"Lady! Lady! Tuc Tuc?"

After arriving by bus to Siem Reap, Cambodia, we were about to start our trek to finding a hostel. Deja-vu immediately began to set in as our tuc-tuc driver insisted we first check out this one hostel in City Center, 'Siem Reap Temple Villa.' After we turned down the dirt road next to the sketchy 'Pink Paradise' I immediately got a flash-back to my hostel that I had last year in Siem Reap, which our tuc-tuc driver had also insisted we check out. So, turns out we are staying only 3 doors down from the room that Katie and I shared just one year ago! It is a huge room with three beds, a TV and a swimming pool. Plus, we only pay $5 a night per person. I can't complain. I was happy to return here since I really like the city, although I had already visited Angkor Wat. One of my favourite things about this place is trying all the different foods in the many restaurants, browsing the markets (and buying nick-nacks to put into my already over-full backpack) and enjoying the absence of cars on 'Pub Street' when they close it off to cars in the evening. We have kept up our daily ice cream break at 'Blue Pumpkin' and deepened the tan at our hostel's swimming pool. We got massages, pedicures, and Jenn and Michelle got their feet eaten by fish. Mmm.

Our Final Goodbyes to Vietnam

As our allotted time in Vietnam drew to an end, we decided to squeeze as much into our last few days as possible. It became a whirlwind few days-tiring but worthwhile. We spent one night in Nha Trang, two nights in Dalat and one final night in Ho Chi Minh, before spending a 17 hour day on the bus to Siem Reap, Cambodia. The funny thing about travelling is that you cannot do enough research on the internet to know what to expect once you arrive somewhere. We have found the best source to be fellow travellers, who have proved to generally share the same opinions about places as we do. We had heard that Nha Trang is not so nice, but that it does have a great beach. Since we were only spending one night, we figured a great beach would satisfy us for that time. Upon arriving in Nha Trang we realized we also didn’t care too much for it. Unfortunately first impressions are telling, and the taxi driver who agreed to use the meter then insisted and whined like a child to give him double as much as what the meter said. He was the first of many locals to rub us the wrong way in Nha Trang. However, we simply walked away as he followed us, yelling, as we held tight to our purses. Eventually he took the amount shown on the meter and left. One point for us. Next, the receptionist at the hostel who barely lifted her eyes and simply mumbled under her breath to come back in three hours since our room wasn’t ready, didn’t help either. And the third strike came from the angry lady selling us bus tickets minutes later, as we could only think about getting out of there! Apart from the unhappy people and the ‘so-so’ city, the beach was indeed lovely and stretched out further than we could see. Jenn’s bug bites were at their peak impressiveness on this day, as can be seen in the photo below. We met some Canadian teachers working in Malaysia, making a Canadian teacher’s salary and “living like royalty” in the much cheaper country. My curiosity is always sparked when I meet people teaching abroad. Sign of things to come? It’s a possibility. We were excited for the ‘spring-like’ weather in Dalat as it is built up in the mountains. The views from the bus were beautiful and we all quickly layered on the clothing as we stepped off the bus. The city is quiet (well, quieter than we had been used to) and friendly. We decided to rent ‘easy-rider’s’ for our full day there. Easy-riders can be found all throughout Vietnam, equipped with not only a motorcycle but also someone to drive it and scoot you around. We spent all day on the back of motorcycles, checking out the country-side and some of the sights. I broadened my horizons by eating my first cricket and silk worm and sipping on a steaming cup of weasel coffee (for those of you who are unsure, it’s coffee made with the help of a weasel and its apparent ‘digestive enzymes.’ Appetizing!) We visited elephants and ‘fished for crocodiles’ with, you guessed it, a fishing rod! In reality we just fed them but it was cool nonetheless. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love rollercoasters or anything that gets the adrenaline pumping, so I was excited to hear that we could pay $2 to ride a so-called ‘bobsled’. Two people sit in a cart and the person in the back controls the speed with two levers on the side. When I saw all the little children boarding the carts and realized it was more of a slide than a true rollercoaster, I have to admit I started to turn my nose up at it a bit. But as I sat in the back and pushed the levers to the ground so the brakes were off completely, we flew pretty fast around the corners and I got a bit of a thrill watching Jenn’s ‘easy-rider’ yell at us to stop as we quickly approached the cart that him and Jenn were in. The look on his face was priceless as he likely had no faith in us ‘dumb tourists’ to put on the brakes. Certainly someone could get seriously injured since the carts can easily collide but it was fun being able to control the ride. Lastly we stopped off in Ho Chi Minh where the traffic was even crazier than Hanoi! We knew we didn’t want much time here so we only spent the evening. The shopping could be excellent here as they have all the big brand stores we have back home, but living out of a backpack (and on a very strict budget) is not conducive to much shopping. We did find a Pizza Hut and were overjoyed when it tasted like real Pizza Hut. It’s been awhile since I’ve savoured a meal and the taste of real cheese like I did here. We spent the last several hours of the night at a cool pub, where Jenn became the unofficial DJ. We even managed to get a little dance party going. Another point for us. We left the next morning for Siem Reap.

