"We may lose and we may win, though we will never be here again" - The Eagles

While in Hanoi, we also spent a few days visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay! I know I have said this a few times already, but it might have been the most beautiful place I have been in my life. Ha Long Bay covers an area around 1,553 km2, including 1,960–2,000 islets, most of which are limestone.

We spent our first night in Halong Bay on a cruise ship floating through the limestone islands and soaking up the sun and the views.

 Beautiful view of Ha Long Bay from our cruise boat*

On our first night we took out some kayaks to watch the sun set over the limestone islands. It was breathtakingly beautiful and completely surreal. The water was so calm and easy to glide through.. much easier then kayaking through the rapids in Vang Vieng!

Our kayaks parked outside Hang Đầu Gỗ cave just before sunset*

Staying true to form, we also did some splunking. Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes cave) is the largest grotto in the Hạ Long area. French tourists visited in the late 19th century, and named the cave Grotte des Merveilles. It has three large chambers which have tons of stalactites and stalagmites. 

 Splunking in Hang Đầu Gỗ cave in Ha Long Bay*

There are two bigger islands, Tuần Châu and Cat Ba, that have permanent inhabitants, as well as tourist facilities including hotels and beaches. There are a number of beautiful beaches on the smaller islands. On our second night in Ha Long Bay, we stayed on a much smaller private island. It was just about 30 people sleeping in huts on the beach with a bar, tiny kitchen, and a speed boat for tubing.

The private island we stayed at in Ha Long Bay*

Goodmorning Vietnam!!!!

I have spent the last little bit in Vietnam and I love love love it!!!! I had heard some horror stories about being ripped off and taken advantage of but so far these have all just been stories of past travellers... no personal experiences.. yes! 

My first stop in Vietnam was the capital, Hanoi. Under French rule, the French colonial architecture style became dominant and remains in Hanoi today with the tree-lined boulevards and its many villas and mansions, Grand Opera House, Saint Joseph Cathedral, and the historic Hotel Metropole.

Me and my Cambodian room mates were reunited which was AMAZING!!! It was so great to see them after being apart for 3 weeks. Its amazing how close you become to people you are travelling with. 

Cathy, Lauren, me and Kim in Hanoi* 

Hoan Kiem Lake (meaning "Lake of the Returned Sword") is located in the historical center of Hanoi. The lake is one of the major scenic spots in the city and serves as a focal point for its public life. According to the legend, emperor Lê Lợi gave a magic sword called "Heaven's Will" which brought him victory in his revolt against the Chinese Ming Dynasty back to the Golden Turtle God (Kim Qui) in the lake. There is a Turtle Tower (Thap Rùa) standing on a small island near the centre of lake is linked to the legend. Along the side of Hoan Kiem Lake, there is a huge globe with an abnormally large Vietnam on it.

Globe along Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi*

Hanoi was selected as one of the top 10 cities for food in the world and Vietnam's national dish Phở has been named one of the top 5 streetfoods in the world. I agree with both of these!!!

View of the streets of Hanoi along the  Hoan Kiem Lake*

While in Hanoi, we also made a little visit to snake village. We got to play with some smaller-ish snakes, watch a cobra and Vietnamese man battle it out a bit, and then of course try some snake. It was delicious! We ate the meat, skin, bile, and a bit of the blood. Some people even tried the heart but Im not that brave. When in Vietnam, act as the Vietnamese do!

Kim with her little snake friend in snake village, Hanoi*

"But Baby it's cold outside..."

It's not cold like it is in Toronto, but it is veryyyy chilly up in Luang Prabang and I dont know how I feel about it. The days never really get hot and there is a cool breeze and at night time the days

Yesterday we went to the beautiful Kuang Si Falls. The falls begin in shallow pools atop a steep hillside that lead to the main drop with a 50m cascade.  

The main drop of Kuang Si Falls*

The water collects in numerous turquoise blue pools as it flows downstream which you are able to swim in. Because its so cold, we opted not to swim.

