THAILAND & VIETNAM

here we go!
​
Matt and I are traveling to Thailand and Vietnam! We had received an email that flight prices had dropped significantly for flights to Bangkok. In a scramble - we researched, tweaked dates and booked the flight with only five busy months to go. As lovely as the holiday season is, we decided we were okay with not seeing/hearing/smelling every holiday advertisement between the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. So here we are! A day before take-off, we are packing our bags and getting ready to explore Southeast Asia for the first time.
Hang tight!

- britt + matt

DAY 1/2

The mere flight to Thailand is one that we have dreaded since showing interest in the country. We knew it would be long and possibly overwhelming. But we also knew we weren't NOT going to see a new part of the world based on a decision made out of fear. So we booked it! And if there is one piece of advice I could give about how to make time for travel or make travel a priority - booking a flight DOES IT. Suddenly it's very real and you're thinking less about whether the trip is doable and thinking more about planning for it - aka, making it happen! The first flight was 14 hours from NYC to Tokyo. There we had a layover and then another 6 hour flight to Bangkok - 20 hours in the air, over 30 hours of travel time - phew! The time in Bangkok is 12 hours ahead of NYC - for instance, when it's 6PM on a Tuesday in New York, it is 6AM the following Wednesday in Thailand. After a bit of research, we chose to fly with ANA (All Nippon Airways) out of Japan. The service, accommodations and food were all great. We seriously lucked out and had an empty seat in our row for both flights. This allowed for some limited but desperately needed sleep; while one of us watched a movie, the other slept. Unlike some of our past flights spanning 6-7 hours, these flights lacked crying babies, had working air conditioning and professional customer service. That was all we needed (:. Because of the time difference and time spent traveling, we are considering day three to be the beginning of our actual trip in the country.

DAY 3 - Arrived in Bangkok

With a 6AM arrival at BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport, we made it through customs, grabbed our bags and watched the first sun of the day overtake the city. We used Grab (Thailand’s Uber) to get a ride to our stay – an apartment for rent in the Ratchadaphisek region of Bangkok. The city is a complete overload to the senses and has a way of creating that pressing feeling of “where the * do we start?” This, mixed with intense jet lag, little sleep, some disorientation, some culture shock and an initial (and very strong) skepticism of any and all street food makes for one anxious little ole’ me!! Luckily Matt is calm, not easily shifted by the senses and has a compassion for those who are (aka your girl!) so we took things slow and retreated back to our apartment for a few hours. We notice there are as many people as there are motorbikes and the roads are packed with speeding tuk tuks, cars, trucks, vans, buses, utility vehicles and construction trucks. Smells of cooking meat, sour sauces, diesel fumes, burning incense and the occasional garbage fill every road you walk down. Most of the trucks and buses that pass by at high speeds do not have a muffler and yet the street vendors can hear the softly spoken Thai people placing their orders with ease. After a 6-hour nap (whoops) we jetted out in the evening for some dinner. A night market happens to be across from where we are staying and dons anything from massages, to cook-your-own seafood, jewelry, haircuts, clothing, desserts and more. And this is how every market is! And it’s so difficult to tell which vendor is legitimate and which just decided today that hauling raw meat on a rolling cart to an alleyway was their calling. But you get a hang of it after some many hours of walking, observing and of course – following what the Thais do!

DAY 4 - Bangkok

​So, about this jet lag! I’m kind of a fan… hear me out! I had the privilege of watching Matt fall asleep next to me and wake up before him. This NEVER happens because 1) dude is way too ambitious to be sleeping a morning away and 2) I love and need more sleep than the average bear. But this jet lag (and my high anxiety caused by sensory-overload) has thrown everything out of whack and resulted in me staying up late to work on photos and waking up before the sun the next day – pretty neat! We grabbed a traditional Western breky to start the day (was needing something familiar to feel more oriented) and began our journey in a different part of town. We strolled through a park, paddle-boated, road a long boat with locals to their markets and neighborhood stops (they use these boats like some cities use subway lines), got foot massages, ate at numerous places and then explored our apartment complex’s rooftop pool and Turkish hot tub. We grabbed some dindin at a place who earlier had a line of locals waiting for people to finish eating and swoop on in and briefly shopped a clothing market down the street. The US dollar is equivalent to 30 Thai Baht. Matt got himself some post-dinner pad thai for 100 Baht… or 3$. For comparison, that dish will range from $9-18 in the US. Women’s heavy cotton or linen clothing (not polyester or rayon) are $80-275 Baht… or $2.60-9.16. Neither of us love shopping nor do we care about making it a ‘thing to do’ while we are anywhere. But considering the Thai cultural norms around clothing (long pants, looser clothing and no showing of shoulders, thighs or chest) we snagged a few things that fit the buck.

Day 5 - Bangkok

The start of our day was very typical - with a boat ride down the canal in search of a temple of course! Instead of getting off at the final stop as planned, we stopped at a different stop and explored a whole new area of Bangkok. We found ourselves at a Buddhist temple, Wak Saket (The Golden Mount) where we walked stairs to the very top and captured a sweeping view of the city. There were Buddhist chants being played throughout loud speakers as locals and some tourists prayed to Buddha. We decided to invest in a face mask which are commonly used by locals as the exhaust fumes and dusty air can wreak havoc on your sinuses and throat. Lozenges, cough drops and inhaler/rollers filled with oils and menthol are commonly found at every place you go. We made our way to the touristy area of Bangkok thinking it was worth strolling through – but it turned out to be exactly what we hate. Nothing about it was authentic to the Thai culture and was basically a super busy road packed with fake brand names, bars bumping American music and unfortunate versions of Thai food. But nevertheless – we saw it and know that our decision to stay away was right for us! It wouldn’t be a day in Bangkok without another Thai massage – so you bet that’s what we did! This time we did full body and were placed in the same room dimly lit and cool. They give you cotton clothes to change into, lay you down on a mattress-like pad on the floor and do not use oil. It’s a lot of pulling, slow and steady pressure and moving your body in motions to help loosen your muscles. Cracking your back, toes, fingers and arms is very common and feels so good. Our evening ended with a seafood buffet we had seen advertised nearby – it was just okay, but Matt pigged out on the crab (per usual hehe). We roamed the fancy hotel as if it were our own, checked out the rooftop views and used the Turkish hot tub one more time before calling it a night (: Tomorrow – we go to Chiang Mai!

