SEA: Luang Prabang, Laos

After the 30 hours bus ride, I feel I never want to leave the bus! I found myself settling in.haha
But, we really are HERE. Luang Prabang, Laos..
We bid goodbye to the bus we called home for 30 hours..

And woke up the next morning to catch Luang Prabang's alms giving.

..according to Zen philosophy, the giver, the beggar, and the alms money itself all form part of an important chain of equilibrium. The person doing the begging does so because he’s needy, but the person doing the giving also does so out of need. The alms money serves as a link between those two needs..

~Aleph, Paulo Coelho

If not for the tourists taking pictures right in front of the monk's faces, the whole ceremony could have been something..But still, the whole thing is humbling..

 

Luang Prabang is quaint, idyllic. Little shops line the main street. From travel agencies, spas to guesthouses and pastry shops. Biking is the ideal way to get around.

Fruit shakes, anyone?

Main street

flower offerings right outside the temples

The 30 hour bus ride to this place was all worth it.. 

Best place I've seen so far on this trip..

SEA2: How to get to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi airport

Flag a taxi upstairs, departure area, which are cheaper, compared to the ones lined up at the arrival area.

Tell the cab driver to take you to Luang Yeng Bus Station. Travel from the airport to the bus station take around almost 30 minutes. We paid the driver VND 290,000.

At the bus station, there are scheduled trips to Cat Ba Island. We took the 1120 AM bus and paid VND 190,000. 

If you've been travelling to the Southeast Asia, you realize by now that people do not necessarily brief you on what bus you should board, or how will your travel be. People expect you to know. 

We got on this bus and travelled for an hour and a half. Then we took a minibus to the port, which took 30 minutes to an hour. Then boarded a ferry, which will take us across the island. That took less an hour. Then from the port, we took another bus. And finally after less an hour, we arrived at Cat Ba Island.

By the way, the ticket purchased at Luang Yeng Bus station includes all the transportation above.
So, I advise, stick with your group. We usually go where people go. We board buses we have no idea where going to. We wait for something we have no idea of. Yeah, that's backpacking, SE style.

 

 

 

SEA: Cat Ba Island, Hanoi

hanoi,vietnam
day01 of 07

18November 2012
just landed at Hanoi at 12mn. It's already four in the morning here. The supposed pick-up service didn't came. So we decided to an overnight at Cat Ba Island and just do a day tour in Hanoi since we've been hearing (and experiencing), so far, that Hanoi is not at all tourist friendly. Maybe Cat Ba is. Met a very persistent airport taxi driver who insists on driving us to our guesthouse for $30!. Sorry..it's $30!.. What the.. Good thing we met a Pinoy!.. who came to our rescue.. So the plan is, we'll wait for the exchange rate counter to open and after exchanging our dollars to dong, we head to Cat Ba and just spend the night there..Maybe, hopefully, we'll make a good decision.. It's effin cold..By the way..23 degrees for the record..wasn't prepared at all.. should have brought thicker clothes..let's see. hope things would turn around..eventually..I hope.. Looking forward to that dreadful 30 hours bus trip..?


Arriving in Northern Vietnam, there's a feel of stricter atmosphere. I've been to Saigon and I can tell the difference. Hanoi's immigrations officers, they mean business.Saigon immigration officers are more relaxed, less rigid, if you ask me. The locals are not even friendly to the tourists. They sort of tolerate their existence.

The plan of having a day tour of Halong Bay didn't pushed through because of travel delays, of pick-up services that didn't showed up, and a lot of unforeseen incidents. But something good came out of our misfortunes.. we get to see Halong Bay at sunset..cheaper!

He never knew any English and yet we understood him

Accomodations built along the bay

Spring rolls, fried!

View from one of the ports

Yeah that's our ride

Cat Ba Island at night

Cat Ba Island is cooold as well. It do reminds me of Coron. But you know, Coron is waayy better.hehe. Cat Ba Island has a certain charm to it.. Houses built along side the bay.waking up to a view. Watching locals getting ready for the day. Have a walk along their baywalk and experience the local life. I mean, I think, what I love Cat Ba Island is the locals let the tourists be. No one is pushing you to buy their wares, take their tours.. makes you blend in.. that authentic feeling of being a traveler..

But just like any booming tourist destinations, give the place two or five years, and it would be just like any tourist place.

But for now.. Ha Long Bay should be experienced through Cat Ba Island.. gives justice to its title UNESCO world heritage site.. nowhere else.

Sea 02: Hanoi

Day03 of 07
19 November 2012 (Monday afternoon)

Just waiting for our 6pm bus to Luang Prabang, Laos. Free wifi! Cat Ba Island is lovely. Less tourists..Hanoi is lovely as well.. Culture..food..We missed the rice! Overpriced for the bus tickets $63 each instead of $50..huhu.. what to do..

writing from Highlands Coffee cafe

We decided to roam around the Old Quarter when we arrived at Hanoi. and just see the places that we can before waiting for that dreadful thirty freaking hours bus ride to Laos. We had our lunch at a cafe near the Hoan Kiem Lake, on which we went to see after eating. It seems the surroundings of the lake are where the locals and tourist hang out.

view from our lunch table

spring rolls!

Hoan Kiem Lake

St. Joseph's Cathedral

We had coffee at their local Starbucks. Highlands coffee.

And killed time at St Joseph's Cathedral, which unfortunately was closed at the time. Only opens during Saturdays. And  passed time observing kids from a nearby school out of their classes, playing, waiting for their ride home. We sort of missed our childhood. Had a big laugh of a kid who was bursting out of his school uniform. you know, the bully-type. and he then proceeded to scratch his thing at the middle of the street. That was priceless.

We were sitting beside a mom with her two girls, who were so cute and so sweet with each other. 

People watching, I really love doing this.. especially on a foreign country who knows nothing of you, and you are clueless of.haha

SEA: Ha Long Bay

I knew, even before I lay my eyes on Ha Long Bay, that Coron, will and will always be better. Still, I was swept away..

18November2012

..lovely evening..

..lovely, indeed :)