Ok. Wow. Where to begin! Egad. The epic journey of getting into Vietnam from Laos started back in Tad Lo, where, since there isn't a bus station or anything, you just wait on the side of the road until a bus goes by. There is no schedule so you just wait and wait which we did for about 3 hrs. GAH! We took a public bus (squishy, hot, dusty, the usual) to Pakse where I sadly parted w/ Ali and immediately jumped onto my next public bus to Savannakhet. This leg of the journey was promised to me to be 5 [View Full Entry]

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After Luang Prabang, Tory & I took a VIP bus loaded w/ tourists to the capital city of Vientiane. Unfortunately, Vientiane was a bit of a bust. Nothing I did there was worth writing home about but I did flex my purchasing power by supporting a number of local projects & programs. One night Tory & I splurged at a restaurant that helped kids get off the street by training them to be servers & chefs. I also did some shopping at a fair trade silk shop - the only IFAT-liscenced shop in Laos. Tory & I also visited a Nobel [View Full Entry]

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So after a very peaceful couple of days, I left the islands to come back to Pakse to meet up with my friend Ali. Since I was a day ahead of Ali, I decided to go off on a day trip on my own. To get anywhere in Asia, being able to drive a motorbike is a MUST! In Canada, I'd never dreamed of riding on a motorbike, let alone driving one myself. But here in SEA, I've turned in a motorbiking diva :) I rented a motorbike from my guesthouse from the very skeptical man at the reception desk who [View Full Entry]

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After the remoteness of Laos' northern provinces, Luang Prabang was quite a contrast. Beautiful in a very different way than Luang Nam Tha, Luang Prabang is a lovely town with lots of history, colonial architecture, temples and of course, MANY tourists. Deemed a UNESCO World Heritage city in 1995, LP has since been pumped full of funding and is now a premier tourist destination - drawing foreigners into it's unique character of contrasting architecture. What I loved about this town was that it promoted many environmental efforts to reduce plastic bottle and other wastes generated by tourists [View Full Entry]

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After a quick trip across the river in a very skinny boat, we arrived in Laos. Despite hearing stories of terrible boarder crossings into Laos - we were met by a VERY friendly Laoation man who guided us through the process of getting visas, etc. We were soon passed the checkpoint and on our way. I had very much wanted to go trekking in Northern Thailand but had decided against it seeing that it was all very touristy, very contrived and didn't benefit the communities at all. Thankfully, Northern Laos is a trekker's dream. So at this point, Tory & I [View Full Entry]

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So, I'm pretty sure that Gravol was invented because of the roads in Loas. Honestly! The ride from Luang Prabang to the small town of Vang Vieng was the most picturesque drive, but my God is it ever twisty! Every time I take a bus anywhere in this beautiful country, I am reminded of my motion sickness-filled childhood - car trips where I would be pressed up against the window, breathing in fresh air and concentrating SO hard on not barfing (Leah - you remember those horror-filled days!? hahah) Anyway, up into the mountains we drove, higher than any bus trip [View Full Entry]

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I'm nearing the end of our travels in Thailand and I'm so sad! Thailand has been so amazing all the way through (although the most damaging to my bank account!) I'm so happy that we chose to fly out of Bangkok at the very end of our trip, so it's not really the end for Thailand. There is still so much shopping to be done! hahha So the last couple of days have been so chill. This entry wont' be very long since I haven't really DONE anything! But that's the point. Tory, myself and an American girl named Ali came [View Full Entry]

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What a week! After my whirlwind weekend of fun with Brooke Kelly, I met back up with Tory in Bangkok and took an overnight train to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Somehow during the trip, I got really sick and had a fever, runny nose, bad cough, etc. so the first day in Chiang Mai, I spent face down on my bed. All day. So unusual for me! Thankfully, we're staying in such a great guesthouse which for the first time since travelling has provided us with CLEAN SHEETS! They even smell nice! The downside is that the septic system is [View Full Entry]

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This weekend has been so fun! On Thursday morning, I took a ferry off of Kho Pha Ngan and then took a bus to the nearest train station in Surat Thani. The train to Bangkok was supposed to leave at 7pm but was delayed by an accident (!?) for 3 hrs so I waited at the train station forever. I should stop expecting things to ever leave on time! Delays are the name of the game I guess. Anyway, the train finally came and I was off. It was the first time I had taken an overnight train and it [View Full Entry]

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Ko Pha Ngan A minivan, a bus, a boat and a sawngthaew (a pickup truck w/ two benches in the back which acts as a taxi) later, we finally got to Ko Pha Ngan. It was a pretty long day and we were happy to get settled in a guesthouse called 'Same Same' (hahah) at the beach town of Hat Rin - ground zero for full moon party action. Like the gilis in Indo, the island caters to backpackers and tourists on vacation. Hat Rin beach consists of mostly restaurants, tourist information offices, guesthouses and resorts, and most importantly, stalls and [View Full Entry]

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