Hoi Ann is amazing, actually amazing. If you like shopping then this is definately the place to be. We've spent the past 4 days in various tailors and shoe makers, having fittings and re-fittings (sometimes re-re-fittings) and this is the final result. 3 pairs of boots, 3 dresses, 2 winter coats and 1 skirt is the final result of 4 days of shopping, planning and changing your mind/colour/style/shape etc. Phew, it's been a hard slog (haha). But now we are off to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam for a brief stopover before spending some time on a junk boat in Halong Bay and a mountain village visit to Sapa before flying to China in 12 days. Eeeeeeek. It's flying by now, I cannot believe that tomorrow is December 1st. We've barred ourselves from singing any christmas songs until then (i've definately got a few stored up) and it really doesn't feel like we're on the cusp of December, let along the end of 2010. I know the weather in England is bad, although snow is surely better than rain? Yes. Right off now for a "comfy" 16 hour bus to Hanoi......
Monday, 29 November 2010
Shopping Heaven
Hoi Ann is amazing, actually amazing. If you like shopping then this is definately the place to be. We've spent the past 4 days in various tailors and shoe makers, having fittings and re-fittings (sometimes re-re-fittings) and this is the final result. 3 pairs of boots, 3 dresses, 2 winter coats and 1 skirt is the final result of 4 days of shopping, planning and changing your mind/colour/style/shape etc. Phew, it's been a hard slog (haha). But now we are off to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam for a brief stopover before spending some time on a junk boat in Halong Bay and a mountain village visit to Sapa before flying to China in 12 days. Eeeeeeek. It's flying by now, I cannot believe that tomorrow is December 1st. We've barred ourselves from singing any christmas songs until then (i've definately got a few stored up) and it really doesn't feel like we're on the cusp of December, let along the end of 2010. I know the weather in England is bad, although snow is surely better than rain? Yes. Right off now for a "comfy" 16 hour bus to Hanoi......
Friday, 26 November 2010
Nearing The End
Hoi Ann, beautiful little Hoi Ann. Where China meets Vietnam, with beautiful little alleys and narrow side streets, cute French inspired buildings and over 200 tailor shops this place really is heaven. We've only been here just over a day but are both already in love with the place (maybe something to do with the cheap tailor made boots I just had made, no?) and I'm sure we'll stay a few more days. There's just something enchanting about this crumbling little fishing town.
Once you'd raided the various tailor shops and are awaiting your goods there's little to do except visit old historical buildings and shophouses, drift along the river in a fishing boat or gorge yourself on cheap local beer (9p) and freshly caught fish. It's no wonder people come here and stay a while, I'd recommend it to anyone.
Once you'd raided the various tailor shops and are awaiting your goods there's little to do except visit old historical buildings and shophouses, drift along the river in a fishing boat or gorge yourself on cheap local beer (9p) and freshly caught fish. It's no wonder people come here and stay a while, I'd recommend it to anyone.
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Moving North
It's 7.28am here and we've just arrived in the beautiful historic town of Hoi Ann on the west coast of Vietnam. The weather is definately different up here, probably what everyone has been warning us about so far. It's relatively warm but definately cloudy, it could almost be an English summer day! But no no no, it's definately Vietnam, there's little people in connicles everywhere. I've spent the past 11 hours on a bus shooting up the coastline, very very uncomfortable, the seats were clearly made for Vietnamese people (who, if you didn't know, are TINY).
The last week or so has been a proper beach time. We've been lounging by the pool reading, sunabthing, swimming, watching the sunset with a few beer Saigons', the usual. In the whole 10 weeks we've been away we've never actually spent time sunbathing or relaxing and enjoying ourselves. When travelling you spend a lot of time seeing sights and always thinking you must be doing something but after the intense history lessons of Phnom Penh and Saigon, I think we needed a few days to unwind and gather our thoughts. The north promises more history and culture and China will be rife with it.
We'll probably spend a few days in Hoi Ann, which is famous for it's cheap, tailor made clothing. I will most certainly be stocking up on a winter coat, my own version of some lovely Jeffery Campbell clog boots and a nice new years dress. I'm glad we came here last because I have a better idea of how much money I can spend on things, as we've only got 2 weeks left in Vietnam and 5 days in China.
I love travelling, I really do, but I am very much looking forward to coming home. All my stuff is filthy, and stinks and no matter how many times you get it laundered it still doesn't come out right. It's weird sleeping in a different place every few days and you do tend to get very sick of living out of a bag. But I will miss the freedom. Obviously returning to the UK means a return to employment, so that's a slight downside but this trip is only the beginning of (I hope) a life of travelling so I guess I need a job to fund that.
Right that's all for now, it's weird thinking that 3 weeks today we'll be landing at Heathrow, I bet it'll feel like nothing's changed. Look forward to seeing everyone very soon........
The last week or so has been a proper beach time. We've been lounging by the pool reading, sunabthing, swimming, watching the sunset with a few beer Saigons', the usual. In the whole 10 weeks we've been away we've never actually spent time sunbathing or relaxing and enjoying ourselves. When travelling you spend a lot of time seeing sights and always thinking you must be doing something but after the intense history lessons of Phnom Penh and Saigon, I think we needed a few days to unwind and gather our thoughts. The north promises more history and culture and China will be rife with it.
