Million Star Hotel, Halong Bay, North Vietnam

Upon arrival to the Island of Cat Ba, I found myself part of a very international group of 5 other backpackers representing France, Ireland, Spain, Israel and last but not least the US of A. After spending the first day touring the enchanted island by motorbike we decided to charter a local boat for a few days.

The boat that we chose was called ‘Bien Moi’, owned by a 27 year old named Loung and his beautiful smiling wife whom cooked the best food I experienced in all of Vietnam and all from the tiny nook in the back of the boat.

For two glorious days we took in Halong Bay’s crystal green waters witnessing endless limestone rock protrusions reaching straight for the heavens. Together we explored with Kayaks the pristine waters, caves, deserted beaches with not even a single tourist in sight. The place was magical enabling us embrace all that it had to offer; savoring every moment, taking in the details and knowing we were in paradise.

We camped on ‘Monkey Island’ under the stars; the sand as our bed with nothing but the lullabies of the waves tempting us to slumber. Before sleep we swam in the psychedelic waters with glowing phosphorescent plankton. What they actually are is microscopic plankton, that when disturbed give off a bright greenish glow. Any sort of movement in the water cascades a florescent glowing green trail in its wake; it was almost unreal! As I swam, the neon green glow swirled around me with every stroke flowing around me.

Sleeping on the beach, beneath the million stars sparkling above, some falling, some twinkling was by far the strongest memories captured while in Vietnam. At 5:30 we awoke and watched the sunrise from our kayaks

Travel by night train to Ninh Binh - Vietnam

After sopping up to my knees in the flooded streets of Hue I took the infamous train ride all the way to Ninh Binh. The ride turned out to be an unforgettable experience consisting of one crazy night whilst the train chugs from South to North Vietnam (Hue to Ninh Binh) for 11 hours straight. Nihn Binh is located in the southern gateway of the Red River Delta about 90 Kilometers from Hanoi, North Vietnam.

I shared the train car bunk with 2 Vietnamese men and one other traveler from Ireland. You should have seen the faces on the two Vietnamese guys when the two white westerners showed up with a bottle of red wine and our I Pod speakers; it was priceless....

After checking out the different classes you could chose from I was thankful I went for the more expensive option in 1st class. 3rd class was offering seats jammed packed with lively passengers whom all seemed to be consuming some pretty potent food; leftovers strewn on the floor. 2nd class were six man sleeper cars; passengers packed in like sardines. Ours was perfectly cozy sleeping four. Well, as cozy as it could be I suppose.

After many glasses of Dalat red wine we ended up dancing to the I pod speakers in the train corridor to Fat Boy Slim's 'I have to praise you.' We even had some of the train staff dancing with us. In the morning at 6 am they were still joking and laughing about the night before.

Upon arrival in Ninh Binh I arranged a boat ride lasting for two hours at Tam Coc. It was so peaceful to sit on the boat with the driver rowing rhythmically with her feet. The scenery was blessed with surreal limestone rocks protruding into the sky, lush green forrest; we even went inside caves. Towards the end of the two hours something unexpected happened. The boat driver whispered "shhhh" and we veered away from where all the other tour boats were headed. We docked the boat on a small cove that housed a tiny wooden hut at the waterside.

I was invited here for tea and fresh fruit; gigantic grapefruit and bananas freshly picked from the trees before my eyes. I came to understand that were were at the boat drivers brother's house and that this was not part of the normal tourist route; what a treat.

Sitting there, giggling, lost in translation and completely in awe about how nice it was to be there in this quiet little cozy hut with these more than kind people. After about an hour I was ushered back to the boat...what a memorable time it was even as the rain began to fall sending mirrored pool droplets cascading over the still water......

The East Rider Experience - Dalat Vietnam

I explored Vietnam's countryside and surroundings in cool Bohemian city of Dalat. I found myself with a local guide on a motorbike for 5 hours whom called himself an 'Easy Rider' named Mr. Hong. Mr. Hong and I cruised together for a little more than 5 hours of breath taking mountainous countryside......

Ho Chi Minh City - A city glittering with palpable energy.......

Pictured: a female monk that smiled for her photograph while preparing lunch in one of the Pagodas I visited in HCMC.

I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam after an 11 hour bus ride from Phom Phenh Cambodia . Sparkled by the urban bustle of city life; the energy and vibrancy of this place are so alive you can almost touch it.

HCMC is the land of the kamikaze motorbikes. The population of the city is 8 million people and home to 6 million motorbikes which makes for madness when it comes to being the tourist pedestrian. I thought things were crazy in Holland with the Dutch and their bicycles but here in Vietnam there are hardly any road rules. These folks seem to ride around effortlessly, fearlessly even, barely just missing the accident waiting to happen by inches. Learning to walk across the road is a learned task in itself; walk very slowly, no matter how busy the road is, and the traffic naturally seems to swerve around you not even reducing speed!!

