A Day in the Life: Hoi An, Vietnam

9 Apr 2016
Some girls in our hostel reccomended a local farm tour so Tash and I signed up. We left the hostel around 8:30am and biked (renting bikes seems to be a theme of this trip) with our guide to the farm. On the way, some young Vietnamese boys rode up next to us. They were keen on speaking english to me, however all I could think about was the ditch on one side of me and the traffic whizzing by on the other-- needless to say, I was not a very good conversationalist.
After making it to the farm safe and sound, we got to explore a bit. Tash and I tried different herbs like basil and mint and even got to try peanuts straight from the ground! We got to work with the local farmers and helped plant a bed of seeds. We also got to try the watering system-- two big watering cans are attached on either side of a long wooden slab that the farmer balances across his shoulders. The farmer then tips the cans up and down while walking across the field to water the seedlings. Using the contaption is a bit more difficult than it looks. After planting the seedlings, we biked on to see the ponds. Here, fishermen catch fish to sell at the local markets. Next, we came to the water buffalo. Water buffalo are incredibly expensive: purchasing a water buffalo is equivalent to purchasing a motorbike. Water buffalo are important however because they can carry heavy loads across the farm. On this particular day, the water buffalo's heavy loads included Tash and myself :)
We left the farm and biked on for another 20 minutes until we came to a secluded area with a small pond and shop. Tash and I tried our luck at fishing (I caught 3 fish!) while our guide prepared a traditional Vietnamese lunch for us using fresh vegetables from the farm.
One of the courses included vietnamese pancakes with rice paper. Although Tash and I had eaten the pancakes before, we were unsure of what to do with the rice paper. Our guide informed us that the proper way to eat the pancakes is to open them up and then roll the rice paper around them (this soaks up the grease). We thought we enjoyed the pancakes before, but this made them even better! We were so lucky to have learned this new trick.
After finishing lunch we hopped in a coconut shaped boat made from bamboo. It fit four of us although I'm not quite sure how. A small Vietnamese woman and myself were in charge of paddling the boat down the river through the bamboo groves. Our guide informed us that these trees provided hideouts for the soldiers during the Vietnam war. Now the bark from these trees was being rapidly used up to produce the famous Vietnamese conical hats.
Once we made it through the bamboo grove (thank god it happened sooner rather than later because I was starting to have flashbacks to my 5 hour long kayaking journey) we boarded a larger boat that brought us the rest of the way to town.
We finished our day on the beach, where we watched the sunset, tried local rice chips with spicy sauce (the locals refer to it as "sweet" sauce), and had our pictures taken because the locals were fascinated by the farang (foreign "white" people).

Diving in Hoi An

8 Apr 2016
Tash and I have been wanting to dive again since Cambodia, so we decided to book a dive in Hoi An, Vietnam. We would depart for the dock at 8am, take the boat to Cham Island, participate in 2 dives, enjoy lunch on the island and then boat back around 4pm. We assumed the diving in Vietnam would be great because the diving in Thailand is great.
We were given two wetsuits to wear (I was beyond thrilled for this because I have never dove in a wetsuit and when I was being certified I wanted desperately to do so-- I didn't feel I looked the part without one!) However, getting a wetsuit on is more difficult than it looks. After putting mine all of the way on, my dive leader informed me it was on backwards, so I had to peel it off and restart. After my 2nd attempt (I got it on right this time!), I was given a another wetsuit to put over the first one. The only thing more difficult than putting a wetsuit on your body is putting a second wetsuit on over the first wetsuit. My struggle with the suits was not going to bring me down however, because now I finally looked like a diver!
After getting the rest of our equipment on, we began our dive. I was struggling to keep my buoyancy in check because of the two suits; even when I tried to stay down I started to float back up toward the surface. During one of these buoyancy battles my mask filled with water and I couldn't clear it, so I swam to the surface. On my way I kicked off a flipper (which somehow managed to be the only casualty of the day). To top it all off, the water was absolutely freezing! My body was shivering, my lips were blue, my teeth were chattering and I couldn't feel my fingers. Needless to say my dive leader was none too happy-- I may have looked the part, but I sure wasn't acting it!
After completing our first dive we boarded the boat and tried to warm up. After 30 minutes I was still shivering so I opted out of the second dive. I spent the next hour soaking in the sun on the top deck while Tash went numb underwater.
The boat then docked at Cham Island where we were given a Vietnamese lunch, complete with squid, grilled veggies, pork, rice and dessert.
The water was incredibly choppy on the way back; so much so that we weren't allowed to sit on the top deck. While sitting on the lower deck we got absolutely soaked from the waves crashing over the sides of the boat. It was quite an experience, but not one that I need to repeat anytime soon!

