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 !

Peace, Love, Happiness... The St. Pauls Carnival of 2011

One of the top things to do in England is to go to a festival. Every summer there are hundreds of different festivals through out the UK, but so far my favorite is the St. Paul's Carnival. Some festivals are about food, some are about music, but this one is about community.

The St. Paul's Carnival is an annual carnival that takes place in the St. Paul's district of Bristol every year. It is in celebration of the Caribbean-African culture that has shaped the St. Paul's community. It was started in 1967 and has ran continuously every year on the first Saturday in July. Lucky for me, I have been able to come to this carnival two times; both occasions the weather has been perfect, the food has been perfect, and there is this overwhelming sense of pride and community.

The Malcolm X Centre

When I first moved to Bristol last year, I was worried about going to this massive festival where I didn't know anyone or have a sense of the community's history or culture. I was very home sick, hadn't made any friends and didn't think I would be able to enjoy myself. Well, I was totally wrong! I absolutely LOVED it!

The carnival is a complete celebration of community and the people who live there. They are so proud of their Caribbean past, their new lives in Bristol and their sense of belonging to their new home. My first time there, I only had been in Bristol for one month and I had just moved from across the Atlantic to start my new life. My history is quite different, but I was there to celebrate the same thing; a new beginning, a new life in Bristol.

Joe with some St. Paul's Street Art

The St. Paul's Carnival of 2011 was even more fun than last year. Now that I have been here for more than one year, I finally have a sense of belonging; Bristol has now become my home. I went to the carnival with one of my best friends, Joe. I originally met him in Australia 2 years ago and we became instant best friends. I also went with  my husband and my newest friend, Lina. She, ironically enough, is an American girl who has travelled recently to Bristol, because like me, she fell in love. We had so much fun together embracing this annual Bristol carnival that is now a part of our new lives. Being with close friends and celebrating love and life is what the carnival is all about. This years experiences were even better because I was with the people I care about, and who care about me in return. We were able to just simply enjoy ourselves and have fun.

LOVE

The carnival was filled through out the day from any where to 40,000 - 60,000 people, but it didn't feel crowded or claustrophobic at all. Instead it was filled with this sense of kinship. It was an exciting time of celebration with the focus on love and happiness. People were dressed up with face paintings and wacky out fits, drinking, dancing, and having fun.

HAPPINESS

Everyone who lives in the area opened up their houses and backyards to everyone at the carnival. They were selling jerk chicken from their barbecues and even letting strangers into their house to use the bathroom. It was a massive out door street party that the entire community was involved in. We went from back yard to back yard dancing to different types of reggae, and if we wanted a change of pace, we would just walk to the next house. The DJs were the home owners so there was a great variety of music.

The biggest party was at the Malcolm X Centre where everyone was dancing to drum and bass. The entire festival was an interesting mixture of smaller street parties with big out door clubs with well known DJs and stages.  We ended the night in the middle of a random street with a random DJ playing dance music.

All the streets were blocked off the entire time so everyone could just enjoy the booze, the food, and the music. The celebrations started in the early afternoon and carried onto the early morning of the next day.

When you are at the festival, you can't stop feeling happy and just give into the music, the laughter, and the fun. Everyone has different experiences, but for me, what really made this carnival great, was being with great people.

Street Party