My favorite memory of HCMC was at a little curbside local bar right outside my guesthouse. To shelter myself from the afternoon rain one day, I stopped there to read my book under a tattered awning to drink a local ' Saigon beer'. As the place started to fill up with mostly local Vietnamese; 2 locals sat at the tables on either side of me. And so the discussion and effort to communicate began. One was a veterinarian named Phoem and the other an architect named Heip; neither of them knew each other prior to sitting down at the little miniature tables where we drank our beer and people watched overlooking the buy street. Huip and Phom did not speak great English however; it was far more advanced than my Vietnamese! Luckily I was armed with my color pencils and paper! We spent over three hours laughing, acting, and drawing under the awning in the rain. From both I had invitations to come and meet their families, to see their homes, and to have their wives cook 'real' Vietnamese food for me. They were actually arguing who's wife was a better cook and were willing to bet drinks on it!! We ended up going out together to a local place near by for a bowl of "Pho" a traditional Vietnamese dish if ride noodles and chicken accompanied by a heaping plate of bean sprouts, fresh mint and other greens that we could not directly translate; all of which tasted delicious. When it was time to say goodbye we exchanged email addresses and promises to see each other again and keep in touch.

So what is my impression of the Vietnamese people? They are the friendliest of cultures that I have come across since the beginning of my trip. I have since met many others that are genuinely interested in me, my country, and always going out of their way to help. Once outside the tourist trail all of the people here have been wonderful!!

Maybe you might wonder about the whole communist thing, as I had before I came here? Well, to the outsider, there is no trace from what I can see here at least not like the textbooks made me think of rice rations, citizens working 18 hour days at command of the government. The truth of the matter is Vietnam communism seems almost dead here and has been overruled by a capitalist world of competition and survival of the fittest.

Setting birds free in Phnom Penh Cambodia

One tradition in Buddhism is setting free a caged bird by releasing it from captivity into the sky - presumably for blessing or good luck. They say that when you set the bird free the freedom comes back to you. Well, here goes....may I be forever be blessed with good luck and forever free!!

Cambodia: a land of paradoxes

After spending a few more days in Bangkok coming back from Laos, I set off by bus for Siem Reap, Cambodia. The journey cost a mere 4 dollars and consisted of a 12 hour bus ride. The venture started out in an air conditioned coach with plush comfy chairs and ended in a bare bones clunker; leaving those along for the bumpy ride of potholes, dusty rust colored roads with an orange face and a sore backside upon arrival.

Siem Reap is famous for it’s Temples of Ankor; one of the wonders of the world and known as the largest religious sanctions to date. The temples themselves are the capital of Cambodians’ ancient Khmer Empire and were dated as early as 8th century. Rising at 5:30am, by rented bicycle, I witnessed for a little over 5 hours what I would describe as an archaeological fantasia. My pictures do no justice to the crumbling Wats aging together with the nature surrounding them; this place is what historical sites are supposed to be like.

Hot, sticky and once gain orange from my daily dosage of Cambodian road dust I retired to my guest house totally knackered.

Although Angkor Wat, in all its majesty, was truly memorable my most impressionable experiences thus far would have to be the interaction with the Cambodian people. At first, I was annoyed by the mere volume of people constantly approaching me, haggling me, following me to try to sell me something. As soon as you step out from where ever you are at least 3 people are coming to you….buy, buy, buy…some saddened me as they were local amputees from land mines. Sadness and frustration getting me nowhere, I turned on the smile and gave humble polite no thank you. When presented with local tuk-tuk and motorbike touts I laughed and started to play some jokes. This mostly ended in smiles and when lucky a conversation showed a glimpse as to what it was really like to live in Cambodia.

On the last night in Siem Reap I met a tuk-tuk driver named Tee by telling him I wanted a ride to Phnom Phen (12 hours away and totally unrealistically possible by tuk-tuk) when he asked me “Lady you need a ride in tuk-tuk? Where you go?” I declined his ride to take me there for 1 USD and asked if he would rather have a beer which lead into candid conversation about his life and an exchange for information about both how the politics, health care and education systems work in both Cambodia and the US. I found out, as I expected, that Cambodians really have it unfair. The government here, the state and the police are corrupt and can be bribed with money. The current challenge for the local Cambodians trying to make a living lies with the struggle of inflation, too much competition, and a drive to somehow better themselves with minimum means and opportunity to do so.

An education is very expensive and to earn the money to achieve an education is close to mission impossible. Tee had teamed up with a friend whom would attend university while he worked as a tuk-tuk driver to help to pay the tuition. After completion, Tee would attend university with his friends help. I was shocked to also hear that even the teachers could be bribed with money if a student would pay it to pass. Paying the police to ’look the other way’ when a crime was committed was a common occurrence.

