Berry's SEAJ trip Day 22: To Vang Vieng (6/27/15)

Had breakfast at the hostel and arranged for my transport to VV before heading out to grab another smoothie on my way to see the temples in the city. See one or 2 of the smaller ones before getting to the big one (Xiengtong) and exploring around it.

Berry was on temple tour duty today. This was the first one we stopped at to gaze over the intricate designs. I think they use more gold than the catholic churches. 

We walked by this temple the day before (town is small, so not a hard thing to do). Berry didn't realize it till I pointed it out.  

Another temple with giant Buddha and amazing wall art.

Berry thought it was cool that the whole town was a heritage site (kinda like Hoi An).

Berry is ready to enter the main temple, Wat Xiengtong. 

Panorama of the grounds of the Wat.  

Berry just sat there and stared at the artwork on the walls. So well done. Incredible really. 

Berry kept finding these dragons and trying to befriend them. I think he started to wear them down as he was not eaten.

More murals within the temples.

This temple had tons of these doll figurines around the perimeter inside. this is one corner I took a picture of. 

Another mural.  

One of the doors. That my friends is living in luxury when that is your door. 

Shiny Shiny, Sparkle Sparkle!

Berry just couldnt believe that this insanely detailed art work on the walls/doors/etc. was the norm. 

Somehow the inside is more decked out than the outside. One would expect that but when your exterior is as amazing as the above picture, it sets the bar pretty high.

Berry checking out the shrine area of the temple. 

Berry going up into the small side temple which is still insanely decorated. They do not half ass anything. 

Another vantage point of the grounds.

Golden crown on a building.  

Tis a shame they have to put a sign there stating the obvious. Laying Buddha chilling in the background with the nice flower arrangements on each side.

This mural had all kinds of colors involved. Was pretty cool. 

External shrine with more intricate designs on the pillars and the top of the building. Clearly one could probably spend a day in each of these temples learning about all the different stories told on the temple walls.

The temples in these countries are very intricate and beautiful with many colors and sculptures. I head back the hostel after grabbing some lunch to catch my bus; this sprinter bus was packed to the gills both with luggage and people (we had 13 people in a bus with 11 seats – do that math). The road is beautiful but it is long and arduous as there are many curves with elevation changes making it take longer. The AC was on but since I was in the back I was only getting the heat as the driver kept putting the windows down in the front. This was a very long (6-7h) and grueling trip (stop once for gas/bathrooms) but eventually we get into the bus station where the foreigners all pile into a tuktuk to drive us to our hostels for 20kK pp. Get to my place (Easy go hostel) and check in and the room they put me in looks like it was an afterthought and/or is just a temporary thing as the particle board walls are just put there and the top of the walls is open. There is a fan in the room but no AC, which on this night wasn't an issue as the rain kept things cool and made it easy to sleep. Walked around a little before bed to grab some dinner at a nearby place.

Berry looking out as we get out to stretch our legs as the bus had to stop due to some road construction.

Stopped due to road construction on the way to VV from LP and this is the view. :)

Sunset in VV. 

Berry's SEAJ trip Day 21: Sayonara Nam, Aloha Laos (6/26/15)

Woke up and had breakfast before heading to the airport where I caught my plane; a small one with 2 exposed propellers, and eventually land in Luang Prabang which is in the middle of the mountains. The scenery is beautiful as it is a stark contrast to Hanoi's developed and sprawling city. I met some ladies from SC (Hana and Haley) in the airport and we split a cab to the hostel as it turns out we are staying at the same one (Kousavan Guesthouse). We check in and put our bags down (we are even staying in the same room) before heading out to explore the city (the main part is pretty small). The city is great; minimal traffic compared to Hanoi, very relaxed vibe, and  the best part, the vendors are not pushy or annoying as they keep to themselves for the most part and listen when you say no. I am in heaven! :) We find a row of carts that have some grub and smoothies so we all get some before grabbing some beers.

Creepy dragons trying to get Berry. Somehow he still smiles.

Berry looking up at the golden temple on the hill. We didnt get to go up to it as the sunset was mostly blocked by the clouds so we explored the city below.

