Pictures

Hey everyone, I have to apologize for such terrible photos, the camera that I'm using doesn't really work anymore, I'm lucky if I'm just able to take a photo let alone zoom in or focus. I only have pictures of Angkor Wat because by the time I made it to Angkor Thom the camera had completely died. Luckily my sister comes in 2 days and she has a new camera for me... so I will start taking a lot more pictures of better quality.

Back in BANGKOK

I am back in Beautiful Thailand and it feels good... The last time I wrote was all the way in Northern Vietnam! Wow! So from Ha Noi, I made my way down south, I haven't been writting much about it because most of Vietnam was raining cats and dogs and flooding. I was cooped up inside quite a bit. I saw some of the beaches in Vietnam, they were really dirty and the water was cold and brown it really made me appriciate southern Thailand. Even though Vietnam had bad weather, there was something about it that I really liked... I know I'll be back some day. So for the past few weeks I've been doing a lot of sight seeing. In Ho Chi Minh, I went to a war museum that pretty much makes anyone who sees it hate americans. It was interesting for me to see. I feel like I've learned so much about all this stuff, but until you put me in a museum in Vietnam where it actually happened I have a hard time engaging myself. I also went to the Couchi Tunnels where the Viet Cong army would hide to attack the americans. It was very eye opening, I made an attempt to crawl in the tunnels that they actually used but I got really scared. I felt like I couldn't breath and I was about to pass out. So I turned right around and escaped. The tunnels smelled like death. After that I crossed the border into Cambodia, and of course went and saw the famous ruins of Angkor wat and Angkor Thom. My friend Pat and I rented bikes and went around to see the temples that way.. it was nice, I felt like a local because that's how they all get around. After seeing Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom I was completely templed out. They were very beautiful, but I was almost more entertained by all the tourist watching, they just crack me up. I spent the next day wondering around Siem Reap, buying some christmas presents for my little sister. I love her, I want to see her and give her big hugs and kisses. I'm having so much fun here, and I can't wait until my sis gets here we are going to have a blast! Yayaaaa.... I love my life.

Sa Pa and my last night in Ha Noi

My time spent in Sa Pa was awesome! We were lucky enough to have blue sky for the entire trek. The trek was only two days and one night, we stayed in a village for the one night. It was quite an experience... The family that we stayed with was welcoming. After a long day of hiking through the rice patties we made it to the village. We got to make dinner with the family and then join them to eat. The family had 4 generations all living in the same house! As soon as we sat down to eat our elaborate meal, our guide started giving everyone at the table including the great grandma shots of rice wine. He kept pouring shot after shot and ofcourse you can't say no. By the end of the dinner all of us had about 10 shots of rice wine. I made it through the night ok. I ate so much food that it absorbed all the alcohol. It felt really good to connect with the vietnamese people with out having any scams or money involved. The next day we woke up to roosters crowing and delicous banana pancakes! After we got back from the trek we took a night train back to Ha Noi. Our last night in Ha Noi before going to Ninh Binh the group that I was with decided to really blend in with the locals and go to a restaraunt that only serves snake. When we sat down to order, they brought the live snake to the table and killed it right in front of us. The slit open the heart as the snake was still moving. The drained the blood into shot glasses with rice wine for us (not me) to drink. Then they put the heart in a cup as it was beating still. My friends drank the blood and one of them ate the heart. eeewww. They quikley grilled the snake and served us. I felt so sick. It's the same feeling I get when I'm walking through a meet market and I see bloody dog heads on a table and the body of the dog gutted ready to be sold for dinner.

Sa Pa

Halong Bay (Vietnam)

Halong Bay was amazing, the first night we stayed on a boat. It was epic, we all went on the top of the boat, some people played guitar and we all sang together. Laying out underneath the stars, surrounded by mountains and cliffs on a beautiful bay, what more could you ask for. The next day we woke up bright and early to go exploring in kayaks, and hiking in caves. Besides the fact that there were so many tourists, it was really nice. I posted some pictures of Halong Bay and the people that I went with, they are very fun. I'm back in Ha Noi, and I am going to spend a few nights here at the backpackers hostel and then go trekking in Sapa which is farther north in Vietnam then Ha Noi. It's supposed to be nice.

Ha Noi!!

