Hello from a very hot ( high 30's) Vietnam!
Wow, what an amazing country! We had a blast traveling down the coast with our friends Jackie and Will. It was so good to see them !
We
started up in Hanoi , only to visit Halong Bay, one of the 7 wonders of
the world. A tiny boat took us on a two day, one night cruise that
included, swimming , kayaking , squid fishing, touring a water village
and fantastic, fresh food!
In Hanoi we had some unforgettable culinary experiences. One was lunch; we sat
on a sidewalk with a group of locals eating.......well I'm not too sure
what is was but it was delicious . It was served in tiny bowls and you
were to add it to a warmth broth spoonful by spoonful. The locals saw
our hesitation so they helped us out. I think they added a bit too much
chilli in mine, my mouth was on fire!
From Hanoi we took a night bus down to Hoi An. Hoi An
is a small coastal town known for it's custom tailors. The boys got
gorgeous custom suits and winter jackets and the girls got blazers,
dresses and winter pea coats designed. Really great prices, now we are
trying to think of an event where we can wear our new duds.
From Hoi
An we took an overnight bus down to Nha Trang. Nha Trang is best known
for it's beaches, scuba diving and mud spa. We had a lazy day when we
arrived, a lot of sleep to catch up on. We had an amazing slow cooked,
clay pot, seafood dinner. And for dessert.... foot and back massages.
We
had an amazing, worth every penny, snorkeling trip on our second day in
Nha Trang. We tanned, snorkeled , relaxed on tubes and were welcomed to
an extravagant feast for lunch. There was so much food! Between the two of us we shared 8 dishes plus fruit.
From Nha
Trang we took another night bus down to Hoi Chi Min. Night buses are nice because you don't waste any days traveling but they do tire you out. You don't get much sleep and they aren't the most comfortable.We arrived bright
and early and in just enough time to book a trip to the war tunnels.
Wow, it was an eye opening experience. We learnt about the strategies in
digging underground tunnels and even got to go through a 30 meter
tunnel. After 1 minute underground both Jackie and I were completely
exhausted, closterphobic and extremely hot, I don't know how they did
it. They had sewing rooms, kitchens, meeting areas and bunks all
underground. On the tour we were brought to a shooting range where we
had an opportunity to shoot an M 16, it was insane , us girls were at a
loss for words, very thrilling.
We said our goodbyes to our friends last night.
We are sure going to miss them. It was really nice to share these
experiences with them. We will see Jackie when she comes back to Canada
in December.
We left Vietnam early this morning
and are on our last 10 days of our trip. We are looking to spend most of
the time in Cambodia and the last remaining days in Thailand (
hopefully on the beach).
We will update soon.
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
*pictures to come
Follow our journey as we travel around Europe, Australia and Asia over the next year. We will try to update you with blog posts and pictures as much as possible! Please feel free to leave comments/ messages. Bon Voyage!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Thai Islands !
Hello from Paradise!
It wasn't in our original plan to go to the islands but are we sure glad we did. From Bangkok we took a night train down to an area called Krabi. We sure got spoiled with our accommodations, we felt like royalty for the three nights we were there; pool, breakfast, clean room and a great restaurant. We enjoyed a day at sandy Railay beach and a day on a long boat tour. The tour took us to untouched , remote islands where the waters were a crystal clear turquoise. From Krabi we went to Ko Phi Phi. We stayed in hillside bungalows that gave us a beautiful mountain and ocean view. Ko Phi Phi is very tiny but it is home to beautiful beaches, amazing snorkeling and a rocking night life. Our favorite part of the island was visiting Monkey Beach. It was the first time either of us got to see a wild monkey. Ugh, it was incredible seeing them run around, chase tourists and even use their hands to unzip our bags. From Ko Phi Phi we went Koh Phangan for the ever popular Full Moon Party. The Full Moon Party was so, so much fun! All 10,000 people danced until the sun came up. The next day we rented scooters and toured around the island. It was by far our favorite place in Thailand. Beautiful beaches, delicious food, friendly people. It isn't as cheap as other parts of Thailand, but it's beauty is worth paying a little more for.
The only thing disappointing about the islands was the random garbage. I am sure if you were in a proper resort we wouldn't notice it, but the Thai people have no regard to garbage, it may just be part of their culture and dont see it as a disturbance.