Turquoise blue pools of Kuang Si Falls* 

We also went to the Bear Rescue Centre in Luang Prabang. This place houses endangered Asiatic black bears which have been saved from poachers and traffickers. Also housed here is Phet, an Indo-Chinese tiger that was saved from a similar fate but we didn't get to see her.

Endangered Asiatic black bears*

There is love for Che Guevara even in Laos.
"Justice remains the tool of a few powerful interests; legal interpretations will continue to be made to suit the convenience of the oppressor powers" - Che Guevara

Che Guevara seat cover on somebody's motorbike* 

As always, Cathy and I had no problem finding some nice red wine. We came across this fantastic wine bar that was throwing a private birthday party so it was packed with nice food, interesting people and great music. I am very grateful I have found a friend who enjoy's red wine as much as I do.

The back of the wine menu*

"If you smile at me I will understand, cause that is something everybody everywhere does in the same language" - Crosby, Stills and Nash

Vang Vieng can't help but make you smile. Aside from the drunken fresh out of high school tourists stumbling around everywhere, the scenery and karst hill landscape surrounding the town might be the most beautiful things I have ever seen. 

Vang Vieng has become a backpacker-oriented town, with the main street featuring guest houses, bars, restaurants, internet cafes, tour agencies and western tourists. One of the main attractions of the town is the  tubing on the Nam Song River, which is lined with bars selling Beer Lao and cheap buckets of cocktails, and most places are equipped with rope swings, zip lines, and huge decks. I must admit that I cut my lip open going down the "slide of death". Pictures will come later when I get the film from my water proof camera developed. Yes, a real film from the most ghetto water proof camera ever created!

The caving opportunities that surround Vang Vieng is in one word, awesome. I love to splunk! We did a bit of jungle trekking to this one cave where we sat in tubes, sifted through water by pulling on ropes attached to the walls and guiding ourselves deeper into complete darkness.

A bit of jungle trekking on our way to splunk!

In total, it took abot 35 minutes to go through the entire cave and back. At some points the water was so shallow we had to get out of our tubes and walk. At one point, because we were the only people in there, our tour guide made Cathy and I turn off our head lamps and sit in the complete darkness, in the middle of the cave, with the bats flying above us and water snakes swimming below us, for one whole minute. It was terrifying to say the least but when you are in that situation you just do it - crazy not to!

Sitting in our tubes, in complete darkness, with our super cool head lamps on*

Sitting at the entrance to the cave trying not to hit our heads on the rocks*

Not being able to pass up the opportunity, we also treated ourselves to an amazing afternoon of kayaking down the Nam Song River. The view was almost surreal.

Vang Vieng is a very interesting place because it has literally been taken over by the youth. Drugs are very accessible and most bars sell happy/magic shakes and joints of all sorts. The restaurants are all equipped with couch-like tables and play "Friends" or "Family Guy" all day long... and I mean all day long! The bars along the river for tubing are fiercely competitive and give you free shots just for walking in, even in the morning! It was a weird environment to be around in one of the most beautiful areas of the world. Maybe just a bit more self control by the younger crowd would be nice :)

Lovely Laos: Vientaine*

We ventured a little farther from Phnom Penh and have been exploring the northern part of Laos. 

Some first impressions are: 

- it's more expensive

- the people arent as friendly

- there are no beggars on the streets

- drugs are sold in bars/restaurants

- the internet is dodgy

- the scenery and mountains are the most beautiful I have ever seen

Our first stop in Laos was the capital Vientaine. It's a beautiful city with a great relaxing atmosphere. Probably the oldest standing temple in Vientiane and among the most atmospheric is Wat Si Saket which was built in 1818.  In the centre of the courtyard is a five-tier-roofed sim (ordination hall) housing Buddha niches and beautiful but fading murals of the Buddha's past lives.

Wat Si Saket* 

Within the cloister walls are hundreds of niches housing Buddha images large and small, made of wood, stone, silver and bronze.