Day 6 - Onto Chiang Mai

​Breakfast has become a very telling meal for us this trip – if the day prior’s meals were subpar, we crave a familiar breakfast that we can rely on to treat us well and fill us up. After yesterday’s so-so meals, we craved a breakfast of pancakes and French toast. We know we’re in Thailand and “should” eat outside our comfort zone. But two things come to mind with that – we don’t live by “shoulds” and balance is essential. Matt got a mango passionfruit smoothie and I got a matcha (green tea) latte to start our day. We took our time walking through neighborhoods on our way back to our own. On a whim, we stopped at this mango and sticky rice stand that we had passed on our way to the breakfast spot. A sure sign that the place is 1) reliable and 2) delish is when locals are waiting in line. It had a line then and had a line at that moment… so we did what you do when you’re in Thailand – we stopped! Mango and sticky rice is a popular and calorie-dense dish served all over. The rice and mango are topped with a coconut milk that’s sweet and delicious. Matt and I had gotten this for dessert at a place in town for our anniversary dinner last June – but this topped it (: Our flight to Chiang Mai was smooth and low enough the whole time to see cars and homes below. The low passenger count allowed for me to move to a window seat to soak in that crazy beautiful perspective of high above. Our little apartment in Chiang Mai overlooks some popular shopping areas with the mountains as a backdrop. The city center of Chiang Mai is surrounded by a square moat that was used to protect the people from the Burmese invading. Parts of the original walls still remain intact today. We ate at a restaurant in the city center with a reputation – and it lived up! Matt has been seeing the Morning Glory dish all around Bangkok’s street vendors but was worried about possible contamination. So he tried it here and it was gooooood – the first veggie dish we indulged this trip. Our food choices are shown below (: We spent well over an hour being funneled through a street market lined with talented artisans, food vendors and fun little goodies. We were laughing so much from how tight the crowds were – Matt kept pretending to look at things just to see the whole line of people bump into each other bahahaha. We snagged some more pants ($3-8/pair – insanity) and some reusable shopping bags recycled from rice bags. Tomorrow – we hike with elephants. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT!!!

Day 7 - Chiang Mai

​Before we booked any Airbnbs or hotel stays, before mapping out an approximate route of where we’ll be heading in Thailand and Vietnam… we booked today’s adventure. After so much research and due diligence, I landed upon Elephant Nature Park – an elephant conservation park that buys elephants to rescue them from maltreatment of all kinds and gives them a better life. The group size was 12 and the plan was to feed them breakfast, hike with them for a few miles, have lunch in the forest and walk the elephants back to their river to give them a quick bath. And that is exactly what we did. I have wanted to see elephants in their nature habitat, happy and healthy since I can remember. People close to me know my love for elephants – what they represent, their intelligence (emotional and otherwise), their respect for their mothers and their love of family. The moment the first of the three elephants gracing us today brought tears to my eyes. I felt so alive to see these incredible, massive herbivores walking toward me. We sliced up some watermelon before their arrival to give as their ‘breakfast’ – along with some bananas. Our walk was guided and brought the twelve of us and three elephants through an upward, mountainous path. We walked alongside them with bags of bananas on our shoulders and fed them along the way. The whole experience was surreal. For being so massive and strong, they were so peaceful and calm. We learned about their pasts and the traumas they have experienced. We learned about their ages, their personalities and why the oldest momma, the grandma, can’t eat watermelon with the rinds. We were completely floored. Matt snapped some incredible videos and chatted up everyone in the group. Our tour guide and the team from Elephant Nature Park taught us how to make papaya salad (a Thai classic) and had prepared us a spread for lunch. After walking with the elephants back down, we bathed them in a river cutting through the sanctuary. We enjoyed some local fruit and headed back into town. Matt made a new friend from Texas, JB, who was visiting Thailand with his wife Nicky; they chatted for the entire hour and half drive back into town while the rest of us nodded off in the tiny van. Needing some time to catch up on the website, I stayed at our condo for over an hour while Matt grabbed us some dindin to bring back home. Today, I checked a major item off my bucketlist. We’re sunburned, exhausted and elated; a beautiful day in the mountains of Chiang Mai.

Day 8 - Chiang Mai

​Good morning! We awoke at a time that is more natural to us before heading out in search of breakfast! Chiang Mai is so different than Bangkok – and everyone knows it. Chiang Mai is way more relaxed, artsy and lives life at a slightly slower pace. There are many excursions advertised for outside of the city center that attract adventurous travelers alike. We wanted to go somewhere a little outside the city, so we chose an orchid and butterfly garden. Walking through the fragrant flower garden was a breath of fresh air from the normal smells of sewer and street food that fill every street we’ve thus far walked. With no plans in mind, we walked to a nearby attraction that we thought might be a good idea – a tiger kingdom. It was midday, hot, and there were not many Grabs (Ubers) around to bring us back into the city. So we thought, eh, why not? Well, the why not is pretty obvious now – this visiting center allows people to pay to take photos with tigers. It made us nothing but sad and feel super weird the whole time. These poor creatures are brought up in a caged environment. Mind you, some of the species are endangered and therefore would likely not survive in the wild anyway. But breeding for the sake of a profit? Not cool. We took some photos, but won’t be posting them as they falsely present an image that makes it seem cool or worthwhile – but in reality, its neither. A dish called Khao Soi is known in Northern Thailand and consists of a curry coconut base with stewed chicken, veggies, egg noodles and crispy noodles on top. We finally got a taste of it at lunch along with some ‘sleeping banana’ – aka, bananas wrapped in wonton dough and deep fried – soooo so good. Banana anything = yes please! After roaming a vintage 70’s shop with old war-era clothing and bags, we snagged a vintage rug before retreating home. A quick rest and reset lead us back into the night for some shopping and eating (:

