It's hardly noon and we've already had quite the day! We woke up this morning and watched the sunrise over the ocean, and both commented on how it was hard to believe we were in Vietnam, looking at the South China Sea. We were quickly thrown back into the reality of Vietnam once we rented our motorbike for the day and started off! The plan was to go to 2 different sand dunes, a waterfall, and just explore. As you know we owned a scooter and also drove one around Honduras, however, driving motorbikes here is a completely different experience for many reasons. 1) They are small and have small tires which Jason said made it more difficult, 2) They are manual transmission! Which took some getting used to, there were a lot of screeech/jerk forward moments as Jason got used to it. Also the rear brake is a foot brake, and the front brake is hand. 3) We're driving in Vietnam, which means it's a free-for-all. The road is divided into 2 lanes to be used as each individual chooses. Beyond that it's a maze of other motorbikes, trucks, bikes, people on foot, and animals wandering in front of you on the street. If someone is coming towards you or you hear a horn, you move right. And it seems to work in theory until.....
someone is driving right at you on a dirt road on the far right side and isn't moving!
About 12 miles away from where we were staying we were exploring a small town and driving down a dirt road, when 2 guys on a motorbike were on our side of the road coming at us. It was unclear what they were doing or if they would move, and got close enough that Jason made a sharp right turn. Moments later we were skidding across the gravely road on our sides. Once we and the bike came to a halt we were surrounded by locals coming to help and make sure we were ok. One women had some type of green ointment she was putting all over our gashes and the guys that almost hit us were picking up our bike. Before we knew it we were each on the back of a bike heading to the local clinic where they fixed us right up for less than $2! We're ok, but kinda beat up. I have a pretty deep gash in my right arm and a good scrape on my leg, along with some road rash. Jason's injuries were wider-spread but not as deep, with a big scrape on his hand, and scrapes down his right side, elbow, and knee. We were pretty embarressed (even though it was not Jason's fault!), but everyone was so helpful! The guys who took us to the clinic brought out bike to the shop to get air in the tire and then sent us on our way. We barely made it home because of the busted tire, but are only having to pay about $30 to fix the bike, and less than $4 to fix ourselves :)
Unfortunately this means we can't get in the ocean any more, so we'll spend the next few days sitting on the beach with some beer. Oh and the worst part is our camera broke! Not from the crash, it just stopped working, so we have no pictures of the crash or clinic or people that helped us. Don't worry though, we're fine!!! Just a little embarressed and beat up :-/
Thursday, October 1, 2009
We're here!
Well, we made it! The flights were long both smooth, with no major hiccups and minimal jetlag. Saigon was great, we spent a couple of days there meandering about and getting adjusted, and then this morning we caught a bus to a beach town called Mui Ne (about 5 hours). Travel has been extremely easy so far, much easier than was thought it would be. The people are nice, and everything is cheap! For example, today we've booked a basic beachfront bungalow ($7, $3.5 per person), had a meal consisting of drinks, fried rice, red snapper w/ garlic and chilli ($5 including large tip) and breakfast of huge banana pankakes ($3ish). We've come in right at our 12 month travel budget every day, even in the most expensive city, which is great
We haven't had any huge problems so far... but we've madea few rookie mistatks. Most notably, we took our anti-malaria medication this morning at 6am (on an empty stomache) right as we walked out to go get breakfast. Apparently that stuff works fast, because by the time we got to the restaurant 15 min later we were both throwing up. Alas, it passed quickly and we're great now!
We purchased what's called an 'open-bus' tour in Saigon, which is really a pretty neat deal. It was just under $40/person, and it allows us to take a bus from Saigon all the way up to Hanoi (approx 1000miles) and get off at any of the stops we'd like to. Mui Ne is the first stop. In a few days we'll head to a mountain city called Dalat, then on to Nha Trang (another beach town), Hoi An, Hue, and then to Hanoi. The buses are very nice, with air-con, nice seats and on the longer rides even sleeper reclining seats. Not a bad deal! Feel free to Google any of these places, pictures should be easy to find.
Tomorrow we'll probably rent a scooter and go check out the huge sand dunes that run into the ocean just outside of town. Beyond that, we'll just be lounging around.
That's all for now, take care!
We haven't had any huge problems so far... but we've madea few rookie mistatks. Most notably, we took our anti-malaria medication this morning at 6am (on an empty stomache) right as we walked out to go get breakfast. Apparently that stuff works fast, because by the time we got to the restaurant 15 min later we were both throwing up. Alas, it passed quickly and we're great now!