The time has come to part ways with the boys. It was really sad to say goodbye to the them , we became so close to them and they made our travels a bit more exciting . We undoubtedly will try to stay in touch with them and hopefully they will one day come visit us in Canada.
Well , we are done in Thailand and off to Vietnam. Very excited to see my Jackie! We are both so , so, so excited for Vietnam!
Cheers, Carmen and Carlo
*pictures to come
It wasn't in our original plan to go to the islands but are we sure glad we did. From Bangkok we took a night train down to an area called Krabi. We sure got spoiled with our accommodations, we felt like royalty for the three nights we were there; pool, breakfast, clean room and a great restaurant. We enjoyed a day at sandy Railay beach and a day on a long boat tour. The tour took us to untouched , remote islands where the waters were a crystal clear turquoise. From Krabi we went to Ko Phi Phi. We stayed in hillside bungalows that gave us a beautiful mountain and ocean view. Ko Phi Phi is very tiny but it is home to beautiful beaches, amazing snorkeling and a rocking night life. Our favorite part of the island was visiting Monkey Beach. It was the first time either of us got to see a wild monkey. Ugh, it was incredible seeing them run around, chase tourists and even use their hands to unzip our bags. From Ko Phi Phi we went Koh Phangan for the ever popular Full Moon Party. The Full Moon Party was so, so much fun! All 10,000 people danced until the sun came up. The next day we rented scooters and toured around the island. It was by far our favorite place in Thailand. Beautiful beaches, delicious food, friendly people. It isn't as cheap as other parts of Thailand, but it's beauty is worth paying a little more for.
The only thing disappointing about the islands was the random garbage. I am sure if you were in a proper resort we wouldn't notice it, but the Thai people have no regard to garbage, it may just be part of their culture and dont see it as a disturbance.
The time has come to part ways with the boys. It was really sad to say goodbye to the them , we became so close to them and they made our travels a bit more exciting . We undoubtedly will try to stay in touch with them and hopefully they will one day come visit us in Canada.
Well , we are done in Thailand and off to Vietnam. Very excited to see my Jackie! We are both so , so, so excited for Vietnam!
Cheers, Carmen and Carlo
*pictures to come
Monday, July 2, 2012
Laos
Hello from Laos!
We took a night bus from Chang Mai to Luangprabang thinking it would be a good idea to get a bus that you can sleep on, boy were we wrong. After a 30 hour , bed bug infested, soaking wet mattress bus ride we vow to never take a sleeper bus again!
However, all was soon forgotten once we arrived in the town. We stayed at a welcoming guest house just off the main strip . In Luangprbang we went to an incredible water fall that you could rope swing into and spent the other day pool side. We found this little cafe owned by a nice American lady and ate all of our breakfasts there and for dinner we ate at a street buffet for one dollar. Any dinner for a dollar tastes good! There was a curfew in Laos for 11:30pm but that was only extended for the Eurocup.
From Laos we headed on an incredibly scenic bus trip to Vang Vieng. There isn't much to do in the town except party. The town is built solely around it's river tubing and river side bars. If you research Vang Veing you will get a good idea of what its all about. Unfortunately there are several deaths a month from people acting stupid.
All of the restaurants blasted reruns of Friends and How I met your Mother episodes and claimed to grill the best American burger in town. This town has a very odd feeling and 4 nights here for more than enough.... I mean we are old and married now haha!
That was it for Laos!
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
*more pictures to come
We took a night bus from Chang Mai to Luangprabang thinking it would be a good idea to get a bus that you can sleep on, boy were we wrong. After a 30 hour , bed bug infested, soaking wet mattress bus ride we vow to never take a sleeper bus again!
However, all was soon forgotten once we arrived in the town. We stayed at a welcoming guest house just off the main strip . In Luangprbang we went to an incredible water fall that you could rope swing into and spent the other day pool side. We found this little cafe owned by a nice American lady and ate all of our breakfasts there and for dinner we ate at a street buffet for one dollar. Any dinner for a dollar tastes good! There was a curfew in Laos for 11:30pm but that was only extended for the Eurocup.
From Laos we headed on an incredibly scenic bus trip to Vang Vieng. There isn't much to do in the town except party. The town is built solely around it's river tubing and river side bars. If you research Vang Veing you will get a good idea of what its all about. Unfortunately there are several deaths a month from people acting stupid.
All of the restaurants blasted reruns of Friends and How I met your Mother episodes and claimed to grill the best American burger in town. This town has a very odd feeling and 4 nights here for more than enough.... I mean we are old and married now haha!
