Renting plastic sheets from small children, trooping through desert-like conditions and sledding down white sand dunes = yes, yes and yes.
Yesterday, we went on our final motorbike tour to see the surrounding area of Mui Ne. Infamous for its sand dunes, I pictured Long Beach Island and other classy spots along the Jersey shore. I was not expecting gigantic stretches of never-ending sand dunes. Like I said, picture the desert.
The entire ride from our hotel to the sand dunes was positively picturesque, but as we reached our destination, I was blown away by the immense heat radiating off the dunes and the amount of sweat pouring down. We were immediately approached by a small child offering to rent us random sheets of blue plastic and their services as tour guide.
We accepted the sheets. Declined the tour guide. Hindsight is always 20/20 because we realized we probably could have used some help figuring out how to sled down the dunes. Not as easy as it sounds.
We trekked about 15 minutes and came upon a small slope we thought would be good practice. We sat down on our plastic sheets, attempted to push off, and quickly realized we were not moving. Apparently sand dune sledding is not so easy as snow sledding.
So off we trooped to an even steeper dune. It looked like a fool proof way to sled down at top speed. Then we realized how hard it would be to climb to the top. You couldn't just climb up like a steep hill but had to run up it in order to avoid falling backwards. With the wind whipping and trying to hold onto our blue plastic sheets, we found this so hilarious we had to stop numerous times to laugh hysterically (or maybe catch our breath).
We finally made it to the top and strategized the best way to hit top speed down the dune. Note: this was not the first time we wished we had allowed one of the kids to be our guide. Our first guess was to put our weight towards the middle. Jordan went first using this technique and inched her way down the sand dune. When she got to the bottom, she had to climb back up as I laughed. Then it was my turn to make my way slowly done the sand dune.
Since neither one of us could speed down and both laughed at each other making the trek back up the dune, we figured this time it was better to put the weight towards the front of the plastic sheet. It actually worked quite well but we ended up with loads of sand in our faces. I would have loved to try it again and reach a faster speed, but the thought of climbing the sand dune again was sickening.
So we returned back to our guides -- covered with sand and sweat but enormously happy with our experience. After all, there is nothing better than being the only two people for miles around trying to sled down some ginormous sand dunes.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Don't Forget Your Sunscreen
Since we decided to head back to Vietnam and spend a few extra days (I mean weeks) at the beach, it was also imperative to invest in some new sunscreen. I tend to go through bottles of sunscreen lotion at an intense rate but the fanny pack tramp and I decided to buy two and share. Neither one of us wanted to chance getting a burn and peeling as we both intend to look fabulous upon arriving home in the United States of America (next week can you believe it?).
Anywho, we set off to the beach in Hoi An and tried to find some sunscreen on the way. Everywhere we stopped had teeny tiny bottles of lotion for intense prices so we decided to bicycle the entire way to the beach and then buy some. Once we found a man selling an assortment of sunscreen, it was my turn to bargain him down. Note: I will miss bargaining terribly.
The man originally wanted 300,000 dong for one bottle ($15) but since we wanted two I tried extra hard and finally got him to give us two bottles for 350,000 dong ($17). This seemed a little expensive but we wanted to be on the safe side. I also figured it was good enough bargaining that I could be proud.
Sadly, it was a bittersweet moment because upon arriving at the beach and opening container #1, we realized it was filled with random orange specks that I enjoy calling "tiddlebits."
Tiddlebits have a loose definition as I am not sure what the tiddlebits were actually made of but a few different hypotheses include some type of bronzer or just old expired lotion. They are basically large orange, concealer-like clumps. We attempted to spread the tiddlebits across our limbs but had trouble rubbing it in.
Double the sadness, we returned home that afternoon a bit burned. I immediately wanted to blame the tiddlebits but then we realized part of the burn marks were from our shirts. Apparently the sun had been so strong, we managed to get a wee bit too much color on the bike ride there.
So onto the next day and heading back to the beach. We decided to forgo using the tiddlebit sunscreen and moved onto the second bottle. This one was Nivea and 30 SPF. Triple the sadness, it had been packaged up into plastic wrap so we did not realize upon purchasing that it had been used before and most likely filled with random sunscreen after used up and then sold again. Are you confused? I tend to get confused when swindled with this method as well...