After an hour of talking with Tee we ended our conversation around what are dreams were. I felt a pit in my stomach turn when he said that his dream was to have an education and to travel the world. Hairs standing up on the back of my neck as this was also my dream and I was living it right in front of him. I felt sadness and a ping of something I think was named guilt sweep over me. I was thinking maybe that he could never realistically live his dream given the means and opportunity that he had been dealt with. The part that made me want to cry was that he was working so hard and had so much hope and determination in his eyes. In myself I doubted his dreams which made me ashamed my own insatiable wants and lack of realizing how lucky I am.

Cambodia is a country of contradictions; even in the hardest of settings and a history laced with turmoil Cambodians share together a vision and a mindset of success.

They are fighters, survivors and even dreamers....

A glimpse of Laos in just under 2 weeks

Laos is pretty laid back in comparison with the hustle and bustle of chaotic Thailand. The Thai will try any way possible to make a quick buck in order to sell you anything imaginable. The Laotian will have to be pushed, prodded and persuaded to get off his lazy chair to sell you what you want to buy.

Travel Trail of where I have been in Laos starting from the Northeastern Thai border:

Took a train from Surin to Ubon Ratchathani (4 hours) then caught a bus to Pakse (7 hours); spent one night in Pakse, Laos border. Took a minibus and long tail boat to the 4 Thousand islands visiting 2 islands for a total of 5 days; Don Khon and Don Khong. To get there from Pakse it was a 3 hour minibus ride and 40 minute longtail boat. Took off from Don Khong first by boat (40 minutes) then caught a 10 hour bus to Vietianne for 2 days. From Vietianne took a mini bus to Vang Vien costing 3 hours; spent 4 days in Vang Vien. From Vang Vien headed north six hours to Luang Prabang via 6 hours mini bus spending 3 days. Took a flight from Luang Prabang back to Bangkok costing only 1 hour and 40 minutes and a whole lot more than the public transport I have been taking the travel I have described above.

Highlights and memories of the last two weeks:

Feeling the wind on my face whilst passing by the neon green paddy rice fields outside the train window on the way from the Thai to Laos border. Fried crickets being sold on the train by a passing vendor; a friend actually tried some and I almost barfed just watching the crunch, crunch, crunch.....

Sweaty boat rides on the Mekong River , enjoying a frosty ice cream, while taking in the beautiful rustic scenery of mountains and locals along the banks as we coast by.

Swinging in my hammock at the Mekong riverside for endless hours totally absorbed in my book. It's totally great when you have nothing to do.

Laos cooking lessons which included a trip to the local market to buy the ingredients to make one fantastic meal.

Drinking perfect cappuccinos in the Euro French Capital of City of Vietianne. Renting a motorbike to go sight seeing. I definitely feared losing my life amongst the hectic traffic consisting of kamikaze tuk tuks, crazed motorists and animals wandering in the streets.

Brown waterfalls and my effort to see them by renting a bike in which I battled mud pit puddles and razor sharp stones the entire 4 hours (including the walk back due to a flat tire).

Riding down the Mekong River in a giant tube, sipping cold LaoBeer, bar hopping, mud fights in volleyball courts (mud pits with volleyball net hanging over them), plunging rope swings and zip lines sending riders into the Mekong with a drunken splash. I lost my sandals and have the battle scar bruises.

The bumpiest minibus ride from Vang Vien to Luang Prabang that sent my shoulders bobbing, my head rocking; I could even feel my kidneys jiggling. I was ecstatic when we reached the final designation (iron kidney by this time and green faced from nausea).

Running out of Lao kip after finding out the ATM (only one) on the island Don Khon was out of order. I found myself freaking out in a sketchy place they called a money exchange that would not cash my euro traveler checks but would charge me obscene amounts of money to bring me to a bank off the island that would. After freaking out that I could not pay my guesthouse a few moments later I remembered that I had some Thai baht in my wallet. The exchange made me almost a millionaire in Lao! Woo hoo! Livin' the high life!

Went on a 5 hour trekking in the rain forest north of Luang Prabang; of course it rained and covered me in mud and leaches. However, we saw beautiful waterfalls and majestic scenery that made getting bitten by a leach completely worth it! We also visited 2 hill tribes and were able to take in how it was like to live there and talk with the people through our guide whom translated....one of my favorite days in Laos.

Witnessing one of the most memorable sunrises in my life accompanied by the morning alms offering and monk ceremony in Luang Prabang...check out the picture with this posting!

I learned that taking chances; even in the riskiest situations whilst listening to your heart is the way I want to live. The past few weeks I have taken many chances, made many mistakes, laughed and yes, I even cried. I suppose there is only one way to learn which is through our actions driven by our hearts; if we chose listen to them as irrational as they often seem to be. Everything else we need to know we learn on our journey. As one of my closest friends Lienneke would say: "Make a mistake? Just smile and wave" well this is something I found myself doing often!