I just arrived in Ha Noi on a night train at 3 am, and I love this place... It's beautiful and there are so many nice people flocking everywhere. I am staying at a backpackers hostel, and it is quite the scene. I am going to have no problem meeting other people that are doing the same route as me. I already met this group of english guys who are starting in Northern Vietnam and heading south and then crossing the border into Cambodia and then into Thailand which is exactly what I am doing. There are oppurtunities everywhere, people to meet and amazing places to see. I am overwhelmed with things to do here. I think I am going to spend some time in Ha Noi and enjoy the city scene for a few days and then I will go to Halong bay to do some kayaking and rock climbing. I am so excited right now. It seems like everytime I get a little down a new leaf turns over. Life is great! Oh and I posted some pictures of 4000 islands and some other old ones because this computer is really fast.

4000 Islands, and crossing the border to Vietnam

I have had a lot of interesting experiences on my way to different destinations. I some how keep ending up the only tourist and the only person speaking english every where I go. When I was going to 4000 Islands, I found myself on a Tuk Tuk crammed full with locals that couldn't stop starrig at me and my stuff. During the duration of the ride, (about 3 hours) people were getting on and off. One guy that got on was openly holding an ak47, which was quite shocking. I also saw lots of weird food like live crickets in a bag and roasted on a stick. Everytime we stopped locals would rush up to the tuk tuk and try to sell us whole chickens roasted and smashed on a stick. So far on my trip I haven't really mingled with the locals all that much... I've always known how different our lifestyles are, but never to this extent. It really opened my eyes to how much stuff I have, when I got out my zune to listen to some music, all of their eyes widened as if they had seen a pile of gold sitting right in front of them. I feel ridiculous saying that I just realized this now, but I am so fortunate! It's always been clear to me that I have it good, but lets just say that traveling has changed my out look on things a lot. While I was at 4000 Islands, I went a little nutso from too much of nothing. My travel buddy at the time was extremely mellow/boring I couldn't take it. The Island consisted of dirt paths and a few restaurants, there was no body to talk to, and everytime I came back to my geust house to see what my friend was up to the book would be over her face and she would be passed out in the hammock once again. I talked to some of the locals who could speak english, and I was blown away at their reality. Some of them have never even left this tiny little island. I don't think that boredom is a concept for them, because they all just sit around all day, occasionally going out on a little boat to check their fishing net or taking their bamboo fishing poles out for an afternoon. These people I'm telling you, they are so content with such simple lives. I need so much stimulation compared to them. In the evenings we would sit around candle light and play cards. We shared a few happy shakes which helped with the boredom factor. ha ha. After 2 nights, I had to get out of there. I left in the morning to go back to Pakse where I would catch a bus to Vietnam. I didn't realize that not a single tourist goes to Vietnam from Pakse. Crossing the border was absolute hell. I geuss it could have been a lot worse, but it was pretty miserable. The journey to vietnam started 2 nights ago and I am just now in Vietnam. And once again, I am the only white person in the whole town besides this 55 year old guy from Holland. He's nice but I felt so weird hanging out with an old man. I hadn't talked to anybody in like 30 hours and I was so happy to find somebody that I could communicate with. So I get on the bus, thinking this isn't going to be that bad.... until they start cramming refrigerators, fans, fruit, and lot of other stuff in between seats. Then the people started getting on, by the time everyone was on my knees were in my chin and we were off. 12 hours crammed in between a bunch of people speaking all kinds of weird languages. Everytime I tried to ask a question they would all mock me and laugh. Not a single person could even come close to having a conversation with me. We finally made it to the border and I managed to get a little sleep in, it was about 1 am at this point. So they pull the bus over and I think oh good we're going to get this border crossing over with... oh no they tell us that we have to sleep on the bus until the border opens at 7! I curled up in my seat with all these peoples legs and arms laying over me. Luckily the time passed farely quickly. When I woke up everybody was in my face about visas, passports and money that I had to pay them. They couldn't understand me and I couldn't understand them. It just turned into one big frustration, I realized later that they were trying to scam me. Take my passport and get it stamped for me so that I would have to pay them a lot of money for doing it for me. Ok it's a really long story basically it was really stressful and I had to make my way with out anyone to answer any questions. But hey, I am such a stronger person after that. I'm really bummed out about how disrespectful the vietnamese men are towards me, right in front of my face they will make gestures at my breasts and take pictures of me. Anyways, I should probably end my story here so that I don't begin to bore anyone. I also kind of want to get off the computer because there is this kid next to me looking up some pretty ranchy porn and it's quite awkward. Sorry grandmas I'm not trying to offend anyone here. ahaha.