Day 9 - Chiang Mai

So you know when you see something and think “oh that would be cool!” but don’t really think much further than that before booking it? Well, that’s not me. I see something and research instantly before deciding to book. And though I am spontaneous in some aspects, I’m thoroughly planned in others. Last night Matt and I came across zip lining in Chiang Mai. I thought – hey, that’d be cool! But instead of zapping the fun out of it by overthinking, I gave the computer to Matt and had him book it. And BOOM – he yells from the other room, “we’re going zip lining!” And I woke up completely psyched to do it. It was about an hour’s drive from the city center. On arrival, the guys were super friendly and silly, full of positive energy and were enthusiastic about the day ahead. They went through all the safety precautions and hooked the 10 of us up in gear before hopping in the back of a pickup and driving to our first stop. We hiked up a super steep hill before the first of many drops into thin air on our zip lines. It was soooooo so cool to be high up in the rain forest and soaring over banana and coffee trees among other plants – we zipped about 15 lines with the longest being a half mile. The platforms were mostly all very sturdy – we were hooked to a cable at all times whether we were standing or soaring which made us feel at ease. Our knees got weak only walking over the shaky bridge which was A LOT but again, nothing we couldn’t get through. We paid a little extra to have one of the three guys working with us to take photos so we could leave our phones in lockers at the main base and stay as present as possible. Highly recommend this to anyone visiting Chiang Mai – it’s such a different perspective of this wild northern region of Thailand. After getting back home, we ate and napped before heading out to a cat café (yes, it’s exactly what you’re imagining). There are fifteen cats that live in this café that serves your average coffee house beverages. You get to pet and play with the sweet and sometimes weird creatures all while enjoying a beverage. Please, no one tell Nouj – but we needed some fluff in our life! We miss that little pooper at home so much. Our evening consisted of walking through a Asian-fusion market that only happens a few times this month, with today being the last day. There were booths set up all pretty and lights everywhere. Every time we bought something to eat it was $2-4 – a serious bargain! Dumplings, honey ice cream, mango and sticky rice, noodles (noods), sushi, seaweed salad and roti (pan fried bread). The price of these things back home is INSANE compared to what we paid tonight – and the quality is unmatched. Tomorrow, we say hello to Hanoi

Day 10 - Onto Hanoi, Vietnam!

Today, we almost missed our flight. Well, not really... But we are so used to getting to airports with plenty of time to roam around that it felt super last minute today. We spent a majority of our morning packing up our bags for the next destination - Hanoi! We packed, grabbed breakfast and realized only while waiting for a cab that our flight is technically international - we completely forgot! It is only a 1.5 hour flight so we didn't think much of it. So we use the Grab app to call a cab... And what do you know? None are available! We have rarely had an issue finding a ride to somewhere in town. Yet, this morning, with minimal time to spare, we struggled. So we caught a songthaew which are basically trucks made into taxis with the bed of the truck acting as covered benches. The exhaust fumes and smell from our driver's cigarette was enough to make us wonder how people do this all the time! No wonder people wear masks everywhere (see mine below haha). But we finally arrived, had to run across the airport to have our visas printed (oops take two) and finally made it to the gate before boarding even began. We land in Hanoi mid-afternoon with another set of struggles that are common to arriving to a new country - minus the jet lag this time. We couldn't get a ride into the city, the taxis were knowingly up-charging us because we are clearly not Vietnamese and the address from our Airbnb was not being picked up on the map. All great things when you're entering a new country! After a 45-60 minute car ride into town, we find our cute + cozy apartment where we briefly plopped our bags down and headed around the corner for some dinner. For a 5-star restaurant with high ratings, we got an appetizer, beer, one water, two entrees and dessert for $42. The exchange rate is even better in Vietnam... so we don't expect many more of our meals to cost this much. With only a few days in this city before heading to Da Nang, we want to make the most of it! My aunt Cindy has recently toured Vietnam and has great recommendations for tours and things to do. Right outside our aparment is a delicious food stand whose smells are NOTHING like Bangkok or Chaing Mai. It smells like fresh, savory cooking that one would expect to smell from a stew or soup. We dig it (';

