I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days. I had to cancel a trip to the Perfume Pagoda (which, despite what some may think, is a religious shrine and not a perfume factory) ;) I also had to cancel a Vietnamese cooking class that I scheduled, where I would have learned to make nems (fresh spring rolls). Yesterday, as I was sitting on the front porch of the hostel and smoking a cigarette (yes, this is what it has driven me to - but don't worry it is not a permanent habit I plan on keeping), I heard at [View Full Entry]

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I have a confession to make. This is the longest I've ever traveled by myself, and definitely the longest I've ever backpacked by myself. I am learning all sorts of things about solo travel and about myself, the primary one being that I don't think I like traveling alone. Case Study: Yesterday evening I began the journey back to Hanoi, which necessitates a one-hour minibus trip through the mountains to Lao Cai, where the train station is. When the minibus (basically a van) pulled up, it was almost completely full. The hotel called another minibus to take the gr [View Full Entry]

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Today is my last day in Sa Pa - tonight it's the night train from Lao Cai back to noisy, crowded, hot Hanoi. I spent my leisurely last day by taking a walk. I picked a road and followed it out of town for over an hour. It was a rewarding way to go. All the scenery nearby is beautiful, so that did not disappoint. The locals were not trying to sell me anything so instead I got a lot of nice smiles and "hellos" with absolutely no strings attached, as they passed me on their way back to their villages [View Full Entry]

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I would like to counteract some of the negativity that may have come across in my last few blogs, by telling you about some nice experiences I've had with the people of Vietnam these past couple of days. I absolutely believe that my view of the place has been colored by a couple of negative experiences (especially getting sick), but of course there have been many wonderful once-in-a-lifetime moments, as well as some of the quieter, untold stories that make you feel warm and fuzzy even when you're far from home. Yesterday I was enjoying lunch at a little place called [View Full Entry]

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What oh what to do on a rainy day in a mountain hill station? I've been perfectly happy to do absolutely nothing. Illness and exertion in equal measure have caught up to me and I slept in, took a nap, and plan on going to bed early again tonight. But I thought that I might offer some advice (and some more photos), especially for those of you contemplating a trip like this. One of the most intimidating parts of travel is arriving someplace new. You are unfamiliar with the geography, the weather, the scams and language, the people, and how to [View Full Entry]

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Have you ever been on safari? Up until today, I had not. But I signed up for a one-day trek through the hill tribe region around Sa Pa, and a human safari was what I got. They keep them in their "natural" habitat, but Black H'mong and Red Dao minority tribes have become tainted by tourism and conditioned to respond to the influx of dumb foreigners with too much money (I include myself in that category). As we got off our minibus at the trailhead, we were surrounded by tribal women (literally, this must be what it feels like to be [View Full Entry]

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So far, Sa Pa is blowing Hanoi out of the water. For starters, the scenery is drop-dead-pick-your-jaw-back-up-off-the-ground gorgeous. But mainly, it's the fact that the people here are so much more friendly than anywhere else I've been so far. As I was wandering through the Sa Pa market today, gazing at tantalizing but (for me) forbidden piles of greens, herbs, and vegetables, a typical group of H'mong women came up to me and started plying their wares - mostly beautifully dyed and stitched textiles, but also silver bangles and bracelets. Many of their hands [View Full Entry]

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Tonight I went to see a performance of traditional Vietnamese water puppets. These are not, unfortunately, puppets made out of water. That would be much too cool. They are in fact puuppets that play around in the water, and are manipulated from below with beams, by puppeteers hidden behind the stage (but still knee-deep in water). It's easy to see how this form of entertainment evolved here. Looking out the airplane window last week as I flew into Hanoi, I saw that half of the country is underwater, due to the wild proliferation of rice paddies. So some kid must have [View Full Entry]

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I spent about four hours yesterday afternoon at a hospital in Ha Long City. Waking up in the middle of the night on the beach in Ha Long Bay, I felt dizzy and disoriented, which was weird since I was not drunk (weird that I felt strange, not that I was sober). By morning I was feverish and chilled despite the intense heat, and could barely raise my voice to ask a tent-mate for help. However, once she understood that I was ill, Breanna rushed off to get ice and cold cloths, provide me with pills from her stash, and inform [View Full Entry]

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We pulled up Saturday morning to our private beach in Ha Long Bay. As you can see, it was really lovely. It was also really really minimalist. For sleeping accommodation, you had a choice of tent, tarp spread over a hard board, or hammock. All were equipped with mosquito netting, but that was about it. On the island, there was little to do but swim and bake in the sun, but there were water-sports such as wake-boarding and tubing, and they even offered rock-climbing. After a sleepless night before, I just hitched a ride in the speedboat and laughed at the [View Full Entry]

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