Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Home Safely
After hanging out in Phnom Penh on Friday and Saturday, I hopped on a plane Saturday night. Over 40 hours later, I arrived here in Winston-Salem, where I am slowly recovering from jetlag. So with all journeys, this one has finally come to an end. I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed posting throughout the summer. Thanks for reading my blog!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Back to Phnom Penh, Home Away From Home
Friday: Caught the bus to Hoi An where I explored the impressive imperial architecture on foot.
Saturday: Spent the better part of the day at the beach with some Dutch and English travelers who I met. Took the overnight bus to Nha Trang.
Sunday: Arrived in Nha Trang bright and early. Went scuba diving for the day on the stunning reefs off of Hon Mun Marine Protected Area.
Monday: Again spent most of the day diving and the rest just relaxing. Enjoyed a scrumptious (not to mention dirt cheap) dinner of succulent lobster on the side of the street. Midway through my meal, all at once everyone got up, grabbed their food and stools, and sprinted into an adjacent alleyway. I followed suit, the woman operating the streetside stall conveyed to me in broken English that the police had come and they had no permit, and I resumed my task of picking off every edible piece of meat from that lobster. An interesting dinner indeed.
Tuesday: Spent the better part of the day exploring on foot and caught the overnight bus to Saigon.
Wednesday: Arrived in Saigon and immediately went on a half-day tour of the Cu Chi tunnels where we crawled around and I got to shoot an M-16. Returned to Saigon and I explored on foot with a long visit at history-rich Reunification Palace. Checked into a guesthouse, ate some delicious pho at Pho 2000, and just walked around Saigon soaking up the urban atmosphere.
Thursday: More exploring on foot with a long visit at the hard-hitting War Remnants Museum. Took a shower and grabbed lunch before making the bus journey to Phnom Penh. Arrived in the evening and chilled out with friends.
Saturday: Spent the better part of the day at the beach with some Dutch and English travelers who I met. Took the overnight bus to Nha Trang.
Sunday: Arrived in Nha Trang bright and early. Went scuba diving for the day on the stunning reefs off of Hon Mun Marine Protected Area.
Monday: Again spent most of the day diving and the rest just relaxing. Enjoyed a scrumptious (not to mention dirt cheap) dinner of succulent lobster on the side of the street. Midway through my meal, all at once everyone got up, grabbed their food and stools, and sprinted into an adjacent alleyway. I followed suit, the woman operating the streetside stall conveyed to me in broken English that the police had come and they had no permit, and I resumed my task of picking off every edible piece of meat from that lobster. An interesting dinner indeed.
Tuesday: Spent the better part of the day exploring on foot and caught the overnight bus to Saigon.
Wednesday: Arrived in Saigon and immediately went on a half-day tour of the Cu Chi tunnels where we crawled around and I got to shoot an M-16. Returned to Saigon and I explored on foot with a long visit at history-rich Reunification Palace. Checked into a guesthouse, ate some delicious pho at Pho 2000, and just walked around Saigon soaking up the urban atmosphere.
Thursday: More exploring on foot with a long visit at the hard-hitting War Remnants Museum. Took a shower and grabbed lunch before making the bus journey to Phnom Penh. Arrived in the evening and chilled out with friends.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Southbound on the Vietnamese Coast
Sunday: Our trip to Halong Bay was cancelled due to a typhoon, so instead we checked out Hanoi on foot. We perused the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex, browsed the Temple of Literature, and cruised the lake. After dinner, we attended an impressive water puppet show, a Vietnamese cultural tradition where the puppets appear as if they are floating on water.
Monday: Explored the city further and spent some time doing some much-needed relaxing. In the evening I said farewell to my travel buddy Matt Hoffman.
Tuesday: Woke early for the drive to Halong Bay (the typhoon had passed). Cruised the bay, stopping to explore a cave and swim, and later kayaked during a beautiful sunset. Had dinner on the boat and laid on the deck observing the stars and enjoying the conversation with all the Brits on my boat.
