Beach Time, Tailors, and Motorbiking!

Hoi An is a beautiful beach side town – where we enjoyed Motorbiking around as well. We stayed in a cute Hotel called the Grasslands -situated in a neighborhood thats away from the hustle and bustle of the town center. There, we were greeted with Tea and fresh fruit. The service at the quaint Grasslands Hotel was wonderful. We motorbiked to The Swisshotel resort – where we enjoyed the amenities ( and not price!) for a few days and laid out under umbrellas, beach side. We took advantage of the great ½ off happy Hour – and enjoyed our first legitimate COSMO! ( In Hanoi – at the Sofitel Metropol – there was no Cranberry Juice- so we had the unpleasant experience of the confusion of our request of A Cranberry Vodka drink – that the staff recognized as a “Campari Vodka” ..wowza – double the alcohol! :P ) We got some things tailor made – I got a jacket, bathing suit, a dress, and a few over shirts for the beach. We left Hoi an with a bags a little more heavy. The last day we made our way over the river side – almost Venice, Italy reminiscent part of town – where there a heaps of upscale restaurants and great shopping. We were tempted to stay a day longer at the urging of a lovely expat who owned a bookstore/bookexchange in that area – who swears the “Mango Room” is hands down the best restaurant in Vietnam..Pretty bold statement pal! Alas, we were stretched for time – so we held back and stuck to our guns with our departure that very day.

To The Citadel on Bicycles We Go

From Hanoi – we took a train to Hue. The Former capital of Vietnam. It is a city which holds a structure of National Pride. The citadel – where royal families once ruled Vietnam. It was huge- and the weather was nice, cool, and cloudy. Went there on bicycles and were treated to some truly warm Vietnamese hospitality where a few women kindly fetched some food for Taryn and I..however, due to my weak stomach – I was unable to hold it in and had to cut my visit to the Citadel very short as I was – getting sick in various areas of the compound. I went back to our hotel ( thank God we had a hotel – for our own personal bathroom... and slept my sickness off.) The next day Taryn and I biked around town and went to a temple and the saw the famous Pagoda. It was beautiful...so many shots taken! We laid around at a park with locals. We then went to a lovely 5 Star hotel and had a nice glass of wine and enjoyed the beautiful views Hue had. Later we had a delicious Mediterranean dinner and drinks with a few locals that Taryn befriended while I was sick the night before. It such a pleasurable time, I smile thinking of Hue. The next day we took a day bus to Hoi An – a quaint beach town!

Hanoi - The Coolest Part of Our Trip!

What a great city! The epitome of East meets West. A well welcomed treat when Taryn and I grew tired of the extremely warm weather..It was nice to be actually – COLD! It was the most northern point in southeast Asia that we had been to. It's pretty amazing when you just stop and look out into the streets...motorbikes clearly outnumbered cars at least by 20 to 1. French colonization is clear in this city, especially where we stayed – in the French Quarter. We treated ourselves to a lovely little hotel – the Heart Hotel which provided us with free Internet and it also doubles as an art gallery. It is in a supreme location – everything was within walking distance. Highly recommend this quaint boutique hotel for the value! We enjoyed the serenity of the Lake and the Japanese Temple in the center where a traditional legend was said to have taken place– where locals and travelers alike mellow out. While in the French Quarter Taryn and I treated ourselves to a fabulous spa day at a beautiful Q Spa which overlooks the lake. We both got amazing hot stone massages, facials, and enjoyed sauna/steam room as well as the Jacuzzi. After our services we were surprised with a beautiful snack with a refreshing beverage on the top floor of the building. The room was stunningly cool – it had rock decored floors and exposed wooden beams that evoked calm and zen. There were lounge couches and chairs strewn about and a vast array of travel and lifestyle magazines to further induce our state of relaxed minds! This was bliss at its finest for a fraction of what it costs in the states. When we did venture out of the area – it was about a $4 ride to our rooftop bars – where Taryn and I enjoyed wine and cheese while savoring our visuals of Hanoi's Skyline where it met body's of water. We had epic Gastronomic meals – and strolled through the city's many museums. We visited the Hanoi Hilton where senator and Presidential Candidate “08, John McCain was held. It was incredibly heartbreaking to view all the artifacts from prisoners and read and hear about all the stories of the prisoners who were there simply standing up for the rights of Vietnamese and later POW s. We visited the Vietnam National Museum and Natural History Museums. A beautiful time in a beautiful city.

MotorBike...I Finally Did It !!!!