Hoi An Cuisine and Nightlife

7 April 2016
We met girls on the bus who were also staying at our hostel, Phuong Le Villa, in Hoi An, Vietnam. There were no taxis at the bus stop, so we took 4 motos to our hostel. I was on the back of the moto leader's bike, so he whizzed us through traffic and weaved us in and out of cars so that we beat everyone else to the hostel. He then insisted on taking a photo with me in front of our destination. Tash and I couldn't believe our eyes when we entered our room. NO BUNK BEDS! None at all. Not one single ladder needed. Instead, there were 6 single beds, an attached bathroom with a proper shower and bathtub, as well as an attached balcony. Not to mention the bar downstairs with one free beer each night and free breakfast in the mornings, all for 200,515 dong! (That's 9 US dollars!) This place was heavenly!
Hoi An is known as the city of lanterns, because in the evenings the entire city is lit up by thousands of tiny paper lanterns. While Tash and I were visiting, there was a festival going on which included live music on the river, as well as tons of vendors and food stalls. We sampled local dishes that were specific to Hoi An, such as cao lau, a thick noodle soup, and banh xeo, a pancake filled with pork and shrimp. Both were delicious.
The best thing we ate while in Hoi An however was the banh mi, a traditional vietnamese sandwich. Our hostel recommended we try banh mi at "Banh Mi Phuong" the best local banh mi food stall in Hoi An (Anthony Bourdain featured banh mi from Banh Mi Phuong when he visited Vietnam). When we arrived we saw tons of locals waiting for sandwiches (it's always a good sign when you're eating at a place that locals eat at too-- means it's delicious, authentic and safe). We got our sandwiches and: delicious, check. authentic, check. safe, check. The stall itself was also neat because they had glasstop tables where patrons left photos or handwritten notes stating where they came from, when they ate the banh mi and their reviews of it.
One thing we were not prepared for were the vendors. In Thailand, market vendors are used to customers coming in and out, looking, even asking questions about products, and then leaving without purchasing anything. In Vietnam however, just glance at an item out of the corner of your eye and you have a vendor on top of you trying to bargain with you. Don't even think of engaging in the bargaining, because then when you leave without purchasing, the vendor is following you down the street yelling things like "you're crazy!". And who knows, maybe we were crazy for passing up real northface jackets and backpacks for 600,000 dong (25 US dollars)...

Cycling around Hue

7 April 2016
We woke to a breakfast of baguettes, eggs, fruits, yogurts and tea. (This is AWESOME for a hostel breakfast). The owner of the hostel recommended we rent bicycles from his neighbor so that we could explore the Imperial City and enjoy the Perfume River (I was obviously skeptical because anyone who knows me knows that cycling is not one of my stronger skill sets, however Tash insisted so I agreed).
We rode on the street alongside cars, motos and buses. The traffic in Vietnam, much like the traffic in Cambodia, is accented with consistent beeping. A "right of way" really doesn't exist because motos turning from a side street onto the main road merely beep (alerting those around them of their presence) and then turn, instead of waiting for a break in the traffic. Tash and I were expected to do the same however we were missing one very important element: the beeping mechanism. Needless to say I was a bit flustered while cycling on the main road, but once we found a path near the Perfume River I enjoyed the cycling very much.
We cycled around the citadel of the Hue Imperial City (the former imperial capital of Vietnam). Many of the buildings within the citadel are in ruins because of the bombing during the Vietnam War. US military tanks surrounding the citadel are still on display.
After returning from our bike tour, we checked out of our hostel and boarded a bus headed for Hoi An, Vietnam. The cost of one night's accomodation, breakfast, rented bicycles and a 4 hour bus journey cost less than 10 US dollars! And what a bus it was! Upon entrance, each person was given a plastic bag to put their shoes into. You then crawled up with your shoe bag into your elevated sleeper pod. Each sleeper pod contained a mat that sat upright, reclined or laid flat. Vietnam definitely has it going on in terms of travel. Or so I thought...
There is one small disclaimer regarding the bus ride from Hue to Hoi An. Because Tash and I had been cycling all morning and I did not want to dehydrate myself, I drank 4 liters of water. About a half hour into the bus ride I got up to use the bathroom. The door was duct taped shut. "Ok" I told myself. "I just need to make another three and a half hours." About another half hour in and I was in a dire spot, so dire that I attempted to ask the Vietnamese bus driver if we were going to be stopping for a toilet. He didn't understand me and waved me back to my sleeper pod. Luckily, a Vietnamese nun dressed in full habit took pity on me and convinced the bus driver to stop for a toilet break about 25 km from our current location. As soon as the bus stopped, I jumped out with my shoe bag, slipped my shoes on, and ran to the building. A Vietnamese man informed me that I must purchase something before using the toilet. I absolutely could not purchase anything before using the toilet or I would be using the toilet all over his shoes, so I ran to the back of the building and ducked in the bathroom. It was not the cleanest of facilities by any means, but I didn't care. Slowly but surely I could hear the rest of the passengers entering the facility. I opened the stall door to find that I had run into the men's bathroom (in my defense it was not clearly labeled). Oops. I exited to find the Vietnamese owner waiting for me. I did not want to order an entire meal, so what did I order you ask? A bottle of water. How ironic. Don't worry-- I didn't consume even a sip until we had arrived safely at our final destination.

