Goodbye Vietnam, Hello China

Hanoi, the country’s capital, was our last stop in Vietnam. Who knew that both getting in and getting out of this place would end up being a nightmare. We were supposed to catch the last plane to Hanoi at around 10PM. We showed up at the airport well before boarding time, and were told that the plane was delayed half an hour. After waiting in the boarding lounge for a while, the status became delayed until further notice. Finally, there was another announcement that the plane was cancelled. All the remaining passengers waiting for this flight (there were about 40 of us) shuffled back to the ticket counter to see what the situation was all about. We were told that due to inclement weather, the plane was cancelled until the next morning. Huh, that’s funny…there was a plane that just left about 30 minutes ago. OK, fine, whatever. It’s an annoyance but we’ll get compensated somehow right? WRONG! Apparently, because it’s due to the weather, there was nothing Vietnamese Airlines could do. Not only would we have to go back to the city centre, we’d have to pay for a night’s stay, and pay for the taxi ride in the next day. Not to mention that many of the passengers, us included, had already paid for a hotel in Hanoi. After much arguing on our part, and apathetic responses on their part, there was nothing we could do but go back to the city centre. I’m not one to conspire, but something tells me that the “bad weather” was actually a plane with not enough passengers so they just decided to cancel our flight and stick us with the people on the next flight to save money.

 The city of Hanoi was pleasant. We stayed in the Old Quarter of town and it was like being transported back in time. The old French-influenced buildings, the ladies in traditional conical hats selling fruits in baskets on the street, and the smell of everything imaginable, made me feel like we were walking through a movie set. We decided to get a little cultured with their arts scene and went to watch a traditional water puppet show that night. Apparently, it’s an ancient art form that has been around for thousands of years, but was only discovered in the ‘60s. The puppets are manoeuvered by puppeteers behind a curtain, who make the puppets seem like they are dancing on the water.

The next morning, we headed to the bus station to leave Vietnam and finally enter China.  We were told to wait in the waiting area by two separate people. Our bus was for 9:30AM, and after not hearing any announcements at 9:32, we went to ask someone. The girl manning the counter looked at us and apologetically said that the bus had left already. WHAT?? How could the bus have left already when there was no announcement, no person, no nothing telling us that the bus was leaving? She called her boss down, who was this woman who came charging at us and yelling at us to get on a taxi immediately and get to some other destination to catch the bus.  She was yelling at us saying that 9:30 was when the bus leaves the station and that we should have been waiting to board the bus before that. But how were we supposed to know which bus to board and when we should board if people had told us to wait where we were waiting? So, surely the bus company would pay for our ride to the other bus stop. In our dreams. After much arguing in raised voices, arms flailing, and finger pointing, we had no choice but to get our butts to the other bus station, and footing the questionable taxi fee in the end.

We never thought we’d say this but, when passed through customs and stepped on to Chinese soil, it felt as if we were given a Get Out of Jail Free card. The facilities were nicer, the roads were smoother, and there was actually more control than chaos. We’re in the province of Guanxi, and heading to the  city of Guilin. There’s an expression in Chinese that Guilin is better than heaven (in terms of scenery) so we’re excited to verify this statement.

Last night, we went to the place to eat in Nanning. It’s a street where every night, you can eat, snack, and sample all sorts of things yummy. We ended our tour with having a feast that we had to pack up because it was too big. Before that though, Kevin wanted to be adventurous.  Here's how it played out...

Lily and Croc

Dissected Croc

Kevin mocks Croc

Kevin eats Croc

Alligator on the table...that's how you know it's fresh.

Measure twice, cut once

The last few days for us has been somewhat hectic, yet relaxing. We're in Hoi An, Vietnam...aka tailoring capital of the country! Hoi An was a sleepy little town until 1992, when it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Especially in the Old Town, the historic houses, alleyways, and silk lanterns (especially when lit up at night) makes it ooze with kitschy Asian charm. 

