Sorry for the lack of activity recently; I have been travelling quite abit. So today I thought I'd just pen my thoughts on the past two trips I've been on and also the horrid horrid dental appointment I had yesterday.
Let's start with the pain at the back of my head.
Wisdom teeth extraction is brutal! Honestly, I cried the entire procedure. I can't even tell why. I wasn't in pain but I guess the fear was too overwhelming. After the procedure, I just wanted to curl into a ball and cry (which was what I did). The dentist was freaked out. hahaha. I didn't regret doing it but I guess the numbness in my lower jaw and the lack of ability to control what I presumed was a right to do so scared the shit out of me.
But I'm feeling alot better today. The bloody gauze do not look as menacing as before even though the bright green mouthwash still do. At least they are out. One week of soft foods and I'm back to normal again. Can't wait.
Australia Grad Trip #2: 15-31 August 2015
Do not ask why I didn't post this earlier because I have no good excuse. Laziness is probably a factor.
I'd like to break this trip up in to 4 parts: (1) Caversham Wildlife Park (2) Farm Stay (3) Esperance Tour and (4) Exmouth Tour.
(1) Caversham Wildlife Park
One of the most amazing experience ever. This part was the only one that we planned ourselves because I was basically done with planning trips. It was so amazing because the animals were so tamed and they are just so lovely. We could touch them and feed them and had just an amazing time there.
(2) Farm Stay
This was the first tour we had with Aussie Perth Tours. We met our driver Graham who was just a darling! Requested for him for our next tour. The farm stay was great! After our night at Wombats Backpackers, the farm stay suite made me feel like Cinderella. We got to feed the animals and pet them as well (as you can see, I am a sucker for animals). We even got to hold some of them. We rode the tractor by ourselves with hysterical screaming because it jerks when you change the gear. It was a good change from the city and a lovely experience. The barbecue dinner might have helped quite a bit as well.
(3) Esperance Tour
On this tour, it was more about seeing nature on land and agriculture. By that, I meant the forests, the rocks, the wineries and the farms. The forests and rocks were breathtaking because they were so gigantic. There was something about feel so small yet so filled with potential of being powerful there. Of course the walks also gave amazing views but what topped everything was the climb of the Centennial tree. To get to the top, we had to climb god knows how many spikes hammered into the side of the tree. To be honest, it is as safe as it sounds here (it was not safe), but the view made everything worth it (if you survive). The wineries are good though we did not spend a lot of time there. Bought a few bottles back that diminishes faster than I'd care to admit.
The best part of the tour was how personal it was. I was really glad to have met Graham. He shared with us about his life (he is one bad ass dude - ex-military, ex-racecar driver) and believes and thoughts about the Australian system. I believe it is part of the experience to get to know the locals. He also introduced his friend, Tony, to us. Just as you thought no one could ever be this sarcastic, you have Tony. Tony still races, which is super cool since he is about to be 70 years of age. Between the boys and us girls, we ate the entire leg of pork which Tony intended to feed us for 2 meals. We are fat.
What was not so good was the fact that we also learnt more about our agent (Aussie Perth). Their business is borderline unethical in terms of the way they treat their staff (they underpaid Graham nearly $400 below market rate) and their tours are vastly overpriced for the amount of limitations they placed on our expenditure. When I holiday, I want to eat what I want and not have a $6 imposition on the meals that I have supposedly already paid for.
(4) Exmouth Tour
This last part of the tour we booked through Aussie Perth as well although they outsourced it to Red Earth Safaris. We were charged $1020 for a $785 tour before getting a refund of $157 after we sent in a complaint. Their itinerary was also greatly outdated.
But let's focus on the good. The tour was amazing despite all our grievances above. The trip was all about sand and water where we hit the beaches again and again. The best part was the snorkeling. We say manta rays and stingrays and turtles and fishes and corals and sharks and clams! It was simply amazing! The tan lines I got, on the other hand, was too much sexy than I've bargained for. Food on this trip was basically cooked by our guide and he is a great cook! Enjoyed this thoroughly!