We could also tell the Nivea was not so much Nivea due to the smell. Previous Nivea bottles had nice smelling lotion, but this one was almost as difficult to apply as the tiddlebit sunscreen and it had no smell. So I decided to go back to tiddlebit sunscreen and Jordan used the Nivea.
Luckily, we did not burn at all on the second and third day so although we were sold shoddy sunscreen, it was in fact sunscreen. The only real downfall is the fact that the hard, orange, tiddlebits tend to get clogged coming out of the bottle.
So, here we are at a new destination (and our last beach) -- Mui Ne. We had skipped it on the first go of Vietnam and figured couldn't skip it again. What are we doing here besides working on our tan? Well it would have to be the second most obvious answer -- motorbike tour tomorrow!! Mui Ne has infamous sand dunes and tomorrow I intend on applying some more tiddlebit sunscreen and sledding down one.
Until next time -- hasta la vista.
Anywho, we set off to the beach in Hoi An and tried to find some sunscreen on the way. Everywhere we stopped had teeny tiny bottles of lotion for intense prices so we decided to bicycle the entire way to the beach and then buy some. Once we found a man selling an assortment of sunscreen, it was my turn to bargain him down. Note: I will miss bargaining terribly.
The man originally wanted 300,000 dong for one bottle ($15) but since we wanted two I tried extra hard and finally got him to give us two bottles for 350,000 dong ($17). This seemed a little expensive but we wanted to be on the safe side. I also figured it was good enough bargaining that I could be proud.
Sadly, it was a bittersweet moment because upon arriving at the beach and opening container #1, we realized it was filled with random orange specks that I enjoy calling "tiddlebits."
Tiddlebits have a loose definition as I am not sure what the tiddlebits were actually made of but a few different hypotheses include some type of bronzer or just old expired lotion. They are basically large orange, concealer-like clumps. We attempted to spread the tiddlebits across our limbs but had trouble rubbing it in.
Double the sadness, we returned home that afternoon a bit burned. I immediately wanted to blame the tiddlebits but then we realized part of the burn marks were from our shirts. Apparently the sun had been so strong, we managed to get a wee bit too much color on the bike ride there.
So onto the next day and heading back to the beach. We decided to forgo using the tiddlebit sunscreen and moved onto the second bottle. This one was Nivea and 30 SPF. Triple the sadness, it had been packaged up into plastic wrap so we did not realize upon purchasing that it had been used before and most likely filled with random sunscreen after used up and then sold again. Are you confused? I tend to get confused when swindled with this method as well...
We could also tell the Nivea was not so much Nivea due to the smell. Previous Nivea bottles had nice smelling lotion, but this one was almost as difficult to apply as the tiddlebit sunscreen and it had no smell. So I decided to go back to tiddlebit sunscreen and Jordan used the Nivea.
Luckily, we did not burn at all on the second and third day so although we were sold shoddy sunscreen, it was in fact sunscreen. The only real downfall is the fact that the hard, orange, tiddlebits tend to get clogged coming out of the bottle.
So, here we are at a new destination (and our last beach) -- Mui Ne. We had skipped it on the first go of Vietnam and figured couldn't skip it again. What are we doing here besides working on our tan? Well it would have to be the second most obvious answer -- motorbike tour tomorrow!! Mui Ne has infamous sand dunes and tomorrow I intend on applying some more tiddlebit sunscreen and sledding down one.
Until next time -- hasta la vista.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Tubing, Tubing, Down the River Vang
Vang Vieng, Laos seems like a cross between spring break and Champagne on the Steps (old Colby tradition of getting drunk on last day of classes). This is a town that has been placed on the map due to its ability to cater to extremely thirsty tourists. It has quite the scenic setting, a small town perched at the base of some hills and in close proximity to a gorgeous river. Bars are dotted along the river as tourists float down on inner tubes.
Note: To be exact, the mere reason this town exists is so tourists can float downriver on inner tubes and visit wooden bars blasting techno music. If you are extremely adventurous, you can swing off ropes and trapeze like contraptions into the river.
Although this hasn’t been our scene for the trip (late nights, heavy drinking aka much the opposite of previous Internation Steph appearances), we thought it was worth checking out as people have been talking about it since Indonesia, and as you get closer to Laos, everyone has a “Tubing in Vang Vieng” t-shirt. Second note: did not buy t-shirt but did buy super pretty flip flops (and pair of fake designer sunglasses which were subsequently lost due to tubing). As a result, flip flops will make it back to U.S… sunglasses will not.
