kitajchuks-blog

[kitajchuks-blog]

100 Days in Numbers

Data fan here. So, here are some fun (yes, fun) stats of our trip.

Countries: 10

Cities: 23

Transportation:

Planes: 29

Flight delays: 4 with 1 cancelled flight

Trains: 89

Buses: 26

Cars: 18, + 1 car rental

Boats/Ferries: 8

Motorbikes: 6

Accommodations:

Hostels: 12

Hotels: 5

Airbnb’s: 5

Miles Walked:

November (21-30): 55.9

December: 151.34

January: 133.26

February: 112.52

TOTAL: 443.02

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 19: Dublin, Ireland

So, we hop on a plane and head to Dublin. On board with us are French Rugby fans heading to Dublin for a big match on Saturday... and they are drunk. We know because we were at the same bar in the terminal. They were a little loud boarding the plane and durning the ride... they were having fun. No big deal. Until landing. 

I am not usually a nervous flyer until I have a reason to be (read the Turkey post). So, we come in for a landing, hit pavement, do a little bounce, then all the sudden it feel like the pilot yanks the wheel to miss something, swerve a little but we landed safely. Ha! Although, I swear we were about to go into the grass. As we taxi to the gate the drunk rugby fans start singing louder and louder. The whole plane was quite, except for them.

We got off and headed to boarder control and he was the nicest man ever! Canada and Ireland have the friendliest boarder control. We hopped on the bus and got to our Airbnb. However, no one was their to greet us and give us keys. The door was open so we let ourselves in and waited for a half hour before we sent them an email to say no one is here, we are hungry, grabbing food, don’t lock us out. We went to the grocery store, grabbed some food and headed back. Once we got back they guy was there to greet us.  

Day 1: We headed out to the city center. Started by headed over the River to the other side.

Passed the Irish Houses of Parliament.

Grabbed some coffee and headed to see the Molly Malone Statue.

Then off to the Dublin Castle, but first...

The Castle.

Then walked past the Christ Church Cathedral. 

Then, as we are walking, I see an grey haired Irish man in front of me. Thinking to myself, he looks fine but I shouldn’t walk next to him. And trying to not be paranoid, I don’t move and keep walking. It was a normal pedestrian traffic flow, no need for anyone to move so you don’t run into them... everything normal. Until, I walked pasted him and he hit my arm. B was slightly behind me as he watched it happen. The old man could throw a mean side arm. It didn’t bruise or anything but he was pissed at me for something. Right after, I looked behind me at him then at B and other people around and realized he is crazy. No need to yell at him or say anything... he might just go crazy. But what’s not cool is this is not the first time this has happened to me. Apparently, I put something out in the universe that attracts a certain kind of person to randomly hit my arm on the street... 

Anyway, we were now off to the St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

We then headed back towards Temple Bar St. for lunch, some drinks, and planning a road trip. 

Day 2 and 3: We decided we couldn’t be in Ireland and not see the west coast. So we rented a car and used a free hotel night for an overnight road trip.

B drove. Driving on the wrong side of the road is no big deal but you definitely rethink your right hand turns. It just feels weird. 

We got about an hour out of Dublin and the rain started POURING so we pulled over until it passed. All documented on video and on Instagram. 

It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive but well worth it to see the cliffs of Moher.

It was extremely windy, so much so that waterfalls were going up not down. 

Such beautiful views!

The weather here is unpredictable. It can rain, sun, wind, anything at anytime. B went out to a view point that was semi blocked off for the danger that the cliff could fall at any time. I would have gone if it wasn’t so windy and muddy. Either way, as I waited for him I noticed the sun had gone and a wall of rain was coming towards us. So, I slowly started to walk back hoping he was on his way. He wasn’t. I then noticed that the Rangers were laughing and walking back to the shop/cafe area. Just before I got to cover it DOWN POURED! I didn’t get that wet but lots of other people were soaked as I waited for B.

B finally arrived and didn’t look like he got that wet. Then went to tell me how he basically surfed down the mud about six feet with his feet and hands. He was very proud he didn’t get his but muddy.

We then headed to our hotel which was next to a castle.

It was a nice hotel and we were super excited for the hot tub. Except it was cold so we settled for the sauna. 

We woke up the next morning to it snowing. No more then 5 minutes later it was sunny and clear skies. Ireland has some manic weather. 

We then drove back towards Dublin to Glendalough to see 1,000 year old monastery. We got a little bit of a late start so we didn’t have enough time to hike around the area but it was a beautiful park.

We then headed to Dalkey, which is a small town we read would be good for lunch. It was an adorable town! We then drove up the coast before we had to return the car. 

Day 4: No trip to Dublin is complete with out going to the Guinness Storehouse. 

It was then off to lunch. A nice falafel place. Which was filled with college students. We were about to leave when a couple sat next to us. I laughed out loud when she said “So, there is no meat here?”. 

Then a stop at the famous Temple Bar.

That’s it folks. We are flying back to Portland in a few hours. Our travels are not over just the international portion. See you in a number of hours Portland!

Instead of Random Notes, Here are Some Irish Sayings:

• As thick as a cow’s arse. (Really stupid.)

• As useful as tits on a bull. (Totally useless.)

• Circling over Shannon. (Drunk.)

• Fine bit of stuff. (Very attractive girl.)

• I’d ate a baby’s arse through the bars of a cot. (I’m very hungry.)

• She has a face like a pig licking piss off a nettle. (She is ugly.)

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 18: Brussels, Belgium

A short flight and we are back in Brussels. We had a layover here on our way to Prague which inspired us to spend a few days here. 

Day 1: We arrived in the morning...however, the airport is an hour outside of town. So, we hopped on the bus, hit the subway, and made it to our Airbnb. We were greeted with a waffle/donut thing... it was delicious!! 

It was raining so we hung out, drank wine, made dinner. Life is pretty good.

Day 2: We got up, ate and got ready to go out when B said “take a picture of me”. To which I turn around and start laughing because I found Cousin Itt!

We walked towards the main train station when we came around some instruments covered in plants.

We got to the train station and grabbed some tickets to head out to the Herge Museum. TinTin is one of B’s favorite comic, kid show, movie, etc. of his childhood. So, once he heard there was a whole museum dedicated to the creator, all he wanted to do was go. 

When we got off the train we were hungry and lucky enough for us their was a market close by. We grabbed some sausage, pasta, and crepe for lunch.

It was then off to the museum. 

It was an awesome museum! Lots of info and lots of display items of all kinds. Definitely a must see. 

We then stopped for a drink and some fries before heading back on the train.

Day 3: Today we would see the town. We started with the Belgian Chamber of Representatives.

Then walked through Brussels Park... To the other side to the Royal Palace.

We were starving and on our way to food but first pass through the Royal Square.

Then walk through Mont des Arts Garden...

Pass by some cool buildings...

Then finally made it to lunch. I found this spot, Bia Mara, which is a fish and chips resturants with great reviews. B of course got fish and chips. I however, am the person that gets chicken, the lunch special was chicken tacos. It was a LOT of food. It was AMAZING food. So good!

Trying not to fall into a food coma we headed over to the Delirium Cafe for a few drinks. This place is suppose to be in the world record books for the most beers. It was fun and they have a TON of beers.

We then had to print some boarding passes but took the long way around. Started by walking to the Grand Palace. 

Then the Manneken Pis, who usually has an outfit that changes everyday but today, no outfit. 

Got our boarding passes, walked around a comic shop, then walked past the Brussels Stock Exchange. 

Day 4: We are keeping it chill and lazy around here with rain and great food. Today, we started by walking to lunch at Balls and Glory. Big filled meatballs over salad or mashed potato’s. YUM!

Then it was off to wash it down with some beer.

And we chilled the rest of the day and worked on some projects. 

Day 5: We are now headed to our last stop, Dublin. More beer, more food, more sites. But first, The Église Royale Sainte-Marie.

Random Notes:

• Australian trucking/train shows are awesome. 

• Fries and chocolates are EVERYWHERE! And waffles!

• As we walked back from the train station one day B noticed women in window’s in lingerie. I noticed people but didn’t pay attention. We clearly were walking through the red light district. 

• International city. People of all kinds.

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 17: Warsaw, Poland

We got up WAY earlier than we have been to hop on a 8 hour train from Prague to Warsaw. Now we are in Warsaw! The land of B’s people (as he keeps tell me). As well as “I am home”, when actually he has never been here before. Ha ha. Whatever, he’s happy and excited. 

Super easy to get to our Airbnb. Took a nap and ate some dinner. In Madrid, a couple told us that the store bought pierogi’s are pretty darn good. So, we grabbed some for dinner. They were not bad but the fresh ones are way better... rule of life right there.

Day 1: First place we wanted to check out on this rainy day was Old Town. We didn’t plan or research anything for Warsaw. B just wanted to come, so here we are. :) The day we arrived was nice and sunny. Our first full day was nice and rainy. Wont phase us. So, we walked to Old Town. Just before, we saw the Pomnik Bohaterow Warsaw, which I later learned is the monument of Hero’s of Warsaw, also known as Warsaw Nike. 

It was then to the Sigismund Column...

and some cool buildings...

Then we were off to the Old Town Market Square. Their was an ice rink and 5 or so stands selling warm drinks. Including the popular Mulled wine... which I just can’t get on board with. I don’t like my wine warm.

Next was the Barbakean Warszawski which is a photo point for the fort that once encircled Warsaw. You can see the parts all around this area but this was the best and least damaged.

We then stopped for lunch. Some pierogi’s and beer please!

After lunch we walked passed the royal castle and Adam Mickiewicz monument.

We then walked to the Presidential Palace, snapped the photo below before remembering you can’t take pictures of government buildings here. B caught up and I told him this. He said yah I think that is why the guard started walking towards me. 

We then headed to the Tomb of the Unknown Solider. Unsure if we could take pictures we took it from afar.

Then walked though the park...

Close to our Airbnb is a market place. I didn’t do much research but saw a market and was excited. Thinking it would be like Spain... nope. Its more low key, more of a trading place than a market like in Spain. Either way, we checked it out, grabbed some food and drinks for dinner.

Day 2: This day was foggy and I loved it! We went our for a long walk to the Lazienki Park. On the way we stopped and took picture of buildings and the fog. I hate driving in the fog but I love walking or seeing the fog. 

At the park we walked around and tried not to fall on our ass from the ice. We succeeded.

Wandered our way to the Palace on the Isle.