Day 11 - Hanoi

​We had read in a few places that stopping in Hanoi first may be too chaotic for the average traveler. What they didn’t know is we had been conditioned by Bangkok a week prior, so Hanoi feels totally normal! The streets are CRAZY. Think four-way intersection with motorbikes, busses, vehicles and pedestrians crossing all at the same time, dodging and intersecting in every direction. Not even kidding… That is what happens. Though there are some lights at certain intersections, it’s mostly a free-for-all. But the result is astounding… You take care of your route and the other people will take care of theirs. They don’t need a light to tell them when it’s safe! Matt and I got it down pat – slow is smooth and smooth is fast. That is, until a motorbike comes zipping in from the left, then we’re extra fast. But hey, whatever works, right? As any foodie may expect of Vietnam, our breakfast consisted of coconut coffees (think espresso layered with coconut ice) and pho – the Vietnamese noodle bowl consisting of a light, but flavorful broth made from the skin, bones and meat of an animal with rice noodles, chives and cilantro often garnished with fresh lime, basil or bean sprouts. Matt spotted a place with locals eating in tiny chairs and tables out front – so that’s where we went! Per recommendation from my aunt, we checked out the Vietnamese Women’s Museum to learn about the history of Vietnamese women, their roles in a family, their great contributions and sacrifices during colonialism and the American-Vietnam War and their roles in society now. For lunch we had banh mi (a popular Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette) from a small street vendor before checking out the Huc Bridge that stretches to a pagoda/shrine in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake – a peaceful little getaway from the mad streets of Hanoi. We toured the Hao Lo Prison (ironically nicknamed ‘Hanoi Hilton in the late 60s by American POWs) and saw where thousands of Vietnamese rebels were held during France’s occupation of the country. We had some beef pho from another street side vendor (we LOVE food, okay?) before taking a little break at home during rush hour. We sat on our little second-story porch while I enjoyed an egg coffee (whipped egg topping with sweet condensed milk) and Matt enjoyed a beer. The egg coffee originates in Hanoi when eggs were whipped and used in coffee when milk and condensed milk were in short supply. Vietnamese coffee is strong – in taste and strength. My sensitive self only needed about half a cup to feel it’s effect. We walked the night market and grabbed our last snack of the day – chicken wings – before heading home. Tomorrow we see Ninh Binh!

Day 12 - Hanoi

 ​Matt’s alarm woke us at 6:30 today – with the plan to hop on a small tour to Ninh Binh. It was Vietnam’s first established capital and is now a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today’s pollution levels were high – and according to our tour guide, Hanoi ranked number one today for the worst pollution – YAHOO! Online the tour was said to be for 7 people, but when they picked us up we were the only ones! Private tour? Sure! Although this seems ideal, it can begin to be a little awkward as you’re suddenly being catered to and asked all kinds of questions that I would normally dodge answering if in a group. I’m more of an observer/listener type… But, it was informative and great to have all our questions answered. We also got to customize the itinerary a bit by biking around the town of Tam Coc more than intended. We bicycled through rice fields that had been recently harvested and looked onward toward massive peaks of limestone with eroding caves underneath (aka karsts).  We passed cows roaming freely both along the rice fields and on the street (see photo below!), goats snuggling up next to the water and many sleepy dogs. We learned how to make our own spring rolls using rice paper and fresh ingredients before indulging in a huge lunch for just the two of us – we only left a bit of soup behind. We hopped on a boat being steered and powered by the legs and feet of a Vietnamese man. For an hour and a half we were brought through the waterways that rest at the base of these massive limestone peaks. We passed under three caves (a little freaky and not for the claustrophobic peeps reading this) and my first thought was about the boys who were trapped in a cave for days – not the most comforting thought but it passed. Before heading back to Hanoi, we stopped at the ancient capital and learned a bit about the history of Vietnam. Our bus had massage seats and were super comfy – but that was no match to the intense braking and dodging our driver was doing while approaching Hanoi. We grabbed some DELISH bun cha (pork noodle soup) at a little hole-in-the-wall place that cooks it across the street and crosses the crazy traffic for every order. The broth was slightly sweet and the pork was tender. You add your own rice noodles as you so choose and they give you a plate of greens, cilantro and fresh basil to add as you’d like. We also got a fried crab roll that was extra crispy and juicy as well. We had an earlier start to today, got a good bike ride in and have a semi-early start tomorrow – we’re pooped! So we headed back to our place to shower and wind down after having enjoyed some French desserts and fresh ginger tea.

Day 13 - Hanoi

Another day in Hanoi, another tour! In our past travels we don’t opt for “tours” as we find them to be limiting and not within our interests. But Southeast Asia has more adventurous and one-day tours, so we have decided to use a few to get the most out of our short(ish) stays in the many areas we are visiting these three weeks. Today, we are going with a street bike tour recommended by my aunt. It was just Matt and I on the backs of two bikes; one of them spoke English so well and the other did not speak it at all. Matt likes to chat, so he paired up with Jackie (real name Hiếu) and I was able to take in the scenery quietly with my driver. Really quick fun fact - the Vietnamese language was translated into an English alphabet by man from Portugal after the Chinese occupation of the country. The language is tonal - way you say their words (though they may be spelled very similar) makes all the difference in their meaning. When hearing fluid sentences in Vietnamese, it's almost sing-songy and has influences of French and Portuguese as well. When written, the words have many marks above, next to or below the letters called diacritics. The statement, "Hello my name is..." is written in Vietnamese like this: "Xin chào tên tôi là..." Anyways, back to the tour! We were taken through super tight alleyways, to a place for breakfast, through Hanoi’s black market (originally named after the place thieves would take their stolen items to sell in the night), to another market preparing animals and other foods to sell, to a historic train track and through the bustling roads of Hanoi. We visited “Banana Island” where poor locals and families make their living harvesting bananas and other fruit and live in ramshackle homes on the water built out of materials they have found. They have to travel to the city to get their barrels of water every week and are known to care more about the people than their own well-being. For instance, there is a prevalence of people attempting suicide off a nearby bridge and this island of people are known to help find the bodies (dead or alive) and get them back to their families on the island. We continued on by zipping through the crops before biking along the bridge which was bustling with bikers before heading to a place for a lunch and then a place for coffee. Throughout the tour, we had the opportunity to try fruits we've never had, a legal Vietnamese 'drug' (similar to toothache plant), homemade beer, and tobacco (which is way stronger than what's at home). Every food stop was included and our tour guide was so informed, interested and not just reading off some script of information. We ended up having conversation about American hip-hop, food and culture before exchanging information to stay in touch. It was the highlight of our trip the Hanoi. No experience will beat the conversations you will have with people on a trip – it’s always what we remember most. Matt mentioned a quote two days ago from Maya Angelou (we had to remind ourselves by looking it up) – “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” And it’s so true! Conversations with people of different cultures or backgrounds, no matter how small, will create a feeling of connection and show how similar we all are. We ended our evening with many many stops for food (average $4/meal for the two of us – not each) and a water puppet show at a nearby theater. Matt had mentioned this when we were in Bangkok while looking ahead to Hanoi and I was completely  like… “uhhhhh, no.” But as we stayed here and heard mention of its cultural significance and whatnot, I was pretty intrigued. And guess what? He was right (-; It was a nice way to spend our last evening in Hanoi. The whole performance was in Vietnamese, with traditional music and funny/captivating visuals by the puppets. 