Anywho, we set off early morning for breakfast. I initially was hoping for a bloody mary but the place we went to did not have any tomato juice. I had to settle for healthy breakfast followed by can of beer purchased on the street. We then made our way to the official tubing office of Vang Vieng. This basically consisted of one man collecting your money and another man making you sign a waiver that says something like “You are currently in Laos and if you die, do not expect us to care. PS Have tube returned by 6 PM.” After that, we were given tubes and asked to hop on a tuk-tuk with 9 other thirsty tourists.
The tuk-tuk took us through the spectacular countryside and it was unfortunate that I had left my camera in my hotel room because I would have loved to document the beauty. The mountains were spiky, tall and narrow. The river was not the color of mud. Third note: nice camera left in hotel room as safety precaution. Waterproof camera purchased instead. Those pictures should be very interesting.
So I finished my can of beer and off the tuk-tuk we hopped. I was a little wary as most tourists come back from tubing with heavily bandaged arms and legs (sorry Dad, I’m probably making you nervous here… good news is I am still alive). I decided to play it safe, not drink so many buckets of booze, and watch out for rocks. Sadly, at the very first bar we stopped at, I fell on a giant submerged tree. Oops.
You might be wondering how we manage to navigate from bar to bar on inner tubes given the current of the river? Well, luckily, there are people employed at the bar who continuously toss out old plastic bottles tied onto rope to pull you in. It was great fun.
So we hopped from bar to bar, in awe of the people jumping off of ropes (but never actually summoned the courage to attempt it ourselves). The one thing I was definitely planning on joining in on was mud volleyball however. One of the bars had created a giant mudpit to play volleyball in. The funny thing was the first side was relatively easy, but the second side was impossible to stand up in. Jordan was the first to go over there and began laughing so hard (due to buckets of booze or ginormous mudpit I am not sure). It was physically impossible for her to move without sliding farther into the pit. I decided to go check it out and was also reduced to fits of laughter. The mudpit was basically a two-foot high puddle of slippery gooey-ness. Fabulous.
We emerged a mess and managed to hose off in time to hear Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface.” This commenced the dance party portion of the adventure and continued on until we found a gigantic waterslide at one of the last bars. I figured they would only build a permanent structure if it was safe to land at the bottom of it so decided to check it out. Turned out to be such a winner that I went three times.
Fourth note: you can only imagine the people we met while on this adventure. My favorite was a Korean woman with a cut-out one piece and wool sweater. There are really no words to describe her so I won’t spend time detailing her or the other interesting folk we met.
After the waterslide, we realized five hours had magically passed and it was time to head back to town. We made it back in one piece (though somehow my tube managed to pop at the very last second before getting out of the river) and headed for a dinner of mashed potatoes. All in all, it was an interesting experience, but probably not something I would ever try again. I am not sure if this means I am getting older or what… but that’s okay. I am glad not to have any lasting reminders of the tubing adventure but am quite excited to get the pictures developed from our waterproof camera…
Note: To be exact, the mere reason this town exists is so tourists can float downriver on inner tubes and visit wooden bars blasting techno music. If you are extremely adventurous, you can swing off ropes and trapeze like contraptions into the river.
Although this hasn’t been our scene for the trip (late nights, heavy drinking aka much the opposite of previous Internation Steph appearances), we thought it was worth checking out as people have been talking about it since Indonesia, and as you get closer to Laos, everyone has a “Tubing in Vang Vieng” t-shirt. Second note: did not buy t-shirt but did buy super pretty flip flops (and pair of fake designer sunglasses which were subsequently lost due to tubing). As a result, flip flops will make it back to U.S… sunglasses will not.
Anywho, we set off early morning for breakfast. I initially was hoping for a bloody mary but the place we went to did not have any tomato juice. I had to settle for healthy breakfast followed by can of beer purchased on the street. We then made our way to the official tubing office of Vang Vieng. This basically consisted of one man collecting your money and another man making you sign a waiver that says something like “You are currently in Laos and if you die, do not expect us to care. PS Have tube returned by 6 PM.” After that, we were given tubes and asked to hop on a tuk-tuk with 9 other thirsty tourists.
The tuk-tuk took us through the spectacular countryside and it was unfortunate that I had left my camera in my hotel room because I would have loved to document the beauty. The mountains were spiky, tall and narrow. The river was not the color of mud. Third note: nice camera left in hotel room as safety precaution. Waterproof camera purchased instead. Those pictures should be very interesting.