For many tourists, this is exactly the kind of place they imagine Asia to be, and so flock here by the thousands. The locals, of course, take advantage of this opportunity by selling itself as THE place in Vietnam to get clothes and all the fixings made to measure. You can't walk 10 steps without seeing a tailoring shop, a shoe shop, a souvenir shop, or anything else you can purchase…they try to sell you everything here! Needless to say, it was only a matter of time before we were sucked into the madness.

The first day we arrived, we did our research and read some reviews on shops that people have recommended. We spent that day darting in and out of tailor shops comparing prices and fabrics. It didn’t take too long before we had ladies chirping over us in Vietnamese about our measurements and adjusting the fit. Let me tell you, it’s addictive. The whole process is quite fun. They take your measurements, you go for a few fittings, and along the way, you’re tempted to buy an extra pair of pants, and a tie, and shoes, and maybe a nice coat to go along with it. Then you justify the whole thing by converting it back to Canadian dollars and telling yourself that you could never get the same kind of deal back home.

Kevin getting measured up

We’ve been here for 4 days now, and we’re gonna be leaving Hoi An with (are you ready for it?) for Kevin: 3 suits, 4 shirts, 1 pair of pants, a pair of shoes, a coat, and 3 ties. For me: a blazer, 1 pair of dress pants, 1 pair of jeans, a dress, 2 shirts, and 3 pairs of shoes. It’s been a merry Christmas indeed.

Speaking of Christmas, there’s not much festive mood here except for some cafes playing Christmas carols, and the odd Vietnamese kids who run around with Santa costumes on. Apparently, that’s how it goes down here. It’s a bummer that we can’t spend this time with our family and friends, but we’re thinking about you guys everyday. Hope everyone has a great holiday season filled with warmth and laughter.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Eve in Vietnam- it's the kids that dress up as Santa 

Eating HCMC in 39 hours

Greetings from Vietnam! After a 12 hour journey from Kep, Cambodia, switching vehicles four times, and crossing the Cambodia-Vietnam border on foot, we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC… or Saigon, depending on which side of the war you’re on) at midnight. We wasted no time in getting our food tour started. By 2AM, we had already had 4 bowls of pho (the famous beef noodle soup) between the two of us. We went to bed that night in a hotel room where we splurged somewhat, and so were able to enjoy some luxuries that we’ve gone without for a while (ie. air con, cable TV, and wall paper). Even though I read that HCMC’s traffic is as bad as it gets in South East Asia, we still rented a bike to scoot around town. We didn’t really scoot too far though as our cravings needed to be constantly satisfied.  I know I’m always talking about the crazy traffic that we experience, but really, HCMC’s tops even Phnom Penh’s.  We found ourselves weaving through traffic flowing in all directions while trying to navigate through a four way intersection. And by traffic, I mean the 3 million motorcyclists that call this city home.

Hello, traffic madness.

By the end of the day, we had eaten ourselves into a stupor. We had consumed another 4 bowls of pho, 2 bowls of duck noodle soup, 6 scoops of ice cream, and fresh fruit scattered throughout the day. Yes, I would say it was another successful gastronomic day. We’ve been told that food in Vietnam is delicious and plentiful, so we’re definitely looking forward to the rest of our time here. We’re off to check out the sand dunes in Mui Ne next, as we head north into Vietnam.      

One of the many bowls of pho we had...and will have.

The art of doing nothing

In Transit has been sitting on the back burner for the last few days because frankly, there really hasn’t been that much transiting going on. We arrived at the southern coast of Cambodia, in a town called Sihanoukville, to go scuba diving (or so we thought). But after arriving here, we opted for the more secluded part of a more secluded beach, so there wasn’t much to do around here other than relax. Kevin’s spent his days trying to nurse a cold, and I’ve been terribly busy lying on the beach and reading.

It’s been a very nice change from the crazy chaotic city of Phnom Penh, where we spent a couple of days before coming down here. At no matter what time of day, there was hustle and bustle all around you.  Despite the craziness, we opted to rent a motorbike to get to some of the further sites. I didn’t think the kind of traffic jams that we wedged our way through was actually in existence. It almost felt like a logic puzzle where we had to find a way to the end of the street without bumping into other vehicles or going over huge potholes, before the light turned red again.

