So I know this is really late, but I wanted to give a quick summary of my time in Australia this summer too. It was in two parts - 5 days before our Vietnam trip and then 9 days after, before we (Kim and I) departed back to the US - most of our time was spent with our friends who we met while studying at the University of Wollongong in 2006. Pretty much all of them are still in school or still living in Wollongong, which is about 50 miles south of Sydney along the Eastern coast of Australia.
The highlights of the trip include.... A nice morning swim at North Beach (even though it was the middle of winter). Going to North Gong for the last TOSS (aka Friday Happy Hour) and seeing fellow Tar Heel Liz Lancaster there! Watching Jonno, Jeremy, Westy, Nixon, Rob and Jimmy play AFL (Aussie Rules Football) on the weekends. Driving down to the capital city of Canberra to surprise our friend Kenny & visit the Parliament House (We actually got to see a big argument between members of the house and Rudd, the Prime Minister). Jonno being such a nice host the whole time and making us crepes for breakfast too - yum! Going for a few runs on my favorite route - through the park, along the beach and finishing at the lighthouse near the point -- amazing views all around.
Kim and I riding the train south to the small town of Kiama for the day to see the blowhole on the coast, walk around the beach and the town, and enjoy reading and tea in a local coffeehouse. On day 1 of a 2 day trip to Sydney - we saw the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the Botanical Gardens, Bondi Beach (aka the Miami Beach of Australia), ate gelato and read in the park, and ate at the fancy Iceberg's at Bondi with Belle. Day 2 - we bought day tripper tickets to ride the ferries all day, so we go to see Manly Beach and Bondi Beach again, take the Coastal Walking trail for about 3 miles past many beaches all the way to Bronte Beach. Watching the sunset over Darling Harbour. Eating Italian with native Aussie Eliza, who had studied abroad at UNC, then catching the late train back to Wollongong to spend the night with one of my favorite Aussies, Naomi.
On our last full day before departing back to the US - we had what I would call the perfect day: Kim and I caught up some more with Naomi, walked over to the Univ. of Wollongong campus to walk around, repacked our massive backpacks for the last time, then met Mel for dinner since we had not been able to make it to her 21st birthday party the week before. After dinner, we went back to the boy's house to watch the big rugby match between New South Wales and Queensland, then went to our favorite bar/dance club, called Glasshouse, to enjoy some dancing with our friends. After a fun last night, we all got snacks and sat around laughing and reminiscing until 3 or 4am - a great end to our oh-so-short trip. The next day we flew out after reorganizing around our canceled flight to L.A. and got back to Atlanta via San Francisco around 9pm on July 3rd.
And of course there were many funny moments throughout the Australia part of the trip -- I will just highlight a few. Every single flight being either delayed, cancelled, or having mechanical difficulties. Me almost getting caught in the train doors on the way to Wollongong. Kim freaking out about every little bit of turbulence on our flights. Kim: "Wait, what's a shout?" Being cheap & buying all our food at Wooly's grocery (PB, Tim Tams and Shapes of course!). Kenny's driving directions: turn at the set of lights, I'll be standing nearby on the corner - what?! Rolling down the hill outside the Parliament House (this is equivalent to the National Lawn in Washington DC). Playing the "Emotions Game". While behind the wheel of an Aussie car for the first time, I happen to drive upon a huge protest and have to guess the back way out of downtown Canberra - just one wrong turn isn't that bad :) Taking "the long way" on our walk to Darling Harbour in Sydney. ringing the bell to the wrong set of apartments on the way to Naomi's place. Getting lost on my run to Campus East dorms to pick up things from Belle's apartment. Dancing like crazy on the dance floor with our friends at Glasshouse.