Berry was looking over the fence getting a glimpse of the temple on the other side.

Berry was watching the night market set up below us. 

Grabbing a Laotian beer with some new friends before going out to the night market to see what they are offering.

After them, we explore the food street; a extremely tight alley with food vendors making all kinds of meats on sticks and other eats which is pretty cool especially if you are hungry and don't mind tight spaces. After that, we go explore the night market which was awesome. It is tight as well but manageable. Once again the best part is the vendors sit there and keep to themselves until you engage them asking about the prices of something. Cannot stress how relieved and happy this made me. I had a friend who asked me for a key chain and I had seen these cool ones at some of the tents so I stopped and asked the lady how much they were to get an idea. She tells me 20k Kip which is ~ 2.5$ which seemed fair but I wanted to mull it over so I said thank you and walked away. As I was starting to walk away, she says 15; I am just thinking to myself “lady I am not trying to barter and if I was you should wait for my counter not just go against yourself”. So I keep exploring the market and decide to get one of the key chains so I walked back to the same lady and look at her and say “key chain, 20k right?” and she just looks at me, says yes and we make the transaction. After that I go to a lady with pretty table runners and other items (there was plenty of beautiful art, clothes, items that I could have easily loaded up with and shipped home if I was so inclined but I did not) and start bartering with her for a gift for a different friend back home. The SC ladies pretty much just tell me what to do and I get them to take off ~8-10 dollars I think. After that we head back to the place and play some card games while having some beers. Eventually we go to a store nearby and they purchased a 750mL bottle of 40% white lightning for the price of 2 beers so they drank that the rest of the night while I drank some beers and we played some games until bed.

Berry's SEAJ trip Day 20: Returning to Hanoi for my last full day in Nam (6/25/15)

Woke up and shared a taxi ride down to the bus station to get a bus down to Hanoi. The bus dropped people off in seemingly random places along the way (why it doesn't just go from station to station I have no idea).

worst of the coffee drinks I had at cong caphe. The coffee's face says it all. The sticky rice in a coffee drink just shouldnt be a thing. 

We get back to Hanoi and I walk to the hostel. After I get settled, I go out  to the Cong Caphe again to try the coffee with sticky rice. Not as good as the coconut coffee. I chilled that night at the hostel. I went down that night to get my laundry I had done, and found one of the employees that took me to the orphanage. I wanted to donate my leftover Dong to the Take Time charity and wanted to know how to do that. He tells me not to leave and disappears. Comes back with this older gentleman and introduces me to the founder of TT, Mike who also happens to be a blogger whom I read when planning my trip to get ideas of where to go and what to do. That was cool. Both of them were surprised at my request (I figured it would just be another day but I guess I was wrong) and helped me with making sure they got my money. After having a drink or 2 with them and hanging out for a bit, I head up to get some sleep.

Berry's SEAJ trip Day 19: Blisters and finishing this trek (6/24/15)

Get up due to lots of noise coming from both nature and the ladies of the house talking incredibly loudly. Had rained all night which is not good as the paths we are taking are all mud paths to begin with and so rain makes them even worse.

Berry and I posing in our hiking best. We will need it on the day ahead.

Leaving the homestay and appreciating the view.

Sapa countryside with a waterfall and cottages all around.

Terrace rice fields for the win!

So after breakfast, before we headed out, they gave us bamboo walking sticks with points shaved in the tips to penetrate the soil for better grip; these sticks helped immensely. We slowly make our way up through continual rain climbing from 800-1200ft elevation before making our way down to the village for lunch at 400ft. This was the time my sandals were not ideal for my trip. I kept getting mud in them, rocks which wouldn't come out on their own, and slipping everywhere. Do not know how everyone else was flying up and down these paths. With the wet feet and the sandals not made for this, I developed multiple blisters. Since my feet are always wet, I cannot put the duct tape on them to help out. I stopped to get rocks out of my shoes and wash them off when I thought we were out of the mud (we weren't) and wound up getting a leech on my foot when I put them in the water to wash them off. After lunch, Cu tells us we just hiked 30km over 2 days. Such a long trek that I was happy to have behind me. We get back to hostel and wash our shoes off and then I have a coffee with the ladies as they wait for their shuttle back to Hanoi. Since I was incredibly filthy having worn the same clothes the whole time on the trek, I got into my room, and walked into the shower with my clothes on and just let the hot water flow over me and my clothes (even the hat) and wash them with myself. It felt nice to be in fresh clean clothes as my clothes had not been dry since I left the hostel for the trek due to the rain/sweating. I relaxed that night around the hostel while making future plans.