Then headed back towards our Airbnb to a resturants for lunch. I read online it is one of the best in Warsaw for traditional Polish food. If we are eating out here we are eating Polish food. It’s called Folk Gospada. We sat down next to a table of 10 or so Spanish men who had ordered a tube thing of beer. It was huge but they were having a great time. We ordered the house bread and pierogi’s for two. Clearly we are on a healthy diet while traveling. It was amazing. The bread and homemade butter but the damn pierogi’s. My goodness, 5 different types. We were both in food comma after. I will be dreaming of these for days. 

These filled us up so much we didn’t eat the rest of the day. 

Day 3: We walked over to the Warsaw Uprising Museum. We knew it was a free admission day but we didn’t realize how busy it would be. 

It was nuts! Almost wall to wall. You would walk around, try to read things and see videos, etc. then someone would cut in front of you or their was a very slow moving line... it was a bit difficult to absorb the information. We learned a lot and took some papers home to fill in the blanks. 

We then headed out for lunch and run some errands. One errand being buying tickets for the bus to the airport. Which allowed us to see the Palace and Cultural Center without all the fog. 

Random Notes:

• The old trams are pretty cool. Warsaw is modern city (rebuilt since it was flattened in WWII) but it’s nice to see the old with the new.

• I don’t know if it is because it’s cold here but it is quite. It’s a big city with noises of cars and people but still quite. Nothing like the Greek or Spanish. It’s refreshing.

• The food is amazing. Ate our weight in pierogi’s and sausage. 

• I think for the first time in Europe we can’t buy wine or beer in a grocery store. I am sure it’s not the first time but one of the places it is not usually sold at the store.

• Warsaw seems like a chill, low key place to live.

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 16: Prague, Czech Republic

We are finally in Prague! I have been waiting for this for years! I have heard so many beautiful things about this city and now we get to see it. We arrived after dark, in the cold, and hungry… so we hopped on public transportation to our Airbnb, hit the grocery store, and chilled. 

Day 1: It is cold here. Nothing too bad but about freezing every day. Since we are here for a good 9 days we decided we would slow things down. Meaning, we would wake up late, go out for a little bit then chill at a pub or back at the Airbnb.

So, day 1 in this amazing city…. we got out and walked. First stop was a super cute candy sore. ;)

This city is so beautiful. Apparently, it was spared during WWII bombing… at least for most of the war. So, we have been told that is why Prague is so beautiful with old and new buildings. 

We walked past the National theater…

The tram’s here are super cool. They have modern ones but also older ones… makes sense for the city, in my opinion.

We walked up the Vlata River towards the Charles Bridge. The Charles Bridge is beautiful. The pictures does not do it justice.

We wandered through Old Town Square before finding the Astronomical clock. We just missed the hourly clock change but we were cold and that would have to wait for another day.

Day 2: First thing  today we headed out towards the Astronomical clock to see what happens each hour. It was cool but a little underwhelming. Being cold and after noon, we headed to the pub to warm up. 

We then decided to take a long walk around the river to the Dancing House before heading back and staying warm for the night.

However, before we could go too far, B needed a street cart sausage. He is pretty much in heaven with these…

The street right before the Dancing House is one of the most beautiful. I just fell in love with it.

We were then at the Dancing House.

And now with our toes and finger frozen we headed back to the Airbnb which is near Wencelass Square.

Day 3: Today we decided to make it a big walking day. It was suppose to be a little bit warmer… it really wasn’t. But either way we made it out and started our walk with then Lennon Wall where a man was singing “Hey Jude”.

We then walked up to the Prague Palace. On the way, we stopped and grabbed a Trdlo which is a pastry cooked over a fire covered with sugar and cinnamon. Hell yes!

We then walked up to the Palace but first stopped to admire the view.

Then walked around the square and palace to another entrance… why… well to get in the palace area you have to go through security and because we thought you had to pay we decided to walk and try to find a better view to take a photo. Well, by the time we got to the other side, we decided to see how much it cost. Then realized it doesn’t cost to get into the area. It costs to go inside the buildings. 

So, we wandered around the buildings… And went in the the very beautiful Cathedral.

By now we are once again freezing so we head back towards the Airbnb. But stop first so B can get another street food must, fried cheese sandwich. 

Day 4: Yet again, we woke up and decided to take a day trip. This time to Kutna Hora which has a cool skull chapel.

And, yet again we have 20 minutes to get their and on the train… something I don’t think we have learned yet….. but we haven’t missed a train yet. 

It took about an hour to get there. We took the bus into town and bought a pass for 3 sights. First sight was the impressive St. Barbara’s Church. Europe definitely knows how to build a church.

We then grabbed some nasty lunch but headed towards the other church and chapel. We stopped at the church first, which we read wasn’t worth a visit and the other church is better. Well, St. Barbara’s is larger and definitely impressive but this church is beautiful in a different way.

We were then off to the Sedlec Ossuary, skull chapel. It was cool, but a little creepy. Apparently, it’s made from the bones of 30,000 plague victims and 10,000 victims of a war on Bohemia. 

We then hopped into a pub, grabbed some drinks, and wifi before heading back to the train station.

Day 5: Took today slow. Which was way nicer than it sounds. We woke up late. Took our time to get out the door. Hit up a pub.

Then ran some errands, the usual - copy shop, grocery store, candy shop. Then drank and chilled the day away. 

Day 6: Like most days to day started slow. But we walked up to the Petrin tower which looks like a small eiffel tower. 

As we walked we stumbled upon the rotating Franz Kafka’s head. 

Then went to the comic museum bar... thought it would be a little better than it was but it’s basically a club/bar.

We went out for some grub where B finally got some beef goulash.

Day 7: It’s Valentine’s Day! We have never been one’s to really celebrate the Hallmark holiday. However, when one makes you breakfast in bed the least you can do is go to the climbing gym with him.

It’s hard for B to take 3 months off of climbing so he was pretty happy.

So, we climbed, we ate, we drank. Clearly, how we spend most of our days. 

Day 8: Our last day in Prague. Kind of sad. It’s such a beautiful city. So we ate and drank then packed since we leave at o-dark-thirty in the am. 

Off to Poland we go! To the land of B’s people (he’s pretty excited about it).  

Random Notes:

• Street food is really good!

• The streets make no sense... so windy!

• We are use to not tipping...We learned the hard way that in Prague tourist are expected to tip... not locals. Oops. Sorry. 

• The police. Not a huge presence but definitely around. Heard from multiple people that the police only react to larger crimes not the smaller ones. For instance, smoking weed and drinking on the street are illegal but the police wont fine you if you do these things and walk past them. However, a large fight or more criminal acts will be acted on.

• They have these fast food spots that serve pizza and gyros. We tried it one day and it wasn’t bad for some cheap and fast food. We went back to a place a few days later and they were either shutting down or remodeling but obviously closed. It was weird.

• The keys and locks here annoy me. They are way more complicated than at home. However, if you are a key collector they have some cool keys. 

• They have signs to the nearest fast food spot all over town here - KFC, McD’s, etc. 

• People don’t like to give change here... however they have bills up to 1,000. 

• It started in Greece but has continued... the garlic bagel chips are so good!

PS - More place to go but we will be state side March 1. The next few post’s will be more rapid as we have 3 cities to stop at before heading back. :) 

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 15: Madrid, Spain

The train from Seville was no wear near as fun as the ride there. All because we are sick. Still, you can’t beat the views. 

Day 1: This head cold is taking the best of me. Mostly because it is causing my TMJ to act up and the nerve pain is driving me nuts. So, we pretty much stayed in bed all day. B went out and wandered but he is sick too so it was a short trip.

By the evening we were feeling better so we went out for some Mexican food... why not?

Day 2: We determined to make it out and see the city today. So, we eat and head out to the Plaza Mayor. I bet this place is bustling in the summer but man its hard to get a good photo of the whole area. 

We then walked down to the Catedral de la Almudena, which is huge and impressive from all angles. We walked through they crypt where a ceremony was taking place. Its a beautiful Cathedral. 

Right next door is the Royal Palace of Madrid.

After the palace we walked towards the gardens, Jardnies de Sabatini, when we walked past the changing of the guards. Then it was the palace garden. 

And a random Egypt Temple of Debod

And then on a way to Starbucks for a little bit of a break we went to the Monumento Cervantes. 

We grabbed lunch and headed towards the el Retiro Park. Along the way stumbled upon beautiful buildings. One being the city hall with a sign saying “Refugee’s Welcome” which we first thought was a museum. Ha. 

Before the park, Perta de Alcala. 

And then the park, which is huge and beautiful. We arrive at the monument Aflonso XII, about to get in a good spot to take a photo, when a man runs buy us followed by a police officer. Now, we have seen people all along the streets selling fake handbags and other items. I noticed that the sheet they had the items on had strings attached to each corner that met in the middle. And all these guys were  holding on to the middle. I told B that it’s illegal to sell these items and I bet the strings are so they can grab their stuff and run if the police come. Here we are, watching one of those guys with his stuff run trying to out run the two cops and a cop in a car. It looked like they took his stuff and ticketed him. Quite eventful for this little (ha) monument. 

Before heading back to the hostel we checked out the Palacio de Cristal. 

And to cap our night, our hostel had free sangrias. :) 

Day 3: We have this trend of days of tons of walking and site seeing and then slower days.... today is a slower day. B has had a sore throat for 5 days and didn’t sleep much if at all last night. So, we headed out to the ABC Museum as we heard they had some cool illustrations, plus it was free. 

We then grabbed some coffee and headed to Mercado de San Miguel which is an indoor food/resturants market. I love these. Spain does these markets right. It’s Sunday and this place is packed! We could have spent hours here. I really wish we had these at home. I know we have some but they do them so much better here!

We then walked through the Plaza Major on the way back to the hostel. It was hoppin’! So many people enjoying the sun (even though its cold and windy), the food, and drinking. Much more lively than our last pass through.

We then napped and chilled the rest of the day. These colds are kicking our asses. 

Day 4: We woke up feeling pretty good so we decided to hop on a train and go to Toledo for the day. Didn’t know much about the town but that it was a short train ride away and was a cool place to visit. 

So, we get to the train station with like 20 minutes to spare but wait in the shortest line possible for our tickets. Once our turn we were quick to get our tickets... then we got lost finding the gate...so lost that we ran to the right gate (once we found it), hopped on the first car, walked 2 cars to our seats, sat down, and then the train left the station. We gave each other a look and laughed. Barely made it!

Once in Toledo, on a gorgeous day we headed towns town to an information booth for a map. 

Then it was through the beautiful gates (Puerta de Alfanso VI) and up the hill to see stuff. 

Once through the gates, the tiny streets are super cute!

