The Champ is Here

Day 96- We arrived in Hanoi early and checked into our room at Box Hotel for $24 CAD a day. We weren't quite sure what we were in for until we saw our room for the first time. It is too difficult to explain the layout of the room in writing, thank goodness we made a virtual tour. We plan on sending it to MTV Cribs when we get home.

                            

As much as we loved our mansion, we discovered a backpackers hostel in downtown Hanoi that had a bed and breakfast for $18 CAD a night, so we booked ourselves in for the next few nights to save some money. We spent most of the day exploring our new city. During our stay in Vietnam we had discovered a new found love for cafes. We would set up with our iPads and research with a delicious coffee and Hanoi would be no exception.  Our first task was to get a coffee by the central lake and in this case it was getting information to book a trip to Halong bay. 

We found an amazing spot for lunch called Bahn Mi 25. They were high on the Trip Advisor list so we had to check them out. It was really neat because from afar they looked like any of the other sandwich stands seen throughout Vietnam but this one had little flowers at each table, came with iced tea and only used really high quality meat.They were just as awesome as advertised. So much so that we returned 4 more times before leaving Hanoi. Nothing like sitting on mini chairs on a busy street, with fresh free ice tea, bananas and a delicious Vietnamese sandwich.  

Narrow streets with shops lining each side make up most of the streets in Hanoi. The city planners organized their streets by specialties, putting all the electronics in one area and all of the lighting stuff in another, ect. It was kind of cool and made me think, "hey, I guess Mike's line of work could be viewed as interesting...", But it was just a short thought and off we went before cueing Mike on a big explanation on the benefits of a "spatially diverse retail approach". haha

We went to a hot pot restaurant for dinner and it was amazing!! It was fun to try and casually look over at the locals and attempt to copy them. In the end we failed at the "casual" part and ended up getting a full scale hot pot cooking lesson from a local couple next to us.

After customers choose their meat options, the food comes with raw veggies. We got to cook our own meal at our table, then, when our meat was all cooked, we soaked fresh bread in the grease from the beef and the whole combination was just wonderful. 3 tips; lots of oil, focus on cooking the meat, the veggies will take care of themselves and dip in the salted lemon bowl separately with each bite. The bread dipping was a bonus that we saw others doing.

We were in search of a place to book our Halong Bay boat trip but we were very cautious as we had read a lot of terrible reviews online about the tours to Halong Bay. I had also heard that because of Halong Bays popularity, it was not well maintained and had garbage everywhere. To avoid this issue, someone recommended that we find a trip that takes us to Bai Tu Long Bay in addition to Halong Bay because it is less touristy and cleaner. We found a travel agent in town and the lady at the front desk showed us some options based on our criteria. We read online that the junk boats are not the place to cheap out and the money spent really will make a difference on the product received. We ended up booking with a company called Maguerite Garden Bay. We spent $120 each for 2 days and 1 night and we were very much looking forward to the experience. We would either be extremely pleased with our choice, or it would be a nightmare based off of the stories we had heard. 

Day 97- We checked out of our box hotel and into a dorm room with a double bed at Vietnam Backpackers Hostel. It was interesting luck how things worked out because we ended up sharing our room with 9 other beds, 7 of which were fellow Canadians. Most of us hit it off straight away.

Although I have no issues with my age, I would prefer to look it. Therefore, it was time to dye my hair to cover the greys, in an attempt to look 29!! I had a bit of an audience from fellow hostel goers watching my progress, which definitely made the process go quicker. It's hard to have any privacy when you're sharing a bathroom with 4 other rooms of 9 people.

                     

After returning to Banh Mi 25 for another tasty lunch, we headed to an underground mall. It was built by the same Vietnamese Billionaire who built the theme park in Nha Trang. We had a few essentials to pick up but we mostly just walked around. As usual we caught a movie at the theater and indulged in some much desired popcorn for Mike. We saw Pan and it was great! I think my nieces and nephews would enjoy it a lot. 

Day 98- We loved the coffee scene in Vietnam, maybe a little too much, and we couldn't keep ourselves away from the coffee shops. We spent a lot of time at Cong Cafe by our hostel, utilizing the wifi and great plug-ins so I could write post cards and work on my blog.  Also, our day would not be complete without lunch at Banh Mi 25. There is nothing like filling yourself up with good food for $2 each. Plus there is nothing more entertaining than people watching in a foreign country, I love watching life exist right before my eyes. 

                     

That evening, our hostel was celebrating the 5th anniversary of their downtown location and were promoting a big party. Throughout the night drinks were free and music blasted onto the streets with an attempt to bring more customers to the party. Mike and I found ourselves in a match of beer pong with two guys from the UK and before we knew it we had won 5 games in a row and suddenly we're in the final match for the Vietnam beer pong title! We started off strong and each of our first shots sunk into cups side by side. We were feeling confident and had our eye on the prize. 