Me and my 1836 at the hostel's patio hanging out after getting back from the trek.

Berry's SEAJ trip Day 18: Start of Sapa trek (6/23/15)

Woke up and got my bag ready for the trek into the mountains of Sapa. The group for this 2 day trek is our guide (Cu – pronounced Q), 3 Swiss-German ladies (Lina, Rahel, and Fabienne), and me. We get in the shuttle which takes us to the trail head. We are joined with some local village ladies who are “helping us” on the trek. We walk through some villages, rice fields, etc. and our guide keeps stopping to talk to us in the sun instead of the shade which kills me.

Our group to the left. the valley in front of us. So much beauty. 

Berry was just loving these rice fields. Started drizzly but soon became sunny and hot. 

Berry with his close up on the fields. Lucky lil bear!

He even found some pretty flowers to cozy up to. This is his day for sure!

Our group had to traverse the muddy embankments of the rice terraces.

Berry wanted to go make a friend with the buffalo in the back but he didnt want to get out of the water so Berry had to move on.

Berry and more of his terraces. Views like this is why Berry loves life.

Valley we hiked along. Such beautiful scenery.

Berry insisted we get a picture together since the area was so photogenic. My pasty ass detracts from this picture but he insisted. 

View from one of the stops on our hike. Amazing!

Farmer working the terrace. Magnificent contrast!

Other than that, the group is pretty cool. Cu is friendly and speaks good English, though he doesn't seem to have a good sense of timing for this walk. The girls are all very friendly and fun/easy to talk to. We stop for lunch and before we eat the locals are all over the girls as they are buying stuff. One tries to talk to me saying that she helped us and therefore I have to buy something from her. I am having none of it (I had to literally tell her no at least 10 times before she listened) and she goes to the girls after scoffing at me. They buy a bunch of stuff and then we eat lunch.

Small waterfall at our lunch stop. Berry wanted to really get in there but I wasnt sure we had that much time. 

That is the kid's pet owl. Yeah, pet owl. Some people have hedgehogs or dogs or cats, this kid had an owl! BAMF of the year!

After lunch, the locals come back and target one of the girls, asking her to buy stuff. She says she already did, lady responds not from her. She keeps on asking (Lina's friends had to step in and tell the lady to leave, she didn't) and gets her kid to start asking as well. So infuriating that they don't take no for an answer. I felt so sorry for Lina as she has a big heart and it was crushing her that she couldn't help (cant help everyone) and the lady was not listening. Eventually we left that area to get away from the vultures. We then head towards the homestead which took most of the afternoon and early evening to get to. Once there, we hike a little farther and swim in a river to cool off and shower somewhat which was quite refreshing. Get to the home-stay and it was great.

Berry challenges you to find a more amazing picture. The only down side of this is the power line tower in the background Otherwise, freakin pristine!

Crossing a dam at one of the low points and being able to look up a valley is also spectacular. 

Huge waterfall in the distance.

Berry wanted to take a picture with the tour guide in the swimming hole near the home stay of the night. The ladies were posing in the background.

Berry was enjoying the view from the homestay of the surrounding area as we were remote as remote can get.

Berry checking out another view from the grounds. Of course terrace rice fields also in the picture.

Sunset with many terraces down below and mountains rising all around us. 

First we got an appetizer of garlic fries which were amazing. Then dinner which we got to sit around and talk with the owner who used to be the mayor of this village. After a few rice wines and a beer, we turn in kinda early (9/930pm) as we had a long grueling day of 18km with elevation changes. Slept well.