Back

I'm back!! I can use the Internet from my phone anywhere like a normal person now. I'm already disgusted by how loud and rude Americans are. Whaaaatever. I can't let it drain me. 

Over

I'm now in Tokyo waiting for my friend Christine to come home. I'm creepily waiting outside her apartment in the sweaty heat (even though it's 10:45pm.) Sweat is the theme of this trip. Something stinks, I just thought. Oh, it's me. I stink. Not only am I sweaty but my clothes bear the sweat of 29 days of Asian summer heat. Inside my backpack are a month's worth of sweaty clothes, several pairs of dirty underwear, and 4 pairs of rancid socks. (Don't get me wrong, I've done laundry twice on this trip, but the past 2 weeks in Southeast Asia have been without. Trekking in Sapa made everything mildewy and nasty!) Anyway, I have an errand to run tomorrow. Buying an expensive, Japan-exclusive pair of pants for a friend of mine because I'm ~so nice.~ Then I'm off on a plane to San Jose! Woo hoo. 

 Me and Analieser herself. 

Almost Done

Sapa is a beautiful and quaint (although overly touristic) "village" in the highlands of Japan. Analiese and I arrived with the intention (and the tour booking) of climbing Mt. Fanxipan, the highest mountain in Indochina (which encompasses Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos...apparently.) I was a little apprehensive about the climbing itinerary of 6 hours one day and 7 the next, along with staying overnight on the mountain in a tent, but I went along with it. It couldn't be worse than Fuji, I thought, and I've climbed that twice. Plus, I like hiking, I like conquering new peaks and working through my exhaustion to emerge victorious. So I was excited. But Analiese and I didn't plan on a lot of things. We didn't plan on our "English-speaking guide" knowing just a few words. We didn't plan on every other member of our 20+ member touring party being Vietnamese. We didn't plan on the "trail" being just a roughly-hewn vague sense of direction through the wilderness, led by our guides. And we certainly didn't plan on the rain. So much rain. Lots of rain. Creating rivers where there were none, making the trail dangerously muddy and slippery, soaking through my cotton bag. (Which I was stupid to bring.) Our tennis shoes were soaked through and crusted with mud within 20 minutes. The guides talked to the other tour members, but not to us. In inadequate shoes, I was slipping left and right. The rain was making me irritable and uncomfortable. Whether rational or not, I was stricken with a sense of isolation and misery. Then I slipped and rolled my ankle. It was less than one hour in. If we were to continue, we would face 5 more hours of rain-hiking that day, a restless sleep in a wet mildewy tent, and 7 hours of hiking the next day, all with people who don't speak a word of English. Analiese and I quickly decided that this hike wasn't a great possibility for us, not least of all because of my ankle. We told the guide, and luckily for us, a porter was able to accompany us on the way back down. We couldn't get refunded for our tour fee, but we got a hotel room anyway and stayed there instead. I stayed in and rested my ankle (which was boring but super necessary) while Analiese explored. Today I walked on it a bit, and it should be fine--just a minor sprain. But yesterday it really hurt. Sapa is beautiful regardless and it's so, so nice to be in a place that isn't 100 degrees. 

Now I'm on the night train back to Hanoi. This train is RICKETY AS F*CK. I don't know how anyone can sleep at all on this thing. But it's clean inside. On the train on the way to Sapa, I happened to overhear two Japanese girls talking and they were the first I had encountered on this whole trip, so I said hi and introduced myself and then went back to my room. I was sad because I thought that I wouldn't see them again. But GUESS WHAT! They are my bunkmates on the overnight train this time!! This train has 11 cars and each one has 8 four-person berths. What are the chances that we are in the same berth!! They are Sayaka from Kanagawa (Zushi) and Nao from Saitama (Kasukabe.) They live in Ho Chi Minh city and teach preschool at a Japanese school there. We just got done talking for over an hour. Meeting them was so fun!!! Once again I am so so happy to speak Japanese and to get a chance to meet Japanese people. I am smiling so big because what are the chances?! It makes me so happy. 

