Hong Kong, Republic of ChinaLEAVE // 09.29.2017 | 19:59 PM PST | PORTLAND, OREGON ARRIVE // 09.30.2017 | 07:30 AM UTC | HONG KONG, CHINA TRANSPORTATION // AMERICAN AIRLINES & ALASKA AIRLINES LAYOVER // LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA // 3+ HOURS HOTEL // COURTYARD MARRIOTT Hong Kong, where there are millions of people crammed into a city no larger than Manhattan. Its such an exciting, lively, and vibrant city for many reasons that are hard to put into words. This was the first stop in our 17 day Asia tour. Lets begin. Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
In addition to the double decker tram, there's also a double decker bus that will take you to the airport. Luckily we got the front seat, top deck, and when we go across the bridges or around corners it gives somewhat of a sense of riding a roller coaster. So worth it. Hanoi, VietnamLEAVE // 10.04.2017 | 14:30 PM UTC | HONG KONG, CHINA ARRIVE // 10.04.2017 | 15:35 PM UTC | HANOI, VIETNAM TRANSPORTATION // VIETNAM AIRLINES // VISA ON ARRIVAL HOTEL // TIRANT HOTEL Arriving in Hanoi was not only a culture shock after spending three days in the busy city of Hong Kong, it was a shock to all senses. More to come on this topic (see Mid-Autumn Festival) First to note, Hanoi doesn't have the public transportation like we had in Hong Kong. Depending on how quick you want to get to the hotel and how much you're willing to pay, you do have the option of taking a taxi or bus. We chose bus. We took the new express bus #86 from the airport, where stops aren't clearly marked and some may or may not be posted on any website. So plan to keep a map up on your phone and know the general area you should get off. This was also the first moment I noticed the motorbikes coming into the picture. I'm not talking about a few here or there. I'm talking hundreds of motorbikes, everywhere, all directions. I saw this eight years ago in Bangkok, Thailand and two years ago in Beijing, China but I don't remember to this extreme. Many families were just piled onto one bike. A toddler standing on the floor of a vespa, with two parents and a baby smashed between them. Another had a baby asleep in a backpack (not a baby backpack either). Leaving the bus and starting the 1/2 mile walk to the hotel was something else to be experienced. Having a roller bag, no sidewalks, food vendors washing their produce on the sides of the street, and motorbikes flying past was all to be forever engrained to memory. Went around a corner and the Tirant Hotel lit up like a Vegas casino. We have arrived. Day 4
Day 5 This was a tough decision moment. Stay in Hanoi and absorb, take in the attractions, and explore the city, or take a row boat down river to Tam Coc, Trang An, or Halong Bay. Both Hanoi and the river sites are supposed to be extremely picturesque, but after last nights Mid-Summer Festival I'm a little hesitant thats how crowded the city typically is. As enticing as it was to go down river, we decided to stay and give Hanoi a chance. What this also means is we'll be returning to Hanoi again in future, specifically to explore the caves, rice paddies, and villages down river.
Getting to the airport was somewhat of an adventure, considering the airport express bus #86 doesn't have marked bus stops and its somewhat of a guessing game based on the website. So we headed out early to give extra time for a few wrong turns. 7am, walking through Old Quarter, as shops were setting up and women are crouched on the side of the road and in doorways washing produce and meat for the day. We weren't sure at first if we were standing at the right bus stop, again because its not clearly marked, but eventually the bus arrived and we were off to the airport. Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamLEAVE // 10.06.2017 | 10:15 AM UTC | HANOI, VIETNAM ARRIVE // 10.06.2017 | 12:10 PM UTC | HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM TRANSPORTATION // VIETNAM AIRLINES HOTEL // ROYAL HOTEL SAIGON Oh! We are back to a big city feel. Not usually my preferred to visit, but still very interesting. We are now in Saigon, or now Ho Chi Minh City, which has undergone many name changes and remains the largest city in Vietnam. The city has an old meets new charm, big city with a small city vibe, chaos and fast-paced but laid back, and then you have the architecture. Pagodas and Buddhist temples, mixed in with Colonial structures, and surrounded by skyscrapers and shopping malls. Slightly confusing at what theme they were trying to go with, but it seems to work. Day 6
Siem Reap, CambodiaLEAVE // 10.07.2017 | 16:25 PM UTC | HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM ARRIVE // 10.07.2017 | 17:30 PM UTC | SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA TRANSPORTATION // VIETNAM AIRLINES // VISA ON ARRIVAL HOTEL // BOREI ANGKOR From the first moment you step off the plane you know you've arrived somewhere way different. While Rehan was searching for a local SIM, I sat outside and watched as men came out of the airport, smoking a cigarette, with their women trailing behind carrying all the luggage. After a few exchanges of words, I can only assume the men were telling them to hurry up. I remember seeing Tuk Tuk's in Thailand. Small three wheeled vehicles that fly through traffic, and by getting in one you are taking a risk on arriving at your destination without dying in the process. So when Rehan asked if I wanted to take a Tuk Tuk from the airport I was a bit weary. Nevertheless, we flagged a nice fuchsia pink chariot down and started bartering. Of course, with me being the white skin that I am the fare was more than double. As we walked away, our fuchsia friend had a change of heart and agreed to our price. We piled in, secured our bags, and off we went. This Tuk Tuk was definitely quite different. It was some type of two bench-seat carriage, attached to the back of a motorbike. It was actually quite nice and pleasant. Day 7 It wasn't too late when we finally arrived at our hotel and finished checking in. The need to find food was slowly creeping up on us and according to Google maps it wasn't too far to something called "Pub Street". After following the map we quickly came to the realization that the recent monsoon weather they had flooded many of the streets, made ponds out of some, and Google hadn't recognized the road no longer existed. Or maybe it still did exist, just under a large amount of water. Seemed like a story you would read about unknown travelers straying from the path, down a dark ally, off the beaten path, and getting mugged! I'm sure we read warnings against doing something like this. We did eventually make it to Pub Street. After walking through mud, a bit dirty, but shaking that off and now enjoying a meal at what will soon be our nightly destination.
