okay so I'm starting the writing of this email in Bangkok but probably not posting it til I get to Victoria so I can add stuff I just wanted to kinda sum up my travels a bit, give my blog some closure, if you will These past 6 months have been amazing and I don't know if I can really say it's "changed" me in any noticeable way but it definitely has helped me see the world in a different light so I wanted to write out some of the things I have learned: -as much as you can be told about something, read about it, see pictures, etc, you never really KNOW about it until you see it I'm not claiming to be an expert in anything about the countries I've been to, but being ... read more

Pai is a hippie paradise, I'm very relaxed here yesterday Ilja (the Dutch girl I met) and I rented motos and raced around the area like fiends. I had trouble getting used to riding it but once I did I was unstoppable, which doesn't mean I didn't scare a few people into thinking I might hit them. hee hee hee whoops! The funny thing about spending time with other people when you travel is that you do things you didn't want to do, but sometimes you enjoy them and end up doing different stuff than you normally would. The motos was one example and elephant riding is another. I'd already been in Kanchaniburi but Ilja wanted to go so I thought 'what the hell' cuz it was so cheap and the elephants looked really healthy, which ... read more

today I'm gonna start my blog off with a little message I got from another travelblogger (I know! people I've never met are reading me! I'm famous!) anyways, here's what they wrote, I hope they don't mind: ***** Alexis, You're blogs are all full of disasters, have you had a good day yet? I think you'll enjoy your travels more if you do a bit more research into how things should work and how much things should cost. People will lie with a straight face to get money out of you. Most people will try and rip you off in Asia so you need a healthy dose of skepticism. For moto drivers and such, show them a map (maybe your guidebooks map) and have an idea of what direction they should be driving in. The other ... read more

happy new year everyone! it is now the year of the pig, hurrah! Sapa has been fantastic, I'm really really glad that I was here for Tet because it ended up being a really special experience. The night train was nothing like the one I took to Hanoi, it was LUXURY man and I slept like a wee babe pretty much the entire way and nobody touched my bum so it gets an extra star. The drive into the town was breathtaking, one of the first corners we turned I almost audibly gasped because the area is filled with hills and valleys that get shrouded in mist in the mornings. The first day we treked out to a Mung village and stayed in a homestay, which is kind of a hotel combined with someone's house. In ... read more

so after the train ride from HELL I finally made it to Hanoi short re-cap I shared a sleeper cabin with more than 10 people, they made fun of me and laughed at me (also shared their food) and when I feel asleep one of them drummed on my bum and I was too tired to punch him in the face I had a horrible time finding a guest house, everyone was so mean and rude to me and one place made me cry so when I found the place I ended up staying the guy musta thought I was insane cuz I was like "hup... do you... hup... have a ...hup... single room?" and my face was all red and blotchy. Pathetic really. so for the first few hours I was here I HATED Hanoi ... read more