So, you could imagine the great appeal Otres Beach in Sihanoukville had when we arrived and it was pitch dark except for the twinkling stars above, as the electricity was also out. The second night, we decided (OK, fine… “I decided” because I know Kevin will be reading this) that it’d be a good idea to sleep in a bungalow directly on the beach. How romantic is it to be lulled to sleep by the gentle waves of the ocean right by your feet? Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Our night on the beach wasn’t as dreamy as I thought. The waves were so loud that it was hard to fall asleep, and after what felt like a really long sleepless night, we woke up to find out that it was only 1AM. At that point, I wished that the sound of the waves was actually an ocean CD that I had accidently left on repeat. Needless to say, we moved back to our bungalows the next night. They were still very close to the beach, but not on it, and had some very peaceful nights afterwards.

So, as for the art of doing nothing, I think we perfected it quite well. But now, we are eager to give our digestive muscles a work out. We’re heading to the seaside town of Kep, known to the locals for its super cheap and fresh seafood, just in time for lunch.    

     View from our bungalow where we spent that sleepless night

Birthday in Cambodia

                                    Angkor Wat at sunrise

Kevin’s birthday was a couple of days ago, and we spent the first half of the day finishing off our temple tour at Angkor Wat. Our night bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh wasn’t until midnight that night, so we had a lot of hours to kill. We decided to check into a hostel for those hours, so that at least we could shower and have somewhere to put our bags.

Across the street from our hostel, I noticed there was a sign that read “Jimmy’s Village School” and there was a sign which asked for volunteers to drop by and help out in any way they wish. I made a mental note to come back later that evening to see what the “school” was about.  When I did venture back, there were at least 50 kids belting out English sentences. Some kids were seated on makeshift tables and benches, and the rest were standing by the back listening and learning intently to the guy who was in front of the “classroom.” Jimmy, as it turned out, was a local Cambodian who wanted to offer free English lessons to kids in the city after school. He started up the school 4 months ago in front of his mother’s laundry shop. One the first day, there were 4 kids that showed up. On the second day, there were 10. And now, merely 4 months later, he sees about 100 or so kids everyday who show up religiously to his classes.

Jimmy said that in Cambodia, to go to public school is free, but the mandatory stationary likes pencils and books are not, which results in kids not being able to afford continue going to school. English is not offered in schools unless you go to a private school, which is very expensive. Jimmy’s a student himself, studying English Literature in university. However, after this year, he’ll most likely have to quit because he cannot afford it. University tuition is $420…a year. Despite this, he’s determined to continue offering free classes to anyone who wants to come, and has grand plans of seeing his ambitious ideas blossom into reality.

It was such a nice change to talk to a local Cambodian who just wanted to do good for his community and his country. As travellers, and most of the time as a tourist, you can’t help but immerse your travels in self-indulgence and gluttony. As a result, most of the locals that you meet are only after your money. Meeting Jimmy, and being surrounded by the kids was like a breath of fresh air. I was only there for about an hour talking with the students and answering their questions, but during that time, I have never felt such curiosity, passion, and dedication from any of the students that I have ever taught. At first they were shy and hesitant to ask me questions like what I did that day, but it didn’t take long for them to be shouting out what they wanted to be when they grew up – a business man, a doctor, a lawyer, and a teacher.

Near the end of the hour, Kevin came to check out the scene. I had told the students earlier that it was Kevin’s birthday, and when he came to sit in front of the classroom beside me, they sang him two rounds of Happy Birthday, once in English, and once in their language, Khmer. I wish I had gotten it on video. One student, whose English was quite good, was even quizzing Kevin about my favourite food and what I like to do in my free time!  

I wish we could have done more to help Jimmy, but with our time constraints and our lack of funds, it feels like our hands are somewhat tied. We left that night on our night bus to Phnom Penh pensive but hopeful. I really do hope that his dreams for his school are realized, and that hundreds of more kids can benefit from his kindness.