So I finished my can of beer and off the tuk-tuk we hopped. I was a little wary as most tourists come back from tubing with heavily bandaged arms and legs (sorry Dad, I’m probably making you nervous here… good news is I am still alive). I decided to play it safe, not drink so many buckets of booze, and watch out for rocks. Sadly, at the very first bar we stopped at, I fell on a giant submerged tree. Oops.
You might be wondering how we manage to navigate from bar to bar on inner tubes given the current of the river? Well, luckily, there are people employed at the bar who continuously toss out old plastic bottles tied onto rope to pull you in. It was great fun.
So we hopped from bar to bar, in awe of the people jumping off of ropes (but never actually summoned the courage to attempt it ourselves). The one thing I was definitely planning on joining in on was mud volleyball however. One of the bars had created a giant mudpit to play volleyball in. The funny thing was the first side was relatively easy, but the second side was impossible to stand up in. Jordan was the first to go over there and began laughing so hard (due to buckets of booze or ginormous mudpit I am not sure). It was physically impossible for her to move without sliding farther into the pit. I decided to go check it out and was also reduced to fits of laughter. The mudpit was basically a two-foot high puddle of slippery gooey-ness. Fabulous.
We emerged a mess and managed to hose off in time to hear Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface.” This commenced the dance party portion of the adventure and continued on until we found a gigantic waterslide at one of the last bars. I figured they would only build a permanent structure if it was safe to land at the bottom of it so decided to check it out. Turned out to be such a winner that I went three times.
Fourth note: you can only imagine the people we met while on this adventure. My favorite was a Korean woman with a cut-out one piece and wool sweater. There are really no words to describe her so I won’t spend time detailing her or the other interesting folk we met.
After the waterslide, we realized five hours had magically passed and it was time to head back to town. We made it back in one piece (though somehow my tube managed to pop at the very last second before getting out of the river) and headed for a dinner of mashed potatoes. All in all, it was an interesting experience, but probably not something I would ever try again. I am not sure if this means I am getting older or what… but that’s okay. I am glad not to have any lasting reminders of the tubing adventure but am quite excited to get the pictures developed from our waterproof camera…
Sunday, May 2, 2010
La La La Laos
I’d like to say I sit here in Laos’ sleepy capital, Vientiane, contemplating the meaning of life while enjoying the refreshingly air conditioned, overpriced coffee shop I find myself currently in, but the fact of the matter is that I am feeling incredibly lazy. We have yet to see much of Laos and that is most likely due to the unpleasant journey we endured getting here, which left us exhausted and in need of massages.
In addition, I think I feel lazy as a result of being overwhelmed. We have three weeks left to our trip but the two we allotted for Northern Thailand is in serious jeopardy due to political unrest in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai. We can’t seem to make a decision on what to do, but at the same time, we must decide what to do before leaving Vientiane in order to make arrangements. The current plan now seems to go back to Vietnam and buy more tailor-made outfits. BOOM.
But back to our journey from Vietnam to Laos…
I had prepared myself for the 24 hour bus journey it would take to get from Vietnam to Laos, but I did not expect to be scammed by my supposedly trustworthy travel agent. We had been very lucky in our travels through Vietnam even though each journey started out relatively sketchy. Leaving Hanoi, however, took a terrible turn for the worse. I like to think I can trust my instinct which is why I realize now I had such a bad feeling as we met the guy who was supposed to be taking us to the bus.
Normally, a van picks us up at our hotel and then takes us to the bus. This time, we went to the travel agency and were picked up by a guy who asked us to follow him. He then led us a few blocks away and asked us to wait at another travel agency. Then he came back and had us follow him and wait on a street corner. Finally, he came back and put us in a van. Talking to the other passengers, it seemed most of us had similar experiences. It was easy to laugh off until another one of the guides turned around and told us there would not be enough beds on the sleeper bus and some of us would have to go on a coach bus with seats.
Everyone decided to band together and insist we get seats, but the story took a surprising twist when it turned out that the travel agency did not even have a bus for us. We were taken to the bus station where we were told that only four sleeper beds would actually be available. Everyone started yelling at our guides but then some of us decided to accept coach seats just to get out of the country. To my horror, just as things started to calm down, one British girl tore two tickets out of the guides hand and told everyone to f**k off, she and her friend were getting two beds and didn’t care about anyone else.