I miss that little town so much already -- though it was a really short trip, it was worth it to see all of my friends again before they all graduate like me :o)
Monday, September 08, 2008
A short history of Ha Long Bay
A note on the history and geographics of Ha Long Bay:
(from the following website: http://www.southpacifictravel.com.vn/p/halong_phoenix_cruiser/10/About_ha_long_bay.html )
Situated in the North-East region of Vietnam, Halong Bay is a bay in the Gulf of Tonkin comprised of regions of Halong City, the township of Cam Pha, and a part of the island district of Van Don. Halong Bay borders Cat Ba Island in the southwest, the East Sea in the east, and the mainland, creating a 120 km coastline.
Halong Bay is made up of 1,969 islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. There are two kinds of islands, limestone and schist, which are concentrated in two main zones: the southeast (belonging to Bai Tu Long Bay), and the southwest (belonging to Halong Bay). This densely concentrated zone of stone islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, forms the central zone of Halong Bay, which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The bay itself has an area of 43,400 ha, consists of 775 islands, and forms a triangle with the island of Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto) to the west, the lake of Ba Ham (Three Shelter Lake) to the south, and the island of Cong Tay to the east.
Viewed from above, Halong Bay resembles a geographic work of art. While exploring the bay, you feel lost in a legendary world of stone islands. There is Man's Head Island, which resembles a man standing and looking towards the mainland. Dragon Island looks like a dragon hovering above the turquoise water. La Vong Island resembles an old man fishing. There are also the islands of the Sail, the Pair of Roosters, and the Incense Burner, which all astonishingly resemble their namesakes. The forms of the islands change depending on the angle of the light and from where the islands are viewed. At the core of the islands, there are wonderful caves and grottoes, such as Thien Cung (Heavenly Residence Grotto), Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto), Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto), and Tam Cung (Three Palace Grotto).
Halong Bay has many links to the history of Vietnam. For example, there are such famous geographical sites as Van Don (site of an ancient commercial port), Poem Mountain (with engravings of many poems about emperors and other famous historical figures), and Bach Dang River (the location of two fierce naval battles fought against foreign aggressors).
It has been proven by scientists that Halong was one of the first cradles of human existence in the area at such archeological sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu, and Thoi Gieng. It is also a region of highly-concentrated biological diversity with many ecosystems of salt water-flooded forests, coral reefs, and tropical forests featuring thousands of species of animal and plant life.
With all this in mind, the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994), officially recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide importance.
(from the following website: http://www.southpacifictravel.com.vn/p/halong_phoenix_cruiser/10/About_ha_long_bay.html )
Situated in the North-East region of Vietnam, Halong Bay is a bay in the Gulf of Tonkin comprised of regions of Halong City, the township of Cam Pha, and a part of the island district of Van Don. Halong Bay borders Cat Ba Island in the southwest, the East Sea in the east, and the mainland, creating a 120 km coastline.
Halong Bay is made up of 1,969 islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. There are two kinds of islands, limestone and schist, which are concentrated in two main zones: the southeast (belonging to Bai Tu Long Bay), and the southwest (belonging to Halong Bay). This densely concentrated zone of stone islands, world famous for its spectacular scenery of grottoes and caves, forms the central zone of Halong Bay, which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The bay itself has an area of 43,400 ha, consists of 775 islands, and forms a triangle with the island of Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto) to the west, the lake of Ba Ham (Three Shelter Lake) to the south, and the island of Cong Tay to the east.
Viewed from above, Halong Bay resembles a geographic work of art. While exploring the bay, you feel lost in a legendary world of stone islands. There is Man's Head Island, which resembles a man standing and looking towards the mainland. Dragon Island looks like a dragon hovering above the turquoise water. La Vong Island resembles an old man fishing. There are also the islands of the Sail, the Pair of Roosters, and the Incense Burner, which all astonishingly resemble their namesakes. The forms of the islands change depending on the angle of the light and from where the islands are viewed. At the core of the islands, there are wonderful caves and grottoes, such as Thien Cung (Heavenly Residence Grotto), Dau Go (Driftwood Grotto), Sung Sot (Surprise Grotto), and Tam Cung (Three Palace Grotto).
