Saigon - Phu Quoc dreaming island

Hello you all!

My second day in Ho Chi Minh was absolutely great: went to the Fine Arts museum where I could appreciate contemporary and modern paintings, mostly all about the war, sculpture from the X to early XXth century, particuly appreciated the funeral Nguyen Toi sculpture. Then my friend Monh took me on his motorbike to this great uncovered swimming pool, spend the afternoon there, went back to eat a lot of fresh spring roll of all kind and finally experienced going to the cinema: not much choice there, so in between Valentine's day and Alice in Wonderland, I chose the second one, the 3D version, it was quite a great experience. I was the only occidental, first time! It was really funny to see people's reaction and behaviour during the film. Weirdest thing is the high restriction of 130 cm to get in (there were children anyway!) just like you can not wear a white or skin coloured bathing suit in the public swimming pools!

Anyway the next day I woke up early to get my flight to Phu quoc, paradisiac island near the Cambodian border. It's amazing. One picture to give you an idea.
So I've been spending most of my time on the beach, chilling out, walking along the beach the first day for hours, saw a traumatic corpse of the remains of a dead smelly dog, but really enjoyed my walk, got back by a british guy on a motorbike (thank you so much!!!) and met these canadian dudes and Dominik (from England) and Robin (from Amsterdam). So, I'm basically spending all my time with those two guys, enjoying the beach, playing sometimes volleyball, going every 20 minutes for a swin and that's about it! So great to chill out.

I've decided to stay here, then spend a couple of days in the Delta Mekong and take a fly back from Ho Chi Minh to Bankgok.(it costs like 50 euros) I'm unfortunately won't be crossing Cambodia, but at that point I'm too lasy, and I don't want to rush into it, so many places to see, anyway I'll be back for sure: this part of the world is too amazing.

A suivre...

Quy Nhon

Pronouced kwee ngon, this small city is surrounded by a transparent blue sea and small mountains.

The first day, I rented a bike, went from one wayof the beach to another, couldn't go any further, so I climbed the giant rocks willing to go to the Queen's beach, but I realized quickly that I couldn't, so I just had a swim there, then took my bike and went completly to the other way, willing to get to the island. But it was getting late and I was hungry, so I just stopped at a some small restaurant next to the road, in the water. It was great eating while watching the fish swimming under my feet.
I had some extra delicious gigantic prawns with rice, mmm... so good. Then I went back to the beach, felt asleep, got sunburned indeed, went home for a shower. Later, I just had a Sinh tô on the street. Sinh tô is this sort of exotic fruit salad, served with condensed milk and peanuts that you mix yourself with ice. It's so so so good! You should come to Vietnam just to eat that!

The second day, I also took my bike, finally found the way to get to the other side of the peninsula: only by boat! So I found one, it was hard to negociate the price and I end up paying 5 euros! (which is a lot) but after the quick ride to Hai Minh, I climbed there to a enormous statue, where you can appreciate the vue on Quy nhon bay, from where I continued down to a little paradisiac beach of white sand and perfectly blue water just for myself! I jumped into the water watching the fishing boats around, when I saw this little dude: a young boy around 18, Tin Tin (no clue how to write it). We just sat there together watching the sea for a while, then we moved under some trees to avoid the burning sun, he left and I just went back into the water. Came back to the swarf where the boat was waiting for me, and came back to the city. I decided then that it was time to eat, and went back to the place of flotting restaurants. I choose another one, smaller. No one spoke english so I just choose some fish out of the picture. 20 minutes later they brought me a 2kg fish with lemontree, vegetable, a plate of salad, herbs and cucumber, and riceleaves and tought me how to make spring rolls! It was orgasmic!!! So good I could never forget that taste, I ate it all!!!
Then I met Ashley on the way back, a belgian girl living there, I bought my train ticket and went for a Sinh tô before going back to the hostel to have a shower and rest.

The next day, I rented a bike again, had lunch with Ashley in a vegetarian restaurant (it's not a good term for a vietnamese typical place to eat, so please replace it) Awesome food. Then we went to the beach to enjoy a Sugar cane freszh juice starring at the sea. She went back to work, and I went to the Queen's beach, after she told me how to go there. I had to pay a bit but I drove in the mountains, enjoying the view. It was very tireing under 40° so I swet a lot but enjoyed a watermelon juice before going back to the city, and after a last Sinh tô (it is that good!), came back for my backpack, and went to the train station. There was some kind of problem with the rail, so they prepared some bus to Huy Toa, and we arrived right on time to catch the train. (around 7.20 pm)

After a shaking night on the train, we finally arrived in Saigon. I called Mateusz and we spend the day together, with his father and friend Darek, visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Saw a lot of poles today! More than I've seen during the entire trip, so I'm really enjoying speaking polish, with polish sense of humor! We're probably gonna eat at some "bui bui" or vietnamese restaurant later on the street. Nice!

Hanoi - Hoi An

Oh my god Vietnam!!!

