Vietnam, Part 4: On the Road

So, how would I get to Hoi An, my next destination??? Train? Plane? Bus? Private transfer? A fellow traveler tipped me off onto an even better option! The people you meet, the conversations you have and the tips that you get from fellow travelers are some of my favorite things about traveling.

And so I found the motorcycle tour company, Le Family Riders, that would not only drive me there, but stop to see sights along the way. They were friendly, organized and experienced. I strongly recommend that you use them if you visit the area!

I was picked up at my hotel early in the morning. We drove out of town, stopping for pictures and eventually for coffee. It was a cloudy day, but I was glad for the overcast skies because I was worried about burning since I knew I'd be outside most of the day.

A deceiving photo... I never actually drove this thing. ;)

At a traditional Vietnamese breakfast spot, I met up with other travelers in my group. We went on to visit a local fishing village.

Cloudy and windy, but not cold!

After the second stop we turned off of the main road, for a detour and another stop, curving up to a secret swimming spot. Most of the visitors were Vietnamese and they hung out under shelter, socializing and drinking beer. We decided that we had to take a dip in the water and try out the natural water slide.

A stop at natural pools and waterslides

After our dip in the pools, it was time to head towards lunch, which would be on a floating restaurant. 

A view back at the town towards the floating restaurant where we had a seafood lunch feast.

Next, it was time to go up and over the mountains, pass through Da Nang and arrive in Hoi An. Here is a video of us cruising up the hill! Mom, please note that helmets were worn the entire time. 

I guess this road is a famous twisty and turny uphill climb and has been featured in shows like Top Gear. It's a popular spot for locals to come and take photos. We saw several wedding photo shoots taking place as we climbed upwards. 

Cheese!

Looking back through the mist from the top.

These teens were playing in the wind and taking selfies - too cute!

View of the coast - the sun did begin to peek out.

Selfie on the back of my ride

Our last stop was the temple on top of Marble Mountain. A lot of the marble used to make decorations and religious statues comes from this mountain and there is a beautiful temple on the top. We left our drivers and bikes below as we whizzed to the top of the mountain in a glass elevator. From there we had some time so we explored the many nooks and caves, took pictures of the coastal views around (it is near Da Nang) and then descended via the stairs.

Winding around the different prayer spots

Garden and Buddha

Steps leading to the very tippy top of the mountain

And the view from the top!

Hi Mom! These marble statues look like Tarzi! ;)

Eventually a very long day ended at my hotel in Hoi An. Stay tuned for the last chapter in my series on Vietnam! (It probably won't be next week... we are on fall break and I will be in Thailand, where blogger doesn't work.)

I just finished reading:

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood - I think this is her newest novel and it is the first Atwood I have read. I liked it. It did get weirder than I thought it would at first, but it was pretty engrossing and definitely creative. I'm looking forward to discussing it at book club later this month.

Human Dark with Sugar by Brenda Shaughnessy - I don't read a lot of poetry, but Y recommended this book to me and Shaughnessy is amazing. It's definitely a book of poems that I will go back to.

And what I am really excited to listen to:

One of my favorite artists, Conor Oberst, is releasing a new record. You can hear it and read an article from NPR here. 

Copy my trip to Koh Lanta!

I had been curious about Thailand long before moving to Myanmar. Actually, curious is probably an understatement - I had been dreaming of going for a long, long time. Images of amazing food, beautiful nature and postcard perfect beaches entered my mind on many a gray Seattle day.

Bangkok is just over an hour flight from Yangon and I visited it four times during my first year in Myanmar. However, getting out of the city and exploring more of the country was definitely on the to-do list. For my fall break this year, I wanted something relaxing and easy to plan since I was in the deep woods of my Master's research. A writing retreat, yoga and beach time on a Thai island seemed like the ideal break.

I'll share some stories and photos in this blog, but I'm also including information about how I got around and where I stayed... in case you want to copy my trip to Koh Lanta. By the way, "koh" means island in Thai.

I flew out of Yangon on a Saturday morning. After a short layover in Bangkok, I boarded a plan south to Krabi airport. With carry-on only luggage, I was ready to go as soon as the plane touched down.