You can check out Jimmy’s facebook page to learn more about him and the school, and maybe even send him a few encouraging words. 

http://www.facebook.com/groups/189594284440704/

The good, the bad, and the ugly

We already heard some not so good things about Vang Vieng before we got here, but the crazy shit that happens in this place cannot be properly put into words. Fortunately, we were also able to see a less uglier side of this town void of loud music, Friends episodes running on repeat, and tourists drunk out of their mind.

The Good

When you simply step out of the ugly town centre, you’re struck with the natural beauty that is around you. There are huge karst mountains jutting out of the ground, the pretty river flowing through the town, and the blue sky and white puffy clouds create a perfect backdrop. Even though Vang Vieng is most famous for its tubing down the river, we decided to venture out past the bars and see it on our rented motorbike.  We headed to this waterfall just 20 minutes from our hostel, and along the way, we shared the dusty road with cows, goats, and turkeys. We had the waterfall to ourselves for quite a while, and stood under the falls to feel the cold fresh water beating down on our skin.  We also tried our hands at caving. Caving is when you walk, climb, and crawl your way through these dark caves in the mountains with just a flashlight, and in our case, flip flops. It’s quite the adventure because at times you look down, and one misstep could spell the end.

The Bad

Some say that Vang Vieng has lost its soul to tourism, and that other towns in Laos look to Vang Vieng to make sure their tourism industry doesn’t become was has become here.  At any time during the day, you'll see tourists either coming from or going tubing, dressed with only their bikinis or swim trunks. If this were the beach, whatever. But this is a small farming town, where the locals are always covered up. C'mon people, have some respect for yourself and others.Walking through the main stretch of town is quite a strange feeling because you see locals slurping up noodle soup on one side of the road, and on the other side, you see the restaurants and bars catered to the tourists that loop episodes of Friends or Family Guy constantly. We’re not talking about one or two restaurants, but ALL the restaurants. It’s the strangest thing. On our last day here, there was a power outage that affected the whole town. Despite this, the restaurant owners simply started up their back up generators and the familiar faces of the Central Perk gang were back on the screen in no time. The show must go on, I guess.

The Ugly

It’s sad to think that some people come to Vang Vieng, and think that this is all that Laos has to offer. They come to Vang Vieng to get hammered and stoned and use it as an excuse to abuse their bodies. Yesterday, we ventured over to where the tubing starts to see what this gong show was all about. This tubing thing basically goes like this – you rent a tube for the day and float it down the river while stopping at bars along the way. The people at the bars throw you rope to pull you in, where you chuck your tube to one side, drink, and then you continue down the river. However, most people usually only make it to the first couple of bars before they’re too drunk to remember where they’ve placed their tube, so instead they perhaps try to swim down the river, drink more, or jump off these high platforms and rope swings. Sounds like a bad combination? Well, it is. The word on the street is that so far this year, there have been 16 deaths. And every year, it’s the same kind of story. I don’t want to be all Debbie Downer and say that it wasn’t fun because Kevin and I, but especially Kevin, had some fun jumping off the high platforms and dropping into the water from a giant rope swing. After all, it was free! But as Kevin put it, it’s the Devil’s playground here, and there are no rules. We saw a girl having her boobs smothered by the faces of two guys, at the same time, and a girl who had cut her wrist and was bleeding profusely. Uh yeah, that’s our cue to leave.

The wheels on the bus

We all know the song right? Well, this version is slightly different - it's the bus-ride-of-death-in-Lao version. The wheels on the bus go round and round...except when it stops, and the minivan driver has to get out to make sure the hubcaps are still on after going over countless potholes. The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish...as if our ride up and down the mountain and making tight turns so we don't fall off the cliff wasn't enough, rain is added to the mix to make it a more muddy and slipperier adventure. The horn on the bus go beep beep beep...to swerve past near collisions with oncoming traffic, and when we have to come to a screeching halt to avoid water buffalo crossing the road. The people on the bus go up and down, up and down, up and down...which just doesn't do what our bodies had to go through for 6 hours justice. It's like riding on those old rickety wooden rollercoasters at Wonderland. You know? The ones that shake your insides and rattle your brain? Never been to Wonderland? Then think Shake n Bake. Except, the minivan was the bag, and we were the chicken.

