[url='/Videos/2563.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2563.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] the sun rises So we are home. How bummed out am I. I miss the simple, non-materialistic life we had while traveling. It was so nice to not use our cell phones, despite the fact that we both turned them on as soon as we landed in NY - so pathetic. It was also nice to not put make-up on or dry our hair once in two weeks. Overall, I was unbelievably happy with this trip. It was educational in so many ways for me and truly an eye-opener in many different ways as well. I LOVED meeting [View Full Entry]

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Our Seder at the Chabad was lovely! It was in a hotel conf. room, not at the actual Chabad. I am really happy we went. The turnout was quite impressive; there was close to 80 people there, most of whom were other travelers. We met some really nice Israeli backpackers (Itamar, Naty, Avishai, Ziza and Yosi) who were all traveling for a few months- lucky them. It's fabulous that they all took the time off to do that. Americans are so far behind in terms of taking time off to travel and see the world. They just don't value it [View Full Entry]

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[url='/Videos/2558.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2558.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] bored? We took a two and a half hour ride from our fancy schmancy hotel - the Saigon Park Hyatt - to the Mekong Delta. While we are sure there are parts of the Mekong which are remarkable, we were not so impressed. We took a very loud motor boat ride along the river for like TWO hours and went in a circle...it was pretty boring. We did walk around a little bit and that was definitely the highlight of the trip. We went into the villages and saw them make rice paper which is used for the [View Full Entry]

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[url='/Videos/2555.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2555.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Motorbiking[url='/Videos/2556.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2556.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] The Talking Bird[url='/Videos/2560.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2560.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] making pottery[url='/Videos/2561.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2561.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Pretending to take a Tequila shot[url='/Videos/2564.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2564.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Drinks and Foosball[url='/Videos/2568.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2568.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Rachael's Tai Chi Instructor[url='/Videos/2569.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2569.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] The Pottery Experts So the fishing village and pottery village was great! I took a motorbike with Joe and we followed Mr Trung to just about 3km outside of the town. We walked around a bit and saw how some of the locals live. They all sell their products out on the street from crafts to market foods. It's hard to believe that meat is sitting outside [View Full Entry]

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[url='/Videos/2548.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2548.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Carting Around Hanoi[url='/Videos/2550.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2550.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] the gong[url='/Videos/2552.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2552.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] The Recreation[url='/Videos/2554.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2554.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Running into the South China Sea We left Sa Pa and the overnight train was great (we shared the cabin this time with a Chinese couple - man and woman, which basically felt as if we were sleeping with them)! We got on, popped some ambien and passed out, waking up in Hanoi. Many of the same people we have seen were on our train...the German women we shared our "cabin" with on the way up, Michael from SF and the Italian couple and Birtish [View Full Entry]

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[url='/Videos/2544.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2544.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] bumpy road down to one of the villages from sapa[url='/Videos/2545.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2545.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Water Buffalo[url='/Videos/2546.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2546.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] On the Trek[url='/Videos/2547.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2547.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] School Children So we are currently in Sa Pa, at the end of our journey through the countryside. We took our overnight train, which took about 9 hours. We had hoped we would be lucky and have a 4-sleeper car to ourselves, but we shared it with two German women whom were harmless. The bathroom was fairly fascinating in that it was literally a hole in the train and no TP. Upon arrival we were met by [View Full Entry]

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[url='/Videos/2540.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2540.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Serenity of Ha Long Bay[url='/Videos/2559.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2559.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] washing up?[url='/Videos/2562.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2562.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] diving into the cold halong bay Hello all! We are back in Hanoi from our trip to Ha Long Bay. We did our trip through Handspan and tried to get onto the Dragon's Pearl "junk boat" but it was full so we did a little bit more pricey one and went on the Lagoon Explorer, which having not been on the Dragon's Pearl I still think it was better...only 4 rooms with 8 people versus 18 rooms with 30+ people...a lot more intimate and we met some [View Full Entry]

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[url='/Videos/2536.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2536.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] The Craziness that is the streets of Hanoi[url='/Videos/2534.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2534.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Rach crossing the street So we have arrived safely in Hanoi, Vietnam. Thank goodness because not even before our first leg of the trip did Rachael leave her passport and tickets at the Hudson News counter...thankfully, the woman who helped us ran after us into the bathroom stalls!! The whole trip over was surpisingly pleasant...we really liked Japan Airlines and our kosher meals :) We definitely did it right, sitting upstairs...we booked seats on the window and aisle and thankfully noone sat in the middle so we had [View Full Entry]

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[url='/Videos/2335.html' onclick='dialog("/Videos/2335.html?popped=1","tbvideo",600,600);return false;'] Marc & Noah Sledding An Entry from Beth So it's the morning of our departure!!! I can hardly contain myself. I'm up at the same hour as I usually get up for work. Finished all the packing last night and I am seriously going to need a massage. Who knew all this stuff could be SO heavy. I am taking one of those big backpacks and sheeesh - it is unbelievably heavy. I will say though, I put all my toiletrees in the smaller backpack in the front (and I hope it doesnt fall out, but now that [View Full Entry]

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An entry from Beth I decided to start a blog more as a journal and a way to keep track of my travels through Vietnam. While it is a short trip I hope to maintain this for myself on future journeys I may take... Why Vietnam? There has been a great deal of positive "stuff" I have heard about the country and a whole lot of history that I just feel a draw there. Back in December, my friend Jon mentioned he would be in SE Asia around the same time I wanted to go to Vietnam. Rachael & I had [View Full Entry]

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