Day 14 - Onto Da Nang!

Today we say goodbye to Hanoi. The city overall was pretty chaotic but full of really great food. We packed our days with things to do and would come home to our little apartment pretty tired from the day. We loved being able to explore the city and see areas that don't necessarily pop up on a web search of things to do in the area. Matt's beard was quite intriguing to locals who would almost daily make a comment toward or while pointing at Matt. We don't have much more 'planned' on our itinerary and will be spending the next week slowing down and bringing our trip to an end. We had some pho and fruit drinks for breakfast, booked our island accommodations for the last days in Thailand and headed to the airport. I had a little case of traveler's diarrhea which was super unfortunate to have on a travel day but I was thankful it didn't happen on one of our tours. They said it's almost impossible to avoid in Southeast Asia (especially Thailand) but something didn't sit right! Matt was without any symptoms but was so helpful in making me feel comfortable and reducing my anxiety about feeling so gross. Pepto-Bismol really, really helped the side effects subside while we checked in and flew to Da Nang. Our flight was moved from one plane to the next and got us in a little earlier than planned - though it was a little disorganized and various airport employees kept taking our passports and bringing them back (a little nerve-racking). It was probably our worst travel day yet - which isn't bad considering we've been traveling for two weeks now! We both realized after this trip that we prefer sticking to one country at a time. Our thoughts were that while we are in this part of the world to make the most out of it. But it turns into a lot of traveling, switching currency, new languages and relearning cultural norms in such a short time. We arrived at our place in the early evening; it's air-conditioned, near restaurants and only 100 meters from the beach. The humidity is stronger here than Hanoi but the pollution is wayyyyy better. We walked the beach at night with only one or two other people within sight and even got to see the stars for the first time in weeks! It was beautiful. We ordered some delivery when we got home before snoozin'.

Day 15 - Da Nang

With the exception to our last night in Hanoi, last night's bed was the comfiest we have had. I'm not sure if it's the price point we've been going with, but our accommodations have been aesthetically beautiful and in great locations - but the beds are consistently uncomfortable! It's so odd. Also, I wanted to note how normal it is for space-saving purposes to have a shower head next to your toilet. Almost all of our bathrooms (except this one) have no divider, glass or separation between the floor/air space you use to shower and the one you use for going to the bathroom. Although that sounds gross, it ends up being pretty functional in the end. Another very common practice in both Thailand and Vietnam is removing your shoes before entering a restaurant, hotel or dwelling. It's commonplace for hosts to provide sandals for using in the bathroom/entire apartment/entire hotel while leaving your regular shoes in a locker cubby or sitting on the steps before entering a building. The Thais do it because they see the feet as dirty and always facing the earth. I'm not entirely sure if that's the case in Vietnam, but I do know the roads are not always the cleanest and probably have good reason to believe it's important to remove your shoes. Anyways - today we had a slow start to the morning, booked the rest of the trip's flights and accommodations from the comfort of our bed and headed to My Khe Beach for a little R&R. It's known for its white, soft sand and low crowds. Matt was in the water within minutes of unpacking our things under a hay umbrella. I took to sunning and watching Matt crash through the intense waves of the South China Sea. The red flag was posted - meaning do not swim. But Matt, along with many surfers and a few other swimmers, disobeyed and took the risk. We spent most of our day there before heading to a market for some souvenirs. Still eating light, we stopped at a banh mi stand (Vietnamese sandwich) where I just got a roll and Matt got a pork banh mi. We had tacos from a woman-run little shop around the corner serving Taiwan-inspired tacos and it was the most familiar meal we've had in a while (and it was delish!). Tomorrow we go back to Thailand for the last leg of our trip!

Day 16 - Back to Thailand!

Today we leave Vietnam for Krabi, Thailand. We enjoyed Vietnam’s food so much. But we definitely felt a difference in how we were treated as well as how people treated each other when compared to Thailand. The Thais are so friendly, were generally just happier people and have a similar sense of manners found in the United States (keyword similar - definitely not the same!) Hanoi was pretty disorganized/chaotic, kind of dirtier than Bangkok (in our opinion) and no one would smile (which we understand based on America’s history in the country). Da Nang is developing and has a bustling downtown with shops and places to go - but it is in desperate need of a few street lights (and traffic lights)! Mind you, our experience in Vietnam was short, a bit rushed and ended with both of us experiencing some traveler’s diarrhea - so our perspective is definitely skewed. But with that said, we enjoyed visiting and are both so glad to have seen such a different part of the world and learn from their cultural norms. Krabi is the mainland province of which the island of Koh Jum belongs. We had only booked our stay in Koh Jum a few days ago and prior to that had no idea where we were going to visit in Southern Thailand - we just knew the last part of our trip would be dedicated to some R&R. Our flight out of Da Nang went well - besides hearing our names called over the Da Nang Airport intercom. The airline wanted to be sure we had plans to leave Thailand after our stay in Krabi - something to do with Thailand’s rules about being there longer than a month? Either way - it solidified our confusion about how some things are so monitored in Vietnam (like every hotel needing to take a photo of our passport for the government - not the most assuring LOL) and how other things are so unregulated (like food safety, pollution and motorbikes congesting every inch of sidewalk.) We landed in Krabi early evening, got a ride to our little Airbnb and grabbed dinner before calling it a night. Our hosts were so helpful and took reign on booking our transportation (both land and sea!) for tomorrow. Looking back - we will definitely be sticking to one country per trip with the time we have allotted. Though it's so amazing to see various cultures in one trip, hopping on and off flights starts to take up too much of the day! Hey, you live and learn (-:

