Past few days on the boat have been great! The weather has been fantastic and I have been able to spend lots of time outside. I have been fighting a cold so trying to sleep a lot! We have gotten an extra hour and a half (they split the time zone in half so only 30 mins in this side of the time zone)
Yesterday I had a lab for my astronomy class where using a sextant we determined local noon (actual time the sun is directly above you instead of what your current time zone determines as noon) we found our local noon to actually occur at 12:37. From this data we were able to calculate our latitude and longitude. Later when I checked the computer in the library with our current lat long I was only a few degrees off- which is a lot in terms of navigation but I was surprised that I was even that accurate given just using the sextant for the first time and being on a rocky ship with sometimes less than perfect observations of the sextant dials and readings.
I am very anxious to get to Burma!They only just told us yesterday that dock time of 1pm means nothing because Burmese customs are very strict and it could be anywhere from 3pm to 6pm that we actually get our passports and get off the ship- ugh. Then it is another hour from the port into the city! Mom and dad said they are coming with the tour guide to the port though!! I am so excited to see them! And we have an awesome itinerary planned!
We have learned a lot about Burma/ Myanmar in the last few days- basically it is a country in turmoil, dangerous, unstable, elections are happening soon, riots have taken place, etc etc. the two names are due to the two parties (Burma for people who want democracy, Myanmar for the current military run govt) we are supposed to use Myanmar because that is what the current govt is and what they want people to call the country. The election is in 2015 and the person who is supposed to win- if it is a fair and equal vote- is Aung San Suu Kyi, a woman who is the daughter of the man who pushed for decolonization from the British after ww2. She is obviously pro democracy. they have told us this is going to be the biggest culture shock yet so I am very curious to see just how different this country is. We were told you cannot take pictures of police, govt buildings, roads, anything to do with elections or politics and if you are seen doing so you will be detained and questioned. Additionally Internet, email, conversations in public areas including hotels and restaurants etc are all monitored and watched. Even tour guides known to be with foreigners may be questioned by authorities as to what questions were asked and what the tour guide tells the tourists. I need to make sure my mom knows this and does not ask anything too much on the edge! I feel like we should have planned for my dad to go to a more "normal" country- he is never going to want to travel again!!
It is supposed to be 90-100 in Burma! Tonight we have plans to go to the shawagoda pagoda to see the sunset and have drinks and dinner with friends if we ever get off the boat!! I will try to send pictures along the way but will wait to write until I get back to the ship ( I have a midterm the first day back so will wait to blog till after that is over!)
Fingers crossed I get off the boat soon!
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Singapore Slingin'!
Yes- i have used that phrase on facebook, instagram, and now my blog, so
I promise its the last time!
Being in Sinagapore with my mom was AWESOME!! We had such a blast! I was
so anxious to get off and see her yesterday morning so I snuck off in a
group way before mine was supposed to go... oops. The customs and
security here in Singapore have been by far the most strict. Mommy was
ready and waiting at the end of customs and I was so happy to see her!
We literally talked straight for the whole time!(except when we were
catching up on wifi and our emails then we were both silent and glued to
it- but only very briefly because we were so excited to be with each
other and didnt want to be wasting our time!)
First thing we got in a cab and headed to the giant ferris wheel over
the city. Singapore has the most futuristic architecture- there are
buildings that look like space ships, tall needles, flower pedals,
snakes, spheres, etc- it is really cool! Seeing all of that from above
in the tallest ferris wheel was really pretty and good to get our
bearings. After the ferris wheel we went to "gardens by the bay" - I
will post pictures because it is really hard to describe- huge gardens
centered around these huge fake trees with bridges across them that you
could walk around on.
After this we took the metro to our hotel- upon first impression
Singapore is very clean, people are kind and helpful, and everything is
in English!! Singapore is incredibly safe and has some weird rules: no
spitting, huge fines for littering, no chewing gum, and in some cases
the death penalty for using drugs!
After dropping our bags we went to Maxwell Food Hawkers Market- these
"hawker markets" are very popular in Singapore. Instead of having street
food which was found to be unsanitary, the governement created these
markets which are outdoors but covered and have 2-3 rows of stalls where
you can order food at the counter and eat your food at the tables in the
middle. The food was incredible! We went to a few different stalls: one
for pad thai, one for shark meat, rice, veggies, one for mango, and one
for a coconut to drink! It was really fun and cool to walk around- some
of the best food too and great people watching!
