Luang Prabang is an interesting place. Some love it here; while others may find it a bit boring. I think it’s a beautiful place with many nooks and crannies all over! For instance, a few of us girls went to lunch at a restaurant called Utopia. After a walk around local people’s homes to get there (which of course is a tad devastating)… there is a vision of peace and beauty. There are lounge cushions all over an old built bamboo deck (no jumping as you might plummet down into the Mekong). I am surrounded by backpackers of all ages simply reading, writing and having some good eats (YES – some good westerner style food…. Who knew Mango and tomatoes were so good together!). The views were extraordinary from this spot. The area offers accommodations for ... read more

It was an early start as we were heading to cross the Thai/Laos border by boat. As some of our group was hung over and Dean has started to get lazy and doesn’t want to become the bad guy, I definitely started to take it upon myself to start pushing people in the right direction. One person forgot to get stamped out of Thailand upon arrival on the Laos side. We still don’t know what he was doing for 30 minutes while everyone was waiting on line. He smiled and thought it was funny to go back to the other side of the river – I told everyone he had the shits. Anyhow, this was a pretty smooth process considering we have a few Forrest Gump types on our trip who like to drink a ton ... read more

After a lovely sleep on the overnight train, we arrived in Chiang Mai. The good news is that we actually arrived on time! I guess this is the same story in all 3rd world countries – you get a 4 hour window of when you may arrive at your stop. The bus was there waiting for our group to bring us to a really nice hotel. This is probably the nicest hotel I have stayed at on any tour. Anyhow, we had about 2 hours to eat breakfast and shower. We headed to Wat Phrathat temple up in the mountains. This is a 300 stair walk up to some very cool looking statues and buildings and of course the monks! What we learned about the monks is they are the closest thing to g-d in the ... read more

Ahhhh, sidewalks and streetlights finally! What a relief from Vietnam. The last few days flew by. As I was fighting getting sick, I took it easy for the most part. I enjoyed my beautiful hotel and took advantage of the rooftop pool and room service (all reasonably priced). Upon arrival, I took a short walk for some lunch and decided it was time for a manicure/pedicure. I found the cutest place in a shopping center. I felt like I was back at home for a minute as Cyndi Lauper was playing in the background. The next morning, I had a 6:30am pickup. The floating markets were recommended to me by numerous people, so I figured I should check them out. What I didn’t realize is how much traffic there is in Bangkok. We literally had 3 ... read more

My last day in Hue was wet and rainy. I slept straight through the morning activities which including a cyclo ride (where you get pushed by a bicycle in a little cart – like a stroller). Marley came back with a soaked and dirty ass. I am sure it was fun, but being warm and cozy in a soft bed was more my thing. Before our afternoon flight to Hanoi, we stopped at Tu Duc Mausoleum. I have few words to describe this place as I was simply in awe. It was one of the most peaceful and beautiful places I have ever visited. I ignored the rain and took many pictures. I believe the rain actually made the place even more magical and mystical. I tuned our local guide out and wondered around… I knew ... read more