Yesterday, I contacted an organization called Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide at my hotel's recommendation, signing myself up for a half-day walking tour of theirs that supposedly occurs every morning at 9am, which would take me around Hanoi's Old Quarter. This is not at all the tour I ended up going on, but that was …
Sai BatI wish that I could say that I was up before the rooster crows this morning, but it turns out that roosters start crowing dang early. Regardless, my alarm was set for 4:45am today so that I could get up to see the daily sai bat (morning alms) occur. This is when the hundreds …
My goal for today was to make it out to the Kuang Si Waterfalls about 18 miles from Luang Prabang. Getting thereIn the late morning, I found a tuk-tuk driver looking for passengers. This wasn't hard to do, as there are many drivers who sit on their vehicles asking if passers-by need a ride, which …
Morning marketThis morning, I stepped onto the street outside my hotel to find the morning food market bustling. The streets acted like a grocery store, with fruit, veggies, eggs, grains, fish, meat, and countless other food items available for purchase. Included as options were the freshest chicken possible (that is, alive) and having one's meat …
So, I'm absolutely still not feeling 100%, but I am somehow sticking more or less to my itinerary and feeling fine when it matters most. (AKA - when it's time to eat!) I flew from Chiang Rai via Bangkok into Luang Prabang, Laos, today. Both of those flights were quite short, so I was able …
Today, I went to visit two of the most popular attractions in Chiang Rai: the White Temple and the Black House. I started off by taking the public bus to the White Temple for 20 baht, which was a 30 minute-long trip. Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)The Chiang Rai-born artist Chalermchai Kositpipat designed this temple, …
First thing this morning, I was on a bus to Chiang Rai. This time it was actually a bus as opposed to a minivan, and the ride from Chiang Mai was about 3.5 hours long. On this ride, my neighbor shared her custard cream rice crackers with me. (Thais are so nice!) By 11am I …
Today was my last day in Pai, and I had another very peaceful day there. In the morning I went for a walk around the outskirts of town, taking in the sights and crossing as many bamboo bridges as I could find. I walked through fields that were filled with butterflies of all colors and …
Continue reading Leaving Pai: animal encounters & a jazz fest
After breakfast this morning, I walked to the town's main road and signed up at one of the many tour company stalls set up there for a full-day tour that would take me to all of the major destinations around Pai that I really wanted to see during my time here. Half an hour later, …
Pretty much everything that I've done during my trip so far has been extremely touristy. I figured that today, my last full day spent in Chiang Mai, was the day to change that. Though I hadn't heard of it before coming to Chiang Mai, a couple of people have raved to me about the Monk's …
Journeying Jasmine 