Vietnam Grad Trip #3: 11-15 September 2015
I have to say, I really enjoy travelling. Went to Hanoi, Lao Cai and Sapa this time round although we spent most of the time in Sapa. It is really different especially since I was travelling with family (dad and aunts). It was a lot more focus on relaxing rather than hands on.
Day 1 - Travel: We took the night train to LaoCai from Hanoi before taking the bus up to Sapa. The night in the train was the worst. Seeing that I was the youngest, it was natural that I'd sleep at the top bunk with the small ass railing that was screaming at me to fall every time I decided to turn. At least I managed to catch some sleep on the bus before having a nice refreshing morning shower in Sapa.
Day 2 - Sapa: The mountains were a breath of fresh air (see what I did there?) and an amazing host of serenity. The home stay was first and I really enjoyed it. The supposed plan was to trek the 14km from the hotel to the village but it rained so heavily, the floods would not let. In the end, the bus drove us up as far as it could and we trekked the remaining 3km (I think) in the rain. Most tiring 3km ever. 3 kilometers may seem like such a short distance and I was pretty sure I would do fine with 14km but the hills were unforgiving. Everyone was panting and we had to stop quite a few times to ensure all were doing alright. It got so bad my aunt had to look for her breathalyzer. Thin air and the multitude of slopes do not go together well. However, we were rewarded with the most amazing fries I've ever had. Garlic, butter and a bit of secret seasoning was the bomb. My hands could not get off them. Everything was minimalist so you can imagine the confusion of how such a rural kitchen could whip up something so amazing. At night, we had a herbal bath that was so good but a little too much for my older companions. It made all of us sleep like babies though. Recharged for the next day.
Day 3 - LaoCai: We went to the BacHa market today. It was a little overwhelming for me. Though it was huge, the tourists and locals combined took up much of the floor space while the animals and merchandise (I guess you can lump them as one category in this case) took the rest. Buffaloes, horses, birds, pigs, dogs, cats and chickens were all sold as food, pets and helpers - some were raw, some cooked, some live. It was eye-opening but uncomfortable at the same time. Went through the market once in 45 minutes and I could not bring myself to go through it again despite having the time. Camped out at a "touristy" cafe and ate some not-so-amazing food. At least my father learnt how to differentiate a good buffalo from a bad one. If he were to marry me off here, he could get himself 5 buffaloes in return. Depending on my "market value", he could earn up to 60k. What would my mum say?
After a relaxing boat ride to calm my nerves, we actually went to visit my guide's house. His wife is an educator and we managed to see all the little kids learning English in a room. She sure did make use of us. I was tasked with teaching the kids the numbers 11-20 and also correcting some of the phrases she wanted to put up on the walls as decor. The kids are adorable!
Day 4 - Sapa: Back in Sapa to buy our souvenirs and visit the Cat Cat Village. The sheer name of it scared my aunt because she has a phobia of cats. To my dismay (as a filial niece), the village has no cats at all. What it did have was amazing views. The walk down and up was brutal though with 800 steps each way. Luckily, we had our motivations. At the bottom of the village was a traditional performance waiting for us and at the top was traditional wine. I'm glad none of us gave up halfway to take the motorbike taxi up. At the village, we got to try their sticky rice and buffalo meat. Surprisingly, it tasted really good! The buffalo was spicy though up the sticky rice helped to reduce the pain in my mouth.
The bus ride down from Sapa made be nauseous. Luckily, we had a breather before taking the night train back to Hanoi. This time I slept much better. I think tiring ourselves out with the trek helped a lot.
Day 5 - Hanoi: Back in Hanoi, we had to wait for 2 hours before our pick up would come to bring us to the airport. Camped at the NewMoon hotel while waiting then had this most amazing street side noodles/Pho. Best meal since.
I guess, my Vietnam trip was not how I pictured it but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I managed to experience new things while bonding with my dad and my aunts, and that was lovely. But I'm glad to be home (except for the ache in my mouth). Depending on how fast I recover, I might just travel again before my work starts on the 29th!