Ok, enough with the song. But really, it was seriously the WORST ride that I have ever been on. And it's really a shame that we were riding in the dark, because I think the scenery outside would have been really nice. Nevertheless, we have arrived at our second destination in Laos - Vang Vieng, so famous for its tubing down the river (while drunk or high, or both, as some would like to have it) that it's become almost a right of passage for backpackers who travel in South East Asia. We weren't sure if we were gonna stop here at all, but figured might as well and check it out. The landscape's supposed to be stunning.

Oh, and just when we thought we were past the dangers of the minibus ride, we arrived at our hostel room, and were greeted with this:

Red rum, much? Yeah, we thought so too.

Happy December everyone!

“You’re our guest. We take care of you.”

That was one of the first things we heard when we crossed the Mekong River into Laos. After we were sent on our way by the people from the hostel we stayed in in Thailand the night before, we were met with friendly and smiling faces in Laos just across the river. One guy in particular seemed to be the one in charge of our big group of foreigners that just got off the boat.  He was super friendly, told us to “chillax” because we were on vacation, and even apologized on behalf of Laos people for the scams that they pull on tourists. Little did we know, he was just setting us up for his master plan of taking our money in the end.

After giving us a quick run through of what the slow boat will be like and some advice about what to do when we arrive at our destination for the night, he also informed us that outside the border cities of Laos and Thailand, the Thai baht is not widely accepted. After he had gained our trust, he offered to help us by taking our passports and the money we wanted to exchange to the bank and promised to return it back to us before we set off.  Now that I think back, it seemed so naïve of us to trust this guy from a travel agency whom we’ve only known for less than an hour. But hindsight’s 20/20. So I guess you have guessed what happened. We got our passports back alright, but were shortchanged about $30. When you look at it in dollars, it’s not a lot. But it’s the fact that the guy told us the exchange rate, said there’s 1% commission for him, but in reality gave himself basically a 10% commission.  Again, it’s not the money that we lost that bothered us, and things could have turned out a lot worse, but it definitely left a very bad taste in our mouths. It’s unfortunate because that was the first thing we experienced when we got into Laos, and it’s made us very suspicious, apprehensive and bitter of this country when we haven’t even really experienced any of it. But we’ll consider it a lesson learnt. And if any of you ever come here or this region, try not to deal with agents or agencies as much as you can, especially when it comes to parting with you money and passport. And be wary of the extra nice ones.

Before coming here, all that I read about Laos was how friendly and laid-back the people are here. We were told to bring our smiles as that’s all we would be greeted with. Well, smiles we did get, but it’s sad that I now suspect what other intentions lurk behind those smiles because of this one incident. I hope this suspicion wears off soon though, and that my initial thoughts are proved wrong.

Pakbeng, the village that we’re staying at tonight is right by the river where our boat is docked for the night. The 2007 edition of the guide book we have said that there isn’t any electricity here. But I guess things have changed since then and all the restaurants and guesthouses that dot the main street flash and flicker at you as you walk by. You can definitely see and feel a major change in poverty level here compared  to anywhere we’ve been in Thailand. This was immediately evident when, as soon as we stopped off the boat, there were bunches of kids running up to us asking us if they could have our Pringles chips which we were carrying in plastic bags. My first instinct was to say no for some reason, maybe because I was still feeling uber protective of our things (even after our 6 hour boat ride).  But when we ventured into the village later, we saw the same group of kids and gave them the Pringles, hoping that they would at least share with each other.

Tomorrow, we’re setting off on our boat again to continue our 6 hour journey to Luang Prabang. I’ve read a lot of really great things about this place as being one of the nicest cities you’ll see in South East Asia. So, I’m still trying to keep optimistic, but Kevin’s patience is being tested a little more every day. 

Can I get a wat wat?

