We have been in Vietnam 10 days now- we started from the bottom in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and have slowly been working our way up via overnight buses and a plane. 

In HCMC we had a great apartment overlooking one of the many waterways and were able to meet up with a high school friend, Jordan, who is now a teacher in Saigon.  We checked out the War Remnants Museum which was an interesting perspective on the Vietnam War, or the American War as they call it. The war has had devastating affects on the country, the most visible of which caused by Agent Orange. The next day we took a day trip to the Cu Chi tunnels where the Southern guerrilla troops were based. Tom enjoyed walking (or crouching) through the tunnels, but I freaked out and couldn’t get in them.  

Next stop was Da Lat, about 6 hours North of HCMC in the South-Central highlands of Vietnam.  The weather was quite cooler and we enjoyed renting a motorbike to check out the surrounding area.  One day we took a 20 mile drive through the mountains that took us through two smaller villages where we stopped to have lunch in someone’s dining room and proceeded to take photos with their 4 month old, GIGANTIC baby. We continued and ended up at Elephant Falls which was a pretty epic waterfall overlooking a jungle-canyon. On the way home we stopped by a coffee plantation/weasel pooping operation to have some coffee overlooking the fields while we drank poo-roasted coffee. Our second day in Da Lat we did a canyoneering tour which was absolutely terrifying as we were repelling down 75m waterfalls and then having to jump in the water.  Needless to say, Tom was super into it. 

We took another overnight bus (or rave plane as we called it due to the crazy lights) to Hoi An which is an old, quaint town situated on a river about 5 miles off an incredible stretch of coastline. We drove a little North and checked out Marble Mountain which had giant buddhas, pagodas, caves, and excellent views of both the coast and inland. At night we took sunset swims in the ocean. I really enjoyed walking around the old historic city at night with all the lanterns and the pouring rain.  

After a short flight, we ended up in the capital city, Hanoi, and met up with my friends Chris and Anabel who have been teaching in Thailand as well.  Hanoi is absolutely crazy with incessant honking, millions of motorbikes, and street vendors every 2 meters.  

Arrived in Bangkok yesterday after packing up my life in the North. I spent the day wandering around with my friend Topp, who lives/grew up in Bangkok and is the best kind of friend because he is fluent in both Thai and English and knows his way around the insanity that is the city.

I'm now a couple hours North in Ayuttaya, which was once inhabited by kings and considered the most central/happening city in Southeast Asia. Now it's just a little city with some sweet ruins that I'll ride around on a bike tomorrow.

A Thai Wedding and Isaan

On Sunday morning at 5am sharp we set off in a school van headed for Loei Province in Isaan (Northeastern Thailand). Now let's keep in mind that I'm the only foreigner in a car full of science teachers at least 20 years my senior and I have zero knowledge of a. where exactly we are going and b. what we are doing besides "going to Oat's wedding." So when I stuffed my backpack in the trunk and sat down I was only expecting the silliest of times.

When we are getting into the van it is quite apparent that one of the male teachers feels incredibly uncomfortable that he will be sitting next to me, and there is about 40 seconds of argument resulting in the conclusion that, yes, I feel comfortable with him next to me.  When I'm getting ready for 10 hours in a bus, well, I don't get ready, but the first stop was to Pee Maam's house to pick her up and she looks as absolutely regal as ever, and I think "Shoot Alex, you are not starting off so well."

So we begin our journey on the Super highway and I am shivering because the AC is blasting and when I ask if we can turn it down they laugh and say, "but it is cold in America!" I suck it up and try to fall asleep against the window.  

At 6am we arrive at 7-11 and everyone gets out to use the bathroom and Pee Maam goes inside and buys us all milk.  We jump back in the car and what do you know, but they bust out the karaoke, it's 6:10am. Once again I try to fall asleep whilst the man to my left is singing at the top of his lungs to some sort of love song.  

Flash forward to 12pm and karaoke is still going strong, we've stopped at four different 7-11's, and now it is time for lunch. We pile out, Maam orders food for us all and we have a small feast and jump back in the car. If you aren't catching my drift, Thai's do things a little differently; in America, we stop at 7-11 maybe every 150 miles during a road trip and maybe not even, unless you are threatening your parents with peeing into a boot.  

Once we arrived in Loei, we all got ready in a field/parking lot and headed over to the wedding venue.  First things first, we all lined up to take pictures with the bride and groom and are then seated at our "PCCCR Science teachers" table. The wedding was held under a roof that most resembled where we ate lunch in elementary school. By 7pm it was absolutely pouring outside, yet the couple continued to take photos with the guests as we were served our meal.  

As we ate (7 courses), a slideshow of the couple played.  For dinner we were served family style. First course: small fried noodles, cashews, fermented hard-boiled egg, shrimp balls, tofu squares, and whiskey. Second course: a salad composed of pickled chicken feet, pork liver sponge-things, and onions. Third course: a soup/jelly of fish insides with shredded chicken and mushrooms. Fourth: garlic fried fish. Fifth: Tom yum beef. Sixth: fried rice. AND finally dessert which was sweet sticky rice topped with taro, coconut meat, and coconut milk.

After dinner the couple and their families were called on stage where they all stood in a line while the microphone was handed across and everyone gave a speech. I wish I could tell you what they said, but my Thai is really only good enough to pick out numbers and a fewwww words.  Once everyone was done speaking, the bride threw her bouquet to 5 overly excited girls and all of a sudden it was time to go.  

The 9 of us packed back in the van and drove an additional 1.5 hours North so that we could stay at a hotel along the Mekong River.  Despite being an incredibly overwhelming day, I am happy I was able to go.  

The next day I woke up at 7am and walked along the foggy Mekong, watching the fishermen in their boats as they jumped from the Thai and Laos riverbanks. After breakfast and a quick visit to Princess Chulabhorn College Loei, we were back on the road and headed for CR.  The best part of the trip BY FAR was the lunch we had that day, Isaan food is the best food.