First stop was the main plaza, Plaza san Justo.

From there it was off to the beautiful Santa Iglesia Cathedral.

Then it was lunch time, where we are becoming accustom to chips served with our wine. 

We then walked through the Jewish district on our way to the San Marin’s bridge.

We then walked down to the river and B met a woman with a little dog. They chatted it up for a little while in Spanish while I made faces at the dog and pet him. 

We decided it was such a nice day why not walk around the water to the other bridge, Puente de Alcantara... and thus we did.

We had a hour or so before our train left so we headed back towards town and found a bar to have a few drinks and a free tapa (FTW). 

And a shot of one of the most beautiful train stations...

And because I’ve been lazy and delayed this posting... we are now in Prague! A place I have wanted to come to for YEARS! So excited. Spain has been awesome and beautiful! A place that should be on everyone’s travel list!

Random Notes:

• I was wrong about the fruit ... must be a coastal thing. Not so much a thing in Madrid.

• Madrid is a big city like Barcelona but feels more established where Barcelona feel like a party town. 

• Homeboys walking down the street saying “coffee shop” are really asking if you want weed. 

• We got some good Mexican food here...

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 14: Seville, Spain

The train from Barcelona was great! First of all, we ride in style with wine (screw top, of course), salami, and popcorn. Let’s be honest, it’s the only way to travel.

Second of all, it was nice, relaxing, and we got to see some of the country side before the sun went down.

Day 1: Took a slow start to day 1 in Seville but it was time for C’s walking tour! We started with Plaza de la Encarnacio which is the largest wooden structure in the world... or so our map says. Either way, we found it on the way to our hostel and today with the clear skies... it was beautiful. What’s funny, this used to be a car park.

We were then off to Iglesia del Salvador. However, it’s Sunday so we didn’t go in - we didn’t want to disturb church goers.

Then it was off to Auyntamiento de Seville... honestly, not a clue what this was but it was in a beautiful building.

And on to the Cathedral of Sevilla. Very impressive!

Then the outside of the palace....with a long line to get in. This areas we well as the areas to follow were covered with horse drawn carriages to rent. Brings me back to our New York trip and experience in Central Park (I am a tourist, no shame) however, it is much warmer here than it was there.

Seville, is a beautiful town. Walking the streets, seeing cyclist, cafes, the tram... it’s easy to fantasize about living here.

But we were on our way to the Royal Alcazar of Seville, which I thought was just part of a park but no you have to pay to get in so we settled for the Monumento a Cristobal Colon.

It was then off to the infamous Plaza de Espana, which did not disappoint. It actually impressed us more than we expected. The area is lined with tiles of Spain cities. It is quite beautiful! The photos don’t do it justice.

We then headed back towards the hostel for lunch. Again, being lactose intolerant, I can’t help myself from ordering pizza or anything with dairy on/in it. Plus it’s hilarious to say “no queso” and have them look at you like you are a crazy person. I enjoyed it and got a kick out of the guys reaction and B’s head shake. We then went grocery shopping and chilled at the hostel. From 5-8pm our hostel had free Sangria’s. Score!

And we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. It was a great way to end our first day.

Day 2: We took it a little easy today. There was a lot on my mind and I needed to talk it out. This trip is about us and what we want out of it. That is changing for me, well both of us. So, we chatted it out and made a game plan. All while walking around town, along the river, and up to the Torre del Oro.

It was then off to lunch. Having the dietary restrictions I have it can be difficult to order food.... plus not speaking Spanish... and everything has red peppers... things can get hairy. However, we were in a special mood and just ordered the menu of the day. It was perfect and delicious. B had a seafood soup and beef stew. I had a winter salad (which B at the peppers out of) and fried chicken. So good!

After dinner, I was feeling tired so I hit the hay. Right about then B came to the room to say he was going out to a Flaminco show. I really wanted to see a Flaminco show but had a headache and just needed to sleep it off. He had a great time and told me all about the group he went out with. 

Day 3: We are feeling a bit restless in Seville, so we walk and talk. We walked across the bridge and over to what we thought was an amusement park but it was obviously closed for the winter.

So, we continued walking until lunch. As we were looking for lunch we found a market. We grabbed some tapas and food for dinner and headed back to chill.

People at the hostel are interesting... There is clearly a party culture at this hostel. Spain stays up late and wakes up later. It seems everyone at this hostel goes out drinking every night and comes back (loud as can be) at all hours of the morning. On weekends it is normal for people not to go out until 12pm and come back at 10am. It’s cool and if I was feeling better I am sure we would join in more.

Tonight I wanted to check out the Flaminco show. So, we headed out for a few drinks and some Flaminco. I finally met all the people B went out with last night plus some new people.

As you can imagine the people you meet are a mixed bunch. For the most part I haven’t cared for anyone at this hostel as they all seem to want to drink and brag about trying to get laid. No real conversations to be had. However, tonight a girl from Korea joined the crew. She and I got along great! She recently left a job in Korea that she loved but was being sexually harassed by her boss and could do nothing about... so she hit the road in hopes to find something new. It was nice to talk to someone who didn’t want to brag about their job or making out with someone the night before. Just their story and what their interests. 

Day 4: Again, complaints about the hostel. Overall it’s fine. The rooftop terrace is great! We have stayed in nicer hostels and that were cheaper but whatever. I am sick of the late night loud music or talking on a patio outside our room until 2 am (mostly because I feel like crap but probably because I am actually an old lady who goes to bed too early for my actual age). Finally, tonight management would step in. Everything about this hostel is loud and then you add people blasting music at any old hour... hard for me to relax. But the beds are the worst. So, we are stiff, sore, and not sleeping. And now my TMJ is back along with shoulder and neck pain. Great fun. On top of all of that, we woke up with sore throats. A gal was coughing her life away the first two nights and we must have caught it or something. So, we took today easy and really only ventured out for lunch. (B’s lunch below)

By the time dinner rolled around, a large group came into the common area. We didn’t pay much attention until we were about to sit down to eat and a friend from the other night told us they were having visa issues. Since last Friday we have been asked a bunch of times if we are going to have issues getting home. So, apparently he felt the need to tell us the group of American students were having visa issues.

So, we sat down, ate, and eased dropped. All we could catch was that their visas to Morocco were rejected, something to due with the recent visa/immigration ban, and everyone needing to report an incident to DHS. A little all over the board. Oh and they were in a student abroad program and everyone seemed to be crying. Some weird stuff was said but we didn’t know what happened just that they were all safe and staying together.

After their chat a girl comes over and apologizes for all the drama and people. Not a problem but we are curious as to what is going on. Apparently, as a precaution, they have been told they can not go to Morocco in fear of retaliation due to the visa ban issued even though Morocco was not one of the countries. We say “oh bummer” and the girl walks away as the convo is over.

This is why I love b...  he turns to me and says “boo fucking who”. Ha. Seriously though, you’re lucky to be in the damn program and it’s not like their isn’t a whole world out there to see. You miss one country but replace it with another. Rough life kid. Then I really lost it... a group of girls close to our table were chatting when one said (think valley girl voice) “Well all I have to say is they better pay for all my food. I’m not paying out of my pocket for this mess.” I wanted to slap her. Reality check. You have the privilege not only to travel but also for school when you could be trying to escape a country to save your life. Not sorry, fuck you!

On a lighter note, these two sick peeps are off to Madrid. Our last stop in Spain. And once again via train because why travel any other way when you don’t have too? 

Random Notes:

• Spain has beautiful architecture. It’s no wonder this place is one of the top countries to visit in Europe.

• Spain is big of fruit juices... I thought it was just Barcelona... I was wrong. They are cheap and delicious.

• The bike lanes here are not marked by color but by these tiny metal stopper things... You almost miss them. Good thing cyclist are paying attention because I wasn’t.

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 13: Barcelona, Spain

The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains.... unless it is winter! We arrived to some light rain, nothing we can’t handle. We are from Portland after all. 

We had an easy time finding our hostel, settled in, hit the store for some food and cooked us some dinner. Oh man, it’s nice to be able to cook for ourselves and not eat out every single meal.

Day 1: Our first day was pretty rainy. We were thinking of making it a museum day but it was a Monday which means museums are closed. We got a little lucky with the weather in the morning so we took the train to Montejuic Hill where their was a lot to walk around and see. 

Started with the castle of course and learning about the civil war in Barcelona in 1938 or so.

This area also had awesome views. 

We then headed down the hill to the Olympics stadium. Yes, obsession continues and this marks city number 5! 

It was then off to the Art Museum, which was closed but the building was so beautiful we couldn’t not see it.

And the square/area leading to the museum.

Day 2: Tuesday was the dry day. So, we took up the offer at the hostel for a free walking tour of the Gothic area. It was about a 2 hour tour with 6-7 stops. It was a good way to get some history, local info, and see some cool stuff. 

Such as where Picasso had his first art show.

Found out that graffiti and street art is illegal when permanent. Garages can be tagged but not the stone/brick of the buildings. So, being an art city they came up with temporary art which is smaller and takes a little effort to find. We have been noticing these all over town now. 

Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi...

Parliament... learned all about the different types of flags and current politics around Catalonia wanting to be independent from Spain... very interesting!

Learned this structure was commissioned as a middle finger to Madrid..

Day 3: Today was B’s walking tour. We started by walking to the Sagrada Familia which was started in 1882 and isn’t expected to be completed until 2026-2028. It was kind of hard to get a good picture but this place is amazing! And we only saw the outside!

We were then headed over to the Sant Pau Recinte Modernista which use to be a hospital.

It was then time to head towards the water to see Torre Agbar, which is a skyscraper that looks like a bullet. 

And then off to the Arc but a quick stop in the Ciutadella Park to see the Cascada Monumental.

And then the Arc de Triomf...

It was time for food! We headed over to this amazing market called Mercado de La Boqueria. Tons of fresh food, juices, candy, meat shops, and bars with tapas! Great place to get lunch and grab some veggies for dinner. 

Day 4: It was time to take it easy and do some laundry so pretty much hung out at the hostel all day waiting for the laundry and working on projects. We did make it out for lunch and churros!

We also went towards the gothic cathedral as there is a free museum of old comics near by. B was pretty happy. It was pretty cool to see some of the comics through the years.  

Day 5: Back to rainy days around here so we decided it was a perfect time to check out the Picasso Museum. It was awesome!

On the way to the museum, a certain store caught B’s eye. He found a local comic shop - shocking!

After Picasso, we headed back to the market, grabbed some food for dinner and some falafel and juice for lunch. We have noticed a ton of vegan falafel spots around town and the one at the market was super good!!