                      

We had all of our Canadian companions cheering us on in the final rounds. A little smack talking gave us the edge we needed and after 3 hours of pong and a few beers, we had won the last and final game. We may have been the happiest people in the bar, the prize did exist and it couldn't have been better. We each got to choose a new shirt. It was the first new pieces of clothing we've gotten so far in 3 months and there is nothing quite like a new shirt. 

We were also pretty excited to see that we made the cut in one of the hostels videos. However, surprised to see that they chose the 1% of our dance routine that doesn't look cool as hell. What's up with that right?

                          

Day 99- We had to wake up early for our much anticipated boat trip to Halong Bay. We went to bed at a reasonable hour but our roomates enjoyed the festivities until the wee hours of the morning so it made for a sleepy beginning to a "Ha" long day. We were picked up at our hostel at 8 am and from there it took 3 1/2 hours to Halong Bay City. 

To begin the journey we met in the dining area and were introduced to the people who would be our neighbours for the trip. We had a diverse assortment of people, who we were sure would make for interesting company. Our english speaking guide gave us our itinerary for the next two days and off we went to sail the bay. Lunch was served straight away, giving us some time to get acquainted with our new friends. 

Mike and I were anxious to see the rest of the boat as well as our room after hearing many first hand accounts, which can only be described as horror stories of the Halong Bay trips. Luckily, our first impressions told us that we had made the right choice with our boat company and when we saw our room, our expectations were exceeded. Our fears where quickly swept away with the morning tide.

The top deck was decked out with plenty of trees and seating.

Now it was time to relax with a good book and enjoy the beatiful landscape I'd been waiting so long to see. 

We cruised into Bai Tu Long Bay and the environment quickly changed. No longer did hundreds of boats surround us. Instead we were surrounded by beautiful rising cliffs reaching for the heavens.

The boat stopped at one of the many large rock formations that makes Halong Bay one of the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World and we were given the choice to go sea kayaking or tour a floating village. Since we had recently seen a floating village, we decided to take exploring into our own paddles...

We forgot our camera on the boat but we were lucky enough to run into one of our neighbours and they snapped a photo of us at the right moment. 

We returned to the boat with some time to burn before dinner. The staff was offering a cooking class but we opted out and enjoyed some drinks in our room with the perfect view to keep us company. 

Dinner was enjoyed on the top deck, BBQ style, with some of the best company we could have hoped for. We had met a friendly couple during our lunch session and were happy to continue our conversation with them over dinner. Manos and Flora were a lovely couple who had a zest for life and a passion for travel much like ourselves. We immensely enjoyed their company and hope to cross paths with them again some day in their country or ours. 

                        

This used to be a watermelon.

Day 100!!!!!- We woke up early after a fantastic sleep and following breakfast we headed to a cave. It didn't take long before we were surrounded by other junk boats just like ours. When we arrived at the cave it became even more apparent how many other tourists come too Halong Bay. Hundreds of people shoved and pushed in line waiting for the cave to open. Once inside, we got to walk through the cave at a fairly continuous pace. It was impressive but given our recent caving in Phong Nha, we found the number of tourists to be distracting.

After the cave we returned back to the boat to partake in a food decorating class. The talented chef taught us how to play with our food! Mike made a rose from a tomato peal and I failed at making a flower from a cucumber. 

Mike: Will you accept this rose?  Me: Do I have to?

                         

                        

After lunch we sat back and enjoyed the last of our peaceful journey in Halong Bay. We were very disappointed that we weren't staying another night on the boat with our new friends Manos and Flora. If we had a bigger budget we would have splurged on the two night but unfortunately it wasn't in the cards. 

Another amazing journey for the books. 

We arrived back on shore around 1pm and headed to the hostel. While on our way back we ran into one of our Canadian friends from the hostel who was coming back from her trip to Halong Bay. Together we realized it was Canadian Thanksgiving, so we agreed to meet up when we all got back to the hostel to go for dinner together. We got home around 5 and with mouse like confidence I asked the front desk "do you know a place that serves chicken or maybe even turkey" and he replied "for Canadian Thankgsiving?". To my surprise I said "YES!". As it turned out there was a pub down the street from the hostel that was serving up a real, authentic, traditional, Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. We found a few more of our Canadian buddies who were also sad to be missing our wonderful Canadian holiday and they joined us for dinner at the pub. The price for the meal was steep but the food and company were priceless. It was as authentic as advertised and it filled the void we were all missing from back home. 

                        

Cheers.

Ohhh and the food... I couldn't have made it better myself.. not even with 3 pounds of butter. ;)

They even had pumkin pie. Possibly the closest one to my moms I've ever had! 