Halong Bay has many links to the history of Vietnam. For example, there are such famous geographical sites as Van Don (site of an ancient commercial port), Poem Mountain (with engravings of many poems about emperors and other famous historical figures), and Bach Dang River (the location of two fierce naval battles fought against foreign aggressors).
It has been proven by scientists that Halong was one of the first cradles of human existence in the area at such archeological sites as Dong Mang, Xich Tho, Soi Nhu, and Thoi Gieng. It is also a region of highly-concentrated biological diversity with many ecosystems of salt water-flooded forests, coral reefs, and tropical forests featuring thousands of species of animal and plant life.
With all this in mind, the 18th meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO (in Thailand on December 17th, 1994), officially recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide importance.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
my chronicles of Vietnam (finally!)
VIETNAM:
Day 1: We just landed in Vietnam last night - and wow just the airport was crazy. The Miss Universe contestants that were arriving at the same time might have contributed to the loud mass of people gathered at the airport at 11pm too. We were so glad to arrive at our guest house and rest!
Today we toured Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) - So we started the day by going to the train station to buy train tickets. Our cab driver dropped us off about a 20 minute walk from the actual station, so that was fun (not). We did get the chance to walk through a whole district of downtown that we otherwise would have missed, but reading the map to figure out where we had been dropped off was tough. But we made it to the train depot and booked our tickets on the "Golden Train" for 9:50pm that night. It is supposed to be Vietnam's only "luxury" train, so we'll see. Tomorrow night, we are on a Vietnam railways train that is also overnight. Buying tickets for that was like going to the DMV in their take a number system.
Lunch was at the Ben Thanh Markets --- a bustling (and fragrant) mix of food stands, clothes stands, jewelry stands. You just sit on these little kiddy seats next to the market stalls to have your meals. Our lunch there - rice noodles and vegetables with spring rolls and pork - was about $1.25 yummy :) In the afternoon we visited the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Surprisingly, the material was not all anti-American in the Museum - they displayed a variety of American magazine articles, along with the Vietnamese propaganda posters and wartime equipment.
Strolling around the city was ... let's call it... interesting - the motorbikes are everywhere (about 10 to 1 ratio to cars) and they don't really follow traffic rules very closely... it makes crossing the street an adventure. We took taxis everywhere rather than risk hopping on a motorbike, especially when every other person you walk past says "moto-bike for hire! where you going?" The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at a local restaurant before catching our overnight train to Nha Trang (pronounced "Na Chang") - it is a beach town popular with Vietnamese tourists for vacation, but is well known for beautiful offshore islands and nice beaches.
Day 2: We arrived in Nha Trang at 6:30am from the sleeper train. The train worked out really well last night - the 4th person didn't show up, so the three of us had our own cabin and could lock the door. Tonight's overnight train could be a little more interesting -- two beds in one cabin, one in another -- so we're going to all sleep in the same one, with two of us sharing a bed. And there probably will be some other people in our cabin too.
Day 4: This morning was my first real chance since we arrived to go out on a run, so braving the 100% humidity, I ran down the main road almost to the shore and back - about 3 miles - it was nice to see the town in a quieter state than its usual crowded sidewalks and people moving about. It definitely made me notice the scenery of the land. After an early breakfast, we got picked up by our tour bus and driven to a boat for our SCUBA/snorkeling trip. We were happy to learn that the boat was mainly owned and guided by westerners that spoke English. It was also a more relaxed atmosphere as there weren't any Vietnmese tourists (the Vietnamese tourists were loud on our last tour boat!).
Day 5: This morning was our last in Hoi An and though I was not feeling well, I got up at 6:00am and rode my rental bike to the beach (regular bikes, not motorbikes!) with Kim and Lydia. We decided to go really early due to A. less heat, and B. less traffic. I still wasn't feeling well after a breakfast consisting of a few bites of bread with jam, so I stayed and slept in the hotel while Lydia and Kim rode the bikes into town. They picked up our custom-made clothes that were finished, shopped/bargained for some more gifts, and tasted slices of cake at 10am at a local bakery.
