The End of Laos, and the Second Round of Thailand

I'm back in northern Thailand after a whirlwind through Laos.

After Luang Prabang, most of the people from the Spicylaos Hostel travelled to Vang Vieng together, so that we could partake in the infamous tubing. I would just like to say that the Spicylaos crew consisted of some of the most amazing and fun travel mates I've ever met. Rock on guys!

My last day in Luang Prabang was quite rainy and cold (for Laos anyway). Since we wanted to go to Vang Vieng anyway, we decided that the next day would be a perfect time to leave: escape the rain, and get our tubing on.

How very, very wrong we were.

There were about fifteen of us shoved into a minivan, and without warning, we headed south, down a snaking, muddy, sometimes-overflowing road. Because the road conditions in Laos are famous for being terrible, the minibus hardly ever accelerated over fifty kilometres per hour. After a while, my legs had completely cramped up, and I was ready to start walking.

We finally arrived in Vang Vieng. Now, normally, Vang Vieng is a happening little town, full of backpackers, lively bars and of course, hundreds upon hundreds of people tubing down the Nam Song river. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the town was completely deserted, because there was torrential rain, and the weather was around twelve degrees. What do you do in Vang Vieng when the weather is unnaturally awful, you ask? Well, the answer is to hang out with your mates in one of the thousands of restaurants that play reruns of Friends or Family Guy during the day, and at night, spend some time bar-hopping, while dressed in a sodden raincoat, and try to forget how cold and miserable you are.

I'm going to be honest, I'm pretty upset that I didn't get the chance to go tubing. That was definitely one of the parts of my trip that I was looking forward to the most. However, I can honestly say that I didn't have a terrible time in Vang Vieng. I owe it all to the group that I was travelling with. Had I been alone, I would have jumped on the first bus out of there. But hanging around with other waterlogged travellers actually proved to be quite a fun and memorable time. As for the tubing, I guess I'll just have to go back one day. Man life is rough!

The Spicylaos Hostel in Vang Vieng is more or less a bamboo shack. I think that if the weather was sunny, it would have been one of the most awesome places to stay that I've been so far. Unfortunately, because it was freezing, I was too afraid to roll over, lest my blanket would move. I'd suggest checking the weather before booking into this place.

The second night, Reena and I returned from a five-hour Friends marathon, only to discover that everyone else had relocated. We were the only two left at Spicylaos. I refuse to believe that we are anything less than badass.

After two days in Vang Vieng, we realized that the weather wasn't going to get any better for a couple of days, and the combination of being in a time crunch as well as not being able to bear any more of the cold, Reena, Adam and I decided to bite the bullet and head to Chiang Mai.

The trip to Chiang Mai from Vang Vieng took us about twenty-three hours. We were loaded onto a decent bus to Vientiane, where we transferred to an older, creaky bus that lacked any shock absorbers, which would take us over the border. Luckily, the journey from Vientiane to Udon Thani isn't too terribly long. I was anticipating another shaky, disorganized border crossing, but like Cambodia to Vietnam, it was short, sweet and to the point. Now all my border crossings are complete, and only Thailand to Cambodia was a complete crapshoot!

In Udon Thani, we transferred to the nicest bus I've ever been on. The seats reclined, I could move my legs more than an inch at a time, and - most importantly - we were given food and coffee! I would definitely suggest weaseling your way onto a VIP bus in Thailand if you get the chance. They do not disappoint.

We arrived in Chiang Mai fairly early the next morning, and decided that after days at a time stuck in the mud and the rain, we wanted to find a guesthouse and shower. We checked into the conveniently located A Little Bird, which had clean rooms, and was only $3.50 a night!

Trekking, rafting and elephant-related activities are definitely the main pull to Chiang Mai. After walking around the city all day, I felt that I had more or less seen everything in Chiang Mai that I wanted to see. The night market is definitely worth a go, and the food is pretty fantastic, but two days in the city itself are really all you need.

On our first night, we had heard people at the hostel talking about seeing a Muy Thai fight, and we figured that it would be worth a go. The fight turned out to be in a seedy-looking ring surrounded by bars. Although I would have been terrified to be there alone, being in the company of others made it a rather hilarious experience. The people watching was worth every baht.

The fights began with a match between two kids who looked to be about twelve, and went from there. After a while, I felt that I was seeing a show as opposed to an actual sporting event. It was just as well when we left.

