Day 2: Discovering Hanoi, Vietnam

My morning began very similar to the day before, having my breaki on the rooftop of my hostel being served toast, eggs and fruit.  Of course no morning is complete without my coffee which luckily is served all day long.

This day was similarly rushed, as I had only 12 hour to discover Hanoi before my 9pm sleeper bus takes off to Sapa.

To start out my city tour, I walked towards the parliament and the presidential house.  I figured fro. There it is easy to tag along a tour. I did manage to join a tour but it turned out it was a paid service and I was not able to follow this group to the next location.  I parted ways from this group at the one pillar pagoda and started walking towards my next destination.

As I walked towards the Ho Chi Minh museum....and older gentleman approached me.  Not speaking any English, he quickly hands me a little black book with handwritten notes in them.  As i read each page....I notice that these are comments and feedback from tourist who have used his tour service.  Withing a few pages i find myself convinced that I too will use him as my tour guide around Hanoi. 

If you cannot trust a 65 year old driver, who can you trust in this world?

The day went as follows:
1. Prison museum
2. Woman's museum
3. Lunch break
4. Puppet show ticket
5. Vietnamese Notre Dame

                             

While he did charge me a hefty price of $20 or more, I was happy to have my private scooter and not have to drive myself around in the crazy Hanoi traffic. Five hours by scooter and 4 hours walking, all well spent, and I was ready to leave the city behind for some much needed Sapa hills experience.

My bags are packed and at 10pm, Vietnam time is similar to Africa time, I was picked up and taken to a place where I boarded my very first sleeper bus.

The details of this 3 day journey will be explained in the next post.

Cheers 

-R :-)

Day 5: Phong Nha, Vietnam

After spending nearly 5 days in northern Vietnam it was time to make my way to the central.

I took a 9 hour night open bus which meant I can hop on and off at the locations of my choice.  Due to my limited time, I had to skip a few places and head straight to Phong Nha. The bus dropped me off at 4 am, in the dark, under millions of stars....again ☺

I was told that the bus stops near my hostel however, it was too dark to see where anything was.  Of course, once the bus moved out of my way...the hostel was simply across the street.

Prior to check-in, I started my day with a shower and bunh mi for breakfast. During my shower I got to enjoy the sunrise and notice yet again that I was surrounded by beautiful hills.  I think this is the kind of place sometimes people refer to as paradise. And I have 2 days to enjoy this pretty hidden gem!

The Easy Tiger hostel has a pool, open roof showers, great food and a tour guide who works at the hostel, from the UK, maybe, and gave us a few lessons on this magical place. 

It turns out that actually this place wasn't always so pretty. This is a place where many of the large caves were used to hide the weapons and bombs during the Vietnam war.  This place was bombed so much by the US, that it would take 1000 years to clean up any remainder inactivated/dead bombs. He also reminded everyone that all hiking plans must be confirmed with tour companies prior to going alone or in a group as wondering these forests are not allowed....due to the hazards.

On this first day, a group of us decided to visit Phong Nha and Tien Son caves via a boat tour. They both hold some of the oldest limestone formations ...while Tien Son offers a 400 stair hike ...but the view from the top is magnificent! Both caves display the bullet marks left by the US army.

It is considered a world heritage site ...
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/951/

This is the tour:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/vietnam/north-central-vietnam/phong-nha-cave/sights/natural-landmarks/phong-nha-caves-boat-trip

Day 2 - A visit to the Dark cave then free styling the rest of the way!

I met Mia from Denmark on my very first day at the hostel.  We immediately connected and enjoyed talking, just about everything.  While we enjoyed the tour on our first day....we were not very keen on following a large group of young people all stuffed I to a bus...all day.

So we decided to take matters into our own hands.... rent a scooter and adventure our own free way. 

First we drove to the Dark cave...where I tried zip lining for the first time! Not too bad...but unsure if I would do that again.  From there we walked into a large cave in nothing but a swim suit and a hard hat on as we were heading towards a mud trail....leading to a mud pool.  Head to toe covered in mud...inside a dark cave!