Day 6: This was really the only day we slept in the whole trip. Once we did get up, we were able to check out the hostel a bit more. Its run by two Australian guys and most of the other guests were backpackers too - from all over the world. We took care of the logistical stuff in the morning (booking our Halong Bay trip, going to the bank, etc). Then we walked around the big lake in he center of the Old Town area, got some mango ice cream, and visited the pagoda in the middle of the lake. I actually felt better for most of the morning, but after visiting the pagoda and the town I couldn't stand the 98 degree heat anymore. I was determined to feel better for our Halong Bay trip starting the next day, so I relaxed in our dorm room for the rest of the afternoon while Lydia and Kim explored the city and its sites.
Day 7: We got picked up at our hostel at around 8am for a very long 3 hour bus ride eastward toward Halong Bay. Once we got there, it was completely worth it. We boarded our Junk boat with two Danish families and one other backpacker. Contrary to belief, the Junk boat was great! The style and design of the boat is Chinese, and our boat was small with only 6 cabins, but very clean and nice. We had fresh seafood for about every meal, though I decided to stick to the basics like rice and vegetables for the first few meals just to make sure I didn't feel sick to my stomach anymore.
Day 1: We just landed in Vietnam last night - and wow just the airport was crazy. The Miss Universe contestants that were arriving at the same time might have contributed to the loud mass of people gathered at the airport at 11pm too. We were so glad to arrive at our guest house and rest!
Today we toured Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) - So we started the day by going to the train station to buy train tickets. Our cab driver dropped us off about a 20 minute walk from the actual station, so that was fun (not). We did get the chance to walk through a whole district of downtown that we otherwise would have missed, but reading the map to figure out where we had been dropped off was tough. But we made it to the train depot and booked our tickets on the "Golden Train" for 9:50pm that night. It is supposed to be Vietnam's only "luxury" train, so we'll see. Tomorrow night, we are on a Vietnam railways train that is also overnight. Buying tickets for that was like going to the DMV in their take a number system.
Lunch was at the Ben Thanh Markets --- a bustling (and fragrant) mix of food stands, clothes stands, jewelry stands. You just sit on these little kiddy seats next to the market stalls to have your meals. Our lunch there - rice noodles and vegetables with spring rolls and pork - was about $1.25 yummy :) In the afternoon we visited the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and Notre Dame Cathedral. Surprisingly, the material was not all anti-American in the Museum - they displayed a variety of American magazine articles, along with the Vietnamese propaganda posters and wartime equipment.
Strolling around the city was ... let's call it... interesting - the motorbikes are everywhere (about 10 to 1 ratio to cars) and they don't really follow traffic rules very closely... it makes crossing the street an adventure. We took taxis everywhere rather than risk hopping on a motorbike, especially when every other person you walk past says "moto-bike for hire! where you going?" The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at a local restaurant before catching our overnight train to Nha Trang (pronounced "Na Chang") - it is a beach town popular with Vietnamese tourists for vacation, but is well known for beautiful offshore islands and nice beaches.
Day 2: We arrived in Nha Trang at 6:30am from the sleeper train. The train worked out really well last night - the 4th person didn't show up, so the three of us had our own cabin and could lock the door. Tonight's overnight train could be a little more interesting -- two beds in one cabin, one in another -- so we're going to all sleep in the same one, with two of us sharing a bed. And there probably will be some other people in our cabin too.
Once we got to Nha Trang, we immediately took a taxi into town and found a boat tour company -- Mama Linh's that was listed in our guide book. After booking, we wandered the streets looking for a hotel that would keep our luggage for us. We found one that seemed really nice and the lady said she wouldn't mind keeping them for the day -- we each gave her about 3 dollars in return (thats a good bit here) and sure enough they were still there for us at the end of the day. The hotel even let us shower there as well!