After Chiang Mai, Adam and I headed to Pai, which I had only heard good things about. The coffee shops, bamboo huts and dreadlocked locals are definitely reminiscent of the hippie trail. There are quite a few waterfalls to head to during the day to beat the forty-degree heat, and at night, there are little bars open, mostly featuring cover bands.

Pretty much everything around Pai is accessible by motorbike. Because I had never ridden a motorbike in my life, and on top of that, had to deal with driving on the left side of the road, I was quite terrified. But I can assure you that after a few minutes it's really not so bad. We wanted to head to a waterfall that was marked on the map, but en route, we were told that it was only accessible by foot, and it was three hours each way. Because the day was almost too hot, we decided to head to a different place. Although it wasn't as amazing as the waterfall in Luang Prabang, it was a nice place to chill out for a few hours, and watch local teens continually slide down the falls - something I'm sure I'd break a bone or two if I tried.

I really liked Pai. After Chiang Mai, it was nice to kick back and enjoy some time in a small, chilled out place. I had heard from quite a few people that it's easy to get attached to Pai and don't want to leave. I definitely understand where they're coming from. One day, I just may be one of the old hippies hanging out in Pai. I can only hope, really.

I'm now back in Chiang Mai. I think I'm going to do a trek tomorrow, and then after that, I need to figure out what I want to do. I need to be back in Bangkok by the end of the month so that I can fly home. I don't believe it!

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

Lovely, Lovely Laos

At the moment, I'm sitting in the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, Laos. Prior to my arrival, I had heard only good things about Luang Prabang: the people were genuine and friendly, the prices were out-of-this-world cheap, and the surroundings were breathtakingly beautiful. Well, my friends, I can now personally tell you that these are all massive understatements. Although I hate picking favorites, Luang Prabang just might be my favorite place that I've travelled to...ever. Top five, anyway.

Before gushing on about Laos, and the last leg of Vietnam - which I will do, so fear not -I forgot to mention one of the highlights of Hanoi in my last blog! Believe it or not, I gave the traditional water puppet show a go...and liked it! The tradition was started by rice farmers in the 1100s, and has carried on since then. I'll admit that I was a little bit apprehensive to see the show, as I was expecting a lame, slightly creepy It's a Small World-esque atmosphere. However, I decided to try it out, since it is one of northern Vietnam's most famous attractions, and it only cost me $3. I was pleasantly surprised! The musicians wore traditional northern Vietnamese costumes, and played wicked-sounding traditional instruments. The theatre was well constructed, with a set of palm trees, a backdrop of a traditional northern Vietnamese home, and a large pool of water. The puppets were worked quite professionally, portraying Vietnamese customs such as picking coconuts, dragon parades, and rice farming, and set to an amazing soundtrack. The dragon puppets shot water...I thought that was pretty awesome! Altogether, I would suggest going to a water puppet show if you ever find yourself in Hanoi. It's inexpensive, fun, and not as lame as you would think...I promise!

After two days in Hanoi, I took a night bus to the hill-tribe village of Sapa. All of the travellers I've met who had been to Sapa raved about how beautiful it was, so spending a few days in town wasn't even a question for me. It's home to a large handicraft market, villagers who wear colorful costumes, rice fields and Fanispan, Vietnam's highest peak. Unfortunately, my two days in the mountain town weren't quite as ideal as I had hoped. Upon arrival, the temperature had dropped significantly, causing me to trade my shorts and tank top for long pants, running shoes and layers! The temperature was about eight degrees at most, which is freezing in Vietnam. The locals were all bundled up in North Face parkas, and none of the buildings seemed to have heating systems - although my guesthouse had heated mattress covers. They was truly heaven-sent. The fog was so thick that I could only see about twenty feet in front of me at a time, making it difficult to figure out where I was going, and ruling out any chances of seeing the mountains and terraced rice fields. It was quite disappointing.

But somehow, Sapa became one of my favorite destinations in Southeast Asia. The ambience of walking around a tiny mountain town in the fog is actually quite relaxing. The markets sold amazing crafts and jewellery, some of which I'm bringing home with me. And the food was absolutely delicious! I indulged in one of the most fantastic wood-fire pizzas I've ever tried. If you find yourself in Sapa, I strongly suggest trying the Nature Bar and Grill or the Sapa Lotus Restaurant. It has the same feeling of sitting in a mountain lodge in Banff, but you only pay a fraction of the price for the food!