In the confusion, our guides scattered and so Jordan and I were left trying to get on a coach bus with four other foreigners. There were no seats left so we found ourselves putting our packs on the floor and lying on top of them. Everyone was completely confused and couldn’t believe the situation. As the Vietnamese inquired as to why we were sitting on the floor, they were equally appalled at our story.
Although at that moment I thought I wanted to cry, it was also one of those moments where I was able to look around and say, well it could be worse. Everyone on the bus was extremely nice to us and one woman even shared her sticky rice with us. We had also been given plenty of snacks by Mom Lee that we could pass around to share. Most of the night was spent curled up in different positions and trying out new ones, but it actually managed to go by quickly. Even the border crossing was relatively uneventful even though at one point our bus drivers asked us to walk through the fog for about 10 minutes between the two different border posts.
So I have just finished my overpriced caramel frappe, told you about my border crossing, and now it is time to go book tickets to Vang Vieng. Tomorrow we head to Laos' tubing capital. As in inflatable tubes and going down the river. What makes this especially spectacular is the fact that every 10 meters down the river there are bars. Yes and yes.
PS Check out some pictures of the border crossing:
In addition, I think I feel lazy as a result of being overwhelmed. We have three weeks left to our trip but the two we allotted for Northern Thailand is in serious jeopardy due to political unrest in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai. We can’t seem to make a decision on what to do, but at the same time, we must decide what to do before leaving Vientiane in order to make arrangements. The current plan now seems to go back to Vietnam and buy more tailor-made outfits. BOOM.
But back to our journey from Vietnam to Laos…
I had prepared myself for the 24 hour bus journey it would take to get from Vietnam to Laos, but I did not expect to be scammed by my supposedly trustworthy travel agent. We had been very lucky in our travels through Vietnam even though each journey started out relatively sketchy. Leaving Hanoi, however, took a terrible turn for the worse. I like to think I can trust my instinct which is why I realize now I had such a bad feeling as we met the guy who was supposed to be taking us to the bus.
Normally, a van picks us up at our hotel and then takes us to the bus. This time, we went to the travel agency and were picked up by a guy who asked us to follow him. He then led us a few blocks away and asked us to wait at another travel agency. Then he came back and had us follow him and wait on a street corner. Finally, he came back and put us in a van. Talking to the other passengers, it seemed most of us had similar experiences. It was easy to laugh off until another one of the guides turned around and told us there would not be enough beds on the sleeper bus and some of us would have to go on a coach bus with seats.
Everyone decided to band together and insist we get seats, but the story took a surprising twist when it turned out that the travel agency did not even have a bus for us. We were taken to the bus station where we were told that only four sleeper beds would actually be available. Everyone started yelling at our guides but then some of us decided to accept coach seats just to get out of the country. To my horror, just as things started to calm down, one British girl tore two tickets out of the guides hand and told everyone to f**k off, she and her friend were getting two beds and didn’t care about anyone else.
In the confusion, our guides scattered and so Jordan and I were left trying to get on a coach bus with four other foreigners. There were no seats left so we found ourselves putting our packs on the floor and lying on top of them. Everyone was completely confused and couldn’t believe the situation. As the Vietnamese inquired as to why we were sitting on the floor, they were equally appalled at our story.
Although at that moment I thought I wanted to cry, it was also one of those moments where I was able to look around and say, well it could be worse. Everyone on the bus was extremely nice to us and one woman even shared her sticky rice with us. We had also been given plenty of snacks by Mom Lee that we could pass around to share. Most of the night was spent curled up in different positions and trying out new ones, but it actually managed to go by quickly. Even the border crossing was relatively uneventful even though at one point our bus drivers asked us to walk through the fog for about 10 minutes between the two different border posts.
So I have just finished my overpriced caramel frappe, told you about my border crossing, and now it is time to go book tickets to Vang Vieng. Tomorrow we head to Laos' tubing capital. As in inflatable tubes and going down the river. What makes this especially spectacular is the fact that every 10 meters down the river there are bars. Yes and yes.
PS Check out some pictures of the border crossing:
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
A Bientot Vietnam
Later today, I will board a bus and ride it 24 hours to Vientiane, Laos. My time in Vietnam has flown by, with Jordan and I deciding last night that if given an award, we would name Vietnam "Best Overall Performance."