So the boat tour we went on was a lot of fun -- 3 different islands off the coast of Nha Trang from about 9am - 4:30pm. We got to snorkel at one and saw some reefs (and lots of jellyfish!). One of the staff members even decided to sing a ballad to me as we cruised along the bay - my travel mates, Kim and Lydia thought this was hilarious! The tour was a great way to meet other Western tourists, and also served really good food and this amazing fruit bar. We tasted all of these different fruits with crazy names like dragonfruit and a few others that Lydia has to keep reminding me the names of. Our tour consisted of probably about half Vietnamese tourists, and we were a little weirded out because they all wanted to take pictures with us (and the other Westerners on board). We keep joking with their captions: "And this is when we went on a boat tour with white/Western tourists!" Nha Trang was a welcome change of pace from the bustling Saigon. The motorbikes don't honk quite as much here :)
Tonight our overnight train is headed to Hoi An. After tomorrow we will finally be back in a hotel and it sounds like it should be pretty nice. Everyone we've talked to said Hoi An is very pretty and relaxing, so we'll see!
Day 3: We had another lucky train ride -- our two compartment buddies were a university teacher and her son. She spoke good English so were able to talk to her as well. It was a tad less comfortable for Kim and Lydia who shared the upper bunk, but it worked out fine. Of course Lydia I think would disagree because she was nervous they were going to come in and kick her out since she didn't have a ticket for our cabin.
Day 3: We had another lucky train ride -- our two compartment buddies were a university teacher and her son. She spoke good English so were able to talk to her as well. It was a tad less comfortable for Kim and Lydia who shared the upper bunk, but it worked out fine. Of course Lydia I think would disagree because she was nervous they were going to come in and kick her out since she didn't have a ticket for our cabin.
When we got to the train station at 6:30am, our hotel driver was waiting for us with a sign. We were at our hotel by 7:30, and happy to have a base-camp again. Hoi An is a cute little town with lots of history. We set out in the morning to just start browsing all of the stores, restaurants and shops. Lydia is a good negotiator, so its been fun to see her put her poker face on. Its also funny to watch because it will be bargaining over 1,000 to16,000 Dong, the equivalent of $0.07 to $1.00. After browsing many tailor shops (there are over 100 in this little town) we grabbed some ice cream as it was miserably hot and went back to make our purchases. I ended up spending $60 on 3 custom made dresses of various styles and patterns - one was silk fabric too! So overall we got a great deal! After all the clothes shopping, we dragged our feet a bit around town due to the heat--had a bite to eat at a cafe --- and then headed back to our hotel for a nap.
For the evening, we had signed up for a cooking class at a local Vietnamese restaurant. It was a lot of fun, especially since the 3 of us were the only ones in the class! We each helped with one of the three dishes - Squid Papaya Salad, Vegetable Spring Rolls, and White Fish wrapped in banana leaves :) After cooking the food, we sat down to a huge meal of it. It was very good (Hoi An is known for it's food, especially the secret "White Rose" recipe). Now we're back at the hotel and excited for a good nights sleep before SCUBA diving tomorrow :)
Day 4: This morning was my first real chance since we arrived to go out on a run, so braving the 100% humidity, I ran down the main road almost to the shore and back - about 3 miles - it was nice to see the town in a quieter state than its usual crowded sidewalks and people moving about. It definitely made me notice the scenery of the land. After an early breakfast, we got picked up by our tour bus and driven to a boat for our SCUBA/snorkeling trip. We were happy to learn that the boat was mainly owned and guided by westerners that spoke English. It was also a more relaxed atmosphere as there weren't any Vietnmese tourists (the Vietnamese tourists were loud on our last tour boat!).