After the aggressive hawkers in Sihanoukville, I was a little gun-shy to venture out in a market by myself...one death threat is enough for my trip, thank you very much. However, the methods of selling in Sapa were completely different. They take a gentler, more calm approach, and instead of selling manicures, and leg waxes performed in front of the whole beach, they sell homemade bags, jewellery and other little doodads that a person might actually want to spend money on! When I first arrived in Sapa, I accumulated an entourage of hill-tribe women, who followed me silently to my guesthouse. I did run into two women who convinced me to buy purses from them. We agreed on a decent price, and I think that I made their day. The locals were so genuinely friendly in Sapa, and I felt very safe. It was also nice to be able to say no without being hassled. If you smile, say "No thank you", and keep walking, the women will follow you for a little while, and then get the picture and move on. Definitely a step up from having scissors held in my face!

After two days, I had to say goodbye to Sapa. I really wish that the skies had been clearer so that I could have seen the amazing surroundings, but I guess I'll just have to come back one day!

I took a night bus to Hanoi, where I caught a ride to the airport. I had originally considered putting myself through the treacherous, twenty-five hour bus ride from Hanoi to Luang Prabang, just for the experience, but because of my time crunch, I made the decision to fly. The flight cost $185, which was expensive, but since it saved me a whole day, I reasoned that it was a fair trade. The Hanoi airport isn't huge, but no one speaks much English, and all of the signs seemed to say "domestic terminal". I was feeling a little bit panicky, so I took my e-ticket to one of the kiosks and pointed frantically, only to recieve a huge smile from the lady working there. She told me in broken English that I was in the right place, and could check in in twenty minutes. Phew!

A tip: if you decide to make this flight, go with Lao Airlines. They have friendly staff, and although it's a short, hour-long flight, they'll feed you!

When I arrived in the Luang Prabang Airport (one tiny terminal), I was directed right to immigration, where I got my Lao visa in a matter of minutes, and then was able to get my bag and take a cab ($2 from the airport) to my hostel. I couldn't help noticing that the visa fee for Canadians was by far the most expensive. It cost me $42. I really want to know what Canada ever did to have to pay so much! On the bright side, that's it for visas, as I don't need one when I re-enter Thailand. Like I said, phew!

Luang Prabang is magical. There is no other way to put it. The Spicylaos hostel, a UNESCO Heritage house, isn't as hostel-y as I expected, but it is definitely one of the most social places I've stayed. I've met tons of friendly people, which is one of my main priorities as a solo traveller. The town is so quiet and laid-back, especially after two weeks in Vietnam! It has French architecture, and tons of delicious bakeries, cafes and fruit shake stands line the main street. Not far away from the hostel is the Mekong River, where you can sit at an outdoor cafe and have a delicious meal for ridiculously low prices. I just finished a pad Thai an hour ago, and I'm considering going back later. If you're a penny-pincher like me, you can head to the food market. Every night at about 5:30, food vendors set up stalls where you can pay 10, 000 kip (about $1.20), and help yourself to all sorts of veggies and noodles. The idea is to fill your plate as full as you can, and then get the vendors to fry it together with hot sauce. Delicious! I've been three nights in a row. The Beerlao is also cheap, and tons of travellers hang out here for dinner.

The main street also shuts down about this time for the infamous night market. You can buy pretty much everything here, from t-shirts to unique textiles and handicrafts. I did a fair bit of shopping the other night. It's easy to barter the prices, although every once in a while they offer such a good price that you don't even need to!

Today it rained, so a group of six of us from the hostel decided to head to the Red Cross for a Lao massage. It was totally worth it! It cost about $5 for an hour, and the money goes to legitimate causes. My back feels a lot better now! I'm ready to carry my ever-expanding backpack!

Yesterday, we took a day-trip to a waterfall outside of town. Although the trip out was a little rough (about an hour sitting in a tuk-tuk driving over bumpy dirt roads), the scenery was totally worth it. The countryside was unbelievably stunning, and it was interesting to see non-touristy towns, where people were just living their day-to-day lives.