On friday 5th, I left Sapa in the morning after a last nice evening at "the Hmong sister's bar".
It's the only place where Hmongs are allowed to enter. It's funny to see the girls wearing traditional clothes, drinking beer with the occidentals while listening to loud pop music. Those girls are seriously crazy, in a good way indeed.
They are very nice people, cheerful, glad to show their culture, the way they work and their way of living. Really interesting place. So I took the train, for about 12 hours road. This woman sitting next to me kept buying me food, one very nice guy who sat next to me at some point also, he was reading my hands line and said it was "good good!" :) People are so nice. I arrived around 9 pm, went directly to meet Mateusz in the center, we had a couple of beers with his collegue Daren, and moved to see other friend.
The next day we had a walk along the river, it was so nice. So peaceful walking on the sand, with fiels around the dryed river, then we went to the lake, also so peaceful, another side of Hanoi. Claire, a friend, met with us and then we met a Couchsurfer, Vincent which is in love with Poland and speaks polish, and apparently we have some friends in common in Warsaw: such a small world! After a lot of dancing, we went back to Maté's place.
Next day we just chilled out. I went on Monday to the women museum, had a walk, a lot of good vietnamese coffee and spring rolls (in the market they were so fresh and so good!) I took a sleeping bus on a late afternoon to Hoi An.
We stopped in the morning for breakfast, there some woman had this collection of coins from all over the world. She had no money from Poland and she was so glad when I gave her 20 groszy!:)
I finally arrived around 5pm after a 3 hours stop in Hué, for the memories :)
Hoi An is amazing! I went to eat a "Pho" in the street, it was so good I had a "Lau Cau" which was also very good. That's where I met Rien (pronouced Ryan) a US citizen with whom I spent so much time with. Such a great body. We had some drinks while debating about movies and fighting with a giant rat ;)
On wednesday I rented a bike, went to the beach and went swimming but the weather was quite bad, not raining but very cloudy and windy, the lifeguard kept me from swimming. I just went back to the city and met Rien. We took the bike to another beach, visited the Japonese tomb in the middle of the ricefield, after a small walk on the sand, we went to the best restaurant near Cau Dai. We had a steamed crab with Tamarin sauce which was deliciously norgasmic. So good!!!

The next day we met near the market, where I just had a pedicure and a hair removal with strings! So weird... but it works! We went on the other side of the river, had shopping, had a rest and had dinner later near the river but on the city's side, and decided to go back to the "rat's place". There, we had some Hanoi vodka (big big, cheap cheap for us!) and met the best canadian couple: Charissa and Kieran. All together we end up going to this bar on the beach, we had a swim which was awesome, then we realised there was a pool in the bar: I enjoyed it two times in betweem some dancing. It was a great night! I went to bed around 6am and had to wake up at 10 for my bus: I so didn't want to leave, but they wouldn't change my ticket. So now, I'm in Quy Nhon, small city near the sea encercled with mountains. It's gorgeous, tomorrow I'm sure I will have a great day, trekking and swimming, it's time for me to enjoy the beach!!!

Sapa

Quelques photos de Sapa, lors de
notre trek perso, avec notre amie Sà à Sapa, la traversée de minuscules villages, une vue magnifique, la visite d'une maison traditionnelle, une montée qui nous a achevé, bref que du bonheur.

Amazing beautiful Laos

"I watched deep down into beauty'eyes"...

Last day in Luang Prabang we went with Julie, french friend from the boat, to the Waterfall around 3O kms from the city.
It was just simply wonderful. Swimming in this amazing blue coloured water, so refreshing.
There are protected small black bears just at the entrance. We had a very nice day there. Peaceful last evening.

In the morning I took a public bus to Nong Kiau, this small village on the North East. The way was funny, 20 people in a small ordinary songthew! I was amazed by the beauty of the place and decided to stay longer. I walked all the way to the cave used during the war as a bank and everything else. Then had a great diner and enjoyed my "Lao style bed"(on the floor).
Next morning we went on a trek at some waterfall around. We arrived in this small village by boat (pirogue) when there was a wedding. We were invited to dance and drink some Lao Lao with all the inhabitants. We had to leave for our trek but promised to come back. It was great: walking through water, clibing barefoot. Refreshing and so pretty. Enjoyed our "Lao style" eating way (with hands). Then around 4 back at the village, some more drinking and dancing. I love their traditional dancing. Playing drums and singing.

Next day I had to go unfortunately (no ATM) and took a bus to Oamdayxai, where I had to walk a bit to find a magic machine, went back to the bus station to Mong Kong, at the Vietnamese border. There I met Salomé, another french friend, we shared a room and left the next morning to Dien Bien Phu. We had the bus at 5 on the other side of the river, took a pirogue in the night to cross it, we looked like refugee! It was a long ride, we arrived around 3 pm. After a diserved hot shower we had a walked around. Meet some friends for a coffee and then went to eat at a place when they cook only goat meat. Interesting taste...

Next morning took a bus at 6 for Sapa! Arrived at 5 pm and let me tell you that the shower then and especially using the bathroom was heaven! After a rest we walked around the city, had some diner and went to bed.

Today, 3rd of march, we walked with Salomé for hours in the mountains, passing through very small villages, people filled with kindness, always smiling and talking to us. It was great for once not needing a guide and not having tourists on the way. Not paying a thing just enjoying the view, the walk, the sun, the mountains, the fresh air. Saying goodbye to the toxines, enjoying eating delicious fruit bought on the morning market. Now, exhausted in a good way, we enjoyed our grilled fresh fish (cooked while still moving) and while finishing my green tea and writing my memories down.

I felt in love with Laos, this country amazed me: beautiful people in a beautiful land. I had only 10 days but enjoyed every second of it. Magical landscape, the smells of lemongrass and smoked wood, the smiles on the children faces will stay in my heart for ever. Wonderful Laos, I know i will see you again very soon, you're magical and you filled my heart with magic and love. My heart broke when I left you. Now I know what beauty means, now I know what life feels like.