Today was an amazing day! We took a long car ride to Ha Long Bay, which has long been at the top of my bucket list. On the way we played charades which was a lot of fun. We also stopped at an art production facility that hired disabled people. While I did not buy anything, it was great to see all of these people having a nice job. Upon arrival at Ha Long Bay, we were showed the … [Read more...] about Ha Long Bay
We spent the entire day in Hanoi today and it was definitely one of the more interesting days. We did a lot of sightseeing. We went to the presidential palace, which was a pretty yellow color and it was gigantic. The atmosphere of the area was amazing as well. Then we went to the first university in Vietnam. When i first heard of i was not very interested, but it turned out to … [Read more...] about Hanoi
We began today by going to a massage parlor. Maggie and I did not get the massage so we walked around instead. I had a massage a few days ago that I'm still a little sore from so I thought I'd pass on this one. While we were walking around, we were approached by hoards of people; first children then adults. Once we bought something, they all flocked to us. One everyone was done … [Read more...] about Ta Phin Village, China Border
I got to see some of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. We went to Sa Pa then Cat Cat village. The terraces between the mountains, along with the foliage and flowers, made for amazing views. We saw the way people live in Cat Cat village. They live in a very basic way with little technology. We had some great food as well, especially some amazing duck, eggplant, and … [Read more...] about Sa Pa
After breakfast we all went to the Ben Tanh market. The market was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. I'm not much of a shopper, but the market was a completely different experience. While there I bought a shot glass, a tobacco pipe, and a card that opens up into a small paper sculpture. After the market I got a massage which was unlike any massage I've ever had … [Read more...] about Ben Tanh Market and Chapa Express Train