We went on to the kayaking around Nha Trang. It was like riding the Jordan River and not as they promised something more exciting.
The next day we went to the Spa and it was really good for relaxing from the exercise we did in the kayaking trip.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Boat Trip, Nha Trang
When we arrived to Nha Trang the sun came out and the weather was really good for this coast city. We went to the sea and just enjoyed the sun.
The next day we decided to take a boat trip to four islands near the coast. It’s a whole day trip and you do snorkeling a long the coast of one of the islands, eat lunch on the boat, drink wine from the floating bar at sea, and enjoy water sports at the beach of another island.
The next day we decided to take a boat trip to four islands near the coast. It’s a whole day trip and you do snorkeling a long the coast of one of the islands, eat lunch on the boat, drink wine from the floating bar at sea, and enjoy water sports at the beach of another island.
Cooking course, Hoi An
We arrived to Hoi-An. The weather was a bit gray and rainy. In Hoi An there are a lot of tailors and everybody is ordering clothes. We didn’t because we don’t know which size we will be when we return back. But what we did instead is a cooking course and a trip to the old temples in My Son. The cooking course was a little bit different from the one in Thailand. We cooked with chop sticks! In the photo you can see the first dish. It’s fried vegetables with see food served in pine apple.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
DMZ - Vinh-Moc tunnels
The war in Vietnam was not so long ago (1956 - 1975). The US has entered a lot of army to the DMZ area and also a lot of land mines. People today still die from stepping on land mines and we saw one farmer holding a metal detector on one hand and in the other hand a shovel. The Vinh-Moc tunnels are the only tunnels that survived the American bombings. The locals stayed inside the tunnels for 4 years. It was used for living. 17 babies were born inside!
The king and the queen
We arrived to Hue after a long night drive. We found a hotel and organized a tour for the next day to the DMZ and went to see the city. Hue is a large city with not a lot of things to do but there is one place, The Citadel, that most of the people goes to see. Inside the Citadel there is an old palace. Inside the palace you can dress up with traditional royal clothes.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Ha Long bay
We went by ourselves to Ha Long bay. From Hanoi to Hai Phong we took a local bus than went on the ferry the next day to Cat Ba island. When we arrived we rented a motorbike and went for a drive in the islands. after 4 hours we finished the trip. We saw a family getting ready for a wedding and we helped them with the decoration. We ate lunch in a family house and we also got to see the famouse hospital cave. The hospital cave was very interesting. It was used during the war with the US. It's a really big cave that they have build inside rooms for a hospital. They had there surgery rooms, meeting room which was also the singing room, cinema, Ho Chi minh bedroom. We had there a local guide which taught us a nice song.
Because of the bad weather we returned the next day to Hanoi. but not before we took a boat trip to Ha Long bay to see all the rocks getting outside of the water. It was amazing but it's better when it's not raining!
Because of the bad weather we returned the next day to Hanoi. but not before we took a boat trip to Ha Long bay to see all the rocks getting outside of the water. It was amazing but it's better when it's not raining!
Hanoi circus
We wanted to do something different in Hanoi. We walked to the circus place and asked if they have shows. After doing some pantomima we managed to get good seats. The show was really good. It was more about doing shows than the linking between the performances but it was still very good. They had a bear, dogs, elephants, goats, and a lot of acrobatics.
Any one for a Hot Dog?????
When we explored a non touristic part of Hanoi we encountered a shop that sells Dog meat.
What we were wondering about it is how can they keep dogs and cats as pets and still eat them?
What we were wondering about it is how can they keep dogs and cats as pets and still eat them?
Hanoi , The capital city of Vietnam
We loved the city the minute we arrived. After the lazy vientaine town in Laos, we really enjoyed the crowded city. There are people every where and people riding motorbikes. A lot of small shops, Markets, Lakes, Pagodas, restaurants, pubs...... what can we say a really big city.
Every day we took ourselves by foot to another part of the city and explored it.
Every day we took ourselves by foot to another part of the city and explored it.
Hell bus from Laos to Vietnam
24 hour bus journey... in the lonely planet book they call it the "hell bus".
It was too long and they also turned the bus into a truck!
It was too long and they also turned the bus into a truck!
Loas to Vietnam ...
Laos and vietnam have long border, in the beginning we thought about passing the border in the north of Laos to the north of Vietnam ... easy. After a few days in the north, we understood that the transportation is really bad in this area, and if we want to cross to Vietnam, we have to go all the way south to the capital Vientiane (with a night bus) and then to take a 24 hours bus to the capital of Vietnam, Ha-Noi.
That's what we did and it took us just too much time (on the bus) ... on the way to Vientiane we also had some mechanical problem on the bus ... and the driver and another person fixed it eventually for 4 hours (at night) ... In the photo, one of the atractions of Vientiane ... the golden wat (temple)
That's what we did and it took us just too much time (on the bus) ... on the way to Vientiane we also had some mechanical problem on the bus ... and the driver and another person fixed it eventually for 4 hours (at night) ... In the photo, one of the atractions of Vientiane ... the golden wat (temple)
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Mong Ngoi - village with no real infrastructure!