Greetings from Chiang Mai! We have made it to the northern capital of Thailand, and it's been a nice break from the constant beating of the sun. To many, Chiang Mai is considered the gateway to the "real" Thailand. However, I think some people go away disappointed when they see how busy and polluted Chiang Mai is today. I guess the conveniences that tourists look for, like wifi and a/c, come at a price.

We didn't have much expectations before coming here. And so far, it's worked out fairly well. It's a pretty relaxed city where it's hard to go a few steps without seeing a wat, aka temple. Things are way cheaper here than the south, which is good for our budget since we are slightly over budget at this point. There are also tons of tourist agencies around which offer all kinds of day or multi-day trips to the outskirts of the city. There's everything from mountain trekking, to rafting, to cooking classes.

Kevin and I opted for a three-day trekking tour with the whole shebang! It included mountain trekking, visiting hill tribe villages, elephant riding, white water rafting, bamboo rafting, and staying at a hill tribe village for a night. In the end though, we came back a day early and were kind of disappointed with the tour. I mean, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either. The tour felt quite rushed, since we were given a time limit for every place we went, and the tribe visit wasn't very authentic since it was more like a souvenir stop then a chance for us to see them living their daily lives. But seeing the elephants was very neat we were able to experience a lot of different things in a short amount time. It also lowered our bar of acceptable accommodation, since you can't get much simpler than sleeping in a bamboo hut with 10 other people, with bedding that hasn't been washed since God knows how long. Not sure if that's a plus though.

We're off to Laos tomorrow. It's gonna take a long 3 days to get there via slow boat. I think the entire boat trip will take 15 hours, with a break in between. Yes, sloooooooow boat indeed. That's alright though, just means more time to blog!

Under the sea

I always find myself writing these blogs when we’re leaving or getting to places. I guess that’s really the only time where there’s enough time to write. So appropriately, we are now leaving Koh Tao. Turned out, this place that was really a last minute decision where we would learn to scuba dive, became the place where we’ve stayed the longest so far on our trip. Five days, six nights, and nine dives later, we are now officially advanced scuba divers! Advanced meaning we can dive up to 30 metres anywhere in the world.

Although I know you’re all dying to hear about all the different types of sea life we saw, I won’t get into that so much. But it does make you think that people like us are doing all this travelling so they can see more of the world on land, when underwater, we barely know anything about it. It’s just amazing how much there is under there, and how little we know of it. The dives that did stand out were the night dive, where for a few minutes, we turned off our flashlights and swam in the dark. And with every stroke, we were able to see the phosphorescence glowing like fireflies in the water.  Our deep water dive where we dove to 30 metres was also memorable in that it was the worst condition for diving. After barely surviving the boat ride to the dive site, we descended into thrashing waves, then got tossed and turned around under water like a washing machine, and was spat back out with near collision of the ladder at the back of the boat inches from crushing our skulls. And our final dive, where we were sent into the abyss and needed to take all that we have learned and put it to use without the guiding flippers of our instructor. We came out alive, and came away with some pictures we took underwater, which hopefully at least a few turned out well.

Now we are on our long journey to Chiang Mai. It’s a three part process that will take about 2 days. We’re on the boat now to bring us to the mainland, where we will board an overnight bus to Bangkok. We’ll stay in Bangkok for the day, and then at night, we’ll take the sleeper train to Chiang Mai. So we are kissing the beaches goodbye, and hello hills and temples. It’ll be a nice change. But we always seem to want what we don’t have.

Slight detour

Just an update since the last blog. When I said that “we’re on our way to the town of Surat Thani now,” I didn’t know that that would include our bus conveniently “breaking down” at a gas station, and after waiting half an hour that the remaining passengers would pile into the back of a pickup truck. Let me explain.