That was it for Laos!
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
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| 2 for 1 cocktails \ |
*more pictures to come
Chang Mai and Pai
Hello from Chang Mai!
We love, love , love Change Mai! We only wish we had a few more days here because there is so much to do.
We got into town quite late but just in time to check out the Sunday market. This market was spectacular. Everything was homemade, the food was delicious and the night life was entertaining.
As we were walking back to the hotel I spotted a good friend from Australia at a bar , we were all so happy to see one another because we really got along at Fraser.
The next day we went on a trek that included white water rafting, orchid farms, waterfalls and elephant riding. It was an unforgettable day, we will never forgot those elephants despite how stinky they were.
We all decided to continue Traveling together so we made our way up to Pai. To get up to Pai you have to take 725 twisty, turny corners. Ugh it was awful to say the least. But those 725 corners were worth it once we realized how awesome Pai was.
Pai is quite the hippy town but with a sheik feel. We rented scooters and spent our days exploring Thai villages , waterfalls and canyons. We had the most fun was just ripping around on the little scooters. We looked like a little motorcycle gang.
After a few days in Pai, we headed back to Chang Mai where we could catch a bus to our next stop..... Laos!
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
We love, love , love Change Mai! We only wish we had a few more days here because there is so much to do.
We got into town quite late but just in time to check out the Sunday market. This market was spectacular. Everything was homemade, the food was delicious and the night life was entertaining.
As we were walking back to the hotel I spotted a good friend from Australia at a bar , we were all so happy to see one another because we really got along at Fraser.
The next day we went on a trek that included white water rafting, orchid farms, waterfalls and elephant riding. It was an unforgettable day, we will never forgot those elephants despite how stinky they were.
We all decided to continue Traveling together so we made our way up to Pai. To get up to Pai you have to take 725 twisty, turny corners. Ugh it was awful to say the least. But those 725 corners were worth it once we realized how awesome Pai was.
Pai is quite the hippy town but with a sheik feel. We rented scooters and spent our days exploring Thai villages , waterfalls and canyons. We had the most fun was just ripping around on the little scooters. We looked like a little motorcycle gang.
After a few days in Pai, we headed back to Chang Mai where we could catch a bus to our next stop..... Laos!
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
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| Biker Gang in Pai |
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| Temple in Change Rai. Going to take another 50 years to build. |
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| Elephant Trek just outside Chang Mai |
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| Cute little elephant. |
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| Long Neck Village |
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| Long neck village we walked through during our treck. |
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| This village was beautiful at night |
Bangkok
Hello from Thailand!
We are in Asia! Safe and sound and really hot!
When the taxi dropped us off from the airport we were in awe , Bangkok is crazy! Our hotel was on Khao San Road , one of the busiest night streets in the city. There was food, clothing and booze vendors everywhere, all of them yelling at you to buy something...." I'll make you a special price, just for you!"
We quickly realized that packing pants and long sleeve tops was pointless because the heat and humidity was killer.
We spent one full day in Bangkok exploring the markets, eating street food ( fresh mango and pad Thai) and laying by the pool.
The next day we got up early to take a bus to Ayutthaya, as recommend by Lonely Planet. We took a locals bus and we were the only tourists on it, a bit strange but a good experience. Carlo even sat with a Monk the whole time!
Aytata was a small town that was built around ancient ruins. We ended up renting bikes and going site to site. The town was so tiny we only needed one day to see it all.
Next stop, Chang Mai !
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
We are in Asia! Safe and sound and really hot!
When the taxi dropped us off from the airport we were in awe , Bangkok is crazy! Our hotel was on Khao San Road , one of the busiest night streets in the city. There was food, clothing and booze vendors everywhere, all of them yelling at you to buy something...." I'll make you a special price, just for you!"
We quickly realized that packing pants and long sleeve tops was pointless because the heat and humidity was killer.
We spent one full day in Bangkok exploring the markets, eating street food ( fresh mango and pad Thai) and laying by the pool.
The next day we got up early to take a bus to Ayutthaya, as recommend by Lonely Planet. We took a locals bus and we were the only tourists on it, a bit strange but a good experience. Carlo even sat with a Monk the whole time!
Aytata was a small town that was built around ancient ruins. We ended up renting bikes and going site to site. The town was so tiny we only needed one day to see it all.
Next stop, Chang Mai !
