Hanoi and Ha Long Bay 19 April – 23 April 2014

what we woke up to every morning on Ha Long Bay

At first glance Hanoi wasn't very impressive. It was raining and misty and didn’t seem to have the glitz and glamour of HCMC. However, in the end it was quite an interesting city. If you paid attention to the big poster boards it had the inklings of a very “communist comrade” feel to the city. There were billboards that looked like old communist propaganda artwork, but the date on it would be 2014. I found it quite interesting as we were all having so much fun we definitely forgot about Vietnam's history and that it was a communist country.  I guess that was a good thing as we learned a lot in the South, and now we were just enjoying the current Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum reminded us of the past, but it was an extremely impressive piece of architecture.

all of us enjoying Hanoi  =)

at the Mausoleum

We stayed in the Old Quarter which was fun as it was easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the city. Yet, you open a door to a restaurant and are completely transported from the dirty streets to an elegant dinner setting. Hanoi also had lots of traffic with motorbikes like its competitor of the South. Only having 2 days here (in my opinion) was enough as the best parts of Vietnam are out of the cities.

along the Lake in Hanoi

The best part about our time in Northern Vietnam was the trip to Ha Long Bay. The drive to Ha Long Bay was so beautiful. Mist and clouds floated above rice fields and farmers were working in them. It was very picturesque. Then, once you get to the bay to board the boat it became even more beautiful. We literally were sailing through an UNESCO World Heritage site composed of 1600 different islands.

We did a 3 day and 2 night boat trip through the bay. Our time here consisted of kayaking through caverns, jumping off the boat and swimming, hiking through a large cave overlooking the bay, and also climbing to the top of one of the islands to a view point. We also went to a floating water village and a floating pearl farm.

kayaking in the caves !

enjoying the sunset on Ha Long Bay

It was amazing. In the morning you wake up and look out the window to mist hovering over the water and through the islands. In the evening we would sit on the top deck enjoying cocktails and watching the sunset with great friends. I don’t think it could get much better than that.

the last night on the boat.. all of the fun ones enjoying our last happy hour !

Sadly, my time in Vietnam ended with Hanoi and Ha Long Bay. It was sad to say goodbye to our friends. Especially as Joe and his girlfriend live in a different country from Jayda and I, we don’t know when we will see them again. Fortunately, we can’t be too sad as we spent the past 2 weeks travelling through Vietnam with them adding to our already amazing memories.

only THE GIRLS, were brave enough to jump off the top (just saying)... in Ha Long Bay

Vietnam truly is a beautiful place and nothing I write will be able to express how awesome Vietnam is. We felt quite lucky being able to enjoy some of the best sites and food in South East Asia with great friends. Not very many people can say that. Jayda and I are incredibly grateful to have such close friends to travel with. Vietnam was spectacular and I can't wait to see what country I will see my friends in again next !

Hoi An, Vietnam

 Hoi An was a picture perfect postcard. It was everything you would expect an UNESCO World Heritage, small Asian town would be. It is set a few kilometers east of the ocean and is surrounded by rice fields. All the homes and shops are old protected buildings and the river separates the town with old bridges and gas lamps. It was quite peaceful and beautiful. It also was a complete change of pace to the busy HCMC.

Hoi An became one of my favorite cities I've visited whilst travelling. Hoi An was just what everyone needed after a few days of waking up early and site seeing. Just being in Hoi An was sightseeing as the entire Old Quarter is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The first day we went to Reaching Out, which is a coffee and tea house in the Old Quarter that is run by deaf Vietnamese. It is a place that employs the hearing impaired and is a way for them to work and have a good quality of life. Needless to say the place was peaceful, but we also were served traditional coffee and cookies. It was super relaxing.

our coffee tasting

The food in Hoi An was also excellent. We went to so many different restaurants to try many different types of food. Everything was excellent and my friends, who are not vegetarian, loved everything they ordered as well. In Hoi An we found beer for 4000 VND which was only $0.18/glass!!! At night we would spend most of our time bar hopping asking for “fresh beer” which is the equivalent to a home brew. It was great!

roof top dining

One day we rented bikes and rode to the beach through the paddy and rice fields. It really was so beautiful we had to get off our bikes a few times to take photographs, which of course won’t even be able to depict correctly how amazing it was. The ocean was not the prettiest, but it was still fun jumping in the waves and sleeping on the beach. Again, the theme of Hoi An, was that it was so peaceful! The beach had hardly anyone around except the four of us; it was great.

on the way to the beach

Ironically, the one night out we had in Vietnam was little Hoi An. We found some random bar to play pool in and they let my husband dj for the night; his dream came true! It was hilarious as an old couple clearly lived upstairs and let their son have a bar down stairs as we saw his parents come up and down a few times! Later in the night someone on a motorbike told us that there was a club in Hoi An, so the four of us hopped onto motorbike taxis and away we went! Well, it probably was the deadest club we had ever seen. As it was near 3 am we didn't feel guilty leaving after a few drinks, as what did we expect in a sleepy town?

DJ Vision !

So basically, Hoi An has everything you would want while travelling to Asia. Beautiful scenery, a beach, cheap beer, world renown food, and if you want to go out you can! It really was a beautiful place and one of my favorite places I've been to on my travels. 

having fun in town !

Prague, Czech Republic: Where Fairy Tales Come True!

Prague, Czech Republic... January 22, 2012 - January 25, 2012

... and they lived Happily Ever After...

View from Petrin Tower.

Mala Strana

On Charles Bridge!

Prague must be the place that inspired Disney to create their fairy tale cities and happily ever afters. Prague is beautiful with large Gothic architecture wrapped with cobblestone streets; It is like walking into my dreams when I was a young girl, dreaming of being a princess hoping to find my Prince Charming.

Our time in Prague consisted of climbing to the top of the Petrin Tower, pretending to be royalty in the Prague Castle, peeing with the Peeing Men Statue, walking back and forth across the Charles Bridge, laughing at the Astronomical Clock, testing our history in the Jewish Quarter, checking out the modern architecture in New Town, enjoying coffee and beer at night in the Grand Cafe, and simply just enjoying the city.

Getting lost in Mala Strana and Stare Maesto's Old Town was like going back into the 1400's & 1500's where old Kings and Queens ruled, and I was the princess on my own adventure. Luckily I've already found my Prince so I was able to live out my fairy tale!

Not only was Prague an elegant enchanting city, it was filled with modern surprises. Being lost near Prague's castle, we turned a corner to see the hilarious Peeing Men Statue! Stare Maesto is filled with a ton of modern art and young artists exhibitions.

What I loved about Prague is that you could be enjoying a hanging modern street exhibition, then within just a few steps, you're standing in front of the large yet fascinating Astronomical Clock. If you were lucky, you would be there on the hour where it opens and hoots with a rooster and dancing men. It was hilarious and had an "Its A Small World After All" feel to it. Yes it was humorous, but simply knowing that it did this same dance and jingle hundreds of years ago in front of Queens, Kings, Princesses, and peasants was also quite spectacular.

Prague is a city filled with wonderful things for everyone. From architecture, history and art, but the best thing about Prague is just exploring this diverse city and playing out your own real-life fairy tale.

Enjoying being lost on the cobblestone streets...

The Famous Being Men Statue... Jayda joining in on the fun!

Young Artists' Modern Art, Outdoor Exhibition

Astronomical Clock & Square

Charles Bridge & Prague Castle