Follow Me Everywhere

Ok everyone (if there is still anyone out there), I know I have been terrible at keeping this site updated on my whereabouts. I’ll try to do better in the future, but I guess I’ve just been doing so many awesome things, it has been hard to find time to work on my blog. But finally, enough people have expressed their displeasure in my site so its about time I fix things.

That said, here is a quick rundown on what I have been up to for the last month or so. Since the last time I wrote, I traveled to Laos. The first stop was Luang Prabang, a small town located along the Mekong River. I think I may have seen the coolest waterfall ever when there. It wasn’t massive like Iguassu Falls, but the color of the water was amazing. AND there were natural infinity pools so one could swim up to the edge of the falls without going over. This all being set against lush green jungle in turquoise waters. Pretty cool if you ask me.

From there, I moved onto Vang Vieng. This surely is the party capital of Laos and maybe even Southeast Asia. I spent six days tubing down a river lined with bars, ziplines, and rope swings. The combination of drinking and river activities can be a hazard to some, but I had an amazing time.

From Laos, I moved into Vietnam. I started off in Hanoi and at first I did not like it. However, I was lucky to check into a really cool hostel and I met some amazing people and had some amazing adventures. I spent 3 days in Halong Bay, a world heritage site, touring the islands kayaking, wakeboarding, and relaxing. I would say that my time in Halong Bay was the highlight of my time in Vietnam. As my English friends put it, it was “mental.” Once back in Hanoi, I went to snake village where you kill a snake, eat its beating heart, and drinks its blood and bile. Then you eat it in 7 different ways. I had snake skin, ribs, spring rolls, bone, and who knows what else. It was definitely an experience and I’m glad I did it. One thing that you learn about Vietnam is that crossing the street becomes an adventure and even a game. The pure amount of motorbikes on the road is astounding and you pretty much just have to close your eyes a start walking. The sea of scooters part and somehow you always make it to the other side. I don’t know how, but you do.

From Hanoi, I bought an hop-on, hop-off bus ticket all the way down the coast of Vietnam. The next stop was Hoi An which was great if you wanted hand tailored clothing, but I’m not really all into that. Then I went to Nha Trang, a resort town set right on the beach. It had a huge boardwalk and really reminded me of Copacabana in Rio de Janiero. After Nha Trang, went to the mountain town of Dalat. It was nice to change the scenery up a bit and see more than just the coast. The mountainous regions of Vietnam are beautiful and are great for renting motorbikes. After Dalat, I was off to Mui Ne which had some really cool sand dunes to see. Rented motorbikes to check those out and and hung out on the ocean the other days. I rented a beach side bungalow 30 feet from the ocean for $5 a night. I’m really really going to miss Southeast Asian prices! My last stop in Vietnam was Saigon which reminded me most of a western city. Makes sense since it was the American home base during the war. Saw the tunnels the Vietcong used and went to the war museum. I’m happy to have seen the war museums, but they are extremely one sided and as an American, sometimes hard to take.

Just 3 days ago, I flew from Saigon to Bangkok to meet up with one of my best friends and  another person I met from England. Haven’t done a whole lot in Bangkok as this is my fourth time here in just over 2 months and I don’t feel the need to do all the touristy stuff. Tonight ill be on my way down south to the islands of Thailand to get some cool ocean breezes (its HOT in Bangkok). I’ll be meeting up with one of my best buds there and spend 5 days south before heading back up to Bangkok then to Cambodia. After Cambodia, it looks like I’ll be heading to Australia for 2 months before making my way to South Africa for the World Cup.

So far, this trip has more than exceeded expectations. I have seen so many interesting and cool sites, it is hard to keep them all straight. I have met an incredible amount of cool people along my travels as well. I was traveling with 2 guys from the UK for over a month and hope to reconnect sometime soon and was traveling with 2 awesome girls from the UK all through Vietnam. The number of cool people I have met blows my mind and I couldn’t be happier with what I am doing with my life right now. The travel bug still lives strong and I’m living life to its fullest (I think, at least). So if there is anybody still out there, hopefully this can catch ya up a bit and I can keep you more informed in the future. Again my apologies, and keep checking back for updates.

Ryan