We purchased what's called an 'open-bus' tour in Saigon, which is really a pretty neat deal. It was just under $40/person, and it allows us to take a bus from Saigon all the way up to Hanoi (approx 1000miles) and get off at any of the stops we'd like to. Mui Ne is the first stop. In a few days we'll head to a mountain city called Dalat, then on to Nha Trang (another beach town), Hoi An, Hue, and then to Hanoi. The buses are very nice, with air-con, nice seats and on the longer rides even sleeper reclining seats. Not a bad deal! Feel free to Google any of these places, pictures should be easy to find.
Tomorrow we'll probably rent a scooter and go check out the huge sand dunes that run into the ocean just outside of town. Beyond that, we'll just be lounging around.
That's all for now, take care!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Taking Off!
So the day is finally here....we fly out at 9:20 tonight out of Springfield! We fly from Springfield to LA, then LA to Taipei, Taiwan, then from there to Saigon (the flight from LA to Taiwan is 14 hours!). We arrive in Vietnam at 9:50 am Tuesday morning, which is actually 9:50 pm Monday night in Central time. Hopefully we can update pretty quick once we arrive! Thanks to everyone for all of your support and well wishes, we're pretty stoked! Here's our actual flight itinerary:
China Airlines flight #7
Los Angeles International (LAX) to Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE)
Departure (LAX): September 28, 1:15 AM PDT (morning)
Arrival (TPE): September 29, 6:10 AM CST (morning)
Class: Economy
China Airlines flight #781
Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)
Departure (TPE): September 29, 7:30 AM CST (morning)
Arrival (SGN): September 29, 9:50 AM ICT (morning)
Talk to you from Vietnam! :)
China Airlines flight #7
Los Angeles International (LAX) to Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE)
Departure (LAX): September 28, 1:15 AM PDT (morning)
Arrival (TPE): September 29, 6:10 AM CST (morning)
Class: Economy
China Airlines flight #781
Taipei Taoyuan Airport (TPE) to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)
Departure (TPE): September 29, 7:30 AM CST (morning)
Arrival (SGN): September 29, 9:50 AM ICT (morning)
Talk to you from Vietnam! :)
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Unemployment......
is fabulous!! I may not think that if we didn't have a bunch of money saved, but I think I'll get used to not working pretty quick. This last week before we leave has been filled with last minute preparations, tying up loose ends, and spending time with/talking to family and friends that we won't see for awhile. Yesterday we actually packed our packs which went MUCH better than expected, we didn't have to leave anything behind that we wanted! To pack we actually put my pack inside of Jason's in order to save space, save money on checked baggage fees, and make sure our packing stayed under control. We also both have a small backpack we'll carry on the plane, but at this point it all fits! Jason will post pictures of the packing endeavor later. I still have a couple of items I need to get and fit though so hopefully it still works! For those of you that are wondering, here's a little list of clothing I'm bringing:
5 tshirts/athletic shirts
1 pr. convertible pants (they're pants, capris, and shorts, and are amazing!)
1 skirt
1 pr. running shorts (we'll see if I actually ever run)
1 lightweight pullover
1 rain jacket
6 pr. underwear
3 pr. socks
flip flops, sport sandals, and tennis shoes
And that's about it! I need another bottom or 2 which I'm still figuring out, but if you see me wearing the same thing in every picture you know why. We'll do laundry in our room a lot in the sink, and sometimes pay to actually use a washing machine. I'm pretty excited for now makeup, blowdryers, or heels. This week I've been dressing up though since I won't get to for a year :) That's about it for now, it's kind of a sad week with all of the good-byes, but this time next week I'll be in Vietnam!
5 tshirts/athletic shirts
1 pr. convertible pants (they're pants, capris, and shorts, and are amazing!)
1 skirt
1 pr. running shorts (we'll see if I actually ever run)
1 lightweight pullover
1 rain jacket
6 pr. underwear
3 pr. socks
flip flops, sport sandals, and tennis shoes
And that's about it! I need another bottom or 2 which I'm still figuring out, but if you see me wearing the same thing in every picture you know why. We'll do laundry in our room a lot in the sink, and sometimes pay to actually use a washing machine. I'm pretty excited for now makeup, blowdryers, or heels. This week I've been dressing up though since I won't get to for a year :) That's about it for now, it's kind of a sad week with all of the good-byes, but this time next week I'll be in Vietnam!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Less than 3 weeks...
Yesterday was the 3 week mark until our departure...wow! I think we're pretty prepared at this point, this biggest task left is selling/packing up the things we aren't taking on the trip. We have 2 garage sales this weekend (come by if you're in Springfield!) and after that it's crunch time to clean out the house. Jason and I have both been getting a lot of questions about the logistics of the trip, so I figured I'd try to answer some here. Feel free to ask more if I miss any though!
FAQ's
What are you going to eat?
