On our final days in Vietnam, Catherine & I took the train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh. Ninh Binh was beautiful - and very wet. On our first day there, we took a boat ride through Tam Coc (translated to "three caves") in which we passed by and underneath giant limestone cliffs. Each of the three caves were carved into the limestone cliffs - the final cave we paddled through was so low we had to lay flat in the boat so as not to hit our heads! In the final hour of our slow, pleasant boat ride, a rainstorm began. By the time it ended, long after we'd returned to shore and back to our hotel, I realized my phone had been water damaged. And so commenced my three days without access to the internet!
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Our trip to Ha Long Bay was one of the crazier ones of my life. We did an excursion to a private island through Vietnam Backpackers Hostel. They stick 60 20-somethings on an island and push alcohol on you at all times of day - you can only imagine the sorts of things we got into!
Unfortunately, I only took my phone (not my camera) and did not back up most of the photos that I took before my phone got water damaged. So, these few pictures are all I have to remember the crazy weekend in Ha Long Bay by. Kayaking, boating, swimming, drinking, dancing, and more on Castaways Island made this weekend one of the most fun of the trip! Day two was less uphill then day one as we made our way back around the mountain to Sapa. We walked through rice and corn fields, crossed a river, and swam in a waterfall. Trekking in Sapa, certainly, was unforgettable.
Our hike from Sapa town through the mountains and valleys nearby was the best hike I've ever been on. The scenery was beautiful (as you can see) and so different from hikes in the US or Europe. We passed through local villages, stood to the side as cows walked along the same narrow, steep paths, and dipped our feet in waterfalls. It was hot but it was so worth it. After a long day of hiking, we arrived at a homestay in a local village where we ate local food and spent the night. More pictures to come from our hike on the second day, through rice and corn fields!
In Vietnam, Catherine and I used the city of Hanoi as our home base to travel through the country's Northern region. We spent a few scattered days in the city in between trips outside of it - on our first day, we went to this awesome café and walked around the big lake in the city's center. It was photogenic for sure!
Our final day in Thailand was spent driving around the outside of Chiang Mai - visiting lakes, waterfalls, and the like. We rented a car (which was a bit scary, as in Thailand they drive on the opposite side of the road). Having a car always offers much more freedom to explore, though, and I loved it.
On one of our final days in Chiang Mai, we drove up to Doi Suthep, one of Thailand’s most famous temples. Situated at the top of a mountain, we enjoyed beautiful views of the city below (and got a good workout in on all the stairs).
One of the best parts about Chiang Mai, especially in comparison to the rest of Thailand, is the quality and diversity of food. There are so many great restaurants! We loved going to a cooking class where we made seven courses - all for only 30 USD. Definitely a highlight of Thailand.
One of our first days in Chiang Mai, a province in Northern Thailand, was spent an hour outside the city at the Kanta Elephant Sanctuary. We got to feed them, play with them, and bathe with them. It was amazing!
I'm still traveling, though you haven't heard from me....my computer suffered a crash a few weeks ago, and yesterday, my phone got water damage in a rainstorm. The heavens are telling me it's time to leave Asia (a continent that boasts a SINGLE apple store) and return to Europe. Thankfully, I'm in the midst of my journey back to the West as I write this!
Stay tuned for LOTS of pictures still to come from Thailand and Vietnam once my devices get rebooted - and Europe, too, of course! |
Who Am I?I'm Rory; University of Virginia grad, writer, photographer, (wannabe) world traveler. What is EU and Me?A collection of photographs and musings from travels abroad. Archives
June 2020
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