http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/CJeff/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from CJeff en-us Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:32:47 +0000 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:32:47 +0000 For a hot second I thought I was moving to Vietnam for the summer. I received an email from a guiding company located on the island of Cat Ba Island in Ha Long Bay asking if I was avalible to work for them for the summer I was stoked super stoked but in the end it didn't work out and they didn't get the project I was going to work on....oh well maybe next year. So where did I want to go next http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/Yangshuo/blog-281324.html Shanghai is a city a big bustling city. It was everything I had pictured for a typical modern Asian city big buildings lots of peoplelights. The best way to see the city is to hit The Bund which is right on the river and see for yourself. We decided our second evening in the city would be our tourist night and hit the light filled river front. Arriving at the Bund you could immediately http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/blog-281314.html China. I've arrived and I already like the place. It's cleaner that Kathmandu which isn't necessary true according to some random rumor I heard one day Beijing is like smoking 60 cigarettes while one day in Kathmandu is like smoking 30 cigarettes...I'm sure that isn't entirely true but China seems much cleaner and doesn't smell as bad. I flew in to Guangzhou a major port city 2 hours wes http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-278529.html Yep I'm back. I know you all missed me and are now thrilled that I'm back. Glad to hear it. The past two months have been a blur. Last I left I was on my way to Nepal to meet up with friends Rich and I met in Thailand to trek the Anna Purna Circuit. Which we did it was approx. 120 miles with about a 15000 foot elevation gain and loss and it was absolutely phenomenal. It took us about 18 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/blog-278526.html Just arrived in Kathmandu a few days ago and I have been gearing up for the trek and all the necessary permitsvisas for ChinaTibet. The option of going to Tibet is a big if right now due to the Chinese brutal crack down on some monks who were protesting on the anniversary of a Tibetan rebellion. I met a journalist on the flight in and he said his newspaper The London Herald told him to get i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/Thamel/blog-257026.html After my long and arduous bus journey from Vang Vieng to Hanoi we had to relax for a day and get out composure back. We set about wondering the small streets of old town Hanoi. A framing of French architecure but the soul of Vietnam. Many of the streets in old town are designated to one item or another. For instance our guesthouse is on the lock street where they only sell locks all kinds to http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Cat-Ba-Island/blog-253561.html It's Thursday February 28th. Rich and I have been in Vang Vieng Loas for about a week now. Loas is very similar to Thailand with regards to culture food language and people but Loas is set back 40 years before any of the tourists came to Thailand. The countryside is much more rural and untouched by the western world. There are backpacker havens like Vang Vieng but as soon as you get off t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-250918.html It has been a while since my last entry. Let me catch you up....last I left off I was in Chiang Mai. We stayed in Chiang Mai for a few more days doing some days trips to local Wats industry see the leather factory pic and a local climbing crag. After 9 days of staying at our hostel we decided to go south for some sun and some climbing. We left on a Thursday and rolled into paradise about h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Railay/blog-241429.html Sunday we woke up early for a day trip to some areas north of Chiang Mai. It was a long day up at 645am and back at 830pm but a good trip all in all. The first stop were some hot pools which had been turned into a full on tourist trap this is where my alter ego Wanye Rooney was approached for an autograph I declined not wanting to talk to anyone so early in the morning. From there is was on http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Rai/blog-235770.html If you don't know who that is feel to Google image the man and then compare my face with his. It was apparent on my arrival to Chiang Mai that the Thai's up here and potentially all of Thailand watch English football soccer and are fans of Wayne Rooney. He's one of the star plays on Manchester United ManU and has been sucessful on England's national team. I have been in Chiang Mai and the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Mai/blog-235755.html After a long and not too troublesome trip from NYC to Bangkok via Souel South Korea I arrived at the airport and meet up with Rich almost immediatly. I have never been through a immigration or customs with such ease...somehow I don't think they have any issues with another American tourist coming into town. I meet up with Rich as planned and we and another backpacker shared a cab to the infomo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-233381.html