Wednesday: Enjoyed more scenic cruising in the morning before a quick swim. Transferred back to Hanoi where I immediately boarded the overnight bus to Hue.
Thursday: Arrived in Hue first thing in the morning and spent the day exploring the majestic Citadel and Imperial Enclosure, not to mention some of the fascinating museums and idyllic lakes in Hue.
Signing off from Hue, Vietnam.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Falling In Love With Laos
Again, I'm on the move and Internet isn't terribly reliable, so this post will be short and to the point.
Tuesday: Took a long but incredibly scenic bus ride to Luang Prabang and explored on foot. Climbed to Phu Si, a temple situated on a hill in the middle of town with a heavenly view of the surrounding quaint city against the backdrop of rugged mountains and the peaceful Mekong.
Wednesday: Caught a tuk tuk to Kuang Si waterfall where we hiked and took advantage of the rope swing into the falls. Again explored on foot and sampled the ubiquitous Lao food with it's discernible French influence.
Thursday: Drove a few hours to a put-in point on the Nam Ming River and paddled the whitewater down to the Nam Khan River. Continued on the Nam Khan until the afternoon when we reached a Hmong village (accessible only by boat) where we ate a delicious Lao dinner and stayed for the night.
Friday: Woke at the crack of dawn (the Lao way) and paddled the Nam Khan all day until we reached Luang Prabang. Ate another good Lao dinner on the banks of the Mekong with a picturesque sunset and chilled out by the river for the evening.
Saturday: Soaked in the atmosphere of Luang Prabang for one last time before catching a quick flight to Hanoi. Arrived in Hanoi and ate a scrumptious dinner of Vietnamese pho at a streetside stall and explored part of the city on foot.
It's a bit weird being in the city again after spending time in eternally tranquil Laos. I absolutely fell in love with Laos; the people were warm, the natural beauty stunning, and the generally relaxed pace of life appealing. It definitely won't be the last time I travel there.
Signing off from Hanoi, Vietnam.
Tuesday: Took a long but incredibly scenic bus ride to Luang Prabang and explored on foot. Climbed to Phu Si, a temple situated on a hill in the middle of town with a heavenly view of the surrounding quaint city against the backdrop of rugged mountains and the peaceful Mekong.
Wednesday: Caught a tuk tuk to Kuang Si waterfall where we hiked and took advantage of the rope swing into the falls. Again explored on foot and sampled the ubiquitous Lao food with it's discernible French influence.
Thursday: Drove a few hours to a put-in point on the Nam Ming River and paddled the whitewater down to the Nam Khan River. Continued on the Nam Khan until the afternoon when we reached a Hmong village (accessible only by boat) where we ate a delicious Lao dinner and stayed for the night.
Friday: Woke at the crack of dawn (the Lao way) and paddled the Nam Khan all day until we reached Luang Prabang. Ate another good Lao dinner on the banks of the Mekong with a picturesque sunset and chilled out by the river for the evening.
Saturday: Soaked in the atmosphere of Luang Prabang for one last time before catching a quick flight to Hanoi. Arrived in Hanoi and ate a scrumptious dinner of Vietnamese pho at a streetside stall and explored part of the city on foot.
It's a bit weird being in the city again after spending time in eternally tranquil Laos. I absolutely fell in love with Laos; the people were warm, the natural beauty stunning, and the generally relaxed pace of life appealing. It definitely won't be the last time I travel there.
Signing off from Hanoi, Vietnam.
Monday, July 6, 2009
On the Road
I'm posting from Laos, where the Internet is shoddy and expensive, so here's a quick rundown of where I've been since I left Phnom Penh.
Wednesday: Took the bus from Phnom Penh to Battambang where I hung out with some Cambodians who I had met back in the capital. They showed me true Cambodian hospitality and fed me well and put me up for the night.