On the way back to the hostel, we grabbed a few churros for the walk. Then grabbed some wine and chilled the rest of the day. 

Day 6:  Today was a travel day but first we walked down La Rambla towards the water to see  Mirador de Colom.

Then it was off to get some churros with chocolate (didn’t disappoint) and lunch before catching our train. 

We are now off to Seville, Spain via bullet train which I am super excited about! About done with planes these days. A train is a nice break. Barcelona has been beautiful!! 

Random Notes:

• The architecture is beautiful. Almost overwhelming as you walk around.

• All items around baked goods are very delicious. Includes but not limited to donuts, churros, croissants, etc. I must stop eating so many...

• B is pulling out all of his high school Spanish here. I on the other hand took French but am losing my mind. I mean to say “thank you” or “yes” in Spanish but end up saying it in French or Italian. Again, I am losing my mind. 

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 12: Sparta, Greece

We decided to skip seeing the islands and head up to the mountains which was not an easy decision. Just a 3 hour bus ride and we were in Sparta. However, now that I am recovered from gut issues... it seems to be B’s turn. I feel for him. First of all, I get gut issue pain (it sucks!) but secondly, he always seems to get sick on travel days. At least, I’ve been able to feel okay when we travel. Any who, it was the longest 3 hour bus ride for him. 

It was a beautiful ride. Pretty easy to get out of the city. Then just suburbs and eventually snow capped mountains. Once we arrived we took the day easy. 

We got an Airbnb so we finally had a kitchen. Oh boy, was it nice to make our own meals!! We originally rented a small studio but after hanging for about an hour and the rain starting to really come down, I noticed a roof leak. It wasn’t a huge deal but over one of the beds. Since, this is not the tourist time their are plenty of places to stay. We got lucky in that our hostess had another apartment downstairs to which she moved us to. She also made this cake... I think its banana bread cake with walnuts and chocolate... either way its amazing and we ate the whole thing. 

 Day 1: Today we decided to take easy as we know it will rain most of the day. So, we head out for a few museums. First was the Archaeological Museum of Sparta. Which was... cold... and cool. The first room we entered had a bunch of old mosaic pieces. It’s pretty cool what they use to do with mosaic. 

We were then off to the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil. Think what you will but it was kinda cool. It is in an old building that use to be the first electrical building in Sparta. I only wish they had an olive sampling. Anyway, we learned everything we could ever want to know about olives.

We grabbed lunch at a place near the main square and had gyros. I seriously can not get enough of the gyros/souvlaki. So good!

Then it was off to a local art museum. I don’t remember the name but they had an exhibition from a church. Tons of pieces painted on wood. It was quite impressive.

It was starting to rain so we headed back to the Airbnb and started a ROME marathon. It was nice and relaxing.

Day 2: We got up and headed to the bus station to figure out how to get to Mystras. Its a tiny town just 3 miles outside of Sparta and they have a castle! Finding the bus was easy and they took us right to the base of the castle. 

We walked up the entire hill. At least a third of the sites on the land were close but there was still a lot to see. A ways up a cat started following us. He was very friendly and we would learn there are about 20 cats on the property. Mostly, around the still active nunnery. It was fun hiking around. Pretty sure B has never been happier. The view at the top was pretty damn cool. 

We then walked back to Mystras for lunch. Not much open this time of year but we got some lunch and was told a bus would be by in a half hour or so.... well, it was more like or so. We waited till 2pm when we were told the bus would come. However, it didn’t come till 2:45pm and we were freezing. We learned what Greek Time meant.

Once back in Sparta we headed over to the Statue of Leonidas then planned to go to Ancient Sparta and the acropolis. 

However, all the sites in Greece shut down at 3pm and it was now past that time. So, we saw the statue and headed to grab groceries for dinner and chill. Well, from about 3-3:30 - 4-5pm many of the stores and grocery store shut down in Sparta. From what I read online it’s time for a shift change. So, we headed back, drank some wine then later got groceries. 

Day 3: It’s time to head back to Athens. But first a stop at the last sight we wanted to see but couldn’t. Ancient Sparta.  

Once back in Athens and at our last hostel... time for food and wine... did you expect anything else?

We have one full day in Athens then it is off to Barcelona, Spain! Greece has been amazing and I wish we could spend more time here. I know we will be back someday!  

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 11: Athens, Greece

We made it to Athens but not one of our bag… more on that later. Although cold, we found our hostel easily and they are amazing. Due to the delays in Istanbul they (without charge) moved our reservation back a day. Same number of days just pushed it out. Once we arrived, they upgraded our room for free, told us to rest, then they would help us with our baggage. 

We took a nap, forced ourselves to wake up for dinner, then tried to adjust to the time change. We went to a local spot for dinner which was yummy. Plus wine! We chilled, I won at Skip-bo (finally), and we hit the hay.

Day 1: Well, with no clothes or jackets and a day of constant rain we didn’t do much but continue to call the airline for our baggage. Our hostel has a cheap breakfast menu that is pretty good. We then drank wine and chilled - had an Indiana Jones marathon. It was kind of nice to have a chill day but there is so much here I want to see, eat, and drink… ah!

When there were breaks we would make it out for food and of course wine. There is a market across the street from our hostel where we buy cheap delicious wine and snacks. After the first visit, I figured (1) we need to learn some Greek and (2) we have to make friends with the wine guy. Therefore, I asked the guy how to say thank you in Greek. He told us and I told him I was going to practice and come back and say it. There was no way I could have repeated it then and there without butchering it. The next day when we bought some wine I said “efcharisto”. He nodded, smiled, and said very good. Always have to make friends with the wine guy. 

Day 2: We were hoping that our luggage would show up first thing (since there is a flight to/from every couple of hours) but no. Instead the airline stopped taking our calls. We gave them some time thinking they must be helping people but by afternoon we made the decision to head to the airport and check things out. To save some money, B went alone. 

Although they were a lot nicer today, he had no luck. Then, as he is on a bus back, the hostel got the call that our bags would be delivered that night before 9pm. Thank god! We would finally have clothes warm enough to go out and see this amazing city! We could not have been happier! Plus we were running out of clean clothes. We had already done some undies and shirts in the sink... it was time for the rest of our clothes. 

Day 3: We finally made it out and we walked all over! B was a little too excited here to see stuff. He was like a kid on a sugar high. We would be somewhere and he would be thinking of what else we could see in the area. I had to remind he we hadn’t seen what was right in front of us yet. It was cute how excited he was. 

We started with Acropolis because how could you not. We got up there and they had a deal for a ticket to all 7 sites. So, we hit the BK Athens tour.

Acropolis is cool with lots to see; Theatre of Dionysus, Parthenon, Temple of Athena Nike, etc. Plus a great view of the city!

We were then off to the Roman Agora…

Then the Ancient Agora...

And then had to take a break for lunch. What we thought was something small we could share turned out to be a bigger services but at a great price.

We then headed towards another site when two Jamaican men started talking to us. I knew it was a scam but was in a pretty good mood (wine). I also knew that we only had about 5 euros so they weren’t going to get much from us. They chatted us up and were super friendly. They smoothly first bump you and as your wrist is out there they put a bracelet on it while telling you all about some concert that night. It was too funny to care and we basically were waiting for the money ask. Which came but again they didn’t get much and we got a kick out of the experience. However, if it is a scam. So, if you don’t want to pay for the bracelet then take it off, give it back, be firm and walk away.

Then it was off to Hadrian’s Library…

Then tried to go to the Temple of Zeus but the sites start to close around 2:45pm. We also found out the pass we got was for 5 days so B took a huge sign of relief and we grabbed some wine and chilled. 

When we got back to the hostel we had some bunk makes. David (Vancouver) and Seva (New Jersey) we chatted it up and decided Seva would join us tomorrow for the rest of BK’s tour.

Day 4:  To kick off the 2nd half of the tour we walked to The Temple of Zeus. I can only imagine how amazing these structures were before the destruction.

We then walked over to the Panathenaic Stadium which held the 1896 Olympic games. My heart skipped a beat as I have an obsession with the Olympics and we are in the motherland of Olympics. eeeeek!

It was then off to wander the National Garden. It was beautiful and we saw some solider’s practicing their march. We then stumbled upon some animals. First was a bird area, saw a black swan for the first time.

While admiring the birds their were two wild dogs that we thought were playing until they went at it doggy style then not so doggy style… nature. Across from the birds were some goats and bunnies. We walked out of the park and off to Syntagma Square.

Syntagma Square is our main metro area but also close to the Parliament building and the unknown soldier. The guards have to coolest outfits so I had to take a picture with one. Yes, I am a tourist and proud of it. However, after being in Asia I was use to posing with a peace sign. That was until a guard with a gun said hands down. My hands went down faster than a flash. Yes sir with a gun. 

It was then off to Socrates Prison. B has been itching to climb since we left. I’m honestly surprised it has taken him so long to climb something. Especially, since their have been other opportunities. But as you can see when we got here it was time to scratch the itch. 

We then found a souvlaki place for lunch. Best street food and cheap! Only way to grab and go. 

We chilled out in the afternoon then headed up to the St. Isidore Church to see the best sunset in Athens. And it did not disappoint!

Day 5:  The last stop on B’s tour was Aristotle’s Lyceum. Which was cool to be at but like most of the sites here... not much left. Just imagine it in its hay day!

On the way back to the metro (which is near the Parliament building) we stumbled upon a march. It was pretty cool but we had no idea what it was for other than it was a Sunday...

Then it was off to the (modern) Olympic Stadium! I am obsessed with the Olympics and every city we visit we have to go to the Stadium even though they are all pretty much abandoned. 

Day 6: We headed out for breakfast. The hostel has a good breakfast but you need to mix it up every once in a while. So, we went to a place not to far away and got omelets. Which were massive! 

I hate sending food back. If I can pick around it I would rather do so then send food back (although I only feel this way outside of the US - I don’t know why). I am already a need customer with the lactose intolerant thing but I am also allergic to red bell peppers. So, B ordered an omelet with peppers and I with bacon but they both showed up with peppers. After 3 weeks of tummy issues, I just couldn’t risk it and sent it back. It was no big deal but I hate doing it.... then they came over to us with two treats as an apology for messing up my order. One was spanakopita (pastry with feta and spinach) which B loved and the second was a sweet pastry covered in Nutella which I LOVED (and can’t stop thinking about). It was super nice of them, we ate all of it, and fell into a food coma. 

We chilled out and then it hit. It was B’s turn for tummy issues so we spent the day in. Which was good for me because we needed to plan our next stop and deal with some other issues. 

