 2 days so it allowed me to heal a bit.  

The next morning we went on a booze cruise to Ariel's Point to go cliff jumping.There was a storm coming in so the waves were very intense and they were constantly moving the boat to try to avoid the HUMONGOUS waves.  Once we got to Ariel's point Molly & I jumped off the 5 meter (16.4 ft) jump as we planned on working our way up to the highest at 15 meter.Tyler of course just went for the biggest first.  I guess we should have worked our way up faster because shortly after our jump the skies opened up and it began to pour.  Luckily they had quite a bit of covered area so the buffet and lunch were not ruined.  After raining the rest of the day on us it was time to head back. The waves were even worse at this point as it was still pouring.  Lucky for me I do not get sea sick because I would have been doomed if I was.  That evening we had a Sushi dinner and met up with some people from England we had met at Ariel's Point.  The next day we decided we needed to see the other side of the island.  We got on a tricycle (which is there main form of transportation in Boracay) and headed to Puka Beach.  We spent the day walking around and taking pictures of some of the many breathtaking views the island offered.  We headed back to our side of the island for sunset since it would be our last of the trip.  The sunsets in Boracay were absolutely stunning.  Words or pictures just can not do this place justice.  There are constantly sailboats passing by as the sun is sinking and every sunset was something you would see on a postcard.  Molly & I of course had to take our usual jump shot picture because it would not be a vacation without one.   On our last night we went to an open air fish market.  Here is where you could walk up and down numerous aisles of fresh fish, many of them still swimming in tanks.  You got to pick your seafood selection.  We chose fish and mussels.  You then take it right around the corner to a restaraunt where you tell them how you want it prepared and they cook it in front of you.  This is probably the freshest seafood meal I will ever eat and it was absolutely delicious.  The next day it was time to check out of our hostile, say our goodbyes to friends we had met and bid farewell to paradise.  It was not easy leaving especially knowing we would be heading back to snow and freezing temperatures.  We then stayed one night in Kalibo next to the airport since we had a 6:00 am flight the next morning.  After another long day of traveling due to layovers I finally made it home, only to find out my washer machine was frozen, which meant I couldn't was my gross beachy laundry and my kitchen sink was frozen as well.  Oh well, so is Seoul life! My vacation was absolutely amazing and I could not have asked for a better way to bring in a New Year!  It really made me look forward to traveling for 2 mths throughout SE Asia in the beginning of March.

 

Christmas Abroad

I know I'm behind on blogging... story of my life, but I figured I'd would fill everyone in on how I spent my Christmas abroad.  With only 25% of the Korean population being Christian Christmas is not a huge deal over here, which is why I figured it would be even more difficult to be away from family during the holiday season.  Luckily my friends and family made my Christmas one I will always remember.  With Seoul always lit up there were many Christmas lights to look at and get you in the holiday spirit.  






Some friends and I tried to track down the amazing lights I found on the Internet, but failed when we showed up to only find one HUGE Christmas tree.  At school we put on a Christmas program where my kids performed a Christmas play, song and dance.  Teaching the lower level children there were many days I wanted to rip my hair out but in the end I was VERY proud of my little kiddos for the spectacular show they put on for the parents.  We had to work Christmas eve, which really made it not feel like Christmas until I received 3 packages and many cards from home.   Santa came to visit my kids, so it sort of put me in the Christmas spirit.  In one of the packages I received from Lauren there was a stocking, many wrapped presents and a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, which I set up on Christmas Eve night so I would have something to open on Christmas morning.  With the close knit group of co-workers at my school we figured we had to do something to make Christmas overseas feel like Christmas.  One of my friends Lauren hosted a Christmas party where we crammed about 30 people into our small apartments and did a white elephant gift exchange.  I followed the night by skyping family and friends to feel like I was at home.  Christmas morning I opened all my presents and headed over to my friend Tyler's apartment where Tyler, Tyler, Molly & I played cards and watched Christmas movies in our jammies.  We then headed out to dinner at a restaurant that served their version of Christmas dinner consisting of turkey, stuffing, ribs, salad, soup, veggies and other goodies.  The owner actually told us he really liked that we came out in our pajamas since no one should have to get out of their pajamas on Christmas day.  We then had to work the day after Christmas so that was all the celebrating we could do and it was time to get back to the grind of work.  Although it was definitely not like any other Christmas I have ever had, it will definitely be one I will never forget spending the holiday abroad with great friends.