Kim and I and an Austrian doctor were the only ones doing the certified diving, so a Canadian guide named Josh took us around. This 1st dive site had so many brilliant colors--- one of the prettiest dives I've been on thus far. We stayed down for a full hour! The second dive was supposed to be a 30 meter dive around a rock, but when we got there by boat they decided the visibility was bad. Instead we took the boat another 30 minutes around the island and dove around these large rock canyons/caves. There were lots of schools of fish and diving between the rock walls was gorgeous as well.
We got to the beach at the island for a really good lunch--- a random assortment of food to choose from around the table. Then we laid in hammocks for another hour until the boat took us back. It was an absolutely beautiful and fun day --- we're really glad we chose to do the diving here instead of Nha Trang which is supposed to be the more obvious option.
By dinnertime and all through the night, I became fairly sick - my stomach just felt awful. I still have no idea how it happened. I ate all of the same meals as my friends Kim and Lydia, so I guess it was just a stomach virus of some sort. Needless to say, I did not sleep very much this night nor eat much the next day.
By dinnertime and all through the night, I became fairly sick - my stomach just felt awful. I still have no idea how it happened. I ate all of the same meals as my friends Kim and Lydia, so I guess it was just a stomach virus of some sort. Needless to say, I did not sleep very much this night nor eat much the next day.
Day 5: This morning was our last in Hoi An and though I was not feeling well, I got up at 6:00am and rode my rental bike to the beach (regular bikes, not motorbikes!) with Kim and Lydia. We decided to go really early due to A. less heat, and B. less traffic. I still wasn't feeling well after a breakfast consisting of a few bites of bread with jam, so I stayed and slept in the hotel while Lydia and Kim rode the bikes into town. They picked up our custom-made clothes that were finished, shopped/bargained for some more gifts, and tasted slices of cake at 10am at a local bakery.
The rest of the day was far less interesting. I laid on a bench in the hotel lobby trying to sleep while Lydia and Kim surfed the internet and talked to family. That evening we were scheduled to fly to Hanoi in the northern part of Vietnam to continue our trip. Lydia checked our flight status for that afternoon, and the search only brought up a flight to Hanoi at 9 pm instead of 5pm (without mentioning a delay). We checked our tickets, which said 5pm, so we went with it and stuck with our 3pm airport pickup. When we got to the airport, the flight board said 5pm and we got excited to leave soon after all. Well when they gave us our boarding passes, it was back at 9pm! I was actually not surprised as almost all of our flights had been late or changed up to this point in the trip. Usually I don't mind waiting at airports, but this was not what most people would consider an airport - just on the other side of security was 2 gates (Gate 1 and Gate 2) and just a bunch of hard-backed chairs (with a bunch of people already in them). Needless to say, I was already not feeling well and this did not help. I tried to sleep on the rows of chairs, but finally I gave up and laid on the cement floor to sleep. Once we had boarded the flight that night, Lydia and Kim informed me that sleeping on the floor between the rows of seats had brought a lot of stares (one woman looped back around to look at me?!).
Anyways, after an additional hour flight delay, we landed in Hanoi at around 11pm. With a long taxi ride to our hostel, we were in our dorm room by 12:30am. Oh, and the air conditioning didn't work --- what a day!
Day 6: This was really the only day we slept in the whole trip. Once we did get up, we were able to check out the hostel a bit more. Its run by two Australian guys and most of the other guests were backpackers too - from all over the world. We took care of the logistical stuff in the morning (booking our Halong Bay trip, going to the bank, etc). Then we walked around the big lake in he center of the Old Town area, got some mango ice cream, and visited the pagoda in the middle of the lake. I actually felt better for most of the morning, but after visiting the pagoda and the town I couldn't stand the 98 degree heat anymore. I was determined to feel better for our Halong Bay trip starting the next day, so I relaxed in our dorm room for the rest of the afternoon while Lydia and Kim explored the city and its sites.