Day 17 - Koh Jum, Thailand

The journey from mainland Krabi to Koh Jum is similar to any trip to a Thai island. We caught a shared truck taxi (songthaew) before picking up eight other people on our way to the pier. Tiny waves of claustrophobia/nausea wafted over me as more and more people crammed into the back of this roofed truck bed. It vaguely smelled like cat urine and the air coming through the sides was only reached after turning my body near halfway around. We arrived at the pier to crowds of white people with bags and children and bikes trying desperately to find out which boat they needed to grab. Thai men are shouting different destinations with a slight accent making many people ask frantically for clarirication. We grabbed our tickets and waited for the ferry to Koh Jum. A massive boat shows up, with most people standing outside on the upper deck and unloads hundreds of people while our group of about 80-100 waits. That was not our boat - ours was much smaller with much less outdoor space. As someone who is prone to motion-sickness-induced nausea, I panicked slightly (I'm also a few days away from my cycle starting - so nausea is much more easily triggered LOL). We made sure we were the last to board the boat before standing our ground in one of the few open spots next to where the luggage was stacked. As the boat took off, it was smooth sailing! I use sea-bands which are bracelets that push on the pressure point in your wrist. It helped in Peru during windy mountainous roads, on the drive up to zip lining from which others in our group reported getting nauseous and on many boat/taxi/bus rides before. We plopped down with our feet hanging below wearing our conical hats on and watched as Koh Jum got closer and closer. We had to transfer from our ferry to a smaller, motorized long tail boat in the middle of the ocean (as one normally does when arriving to these smaller islands). Our ferry stopped, three long tails showed up and the chaos began! Men yelling the names of different resorts and beaches while another man points at a person and then points at a luggage out of the massive pile. We saw our luggage go for the third boat, so we stepped down stairs, walked across two other long tails and took off from the ferry rather quickly. We pulled up to the island in a similar fashion to any movie you’ve seen - to an open beach, with only the sound of the birds, monkeys and waves crashing. A person from our resort quickly grabbed our bags before we could even try and walked us up to the Koh Jum Ocean Beach Resort. We were greeted with a sincere wai (Thai hand bow), iced pandan leaf tea (the same tea we’ve had after massages) and an introduction to the resort while sitting at a table overlooking the Adaman Sea. Our little bungalow is up a few flights of concrete steps with a view of the water and foliage all around. The hilly, U - shaped resort has bungalows that line it with a garden, pool, massage center and restaurant as it’s center. Having been sunburned a bit from our boat ride, we slathered on some SPF before walking the tropical resort and the beaches that line it. We ate, drank, walked and napped before watching the sunset. We are on the west side of the island allowing us to catch the beautiful colors and clouds as the day ends. We can see the more popular/touristy island of Phi Phi in the far distance but without all it's noises, partying and congestion. It's quiet, serene, and allows for some absolutely restorative relaxation. Just what the doctor prescribed (-;

Day 18 - Koh Jum

After arguably the best night of sleep this trip, we awoke to quietly lapsing waves and the sounds of crows. The place we're staying at provides free breakfast each morning. You have two choices - a Thai breakfast equipped with hot rice soup with chicken, fresh julienne cut ginger and cilantro or a Western breakfast of an omelette with a fried egg - we opted for the former. Along with some fresh yogurt with fruit and a juice and coffee. Our day was pretty much exactly what one would do on an island with no phones or watch to keep track of time. We walked up and down the beach, collecting sea glass and admiring all of the hermit crab trails. We lounged on the beach, reading and dozing off. We swam in the choppy, yet shallow, waves from the intense winds of today like children would do - laughing, splashing and tripping over rocks below as the tide pulled us hard. We rinsed off at the pool before taking a swim there. And relaxed at our bungalow for a bit, lounging on the deck chairs reading and working on the website. We did not keep track of time and ate when we were hungry, drank fruit smoothies and Matt a beer when thirsty and let the sunlight of the day dictate our next moves. Meals are no longer held during the 'typical', regimented time frames of home - they're sporadic, frequent and paired with a sea breeze, blue skies and 80 degree warmth (it was 91 today - but the wind made it feel comfortable). To bring him back to his childhood memories (and his trip to Cozumel with his Dad) we gave the goggles a try to swim and look for fish. But not just any goggles - the ones with the nose! The worst! Kidding - it's not the worst. But, the sun was low in the sky and the waves were still choppy, so sight was limited as is and only having the option to breath out of your mouth as the wind pushes waves into your face was nothing less than laughable. We had a good time regardless (: Around midday yesterday we napped - and today, our decision to avoid a nap was felt around dinner. We ate later than normal with a couple drinks and got into bed earlier than midnight this time. Matt caught up on some news articles while I watched the foreign news network on TV. Living on island time means doing what your body tells you to do - not what meaning you have put on a certain time of day. Koh Jum (specifically, the Ocean Beach Resort) is the quintessential relaxing island equipped with strong Wifi only at the restaurant and is a half hour walk along a dirt road to the island 'center'. There is only one sheriff for the whole island, monkeys play in the trees and your biggest qualm is realizing the spring rolls come fried, not fresh. You're not going to find any 7-Elevens, bars or shopping districts here. Just a few resorts spread out around the coastline, sandy beaches with lots of hermit crabs and the calming sounds of nature.

