Pecosita

OK, so I know it's been a while since I posted and it seems that all my adoring fans are clamoring for more. There's just been a lot going on, and well...I got lazy. Where I left off was leaving Phong Nha farmstay, which I forgot to mention something cool. The mother of Bich is this super old lady who is a decorated war hero for the North Vietnamese. She served as a medic in the most bombed valley in world history and when I got sick there she gave me some weird mystery pills and I got better almost instantly. One time she put a bunch of leaves and oils on a kids stomach and chanted and he got better too. Thought I'd throw that in. Also, we ate some very huge prawns at the ... read more

I've had enough time in Hue. I'm ready to move on to the next leg, staying on a ride paddy. There is a very top-secret farmstay that is not in the guidebooks run by an Aussie guy and his Vietnamese wife and I'm looking forward to a few days away from city life. There isn't much to do here anymore and frankly I'd like to be on the move again. We're supposed to take some ours of the DMZ and Ho Chi Minh trail as well as see one of the earth's biggest caves (think Planet Earth). We will take cooking classes and help them harvest the rice. It should all be very hot and humid, but really how many people get this opportunity? It was complete chance that we ran into a couple who stayed ... read more

Greetings from Hue, the Imperial City! This is the city where the emperor used to live. (Before all the colonists kicked him out). We just got in today, and will be taking tours tomorrow. So far we've been making friends along the way. Dean, an Australian traveling alone and Steph and Andy, a Brit and German respectively. It's very helpful when you meet others who speak English along the way. Not only do they have more information about the places you're going, but they provide some much needed company when it is so easy to feel like a stranger in a strange land. We've seen beautiful beaches so far, but now we're more in the mountains. The weather is cooler up here, but a bit more humid. The skies are pretty much constantly gray, but it's ... read more

I'm leaving for Vietnam on Tuesday. I've felt weird saying that the past few days. It looks even weirder in writing. If I had presented the idea of just up and going to Southeast Asia with no plans or itinerary to 17-year-old me, I would have thought I was insane. Why Asia? Going to Ireland, Mexico, and Cuba all made some sort of sense (although some were less thought-out than others). So really, why Asia? I think because it doesn't make sense. I've never been anywhere that I did not speak the language. I don't know much about it, and to be completely honest, the food isn't my favorite. I won't lie, the price is right. To stay there for 6 weeks is completely feasible on a teacher's salary. At least I hope so. Someone ... read more