They decided first to visit a large market to get some souvenirs. but found the market was quite different from the one in Saigon - it was geared more towards the locals. In the afternoon, they went to the prison, also known as the Hanoi Hilton (where John McCain was held as a POW). They said it was neat to see the history there and very well preserved. They also saw another pagoda, stopped for some summertime che (cold dessert), and relaxed at the coffee shop while talking to two Princeton students that were there studying for the summer. By dinnertime I was actually feeling much better than even that morning, so I joined them for a pizza dinner and then crashed early in our dorm. On our way back from the pizza dinner, it actually rained for the first time since we've been here - very surprising as June is the middle of monsoon season!
Day 7: We got picked up at our hostel at around 8am for a very long 3 hour bus ride eastward toward Halong Bay. Once we got there, it was completely worth it. We boarded our Junk boat with two Danish families and one other backpacker. Contrary to belief, the Junk boat was great! The style and design of the boat is Chinese, and our boat was small with only 6 cabins, but very clean and nice. We had fresh seafood for about every meal, though I decided to stick to the basics like rice and vegetables for the first few meals just to make sure I didn't feel sick to my stomach anymore.
For most of the afternoon we just cruised the bay - It is absolutely gorgeous. There are limestone rock formations everywhere --- all directions looking around. After cruising, we went to one of the rock formations/islands and toured a large cave which was really cool. We retreated to the boat for some laying out on the sun deck and relaxing in the cabins. We also stopped on a little beach nearby to swim for a bit. That evening was particularly amazing - I especially enjoyed standing on the top deck, looking out over the numerous other Junk boats. They were all lit up, anchored all over this alcove of limestone islands - the light shimmered on the water below them and provided enough light to see all the limestone formations nearby. I listened to music and watched the start of a lightning storm with Kim and Lydia from the deck --- this was possibly my favorite night of the whole trip.
Day 8: I woke up extra early this morning to watch the sun rise from the top deck, only to be foiled by a layer of soft gray fog which was covering the Sun in the east! Still I enjoyed the morning alone - watching the local fishermen row their boats out past the Bay, taking in the beauty of these limestone wonders and clear waters. Everyone else woke up at around 6am to hang out and enjoy the bay before our kayaking excursion. By 7am, we got into our kayaks and kayaked past several of the limestone islands, under a tunnel and into a little horseshoe-shaped lagoon that was enclosed by one island. It was very peaceful out in the open ocean while everyone else aboard the other junks was still sleeping. Back aboard our junk, we went around the bay back towards the mainland for another 4 hours, eating breakfast and lunch in the middle. Those last few hours were mostly spent on the top deck taking posed pictures of each other, and talking with the two Danish families and their impressive well-traveled multi-lingual kids (ages 6-12). We took in the sights of the bay and snapped as many pictures as possible until the limestone formations finally faded into the distance. When we arrived back into the mainland dock, we immediately boarded the bus back to Hanoi. The rest of the evening was just relaxing in the hostel in Hanoi, trying to frantically update journals, and copying Lydia's pictures (she was continuing back to Thailand to see family and then onto Cambodia). That night we went to a restaurant with traditional, though clean, "street food" and a celebratory slice of cake to celebrate the great trip (now that I am finally feeling back to normal!)
Day 9: Our last day! This morning was our flight back to Saigon, then we walked around the city for a few hours before heading back to the airport for our overnight flight back to Sydney. I can't believe it is already over! My favorite places by far were Halong Bay and Hoi An (and the SCUBA there!)