Then we walked around the shopping streets back to our hotel. The
Raffles is one of the coolest hotels I have ever stayed at. It is
extremely historic and they have a hall with picutres of people who have
stayed there and it is extensive: many US presidents, will and kate,
movie stars, international business and govt people, etc! The hotel has
many restartaunts, bars, shops, etc. People come just to walk around and
see it, but if you are staying there you can go into the incredible
lobby, more bars, swimming pool, etc. The service is also incredible- we
were greeted with a "love letter" from the hotel manager welcoming us to
the hotel- haha! We must have gotten an upgrade from the nice
receptionist because our room was hugeeee! There was an entrance hall
then through curtains into the bed room with 2 huge beds, then into
another room with huge old desk and tables and couch then walking
further out onto the deck. The hotel has all these open walking
promenades and courtyards and places to sit around fountains and the
architecture is clean and crisp yet old and historic and all of the
ceilings are so high. I will try to post some pictures!
We hung out at the gorgeous infinity pool for about an hour that was
very quiet and peaceful. Then we showered in the awesome old fashioned
looking bathroom (everything worked like it was brand new though!) then
went to the Long Bar for the original Singapore Slings! Bridget, Morgan,
and Ginger met us! The key ingredients of these famous drinks are gin
and grenadine- 2 of my least favorite things! But as luck would have it,
they have summer, fall, autum, winter, tropic, and 1887 Singapore Sling
Varieties with different mix ins and alcohols! I think I ended up
getting the summer- which was aweomse and mom got the original and we
all tried each others! The Bar was really cool and not what I expected-
it has these cool fans and on all the tables were peanuts like at
baseball games and you throw the shells on the ground so when you walk
around the floor crackles under you- it was the most casual bar in the
fanciest of places!
After drinks we all went to dinner at candle nut- recommended by travel
and leisure and also our hotel! It was traditional cuisine and very
tasty- a few of the dishes were so spicy-there was one curry where I
have never had anything as spicy in my entire life- Bridget was dying!!
After dinner the girls headed off to Marina Bay Sands for raging but I
snuggled in with mommy in our awesome hotel and went to bed!
The next morning we slept in a bit and ended up having the most
extensive beautiful brunch out by the pool! Then we soaked in some rays
until about 3 then sadly had to check out. We grabbed a cab back to the
ship so mom could take a tour of it! We had about 2 hours so I showed
her around then we hung out on the 7th deck and she met more of my
friends. She said she thought it was nicer than she had imagined!
It was sad to say bye but ok since I will see her again in 3 days!! It
was such an incredible 2 days that flew by but really loved Singapore
and can see myself going back in the future especially since it is such
a business and finance hub.
Right now we are pulling out of the harbor- it is very warm and I am on
a lawn chair surrounded by friends looking out on the skyline of the
gorgeous lights of Singapore. There is a gondola from one end to the
other about a mile long and each gondola is lit up too-and every weird
building is lit up too- its really quite the sight!
Sad these days went by too fast but we have class tomorrow, then a study
day, then one more day of class then Burma! We get to the port at 1pm
which is late (usually 8am) but I am definitely going to sneak off as
early as I can again to see my mom AND dad:) Ill post some pictures from
Singapore soon!
I promise its the last time!
Being in Sinagapore with my mom was AWESOME!! We had such a blast! I was
so anxious to get off and see her yesterday morning so I snuck off in a
group way before mine was supposed to go... oops. The customs and
security here in Singapore have been by far the most strict. Mommy was
ready and waiting at the end of customs and I was so happy to see her!
We literally talked straight for the whole time!(except when we were
catching up on wifi and our emails then we were both silent and glued to
it- but only very briefly because we were so excited to be with each
other and didnt want to be wasting our time!)
First thing we got in a cab and headed to the giant ferris wheel over
the city. Singapore has the most futuristic architecture- there are
buildings that look like space ships, tall needles, flower pedals,
snakes, spheres, etc- it is really cool! Seeing all of that from above
in the tallest ferris wheel was really pretty and good to get our
bearings. After the ferris wheel we went to "gardens by the bay" - I
will post pictures because it is really hard to describe- huge gardens
centered around these huge fake trees with bridges across them that you
could walk around on.