 Wat Si Saket* 

Next on our list was to see Haw Pha Kaew (because we LOVE temples!). Haw Pha Kaew is King Setthathirat's former royal temple, which housed the magical Emerald Buddha (pha kaew) after it was taken from Lanna (Chiang Mai). The Siamese took it back in 1779 and is now housed in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew. The present structure is a 1942 reconstruction of the Emerald Buddha but you aren't allowed to take pictures.

Haw Pha Kaew*

On our way to another attraction, we stumbled upon this much smaller temple where monks were performing blessings. Local people brought items of worship and gifts, and in return were given a blessing. 

Compared to the hectic, bustling capitals in other countries, Vientiane's relaxing atmosphere is wonderful. At the end of each day, it was very nice the to wander down to the riverside, relax on a patio and watch the sun set over the Mekong.

Nobody puts baby in the corner*

I was sitting in the waiting room of 'U and Me Spa' for Cathy to finish her pedicure when I came across this book. It is a real book... this is not a joke. 

Front cover of the book*

The entire book it about 20 pages long but you can get the gist of it from just reading the very last page.

The last page of the book*

Unbelievable! 

Amnesty International*

Today I went to an Amnesty International Press Conference on forced eviction in Cambodia. Cambodian women are increasingly at the forefront of the battle against a wave of forced evictions sweeping the country.“Eviction and resistance in Cambodia: Five women tell their stories” is a documentary that details, through first-hand testimony, the stories of Hong, Mai, Sophal, Heap and Vanny, women who have faced or continue to resist forced eviction from their homes and land.

In Cambodia, women are at the forefront of the fight against forced evictions. Many have taken the lead in their communities’ struggle for justice, putting themselves at risk to defend their communities. Tens of thousands of people have been forcibly evicted across Cambodia, in both rural and urban areas while Indigenous people face expulsion from their traditional land.

Mai, 48, a mother from the Province of Oddar Meanchey, in north-west Cambodia, was pregnant in 2009 when she watched her home go up in flames. Her house, possessions, clothes, all went up in smoke and nothing was left. Her house and 118 others in her village, Bos, were bulldozed and burned to the ground by 150 police, military, and others believed to be workers employed by a company that was granted a concession over a large swath of land, including Bos village, for a sugar plantation. In October 2009, Mai was imprisoned for eight months for violating forestry laws when she travelled to the capital Phnom Penh to complain to Hun Sen, the Prime Minister, about the eviction. She was released in June 2010, but only after signing an agreement to relinquish the rights to her land. She now has little to provide for herself and her eight children.

Mai with two other women - all victims of forced eviction* 

Rapid economic development within a newly privatized land market has seen an increase in forced eviction across Cambodia. Tens of thousands of people across Cambodia are unlawfully losing their homes because of the demands of big businesses. Forced eviction often leads to loss of possessions and livelihood, the break up of communities, and a deterioration of a family’s mental and physical well being.

Access to education and health services can be disrupted. Many victims of forced eviction receive inadequate compensation and are resettled in remote areas. Forced evictions violate a person’s right to adequate housing, and are banned under international human rights treaties to which Cambodia is a state party.

We found... CIDAR!!!

We found CIDAR! Real, authentic, delicious Magnards Cidar. It was amazing... better then I ever remember it tasting. It was a tad bit expensive. Well, it was really expensive ($7 a bottle) but completely worth it.

"Cultivate a heart of love that knows no anger" - Cambodian proverb

One of my favourite things to do in Cambodia is visit the Buddhist Temples. I am not a religious person but they are beautiful and inviting places. Our favourite Temple to visit is Wat Ounalom. It is the most important Wat of Phnom Penh, and the center of Cambodian Buddhism. It was established in 1443 and consists of 44 structures. It was damaged during the Khmer Rouge years but has since been restored. The main complex has a stupa which contains what is believed to be an eyebrow hair of Buddha and an inscription in Pali.

Every time we have visited this Temple we have been blessed by monks and indulged in very interesting conversation with them. Last night we met Sareth Brak who started his own NGO called Raise and Support the Poor. RSP's aim is to provide education and skills to people which will enable children to provide for themselves in the future. The Temple was closed when we met Sareth but he took us into the monk living quarters, gave us the highest special blessing to bring us good luck in life and told us about all the work he is doing across Cambodia. He told me that he has worked with many student volunteers from the University of Guelph and McMaster University.