This trip for me was recommended by a friend who visited this same place just a year earlier....and well....I will continue the recommendation as this place was awesome!

http://sondoongcavetour.abstravel.asia/phong-nha-cave-chay-river-dark-cave-by-boat.html

Unfortunately, the group was very large, about 30 people ...and made the experience very loud and hectic....but I can imagine if it was maybe 15 people....it would have been a much more joyful experience!

Anywho.....after all the mud we kayaked a little and got cleaned up.  Since we had our own ride...we decided to drive the 60 km loop which was the entire Phong Nha national park.  We skipped the Paradise cave and botanic gardens....and just spent the entire day driving.

While driving through the jungle:
- We tried chocolate Vietnamese coffee
- Saw some incredible looking butterflies
- And took some large deep breaths of the clean rainforest air

    

By sunset we noticed that we still had 3/4 of a tank left....so we decided to drive off the map and visit the farm stay which is affiliated with our hostel. Here we enjoyed a few bevies...watched the sunset over the rice fields...and the cows finding their way home...followed by the water buffalos. We stayed till dinner and enjoyed a few meals over an acoustic guitar and 2 singers.  It was lovely....!  We shared great stories which made Phong Nha my second favourite place after Sapa.

We enjoyed a full day of fun, broke most of the rules....driving in Vietnam...going off the map....however, we wore proper helmets and footware ☺

So lucky to have met Mia!  It really makes a trip that much more enjoyable!

Cheers

- R

Visiting Arviat

One of the perks of my work is having to visit the communities I'm responsible for in the Kivalliq.

I was given the green light to visit Arviat, a community south of Rankin Inlet and a population size comparable.  My Monday and Friday was already spoken for which left only 2 nights and 3 days for my travel.  This already a red flag since traveling in the North is not a quick process.  In general, people can be delayed or missed flights anywhere from 2-5 days at a time. But being myself, I was determined to fly on a Tuesday and be back to Rankin on Thursday and attend to Friday's scheduled work.

Tuesday at 7:30 am I get a ride to the airport and I stay there till 4pm when my flight finally takes off.
Why?

For one, we are told each hour that another 10min and we are getting out of here.  However, 8 hours roll on and I could have probably had lunch and dinner at home or my office, and save the food I have packed for Arviat. Anyways, the food was consumed and I managed to land in Arviat at 4:30 which gave me 30 min to drop my stuff off and still introduce myself to everyone before the office closed at 5pm.

Wednesday was nothing greatly out of the ordinary, accept for not having hot water to shower in the morning.  I grab a kettle and a turkey roasting pot (as my bucket) and get my shower on.  This day will not be ruined by lack of hot water as long as I remain creative :)

The days went well and I really enjoyed my time in Arviat.  I spent on carvings, paintings and a wall hanging which are very different from the styles in Rankin.

I was hoping to spend my Thursday lunchtime with the nurses before my flight out at 1:30pm however, they got very worried that I have yet to call the airline and confirm my flight schedule.  So, when I called at noon, the answer was: "You need to come to the airport immediately!"

I borrowed cab money and took the taxi to the airport (a 5 min drive) and arrived in good time to....wait.  I sat at the airport from noon till 2pm ...at that time they loaded the plane.....I doze off only to wake up 1 hour later....and we are still on the tarmac. Yes, at 3pm, I was still in Arviat due to loading the wrong cargo onto the plane.  So finally at 3:30pm the plane takes off and I arrive in Rankin by 4pm.

Overall, mission accomplished and I managed to complete this trip on time and make it in for Friday's important meeting.  However, I could have used an extra day to discover the community.

I look forward to visiting Arviat again hopefully if the opportunity arises.

- R :)

The journey to Vietnam

My flight to Vietnam turned out to be a bit longer than expected.  The ticket prices for direct flights were beyond my budget for a last minute traveler like me.  Thanks to mom, I was able to get a pretty decent flight however the catch was in the details - aka: layovers.

After completing my 5 you flight from Toronto to  Vancouver, facing me was a 10 hour layover.  It would not have been too bad if it wasn't for lack of heating and bench space starting from 1:30am. According to the guy at information, they have received many complaints about the cold temps....however, in Nov they were still in summer mode. Fine, I can do this...just by cosuming something warm from Tim's every two hours. Started with tea....then chilli at 5am.  Once through customs, I got some Viet pho ...just to get my taste buds fired up..by noonish we were off to Seoul.  