And then off we go to Sparta, Greece!

Random Notes:

• Wine! Finally their is great wine available (and cheap) in my life again!!

• Rollerskating is still in style here. Love that!

• Pretty much everyone is happy all the time. But how can you not be with great food and wine?

• There are orange trees and olive trees everywhere!! And the fresh orange juice is to die for!

• I thought Venice had a lot of graffiti. Athens puts Venice to shame. It all looks pretty new too. 

[kitajchuks-blog]

Layover: Istanbul, Turkey

Where to even start. We decided to leave Asia earlier than originally planned for many reasons. We booked a ticket from Bangkok to Greece with a short layover in Istanbul and used points (which I have never done before). So, a few days before we left I checked the flight on Turkish Airlines website to make sure we were good. I quickly found out that Istanbul was having a blizzard and all flights for that day had been cancelled. This was 3 days before we were suppose to leave. So, I looked at the weather and it was suppose to snow for 5 days. Great. The stress started to build but I kept hope that all would be good.

The day we leave... Woke up expecting the flight to be cancelled but it was delayed by 3 hours. So, we headed to the airport. We waiting in line for 2 1/2 hours to check-in. By the time we were the next in line, half the line left but no one told us what was going on and then the staff left. So, we find out after like 20 minutes that they open another check-in booth somewhere else and the staff was leaving to go to the gate and board the plane. Which pissed a lot of people off. But we had seats and needed to check in. We did get checked in and they gave us 600 baht for lunch. We were offered to stay and take the flight out the next day plus 600 euros.... honestly, now, I don’t know why we didn’t take it. 

So, we get on the plane. The flight is fine, pretty nice airline and the seats actually reclined! I tried not to think to much about or watch the map when flying over Iraq or other parts of the middle east. After 11 hours it was time to land... well we are 2 minutes away from being on the ground and landing in a snow storm when all the sudden the pilot lifts the plane up. We did not land and all kinds of things are going through my head. You could hear a silent panic from all of the passengers as the plane went back into the air. It felt like forever, but shortly after they told us that there was a snow plow that didn’t get off the runway so we couldn’t land and that it’s common at this airport to circle again before landing. Now, I am happy we didn’t hit the snow plow but I’m starting to have anxiety. So, here we go again... trying to land in a snow storm. We landed just fine. A little slipping but nothing crazy. EVERYONE on the plane clapped and cheered once we were on the ground. 

Due to the 3 hour delay we already missed our connection flight. When we got off the airplane we had to get a temporary visa since the international section of the airport was closed and had to go through domestic. I have no idea why this is their process but it is. There was a lady was yelling that we needed a visa before passport control but she confused people because not everyone needed a visa (such as Germany). We did.

Ha. Okay so, passport control and visa’s. We got in line (which would be the shortest line of the entire layover) for someone to scan our passport and two flights. Literally a piece of paper containing the same stuff we were holding. We were told to go to passport control, 2nd on the left. So, we walk, see a security check then passport control. Stand in line for an hour to be told we need to go to passport control. To which I say “Isn’t that where I am?” and the guard says “Next one, number 2″. Not having a great idea of what he actually said to me we head in the direction he pointed. Then realize we wasted an hour in the wrong line. So, in line at Passport Control 2 and the line is longer and slower. 2 hours later we finally get through only to stand in another line to get a visa. Why the passport desk couldn’t do this is beyond me. But it was a short line and took a max of 10 minutes. 

We then had to go to the 2nd floor to change our tickets. Its now about 1 am. We walk through baggage claim around to the exit to see a giant line. We keep going and realize this line (that is about 150 people) is for the bus to a hotel. We went upstairs where there the line for changing your ticket was half as long and the airport... Lets just say the counter was at section A, we were between section C and D, and each section has 16 check-in desks. The line moved slower than anything ever. They handed out waters, cokes, and sandwiches. Which is really nice but the sandwich was cheese and peppers... not so good for me who is lactose intolerant and allergic to bell peppers. Multiple times people came by saying the line is too long, get a hotel room and come back tomorrow. Being stubborn and hoping to get on the next flight we stayed. At one point they opened some desks down stairs, which ended up being faster than the line we were in, but we stayed. We knew this line was it and didn’t want to have to lose our spot and get in the back... we stool in this line for 3 hours. To say we were tired is an understatement.... going on 24 hours.... for an original 15 hour trip.

When we finally got to the ticket desk, I was about done with the people (mostly American’s and Canadian’s) complaining about the service, snow, airline, and anything related. It is not the fault of the person trying to help you get on the next flight. DON’T YELL AT THEM. And for the locals... stop cutting in line! Anyway, we find out that we have already been put on a different flight and need to just go to a ticket desk and have the print out a new ticket. That would have been nice to know 3 hours ago. Massive sigh.

So, we get in another line. It’s pretty quick. The guy helping us is nice. We thought we were on the PM flight but moves I think he moved us to the AM flight which at this point would leave in 2 hours. Thank you! We check on our baggage and make sure it is leaving with us. All was assured and confirmed. So, we head back through security, get some coffee and wifi (this airport doesn’t have wifi). Then with everyone else, find a spot on the floor and try to rest. Ha. Rest... what’s that at this point.

We get to our gate and for the 100th time on this trip we need to board a bus that will drive us to our plane. No biggie it’s been a thing so far on our trip. The catch this time is that is below freezing and we do not have the right clothes - they are in the checked luggage. So, we freeze our asses off. On the bus its warm enough and cool to see the snow. 

I honestly had a moment of appreciation in all of the stress, tiredness, and hunger to be thankful for the ability to do what we are doing and admire the snow. I love snow and all of it’s beauty. Plus we could be in way worse of a situation. This was merely inconvenient. 

Then the bus stopped, backed up, went forward, backed up, went forward, and backed up again. Now, when you take a bus to a plane you get off and walk up the plane outside not through a terminal... the doors opened to terminal 100 and we all walked up onto the plane wondering if we were getting on the right plane. 

Once on the plane we waited with the doors open for an hour. Clearly the plane was not ready to leave. Fine, whatever, not too worried. Then we were delayed because they had to shovel a path for the plane to get out and for the luggage to get on. Once we taxied out we were delayed another hour before leaving for some reason. At this point I was in and out of sleep and had no real concept of what was going on.  

We eventually took off. Our flight was suppose to leave at 8:45am. We left at 11am. The flight was short, only 1 hour, but bumpy the whole way. They did serve sandwiches during the flight but once again... cheese. We got to Athens where it has snowed a little but was now sunny and beautiful! Once again, when we landed everyone clapped. 

We got off the plane, went through security, then to pick up our baggage. Well that was the plan. Our baggage never arrived and we were not alone. So, we filed a claim and with no proper clothing for the weather here is Athens we got on the train to our hostel. 

All along the way, we heard horror stories of other travelers experience through Istanbul. Specifically, flights from Toronto and Chicago where they were forced to land at an airport on the boarder of Syria to refuel because they were not allowed to get off the plane due to visa requirements. Others, spent 3 days in hotels and hours and hours in lines trying to get then next flight out to where ever they were going. Although we were frustrated and stressed. We got lucky.

I could never get mad about this situation (well, kinda mad about our bag still in Turkey). It was the weather not the airlines fault. Even though I would have a different process in place for stranded travelers, they did it their way and were doing everything they could. They had travelers rights so you could get a hotel, food, rides. They were feeding people and giving blankets to those sleeping in the airport. So, to hear people bitch about the worst service ever or worst airline or what country only has one airline.... really started to piss me off. Especially, when people started yelling at the staff. They were only trying to help and following policies in place. If you are ever in this situation have a little perspective and don’t be an ass hole.

Okay, rant over. In Greece, no baggage.... more to come. But first, sleep, wine, food, sleep!

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 10: Bangkok, Thailand

And we land in Bangkok! The traffic here is insane. I wouldn’t say as bad as Vietnam but crazy busy. They have 6 lane roundabouts and not as many motorists but massive car grid lock. 

Day 1: Our hostel is pretty cool, nice and comfy. They have a slide from the second floor to the first. It’s pretty fun but man its fast! They have a good breakfast, actually best yet. And they have a local cat. He hung out with us every morning. On our last morning he sat on my lap and pretty much gave me a hug. He was pretty damn cute!

I am feeling better so we headed out to wander around the many temples and eventually end up at the Grand Palace. 

We walked by a giant swing. Pretty sure its only used for ceremonies now.

On the way to check out the canal and see how much it costs to see the water market, a very nice lady (who said she was Thai but grew up in England) told us the palace was only for Thai people until 1pm but to go to the water and take a boat around the canals. It would take an hour then we could see the palace. She grabbed us a tuk tuk that was only 10 baht and said no shopping, blah blah blah, just to the water. So, we took the ride. Then got to the doc and for the boat ride it was like $40 USD per person. Scam number 1 down and out less than $.30.

We then walked over to the public dock to see how much that would cost. It was only a $1 or so. We decided to wait but after about 5 minutes we realized we didn’t know what boat to get on. So we asked and they told us to go to the next dock. We were just planning on riding up the river then walking to the palace. Well, we get to the other dock and they want to send us back to the other side. Insert eye roll here. We decided to skip the water and just walk to the palace.

It wasn’t that far but it was getting muggy and B was eating any street food he could get his hand on. We got to the Grand Palace but clearly wasn’t the main entrance. Man, these places have a ton of entrances and exits! So, we start to walk in one when a man says “No, no, shorts. Not till afternoon.” To which I didn’t think much of because we had heard this earlier and many temples don’t allow you to go in unless covered. However, Randi sees someone in there with shorts on... but doesn’t share till later. So, we start to walk away when he becomes very friendly and writes down a few places for us to go to, the black buddha, Golden Mount and some other place I can’t remember. He made it every clear not to pay more than 100 baht for a tuk tuk for all 3 of us and all 3 stops. But we are walkers so we walked.

And thank goodness because one of the top scams are exactly what happened to us but we get in the tuk tuk and they take you to other places where you are more or less forced to pay for stuff you didn’t want. We realized this when we got to what should have been the black buddha and it was another temple. Scam 2, no money lost, just time. They seem so nice but damn. Trust no one on the streets. 

It was time for food and a break. We looked up the top scams and laughed at ourselves while being extremely thankful we didn’t lose crazy amounts of money. Some people aren’t so lucky.

For dinner we headed to a wine spot not too far away. It was a cool little spot that was playing the movie Castaway. My gut is still in recovery so it was nice to not have greasy thai food, even though its really good.