Here is the link to his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raise-and-Support-the-Poor/106380338708 (or you can search Raise and Support the Poor)

Here is a youtube video about him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-LMVUKSorc

He also has a website but said he doesn't know how to work it well so prefers people to find information on facebook: http://www.rspngo.org/

Sarath is also a trained Cambodian boxer and teacher. He spoke a lot to us about Yantra tattoos and how they are believed to be magic and bestow mystical powers, protection, and good luck. In Cambodia, the tattoo is used for self-protection and Cambodians believe a yantra has magical powers that ward off evil and hardship. The tattoo is particularly popular amongst military personnel and boxers. The tattoo is believed  to guarantee that the person cannot receive any physical harm as long as they observe certain rules.

Me standing with Sareth Brak*

Meeting Sareth Brak is one of the highlights of my time in Cambodia. He is an extremely well educated and intelligent person and I look forward to maintaining contact with him in the future.

"It's been a hard day's night" - The Beatles

Here is a little peak into the daily happenings of my life. 

I wake up, shower, get dressed and put on my super cool helmet!

I walk down 66 steps to the main floor where I have breakfast. I don't eat in my helmet for the record. My breakfast usually consists of a plate of chopped fruit...watermelon, pare, dragon fruit, pineapple, and sometimes mango. You know it's going to be a good day when you have mango on your plate. I also enjoy a delicious lemon tea with ice! 

Then my driver picks me up for work. This is Kay. He greets me every morning with a smile and wants to know everything I did the evening before. I'm sure his generosity and interest in my life is half personal interest, half he wants to practice English. Whatever the reason, I enjoy talking with him very much. We usually chat the whole way to work and back about life, our families, our travels, etc... Out of all the Cambodian friends I have made here, I am going to miss him the most! 

We carefully weave through the busy streets, run traffic lights and sometimes even driving on the sidewalk. This is all very normal and very exciting! 

This is the COMFREL Head Office where I work every day. 

This is the sign on the front of our building. Ooo-la-la!

This is my air conditioned office. I sit in the desk closest to the fan on the far left. You can see my awesome  purifying water bottle from the Fergundanza's that I LOVE and use all the time!!! I share this office with four Cambodian men. It can get awkward at times and they mostly pretend I'm not there but they bring me banana snacks so it works!!!! 

At lunch I have a two hour break so I go for a quick walk to stretch my legs. It must be quick though because it's too hot to stay out for long. Cars parked over the sidewalk is very normal. In fact, there is usually a security guard who helps them pull in and back out.

This is the Cambodian flag lined street I walk down. There are a few universities and learning centers along this road so it's always busy with students... and of course dogs! There is also a children's hospital where I normally sit on a bench and eat my lunch  (white rice and fried vegetables).

After my day, I head back to Tattoo Guesthouse where I live.

I spend a lot of my weeknights along the riverfront where there are countless restaurants, bars, spas, shops and forms of entertainment. There are usually street performers that draw huge crowds and exercise classes going on along the water. It's a beautiful and relaxing environment and is very different from the rest of the city. 

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"

Whoever has recently had a problem in Cambodia was probably talking about Kampot and Kep. To say this weekend was an experience is an understatement. Cathy and I decided to head back south to visit the towns of Kampot and Kep. Kampot is best known for its famous black pepper, which is still widely available in Cambodia. Kep used to be a popular resort town for the French and Cambodian elite until the 1960s but is starting to build up again.

We stayed in Kampot at this seemingly beautiful guesthouse resort type place called Utopia. The scenery, mountains views, and lakefront were absolutely beautiful. The outside of our bungalow was very cute and cozy but the inside was a different story. There was a bat in our room (yes, I understand we are living in their space, but still) and there were blood stains on my sheets and our towels… now this can be controlled. The Western owners were very nice though, I must admit.