We'll eat local food, often from street vendors. LOTS of rice and noodles. Jason wants to try dog, I'm up for trying most of that stuff! I started eating meat again so I'm ready to eat it there. We're going to try and eat 2 meals a day to help our budget, but I get pretty pissy when I'm hungry so we'll see how that actually goes :)
Where are you sleeping?
We're staying in hostels for the most part. Some people thought we were camping in the jungle the whole time (no way!). Pretty much a room with a bed and shared bathroom, sometimes dorm-style rooms, pretty much the cheapest option we can find.
How long will you be gone?
Based on our budget we could stay for about a year, but we'll pretty much stay until we run out of money or are just ready to come home.
Is it dangerous?
For the most part, no. Of course there will be some places that aren't as safe, just like there are in the U.S. But we're pretty well informed as to where these places are and we'll be cautious.
Where are you going?
We're going to Southeast Asia! Which is pretty much straight south of the Eastern half of China. We're flying to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam, then traveling to Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Then we plan to fly to India and go to Bangladesh and Nepal. This is totally flexible though, so who knows, maybe we'll end up in Iraq after Indonesia!
Are you bringing a gun?
NO
Will you have a phone?
No again.
Internet access?
Yes, pretty regularly. We'll update as much as we can!
How long did you have to save for this?
We started saving in August of last year, so it's been a solid year of working our asses off and saving like crazy.
What are you packing?
Not a lot! We each have a fairly large backpack, and are packing as minimally as we can. I'm bring about 4 tops and 3 or 4 bottoms, and 3 pairs of shoes. I imagine Jason will bring less. We have to carry a years-worth of malaria medication, as well as some over the counter stuff. We'll post pictures of our packs once they're packed!
Do you know the language?
Not a word. But in the majority of places we'll be able to communicate in English with a lot of people, and it's amazing how well you can get by with hand signals. We have a small translation book with 5 languages in SE Asia as well to help us get by.
I think that sums it up pretty well. I'm starting to get a little nervous about it, mostly to leave family and friends. But it's pretty much all excitement! Let us know if you have any other questions, and thanks to those who have been so supportive and helpful! I especially want to thank my parents who are letting me store my car at their house among other things, and are helping with some of the logistics while we're gone. They're also celebrating "Early Christmas" for us this week and taking us to the airport. The trip would be a lot more difficult without them, so thanks for all of your help!
FAQ's
What are you going to eat?
We'll eat local food, often from street vendors. LOTS of rice and noodles. Jason wants to try dog, I'm up for trying most of that stuff! I started eating meat again so I'm ready to eat it there. We're going to try and eat 2 meals a day to help our budget, but I get pretty pissy when I'm hungry so we'll see how that actually goes :)
Where are you sleeping?
We're staying in hostels for the most part. Some people thought we were camping in the jungle the whole time (no way!). Pretty much a room with a bed and shared bathroom, sometimes dorm-style rooms, pretty much the cheapest option we can find.
How long will you be gone?
Based on our budget we could stay for about a year, but we'll pretty much stay until we run out of money or are just ready to come home.
Is it dangerous?
For the most part, no. Of course there will be some places that aren't as safe, just like there are in the U.S. But we're pretty well informed as to where these places are and we'll be cautious.
Where are you going?
We're going to Southeast Asia! Which is pretty much straight south of the Eastern half of China. We're flying to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam, then traveling to Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Then we plan to fly to India and go to Bangladesh and Nepal. This is totally flexible though, so who knows, maybe we'll end up in Iraq after Indonesia!
Are you bringing a gun?
NO
Will you have a phone?
No again.
Internet access?
Yes, pretty regularly. We'll update as much as we can!
How long did you have to save for this?
We started saving in August of last year, so it's been a solid year of working our asses off and saving like crazy.
What are you packing?
Not a lot! We each have a fairly large backpack, and are packing as minimally as we can. I'm bring about 4 tops and 3 or 4 bottoms, and 3 pairs of shoes. I imagine Jason will bring less. We have to carry a years-worth of malaria medication, as well as some over the counter stuff. We'll post pictures of our packs once they're packed!
Do you know the language?
Not a word. But in the majority of places we'll be able to communicate in English with a lot of people, and it's amazing how well you can get by with hand signals. We have a small translation book with 5 languages in SE Asia as well to help us get by.
I think that sums it up pretty well. I'm starting to get a little nervous about it, mostly to leave family and friends. But it's pretty much all excitement! Let us know if you have any other questions, and thanks to those who have been so supportive and helpful! I especially want to thank my parents who are letting me store my car at their house among other things, and are helping with some of the logistics while we're gone. They're also celebrating "Early Christmas" for us this week and taking us to the airport. The trip would be a lot more difficult without them, so thanks for all of your help!
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