After Hue, we moved onto Hanoi (the capital) and Halong Bay. We were also lucky enough to be staying with the Lee family in their beautiful home.
Who is the Lee family you might ask? Well, per Deb's usual antics, she managed to meet a Vietnamese Colby student who offered to introduce us to her family. One thing led to another and we have been staying with them for the past few days. It has been an incredible experience and just goes to show how small the world really is and how wonderful people can be.
From the moment we walked in the door, we have had one adventure after another. Starting with a traditional photo shoot -- Mom Lee was inspired after seeing our Khmer glamour shots -- and ending with a buffet feast/farewell party.
It is funny because I feel like expanding on the buffet and not Halong Bay, but I find it very important to say that the items included raw oysters, sushi, steak, loads of fresh salads, avocado, AND as a finale, a chocolate fountain and eclairs in the shape of swans.
Anywho, I feel incredibly lucky to have these new friends and (as I have said before) if it weren't for things like silly visa requirements, I might stay forever.
Moral to the story: If you haven't started planning a trip to Vietnam, I strongly suggest you start immediately!
After Hue, we moved onto Hanoi (the capital) and Halong Bay. We were also lucky enough to be staying with the Lee family in their beautiful home.
Who is the Lee family you might ask? Well, per Deb's usual antics, she managed to meet a Vietnamese Colby student who offered to introduce us to her family. One thing led to another and we have been staying with them for the past few days. It has been an incredible experience and just goes to show how small the world really is and how wonderful people can be.
From the moment we walked in the door, we have had one adventure after another. Starting with a traditional photo shoot -- Mom Lee was inspired after seeing our Khmer glamour shots -- and ending with a buffet feast/farewell party.
It is funny because I feel like expanding on the buffet and not Halong Bay, but I find it very important to say that the items included raw oysters, sushi, steak, loads of fresh salads, avocado, AND as a finale, a chocolate fountain and eclairs in the shape of swans.
Anywho, I feel incredibly lucky to have these new friends and (as I have said before) if it weren't for things like silly visa requirements, I might stay forever.
Moral to the story: If you haven't started planning a trip to Vietnam, I strongly suggest you start immediately!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
I'm a Barbie Girl
Posting two days in a row = quite the achievement. The truth is I could not hop on tonight's overnight bus without sharing the latest photos. Today we went on another motorbike adventure because 1) there is nothing like flying on a motorbike and 2) it is really the only way to get around Vietnam as the majority of the "roads" are not large enough for cars.
Today's adventure was extra special as we sped along narrow concrete slabs through village alleys and the Hue countryside. It was a cross between a roller coaster and feeling like I was in a high speed chase with Jason Bourne. However, both our drivers took great care in buckling in our helmets pre-departure (which you can see an example in the pictures).
Although everything was glorious, a major highlight came at the last stop when an old woman showed us how to work the various contraptions used by Vietnamese farmers. My favorite was when she showed us a crib-like apparatus complete with plastic baby. After demonstrating how it could be used, she press the plastic baby's stomach and oh-my-word. Imagine the surprise when the baby started playing "I'm a Barbie Girl" by Aqua. Then to my great amusement, the old (perhaps 97 years) woman began to dance and jiggle around. You can also see pictures of her (sadly I did not capture her dancing on video but I sure wish I had).
More or less the pictures speak for themselves so please take a peek and enjoy!
PS I have been getting a few emails about the situation in Bangkok (and throughout Thailand), please don't worry -- the fanny pack tramp and I are keeping close tabs on the situation. Even though I am looking forward to purchasing fake designer goods and visiting the red light district, if things stay this way... we might just have to find an alternative place for a farewell adventure...
Today's adventure was extra special as we sped along narrow concrete slabs through village alleys and the Hue countryside. It was a cross between a roller coaster and feeling like I was in a high speed chase with Jason Bourne. However, both our drivers took great care in buckling in our helmets pre-departure (which you can see an example in the pictures).
Although everything was glorious, a major highlight came at the last stop when an old woman showed us how to work the various contraptions used by Vietnamese farmers. My favorite was when she showed us a crib-like apparatus complete with plastic baby. After demonstrating how it could be used, she press the plastic baby's stomach and oh-my-word. Imagine the surprise when the baby started playing "I'm a Barbie Girl" by Aqua. Then to my great amusement, the old (perhaps 97 years) woman began to dance and jiggle around. You can also see pictures of her (sadly I did not capture her dancing on video but I sure wish I had).