Thursday: Woke up early and explored the beautiful French colonial architecture and quaint riverside scene in Battambang by moto. Rode the bamboo train with my Khmer friends in Battambang. A quick description can't do it justice, but the bamboo train is basically just a platform of bamboo propelled at unsafe speeds along the train tracks by a moto motor, and whenever an oncoming train approaches the guy in the back grinds his foot into the rail to slow down and everyone piles off and lifts the train off the tracks. Quite an experience to say the least. At noon I took the bus to the Cambodia-Thailand border at Poipet/Aranyaprathet where I got stamped out of Cambodia, walked across the bridge separating the countries, and hopped on a bus to Bangkok. Arrived at Bangkok in the evening and explored on foot until my buddy Matt Hoffman arrived.
Friday: Hoffman and I explored Bangkok on foot, taking in the numerous temples, riding the ultra-modern Sky Train, and breathing in the urban atmosphere. After meeting a Duke grad for dinner, we caught a tuk-tuk to the train station, and hopped on the overnight train.
Saturday: Arrived in Nong Khai, headed over the Thailand/Laos border, and got stamped into Laos at Thanaleng. We took a bus into town and checked into a guesthouse in the middle of the tiny capital city of Vientiane. Thoroughly explored the entire city on foot in one afternoon, taking breaks to sample the delicious French cuisine left behind as a result of Laos' status as a former French colony, and enjoyed our first authentic Lao meal for dinner.
Sunday: Caught the bus to Vang Vieng, Laos where we took in the beautiful scenery all afternoon. Enjoyed more delicious Lao food and stayed the night in a simple bungalow on the banks of the Nam Song river.
Monday: Rented bikes and pedaled through villages and rice paddies to a cave which we explored for a while. We swam and took advantage of the rope swing in a swelling river before taking a wicked hike to a viewpoint overlooking all of Vang Vieng and the surrounding landscape. Marveling at the limestone karsts swathed in mist and anchored by verdant terrace rice paddies, I decided that Laos is easily the most naturally beautiful place I have ever been in my entire life.
Signing off from Vang Vieng, Laos.
Wednesday: Took the bus from Phnom Penh to Battambang where I hung out with some Cambodians who I had met back in the capital. They showed me true Cambodian hospitality and fed me well and put me up for the night.
Thursday: Woke up early and explored the beautiful French colonial architecture and quaint riverside scene in Battambang by moto. Rode the bamboo train with my Khmer friends in Battambang. A quick description can't do it justice, but the bamboo train is basically just a platform of bamboo propelled at unsafe speeds along the train tracks by a moto motor, and whenever an oncoming train approaches the guy in the back grinds his foot into the rail to slow down and everyone piles off and lifts the train off the tracks. Quite an experience to say the least. At noon I took the bus to the Cambodia-Thailand border at Poipet/Aranyaprathet where I got stamped out of Cambodia, walked across the bridge separating the countries, and hopped on a bus to Bangkok. Arrived at Bangkok in the evening and explored on foot until my buddy Matt Hoffman arrived.
Friday: Hoffman and I explored Bangkok on foot, taking in the numerous temples, riding the ultra-modern Sky Train, and breathing in the urban atmosphere. After meeting a Duke grad for dinner, we caught a tuk-tuk to the train station, and hopped on the overnight train.
Saturday: Arrived in Nong Khai, headed over the Thailand/Laos border, and got stamped into Laos at Thanaleng. We took a bus into town and checked into a guesthouse in the middle of the tiny capital city of Vientiane. Thoroughly explored the entire city on foot in one afternoon, taking breaks to sample the delicious French cuisine left behind as a result of Laos' status as a former French colony, and enjoyed our first authentic Lao meal for dinner.
Sunday: Caught the bus to Vang Vieng, Laos where we took in the beautiful scenery all afternoon. Enjoyed more delicious Lao food and stayed the night in a simple bungalow on the banks of the Nam Song river.
Monday: Rented bikes and pedaled through villages and rice paddies to a cave which we explored for a while. We swam and took advantage of the rope swing in a swelling river before taking a wicked hike to a viewpoint overlooking all of Vang Vieng and the surrounding landscape. Marveling at the limestone karsts swathed in mist and anchored by verdant terrace rice paddies, I decided that Laos is easily the most naturally beautiful place I have ever been in my entire life.
Signing off from Vang Vieng, Laos.
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