It cost 20, 000 kip to see the waterfall ($1.20 Canadian). It was a quick walk through a park. En route, you pass a bear protection centre...and I saw two sun bears playing! I stayed and watched for a while...they were so cute, although it made me miss my dog. The centre was set up to protect different species of bears from poaching. The area was spacious, and I was glad to see that in countries outside of North America, there was still effort put towards protecting animals.

The waterfall was just what the doctor ordered on a hot day. The water was sapphire blue, and you could swing on a rope out of a tree and jump in, or jump from a rock into the pool below. The water was colder than I expected, and very refreshing. It felt like a jungle oasis in a movie. I had been debating whether or not I wanted to go. Taking the trip was definitely a good call!

Tomorrow, I'm leaving Luang Prabang, and heading to Vang Vieng, home of the infamous tubing. I wouldn't mind staying in Luang Prabang forever, but I'm excited to try some tubing, and see more of Laos!

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

The Second Saga of Vietnam

Before I start, I'd like to make a birthday shout-out to my friend Steph: HAPPY 21!!! Enjoy your day fully! Wish I could be there...I'm thinking about you today!

Believe it or not, my travels in Vietnam are almost over! This is a bit of a bittersweet feeling for me, because I'm dying to get to Laos, but I've gotten pretty attached to this heavily-contrasted country, especially the northern part. Right now, I'm in Hanoi again, and tonight I take a night bus to the mountain village of Sapa. This is where you can buy unique handicrafts, walk among terraced rice fields, and view the hill tribes walking around in retro-esque garb.

After a day in Hoi An, I decided that it was time to move on. It would have been awesome to get some tailor-made shoes and clothing, but I was told that it would take a few days, and alas, I didn't have the time. It was a nice place to chill out for a day after the utter chaos of Saigon. I enjoyed walking through the narrow streets, among French colonial architecture, without worrying too much about being run down, or having my bag snatched by a moto-bandit. I also had the best baguette sandwich of my life!

Unfortunately, guesthouses in Hoi An aren't super cheap, unless you have a buddy, and at this point, I was completely solo. For me, Hoi An was more of a halfway point between Saigon and northern Vietnam, where most of the places I wanted to see were.

I booked a trip from Hoi An to Hanoi, which would stop halfway in Hue, where I would switch to a sleeper bus. The bus from Hanoi seemed to lack any sort of shock absorber, and I was fortunate enough to sit on the axle, being bumped and jostled around for hours. Not far from Hue, we drove down a hill which I can only describe as Asia's answer to Bolivia's "death road". Technically, it was a two-lane road, but the lanes were the tiniest I'd ever seen, and our bus often came face-to-face with a semi, and the driver had to maneuver around without hitting another vehicle, or driving us off the side of the cliff. Let me also say that it is beyond disconcerting when the lady in the seat next to you is gasping and screaming every five seconds.

The redeeming factor to this leg of the journey was the landscape. The grass was almost a cartoon green, and as far as the eye could see were the rice fields, with people in traditional rice-farming hats peacefully went about their work. The palm trees lined the side of the road, and it was that perfect time of day where the sun hasn't set yet, but the light has changed, and the sky is hazy. The mere scenery of this ride was one of the major highlights of my trip.

I can't elaborate on the ride from Hue to Hanoi, as I passed out on the bus. Anyway.

Originally, I had planned to head straight to Ha Long Bay from Hanoi, and spend a night on a Chinese junk boat. Unfortunately, the bus getting into town was four hours late and I missed my ride. In a state of extreme panic, I ran to the travel company's office - heavy backpack and all - and pleaded my case. The woman there explained that if I came back the next morning, there would be space on a boat for me. Relieved, I headed to the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel, where I decided to crash for the night. Upon arrival at the hostel, I met Kirsten, also from Canada, and we spend the day attempting the Old Quarter walking tour. Although we found ourselves lost many a time, there were some amazing things that we stumbled upon.

One of my favorite parts of the city - although not officially on the walking tour - was an alley, which looked to be a locals' market. There were no tourists, just local people hanging out, selling things like amazing-looking vegetables and fruit, fish heads, a net bag of frogs (still hopping), and a pot of shrimp (still swimming). It was nice to see a group of locals just living their lives, without the influence of tourists. They were all incredibly friendly, and one lady really wanted me to buy some raw mystery-meat from her (which I declined with a somewhat forced smile).