The flight took just over 11 hours to Seoul. Immediately in the terminal I walked through with an amazement. Large convex TV screens, classical music heard from the distance, and later I walked by a group of people dressed in traditional Korean clothes playing music and walking the entire distance of the airport. But never mind, my flight was in less than an hour to Hanoi and I still needed a boarding pass.  As I ran upstairs where I was directed....lady checked my visa letter and then hesitated to issue my pass.  She called her manager over the they proceeded to tell me that I have to enter Vietnam on Nov 19 and not on 18 (even though I knew I had my visa for 17th).

What?!

I panicked...did not checked the letter..... Called my agent to double check.  Sure enough, the lady read the wrong person's visa date (since 6 people were listed) and thankfully I got on the flight without further issues, arriving to Hanoi in another 5 hours.

Arrived to Hanoi at 11:30 or so with customs...and traffic to my hostel was as interesting as my first morning in this city.

More of my first day in Vietnam to  follow in another post.

Cheers 

- R :-)


Here is my anticipated travel itinerary through Vietnam:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zck55BDy0Q0E.kZYE88cpEojk

an Eastern Euro's views on backpacking Western Euro - Uganda (post #2)

Not so fast, before my Euro trip...awaits Uganda ....it is time for monitoring and evaluation of Thrive. Our Uganda project is due for an audit and a thorough assessment of the progress made thus far.

This nearly 3 week journey starts off with Jenny and I arriving in Entebbe very late and driving another hour to Kampala on the same night. We drive for an hour or so in the pitch dark, lit up only when cars come in the opposite direction.  I get anxious driving this long stretch of semi-paved road in the dark as drunk-driving is a common pastime activity for the locals ....while rules of the road seldom exist.

Once in Kampala, Jenny and I get our stuff organized at our host and grab a hot tea to settle down from our travels.  The house is quiet as the children are fast asleep and we are also ready for bed.

The morning starts off with children bursting through the door greeting Jenny and I.  They have been eager to see us and hug us, and play with us, and quick to ask what we brought to them as gifts. While I am a huge fan of teaching children manners, I let this one slide and just enjoy meeting everyone at the home of our host.  Morning breakfast is similar to what we ate the night before, toast and tea however, Uganda toast seems to taste a whole lot better once other options are set out in front of you.  But we are still fresh off the plane and find most things exciting to try out.

We spent a few days in Kampala, meeting with stakeholders, getting some admin work done, and buying all that we will or think we need in Masaka.

Once in Masaka our options become very limited in purchasing most things, but converting money is the major one.  Jenny also hooks me up with doxycycline (made in India) and this will become a key 'culprit' in the first few days in Masaka.

Just in a few days, we get ready to head to Masaka. Our driver is arranged through connections and friends which saves us from the crowded public transport we usually have to endure on these journeys.  Though we aren't totally convinced this is a good idea, it gives us the flexibility to stop wherever we want to ....which I requested at the start of our journey.....the Equator!

On this trip, we also bring along a young male translator who is from a smaller village himself but currently resides in Kampala.  At first I was skeptical about using a young city boy to translate for us in the village but for now, I was not fully voicing my concerns.

Since I have been taking the doxy, the last 2 days or so, I have been feeling extremely ill.  During the days I felt fine, but each night I was sweaty, with chills and crazy stomach ache.  Nausea, followed by crazy diarrhea.  Hmmmm, 2 nurses on this trip, yet neither of us can figure out what is going on with me.  Once in Masaka, Renata gets worse.

We hold our staff meeting and develop our plan for the next 14 days.  I try to remain focused and take notes along the way, but my body wants to get horizontal. After the meeting we make a group decision to stay at a friend's place in the village however, I became extremely ill, and this time, we are off to the closest hotel.