We have one more day in Hanoi tomorrow, then I go back to Japan for a quick stopover, then back to CA! 

Extra Day in Hanoi

(Because our cruise was shortened.) 

Today Analiese and I were sitting on a park bench overlooking Hoan Liem lake when a well-dressed college student approached me and said "Hello. May I practice English with you?" Two more soon flowed. We talked for about half an hour about lots of different things in English. This is something that would never ever happen in Japan. Only the rarest of Japanese young people would have the nerve to walk up to someone randomly and ask them to talk. It was super fun!! 

We also went to the Women's Museum of Vietnam. A touching tribute to all that women do. I was touched by the descriptions of street vendors in Hanoi--many come from far away in the rural areas, but are forced to work in the city to make enough to feed their children. They carry immensely heavy baskets of food or goods on their shoulders all day long and make about $20 a week (one woman said.) I guess we've all heard this stuff firsthand and we know it to be true intellectually but it's not until you experience it firsthand that it touches you emotionally. At least that's how it felt to me. Im considering sponsoring a child through CCF, the Cambodian Children's Fund, because I saw what they live in and what they need. But then again I'm not sure where my money would be going and if to be going to the right places. I need to do some research. 

We're soon leaving for Sapa where we won't have wifi for at least two days. See you after! This trip is almost coming to a close. 

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay was absolutely gorgeous and breath-taking as I imagined. Our three-day two-night tour got cut short into a two-day one-night tour, but we still got lots of time to view the bay. The only thing we really missed was the cave dinner/cave exploration. It was a really relaxing experience. 

Tomorrow we're going hiking in Sapa to the northwest of Hanoi. I'm a little worried because it's supposed to be 7 hours of hiking each day, and it's predicted to rain! We'll see how it works out. 

Hanoi

We're in Hanoi now which is the final city/area of our trip. But we still have about a week left--3 days at Ha Long Bay, 3 days trekking in Sapa, and 1 final day in Hanoi before we fly back. 

Cambodia was beautiful and the people are so kind. Our Couchsurfing host MJ definitely made the experience for us. She took us to a children's home that she volunteers at in the countryside and we played with the kids. There were lots of animals there too. It was easy to see how the countryside is poorer than the city (although the city is poor too.) Everything is dirty. Kids don't have shoes. Lots of corrugated metal roofs, lots of litter. This experience in Cambodia slightly makes me question whether or not I can handle the Peace Corps. MJ was absolutely the best but staying at her apartment was not. No hot water, no flush for the toilet (you just pour water down the bowl), lots of bugs, and in general less seperation between inside and out. I know I WANT to do Peace Corps so that I can learn to love this kind of lifestyle but I really am not used to it. But riding motorbikes with MJ and her friend around the city was super fun :) 

Mai in Ho Chi Minh city also took us out on motorbikes with her and her friends. There really is a rush to it. The wind whipping by feels great. It feels alive. And I never felt unsafe. I just wouldn't want to actually drive one. :x 

I want to say more but my hands hurt and I can't type on this iPhone for very long. 

Ha Long Bay cruise tomorrow! No wifi for 3 days :( update after! 

Ho Chi Minh City

I'm at Mai's house in Ho Chi Minh City and it doesn't feel gross!!!! Yay. Her family is slightly better-off since her parents are/were in the military. 

HCMC is the city I feel the least safe in. There are not a lot of tourist things but it's a vibrant, pulsating city, more metropolitan than Hanoi. We went to the War Remnants museum which was sobering, and walked around in all sorts of parks. I'd love to have a couple more days here. 

I'm feeling very grateful for a lot of things. Grateful for my GREAT couchsurfing hosts. Grateful that I'm decent at keeping my wits about me, not getting my stuff stolen, not succumbing to scams. I've made it this far in my trip with nothing stolen, lost or missing, no flights missed, no injury or tragedy. And for that I feel very, very grateful.