I booked a shuttle with this company - I set it up about a week before. The representative found me quickly at the airport and gave me a few minutes to reload my Thai SIM card, buy a bottle of water and bag of nuts and then I was off in the shuttle. The day was a bit overcast, but that didn't affect my excitement - I was island-bound!

View from one of our two ferry crossings

The entire journey took about 5 hours. We had to wait in line for awhile at the second ferry and the roads on these islands aren't exactly freeways. It was a relief to get to my bungalow right around sunset. 

I was greeted warmly at Cha Ba Bungalow and Art Gallery and I quickly settled into a cozy, but spacious bungalow, complete with mini-fridge, a double bed and my own private patio. I had dinner at their Picasso restaurant, cocktail in hand and toes in the sand. 

Night shot of Picasso

The next five days were filled with sand, sun, writing, the occasional rain shower (a good reminder to get out of the sun and back to my pages!), wandering the town and, of course, delicious Thai food. My bungalow was right next to Oasis Yoga and I highly recommend the classes at this studio. The space is beautiful and the teachers are knowledgeable and friendly. They also have a little cafe where you can get smoothies, homemade crackers and other snacks.

Beachside Breakfast

Sunset stroll

I wish I had more photos to share with you, but I had an unfortunate incident with my camera on my first snorkeling trip. I was so excited to get underwater shots and I checked the instructions for taking it swimming with me, but it promptly died as soon as I jumped into the water. To their credit, Amazon has been kind enough to replace it, so look forward to some fishy photos next time!

Interested in snorkeling or diving? Check out Go Dive for trips to nearby islands. 

Spirals in the sand made by little crabs

Last dinner at Klong Dao beach

I loved my location, but since I had a week, I wanted to check out more of the island. I headed south to Kantiang Bay. Again, I had reserved a room right at the beach, this time at Kantiang Bay Resort. They sent a truck to pick me up and I enjoyed my view from the back as we made the half hour journey south. 

When I got there, I decided to spend a few extra dollars a night and upgrade to a beach view bungalow and the change was very much worth the extra Thai baht.

My room by the bay

This accommodation is in a beautiful setting; you can walk into town (I loved working with a coffee or grabbing a bit at the Drunken Sailors), walk along the beach and swim in the warm waters of the bay. I didn't see it, but I heard that at some times of year there is bioluminescence glowing in the water at night. 

Another sunset :)

The location is ideal in many ways as you can probably already imagine. The plus/minus depending on your point of view is the Why Not Bar right next door. My first night there I enjoyed dinner, live music and fire dancers. However, the party goes on late into the night, so if you are looking for a tranquil spot after dark, this might not be the bungalow for you.

Live music and kitty company at Why Not Bar

Fire dancers

I hope the above video works; these guys were amazing!

Walkway to the beach

There are lots of mini-sand dollars here.

I decided to do one last snorkeling trip to the nearby Koh Rok National Park. If you go to Koh Lanta, this trip is a true not-to-miss! Sparkling clear turqouise waters, fishes in all colors of the rainbow, the softest sand I have ever touched...a real paradise! My recommendation would be to arrange an overnight stay at the park. You must go through a travel agent since it is a national park and they limit the number of visitors. I imagine the stars would be amazing out there at night and it would be so much fun to have this beach to yourself after the day trippers leave.

Kantiang Bay Resort helped me arrange travel back to the airport on my last day. I was sorry to leave this place, but I have a feeling I'll be back!

Email me for more info on Koh Lanta, or check out their site! Thailand is a really easy place to be a tourist and it offers so much variety. 

I'm glad that I went for the Master's in Education capstone this fall, but it was a lot of work! I'm happy to be done and back to my own reading. Here's what's been on my kindle since then:

• El bebedor de lágrimas by Ray Loriga
• Spoiled Brats by Simon Rich (One of the most creative and fun books I've read in a while; thanks for the rec, S!)
• Human Dark with Sugar by Brenda Shaughnessy (Thanks for the rec, Y!)
• Fear of Flying by Erica Jong (I can't believe I didn't find this one sooner!)
• My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem (loved it, loved it, loved it)