Since we have planned to do 7 days of simultaneous visits to each of our micro-finance groups, deciding to stay at a hotel was probably the smartest move. After about 2 days of walking, meeting Thrive group members, and feasting on delicious jack-fruit and local meals, the nurses come to an educated guess, aka, diagnosis: Renata was reacting to the Doxy.  I have never had an issue with taking doxy however, a dear nursing friend once warned against taking Indian made doxy (or any medication for that matter) in Uganda.  However, this same nursing friend, bought me doxy (made in India) ....and let me suffer for 3 days.  I blamed Jenny for my suffering....but at least it is confirmed that generic brands for medications do not work for everyone ...

Oh well.  We realized that after 14-15 hour days of walking and meeting people, and consuming large amount of feasts which were prepared for us, having a hotel room was key to sustaining our momentum and give us the 4-6 free hours to recharge. While the shower and toilets worked, they were bare minimum.  However, by day 3, we got bumped up to the executive suit, because staff decided to burn garbage next to our window. We woke up in distress from the fumes and choked by the black smoke entering our room. Feeling better from stopping the doxy, but now inhaling carbon monoxide from burning garbage.  Run! And this is why we were upgraded.

Before I explain our 7 day village visits, I must give a little more detail of our executive suit.  It was big, lavish, and yes, the shower was broken, and the mozie net did not protect me, the one without malaria protection.  I guess we were both unprotected against malaria since Jenny cannot take any of the malaria meds.....this meant we had the best room in this hotel, and wished that we still had our old room but without the fumes. Never mind, we had a lot of work ahead of us. (But it is important to note that staying in a hotel.....still drains our energy, in a way)

By Day 2 of M&E, we had the routine down.  Though we have realized that by the afternoon our energy fades to bare minimum, we still had to continue on with the show.  Each morning we started fresh, but by the final visit we had to force our smiles to the eager crowd.

It was wonderful to hear each participant's testimony.  The stories were telling of the successes and challenges which come with the savings groups.  But most importantly, tears of joys were common in each story as it was filled with gratitude for Thrive and the project's commitment.  It was both exhilarating and also difficult for us to hear the systematic limitations which has cursed this country.

Day 3-4-5 seemed to mold into one long day with a nap between each. Getting home each night was pure exhaustion, and each morning, brainstorming and documenting new ideas and plans.  The food was ok at the hotel, but much more AMAZING in the villages.  We both tried to not offend anyone by refusing to eat, so our bellies were exploding by the end of each day.  Also, as we walked through each village, we gathered gifts given to us by the thankful Thrive participants.  We had kgs of fruits, baskets and mats to carry with us.  Of course, transportation remained our worst nightmare.  After the morning rush hour, finding rides home was nearly impossible. But we somehow managed each day.

Our translator, while lovely, was not the best fit for this project.  He continued to wear urban attire while Jenny and I were trying to assimilate by wearing clothes which resemble people living in the villages. I felt that this created a little barrier between him and group members and maybe even lost some of the trust in being open with their stories.  But either way, we managed to complete 7 days of walking and talking and develop our evaluation which we set out to do.  The final day 7 or 8, I am losing my memory on this, we managed to only visit homes.  We walked nearly 14 hours with 3 of our staff and visited nearly 10 homes just to see the fruits of our work on the ground.  We were hungry, thirsty and sun burnt.

In order to celebrate our final night, we had a big dinner with all of us (3 staff and 2 of us) and even had time for some silly pictures on the Zebra statue outside our hotel.

Getting back to Kampala was again a nerve wracking experience.  We had only a few days left to meet with stakeholders and decide on some big steps for the future of Thrive.  I was also going to leave Jenny alone for a week because my ticket to Europe was waiting, and I had to attend meetings which have been planned along the way.

Overall, we had a wonderful time in Uganda but I'm sure this isn't my last time.

Off to Amsterdam on Feb 4.

- R :-)

The Pre-Vietnam Rush - Last minute never again!

Do NOT try this at home....especially if you struggle with stress and anxiety :)

A little background to my pre-travel rush story:

Some would suggest my relocation from Rankin Inlet to Iqaluit was like, 'ripping off a band aid' leaving on a Thursday, spending 3 days (Friday -Sunday) in the south to buy only the essentials for my 4 week orientation, then fly out Monday at 7 am (4 am check in) to Iqaluit....and work.