I didn't know that the Vietnamese language used the same alphabet as English. Although the words don't mean a single thing to me, it's a nice change to be able to read the letters on a sign and from there figure out how lost I actually am.

The lady at the travel office was as good as her word, I discovered the next morning. I showed up bright and early, and within about fifteen minutes, a group of other travellers had accumulated (it's always nice to see that you're not the only one there). We were loaded onto a tight minibus, and driven to the Ha Long harbour. We ended up standing in the parking lot for a good hour, and no one bothered to tell us what the problem was. Finally, our guide returned, and we were able to get on our boat. It was a traditional wooden Chinese junk ship, with dragons decorating the sides. The bedrooms were basic, with two double beds and an ensuite. However, they were cozy, and really just a place to rest my head that night. Most of the two days were spent on deck, camera in hand, snapping pictures like a madwoman.

After a delicious lunch on board (mostly meat dishes, with two incredible veggie sides), we sailed to an island, where the largest cave in Ha Long Bay was located. After climbing a fair number of stairs, you can enter the cave. It has out-of-this world stalactites and stalagmites all over, and there are colourful lights placed strategically all over the cave. After walking out of the cave, you're high enough up to see an incredible panorama of the jade water and limestone karsts. Photo ops galore!

After that, we visited a fishing village, with tiny, colourful floating houses peppered throughout the small inlet. We got onto a rickety boat, and floated through two small arches in one of the cliffs (apparently the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies was filmed there), and all around the tiny houses.

The next morning, I woke up at 6:00, hoping to catch the sunrise. It didn't really happen, which was disappointing. Our guide then told us that we had an hour to kayak around the cliffs before breakfast - if we wanted. I was the first one off the boat. The water was calm, and because it was early, early, morning, we were the only people out and about. The water in the Bay was probably among the most beautiful I've ever seen, right up there with Railay.

Ha Long Bay was easily one of the highlights of my trip so far. I had seen pictures on the Internet, and thought that they were incredibly beautiful. What I learned was that they didn't do the real thing justice. The day was cooler and hazy, which added an amazing, mysterious ambiance to the place. Although I was a little chilly, I really enjoyed the mist, especially for the early morning kayak. There were tons of boats, but they were all spread out, so it didn't feel packed with tourists at all.

The only complaint I have about the Ha Long Bay tour is that there was a lot of sitting and waiting, and the guides never gave us a explanation of what was happening. However, for the (very) decent price I paid, I'm just glad I got a chance to see the Bay.

Now, I'm back in Hanoi. I think that today I'm going to take it easy and recharge before my night bus ride tonight. For the next two days, I'm going to be walking around Sapa. I've only heard good things so far, so I'm very excited. After that, I'm heading to Laos! Right now, I'm looking into booking a flight from Hanoi to Luang Prabang. It's more expensive, but it saves me a whole day. Why not?

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com

Vietnam. It's This Whole Other Country.

Here I am, sitting in Hoi An, whose Old Quarter is a World Heritage site. People come from all over the world to buy custom made clothing from the hundreds of tailor shops in the town, and the narrow streets and French architechture make Hoi An a relaxing place to stop for a few days before heading to more hectic places, such as Hanoi. I have decided to spend one night here and then move on, because the accomodation here isn't exactly cheap, and, more importantly, I want to get to Halong Bay. This unfortunately means yet another gruelling bus journey tomorrow, but after that I don't have to do too many more, as most of the places I want to see are in closer proximity to each other. Hallelujah!

After spending a couple days in Phnom Penh, where I witnessed the Killing Fields, I decided to take a bit of a breather and head to Sihanoukville, Cambodia's beach town, for a few days. To be completely honest, I have some very mixed feelings about Sihanoukville. The scenery is gorgeous: white sand beaches, rolling waves, and beach huts where you can buy fresh food. Even though it was a little windy on the days I was there, it was warmer than it ever is at home. The locals tended to disagree - they were all bundling up.

The negative side of Sihanoukville started with the hawkers who invade the beach and will not leave you alone, no matter what. I tried smiling and shaking my head, ignoring them and reading my book, getting stern, and even pretending to be asleep. No dice. They offer you manicures and massages and so on, and if you refuse, they say that they'll come back later. And then they try to get you to pinky-swear that you won't let anyone else "help you". Could there possibly be anything more annoying?