Day 19 - Koh Jum

In an effort to catch some smooth, calm morning waters for paddle boarding, we rose around 7 today. We grabbed some breakfast (while sitting mostly alone for its entirety) before renting two paddle boards for an hour. It ended up being much easier than we expected! Though as the waves came, we would teeter-totter for a second before regaining balance. The boards are big enough where you can sit with your heels under your butt, lay down, or stand to navigate the waters. We had a blast but definitely agreed that an hour was enough - it begins to get a little tiring as the tide is difficult to go against on such a board. We left our phones back at the resort while we walked the beach for over an hour down to a different area of the island. We traversed boulders, sharp rocks, squishy sands and mid-morning heat while we explored the new area. Matt has been collecting sea glass every day since we arrived and has now accumulated a quart-size ziplock bag of glass! Naturally, as a few hours had since passed since our breakast, we were craving food. We have definitely eaten the most out of anyone at this resort while we've been here and we've been loving it. After a rinse in the pool, we napped at the heat of the day in our comfy bed. Naps aren't Matt's thing... so he says! But he's been snoozin' like a baby since we landed on this island and I've been loving it. We watched the sunset and enjoyed the beautiful colors of the night. We had two dinners (LOL) and walked the beach at night for some hermit crabs and sea glass. The hermit crabs here totally rule the beach and leave beautiful, yet random, paths throughout the soft sand. We've been admiring their choice of shells and have been researching every last question one could think of about these little (and sometimes big!) things. Another beautiful day on Koh Jum. (:

Day 20 - Koh Jum

Today is our last day on this peaceful island. We've thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and found it's slowness and quietness to be exactly what we wanted after a long, busy and chaotic trip through parts of Thailand and Vietnam. The weather has been good to us - highs of 91 and lows of 72. The humidity is at its highest in the morning and quickly evaporates as the day progresses. We had air conditioning in our rooms and slept so well. The people working here have been so accommodating, friendly and trustworthy. We slept in a little later, enjoyed our usual breakfast and wanted to walk outside the resort to see other parts of the island. Our backs and necks were super sweaty the whole walk, but we saw monkeys grooming, walking on tree limbs and the homes of the locals. Koh Jum has a high population of Muslims and therefore does not serve pork - it's common to see restaurants and resorts advertising Halal food here. We passed a few mopeds driven by women with hjiabs, older children with younger kiddos in front of them and a few trucks driven by men. We passed areas that smelled of farms, seafood and chickens. The roads are dirt and rocky near the coastline and resorts but soon turn into paved road as we approached the island 'center' - essential a three-way road with a minimally stocked convenience store on it's corner. I don't know how women do it both here and in other places around the world when it comes to their periods (menstruation). I, unfortunately, have gotten my period a few days ahead of schedule (likely due to the time change and stress of traveling) rather than getting it the day we get back in the states. Matt and I have kept an eye out for menstrual products and rarely find anything besides some pads. In this heat, with so little access to toilets with toilet paper or soap, it makes me sad for the women who cannot access the products they need to feel dignified in society. Anyways, I digress. We spent the majority of our bed poolside, sunning and burning LOL but it was wonderful. We got food, drinks and I accidentally napped for a bit. Matt gathered more and more sea glass as I got a foot massage at the resort. Thai massages are no joke - this one included. They use this little wooden stick to hit certain pressure points and perform reflexology on the feet - and it's painful LOL. This short 70-something-year-old Thai woman with a few teeth, long manicured nails and thick glasses dug int the bottoms of my feet and hit points all around my heel, toes and arch that felt equal parts good and flinching-painful. But honestly, it felt great as I usually ask for more pressure in past massages. We had dinner, enjoyed our last sunset on Koh Jum and took a walk. We had a briefly and slightly fearful encounter with a mean dog a few days prior that has made me leery to walk a certain way. But we did it tonight, and found a friendly dog that literally followed us down the entire beach and back AND... get this... up the steps of our resort and all the way to our room! Silly doggo. Tomorrow, we say farewell. Bittersweet, bittersweet!

Day 21 - Back to Bangkok!

Today we say farewell to this beautiful and perfectly relaxing island. I think we finally understand the value in people going on 'vacations' - and this one could not have been more perfectly timed after traveling the chaotic and bustling cities and areas of Thailand and Vietnam. As anyone might, we felt torn between feelings of happiness and sadness leaving knowing our next step is one more day in Bangkok and then home. We had breakfast, spruced up our bungalow and waited for our long tail boat to pick us up. Just as it happened when we were dropped off at this island, we were met by the ferry mid-ocean and hopped on. This one smelled more of fumes and we couldn't find a good spot to sit, so Matt explored the front of the boat to find some empty area among only a few others. We plopped down and enjoyed the sunny, breezy views of surrounding islands and passing long tails as the mainland Krabi approached. We hopped off, dehydrated, tired and hot to ferry goers waiting for taxis and transports. We paid to use the bathrooms that didn't have toilet paper and little soap and wanted to continue on our journey ASAP. We had a sticker on us that said 'Airport Transfer' and were picked up by a sprinter van - we were the only ones! We cranked the AC and prepared for what we knew was going to be a long day waiting at the airport. Our flight wasn't until 5PM, but we didn't mind. We read, worked on the website and had some coffee. It wasn't until the official two-hour mark where check-in finally begins that we were informed the flight had been delayed over an hour. We sighed, got over it and again - just did what we had to do! Couldn't do much about it, right? So we made the best of it. We went through security, found our gate (directly next to two other gates - this place is small!) and only then realized we couldn't go back to eat at the only restaurant in the airport. You had to go through before security! LOL oh boy. Our 'dinner' consisted of nuts and crackers while we watched people gather and stand for our flight. As boarding time approached, nothing was happening. Other flights were boarding, we watched planes depart, but we were still there. We ended up departing over two hours after the original time - ay ay ay! Our flight went well, we landed in Bangkok, struggled to find a Grab, paid a taxi and got our butts to our final spot before leaving the country tomorrow. We were beat, so hungry and I was menstrual crampy... we needed to eat!! We ended up catching a taxi to a nearby market where we ate and shopped for souvenirs. We got home close to 1AM, washed Bangkok off us and enjoyed the views from our apartment. Tomorrow - we go home!! 