Day 2:  Mission for the day is not to get scammed and we didn’t. We grabbed an uber and headed to the Chatuchak weekend market. It’s pretty cool. It’s HUGE and has anything you could ever want to buy. Plus a ton of food which B ate his way through. They have these pork balls on a stick that B just can’t get enough of. 

After the market, we grabbed some street chicken and walked through the Chatuchak Park. 

We headed back to the hostel. I needed to rest, still getting over being sick. So, B went out and wondered.

Later that afternoon we walked over to the Golden Mount. It was pretty cool. We knew we would have to walk up 344 stairs (info from someone trying to scam us) but these stairs were more like half stairs and very close to a ramp. It was easy. At the top it was cool to see the view of the city. Bangkok is a crazy place. Beautiful and dirty. 

Day 3: I think at this point we are all getting a little sick of Bangkok so it’s a good thing today is our last day. B has eaten almost every pork ball on a stick he passes since we got to Thailand. Well, his stomach of steel was breaking down. Poor guy spent most of the night with an upset stomach. All is good now but it was a rough night. 

It was suppose to rain the whole time we were here but this day was the only day it actually rained. So, we headed to the Contemporary Art Museum. The first 5 or so floors had a bunch of coffee shops, little galleries, and shops. For the next 2 or 3 floors they had ramps you walk up and on the walls it was all Instagram photos related to the kings passing. 

The second to last floor was a bunch a photographs of a mans travel after retirement. He pretty much took a trip around the world. It was cool to see. The last floor had interactive art where you can take a picture using the furniture or pops at each station. It was interesting...

We then tried to do a few other things around town but basically ate lunch, walked, and headed back to the hostel for a nap before dinner and Skip-Bo, which I am still losing at... one day I will make my comeback. 

I hope to visit Thailand again one day. One day when I am not sick the whole time. But for now, it is time for us to head to Greece. Currently, our flight has a short layover in Turkey. Well, Turkey is having a huge snow storm and flights have been cancelled for 3 days now... we will see where we end up... or rather when we will end up in Greece. 

The adventures of traveling continue. 

Random Notes:

• Scammers are top notch here. Don't trust anyone and definitely don't give them any money.

• Thai food is really good. All of it. But very greasy and heavy.

• The air pollution here is no joke. Not the place to be when recovering from a sinus infection.

• When you are sitting in the insane traffic they have people walking between the cars selling stuff. I don’t know what it is but I do know one day was umbrellas.

• The Michelin man stuffed dolls are on almost all trucks and buses... it was weird, well random. 

• In Vietnam we met a woman from Bangkok named Boat (pretty sure that is not how she spells it). She gave us a whole list of places to eat. So, if anyone is planning to go to Thailand. Check some of these places out.

      • Thai Food: Err Urban Rustic Thai (close to the river), Supaniga Eating Room, Soul Food Mahana Korn, Phuket Town, Terminal 21 foodcourt - BTs Asoke

      • Mexican: La monita at Ploenchit BTS, The Missing Burro

      • Pizza: Peppina, Gallery Pizza 

      • Korean BBQ: MaPo Galbi at Phra Kanong BTS

      • Japanese BBQ: Yakiniku Raising Sukhumuit 26

      • Burgers: Escapade, Daniel Thaiger

      • Lebanese Food: Beirut, Nadimos

      • Indian: Bamboo, Indus

      • Japanese Bars: Teppen BTS Ekamai, Nagiya

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 9: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Alright, so honestly. Can’t tell you much about Chiang Mai because I only saw the what was to and from the airport and the hospital. 

We arrived and grabbed something to eat. But I couldn’t eat. I was feeling too sick and what was ever wrong with my stomach before was now back. So, after lunch we went back to the hostel and I kinda started to panic. I got all the meds I needed to get better why is this still hurting! So, I emailed the clinic and they recommendation I go see a doctor. Whoopee...

The doctor at the hospital wanted to admit me to run some tests since I have had these symptoms for over 10 days and my weight is down over 10 pounds. Now, the language barrier is challenging when you are sick and stressed but it was clear by the number of times the doctor said “too long, have symptoms for too long”. And so up I went. Got all the tests, some food, and immediate antibiotics. I knew I had a sinus infection so they continued to treat that while they figure out what is up with my stomach. Never could figure it out but they gave me the right meds to make it stop hurting and allow me to eat. 

Spent 2 nights in the hospital and missed the cooking class I wanted to go to really bad. Plus, Chiang Mai seemed like a cool place. 

I kicked B out of the hospital one day because all I was doing was sleeping and getting drugs. So, here are some pictures of his adventures around town. 

We are now off to Bangkok for a few days. I have decided my body (mostly gut) is done with Asia so we are heading to Greece after Bangkok. Asia and I have a love hate relationship I hope to mend one day. But for now, I sadly have to throw in the towel. 

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 8: Phuket, Thailand

It’s a never ending adventure for us. As a planner, I am pretty much always on time. Especially with flights. I like to make sure we have time to grab food or water, etc. if needed in between flights. This trip threw that all out the window. 

The flight from HCM was delayed a half hour. Not a big deal. Still had over and hour before our next flight. However, when we landed, we had to stay on the plan for a least another 20 minutes while they scanned some packages from Mexico. 

We are now in Bangkok and have to go through Immigration before getting to our domestic flight. First off we wasted another 10-20 minutes standing in the wrong Immigration line. Then when we got to the right one the lady was SOOOOO  slow. Like 20 minutes per person and she stamped like 10 different things but there was only one stamp in my passport. How does that work? On top of it the whole time B was saying “We’re going to miss our flight” to which I said “That’s not a helpful thing to say in this situation”.

When we made it through Immigration and Security we had less than 10 minutes before the gate closed for our flight. And the terminal... was at the opposite end and the airport is larger than I thought it was going to be. I kissed the coconut water I wanted to buy goodbye as we picked up our pace to the gate when we heard over the intercom that they were announcing “last call”. Mind you, I have (think I have) a head cold and its a little difficult to breathe. So, I tell  B to run and hold the plane for me. Ha. Realizing how slow I am I decided to run.... okay lets say jog... if that. We barely made it. 

By the time we got on the plane I asked the attendant for water as I was having a hard time catching my breath with all the mucus. Honestly, I was just really freaking thirsty. She asked if I felt sick and I wanted the water so bad I said yes. Plus, with budget airlines they make you pay for everything and I just needed a little water. We got to our seats and they gave me the water and asked if I needed medicine. I said no and was able to breathe normally.  Phew! We amde it to Phuket!

Day 1:  When I told my best friend, Randi, we were taking this trip she almost immediately booked a ticket to Thailand. So, we met up at the airport and grabbed a cab for Patong. We got use to people driving on the right side of the road again in Vietnam but here it’s back to the left side. So, we get in the taxi and B goes to the driver side. To which, both him and our driver (who doesn’t speak English) says “Oh, haha, got me” and walks to the other side. 

We weren’t able to check in yet and none of us had eaten so first priority was food. We went to a seafood restaurant that Randi’s boyfriend loved when he was here last year. It was good. I was dying for some Pad Thai. Let’s just say it was underwhelming but again I am sick so not the best just of tastes and smells. I will be searching for better. Plus my stomach still isn’t quite right so I left sick after. 

We then walked around town and stopped at one of the many bars to have a few drinks and chat. B and Ryan hit it off talking about programing and Randi and I played some games and caught it. 

We then headed back to check in for the hotel and take a nap. The last few nights haven’t been good with sleeping so I was tired. However, unable to sleep we eventually got up and got dinner. Then we all felt tired and retired for the night. 

Day 2: So, I have been sick for a week. It comes and goes but today I woke up and .... well I wont give you the gory details but it was pretty gross. It was time to see the doctor. We headed to the local clinic to be evaluated. 

What I thought was my body getting use to new bacteria turned out to be a stomach infection and what I thought was a head cold is a throat infection. Clearly, I was quite sick. They gave me a shot of antibiotics and said I should be feel good to go out that night. It’s new years eve. I was making it out. They also gave me pill antibiotics, digestion pills and some for my cough and throat. Phew. It was time to hit the beach and relax.

The water here is weird. For us, if you stay in too long it feels like you’re getting eaten or stung. From what I can tell it was sea lice which is so gross. I could be wrong. Just did a quick google search. Any who, we were off to find some Thai tacos. We found them. They did not disappoint!

We came back to our hotel for a little nap and clean up. Then headed out for dinner and to find the floating lanterns. At dinner I read an article that said last year the police here tried to ban the lanterns and fireworks for the danger of catching property and stuff on fire. Makes total sense however, I had to do one. They are not so easy to come by. We saw an officer walking around taking them from people selling them so we knew we were in the right area. Lots of different prices but after about 10 minutes we were able to get one and found someone on the beach to let us borrow their lighter. 

It was a little stressful trying to light the thing but not catch it on fire and take pictures. The first time we let it go it flew into the water. The second time it we up like it was suppose too. It was a cool experience and I am glad we were able to do it.

We then met up with Ryan and Randi for New Years. They all had a few drinks then we headed to the beach for fireworks. Silly string is a serious thing there at night. They love it and it is everywhere! 

We made it to the beach as well as EVERYONE else. The fireworks were super low but it was fun. It took us 20 minutes to get back to our hotel that was no more than a 5 minute walk.  It was a great way to bring in 2017.

Day 3: After a late night we all slept in. Got some breakfast and decided to rent a motorbike and head to the next town over, Karon. The ride there felt great and the water even better!

We swam until the stinging started then headed out for lunch. 

Then biked around the island checking out some look outs. Before heading back to town. 

We took the night easy and went out for tacos again.

And now we are off to Chiang Mai for a quick stop. It’s a LOT less busy so it will be nice before the craziness of Bangkok. 

Random Notes:

• I’d say the sales people here are more aggressive than Vietnam. Includes taxis, random street products, and resturants. 

• I love thai food. Everything is good. It must be the spices.

• Motorbiking on the wrong side of the road is not so bad but right turns suck.

• I can’t get enough of the fresh coconuts!

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 7: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (Saigon)

And we are at our last stop in Vietnam! The plane ride was fine.... not to bumpy but the second half really stunk. It wasn’t a full plane. With the smaller airlines, the first 6 rows are like “first class” or “business class”. Basically a little extra leg room and mostly empty on this flight. Well, a little over halfway through the flight a man moved to the row in front of us and lays down. Not a bad idea, kinda wish I did it. But here’s the thing that sucked. I am in the window seat. And the way he lays down is with his feet by the window. And not just by the window, curled around the seat so I see the whole foot. And not just see, but smell the nasty ass sourness of  his feet. Let’s just say the plane couldn’t land any faster.