After this we took the metro to our hotel- upon first impression
Singapore is very clean, people are kind and helpful, and everything is
in English!! Singapore is incredibly safe and has some weird rules: no
spitting, huge fines for littering, no chewing gum, and in some cases
the death penalty for using drugs!
After dropping our bags we went to Maxwell Food Hawkers Market- these
"hawker markets" are very popular in Singapore. Instead of having street
food which was found to be unsanitary, the governement created these
markets which are outdoors but covered and have 2-3 rows of stalls where
you can order food at the counter and eat your food at the tables in the
middle. The food was incredible! We went to a few different stalls: one
for pad thai, one for shark meat, rice, veggies, one for mango, and one
for a coconut to drink! It was really fun and cool to walk around- some
of the best food too and great people watching!
Then we walked around the shopping streets back to our hotel. The
Raffles is one of the coolest hotels I have ever stayed at. It is
extremely historic and they have a hall with picutres of people who have
stayed there and it is extensive: many US presidents, will and kate,
movie stars, international business and govt people, etc! The hotel has
many restartaunts, bars, shops, etc. People come just to walk around and
see it, but if you are staying there you can go into the incredible
lobby, more bars, swimming pool, etc. The service is also incredible- we
were greeted with a "love letter" from the hotel manager welcoming us to
the hotel- haha! We must have gotten an upgrade from the nice
receptionist because our room was hugeeee! There was an entrance hall
then through curtains into the bed room with 2 huge beds, then into
another room with huge old desk and tables and couch then walking
further out onto the deck. The hotel has all these open walking
promenades and courtyards and places to sit around fountains and the
architecture is clean and crisp yet old and historic and all of the
ceilings are so high. I will try to post some pictures!
We hung out at the gorgeous infinity pool for about an hour that was
very quiet and peaceful. Then we showered in the awesome old fashioned
looking bathroom (everything worked like it was brand new though!) then
went to the Long Bar for the original Singapore Slings! Bridget, Morgan,
and Ginger met us! The key ingredients of these famous drinks are gin
and grenadine- 2 of my least favorite things! But as luck would have it,
they have summer, fall, autum, winter, tropic, and 1887 Singapore Sling
Varieties with different mix ins and alcohols! I think I ended up
getting the summer- which was aweomse and mom got the original and we
all tried each others! The Bar was really cool and not what I expected-
it has these cool fans and on all the tables were peanuts like at
baseball games and you throw the shells on the ground so when you walk
around the floor crackles under you- it was the most casual bar in the
fanciest of places!
After drinks we all went to dinner at candle nut- recommended by travel
and leisure and also our hotel! It was traditional cuisine and very
tasty- a few of the dishes were so spicy-there was one curry where I
have never had anything as spicy in my entire life- Bridget was dying!!
After dinner the girls headed off to Marina Bay Sands for raging but I
snuggled in with mommy in our awesome hotel and went to bed!
The next morning we slept in a bit and ended up having the most
extensive beautiful brunch out by the pool! Then we soaked in some rays
until about 3 then sadly had to check out. We grabbed a cab back to the
ship so mom could take a tour of it! We had about 2 hours so I showed
her around then we hung out on the 7th deck and she met more of my
friends. She said she thought it was nicer than she had imagined!
It was sad to say bye but ok since I will see her again in 3 days!! It
was such an incredible 2 days that flew by but really loved Singapore
and can see myself going back in the future especially since it is such
a business and finance hub.
Right now we are pulling out of the harbor- it is very warm and I am on
a lawn chair surrounded by friends looking out on the skyline of the
gorgeous lights of Singapore. There is a gondola from one end to the
other about a mile long and each gondola is lit up too-and every weird
building is lit up too- its really quite the sight!
Sad these days went by too fast but we have class tomorrow, then a study
day, then one more day of class then Burma! We get to the port at 1pm
which is late (usually 8am) but I am definitely going to sneak off as
early as I can again to see my mom AND dad:) Ill post some pictures from
Singapore soon!
Friday, February 21, 2014
Almost to Singapore
I cannot believe I will be seeing my mom in about 18 hours! I am SO
excited!!