New friends, New fun in Hue, Vietnam

6 Apr 2016
Today is the beginning of a 12 day trip Tash and I are taking through Vietnam and Laos. We both have holiday from school because of Songkran, the buddhist new year celebration.
We flew from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City and then to Hue (pronounced hu-way), Vietnam. We stayed at Hue Happy Homestay; the owner could not have been nicer. After settling in we met friends in our room who took us out to experience our first authentic Vietnamese meal. I ordered beef noodle pho (pronounced fu) which was quite delicious (minus the one questionable meatball-ish looking specimen at the bottom of the bowl). After, we went to a local bar called Brown Eyes. We sat at an outdoor table and enjoyed cocktails during the buy one get one free happy hour special. The waitress decided to bring us out a special drink that she lit on fire and then encouraged us all to try (I still don't know the name of it and haven't found it anywhere else-- it's not B52).
On our walk home we encountered two men who were lighting a fire on the side of the road and burning paper in it. Earlier in the day, we had seen many of these fires burning on the roadside and assumed they were for trash. We decided to stop and ask the men and they explained that they lit these fires in remembrance of ancestors who had gone before them. When many fires are burning, it means it is a festival or moon day, but when only one fire is burning, it for a reason specific to that family. I read more online about this and found that Vietnamese people will make paper replicas of money, motorbikes, etc and then burn them so that the spirit of the gift can ascend to heaven for the ancestor to use.
Upon our return to the homestay, we noticed that the breakfast table was moved to the side of the room and that the owner and his family were sleeping under a mosquito net tent on the floor. This was the same man who offered us water bottles and fruit when we arrived and whose wife (unknown to us at the time) would be cooking us a gourmet breakfast in the morning.
It was incredibly humbling to see this.

An English Influence

5 April 2016

After 3 weeks, my partner-in-crime, aka flatmate, aka bed buddy, aka housewife, is gone. Emily and I spent three weeks together in my Bangkok apartment, and although we were in Thailand, I may be going home with more british traditions than thai. Here are just a few of the things I learned from this not-so-basic brit :)

-it's a flat, not an apartment

-it's a lift, not an elevator

-it's a bloody shame, not a problem

-it's lovely, not nice

-it's a dummy, not a pacifier

-it's a bonnet, not a hood
-it's a boot, not a trunk
-it's a bin, not a garbage
-they're crisps, not chips
-they're chips, not fries
-they're biscuits, not cookies

-those are trousers you're wearing, not pants

-she's your mum, not your mom

-and most importantly, tea is made in a kettle, not a pot

AISB Songkran

1 April 2016

Songkran is a festival that celebrates the Thai New Year, which takes place from the 13-15 of April. During Songkran, people celebrate by cleaning their houses, giving offerings to monks, going to the temple and sprinkling water on one another. My school observes the Songkran holiday from the 6th-17th of April (I'll be visiting Vietnam and Laos during this time!). Even though we have holiday from school, celebrating Songkran at school is a very big deal; we had our festivities on Friday the 1st of April. Our thai teacher, Kru Jaew, planned a ceremonial water sprinkling for the teachers and students, followed by lots of water play. When children and adults celebrate Songkran, they do not wear bathing suits, but instead wear brightly colored floral tops. It was really nice to celebrate Songkran with my students but I can't wait to see what Songkran in Laos has in store for me.