Blogs from Asia - page 14321

After enjoying the mountains of Sapa and then heading back to Hanoi I was really looking forward to getting to a beach, so not wanting to spend much more time in Hanoi I made the fatal mistake of booking a Halong Bay tour on my own, without a recommendation from another traveller... I was just desperate to get out of Hanoi as I wasn't enjoying the heat at all after the cooler climate of Sapa. I didn't want to wait around until I met another traveller who wanted to go to Halong Bay, as I was wanting to go there the very next day, so I thought I'd take my chances with joining a tour group on my own - having met so many nice people over the last few weeks, I didn't really consider the ... read more

I went out to visit the caves but no one was home...the access is really badly marked so I sort of wandered around and finally found one cave but there was no guide or anything and I hadn't brought a flashlight so I couldn't really visit. It was a beautiful ride out there in any case, the countryside is just magnificent. Je suis allee de Sam Neua a Vieng Xai en songtheaw pour visiter les grottes mais il n'y avait personne et je n'avais pas penser a apporter un torche. Le chemin est assez mal indique - j'ai fini par trouver une grotte mais il n'y avait pas de guide. Tant pis pour la visite, en tout cas le paysage est magnifique et j'etais la seule touriste dans les parages...... read more

My first couple days in Thailand, I swear to god I must’ve been on crack. I never knew what day it is or the time of day or night. I arrived late in the evening and had some trouble meeting up with the people who were picking me up from the university. I didn’t get to my apartment till 2 or 3 in the morning. The next day I went to the International College for a tour and breakfast. Around noon I went home to grab my debit card. I was so sweaty and tired when I got back to my place that I decided to take a little nap. Just a little one…Next thing I know, I wake up at 12 midnight and I’m starving!! I don’t know where the hell I am (because I ... read more

Summer in Japan is really an endless festival. Actually festivals in general in Japan are endless....but the summer is the peak season. For my last weekend in Innoshima, I attended the Habu fireworks. I'd like to think is was a farewell party for me, but actually it was the kickoff to summer holidays. Never before have I felt more like a celebrity! Cruising down the mainstreet with Dana, we were pretty much greeted by everyone that passed by. Every student knew either one of us, and stopped with their families to say hello, take a picture, or just wave. It was awesome! It was the last time I saw most of the Innoshima locals....I'm really going to miss that place. The Onomichi fireworks the next weekend were phenomenal! There is a mountain in Onomichi that overlooks ... read more

I forgot to mention in the last entry that before I headed out to Laos I had just bought sun block that I used but was unfortunately allergic to. I also had to get passport pictures that day for my Lao visa, that sucked. Now I have 11 more copies of my swollen face (I won't be posting that one). I should mention that if anyone ever travels to a South East Asian country, you should really pack the sun block unless you want one that makes your skin white. They have an obsession with looking white here. It's desired because if you're light it means that you are wealthy and you don't work in the fields. It's a little old fashion for the kids that work/live in the city but I think its so ingrained ... read more