After many months of being teased with the ease and freedom of the ever elusive but much warned about Motorbike - I have finally jumped on one...and I like it!

Being on Cat Ba island -I observed the finely paved roads and the visual feast the island offered was just to sweet to not see...Every island local was touting their motorbikes - and I got tired of turning down the sweet freedom from someone else's clock and schedule...so the next morning - after our hotel guy offered a motorbike - as I first placed my foot onto the pavement...I decided not to be so dismissive..I decided to give him and the bike a chance..Taryn was shocked at my sudden "O.K. -let me try it!" attitude - as I prepared to jump on the bike, I felt the " just do it" stares from our hotel guy and his friends - and they assured me it was really easy...staring at the finely paved 2 going on 3 lane street ahead of me -designed to accommodate far more traffic than it does it currently ( my guess is that investors put a lot of money into this island early on - and when the economic crash in Asia hit in the late 90's - that put a halt to things...but construction is back ...and its going full speed ahead - its insane to see them just plow into rock and cliffs to finish off the ambitious projects that were dreamed up) I jumped on and was pleasantly surprised at just how easy it was! From then on - Taryn and I were inseparable from our Motorbikes for the whole day! We rode around the whole island - we saw places we wouldn't have been able to - had we done bicycles or even commissioned a taxi driver...It was liberating on many levels - it's nice to overcome this big fear of motorbikes and it was heavenly to feel the wind all around you as your ride though the misty karsts that decorate the beautiful island.

Xin Chao from Vietnam!

This posting is for you Alexis! ;) New Country..New Language...yes, that's part of travel and Taryn and I are now humbled by our inability to pronounce Vietnamese..we've been so proud and albeit a little smug from our abilities to communicate simple things in Thailand and Laos - but in Vietnam it's a whole new ballgame. Taryn and I decided to fly from Vientiane to Hanoi - we just couldn't deal with a 28 hour ( ?? maybe more and more hell to endure!) bus ride...so we did a 1 day express visa deal and booked a flight bound for Hanoi. We weren't alone though- there were a few familiar faces at the airport from the much beaten tourist trail that Taryn and I had reluctantly been on ( and sometimes off - only to get back on again)..when we landed at Hanoi - it was exciting! We were thrilled to be transferring our money into new currency ( Dong) and head onto a new adventure. We joined fellow travelers ( Katie and Chase) in the techno music laden cab with an extremely affable driver who took us to an O.k. hotel in the Old Quarter section of Hanoi- where the room itself was just o.k. but the staff was amazing! After hearing about a pending storm that would be entering Ha long Bay ( a destination we were planning on heading to 3 or 4 days later) - we decided to impulsively book a 1 night- 2 day - all inclusive tour...now, we wanted to avoid packages - but we were just too tired to figure it all out in such a short time...and figured once we got to Ha long bay - we could figure it out after the package ran out and stay longer ( which the staff and Star Hotel said we could) so it was done. I had my first bowl of Pho in Vietnam and I was stoked! The next morning we got up and jumped in a van bound for Ha long bay! It is stunning - it is UNESCO world heritage sites and rightfully so! Once we hopped onto the pier - and I slung my Adidas duffel bag - with my broken staps ( I am the only again without a backpack - which i am still on the hunt for one!) over my shoulder and headed for our boat named "Imperial Junk." Its a common and "must do" things for visitors to view and take in Halong bay and all it's glory from an overnight cruise throughout the bay - there were hundreds of these Junk boats at the pier! They all have about 10 rooms for guests so its perfect amount of people on the boat - not too crowded and its just a treat be able to enjoy the awesome beauty of the 1,000's of tiny islands that are scattered about Halong Bay. Our guide said that Halong means - where the dragons tail descends - to create the many islands...

On the boat - Taryn and I were with about 6 or 7 couples - and there was one family -and then us! So, we were like the only pals on the boat - but we had fun and chatted up with a really friendly couple, Dom and Simon from Wales who have been traveling around the world since June 2007! They'll be heading in a month - but it was lovely to exchange stories and laughs from our tales of travels.

Included in our package - we got to Kayak, had meals, hike, bike, visit a monkey island, and ofcourse sleep in the middle of the gorgeous bay...it was a treat!

