I know it’s been a while since the blog has been updated properly and I apologise for not keeping you in the loop. Initially I was using the WordPress app to write posts on the go, but I recently wrote an excellent post on Siem Reap which was then deleted by the app when I tried to upload it. Since then I’ve been crippled by the fear I’d lose more if I write them in app, which also means we have to be near a WiFi connection to write anything safely. Now there’s 12 days of Vietnam to cover, 5 days of Laos and a post about Siem Reap to rewrite, which will all probably appear at once sometime soon.
In the meantime I thought I’d let you know where we are, where we’ve been and how it’s all going.
Currently we’re in Luang Prabang which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Laos. Two days ago we left the party town of Vang Vieng on the most bumpy winding road we have ever experienced. Roughly six hours in the minibus, shaking over the crazy bumpy roads of Laos and winding over the mountains for hours. I’m amazed I didn’t throw up but I was on the edge of it for at least four hours.
Before Vang Vieng we spent a brief evening in Vientiane after flying from Hanoi, an option we chose over spending 24 hours on a bus over the border. With only 30 days for four countries we thought we’d dip into the money budget and save on the time budget instead.
Hanoi was okay but nothing special after spending time in both Cat Ba and Tam Coc, which were both beautiful places to visit. Very different from places we passed through such as Hoi An or Huế, which were more about the small attractions than the big landscapes. It was raining in both Hoi An and Huế though so we didn’t actually venture out to see much, but Hoi An was really cool even in the rain.
We only spent about six hours total in Huế even though we’d booked a room in a cheap homestay. The weather was terrible and there didn’t seem to be much to do in the rain so we booked an overnight train right away. We made a quick stop at the Imperial City before our train and had a semi-decent sleep in our second class beds.
Before Hoi An it was two nights in Ho Chi Minh after an unpleasant journey over the border with a random coach company. I think that’s as far back as I’ve written, so at least now you know where we’ve been. I’m not sure how writing three weeks after the event is going to change my posts, but hopefully I’ll still be able to remember the good bits. You might not even notice the posts fill up because I’ll date them as if I wrote them ages ago.
We’re both doing fine too and life is a lot less stressful now there’s a lot less culture shock and a lot more to cater for tourists. Personally I miss the excitement of the unknown, but at least Mark’s enjoying it a lot more now. If you’re waiting for photos I recommend you follow us on Instagram as it’s proving difficult to find the time to edit them for the blog.
I’ve also tried tidying up the comments section so please feel free to say anything or ask questions at the bottom of any post. It’d be nice to know who’s reading.