Day 101- We explored the streets of Hanoi for our last day before heading to the Philippines. We spent another few hours at Cong Cafe and ingested as much Vietnamese coffee as possible before leaving. We also returned to the same hot pot restaurant as the first night but this time we taught some first timers how it's done. As the night grew we realized that we hadn't tried a Hanoi must have. Bia Hoi. Bia hoi is fresh beer made with no additives or preservatives and it is made to be drank the same day and therefore never bottled. The best place to get Bia hoi in Hanoi is at beer corner. We walked around until we saw a crowd of people crouched down on mini stools drinking amber colored liquid! Must be the place we were looking for right?

When we sat down we noticed a couple looking up at us with great big welcoming smiles. There were no chairs beside them so we sat elsewhere. After we ordered our bia hoi, we decided to bring our chairs over and introduce ourselves. They were apparently just about to do the same thing and before we knew it we were involved in great conversation. The four of us shared stories of travel and they had lots of great advice to offer us on Australia as they had just finished travelling there for 3 years. 

I noticed a man walking in our direction with a giant bundle of balloons in his hand and I knew he was going to release them into the sky. I got our friends attention and we all watched as he let go of the balloons. Hundreds of foreigners and locals cheered and clapped as he let go of the little minions.

Our journey in Vietnam was over and I have since placed it at the top amongst my favourite countries visited. It had the kindest people, the best food, the most beautiful scenery, adventurous activities and a unique culture. Looking forward to returning one day.  

Rocks and Rolls

Day 58- A boat, a flight and another boat later, we arrived in Railay, Thailand. This was another return visit for Mike and I and we knew it would be a great last stop for Kassie and Chudi. Railay has a very chill vibe. Although not far from the mainland's City of Krabi, it feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. Railay has a ton of activities to keep travellers busy and to test the body's limits. The boat ride in offers a stunning view of what this peninsula has to offer. 

The boat brought us in at the west beach and the scenery satisfied all of my desires. 

We hadn't booked any accomodation, so we walked around while Chudi and Kassie looked for a place to stay for the rest of their vacation. After the minimalist approach we took in Haad Yuan, we were all in need of some hot showers and a few extra amenities. 

                     

Kassie and Chudi chose a beautiful room at Princess resort that would normally go for $200-$300 dollars a night in Canada. This is the beauty of Asia, they only paid around $60. Mike and I on the other hand, wanted to return to our old stomping grounds, on the north end of the island, at Phutawan Hotel. It sits at the top of the hill and is complemented by one of the best views of the large rock walls that make up the surrounding landscape. It also has A/C, hot showers and great wifi, probably the nicest place we have stayed at so far, for a whopping $30 bucks a night. Another reason we insisted on returning here, was for the best coffee in Thailand at a shop called Highland Coffee. On our last visit, Mike and I spent a lot of time with the guys who own the shop and I got my brown leather purse hand made by Chao, the rasta rock climber who always wears a smile. 

                       

We took it easy for the night. Played some games and got massages. 

Now if our Duchty friends ever read this, you need to look closely at the next photo.... Yes, that is what you think it is... SCOREBLOCK!!!! One of my life's greatest accomplishments. 

                     

Day 59- Mike and I took Kassie and Chudi to the Lagoon. Below is a picture of East beach that we took while walking to the Lagoon. This is also the view from Kassie and Chudi's hotel.

The lagoon is a not-so-secret magical place surrounded by walls with an area in the middle that fills up with water during high tide.  Here is how I like to describe it... it is one of those stunning places that you would see an image of on national geographic, that you would never imagine you would get the opportunity to see in real life. To get there involves quite the strenuous climb up, over cliff walls and wet red mud. Earth and humans have collaborated to help adventurers see the lagoon by exposing roots and tree vine as well as actual rope, to grab, hold and support people during the climb. This is no easy trek, taking time and a lot of concentration to do it without getting hurt. When we were starting the trek I actually overheard a girl talking to her boyfriend, with a crying voice saying, "I can't believe I am still alive"! Bahahahahahaha!! The climb is hard but not "I can't believe I'm still alive" hard. 

                           

  

We passed very few people along the way but when we did, we would take their advice while offering our own on how to best navigate the puzzles ahead. Last time we did this trek we went barefoot and it helped to grip the walls with our feet.  Nothing like feeling the earth between your toes. 

We made it!

                           

Looking up from the middle of the lagoon.

What is the best part? There were only two other people there other than us. Pretty amazing that something so beautiful can be enjoyed without crowds of tourists around you. 

I mentioned snakes and Chudi wasn't sticking around for photos.

Getting out of the cave is much easier than getting in but before we could leave, we had to check out the view point from the top of the crater. East (right) and West (left) beach are shown opposite of eachother while being sandwiched from the north and south by rock cliffs and palms.

It was a relief to make it to the bottom with all of our toes, limbs and skin still in tact.