Its been a quick 2 days of class here on the boat with barely enough
time to catch up on sleep and school work. We had an awesome speaker
come to my business class today who is a very successful entrepreneur
and inspirational speaker- it was a cool change of pace to listen to him
talk and engage the class in a different way- he had us look at the
countries we have been to with a new eye for business tactics and ideas
that was really fascinating.
We didnt leave Vietnam until the next mornign after on ship time- so it
was really beautiful in the harbour the last night and enjoying the big
barbeque out on the 7th deck. The next day it took about 5 hours of slow
moving down the river to get to the ocean. As soon as we were out on the
ocean the seas got really rough really fast. When I got back to my room
after class there was hairbrushes, jewelry, water bottles, books etc all
over the floor! I am shocked I didnt feel sea sick at all! Seas are much
more calm now and we have been passing more ships than normal which is
cool to see. Other than that weather has been hot and sunny- and i got a
little burnt yesterday:(
I forgot to say that my team won the dodge ball tournament! We finally
had the last rounds after tons of delays! It was sort of anti climactic
because there wasn't a prize or anything- only bragging rights- but
still pretty awesome that our team won!
Last night we lost an hour of sleep- because I guess we went backwards a
time zone- I cant imagine how hard it must have been for Margaret (my
sister who went the other way around the world on sas) constantly
loosing an hour every few nights.
I am really excited for Singapore and seeing my mom! We are staying at
the Raffles Hotel which was recently declared a national monument by the
government! They also invented the drink called the "Singapore Sling"
and I invited some friends to get drinks with mommy and I so we can all
try the original Singapore Slings! Thats its for now and Ill post again
after Singapore!
excited!!
Its been a quick 2 days of class here on the boat with barely enough
time to catch up on sleep and school work. We had an awesome speaker
come to my business class today who is a very successful entrepreneur
and inspirational speaker- it was a cool change of pace to listen to him
talk and engage the class in a different way- he had us look at the
countries we have been to with a new eye for business tactics and ideas
that was really fascinating.
We didnt leave Vietnam until the next mornign after on ship time- so it
was really beautiful in the harbour the last night and enjoying the big
barbeque out on the 7th deck. The next day it took about 5 hours of slow
moving down the river to get to the ocean. As soon as we were out on the
ocean the seas got really rough really fast. When I got back to my room
after class there was hairbrushes, jewelry, water bottles, books etc all
over the floor! I am shocked I didnt feel sea sick at all! Seas are much
more calm now and we have been passing more ships than normal which is
cool to see. Other than that weather has been hot and sunny- and i got a
little burnt yesterday:(
I forgot to say that my team won the dodge ball tournament! We finally
had the last rounds after tons of delays! It was sort of anti climactic
because there wasn't a prize or anything- only bragging rights- but
still pretty awesome that our team won!
Last night we lost an hour of sleep- because I guess we went backwards a
time zone- I cant imagine how hard it must have been for Margaret (my
sister who went the other way around the world on sas) constantly
loosing an hour every few nights.
I am really excited for Singapore and seeing my mom! We are staying at
the Raffles Hotel which was recently declared a national monument by the
government! They also invented the drink called the "Singapore Sling"
and I invited some friends to get drinks with mommy and I so we can all
try the original Singapore Slings! Thats its for now and Ill post again
after Singapore!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Vietnam
Vietnam!
I never want to leave! I had the absolute best time and I learned so much. I have posted a good amount of pictures with commentary from Vietnam so some of this may be repetitive.
The ship had a later dock time than our past ports (noon instead of 8am) so we were able to sleep in a bit and finish up packing and hang out before we finally got off the boat around 1:30. It is always so hard to wait as they call different groups because we are so anxious and excited to get off! My sea was called last because we had the most people who were late getting back to the ship in hong kong. This is called “getting dock time” and it is actually the worst punishment: if you are 1 second to 15 minutes late you have to stay on the boat for 2 hours after the last person gets off the ship in the next port. If you are 15- 30 mins late you have to stay on for 4 hours. And it continues to quickly escalate until the ship has to leave (usually 2 hours after the “curfew”) and they will legitimately leave without you! So anyways- no one got left behind, but my sea had the most people who were late so we were called for customs etc last. Oh well, a lot of my friends are coincidentally in my sea so as soon as we got off we went to meet up with Erin’s cousin, John!