Day 8: I woke up extra early this morning to watch the sun rise from the top deck, only to be foiled by a layer of soft gray fog which was covering the Sun in the east! Still I enjoyed the morning alone - watching the local fishermen row their boats out past the Bay, taking in the beauty of these limestone wonders and clear waters. Everyone else woke up at around 6am to hang out and enjoy the bay before our kayaking excursion. By 7am, we got into our kayaks and kayaked past several of the limestone islands, under a tunnel and into a little horseshoe-shaped lagoon that was enclosed by one island. It was very peaceful out in the open ocean while everyone else aboard the other junks was still sleeping. Back aboard our junk, we went around the bay back towards the mainland for another 4 hours, eating breakfast and lunch in the middle. Those last few hours were mostly spent on the top deck taking posed pictures of each other, and talking with the two Danish families and their impressive well-traveled multi-lingual kids (ages 6-12). We took in the sights of the bay and snapped as many pictures as possible until the limestone formations finally faded into the distance. When we arrived back into the mainland dock, we immediately boarded the bus back to Hanoi. The rest of the evening was just relaxing in the hostel in Hanoi, trying to frantically update journals, and copying Lydia's pictures (she was continuing back to Thailand to see family and then onto Cambodia). That night we went to a restaurant with traditional, though clean, "street food" and a celebratory slice of cake to celebrate the great trip (now that I am finally feeling back to normal!)
Day 9: Our last day! This morning was our flight back to Saigon, then we walked around the city for a few hours before heading back to the airport for our overnight flight back to Sydney. I can't believe it is already over! My favorite places by far were Halong Bay and Hoi An (and the SCUBA there!)
Sunday, June 08, 2008
my Australia and Vietnam itinerary
So here it is - the itinerary for my trip... give or take any minor changes we make along the way :)
June 10-12: Flight to Australia
June 12-17: Sydney and Wollongong (south of Sydney)
-visiting friends, sightseeing, etc.
June 17: flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
June 18: sight-seeing in Ho Chi Minh City
- Places to see: Cong Vien Van Hoa Park, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh Market
- Overnight train to Nha Trang
June 19:
- sightseeing in Nha Trang - island boat tour, possibly scuba/snorkeling
- Overnight train to Hoi An
June 20-22: Hoi An
- Places to see: Old Town, clothes tailors, Fu Kien assembly hall, Tan Ky house, Japanese covered bridge, Hoi An museum, Scuba/snorkeling
- Bus to Denang, then flight to Hanoi
June 23: Hanoi
- Places to see: Museum of Ethnology, Temple of Lit, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
June 24-25: 2 day trip to Halong Bay
June 26: flight back to Ho Chi Minh City, then overnight flight back to Sydney, Australia
June 27-July 2: a few more days in Sydney and Wollongong
July 3: flights back to Atlanta
July 4 - 9: family trip to Aruba for a friend's wedding... time for: beach, scuba, biking, shopping, etc.
July 10: home to Atlanta to relax!
June 10-12: Flight to Australia
June 12-17: Sydney and Wollongong (south of Sydney)
-visiting friends, sightseeing, etc.
June 17: flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
June 18: sight-seeing in Ho Chi Minh City
- Places to see: Cong Vien Van Hoa Park, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh Market
- Overnight train to Nha Trang
June 19:
- sightseeing in Nha Trang - island boat tour, possibly scuba/snorkeling
- Overnight train to Hoi An
June 20-22: Hoi An
- Places to see: Old Town, clothes tailors, Fu Kien assembly hall, Tan Ky house, Japanese covered bridge, Hoi An museum, Scuba/snorkeling
- Bus to Denang, then flight to Hanoi
June 23: Hanoi
- Places to see: Museum of Ethnology, Temple of Lit, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
June 24-25: 2 day trip to Halong Bay
June 26: flight back to Ho Chi Minh City, then overnight flight back to Sydney, Australia
June 27-July 2: a few more days in Sydney and Wollongong
July 3: flights back to Atlanta
July 4 - 9: family trip to Aruba for a friend's wedding... time for: beach, scuba, biking, shopping, etc.
July 10: home to Atlanta to relax!
Saturday, June 07, 2008
return to Australia and other adventures ahead!
Welcome to my blog! I created this before my first trip to Australia in the summer of 2006, but wasn't able to access it from my computer there. Hopefully that won't be the case this time. I am still working on the final copy of my itinerary but I should have that posted by the end of the weekend so you can see where I will be over the next month. Please leave comments, explore the page, etc. In the meantime, it's back to packing and other last minute things!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
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