We arrived late so we got to our hostel about 1am and hit the hay. Our hostel was having something going on so they put us in a room on floor 4 just for the night. We were so tired we didn’t care about anything other than water and sleep. Plus it was so muggy we just wanted a cooler place to be.

Day 1: The next morning we found out that the hostel was hosting some large amount of kids for some reason so our room on the first floor (which is much cooler) was full of little kids and a few adults. 

We got up and walked around to find a place for coffee and breakfast but because it was already close eleven we headed to the Ben Thanh Food Market. Which was pretty cool and has great food. It was also about 2 miles from our hostel.

B got what looked like Ban Cha but bowl style not soup style... and I heard so many great things about the Bunh Mi, I had to try it. Neither disappointed.

And its super super muggy here. On average its like 87-90 with anywhere from 75-90% humidity. Lets just say we take lots of showers and drink even more water. 

We headed over the the War Remnants Museum as we heard its the best to learn about the Vietnam/American war. However, as we arrived they were kicking people out. Its a thing here to shut down for an hour or two for lunch. So we walked the two miles back to the hostel to shower, nap, and do some laundry. 

All of the really good food is about a 1 1/2 miles+ away. So, for dinner we headed out and got some Bun Cha. It was really good and the ice tea they serve with it was perfect for us as we get used to the mugginess. It was too good to take a picture. :)

Day 2: Breakfast isn’t a thing here, at least not like in the states, but after a few days of banana pancakes, I wanted more. We found a place but no one else was there. I am always a little sketchy of places that don’t have anyone else there but then again, breakfast isn’t a big thing here.

We took on the mugginess once more and headed to the Saigon Notre-Damn Basilica. Plus its Christmas... what else are we going to do. It was busy with tourist. We found a spot to sit and rest for a minute when a group of boys walked over and asked if they could take a picture with us. We have seen this all over Vietnam. There are groups of kids learning English and part of their assignment is to take pictures with people who speak English. They were nice and spoke English very well so we took the pictures.

It was then almost high noon and time to get out of the heat. So, we headed to a movie theater and saw the new Star Wars movie Rogue One. And like always I started to feel sick to my stomach. Why not? I am having fun and about to sit in a full movie theater for a few hours. The movie was great!

After the movie we headed back to the hostel, so I could rest. My stomach really started to hurt but I was able to eat some dinner in. Which was nice because neither of us really wanted to walk another 3 miles after a 7 mile day.

Day 3: When we woke up, the door to our hostel was open with the receptionist and 3 officers chatting away in Vietnamese. It sounded like a routine check of some kind but a little weird to wake up to. On top of that. Still not feeling great and stomach unsettled. 

We decided to try out the hostel breakfast. Basically, you cook your own eggs and bacon and pay them for it. It’s cheap and convenient. However, I couldn’t really eat and went back to bed. 

Which left B on his own for the day. He walked over to the Botanical Gardens and Zoo. Said it wasn’t that cool and looked rundown.

Then walked over to a place that was suppose to have really good food but found a place that was abandoned.

By this time he had walked 6 or so miles in the heat and was hungry. So he took a motorbike taxi back into town about 3 miles and got some lunch. 

Then walked back to the hostel. Easy to say he was tired and what he wanted to see was a bit of a bust. 

I was feeling better but not great. I had made it out of the hostel for some bread and tea but not much else. We were feeling good so we went to a local spot for some beef pho. It was really good but just upset my stomach.

When we got back to the hostel we met Corey. He is from Chicago but lives on an island near Bali and is working for a year. I had told B that we should reconsider going to Bali as all I have seen is rain and it looks like it would continue through February. Corey piped in and confirmed that it is pretty bad there right now and we wouldn’t have fun as their is not much to do. Plus it could flood. So, for now, we have sadly cut out Bali. Apparently the best time to go in June. Next time.

Day 4: Again, woke up sick with stomach ache but still hungry. B was pretty tired so we hung around the hostel all day. B went out for food a few times but we did nothing. 

While we were talking to Corey again and girl named Boat (I am sure that is not how she spells it) chimed in when I was talking about not feeling well. She is here on vacation for a week and is from Bangkok. She asked if I have tried charcoal pills. I said no but I have heard of them. She gave me a packet and said try them. If it’s a stomach buy or you ate something your body doesn’t agree with it should clear it up. So, I took a pill as I ate a nasty cup of  noodles. It only made my stomach hurt. Apparently, you are suppose to take these capsules 1-2 hours before or after a meal. Oops. And on top of that I was getting a sore throat and a headache that would not go away.

Day 5: I woke up not really knowing how I felt because I battled a nasty headache all night that turned into a migraine, which I get more often then I would like, and that took two pills to get rid of. I was finally able to eat breakfast so we waited a little bit before heading out to make sure everything cleared up.

My goal was to get out of the hostel today even if it was just going around the block. And I did! I wasn’t feeling 100% but well enough.

We took an Uber to the Ben Thanh Food Market for some lunch. Which made us ask ourselves why we haven’t been using Uber this whole time!

It wasn’t as muggy today but we also weren’t walking as much. 

We then headed over to the Independence Palace. It reminds me of a place in Hawaii in the 70s or 80s. I don’t know why but it does. Its pretty cool and you can see almost all areas of the palace.

We then walked to the War Remnants Museum. I still haven’t processed everything we saw. It was really hard to see the damage that was done during the war and the damage that continues due to the war.  A humbling experience for sure!

We then stopped for some iced coffee and tea. It’s a much cooler day and not as muggy but good to stop. I wasn’t feeling great, still a few stomach issues. So, I took another charcoal capsule and this time not around any food. Within 15 minutes I felt great! Stomach no longer bothered me so we walked back to the hostel. 

And now we are off to Thailand. I absolutely loved Hanoi and wish we spent more time there. Cat Ba was a great little surprise when we changed our plans last minute and Saigon, well, just isn’t my city. Not because I was sick, but the vibe, less to do, and the freaking mugginess. 

I am very excited about Thailand. Partly for the food, Thai is in my top 5 favorite foods. But more than that, one of my best friends is meeting us there! I rarely see here these days as we have lived in different cities for the last 5+ years. When I told her we were dropping everything and traveling, almost immediately she booked a ticket to Thailand to meet us. It will be fun, should be interesting, and one can only hope I am done getting sick.

Random Notes:

• I have found the Vietnamese people very friendly and welcoming (not that I expected anything else). However, at the airport to get to Saigon we noticed right away that they don’t care about a line. See I am use to everyone getting in line and waiting their turn. Nope, here you go where ever there is a space. Line be damned. The check-in desk was one thing but the rush to get on the plane was a whole other thing. We have assigned seats, whats the rush. To say the least it was interesting. 

• I also knew the traffic was going to be busy here, more than hanoi. However, I have almost been hit at least twice. Once, B yelled and grabbed my arm as a scooter (that came out of no where) almost ran over my foot. He stopped just after the incident as he lost his flip flop to give me a dirty look.

• There is no where to walk here. You are forced to walk in the street but unwelcomed by traffic (again amazing people aren’t getting hit more often). They have good size sidewalks but they are filled with people selling food or products.

• One thing I have noticed throughout Vietnam is there is a lot of construction. AND every single construction worker wears flip flops. From what I could see no one lost a toe...

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 6: Cat Ba, Vietnam

Alright. So we changed our plans from the flooded Hoi An to the island Cat Ba in HaLong Bay. Our hostel in Hanoi set everything up for us to get here. We didn’t get a lot of info just that we would be picked up at the hostel and dropped off at the hotel. Didn’t think much of it until we were about an hour out from leaving. We didn’t have much detail to the trip (like where the transfers are from bus to boat to bus) but here we go going with the flow.

The bus shows up and off we go. Not much of a surprise here. We stop a bunch of times to pick people up before getting gas and heading out of town. One of the passengers has a smoking habit so he hops off every chance he can to smoke. Including the gas station where everyone tells him not to or to move farther out to smoke… he still smokes. Dumb ass. Then we are on the open road. Nothing exciting. Some farm land, some toll booths, and a lot of little grave yards. We then are close to the port where we take the boat to Cat Ba island. Well, we felt a little weird when our driver pulled over and started yelling at other drivers in Vietnamese. We didn’t know what he was saying or why he was pulling over on the side of a busy road. But we moved forward. He then went the wrong way on a street, turned around, and again stopped on a busy street to let two people off who were catching a cab (to where I have no idea!). We then made it to the boat. 

Well, I guess I needed to adjust my expectations because this isn’t what I was expecting not that I was expecting anything fancy, I guess I was thinking more of a ferry. The boat was pretty full so we were on the back of it with all the bags and motorcycles. Right before we left, 3 guys and their motorcycles got on. Didn’t think anything of it until we got across the bay to the island. The first guy turned his bike on to ride his bike off the boat. Probably thought this was okay since he road onto the boat. However, now the boat is full of people and stuff and he can’t really turn around. So, he gases it. Such a dumb ass. And instead of getting off the boat, he loses control and his bike almost gets away from him and kind of rides up the side of the exit ramp. It was kind of funny but honestly, I just wanted off the boat.

It’s now dark and we are on the island and another bus. We make it to our hotel with no issues. On the last bus B met a guy, Rafael, who works on the island (and is from Italy) with a local climbing company. He was a cool guy who gave us some tips on what to do, where to eat, and where to go. 

Day 1: We know Cat Ba is not known for its food. So we don’t expect much. However, I am a big fan of not getting sick again so not only am I going to play it safe but I am going to take full advantage of not worrying about what I eat as far as a diet. So bring on the banana pancakes! 

We decided to walk over to the 3 most popular beaches. They are pretty cool and low key this time of year. We walked to beach 1 where to the left was beach 2 and to the right was beach 3. We took a right around a trail that took us to beach 3. It was a beautiful walk, even on a cloudy day.

There is not a ton to do here in the “city” (if you can even call it that) so we rented a motorbike. Which neither of us have driven before. They guys we rented it from were nice and showed B how to drive it. It’s not hard but good to know where the breaks are and the horn of course. 

We headed to the other end of the island. Lots of beautiful spots to stop and take pictures. 

We then headed to beach 2 to have a few drinks and watch the sunset. There wasn’t much of a sunset. Too many clouds and not the right side of the island. We will try again another night. Still can’t complain. This place is beautiful and I can only image how busy and fun it would be in it’s high season.

Day 2:  Again, what else to do then rent a motorbike. There are a ton of hikes, caves, and things to see on the island so here we go again. Plus is like $4-5/day for a motorbike and there is little to no traffic. 