More or less the pictures speak for themselves so please take a peek and enjoy!
PS I have been getting a few emails about the situation in Bangkok (and throughout Thailand), please don't worry -- the fanny pack tramp and I are keeping close tabs on the situation. Even though I am looking forward to purchasing fake designer goods and visiting the red light district, if things stay this way... we might just have to find an alternative place for a farewell adventure...
Friday, April 23, 2010
Double Thumbs Up
Saddened to leave Hoi An, home of fabulous dresses and beaches, it was an early start this morning to catch our bus to Hue, old imperial capital of Vietnam. I was a little worried as our "taxi" to the bus stop turned out to be one man and one motorcycle who took us in shifts and then the bus driver thought we were going to Hanoi (even farther north) and I was convinced we would end up in the wrong place.
What was also relatively dubious was the fact we found ourselves on an overnight style bus. Not your typical double decker -- they consist of reclining chairs built on two levels (no floor in between said levels, think bunk beds). They are also fairly nerve wracking in Vietnam because if you find yourself on the top level, you fear you will simply fall off (which is where we found ourselves).
Luckily, it turned out to be the right bus as we drove north and passed more spectacular countryside -- shorelines, rivers, rice paddies, forests, and mountains. Sometimes I feel sad when our bus rides are over because I love driving through the country so much. Makes me miss my mountaineer.
When we got to Hue, it was bigger than I expected which actual tall buildings and wider streets. Without knowing quite what to expect, we dropped our luggage off and headed to explore the old imperial city. Although many of the buildings encompassing the old city are ruined, there is a current plan to rebuild and the existing palace structures are gorgeous. The colors and architecture are understated but you can clearly imagine what they must have been like in their glory day.
After satisfying our desire to see the imperial city, it was time to satisfy our thirst. Afternoon beers. We headed back and decided to check out the "DMZ" Bar. DMZ stands for demilitarized zone and the site of the 17th parallel. Since we wouldn't have time to actually check the real thing out, we figured a bar named after it was the next best thing.
Turns out, it was a fabulous idea as it felt like home. It was a real bar and not just lawn chairs facing the street. There were actual stools, pumping music, and draught beers. Note: the draught beers were too expensive for the backpacking budget but the local beer quenched our thirst just fine. The tables in the bar were also decorated with lovely Asian pop singers. Fab-u-lous.
We also managed to find a yummy place for dinner later where we were also convinced to go on a motorcycle tour tomorrow. Thumbs up to getting back on bikes and exploring the countryside. Only a week left in Vietnam and we will definitely be making the most of our time!
What was also relatively dubious was the fact we found ourselves on an overnight style bus. Not your typical double decker -- they consist of reclining chairs built on two levels (no floor in between said levels, think bunk beds). They are also fairly nerve wracking in Vietnam because if you find yourself on the top level, you fear you will simply fall off (which is where we found ourselves).
Luckily, it turned out to be the right bus as we drove north and passed more spectacular countryside -- shorelines, rivers, rice paddies, forests, and mountains. Sometimes I feel sad when our bus rides are over because I love driving through the country so much. Makes me miss my mountaineer.
When we got to Hue, it was bigger than I expected which actual tall buildings and wider streets. Without knowing quite what to expect, we dropped our luggage off and headed to explore the old imperial city. Although many of the buildings encompassing the old city are ruined, there is a current plan to rebuild and the existing palace structures are gorgeous. The colors and architecture are understated but you can clearly imagine what they must have been like in their glory day.
After satisfying our desire to see the imperial city, it was time to satisfy our thirst. Afternoon beers. We headed back and decided to check out the "DMZ" Bar. DMZ stands for demilitarized zone and the site of the 17th parallel. Since we wouldn't have time to actually check the real thing out, we figured a bar named after it was the next best thing.
Turns out, it was a fabulous idea as it felt like home. It was a real bar and not just lawn chairs facing the street. There were actual stools, pumping music, and draught beers. Note: the draught beers were too expensive for the backpacking budget but the local beer quenched our thirst just fine. The tables in the bar were also decorated with lovely Asian pop singers. Fab-u-lous.
We also managed to find a yummy place for dinner later where we were also convinced to go on a motorcycle tour tomorrow. Thumbs up to getting back on bikes and exploring the countryside. Only a week left in Vietnam and we will definitely be making the most of our time!
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