Helen and I made our trip to Southeast Asia happen! And it happened very well.
We flew into Bangkok after about 21 hours of air travel, which included a stop in Osaka, a transfer in Taipei, and 11 time zones. Worth it!
We had planned the trip pretty thoroughly before going, since we had limited time in an area far, far away. We were able to stick to our plan pretty well. We spent a short time at the beach, then went back to Bangkok (which happened to be during Thai New Year), north to the old city of Ayutthaya, overnight train to Chiang Mai (smaller and more relaxing than Bangkok), then a short trek in the hills of Thailand.
We then spent about a week in northern Vietnam: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and the Phong Nha area (known for its caves).
It was a great trip filled with new experiences and some challenges (like crossing the street).
Some of the places we went will be featured at Head First, the history adventure site I created. We certainly found great material! But first I’m going to post about more a local history adventure that I did before leaving the country, seeing as it is Spring and people might be looking for hikes to do.
Speaking of Spring and hikes, I look forward to taking some hikes this Spring. One of the things I missed most on our trip (even more than drinking water from the tap) was enjoying the Northeast Spring. There were a few green buds coming out just before I left, but I didn’t get to watch the forest fill with green. It was certainly worth missing it, but like any rational person I wish I could have everything I want.
I’m still getting adjusted to my Jersey schedule (though I ate a sub from an Italian deli within 24 hours of returning to the state). Hopefully my schedule will include more frequent blog posts. We’ll see.