After about 30 minutes in a dark and non-air-conditioned bus, a black pickup truck pulled up beside us beside us blaring the AT40. Next thing we knew, there was a kid on the bus telling us to “get off, get off!” Before we realized, we were herded onto the back of the truck, and off we went with 7 people piled in. After about 15 minutes with my hair whipping my face, we were told to get out as it was “Koh Toa.” Well, it definitely didn’t look like we were at the island. It didn’t look like the pier either, and we definitely weren’t near any visible bodies of water. We stopped at what looked like a travel agency. We were led into an “office” area where we bought or tickets for the overnight boat. Even though we had to pay just 50 Baht ($1.60) more than we would have paid at the pier, stories of scams aimed at foreign tourists were running rampant in my head. We were the only foreigners there, along with two other German girls who were on the bus and also had no clue what was going on either. After about another 30 minutes of sitting around with no explanation, we once again boarded our destined vehicle of the night and arrived 5 minutes later at the pier. Good thing our boat wasn’t leaving for another two hours, but it makes me wonder…were we just part of some scam or is it just the Thai way? Whatever it was, we’re safe, we’ve gotten our tickets and we’re just waiting to board our boat. Hopefully, that’s the end of the detours for tonight. 

Put Put in Phuket

The last couple of days we spent in Phuket, Thailand’s biggest island. We had briefly stopped for one night previously on our way to Phi Phi, but since it was so quick, we hardly had time to pop into a 7-11 to buy some water, let alone explore the city. This time around we were able to soak up more of the local culture and more importantly, savour the local food.

We had read that the best and most dangerous way to get around town was to rent a motorbike. Naturally, that’s exactly what we did. For $8 a day, we experienced Phuket while swerving through traffic with our knees almost touching the cars beside us, all the while trying to navigate around town with Thai road signs and trying to remember to stay on the left side of the road. We soon found out that when it comes to traffic laws in Phuket, there really aren’t any. So even though we tried not to hit anything or anyone, we definitely broke all the driving laws that we knew of as Canadians. You should see the locals though. We passed by this one bike where there was a lady (sans helmet) sitting sideways with both legs swung over the side behind the driver, holding on to nothing except what looked like a bag. When we passed them again, it became clear that it wasn’t a bag she was holding on to, it was her baby. Her baby was also sitting sideways between her and the driver! With that said though, it was a great way to get a taste of the city, and see locals live and interact in their own habitat.

And don’t even get me started on the food. If you’re not too picky about your food, you’ll find yourself in hawker central here. It seemed like on every other street, you’d be wafting in the smells of piping hot deep fried chicken, noodles in soup or stir-fried, and Thai desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth. For example, our dinner consisted of “three courses.” For appys, we had freshly made papaya salad and fried chicken drumsticks. For our main course, we had sweet corn on the cob and a bowl of soup noodles with fish balls. Then finally for dessert, we had Thailand’s version of a pancake, which was a pan fried crepe filled with sliced bananas and a generous drizzling of condensed milk on top. The damage? $7…for the both of us.

 We’re on our way to the town of Surat Thani now. It’ll be a quick stopover until we board our overnight boat to Koh Toa (Turtle Island). The island is world renowned for its diving and that’s where Kevin and I will get our Open Water certification. Even though November is probably the worst month to go diving because it’s monsoon season, diving conditions there are still supposed to be a lot better than most places in the world during their best season. It was really a spontaneous decision actually. Originally, we were going to head to Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand. But I guess we weren’t quite done with the sand and sea as we had originally thought.

We all end up in Phi Phi

I can't believe it's already our last night on Koh Phi Phi (pronounced pee pee). It`s a little island in the south of Thailand. Since we`ve been here we`ve embraced the sand and sun in full force. There isn`t a moment that goes by where we aren`t sticky, sweaty, shiny, or all of the above.

Ever since the movie The Beach with DiCaprio has come out, paradise-seekers have come in droves to find their little share of utopia. The beaches here are quite nice with its white sand, turquoise waters, and huge karsts jutting out from the ocean. However, the ever constant beach resort feel takes a little away from the experience of `getting away from it all.` After awhile, it`s like being in a long line at Canada`s Wonderland. You start seeing the same people over and over again.

Funnily enough, the people you meet in these far away places may be someone who you least expect. We bumped into an old high school friend tonight while walking back from the beach. We haven`t seen or kept in touch with him since high school, yet there he was, a couple of metres away on a small island off of Thailand. Random.

