ScoobyFan

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Day 23 Rahim and I went to a cooking class this morning. The group was nice and small - only 5 people. We were all young too. Despite this though, the class wasn't overly chatty even with Rahim's great efforts to engage people in conversations. It was a full morning and we had been advised to not eat a heavy breakfast as we'd be eating all morning. It was very true and after the second course (of 5) we were quite full already. There was also a trip to the market to buy some of the items we'd be needing but the instructor was not overly informative or passionate so I think we missed something from the total experience. However, we learnt how to make 5 different dishes and were given a recipe book too. So ... read more

Day 21 This morning, I was up early to join a tour to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep (the infamouse temple on the hill) and a local hill tribe village. I booked through Journey Adventures as they seemed to be the cheapest around and they also published a very useful map of Chiang Mai that I picked up at the airport, so they seemed somewhat reputable to me. I was pleasantly surprised that we had an English-speaking guide. I had thought I was just paying for transportation. We first went to a hilltribe village of Hmong. It was totally just geared towards tourists with many booths selling local handiwork. We did learn about how opium is made from poppies though. Our guide advised against attempting to bring any poppies home with us. Schapelle Corby I will not ... read more

Day 19 The morning started with an early walk to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Niina, Tuomas and I were all eager to see the dead body of Uncle Ho himself. John, Tina, and Lily came along as well. When we first approached we were concerned as there seemed to be a long line. We were told the mausoleum was only open from 7:30am to 10:30am and at 9:15am the line was looking like we’d be there for awhile. However, once we cleared security, the line was moving fast. Too fast actually as Niina and I got separated from John and Tuomas who were held up by security. We did attempt to wait for them but the security guards and white gloves worried us. The boys then got stuck behind some massive school tour groups. Once ... read more

Day 17 Ugly morning. Arrived at the Hanoi train station at 4am! Despite the early hour, there was plenty happening at the train station. People were arriving from everywhere and being whisked off to their hotels/homes. We made it to the hotel we'll be staying at in Hanoi but only to drop off our large bags and nap in their restaurant as we had to catch an 8:30 bus to Ha Long Bay. After chilling out for a bit, some of us ventured into the very busy streets of Hanoi to see some locals doing their morning exercising around the lake. Tuomas navigated us very skilfully there and back in time for our bus. The drive to Ha Long Bay provided plenty of views of rice fields and an opportunity to nap for a short time. ... read more