Day 22 - Last day in Thailand

Ahh, the day is here! We are having such mixed feelings about going home. Part of us is going to miss constantly traveling around, seeing new places and eating new foods. We'll miss the affordability, the endless things to do and try and the friendly disposition of the Thais. But we're so looking forward to reliable food, drinkable tap water, toilet paper in bathrooms and our own bed. We've missed our cat, Nouj, like crazy and have become exhausted from the way of life in the cities of Thailand and Vietnam. We started the day slower and took our time walking around knowing our flight wasn't until late this evening. Today was hotter and much more humid than our past days in Thailand. Coming from New England, we're used to the intense humidity that comes with warm days. But today was gross - mixed with the smells of Bangkok's streets and lack of cleanliness, we wanted a reprieve. We happen to be staying on a walk away from the first place we stayed at in Bangkok and therefore knew the area relatively well. We ate a spot familiar (and trustworthy) to us before continuing our souvenir shopping in air conditioning (thank goodness LOL). We had some lunch at a new place to us that was busy with people eating noodles, duck and dumplings - yes, please!! It was delicious. The rest of our day consisted of hanging at the apartment, resting, knowing our red eye to Japan was going to take a toll. We packed up, showered and decided to wait until the airport to eat (no need to risk an upset stomach before a 30-hour trip ahead of us). We spent a pretty penny at the airport on Burger King and there was zero regrets about it. Never have we desired familiar food as much as this trip - it's just SO different from home (in both great and challenging ways). We arrived at the ANA gate, watched as others gathered and boarded our flight to Japan. We LOVED traveling with ANA - never have traveled with a company whose flight was as comfortable or people were as on top of their processes - we highly recommend flying with them if you ever get the chance. Flying with them alone (plus their fancy, super comfortable bathrooms) has made us decide we want to visit Japan in the coming years.

Day 23 - Traveling Home

We landed in Tokyo on December 25, 9:00AM - Merry Christmas from Japan!!! We napped across some seats in an empty gate before waking to people filling the seats for a flight to China. Matt grabbed some sushi for breakfast (totally normal here!) and we boarded our final flight to home. It was so fun to see NYC as the destination. Here we go!!! We were so excited and so exhausted at the same time. Our feet were swollen from sitting so long on the first flight and could not wait to be home with the comforts of English, food, familiar roads and faces. Our 12-hour flight home went well. We had a middle and aisle seat allowing us to get up and walk around as much as we needed. I would make a point to stretch for 5-10 minutes after using the restroom. ANA had a little area set up for self-serve snacks and drinks which (no surprise) Matt and I took advantage of. We loved trying the Japanese snacks hehehe. Soon the sky began to lighten outside and our maps showed we were above Buffalo, New York. An hour away!! We watched endless movies on the screens in front of us, played Suduko and turned on the outside camera that showed you what it looked like below the plane and in front! Wicked cool! I was obsessed with watching as the sun would move from left to right as the plane turned. We saw little homes below covered in snow and we knew.... we were home. We watched the flight land on the tarmac located immediately after a body of water and smiled ear to ear when they announced we've officially landed in New York. Because of the time difference and length of trip being basically the same, we landed in New York in the 8 o'clock hour on December 25 - Merry Christmas from the United States!!! Immediately, we turned off our Airplane Mode and texted our loved ones. After downloading an app for customs, we breezed right through the crowds of people from our flight, waited for our bags and made our way to the chilly air to wait for an Uber. My mom texted me that us arriving was the best Christmas gift (so cute) and it took maybe half an hour for my Dad to call us to welcome us home. At Grand Central, we got our tickets home and bought bagels from one of the only places open in the basement. We stuffed our bags ahead of us, sat on the train and made our way to Union Station. I chatted with my parents on the phone while Matt snoozed a bit. Matt's dad (Brucey!) and his brother Andrew picked us up and soon, we were home in the comforts of our little apartment on this calm Christmas day. Our families were so happy to have us home and it felt so nice to be loved and have people on our life miss us - seems small, but it's big to us! Matt's mom, Sue, had gifts and food (and her homemade Italian cookies!!) in the apartment for us when we arrived. We cuddled with our cat for what seemed like hours (the dude doesn't usually show that he loves us but we know he's obsessed it's fine) and unpacked for only a few hours. We hit a wall of exhaustion, slight nausea and disorientation before showering and going to bed at around 4PM. This trip has taught us so much and was the most differently (culturally) from our own that it persistently pushed us to our learning edges. It was challenging, trying and so educating and eye opening. We're thankful to live where we do and have taken with us customs and traditions of the Thai and Vietnamese culture that will stay with us. We loved learning and observing their cultures and feel more accepting and open-minded because of it. Thanks to everyone that followed and live vicariously through our adventures. Until next time!! - M+B