Hell presented itself in the form of a particular hawker who more or less jumped on me as I came to the beach. She offered me a manicure, pedicure, massage...all the while, I shook my head and said "No, thank you." She then said she would find me later, and not to let anyone else do it. I ignored her, thinking she would get the picture, and annoy another one of the hundreds of people on the beach. Wrong. Maybe a half an hour later, another hawker came up, and asked me if I wanted a manicure. Getting a little exasperated, as I had just gotten to a good part of my book, I told her no. Well, that wasn't good enough for her. She grabbed my hand, and started doing my nails. I continued to tell her - in so many words - to bugger off. Unfortunately, she became selectively deaf, and wouldn't leave me alone, even as the other woman approached, and started shrieking at me in Khmer. She then pointed her finger in my face, and said "You no good. You leave Cambodia right now!" I guess refusing a manicure is worthy of exile. She then threatened to gouge my eyes out if I didn't leave right then and there - to prove her point, she held a pair of scissors about an inch away from my face. I decided this was as good a time as any to move over and sit next to an older English couple, who agreed to watch my back.

Oh, and did I mention that little children will come up and try to grope you and even pull your shirt down? It happened to me twice, and I had to resort to yelling at them. If I were in a group, I may have enjoyed Sihanoukville a little more, but as a woman travelling alone, I wish I had spend my last couple of days in Cambodia elsewhere. Being threatened, ogled and groped can ruin even the most beautiful places. For this reason alone, I would say that Sihanoukville is worth a try, but I think that there are better places to see.

After two days in Sihanoukville, I couldn't wait to move on. I bought a ticket to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon to the locals). I was expecting another sloppy, disorganized border crossing, but I don't think crossing from Cambodia to Vietnam could be any easier. We handed our passports to an officer who checked our visas, gave us an entry stamp, and let us have our passports back! We then had to walk through a scanner (like at the airports), and if we were clear, we were able to get back on the bus! The landscapes of Cambodia and Vietnam are, once again, completely different. Vietnam is greener, and the rice fields and palm trees are picturesque, and reminded me of Forrest Gump. On the bus to HCMC, I couldn't help listening to a playlist including Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, Bob Dylan, and other hits from the Woodstock era. All in all, it created the perfect ambiance.

HCMC seemed like a different world from the dusty streets and old buildings of Cambodia. It was dark when I arrived, and the neon signs and chaotic traffic completely embodied my idea of an Asian city. The people were all so friendly, and I was pleasantly surprised at how cheap everything was!

The next day, I quickly discovered that there's an art to crossing streets in Saigon. When traffic lights and signs are a mild suggestion, and hundreds of motorcycles and the occasional bus are coming at you, surprisingly, the best method is not to timidly step out into the street. No, the best way to get across is to boldly step out into the traffic...miraculously, they steer around you!

A must-see in Saigon is the War Remnants Museum. I'm not a huge museum person, but this display was actually quite amazing. It gives a history of the war, as well as adding some of the Vietnamese perspective, which, of course, are not often heard about in North America. I was impressed by how unbiased the displays all were. I also learned that there were protests all over the world, advocating the Vietnamese people. I knew that this was a big issue in the US, but I had no idea that all over Europe, Asia, South America and even Africa, groups were marching in protest of the war.

The most disturbing part of the museum are the pictures of the birth defects caused by agent orange exposure. Babies all aroung HCMC were born without legs, without eyes, or with curved spines. Most of the aspects of the Vietnam war didn't make sense to me...the torture of innocent citizens, and especially the My Lai massacre were hard to believe, and even harder to understand. However, before visiting Saigon, I didn't really know anything about the war, and I feel like I understand more about the contry's history.

There are tons and tons of other museums to see in Saigon, but to be completely honest, that was the main one that I wanted to see. I spend the rest of the day walking around the city, seeing the amazing buildings and watching the people - and of course, dodging motos.

After HCMC, I decided to spend two days in Hoi An, and then continue to Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa. I had heard great things about Hoi An, and while it's definitely a gorgeous, laid-back town, there are definitely places in Vietnam that are higher on the must-see list. One day is enough for me. Tomorrow I'm going to catch a bus to Hanoi, and from there I'm going to head straight to Cat Ba island in the World Heritage site of Halong Bay. After that, I'm going to spend a few days in the hill-tribe village of Sapa, and then onto the long-awaited Laos!

Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com