We'll probably spend a few days in Hoi Ann, which is famous for it's cheap, tailor made clothing. I will most certainly be stocking up on a winter coat, my own version of some lovely Jeffery Campbell clog boots and a nice new years dress. I'm glad we came here last because I have a better idea of how much money I can spend on things, as we've only got 2 weeks left in Vietnam and 5 days in China.
I love travelling, I really do, but I am very much looking forward to coming home. All my stuff is filthy, and stinks and no matter how many times you get it laundered it still doesn't come out right. It's weird sleeping in a different place every few days and you do tend to get very sick of living out of a bag. But I will miss the freedom. Obviously returning to the UK means a return to employment, so that's a slight downside but this trip is only the beginning of (I hope) a life of travelling so I guess I need a job to fund that.
Right that's all for now, it's weird thinking that 3 weeks today we'll be landing at Heathrow, I bet it'll feel like nothing's changed. Look forward to seeing everyone very soon........
Monday, 22 November 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11814894
I was so sad to log onto the news this morning to read the story about the tragic cambodian stampede in Phnom Penh. It doesn't really feel real as we were only there just over a week ago and the capital was such a vibrant pumping place. As a country cambodia has got such a terrible history and has been through a lot so it's really sad to read that such a disasterous event has happened. It would be bad enough if this happened somewhere like england, but cambodia is still such a poor country and doesn't have the medical resources that we have to cope with such an event. hopefully they will receive help off other countries if it's needed to get through this disaster.
I was so sad to log onto the news this morning to read the story about the tragic cambodian stampede in Phnom Penh. It doesn't really feel real as we were only there just over a week ago and the capital was such a vibrant pumping place. As a country cambodia has got such a terrible history and has been through a lot so it's really sad to read that such a disasterous event has happened. It would be bad enough if this happened somewhere like england, but cambodia is still such a poor country and doesn't have the medical resources that we have to cope with such an event. hopefully they will receive help off other countries if it's needed to get through this disaster.
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Cambodge
Cambodia, or Cambodge to the French. What a country. I thought I loved Thailand and Laos but Cambodia is by far my favourite. I think it's because as a country it's been through so much, and yet the people are so hospitable and friendly you can't help but fall in love with the place. We started out in Kratie, an old riverside town in the northeast nearly 2 weeks ago, then moved to Siem Reap, a beautiful French colonial town in the West, home to Angkor Wat, and several hundred amazing restaurants and bars and now we're in Battambang, where we have experienced the delights of the bamboo train, an old, soon to be disused railway line where you can sit on a rickety bamboo platform in wheels powered by a motor and shoot through the countryside. Although it was a tad bumpy it's such a lovely little experience, and you get to see a really rural part of the country. The people in the village you stop in are really kind and giving, which is such a change to everyone trying to sell you something or rip you off. They're going to stop running the train in the new year so the government can make a proper railway through Battambang linking it to the rest of the country but it will be such a shame to lose something that is so special and such a tourist boost to the people of Battambang because to be honest, apart from a few beautiful old french villas there's nothing going on here. We leave tomorrow to head to Sihanoukville, then onto Kampot and finally Phnom Pehn before we cross over to Vietnam sometime next week. It's suddenly dawned on me how little time we have left (4 weeks between now and our flight to China) so we're having to hurry a little bit and spend less time in places, which is fine. We did spend a while in Siem Reap but oh well, that's the luxary of backpacking, you're not tied down to any specific time limits anywhere, it all depends on how much you like somewhere.
While we were in Siem Reap (for a whopping 8 days) we managed to get a few days volunteering work at an orphanage. Well there wasn't much work to be done you just spent time with the kids, dancing, drawing, playing badminton, football, singing etc. Basically anything that will knacker you out will entertain them greatly. I'm so glad we got to do this, the kids were lovely and really happy and energetic, half the time you felt as if you were at a school, not an orphanage, and they're well looked out for. We bought them some new books/pens/sports equipment and donated some clothes on the last day we went as it's dirt cheap to buy and it was a bit sad how little they had.
Right that's all for now, we're off to the beach tomorrow so hopefully we'll do a bit more snorkelling and cycling before heading to Kampot for a hardcore uphill trek and some serious history lessons in the capital.
While we were in Siem Reap (for a whopping 8 days) we managed to get a few days volunteering work at an orphanage. Well there wasn't much work to be done you just spent time with the kids, dancing, drawing, playing badminton, football, singing etc. Basically anything that will knacker you out will entertain them greatly. I'm so glad we got to do this, the kids were lovely and really happy and energetic, half the time you felt as if you were at a school, not an orphanage, and they're well looked out for. We bought them some new books/pens/sports equipment and donated some clothes on the last day we went as it's dirt cheap to buy and it was a bit sad how little they had.
Right that's all for now, we're off to the beach tomorrow so hopefully we'll do a bit more snorkelling and cycling before heading to Kampot for a hardcore uphill trek and some serious history lessons in the capital.
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