Mong Ngoi - a village in no-where, you can't reach there, only by boat, there are no cars, no motorbikes, no real electricity (which means cold water ... bad as Irit sais) ... We went there to relax a little bit in the country side. We were there for 3 nights. We read some books, went to a realy huge cave and spent the evenings next to the fire with a very funny old lady (the owner) who spoke to herself and laugh all the time. It was quite cold but also quite relaxing!
Local Holiday - North of Laos
After Laung Prabang we went up north. We arrived to a little village, Pakmong.
We thought we will stay there 1 night and continue the next day. Eventually we were invited to a local party which seems to be a holiday but we were not really sure because none of them spoke english. We ate with them and drank a lot of Laolao (local Whisky). They slaughtered a pig as well.
We thought we will stay there 1 night and continue the next day. Eventually we were invited to a local party which seems to be a holiday but we were not really sure because none of them spoke english. We ate with them and drank a lot of Laolao (local Whisky). They slaughtered a pig as well.
Bug bite ...
Irit after the treatment in the Luang Prabang hospital ...
Originally uploaded by Irit & Ophir Maor.
Laung Prabang, Laos
We arrive to Laung Prabang in a slow boat from the border of Laos. The boat trip took 2 days. Everyday we spent 8 hours in the boat, the view was great, but it was too crowded and too slow!
The first few days in Laung Prabang we did not do anything. Just drinking, eating and sleeping!
We did a site seeing tour by ourselves just to say that we did something!
In the photo you can see Ophir.... can you tell us where is he? (He is really there!)
The first few days in Laung Prabang we did not do anything. Just drinking, eating and sleeping!
We did a site seeing tour by ourselves just to say that we did something!
In the photo you can see Ophir.... can you tell us where is he? (He is really there!)
At Laos border
The next country after Thailand, was Laos, or as they call it LAO.
It seems that their currency is very weak. Around 10,000 Keep (Loas currency) it's 1 US$, and we changed about 200 US$ and the highest bill is 20,000 Keep ... (2US$), but in the exchange office they had just bills of 10,000 Keep (1 US$) so we got, in a simple calculations we got something like .... 2 million Keep... packed (2 packes of 100 bills)... feels like robing a bank ...
It seems that their currency is very weak. Around 10,000 Keep (Loas currency) it's 1 US$, and we changed about 200 US$ and the highest bill is 20,000 Keep ... (2US$), but in the exchange office they had just bills of 10,000 Keep (1 US$) so we got, in a simple calculations we got something like .... 2 million Keep... packed (2 packes of 100 bills)... feels like robing a bank ...
Jungle trek in north Thailand
The trek is a 3 days hiking tour to see a waterfall and a Karen village in the mountains. We have been only 5 people in the trek which was really nice, not too crowded!
The village that we saw has no electricity and no other infrastructure! Our tour guide, Jip, cooked our food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and in the night we did a fire and we warmed out next to it.
We tried taking our photo inside a mosquito net that we slept inside. This is the outcome!
The village that we saw has no electricity and no other infrastructure! Our tour guide, Jip, cooked our food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and in the night we did a fire and we warmed out next to it.
We tried taking our photo inside a mosquito net that we slept inside. This is the outcome!
Jeep Tour in North Thailand
As all Israeli, we also did the famous jeep tour in north of Thailand. It's a 3 day tour and you drive by yourself a jeep to different places.
On the way we saw: Snake farm show, Monkey show, Elephant show, Orchid farm. We had 2 field drives which ware really good. We have been to a hot spring hotel. On second day we have visited the Long neck tribe as you can see in the photo. We did also a bamboo rafting and we fell down with the camera! But Ophir saved the camera!
Ophir also tried fried frog, which he says taste like chicken.
On the way we saw: Snake farm show, Monkey show, Elephant show, Orchid farm. We had 2 field drives which ware really good. We have been to a hot spring hotel. On second day we have visited the Long neck tribe as you can see in the photo. We did also a bamboo rafting and we fell down with the camera! But Ophir saved the camera!
Ophir also tried fried frog, which he says taste like chicken.
Rafting in Thailand
We found a travel agency that did white water rafting. We asked if the rapids were good and after a good night sleep we decided to do it.
The rafting started after we saw by our own eyes some of the rapids (they were big) and after 30 minutes at least of practice and lunch!
The rapids level was up to 4+ (in a scale of 1 to 5). It was really great! One time we had to jump to the other side of the boat in order not to flip....
At the end our guide thought us a new trick with the raft called Helicopter! All the people sit at the back of the raft and he starts turning the raft in circles pooling the front of the raft with a rope up. At the end everybody finds them selves at the water!!!
The rafting started after we saw by our own eyes some of the rapids (they were big) and after 30 minutes at least of practice and lunch!
The rapids level was up to 4+ (in a scale of 1 to 5). It was really great! One time we had to jump to the other side of the boat in order not to flip....
At the end our guide thought us a new trick with the raft called Helicopter! All the people sit at the back of the raft and he starts turning the raft in circles pooling the front of the raft with a rope up. At the end everybody finds them selves at the water!!!
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