We took a cab to a coffee shop he told us to meet him at and this was our first experience with how cheap Vietnam is- $6 for a 30 minute long cab ride! Getting in the cab and seeing all the wild drivers, and tons of people on motorbikes was wild. They are everywhere and no one obeys signs, lights, or pedestrians- its crazy. We learned that there are 30 deaths a day (maybe week- but still a lot) from motorbike and pedestrian accidents. We were very cautious and often would find old ladies or locals to walk behind as we figured they knew how best to cross and get around! Also on our cab ride the driver stopped the meter, parked the car on the side of a busy street, and went to a vendor to buy a new cell phone battery- it was so weird but really funny- took about 2 minutes and he turned the meter back on and continued driving- that would never happen in nyc and I loved it!
John is Irish, has a super thick accent, and is hilarious. We had lunch with him at a goofy Mexican restaurant that had Asian, burgers, tex mex, sushi, and pizza- it was pretty funny! Then we walked to his apartment that is in a cute neighborhood. We went up to his rooftop bar and hung out for a few hours before our flight. We sipped on Tiger beer and watched the sunset over ho chi mihn city- pretty awesome.
We had to head to the airport to catch our flight to Hanoi but before we left John gave us girls roses because it was valentines day! So kind! Since John is a pilot for Vietnam Air he lives about a 10 minute walk from the airport- so we walked- I have never walked to an airport before and I am glad we had him to walk with us!
Our flight was pretty easy and pretty empty so we spread out and got some sleep. We arrived in Hanoi and waited about 15 minutes for the hotel to pick us up. At this point it was me, ginger, erin, david, ne, and florentina. David is one of Ne and Florentina’s new friends and he last minute decided to come with us, which was so fun! He is from Puerto Rico and decided he liked our itinerary so asked me if he could copy it and join in- the only guy and it was great! We got to our awesome hotel, which was recommended by my mom and fell asleep right away- we had to be up in 6 hours and we were exhausted!
We woke up and had awesome breakfast that was included at the hotel- banana pancakes were the hit. Then the bus that was supposed to get us at our hotel got confused because Bridget flew in that morning and so they picked her up instead of the 6 of us and started driving just her to Ha Long Bay- these kind of things happen with the language barrier! We got it all sorted out and ended up getting a taxi for free to meet up with the rest of the group and Bridget!
The drive was long but fascinating. Passing tons of motorbikes- with many people squished on (like the picture I posted earlier) animals in cages in the back, AC units strapped on and massive plants were some of the things we saw precariously balanced on the back of these motor bikes! Going through beautiful country side and rice patty fields and cute towns, run down towns, and even power plants, then farms was really interesting and cool to see the variety.
We finally got to Ha Long Bay and it was much cooler than we expected. That was a bummer because it would have been nicer to have clear and warm weather but that didn’t detract from everything we saw and did and enjoyed! We got to the dock and got on our little dingy to the boat. It was a 12 cabin ship that was really cute and beautifully made. It was very authentic and well decorated. They served us an amazing lunch of traditional Vietnamese food cooked by the chef downstairs with ingredients he bought at the market that morning: fresh spring rolls, veggies, fresh fish, rice, etc. It was awesome! Then we headed to “Surprising Cave”. We were laughing at the name but after seeing it- we were surprised too!
There are a few massive caverns inside one of the limestone islands that was naturally created 5 million years ago from ocean erosion. It is actually indescribable- massive caves with intricate patterns in the walls from the ocean. The man who discovered it 15 years ago is now a millionaire in Vietnam. After the caves we went to a beach where we climbed to the top of one of the islands for fantastic views. Then Erin and Bridget went swimming (after putting on quite a liquor jacket!) The rest of us watched and laughed!
Then it was back to the ship for long hot showers, hanging out, and enjoying the incredible views while cruising among the islands. They served us wonderful drinks and another fantastic meal for dinner. Then we pretended it was Bridget’s birthday and the crew felt so badly they didn’t have a cake so they all sang karaoke for her instead- it was awesome! We hung out for a bit longer, attempted to fish for squid and headed to bed on the early side! We were up early again for a quick breakfast then kayaking through one of the floating villages! It was so beautiful and very interesting to see the people who have literally never left Ha Long Bay in their lives. Very fascinating to think about our very different lives..
