I am using this blog as a way to procrastinate the numerous papers that are due in the near future. However, it has been a while, and I have recently returned from a brief jaunt to Halong Bay. We spent the days exploring caves, cruising amongst the large rock formations, swimming, climbing the rock formations, and kayaking. The boat that we lived on for the two days was surprisingly roomy with decent accommodations. The food served was very good, consisting mostly of fresh seafood, and the sights of course were pretty phenomenal. We had the nicest weather possible for this time of year and thanks to the fabulous kayaking trip I currently have a mild sunburn. Maneuvering around in the kayaks we were able to discover deserted beaches, creep up on birds and follow jellyfish that were approximately 30 inches in diameter.
The fact that we have three days left in Hanoi and then roughly a week left in Ho Chi Minh is slowly dawning on all of us. Its hard to believe that the Vietnam semester is over. Post travel plans are slowly coming together as much as they probably will. We have started the visa acquiring process and have set rough dates for border crossing.
Prior to Halong Bay things were fairly normal. We went bowling with Vietnamese buddies (somehow I had one of the highest scores- a fact which still baffles me), visited the ethnography museum (the best funded and organized museum we have seen yet, saw the Hoa Lo Prison (where John McCain was held as a POW- I actually saw a friend from high school there- small world), went to see the body of Uncle Ho, saw the traditional water puppet show, visited the Perfume Pagoda (never actually saw the pagoda as there were far too many people to actually move) and numerous other cultural activities. We have finished classes and have taken our Vietnamese language final (which was somehow enjoyable). Now all that is left is thirty pages and a presentation. So close, yet so far.
The fact that we have three days left in Hanoi and then roughly a week left in Ho Chi Minh is slowly dawning on all of us. Its hard to believe that the Vietnam semester is over. Post travel plans are slowly coming together as much as they probably will. We have started the visa acquiring process and have set rough dates for border crossing.
Prior to Halong Bay things were fairly normal. We went bowling with Vietnamese buddies (somehow I had one of the highest scores- a fact which still baffles me), visited the ethnography museum (the best funded and organized museum we have seen yet, saw the Hoa Lo Prison (where John McCain was held as a POW- I actually saw a friend from high school there- small world), went to see the body of Uncle Ho, saw the traditional water puppet show, visited the Perfume Pagoda (never actually saw the pagoda as there were far too many people to actually move) and numerous other cultural activities. We have finished classes and have taken our Vietnamese language final (which was somehow enjoyable). Now all that is left is thirty pages and a presentation. So close, yet so far.
Comments
but really, i miss you, so i'm going to be a little selfish and want you to come home.
who from high school did you see?
<3<3