"Dô!" Vietnam
It's been almost 2 weeks since I've been back from Vietnam (currently in Japan staying with the papa bear & sista mom). As I sit on the couch uploading my pictures (an obnoxious amount to come), I would be remiss if I didn't share what an incredible experience it was. I've actually been trying to journal about this trip for the past week, but found myself struggling with writer's block (even though by "professional" standards I'm not a writer). I guess I've started to think too much into what I'm writing instead of letting it just come naturally to me. I reverted to previous posts (all 4 of them, lol) and noticed a theme of apologizing if I'm not grammatically correct, or if I ramble too much... because I do, (most of you know I tend to have 10 conversations in 1). I'm generally outspoken, but I suppose when you have an "edit" option to censor your thoughts, they become much more profound. It's very hard to articulate most of my experiences, and I guess by apologizing it takes the pressure away from sounding "stupid" or being "critiqued". Well, I've decided I'm apologizing for not apologizing anymore :)
Moving on...Vietnam!
I'll preface by saying that Vietnam was never initially on my list of destinations. I knew very little about the country and honestly had no desire to travel there. I owe Shannon McAnulty a HUGE thanks!! If it hadn't been for her "global networking" skills, I would have never met her friend Drew (who was staying literally blocks away from us in Thailand). We ended up meeting Drew, and despite my weird eating habits and bottomless liver, he invited me to tag along on his next destination, Vietnam. At first I was reluctant, but I'd been hearing more and more about it from fellow traveler's, so figured what the hell? Isn't this supposed to be what's it's all about?!? I booked a ticket and left the following Friday to Hanoi, Vietnam!
**Side note: spontaneity is great and all, but I do recommend planning your visa in advance... that can throw a minor kink in things, or so I've heard*
Upon my arrival I will admit I had no idea what to expect! I scurried to do some minor research, but nothing was going to prepare me for the baby stools (yes, miniature sized stools that EVERYONE sits on, EVERYWHERE), hospitality and energy that the city of Hanoi had to offer. The locals welcomed us as if we'd been a part of their group all along. Vinh, was amongst those we be-friended along the way. We met Vinh, and a group of his friends sitting by Hoàn Kiếm Lake (on baby stools), passing around a bottle of Hanoi Vodka, eating snails and prawns (I surprisingly tried all three...well, I guess the first one isn't much of a surprise). Without hesitation, Vihn, pulled up two stools, and asked us to join. We spent the next few hours talking, sharing drinks (well shots... they don't actually sip on drinks), followed by a trip to their local Karaoke bar (they don’t play around with Karaoke, but seemed to really enjoy how horrible I was). To end the night, because I live in Texas, they took us to 17 Cowboy (my new favorite bar... a must if you visit Hanoi, http://www.seventeencowboys.com).
I can't verbalize the amount of fun I had in Hanoi so hopefully the video helps paint a better picture (sorry for the boobs and sweat, it’s ridiculously hot and humid…do NOT wear white tank tops)!
Next stop was Sapa, a hill-tribe town in the Hoà ng Liên Son Mountains. The overnight, scary and freezing train ride was a million percent worth this trip (including the drunk bunk mates we had)! I sound like a broken record, but I was awestruck by the beauty and culture in Sapa (my pictures don’t do it justice). Our first day there we met a H'mong woman, Vu, who ran her shop out of the hotel we were lodging at (http://www.hmongsapahotel.com). Vu kindly offered to have her daughter, Chang, show us around the town, followed by a trip to her village the following day for lunch. We were so excited, sounded like an ideal plan! Well, if you haven't traveled with me, I'm sure by now you might have gathered that even in the simplest situations, something always goes wrong (i.e falling out of hammocks, monkey shit, interrogated at customs, getting lost in Tokyo… I’m sure you get the point, clearly I'm the common denominator). I digress… the day with Chang was just perfect! Two of her friends joined the journey and we wandered around town, checked out the local markets, had… well “tried” a traditional lunch (unfortunately, when I realized my chicken still had feather remnants I couldn’t proceed), then we walked to Cat Cat Village to see the rice terraces, traditional housing and and an incredible waterfall (I really could not have asked for a more perfect day)! The scenery was beyond beautiful, but I just loved spending the day with Chang & her gang. They gave us friendship bracelets at the end of the day and made me the sweetest heart out of flowers they picked earlier from the side of the road (oh, and Drew got a horse, lol). I know they are accustomed to doing this routine with most travelers (you are generally expected to buy something from them afterwards), but it was still a special experience for me (plus they gave me a couple more presents, so I think they liked me the most, lol).
