vietnam part I

we've now been traveling in vietnam for the last 2 weeks and it has been nothing short of awesome. i feel a little stupid that i hadn't chosen to take a holiday here sooner but better late than never. i've been keeping a journal everyday (or nearly everyday) to try and keep track as well as fill in the gaps in my memory of the places we've seen and been

June26.2007

What a day! Day 9 and feelin' fine. We hopped aboard our minibus where we spirited away to the splendor and wonder that is Halong Bay. it is every bit as good as it looks in photos and more. aquamarine water, chinese junk boats everywhere, rocky outcroppings with hundreds of areas to explore, some only accessible by sea kayak. we went to this natural cave which was just so....incredible. splendid. amazing and all those other adjectives i can't think of right now. also took a walk up 400 steps for some wicked views of the entire bay. also tried our hand at sea kayaking which is definitely something i would do again in the blink of an eye. great exercise...can't believe i said that but it's true. tonight, sitting down to a great seafood dinner aboard the junk where we will be spending the night.

the feeling of being here on the water at night is sublime. a warm breeze is blowing off the water while a melody is being played on a bamboo flute somewhere in the ether.

June 27th.2007.

said farewell to the beauty of halong bay and hello to 5 hours of bus riding. tonight, we're going to stay in ninh binh which is nothing more than a place to stop and rest for the night. the next leg of the hourney is going to take us a grueling 10 hours so wanted to try and break it up as much as possible.

we've decided to slow down a bit and just take our time, otherwise this holiday is going to be over. fast.

june 28.2007.

we weren't able to book ourselves on the bus today but let me tell you, i'm glad it worked out that way. we decided to take in some of the sights of north-central vietnam. it feels like an entirely different world out here. very rural complete with floating villages, rice paddies and water buffalo. so tranquil and serene. we visited tam coc, which has the familiar karst rock formations, except we saw them by being rowed down a lazy river. what an absolutely perfect way to spend a hot afternoon. we also hired a couple of motorbikes to take us around and really got to see some of the countryside. all in all, a perfect day to while away.

july.1st.2007

happy canada day! yet another national holiday spent abroad but i can't imagine doing so in more picturesque surroundings. we left ninh binh behind and got our first, true taste of the bus system here in vietnam. long story short, it was awful. intermittent air cond, thread-bare seats and incessant horn honking every 10 seconds. even after two sleeping tablets, i didn't manage a single wink. i tried until about 4:30 and then just plain gave up. on the plus side, i did see my first sunrise in years. (without me trying to get indoors from the night before, that is!) we arrived here in the former imperial capital of Hue and just crashed. after this bus ride, i've been too tired to truly give this sleepy city the attention it no doubt deserves, but still pretty cool. we depart tomorrow night for another yet shorter bus ride to another culture capital...Hoi An.

july 5th.2007

this has been a weeks of lots of moving around and seeing lots of great stuff. as i mentioned, hue was alirhgt but didn't really have a lot of the stuff we were looking for. Hoi an on the other hand was much more in keeping with the rustic and ancient feel we've been wanting to see. fading yellow building with terraces, draping plants over them , cobblestone streets lined with shops selling all sorts of handicrafts and knickknacks. it was slow-paced, scenic and enchanting. as far as culture goes, hoi an has been my favourite place so far. it did rain but it made for a nice day of shopping. i actually got a couple of shirts and a suit made which is awesome...all for the bargain price of $60 US!

Now, we've arrived in Nha Trang after yet another grueling 12-hour bus ride. Slept some fo the trip but just crashed as soon as we got to the hotel. today, just been taking it easy in the room. tomorrow, i think we'll just check out something in the morning and then hit the beach for a few hours in the afternoon. i think it will take care of this travel weariness we've been feeling. just a combination of travel, changing rooms too much and dealing with other travellers. (see future post for further details about this)

on the road

it's finally happened. we've begun our grand tour of southeast asia after putting it off for nearly a full two years. before i talk about the trip and moving forward, i need to talk about saying goodbye.
i finished work last week without much consequence. my boss, shao, seemed a little sad to see me go but no tears were spilled. i'm going to freelance for AMC which means no more example sentences, fun with phrases and most of all, no more tests!! so, a few days left in taiwan but no rest for the wicked. lots of last meals, moments and memories to be shared. all the while, we were trying to wrap things up so little sleep was had. our friends organized a going away party for us @ the source which turned out to be a great send-off. it felt sort or anti-climatic because it was all so whirlwind. i s'pose i just didn't think about leaving too much because otherwise i wouldn't have enjoyed myself as much as i did. now, it feels as though we will see everyone again in a few days or weeks when in reality it will be so much longer than that. i guess i will have to work that much harder to make the distance and time between the people and places i love shorter.
that sort of sums up all the things i've been feeling, combined with lack of sleep have made the first few days feel as though i am going through the motions of travel. however, things are beginning to improve.
we arrived in singapore on sunday afternoon and navigated the rather confusing layout after a few missteps and wrong turns. the sterility of the city that everyone talks about was hard to find. singapore was lively, vibrant and diverse. being compact, the little india, chinatown and various neighborhoods were accessible on foot. just soaked in the atmosphere as best we could. the best part of the trip was taking a boat trip down the singapore river at night. the restaurants, shops and nightclubs lining the river is something that taipei is sorely missing.
the next day, we made some arrangements to take a bus to kuala lumpur in malaysia, then off to singapore zoo. we took in a night safari which was alright, but a little disappointing for an apparently world class zoo. the next morning, we boarded the bus for K.L and something a little different.
That first day in K.L seemed like the first day of our vacation. we both started to feel more comfortable with things and our accomodation was first rate. we spent the day traveling through the city: the petronas towers, the aquarium, colonial neighbourhoods and the food! just awesome.
getting a little tired of cities and wanting something different, we booked ourselves on a bus to malaysia's largest national park, taman negara. it took us most of the day to get there, including a 3-hour boat ride up river but it was very chill just moving up the river at a slow pace. once we arrived, we made plans for the next day to take in a jungle canopy walk. there are several hundred meters of walkways suspended about a hundred meters above the rainforest floor. didn't see much in the way of wildlife, but there were some fantastic views. i'll try and post some photos later on so you can take a look. we sweated our asses off, but completely worth the time and the effort. it made me realize that i actually like spending time in nature and that i need to make some more time for this sort of thing. also, the exercise actually felt good. had one of those after-workout body buzzes that i haven't felt in a long time...and here i thought exercise was just a way for vain people to become more vain. who would have known?

today, we arrived back in k.l and checked out the central market for some malay handicrafts. i bought a wicked malay kite that is indescribably intricate but suffice it to say it will look astounding adorned on my wall....well, once i have a wall to call my own again.

tomorrow, we're off to hanoi at the ungodly hour of 6:30 which will be good 'cos we can have the whole day to explore and even take a nap in the aft without feeling guilty. all in all, a great first week of travel and feel thirsty for much, much more.

it's been a slice...

this will be my official, last post from the beautiful island. we are nearly on our way to 7 weeks of glorious travel before we get home. our bags are packed. our stuff is sold. the loose ends are not only tied but knotted. the only thing left to do is say goodbye to the people who have made this experience abroad worth its weight in gold. it's always hard to say goodbye, but i'm not saying goodbye...i am saying see you soon. thanks taiwan, you've been amazing and i will miss you with all my heart.

the next time i post, i will be some where in southeast asia, enjoying one last kick at the can...stay tuned for all our fun and games from some of the coolest places on earth.

100 moments in Taiwan part II

With only a week in my beloved taiwan, i thought i would share some of my favourite moments ...warning, some of these are not pretty.