We headed to the National Park and walked to the summit. I’d heard (online so read) it was a pretty difficult hike and a tour guide was recommended. Well, they said it was only an hour out and an hour back so we decided to head out on our own and see what it was all about. What I read was wrong. Don’t get me wrong it is a lot of stair and a steep elevation but no guide is needed. We did just fine.

And the view at the top was amazing!

On the way back into town we decided to take the gravel road and see the butterfly valley. We didn’t really know what we were looking for but headed that way anyway. I don’t think it’s the season for butterflies because we saw a few more than in town but not many. 

The road looped back to the main road back to town so we headed in for some lunch.

We then headed out to beach 3 so B could swim and we could get some drinks. The drinks were a bust so after a swim, we headed back into town for some drinks and a nice sunset. 

Again, this place is so much calmer than Hanoi. It is really nice to have a break from the busy traffic and constant noise and be able to just relax. 

Day 3: No surprise here, we rented another motorbike! We were told the hospital cave is really cool and worth a visit so that is where we headed. Don’t get me wrong the hospital cave is definitely cool and worth a visit... and pretty weird to think about people hiding there during the Vietnam war trying to get well while being bombed. But it was a bunch of empty cement rooms until the 2nd and 3rd floor where you were in the cave walls instead of cement. It was cool but short.

We then headed back to the National Park to check out frog lake. We quickly learned that it wasn’t going to be much and a four hour walk. We decided to pass.

So, it was off to Cannon Fort, which we have been talking about going to since we got here. There were a ton of goats in the area and even a few pigs. The view was beautiful - the best yet!

It was then time for the beach. I am a bonafide beach bum. Give me some shade, a lounge chair, and a drink and I will stay for hours! B on the other hand wants to be in the ocean. There are a ton of islands in HaLong Bay. Some have beaches some don’t. Well, there was a rock that seemed pretty close so he swam out to it. Quite a few people did.

When he got back he said it was farther away than he thought but he had no trouble. He also said the rocks were really sharp. I asked if he cut himself and he said “No, just a few scrapes on my hands” to which I informed him his leg was bleeding. Ha. 

We have been trying to get a good view of a sunset since we got here but for the most part we weren’t in the right area at the right time or there were too many clouds, etc. Well, as we were having drinks we got the sunset we were looking for and it did not disappoint!

We are now headed to Ho Chi Minh and not leaving on such a sketchy boat. Cat Ba wasn’t planned but a blessing in disguise. It was nice to relax, bike around, and be in a place that is less busy!

 Random Notes: 

• There are a lot of wild animals here. Mostly farm animals (cows, chickens, roosters, goats) but also a lot of dogs. We knew there were a lot of stray dogs in Vietnam and not to pet them as most of them have diseases. But here more than Hanoi is extremely sad because you can tell they are sick but no one is taking care of them.

• Motorbike is the only way to go.

• Cat Ba does not have good wifi. But who needs it with the amazing views.

• Cat Ba does not have good food. Actually, way more pizza and spaghetti than anything else. Can’t wait for better food in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). 

[kitajchuks-blog]

Stop 5: Hanoi, Vietnam

Alright, a short flight and we are in Hanoi! 

The ride from the airport to our hostel puts our Rome experience to shame. We went to Rome in 2013 and thought “these are the craziest drivers in the world”. Nope, that would be here… as least so far in our travels (actually we heard it’s India with the craziest drivers). Hong Kong may have been busy with people. Hanoi is busy with cars, buses, people, scooters, bikes, etc. There are not rules of the road here other than you must honk your horn all the time. Somehow the system works.

Since it was our first night here we took it easy. Plus I was having mad anxiety for no reason. We headed out for some Banh Mi sandwiches. They were SO GOOD! We then grabbed some beers and chilled out in our hostels TV room which apparently is the place to be at 9pm.

Day 1: Our hostel has breakfast but really its just toast. Works for me. Just a little something to get the day started. B however, needs coffee. So we took off in search of coffee…. B found this place called The Note Cafe. It’s super cool and we went every day. The coffee is really good and they give you a post-it note to stick pretty much anywhere. 

We found a blank one so B drew a little something. 

We then walked around Ho Hoan Lake. It’s very pretty and has a temple on the north end.

We then walked over to Hanoi Citadel but it was closed for about 2 hours. So, we headed out to get some lunch at a pho restaurant that was recommended by our hostel. On the way B was stopped by a guy who noticed his shoe had a part on it that needed to be fixed. First of all, were still new here so we don’t really get it yet. B says something to the effect of “It’s fine, I skate, there good.” As the guy puts back his super glue and walks away. We would shortly notice that these guys are everywhere and not just show fixer/shiners. They have barbers, lock smiths, and all kinds of street vendors ready to fix what every you need on the side of the street. 

Anyway, we made it to lunch and it was SO GOOD! The place was busy but quick. Wait, sit, order, eat, pay, leave. Less than a half hour.

We then walked around and just got lost in this beautifully crazy city.

Earlier when we walked around the lake we got tickets for a water puppet show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. It was cheap and we thought it would be cool, which it was. What we didn’t know is that this is a tradition that started in the 11th century when the Red River Delta flooded in Vietnam. It wasn’t in English but we still enjoyed it.

After the puppet show we walked the night market that is only on the weekends. You can basically buy anything here and for super cheap. 

As for those street vendors, on top of services there are also a bunch selling food. B had been eyeing some donuts for awhile so he finally caved and bought some. However, B doesn’t have the greatest haggling skills (not that I do but all the signs were there that he was about to get ripped off). He picked out his donuts and the lady asked where he was from. He said the US and asked how much. Now, its super cheap here. Two Banh Mi sandwiches are less than $2.50. B paid about $7 for these donuts. Which wasn’t a big deal until I went and bought a pair of pants for $2.50. Then he was pissed. Ha ha, we laugh about it now but what are you going to do. Live and learn. 

We then walked towards the lake because at breakfast we heard that every weekend they shut down the street around the lake from 7pm Friday until 7pm Sunday. With the amount of traffic here, I was intrigued to see an area with just people. It’s pretty cool. They had a band, some dancers, and other stuff. 

Day 2: We headed back to the Note Cafe for coffee. The road was still shut down and there was a cover band playing outside. It was pretty nice and fun to watch people enjoying the music. 

We walked around the lake again and there were a ton of stuff for kids and families to do.

We headed over to another hostel recommendation for lunch. It was really good but we didn’t quite know how to eat it. Noodles first or broth? So, we winged it. Shortly after we started eating a group on a food tour sat next to us and we quickly learned we were eating it the right way. And it was very good!

We walked over to the Tran Quoc Pagoda. It was the first time on our trip that before entering the Pagoda there was a sign that said “No shorts”. We knew this would come up and lucky for us we weren’t wearing shorts! 

We then walked to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. 

And then finally made it to the Hanoi Citadel while they were open. It was pretty cool. B loved it and played tour guide for me. he he. 

There were a bunch of people dressed up and we couldn’t tell if there was a wedding or what but right before they closed and we left we saw people in graduation outfits. 

We then headed into the backpackers area for drinks and dinner. Wine is not a popular drink here but we found a spot that had happy hour and a good glass of sauvignon blanc and a craft beer. 

Day 3: B has been eyeing street food since we got here. The day before he wanted one of these fried rice things but when we went back to get them the lady was gone. So, when we got out for the day he found one of these ladies and bought one. It was rice with potato in the middle. He was in heaven.

We then walked around the lake, yet again. It’s so nice with no honking vehicles! Well, Sunday is family day. This street is over whelming with families and kids. There are a ton of activities from santa bike ride, to those kid vehicles, to tug-a-war, and lots of music and dancing kids. It was cute!

We then headed over to the Opera House. Couldn’t go in and not much else to see around the area. 

So, we walked over the the Hoa Lo Prison. B wanted to wander a bit so we started walking. Well, we walked into a dead end, some type of official building with two armed guards. One guard saw us, stepped out, grabbed his gun and put it in front of him. We then realized we needed to look at the map and then the guard smiled at us. What we didn’t notice was the other guard to our left who then asked if we needed directions. We asked for directions but it wasn’t easy to understand so we just turned around.

We did make it to the Hoa Lo Prison and it was a heavy experience. Not the greatest thing to do in the am but we enjoyed seeing it.

We then headed back to the backpacker area because the night before we walked buy a Vietnamese BBQ place. I love love love Korean BBQ, so for lunch we went all out on some Vietnamese BBQ and it did not disappoint! I want to say it was my favorite thing to eat so far in Vietnam but the pho was pretty good too... and the banh mi sandwiches... ugh to much good food.

And for dinner a little hot pot which B has wanted since Japan.

Hanoi has been great! Beyond beautiful and we would love to come back. But for now we are off to Hoi An, Vietnam. 

Or so we thought. For at least a week we have been hearing that central Vietnam is flooding due to the monsoons. We didn’t think much of it until this morning. We asked out hostel if they knew anything about it and said people have been heading back to Hanoi because water was up to their knees or buses were being flooded and everyone was getting around by boats. Between that and a good two handful of stories of backpacks telling us their stuff got soaking wet and stinky from being in Hoi An... it was a clear choice to cancel our plans and try something else.

We wanted to spend a day in HaLong Bay but the 4 hours there and back wasn’t worth just a day. So when we decided to bail on Hoi An, we swapped it out for HaLong. Our hostel set up the bus/boat ride there. We book a hotel. And we are now off to HaLong Bay.

Random Notes:

• I don’t know that I would ever feel fully comfortable walking through traffic like they do here. It’s amazing people don’t get hit. 

• They drive on the right side of the road. After 3 weeks  of left side driving it seemed a little weird to me at first. Ha.

• Most people know that when little kids look at B they are a little on guard. They just don’t know what to make of him at first. Well, the kids here LOVE him! Almost every kid (mostly boys) walk by B with a huge smile on their face and say hi. It’s hilarious and so cute!

• Asking for recommendations is the way to go. There is a ton of food here and a lot of street food that might look a little sketchy. 

• There are a ton of street vendors from the shoe shiner to food and bike rides. They can be pretty pushy to get your attention and want you to buy something but I found that if you say “no thank you” and keep walking they back off. 

• Again, lots of street food or resturants on the street. We love sitting on the sidewalk, eating and people watching. Well, they don’t have tables and chair like they do at home or in Europe. They all feel like kid size tables. You get use to it but B looks like a giant. ha ha 

• A lot of people walk around wearing army clothes or similar clothes to officials but aren’t. It’s just a style.  

• Love not having to carry or use change. Let get rid of all coins!