We enjoyed the rest of the day playing in Chudi and Kassie's infinity pool. Kassie does the best underwater hand stand, Mike can hold his breath under water the longest and Chudi and I make a great audience. 

That night we went our seperate ways for dinner and I found some banana nutella thai pancakes!!

                       

Day 60- We rented some kayaks for the day and cruised around the rock formations in the ocean. 

                      

There so many places to hide within the canals and caves of the ocean rock.

We found a private little beach and we stopped to take a swim.

There was a little cave on shore that Mike climbed into. I tried but was unsuccessful. 

                     

After kayaking we hung out in our pool and fuelled up at our little coffee shop to prepare for a night out. We finished off dinner with some more nutella banana pancakes and strolled to Last Bar to....

listen to some live music by a Malaysian song bird,

play some more games,

and watch some fire dancing.

That night Kassie was hit with some pretty wicked food poisoning that put her out for the next couple of days. 

61/62- Woke up in the morning and took it easy for the day while Kassie recovered. Unfortunately whatever got Kassie sick, got me as well. It took me 4 days to feel 100% again. Mike and Chudi were also affected in a less violent way. Chao from the coffee shop said it has been happening a lot, where one person will get sick, then the next day their friend will get it and so on and so forth. Either way, it was a rough couple of days but it didn't stop us from finishing what we came to do. 

While I was recovering Mike and I chilled poolside and the craziest thing happened. Mike starting walking on water and ate a guy climbing on a nearby mountain.

Day 63- This was Chudi and Kassie's last day so we had to make up for lost time. First, we hit the beach for some last minute sun rays and salty water. 

                         

Then we met up with Chao to do some rock climbing. Railay is known around the world as a rock climbers haven. At one point the entire area was underwater, forming perfect pockets in the rock for hands and feet to climb up. We harnessed ourselves in and took turns climbing the 15 meter rock cliffs. Here are some of our best shots!

Mike was a natural. Look at that reach!

Kassie making a risky manoevre that pays off big time.

                           

                      

My wanna-be Laura Croft moment.

                         

And Chudi's cliffhanger re-enactment.

After a couple of climbs each, we headed to the cave to capture yet another great view.  Last time we came to Railay, I got a beautiful picture of the view with my iphone but I was anxious to get a higher quality photo with my professional camera. Headlamps were a must on this trek, as we entered the cave from the beach and walked into complete darkness. Bamboo ladders help climbers get higher and higher in the cave, which eventually lead to a breathtaking lookout. 

                          

Don't they make a good looking couple?! 

                          

Yes I was talking about Chudi and Kassie, not Mike and Kassie...

Once at the top, we tightened our harnesses and rappelled 20 meters back to the ground. Kassie has never done anything like this before and she was an absolute champ!

                       

                       

                       

       

                       

View from the bottom up. 

                  

After a hot shower and some food we all got thai massages to loosen up. We went to Last Bar for our last night with Kassie and Chudi to catch one more Thai must-see. Muay Thai boxing!

The time spent with our dear friends has left lasting memories that we will cherish forever. It was so sad to see them leave and it only reminds us of just how true the statement "there's no place like home" really is. We are very lucky to have such great friends and family to come home to. This doesn't mean that we are coming home yet though, I was just saying. 

Day 64/65/66/67- For the rest of our stay in Railay we sunk back into travel mode and spent the least amount of money possible. On average, including our hotel stay, we spent $70 bucks a day. We were both still recovering from our illnesses so we were happy to relax by the pool and catch up on our 20 or so missed episodes of Big Brother! In the mornings I would enjoy breakfast alone  while Mike slept in but one morning I had a whole bunch of sneaky companions. These guys came into the restaurant and broke open the sugar and creamer packages...I probably should have told someone but it was just so entertaining. 

Much of our time was also spent enjoying the rain with a nice cup of coffee from Highland Coffee House

and fooling around with the many trinkets that make their shop so inviting. 

We finally managed to catch a sunset on West Beach. The sky transformed right before our eyes into an instant postcard....

We enjoyed our last night in Railay at Jam Bar. They play classic reggae hits and they also provide games to patrons. We gambled against one another, built the tallest jenga building ever and I kicked Mike's butt in connect four. 

                          

Day 68/69- We said goodbye to Railay and made our way back to Bangkok. We had plans to see more of Thailand but after looking at our timeline, we quickly realized that our schedule was tighter than we thought. So we spent a couple of days in one of my favorite cities, enjoying good food, watching movies and taking our last thai tuk tuk ride. 

                    

We went for dinner at Madame Musur's restaurant, just behind Khao San road and they served me the best Massaman curry I have had to date! We also ordered satay pork with peanut sauce. The food is made with the flavors and flair from Northern Thailand and it really is worth a visit. 

                          

And a new adventure begins...