There was a great amount of anticipation to get to this point of the trip. We were about to see Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. Now, for clarification, it wasn't the religious aspect that attracted me to this. It was the grandness and complexity of it. Something that was constructed in the 12th century was still standing and this well preserved. I have a weakness for ruins like this. This was going to be a grand day. We booked a Tuk Tuk for a full day and met our driver at 7am. After many days of studying the temple map, distance between temples, what to wear, what not to wear, packed lots of water, sunscreen, we were set. Most tourists go to Angkor Wat first, but our driver suggested to start at Bayon as there will be less people when you go in reverse order of the crowds. So we took his suggestion.
Day 9 Sadly leaving today, but there was still one temple we didn't get to see. We woke early and met our Tuk Tuk driver for a "quick" trip to this last temple. We were on a time crunch, as we needed to be back at the hotel no later than Noon to shower, check-out, and head to the airport, but going to see the temple was definitely worth the risk. The road was much longer, about 45 minutes, and a lot rougher than the trek to Angkor Wat. And at this point I was almost recovered from the heat the day before. We came a little more prepared and doubled the amount of water we had with us. The cool fresh air also helped, as we flew down dirt roads, around large pot holes, and through small villages where many of the houses were on stilts due to the amount of rain fall they get and to avoid flooding. This drive alone makes me want to visit Cambodia again and explore even more that it has to offer.
After we were dropped off the first day, Rehan had made arrangements with our Tuk Tuk driver later that evening to drop off laundry somewhere nearby. We were able to pick it up on the way back to the hotel which turned out to be less than a couple bucks. Really reasonable considering we had over a week of sweat drenched clothes that had taken on more than just an oder. We made it back at 11:45am, which gave us 15 minutes to shower, pack, and head down before our ride to the airport arrived. Kuala Lumpar, MalaysiaLEAVE // 10.09.2017 | 14:55 PM UTC | SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA ARRIVE // 10.09.2017 | 18:05 PM UTC | KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA TRANSPORTATION // AIR ASIA HOTEL // A LOFT There's a weird vibe in Kuala Lumpur, which I'm unable to quite put my finger on it yet but there is definitely something there. Not sure if it has to do with the combination of Rehan, whom is a Pakistani, and myself, red hair and fair skin, but it was an unfriendly sense of our presence. My guard was up as soon as I stepped out of the airport as my spidey senses were on guard.
Day 10 BATU CAVES Limestone caves located just North of Kuala Lumpur and made up of three main caves featuring temples of Hindu shrines. As you first approach, you can't help but notice the large statue of the Hindu God Lord Murugan, and then you notice the 272 steps you will need to climb to the top. Be cautious though, monkeys prey on helpless tourists and frolic around the caves. Do not carry food when climbing the steps (not even an energy bar in your backpack), do not make eye contact or smile at the monkeys, and keep hold of your belongings else you will find yourself, along with thousand other tourists, watching a monkey carry it away. After witnessing many monkeys attacking the backpacks of unknowing climbers, this is not a warning of what "could" happen, but a warning of what "will" happen if you ignore the warnings.
Don't get me wrong, Kuala Lumpur had a lot to offer. There was beauty all around us and it was an amazing city to venture through and experience. Unfortunately, besides the food poisoning that Rehan got again after visiting this city (twice he visited, twice he fell ill and spent half on the white throne), I couldn't shake that uncomfortable feeling I had when I first arrived. Kuala Lumpur is primarily Muslim. In this case, unlike many other Muslim cities I've visited, this was not a warm embrace. Men gawked at me in disgust, shoved, pushed, and despised my presence. Again, I'm still not sure if it was the combination of Rehan and I, or if it was only due to me, but my original instincts turned out to be accurate. I was not welcome here. SingaporeLEAVE // 10.11.2017 | 12:30 PM UTC | KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA ARRIVE // 10.11.2017 | 13:40 PM UTC | SINGAPORE TRANSPORTATION // AIR ASIA HOTEL // FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON SINGAPORE As much as I was dreading the possibility of intense heat, especially after Cambodia heat a few days before, it was actually quite pleasant. Listening to Rehan's stories of last time he went to Singapore and it being the most extreme humidity that he has ever experienced, this was not the case for our visit. While still on the plane, you can't help but notice the list of laws that are announced as you are about to land into Singapore. My favorite two were 1) Punishment by death if arriving into Singapore with drugs or drugs in your blood stream 2) Public caning if found littering, vandalism, or chewing gum. Wait what?! Chewing gum? That's a little extreme, but chewing gum is made of plastic and when disposed of will stay in a landfill FOREVER, but still... public caning? Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Macau, ChinaLEAVE // 10.15.2017 | 11:05 AM UTC | SINGAPORE ARRIVE // 10.16.2017 | 01:15 AM UTC | HONG KONG, CHINA TRANSPORTATION // MALAYSIA AIRLINE LAYOVER // KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA // 7+ HOURS HOTEL // COURTYARD MARRIOTT Day 15 travel, layover Day 16
Trek Back HomeLEAVE // 10.17.2017 | 18:10 PM UTC | HONG KONG, CHINA ARRIVE // 10.17.2017 | 21:01 PM PST | PORTLAND, OREGON TRANSPORTATION // AMERICAN AIRLINES & ALASKA AIRLINES LAYOVER // LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA // 2+ HOURS Day 17 Home
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