After kayaking we had a cooking class and learned how to make spring rolls- then we had them as part of our lunch! Then it was back to the port and bus back to Hanoi. The 2 day one night tour was perfect-got to see the incredible natural wonder but left ourselves time for more adventures! Our tour guide, Hero, who was with us on the ship and along the way at Ha Long Bay talked to us a lot on the way back about Vietnamese culture. We learned about burial routines which include burying, digging up and reburying ashes. We also learned about the importance of your zodiac sign in your fortune and future wife/ husband (the first thing you do when you meet someone is ask how old they are so you can figure out their sign so you can see how you should act towards them and if they could be a possible love interest! Also age is important to know how you should address them- different terms for age to show respect). I was surprised how open he was when he told us his salary of $4000 per year USD as a tour guide, which is very good. In comparison, a rice farmer makes about $1800 per year. Also, most people, including himself, pay no taxes. All very interesting things to compare and contrast.
Back in Hanoi we changed and went out to dinner at a restaurant recommended by Ginger’s aunt that was pretty close to the hotel! The food had gorgeous presentation and tasted incredible. There is a very big French influence there due to French colonialism in Vietnam so the French- Vietnamese food combo is to die for! After dinner we bar hopped a bit and walked around Hanoi Old Quarter which is very cool- shops, restaurants, bars, etc. My favorite place we went there was a band playing acoustic songs that we all know and there were mini plastic chairs on the ground and we all sat around and listened and the music was so cool!
The next morning we were up early again to go to Hotel Hilton and the museum before our afternoon flights. I am so glad we made it and got to see first hand how history can be written so many different ways.
Hanoi was a really incredible city I would love to go back to. There was tons of fun bargain shopping, fun streets to walk around in, great history, gorgeous lake in the middle, and more. One thing I love about Vietnam is seeing all the street food eaters and restaurants- they everywhere! Outside on the sidewalk are little mini tables with mini chairs and tons of locals sitting around eating and drinking and little ladies cooking pho, rice, veggies, fish, spring rolls, etc. Watching these people in their culture is so cool- Bridget and I lived like the locals do and had street food the last day in HCMC- sat at the mini tables and had the freshest fish, veggies and rice for about $2!
After the museums we all split up and just B and I headed to Da Nang! We were picked up at the airport by our hotel and drove about 30 mins to Hoi An! We kept joking that we were on a couples retreat. Upon driving around the outskirts of the town (only waling and bikes) we arrived at our hotel. We were greeted by drinks and a pleasant staff. This hotel was only $70 per night for both of us and if it had been anywhere else it would have been no doubt $500 or more- no joke it was insanely nice. Our room was huge, overlooked the pool and water, amazing breakfast served, $2 drinks- mojitos, margaritas, and pinna coladas to die for that B and I thoroughly enjoyed!
I got a massage and manicure and pedicure at the hotel ,which was so nice! I have never had such funny, cute, and happy people give me a manicure and pedicure. There was one girl working on my feet, another on my hands and a third, Nina, (who wanted to practice her English) sitting on my other side talking with me. There were about 5 girls working and they are all 20-25 and 2 of them are in University. They were all talking and laughing and painting each other’s nails and doing their hair- I could tell they were genuinely happy and having a lot of fun being at work together. I wonder if this is very rare and how much they get paid and if their jobs are considered good or bad or if they are just working side jobs next to school. That is one thing that is tough about semester at sea and only being in places for such a short time- I get to see so much but I am not able to get to know these girls in a more personal way. However, I really do feel that being able to see so many different places is widening my view of the world and teaching me more than would be possible if I was only in one place.
Anyways, after showering and relaxing at the pool and joking to each other that it was just another Monday at school ,we headed into town for dinner at another restaurant recommended by ginger’s aunt. The guy who owns it is from nyc and married a Vietnamese woman whose mom still cooks everything. Classic Vietnamese with fabulous drinks and only $ 15 later B and I were off for more relaxing, drinks, and listening to music by the water!
The next day we slept till 9:15 (latest the whole trip!) and had a huge breakfast, relaxed at the pool, then rented bikes and biked to the beach! Biking through the cute town (hanging lanterns everywhere, on the water, no cars, peaceful with bright colors on the buildings) then through rice fields to the beach was awesome! We hung out on the first beach for about an hour, then biked to another one- both wonderful soft sand, warm water, palm trees, and beach side restaurants. We returned to the town to do a bit of shopping- and did more bargaining!!