But with the people, comes their stories. And as the title reads, no matter where we started, we all end up in Phi Phi. No matter if you`re a banker trying to get away from the 9 to 5, someone escaping from a bad breakup, or someone who came here for a vacation and never left, everyone`s story is unique. And I guess that`s one of the most interesting things about travelling - the people you meet. As for us, Phi Phi was a destination as well as a stop in transit.

In food heaven

We are in Hong Kong! And even though we just arrived this morning, it feels like we've been here for a long time already. Don't get me wrong, we're not having a miserable time here. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

We spent our day wandering the busy streets of HK, looking for food, bargaining for random stuff, and watching old men battle it out on concrete ping pong tables. Everywhere we turn, there seems to be some sort of money transferring back and forth - people buying, people selling, and people looking for the best deal. And don't even get me started on all the smells that punch you in the face with every corner you turn. Some were pleasant (ie. fresh egg waffles) and some not so much (ie. stinky tofu).


But, the winner today, hands down was our seafood dinner. You see, it wasn't just any seafood dinner. It was one where we got to pick out our not-so-lucky crustaceans, which was fresh, of course, and have it brought to a restaurant so they can cook it right there, in any way you fancy.We wanted to try a little bit of everything so we spluged on a small lobster, a couple of scallops, a scampi (which is like this gigantic shrimp), a crab, and clams! After having the first bite, I thought to myself, If this is what heaven is like, kill me now. Two hours later, $100 shorter, and 5 lbs. heavier (give or take a little), we were giddy with food but food coma kicked in with a vengeance prominently afterwards. It was a good night. My only regret was that I hadn't worn pants with an elastic waistband.

Nine.

A cat has nine lives. We have nine planets (well, technically only eight now). Nine rhymes with fine. AND it's also the number of years Kevin and I have been together. I know what you think. Whoa...nine years? That's a long time. Yes, it's a long time, especially since marriages these days seem to last only 72 days *ahem Kim Kardashian*...but who's counting? So to celebrate our special day, we decided to do the thing we do best - eat. We finally got to try out this restaurant that we've been meaning to try. The service was fast but not friendly. The atmosphere was, well, there was none, unless you like the busy lunch crowd scene. But the food was delicious and the price was right! In other words, it was perfect for us. After victoriously battling food coma in the parking lot, we decided to have some ice cream! What's an anniversary lunch without dessert? It was the perfect afternoon.

As I sit here writing this, on the night before we leave for our trip, I'm reminded of all the thousands of kilometres we've had to travel in order to see each other when we were living in different cities. There were long bus rides, train rides, car rides, and plane rides between cities, provinces, and countries. But now we get to experience the world together with just the packs on our backs. I can't wait!

Happy Anniversary.

Better late than never

And so, it has finally happened...I've started blogging! And to be honest, it's actually kind of intimidating. Maybe it's because of the fact that my blabbering thoughts are now available for the world to see. Or that the last time I wrote in something that resembled a journal, I was 14 and needed a place to release my thoughts. But this blog won't be a place where I spill all my daily secrets, oh no, it'll serve as a travel journal so that Kevin and I can remember and share our travel adventures with our family and friends. 

We'll be leaving in a little more than a week, and in terms of planning our trip itinerary, well, there really isn't an itinerary. The spontaneous side of me is thrilled that we'll be blown where ever the wind takes us on our Asia trip, and the worry-wart side of me is stressed out because there's nothing that is planned after our first week of arrival on the other side of the planet. "It'll be fine," I keep telling myself. I really do believe that it will be, but...

Ok, back to the blog. I really hope that this blog will be a way for us to remember and preserve all the places we'll be visiting, as well as a way to tell our family and friends that we're still alive and kicking. I mean, it's not like I'm expecting millions of followers, or for it to be turned into a book which will later be picked up by Hollywood and turned into a movie....although, that would be cool.

I also need to learn how to keep it short and not putter on like an old motor. So, with that said, this will be the end of the first ever post I have ever written. But don't fret, there will be more to come.