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
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| First look at Bangkok |
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| Tuk-Tuk |
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| First fresh coconut drink |
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| Ayutthaya |
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| Ayutthaya |
Sydney
G'day ,
We couldn't have asked for a better day in Sydney, the weather was beyond perfect.
We started the day by taking a ferry ride around the harbour where we could get exceptional views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. We strolled through the city and enjoyed a scrumptious patio lunch while catching a few rays. In the evening we took in a light show that only happens once a year. Different patterns and colours light up the buildings in the downtown core. Sydney is a beautiful city, clean and classy but it comes at a price.
We are officially done our time in Australia. We have had an incredible time here and have met so many friends that we will aways stay in contact with. Our time at Fraser Island was one of the best experiences of our lives, it taught us many life lessons in such a short period of time.
Off to Bangkok!
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
We couldn't have asked for a better day in Sydney, the weather was beyond perfect.
We started the day by taking a ferry ride around the harbour where we could get exceptional views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. We strolled through the city and enjoyed a scrumptious patio lunch while catching a few rays. In the evening we took in a light show that only happens once a year. Different patterns and colours light up the buildings in the downtown core. Sydney is a beautiful city, clean and classy but it comes at a price.
We are officially done our time in Australia. We have had an incredible time here and have met so many friends that we will aways stay in contact with. Our time at Fraser Island was one of the best experiences of our lives, it taught us many life lessons in such a short period of time.
Off to Bangkok!
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
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| Aussie Pies |
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| Day at Seals Rock before Sydney |
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| Harbour Bridge |
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| Downtown Sydney |
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| Opera House |
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| All four of us at Seals Rock |
Friday, June 1, 2012
Airlie Beach, Fraser Island, Noosa
Hi !
We are on the last week of our camping trip in Australia. How time flies !
We arrived at Airlie beach mid afternoon and Carlo and I instantly fell in love. It is a quaint little town full of backpackers, good eats and little shops. We stayed at a campground just outside town that made us feel like we were in the jungle. Unfortunatly the weather didnt fair the day we were there and we were unable to go snorkeling on the reef.
From Airlie Beach we made our way down to Rainbow Beach where had an amazing evening walk on the beach and a delisicous seafood dinner. We went to bed early because in the morning we went to pick up our 4x4 and headed to Fraser Island.
Fraser Island was a gas! We had a blast cruising on the beach in our truck. Carlo and I loved being able to show Mom and Dad where we lived and worked. It was great to see some of our friends and say a final goodbye.
From Fraser we made our way to Noosa where we enjoyed a day at the Australia Zoo. We saw elephants, red pandas, rhino's, kangaroos and hundreds of other animals. It was a perfect day, not too busy and beautiful weather.
From there we made our way to Byron Bay, what a funky little town. This is where the hippies surf and hang out. We had a fantastic day on the beach watching the surfers and exploring the trendy shops.
We only have a week left in our trip and we are off to Asia. We will update again as soon as we can!
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
We are on the last week of our camping trip in Australia. How time flies !
We arrived at Airlie beach mid afternoon and Carlo and I instantly fell in love. It is a quaint little town full of backpackers, good eats and little shops. We stayed at a campground just outside town that made us feel like we were in the jungle. Unfortunatly the weather didnt fair the day we were there and we were unable to go snorkeling on the reef.
From Airlie Beach we made our way down to Rainbow Beach where had an amazing evening walk on the beach and a delisicous seafood dinner. We went to bed early because in the morning we went to pick up our 4x4 and headed to Fraser Island.
Fraser Island was a gas! We had a blast cruising on the beach in our truck. Carlo and I loved being able to show Mom and Dad where we lived and worked. It was great to see some of our friends and say a final goodbye.
From Fraser we made our way to Noosa where we enjoyed a day at the Australia Zoo. We saw elephants, red pandas, rhino's, kangaroos and hundreds of other animals. It was a perfect day, not too busy and beautiful weather.
From there we made our way to Byron Bay, what a funky little town. This is where the hippies surf and hang out. We had a fantastic day on the beach watching the surfers and exploring the trendy shops.
We only have a week left in our trip and we are off to Asia. We will update again as soon as we can!
Cheers,
Carmen and Carlo
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| Rainbow Beach |
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| Eli Creek |
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| Our 4x4 |
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| Heading to the Sandblow |
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| Sandboarding |
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| Carlo and a cute roo |
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