During this frantic relocation process, no surprise looking back now, my modem miraculously stopped working on my very first day in Iqaluit.  No internet for the next 4 weeks....which meant, limited reading of any sort, especially researching/planning for my very lose plans of possibly visiting a dear friend in Vietnam. I was even brave enough to consider South East Asia, travelling through multiple countries.  However, a brief discussion with a dear friend quickly snapped me out of dream world and landed me on planet earth, recognizing that I have done zero research on Vietnam to this date. 

Knowing this bit about my last 4 weeks in Iqaluit sets us up nicely to the pre-travel rush. 

I returned to Toronto on Nov 6 at 7 pm and spent a relaxing weekend with my nephews while in the back of my head I finally made the decision to visit Vietnam.  

Day 1 (Nov 9)

Monday, Nov 9 - 09:00 I make the very first phone call to the Vietnamese Embassy in Canada, where they inform me that my passport has to be valid for 6 months prior to travel and that I also need to be approved for a tourist visa. This is where the pre-Vietnam rush begins.

I was faced with getting a new passport, flight tickets and visa in the next 5 business days.  I though to myself, "How hard can this be?"

Step 1: Submit paper work for re-newing my passport 

The application asks for 2 referees to sing the form....so I called, on a Monday during work hours, all the friends I could think of and get a signature from them in person.  After securing the first 2 victims, and meeting them in person, one of them reminded me that next time just ask for their details over the phone, as signatures are not required.  True and I do hope to remember this come 2025 when my passport is due to re-new. 

Once at the passport office, I was told in order to issue my passport as 'urgent' (next day) I not only have to pay double service fee, but provide my receipt of purchased flight tickets for Monday, Nov 16.

Step 2: Book flights for Monday Nov 16 

I booked my ticket on Monday night, with my travel-agent-mother-extraordinaire however, for some reason we had to use a website rather than her own saber, as she was not able to issue my ticket. Remember this bit come day 4. 

Day 2 (Nov 10)

Faxed my flight ticket receipt at 9 am to passport office, my references were contacted at 8:30 am.....passport ready and picked up by 3pm.

Step 3: Apply for Vietnamese visa 

I called the Embassy in hopes to receive useful information, which I did, however, I was hesitant to pay their requested service prices.  I had a few friends offer their travel experiences and opted to use their recommended online visa services. I shared my ticket and passport information.....on a roll....this feels too easy to be true. 

Day 3: Remembrance day

I received news that my visa is just a payment away.....so I make my payments, and was told that my visa letter with supporting document will be available by Nov 12 at 5pm Viet time. 

The day was busy with catching up on my usual side projects and ...

Step 4: Booking accommodation and creating my travel plans 

I spent the remainder of the day searching for hostels, registering and booking my first stay in Hanoi. I was getting excited knowing that my paperwork was in order, my friends in Vietnam were excited to see me, and a dozen or so friends/people were kind enough to assist me with this rushed process. 

Life 'was' good ...

Day 4 (Nov 12)

Visa letter receiving day.....should be relaxing and packing from here on....'should be'...

I wake up Thursday morning with a care free attitude, the rush is over, and I have received my visa letter and instructions for when I arrive on Tuesday, Nov 17. 

However, there is another email below, from my booking agent, telling me that my ticket which was booked on Nov 9 (today is Nov 12) is yet to be issued and I should call them to try and book another ticket.

Wait .....what?  

I got my passport and visa issued without a purchased ticket ?  But it was a receipt....and showed the prices ....and everything!?

It is 9 am (EST) on Nov 12, and I don't have flights to Vietnam. 

Travel-agent-mother-extraordinaire to the rescue .....! 

Step 5 (in case Step 2 fails the first time): Receive an issued flight ticket 

Mom gets on the phone.....dose some lengthy paperwork to collaborate with another travel agent from a different company.....as they are the only ones who can issue the tickets I need....

I get my ticket in less than 1 hour....and by noon on Thursday I am back in travel mode.

