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. 

Spring Break 2015: Taiwan!

Okay, okay, it's fair to say that I don't update my blog quite as often as many bloggers. I do take it seriously, though! I would like to do more frequent posts but many linger way too long in draft form as my perfectionist tendencies obstruct me from pushing that orange "publish" button (thanks, Dad!)... or the slow Myanmar internet makes uploading photos painful... or, real life: more traveling(!), work, friends or a combination of all of the above gets in the way. 

So here's an old story... but still a good one! Listen:

For spring break last year, which falls on Thingyan (Burmese New Year), I decided to venture to Taiwan. I had been curious about this country ever since I had a loooong layover there in 2012 on the way to Bali to get my yoga teacher certification. 

To start the red eye flight out of Yangon wasn't really long enough to get good sleep on and the layover in Hong Kong broke up the night. I was very grateful that my school's Chinese teacher was on the same flight and her friend had offered to pick us up at the airport. We zoomed in to Taipei on super modern roads and it occurred to me that I hadn't been in a developed country like this one since I'd left the US nine months earlier. My colleague's friend insisted on treating us to a multi-course seafood lunch and then they helped me get my pass to ride public transport. 

My dear Leslie had connected me with Rachael and her friends, who are teachers in Taiwan, so not only did I have a sweet place to stay in Taichung, but I also had the inside scoop on the country. With just over a week, I didn't want to run all over the island trying to see everything, so I know there are other great spots for another trip. However, I did see Taipei, Taichung, Sun Moon Lake and I found a lot of time to wander, discover art, make my way through tiny alleyways and just soak up the sun on walks (and do homework... remember this time last year I was working away on my teaching certification). A less planned and non-hectic travel pace is definitely what I was looking for on this trip.

I started my tour in Taipei, where I walked the city streets day and night, had some amazing coffees, visited lots of shops and markets and took in some of the sites. Rachael even joined me for the weekend, so I had a friend to go around with!

Street near my hostel in Taipei

Busy Taipei night scene

Taipei Temple

Dragon details on temple

Does the sky look gray to you? Taipei reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. It was rainy and gray while I was there. It's a modern city and I thought about my time in Seattle and Portland a lot while visiting.  

Me at the temple

Temple offerings

After a long weekend of shopping, walking, catching up with Rachael and only seeing a bit of Taipei (so much to see and do!), Rachael and I headed south to Taichung. We were both enrolled in Teach Now's certification program and we had Sunday evening virtual classes to log into! Rachael's roommates were waiting for us with homemade chili and her dogs greeted us with tail wags and kisses. 

After class and a sleep, I was ready to explore Taichung! The city is modern, but it has done an excellent job of integrating art and green space into its urban city spaces. 

Taichung has a lot of green space built in to the city. Love that color!

Coffee was in order and Rachael recommended the grooviest spot!

One of the coolest coffee shops I've visited - second floor made of glass.

I had homework for my course, but I also had lots of time to explore the city. I spent most of my time walking and wandering. In the evenings, I caught up with the teachers, enjoyed great vegetarian food (thank you all again for your hospitality!) and got tips for the next day. This was definitely the most challenging country that I have visited in terms of language barrier and being able to eat (I'm allergic to gluten, dairy and eggs and I don't eat meat).

Twisty tree branches in Taichung

I can't read what it says, but it is pretty!

Night market shopping

Night market food -not vegetarian friendly!

Nepalese food after exploring the Taichung night market.

One day I took a trip out to Sun Moon lake. This pretty spot has different ferry stops which allow you to take in the views, look at the temples, hike, take a gondola and just take in the ambience. 

First ferry ride of the day, coffee in hand!

the lake

View from one of my walks

Gondola ride selfie!

Path to the temple

Lots of steps to get to the top...

Entrance to the temple, elephants for dad!

A turtle picture for my sister

The view was worth the climb. :)

After a long day of exploring, I was ready to head back to my home away from home. Who wouldn't love returning to these two?

A ball of Lola

Vivi, ever hopeful, in the kitchen

Dog park near my "home" for the week

My last weekend was spent in Taipei. I visited the hills just outside the city, taking another gondola up to sample tea, walk and take in more views.

I decided to experiment with a new type of hostel: the cube. Basically you rent a sleeping cube in a room full of lots of cubes. You get a locker for your stuff, clean sheets, a shared bathroom and a place to lay your head. It was okay, but I don't know if I'd do it again...

My cube for a night

Last rainy night shot of Taipei

I hope to return to Taiwan someday and see more!

This Thingyan break is longer, just the way the holiday falls, so I have a full two weeks off of school. I'm headed to Vietnam to continue my explorations of Southeast Asia and to get some more practice trekking (Camino de Santiago, I am coming your way this June!).

In other travel news, I just purchased flights to Spain and will be there for most of June and July. Details of my trip are still coming into focus, but I am beyond excited to be returning - I don't think I have been back to visit since 2009.

These are two upcoming trips and teasers for future posts! :)

What I'm reading:

• Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Siddhartha - Herman Hesse
• Human Dark with Sugar - Brenda Shaughnessy (poetry fix, thanks Y!)

Just finished:

• We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (re-reading and re-watching this one. If you haven't seen it, go here as soon as you can)
• Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk (not my favorite of his and not for the faint of heart or stomach...)