The following morning we set off on foot with Vu to her village, Su Pan (a H’mong Village, 10.5 miles away). Mind you, Vu referred to this trek as the “short walk”… nonetheless we were up for the challenge! Seemed easy enough after all the hiking and walking that had taken place on previous trips (don’t even get me started on how I still ended up gaining weight, WTF). The views along the way are just mind blowing, as if taken out of a fairytale ( you must walk if given the choice, taking a bus or car will not even come close to the same experience). We stopped along the way to take photos, say hi to local kids coming home from school, and of course for water (or an occasional beer, Vu thought we were crazy). As refreshing as the beverages were on this extremely hot day, I’m sure you can imagine finding a restroom (AKA a bush), was anything but that. Herein lies the problem, 1. I’m horrible at using even a public bathroom (if you’ve been with me you know it takes me 10 minutes, if you haven’t now you know, sorry TMI), 2. Never mastered the ability to squat (unlike some of my friends, who I’m actually quite impressed and annoyed with), and 3. To get to a bush you must go down a hill (the hills were also muddy from the previous days rain). I’m not exactly set up for success here! If you can envision the scenario, you know I am freaking out… not to mention the bugs that were crawling all around! Now that I’ve painted a nice picture for you, and if you are still reading (I'm sure this will help my dating life), I will just go ahead and skip to the end, that resulted in me getting scared by a bug, I then proceed to pee on my foot, that caused me to to step back... slip and fall ever so graciously down the muddy hill (not one of my finer moments). At the time it was horrible, but I can laugh at myself, even though Vu and Drew pretty much had that covered! I share this with you because it’s the reality of the good, the bad, and the funny of traveling, all three make the experience what it is! It’s not a bed of roses, casually walking down a nicely paved road to a majestic village. It’s hot, dusty, beautiful (challenging if you're me) and exhausting all at the same time! Wouldn’t change any of it, including the “fall”.
When our not so “short walk” came to an end, we arrived at a small home situated on a very large rice field! Vu’s husband was waiting on the patio and greeted us with more Hanoi beer. We sat and had our lunch, freshly prepared from their farm, as we talked about the differences in our lives and culture (it was pretty incredible). I remember looking at the fields as the sun was setting thinking this felt like a dream. The reality is, it was a way of life for Vu and her family, and they have to work hard every single day to make ends meat. It put a lot into perspective for me...the irony was something I couldn't shake. Vu, works day in and day out to one day leave the lands I've traveled so far to see. I left a great paying (8-8) job, to travel and have this experience (and it is amazing), but I was sitting with a woman who only desired to have exactly what I'd given up. It really is quite the mind f"ck. I left with a ton of mixed emotions, but nonethesless, grateful to have had this experience! I will forever appreciate the time I had with Vu and her family, and the hospitality they bestowed upon us.
When the time came to leave Sapa, I was sad, to say the least. The memories and beauty of the land and people (not being sappy, but it was a very emotional experience), are something I will never forget, really life changing! Our next (and last) destination was Halong Bay. It was the perfect way to end our trip in Vietnam! We'd gotten a taste of the nightlife (and local vodka) in Hanoi, connected with the culture and landscape of Sapa, and now we were off to explore the beaches and caves of Halong Bay. The best, and only way (in my opinion), is to take a cruise around the bay (we went through Viola Cruises, AWESOME... definitely recommend, www.violacruisehalong.com). We had a full itinerary planned out for us, which included a visit to the Cua Van Floating Village in Soi Sim Beach, sunset views on Titop Island, a sunset party on the deck (followed by more Karaoke), explored Ho Dong Tien & Sung Sot cave, toured a local Pearl Farm, kayaked ( Drew did the leg work here for obvious reasons, I was in charge of the pictures) around Lan Ha & Bai Tu Long Bay, and ended the trip with a cooking class (where my culinary skills were, once again, put to shame). Was an adventurous and yet somewhat relaxing 3 days! Also, the social aspect of being on a boat was priceless. We made some really great friends ( or "mates", Charlotte, Fanny, and Pierre), that only made the experience 10 times more fun! Again, you've heard me say this before, but part of my favorite aspect of traveling is not necessarily the destination, but rather, the people I've met along the way. I can certainly say that the individuals I was fortunate enough to cross paths with, in Vietnam, especially my travel partner (or husband for all intense purposes), made my experience more than I could of ever hoped for! My eyes have been opened wider because of Vietnam, and I have every intention of going back! Until then, từ biệt Vietnam!