the_Georges

Another day waking up at the crack of dawn…which suits us just fine, since we can’t seem to shake this jet-lag anyway. It’s asleep by 9 PM and up by 6 AM for us virtually every morning so far. We’d say we’re turning into our parents, but they are actually waking up later than us on this trip! We scarfed down breakfast just in time to meet our arranged transport to Ha Long Bay. For those of you who don’t know, Ha Long Bay is the #1 tourist attraction in all of Vietnam. Its waters are home to over 2000 islands (well mini-islands)—all limestone karsts jutting out of pristine waters and covering an extraordinarily large area. Let us back up for a moment: the ride there was interesting to say the least. Our driver spoke no ... read more

Our long-in-the-making plans to finally see elephants came true today. We woke up at an ungodly hour on our last day here in Luang Prabang to meet the driver who would be bringing us out to the Elephant Rescue Center. It was about a 40-minute “hold-onto-your-vomit-bag” drive outside the city. This rescue camp cares for 6 adult females ranging in age from 24 to 37. The elephants all seem to have specific relationships with their mahouts (trainers), who care for the animals, bathe them, and prepare them for interaction with the tourists. This particular camp also offers the opportunity for those who would like the opportunity to stay overnight for longer courses at their “Elephant Lodge.” Have to say, though, that the Lao Spirit Resort is right next door and that place looked much, much nicer…adding ... read more

Note: this blog entry covers both yesterday and today. Glad to reports that we're happy and healthy and enjoying the hell out of ourselves. We really love this part of the world and, come to think of it, we may never leave. That said, we've spent the past two days exploring the wonders of Luang Prabang. The first day was truly a lazy day: spent further exploring the nooks and crannies of this sleepy little town…checking out almost every shop in town and finding some magnificently crafted silks and woodwork. We stopped for lunch at a highly-recommended restaurant/hotel called Apsara, right on the banks of the Nam Om river (on the other side of the Mekong) and had some of the best food so far (don’t we keep saying that?) We headed back to the hotel ... read more

It's so nice to finally be back in the City of Angels (and I mean the REAL City of Angels, not the hellhole we call home)...not much has changed here in Bangkok. Thank God for that! Let's back up for a sec: we had a hell of a flight from Taipei to Bangkok--which was relatively uneventful until about an hour in, when the plane decided to take a good couple hundred foot plunge out of nowhere. We kind of lurched sideways and it all happened so quick and was over with even quicker...however, being such a debonair and suave guy (and really a master of timing), Billy managed to get a rather loud "HOLY SHIT" out of the top of his lungs, just enough so that our entire section, and perhaps Business Class could here him. ... read more

Let your love flow outward through the universe, To its height, its depth, its broad extent, A limitless love, without hatred or enmity. Then as you stand or walk, Sit or lie down, As long as you are awake, Strive for this with a one-pointed mind; Your life will bring heaven to earth. -Sutta Nipata So, it's been a whole year since we've not only left word with you all on our old, dear travel blog here, but it's also been a year as well since we returned from one of the best trips of our lives. It goes without saying then that we're more than grateful and beyond excited to embark upon another fantastic and eye-opening adventure...this time spanning the countries of Southeast Asia we wanted to squeeze into our last trip, but unfortunately didn't ... read more