Step 6/7: Re-arrange immigration and accommodation as per arrival time and date 

Since my arrival to Hanoi has been pushed back 1 day, Nov 18, I had to arrange with immigration, accommodation and pick-up.  But by 8:40 pm I received confirmation from both parties, that my late arrival can be easily accommodated. 

The pre-Viet rush is over!  On Day 5, I am fully stocked with official prints, copies, and paperwork.....

My flight is on Monday, Nov 16 and looking forward to my journey through a country I have yet to meet from up close.  However, thanks to friends, food, and my never ending curiosity, I have had the pleasure to learn about Vietnam and anticipate....that this will be one special place to visit.

Plus, it doesn't hurt to travel to Vietnam while you have friends hosting you.....and a wedding to help set up :) 

Gentle reminder: Do NOT try this at home....especially if you struggle with stress and anxiety :)

- R :) 

an Eastern Euro's views on backpacking Western Euro - post #1

For me, 2014 ended with my personal "big bang".  It took me 4 days to pack up 36 months of my life in Brisbane after calling defeat on my phd.

I packed up all that I can carry and gave away everything else I could not.  I hugged only a few of my dear friends and got on the next plane to Canada to enjoy my Christmas holidays with those who give me the most comfort and safety in such time, my family. It is very difficult to care about anything else when 2 adorable toddlers (my nephews) are discovering their own world for the first time. Therefore, the best remedy for 18 months of misery, is family :) 

Once the holiday passed, I was excited about my next career opportunities.  Work did not slow down in December and January for me.  Instead, I continued applying for research grants and planning my next adventures.  While a few promising opportunities lingered.....I took a deep breath and decided to finally visit Western Europe .....since as an Eastern Euro citizen....I have yet to experience the epicenter of my global career. 

I have spent most of my late teens and twenties living between home and home and home.  Brisbane, though temporary, could be considered home #4.  Growing up between countries really just means that family members are sprinkled far and wide.  While I consider Canada my due north, Hungary and Romania always remained a destination for reuniting with family.  If I wasn't traveling to see family in Canada, I was traveling home, to see family in Europe.  I managed to turn 30, and never experience Western Europe in this time. 

However, 2015 was panning out to be different.  From the infinite roadblock of 2014, I have made a pact with myself, that nothing, and I mean, nothing was going to stop me from visiting THE places which could advance my career and also fill the culture void I landed over time. 

The plan: 17 cities in 77 days and on a budget of $4000 (roughly). 

I imagined that traveling off season, staying with friends, and limiting my food intake to only local/traditional meals would help me accomplish this adventure without any issues.

Looking back, the only, and I mean only mistake I made was to have 3 sets of travel clothes with me: 1) for Uganda, 2) for business opportunities and 3) for recreational travel.  What really ended up happening is wearing the same (1) yoga gear for nearly 77 days of my journey.  Why, because I could :) 

For business meetings, I was able to pick up a few things along my journey....and well, I did not end up scoring an immediate position.....so it was a waste.  But, carrying such large cargo helped me discover Europe's cities which are tourist friendly and those which are not.  I will elaborate on this once we get to transportation and luggages. 

So, in summary, here are the places I visited and I will spend my next few posts describing each city and the activities I enjoyed (dates are a blur now but will add them in later): 

1. Uganda - Jan 20-Feb 4 

2. Amsterdam - Feb 4-5

3. Dortmund - Feb 5-7

4. Antwerp 

5. Ghent 

6. Brussels 

7. Luxembourg 

8. Paris 

9. Geneva 

10. Interlaken 

11. Barn and Zurich 

12. Munich 

13. Prague 

14. Budapest  

15. Szeged

16. Oradea 

17. back to Brussels and Amsterdam with a friend 

Since completing this trip I managed to successfully qualify for a position in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut....which really is a continuation of my travels....but I will leave this bit of my travels for a later post.  For now, I want to take you on a Western and Eastern Euro journey, as I absorb new cultures and taste foods which I have yet to enjoy. 

I hope to capture my journey in a way which makes you feel as if you were next to me....however, if that is the kind of stories you are looking for then I suggest you travel directly with me next time.  My mind works faster than my fingertips and may not do justice to all my sensory experience ....but let's give it a try. 

- R :-)