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Tag - vietnam

2020

New Year New Me

I believed things would improve, but this year took a turn for the worse for everyone around the world.

I think we will remember 2020 for a long time; it will go down in history as one of those years when humanity had to endure a global catastrophe.

Beginning of the end?

It had all started well enough. I attended my fourth wedding in Cambodia, where Mr Sok, one of the cooks/ tour guides at the pepper farm, got married in March. It was a joyous occasion for everyone, and it concluded a beautiful chapter of my experiences in Cambodia—one that I will cherish forever.

Pre-Covid Plans

After travelling for over 15 months and entering my third actual year of travel, I felt it was a good time to leave and discover new things.

I originally left the UK in September 2018 and spent most of 2019 living in Cambodia. Initially, I had expected to be back home by now, but I suddenly felt the urge to visit friends and family.

This year, my plan was to explore Vietnam and Laos, possibly concluding my journey in Myanmar, where I hoped to experience more of its beauty.

However, before all that, I began with a trip back to the UK in mid-March to surprise my mum for her birthday. It turned out to be a memorable surprise for both of us.

23 March 2020 will be a day I remember for a long time. I surprised her after being away for 18 months, only to be unexpectedly faced with COVID-19 and lockdown restrictions that left me stuck in the UK indefinitely.

Long Stay

It would take almost two years for me to finally get back on a plane and return to Cambodia, where I had initially left for a two-week holiday.

The sad part is that I lost several good friends who, like so many others, succumbed to Covid-related deaths.

During this time, we experienced lockdowns, mandatory mask-wearing, and witnessed many caring and compassionate individuals stepping up to help others.

Suddenly, we found ourselves away from the pressure and stress of everyday life, which allowed us to support our fellow beings.

However, this came at a price, the effects of which we are only beginning to fully comprehend years later. Inflation, the rising cost of living, and food shortages are all consequences of the economic shutdown during the pandemic.

This means that people’s lives will be affected for decades as we face the aftermath of COVID. Additionally, speculation continues about the origins of the virus, with some suggesting that it may have escaped from a man-made laboratory.

LOVE IT 😀

Thanks @jodilmorris for this perfect quote

Sapa

Set around the most beautiful countryside I have seen in South East Asia.

This town has fast become something of a tourist trap. I believe a few years ago this was a brilliant place to visit and use as a starting point to explore the surrounding landscape.

Now it has become more of a construction site with vast hotels springing up across the town.

I think in a few years life will change too much and it will be a booming tourist spot but will it still be attractive?

However the good news is apart from maybe one night when you arrive, the town doesn’t need to be your base for the duration of your time.

So use the time wisely, go trekking, visit a homestay and live in a real tribal village or climb a mountain!

Literally!

 

October 2019

New month new Country!

Yes, that’s right I am now in Vietnam ( 9 months later than planned😂) but as British Rail used to say better late than never.

Okay, I am only staying for a few weeks but this is a reconnaissance mission for next year when I will travel for 3 months from south to north.

So a few days in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi. Go to Sapa and to climb a mountain called Fansipan the highest point in Indochina which at 3.143m is called “the Roof of Indochina”

Also, I paid my first visit to Myanmar and visited a beautiful city called Yangon. Which has some of the nicest people I have met and the best food in terms of taste in South East Asia so far.

Hanoi, Vietnam

A beautiful and unique city where love is really strong, well for me at least.

The streets are crazy and chaotic but have a charm about them. I can sit and watch the world go by for a long time here. It gives me a peace I cannot explain because it is a place that is unlikely to look anything but peaceful.

Sit on the side of the road and try local cuisine. Whilst others dodge the moto’s and scooters as they walk around you on the little side roads. Traffic here has a way of just avoiding everything.

The lake in the centre of the old quarter has a charm that is again unique. I am told it comes to life at the weekends when all the locals visit and picnic around here making it a special place.

 

Street Muriels are a big thing in many large cities, Hanoi is no exception