Now, Taryn and I are on Cat Ba island in Halong bay - where we deviated from our group ( since we didn't pay for 2 nights and 3 days on the boat) and found ourselves a decent hotel room for $10 whereas our former group members paid a little more and got their dinner included. But Taryn and I are enjoying saving our money and our time away from the group - its nice to do what we want - when we want and not have a timetable..Cat Ba is the biggest island in Halong Bay and its filled with cute hotels, markets, restaurants, and beach. It's very reminiscent of Positano or some cliff side community in the Mediterranean! Taryn and I and loving it and are contemplating staying another night..we are sort of on a time schedule - she has to return to BKK on the 2nd - so that leaves me to travel solo for about 5-6 days...so we'd like to see as much of Vietnam as possible and head into Cambodia together...but it's looking like it will be difficult to accommodate that..After we finish up with Halong Bay - we'll head back to Hanoi and enjoy the city.

In Relaxing Laos

Its been nice to be in Laos. It's really chill and mellow. It isn't modern like Thailand and that's the charm that Laos has. Taryn and I arrived in Luang Prabang via long boat along the Mekong river. It was lovely the first 2 hours - but after that, I was ready to get off the boat. Luang Prabang is a quaint city with the french colonial feel - which is evident with food and architecture. We're now in Vang Vieng and have been staying on an Organic Mulberry Farm. Its a really relaxing place to stay at - we're staying near the goat house ( so we can hear them sometimes) The farm makes excellent mulberry shakes and is located right by the river where many people launch into the river in their tubes or kayaks. Its just 3 km outside of town and I do enjoy the scenery - there are mountains and hills scattered about and the air is clean. There are animals everywhere and the farm really prides itself on being more than just a farm but a model of sustainability and provides education to children who otherwise would be out selling things to support their families. It's a great place to be and its neat to be there to observe how things work. There is plenty of opportunity to volunteer and help out. There are some people who have been there for months - who teach or volunteer on the farm. Taryn and I will be heading to Vientiane soon..our original plans to be heading to Vietnam soon were a little spoiled due to Laos New Year - so the Vietnamese Visa office wont be open until the 17th - which was the day we were hoping to be on our flight bound for Hanoi..But for now, we're enjoying the beauty that Vang Vieng has - and the playfulness of the locals and tourists during the water fight that is "Lao New Years" or "Sonkran" for Thailand.

A Quest To Do Our Own Trek/Homestay

Taryn and I have been in Mae Hong Son. This is the place that is centrally located to do some trekking if you want to visit some of the hill tribes. When we got here, we realized that it was way different from Pai. Pai was a cool town with heaps to do for the much beaten tourist trail - especially those who want organic or vegan food - who happen to be wearing tie dye or have dreads...Yeah, Pai has this laid back hippy vibe which is cool but we were seeking something a little more quaint and authentic...so we hopped on a bus - since all the minivans were taken - bound for MHS.

Once we got here, we immediately greeted by mountains and the breathtaking scenary that is Mae Hong Son. It is a REALLY small town - with just a few major streets and a few restaurants and guesthouses - but there is an abundance of friendly locals willing to welcome you to their town. After checking at our guesthouse - which was overlooking the lake and 2 beautiful temples -Wat Pratad Doi KongMu ( sitting on top a hill) we dined at a restaurant with a friendly girl, Cristina who was from Spain. The town was so small - that we kept unintentionally bumping into her. We then got massages..

The next day we went for a long walk and found ourselves at a Thai resort that wasn't catered to westerners ( always nice to find) - it was like an oasis to us since we had been walking in the relentless sun. The family who owned the resort were kind enough to let us use their pool for the prices of 20 Baht ( about 70 cents) and enjoy frosty beverages. After enjoying our poolside escapades we decided we would head to Wat Pratad Doi Kongmu - which would be an intense walk to the base and the ascent would be just as fun! Once we got to the base - we looked up and admired the beauty but also knew it was going to be quite a workout getting up there. But along the way, we enjoyed the many vista points. Once we got to the top we were praised by a few locals, "Gang Mak!" - well done! We made it - bells were rung by Taryn for good luck and we walked around the Wat and snapped shots we then headed to the vista point - where everyone enjoys the beautiful sunset over the mountains in Burma. What a sight! We enjoyed the sunset over a few smoothies. After sundown, we headed back home.

To View Photos Visit: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/moniwelz/ChaingMaiPaiMaeHongSon?authkey=oD2OUuc3A8E

On Thursday we decided was going to be our day to start our quest for own on Trek. We wanted to try doing it on our own instead of an organized tour - since most of them have this rushed and - unauthentic feel to them..Taryn and I both felt it would mean more to go and meet the hilltribes on our own verses being with a group and a tour guide where everything was strategically orchestrated to satisfy the average tourist.... more to come!