On the Saturday we visited Bokor Mountain where you can see stunning panoramic views over Cambodia and Vietnam from the mountain tops. The motorbike ride up the mountain was AWESOME and incredibly fun with the winding roads, breathtaking views and wind blowing in your hair. About half way up the mountain it started to get overcast and before we even knew it, we were surrounded by fog.

Surrounded by fog at the top of Bokor Mountain*

 We couldn’t see two meters in front of us. After spending an hour driving to the top to see the beautiful site of Cambodia and Vietnam below, this was just hilarious to all of us. That’s Mother Nature for you! 

Surrounded by fog at the top of Bokor Mountain*

About five minutes after we began our trip down the mountain, it began to rain. It wasn’t that light, cute, refreshing pitter patter rain, it was that “I’m Mother Nature and I’m going to make this rain hurt” type of rain. We were soaked… from head to foot just soaked!!!

Standing in the rain, soaking wet. Can't really complain with that view in the background though*

After this we went to see the Kompong Trach caves with their ancient ruins and did some splunking (thanks Mom for this new word!!!). They were awesome!!! It was quite scary because you couldn’t see a thing, we were the only ones there, and there were no signs, no directions and no instruction of any kind. There were also lots of bats, dripping water, etc… It was everything the ROM’s bat cave made it out to be… but better! It was hard to take pictures, mostly because I couldn’t really see what I was looking at, but I tried.

Splunking in Kompong Trach caves. If you look closely and use your imagination, this looks like an elephant*

After our day filled with exciting moto adventures, our drivers must have decided amoungst themselves that our price for the day had gone up. Umm… we negotiated a price before we left, organizing all of our daily activities and times. Why was this happening? We said no sternly, confirmed the details for tomorrow and began to walk away. They tried to tell us again it had gone up and we just kept walking. Little did we know this was going to be the ongoing theme of the weekend.

On Sunday we visited Kep’s main beach. There were a few other Westerner’s around, but not many so we were skeptical of setting up camp and spending the rest of our morning and afternoon there. We eventually strategically sat beside other Western women and went for a swim. We only lasted about half an hour because the reaction from the locals was dreadful. A crowd had started to form around us on the sidewalk along the beach, and people were taking pictures and videotaping us. A Western man said it was just because they couldn’t believe we were trying to tan, but I wasn’t convinced. We packed up our stuff and left, immediately! We found this hotel with a private pool that overlooked the ocean. The staff told us that if we ordered lunch we wouldn’t have to pay to use the pool so we were relieved and thrilled to be in such a beautiful, private place. When we went to leave, we paid for our lunch bill and as we were about to leave there was lots of discussion going on between the waitresses. She wrote something down and handed it to us…. an $8 charge for using the pool. The waitress tried to get us to pay and when she realized we wouldn’t budge, shuffled us over to the reception Manager (who told us we could use it for free if we ordered lunch). When we explained we wouldn’t be paying the $8, she said, “Well then sisters, what can you pay me?” Ummm… nothing! She wanted us to settle for $4 but we refused and said at most we will pay $1 each. She obviously wasn’t satisfied with this but we used the same tactic we had used with our moto drivers the day before. We left our money and walked away. 

Enjoying our private swim overlooking the Gulf of Thailand*

Getting annoyed now with what was happening, we walked back to our meeting spot with our moto drivers huffing and puffing a bit at what had just happened. Our drivers dropped us off, and guess what… they asked for more money! It was almost unbelievable the dishonesty that was going on in this place. In Phnom Penh and everywhere else I have been, you negotiate a price before you start, and that price is honoured no matter what. There are no ifs, ands or buts… no exceptions. You discuss the price, you know what you are getting yourself into, it is honoured by all parties involved, and you go. There is a respectful way of doing things and it works for everyone. In Kampot and Kep it seemed to be the opposite. They were negotiating prices to trap you in and then demanding a higher price. It was almost unbelievable. I also want to add that we were already incredibly overpaying our moto drivers, and for lunch. To put this into perspective, we paid $5 each to take a bus from Phnom Penh to Kampot. We paid our moto drivers $13 on Saturday and $10 on Sunday EACH to drive us around. For them to ask for $5 more is just outrageous, especially when the average wage per day in Kampot is $5.  So, we used the same tactic as before. We gave him the agreed upon price and walked away. 