Hoi An

If I had to describe Hoi An in one word it would be 'charming.' Everything about it screams charm. From the rice paddy fields to the friendly shop owners to the tiny back alleys surrounded with yellow-painted buildings. Heading to the river at night, women are asking to take you for a ride on their long, wooden boats. Locals are selling paper lanterns with a lit candle, made for others to put into the river, make a wish, and watch it float across the water. Lanterns are being sold in all the shops and decorate the trees by the market and along the river. If you needed a place for a honeymoon, this could be it. Apart from the romantic vibe of the city, it is also THE place to get clothes made by one of the hundreds of tailors that scatter the streets. I got a pair of shorts, a shirt and a dress made, all which fit perfectly. We rented bikes for a day and went to the nearby beach, paid to lay on the lounge chairs and watched people play in the waves. We also booked a tour to the Cham Islands, which consisted of a decently terrifying speed boat on the ocean over some massive waves, and a so-called 'snorkel'. Masks were passed out but I couldn't find the snorkels. I asked if they had any. The tour guide said 'We have two. This IS Vietnam.' So a couple snatched up the snorkels, and I made due with just the mask. Unfortunately, we didn't see much more than a bit of coral and some little black fish. We still got time on the beach and a swim and walked around the island. For $23 it still made for an interesting day. Off to Nha Trang for mud baths and more beach! Not a bad way to be spending our time!

Boat Cruise down Halong Bay

After joining forcing with the Griffiths sisters in Bangkok, we made our way to Hanoi, a busy, fast-paced city in Northern Vietnam. It took us only minutes in our taxi to realize that the roads really have no rules. I knew this already about Asia but had never experienced it on such busy streets. I definitely held my breath a few times, expecting a head on collision or running into the little moped ahead of us, but somehow, they are able to communicate well enough through all the honking to avoid such accidents. Crossing the streets is no easy feat either. Our tour guide told us "you want to cross street in Hanoi? Close your eyes and start walking." As ridiculous as it sounds, this advice has helped. The more you look and think about what COULD happen, the less consistent your pace is, the more likely you are to get hit. I have heard Jenn mutter under her breath "just be confident, just be confident..." while weaving between the mopeds, cars and busses. I even got escorted across a busy street by a kind Vietnamese man, who clearly felt sorry for the blonde girl terrified to step out into the madness. Hanoi is the gateway to Halong Bay, which is visited by most tourists passing through the city. We opted for the 3 day, 2 night tour, which included one night on board the ship and one night in a bungalow on the tour company's island. There was no way we could have been disappointed with this decision. Our boat was beautiful, the food was great, and our group was a lot of fun. We went kayaking around the islands, hiked up a mountain to find only a better view of the bay, visited monkey island (full of monkeys!), sand Vietnamese karaoke, and played beach volleyball in front of our adorable bungalow on a secluded island. Next stop: Hoi An

A reunion with my old friend, Bangkok

The journey into the land of Pad Thai, wooden frogs, skin whiteners and Chang beer began Wednesday afternoon when I left for the Darwin airport. I knew I would have 10 hours in the Singapore airport overnight, and although I had heard it's one of the best airports to be stuck in, I still had low expectations for my ability to enjoy it, as I would likely prefer to be in bed than in a noisy airport. Waiting in the Darwin airport, I met Jeremy from France. I began to feel a bit more optimistic about my situation when I found out he had 17 hours in Singapore! So we decided to meet in Singapore and pass our time together. We got ourselves a map and narrowed in on all the things we wanted to see. We also asked about the free 2 hour bus tour the airport provides for anyone who wants to tour the city! Sadly, they don’t run overnight. Such a great idea for anyone who finds themselves killing time in the Singapore airport during the day! We walked through the butterfly gardens, found the ‘Entertainment Zone’ complete with giant touch screens with games, passed by the rooftop pool and bar, used the computers at one of the many ‘free internet’ stations and ended off our journey with a movie at the free movie theater. It was approximately 3am when we finally decided we should get some rest so we went to the ‘sleeping lounge’ which sounds lovely, when in fact the ‘S’ shaped lounge chairs are not as conducive to sleep as they appear to be. Maybe I was too tall for them, not sure, but the bends in my body didn’t seem to match the curves of the lounge. However, I did manage to get a bit of shut-eye. At one point I awoke to a man talking nearby and saw it was a security guard with a large gun at his side, asking a sleeping man for his passport. I looked around and standing at all 5 entrances were guards with equally large guns. Not a terribly comforting way to wake up. I eventually was asked for my passport as well, and they went on their way. I eventually arrived in Bangkok and as I was in my taxi, making my way for the hostel I felt much more at home and less culture shocked by this extreme change in surroundings than I did last summer. I spent the day roaming around Koh San area and refusing cheap tuc-tucs to see the Buddha statues. While eating dinner at a small restaurant, I exchanged a few words with this lovely English couple, David and Alice, sitting next to me who then invited me to their table which turned into an all evening exploration of all that Koh San has to offer at night. After several Chang, Pad Thai, Spring rolls, fresh crepes, scorpions on a stick, break dancing in the street (watching, not doing), and observing the many Thai lady/white male interactions, I decided to call it a night since I had barely slept the night before. I was very excited to see Jennifer and Michelle at the hostel door the next night, and to meet Danae and her tour group for eating, shopping and more shopping.