Then we showered, got more drinks at the hotel and headed into town for dinner. We picked a cute place on the water and had another amazing, fresh meal for close to nothing. We walked around more then headed back to the hotel to sleep before we had to get up at 5am for our flight back to HCMC. As I am sure you can see, Hoi An was such a peaceful and fun escape (not like all the other places aren’t but it had a more “vacation” ish vibe). It was well worth the traveling to make it to Hoi An- I know I want to go back!
This morning in HCMC we took a taxi back to the ship, dropped our stuff off and headed out to explore. We went to the market and I got a new backpack because mine was falling apart after using it everyday since sophomore year at Deerfield! B and I kept running into friends from the ship and walked around and got street food like I mentioned earlier. Then we headed back to the boat around 3 to beat the rush of students boarding. I got a caramel ice cream bar and enjoyed that up on the 7th deck before beginning to write this blog post!
Its funny being back on the ship- everyone is wearing their new purchases- pants, shoes, etc that I can recognize from the market! As a surprise we have a cook out on the 7th deck for dinner! It is warm and the sunset is gorgeous here in the port so everyone is very happy!
We have a quick 2 days on the ship then Singapore! I am so excited and I get to see my mom!! And Happy Birthday again to my awesome dad!
Thank you friends and family for all of your comments, emails, insta likes, etc- it is so great to hear from you because I miss you all so much!
Happy Birthday Daddy!
Happy Birthday to my Dad!
I am so lucky to have such a supportive, loving, and fun dad and I hope
he has the best birthday! He has been so encouraging and supportive of
me on this trip and in writing this blog, and I am so grateful for that.
Happy Birthday Daddy and I cannot wait to celebrate in Burma!
I am so lucky to have such a supportive, loving, and fun dad and I hope
he has the best birthday! He has been so encouraging and supportive of
me on this trip and in writing this blog, and I am so grateful for that.
Happy Birthday Daddy and I cannot wait to celebrate in Burma!
Monday, February 17, 2014
Hanoi and hoi an
That night Had one of the best nights at semester at sea so far- great group and Vietnam is a wonderful country.
Next morning early went to hotel hilton and the museum which was fascinating then Bridget and I were off to hoi an.
We are in heaven! Our hotel is amazing! Big pool, on the water, spa (got a mani pedi and massage for only $12 and and 50 minutes long!) and the town is incredible- huge lanterns everywhere, on the water, bridges, shops, restaurants, very local and quaint. Went to dinner at Ms Ly's (also a recommendation) which was the 2nd restaurant in hoi an from 1993- authentic, delicious and amazing people. Then we went to a few different bars for drinks! We are having the best time and never want to leave!
Sunday, February 16, 2014
More ha long bay
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Ha Long Bay so Far!
Absolutely gorgeous on ha long bay! We arrived after a facinating 2.5 hour drive seeing Vietnam and got on our ship! It's like a mini MV explorer! It is awesome and soo much fun! The staff is so nice and there are only about 10 other peole on our boat and they are so nice and fun. We pretended it was Bridget's birthday at dinner! The food they have served is incredible traditional Vietnam- tonsss of amazing dishes family style. A bit foggy but still got to see an amazing cave (only brought my big camera so no pictures here) and beach- Bridget and Erin went swimming! It's much chillier than we expected but absolutely gorgeous- so glad we made the trip out here! Tomorrow morning we are kayaking around floating villages, doing tai chi, cooking class, and more boating around to see the 2000 gorgeous limestone islands! Then back to Hanoi!
Sent from my iPhone
A quick update
After Erin lost her phone, wallet and all credit cards In japan, john had 2 packages for her from her parents with money and phone- she was very happy!! John gave all the girls flowers because it was valentines day- what a sweet heart!
Easy flight to Hanoi and checked into our awesome hotel (thanks mom!) great breakfast and about to get on the bus to ha long bay!
Much chillier here in Hanoi but gorgeous and in the 70s compared to the 90s in ho chi mihn. Already love Vietnam- kindest people, crazy motor bikes, beautiful and fun!
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