The last bus left Kampot at 12:30pm that afternoon so we decided to get a private taxi. We agreed upon the price of $40 for just Cathy and me to get a private ride in a car back to Phnom Penh. This was organized through our guesthouse for us so we thought it would be trustworthy. The driver came to pick us up, we confirmed the details once again, got in the very comfy and air conditioned Toyota and we went on our way. If something seems too good to be true, it is.  Things weren’t as they seemed to be, ONCE AGAIN! We drove into Kampot, stopped at a gas station, our driver changed and four Cambodians tried to get in. I will also mention at this point that we were in a five person car. Obviously we had a huge problem with this so they said they would knock $5 off our price. Umm.. NO! We got out, grabbed our bags from the trunk, and walked away. We walked to this travel place that wasn’t interested in really helping us, but said they had a friend who could take us. Sure enough, it was the same driver as before. In a bit of a rage, we got on the phone with our hostel who said they couldn’t find anyone else but they would talk to the driver and negotiate something for us. The driver spent an hour and a half trying to get us to pay $35 for being squished in the back. After some help from our guesthouse, we eventually agreed that we would pay $30 for the whole back seat and two Cambodian women would share the passenger seat for $5 each. When the taxi came back to pick us up, there was the whole back row for us, two Cambodian men in the passenger seat, and then the driver and a Cambodian woman in the driver seat. I wish I could say I was surprised but I honestly wasn’t. I realize this might not have been the safest thing to do but at this point we were absolutely fed up with the dishonesty of everyone we encountered and just wanted to get home.

Two people in the driver seat (with our driver on his phone), and two people in the passenger seat*

We did make it home in excellent time and the drive was quite enjoyable, for us anyways. We paid our $30 for the back seat and there was no changing of the price… thank goodness! When we got into Phnom Penh, we were unfortunately caught in a traffic jam because of a very serious motorbike accident. By the looks of their injuries, I would be shocked if they died from the moto accident. My guess is that they were gunshot wounds and the reactions from the Cambodians helped support this thought.

This weekend was a huge eye opening experience for me. Over the last two months I have been getting very comfortable in Phnom Penh and Cambodia in general with traveling around, communicating with the people, taking the buses, Tuk Tuk’s and moto’s, etc… I love this country and the people I have met are all wonderful people. Kampot and Kep are the only places I have ever run into trouble like this, but everything about this weekend reminded me that Cambodia is a dangerous place, there is a lot of crime, corruption and violence, and that I can never let my guard down. 

All good things must come to an end*

My roommates of two months, Kim and Lauren, have left for Malaysia. They are great girls who I got along with very well. I was so lucky and grateful to have had such awesome and kind people as roommates. We went out together, stayed in together, had countless laughs, exciting adventures, mistakes/learning experiences and took heaps of pictures along the way. I miss them!!!

Doing a freeze-frame-high-five. No big deal but we are kind of a big deal*

It all started two months ago when we spent our first day in Cambodia together.

It wasn't long before we recruited a fourth Canadian and ultimately became known as "the Canadians"

We got along well for quite a few reasons, but one reason in particular might have been because we all had very similar "social" habits.

We did some freeze-frame-high-fiving at a few bars...

Had some jagerbombs...

Taught everyone how to play flip cup...

And wrote some things on some walls!

We knew how to have fun, but we also had many great nights hanging out in our room chatting, watching Disney movies or "How I Met Your Mother". Oh, and this is our pet gecko, George. He lives in our bathroom, protects us from the mosquito's and greets us with a squeak every morning.

I will miss them very  much but will hopefully be crossing paths with them again in Vietnam in a few weeks!!!! I wonder if we can fit 4 on a moto or 9 in a Tuk Tuk in Vietnam as well?!?!?!

After they left, I did some re-arranging of the beds. I would rather have my roommates back, but in the meantime my comfy sleeping arrangement will do.

I also got HOT WATER IN MY SHOWER!!!