Vietnam Day 14: Out on the Bay

Erin's number one request for this trip was that we got out on the water in Ha Long Bay, so we booked a full-day boat tour leaving from the Cat Ba port. 

Right away, it was stunning. The tree-covered cliffs rose straight from the water with a narrow passageway for our boat to sail through. It quickly became a maze of mini toweringly-tall islands with small coves and slips of beaches scattered about. We also passed the occasional fish or oyster farm.  

Our first stop was for kayaking. Since the tide was low, we were able to kayak through an arch in the rock and in to a cove. Our guide showed us an oyster farm and taught us the local process. 

Adventure Girl paddling
Erin up ahead

The second stop was for swimming. We jumped off the boat (a thrilling 3-4 meter jump in to the bay below us) and enjoyed the spectacular cliffs all around us. 

Unfortunately, Adventure Girl got stung by a jellyfish so our swim got cut short. The crew sprung to action helping her out by rinsing it with fresh water, rubbing lime juice on it, then covering it with toothpaste. She powered through the rest of the boat trip despite being in pain. 

We were fed a feast for lunch then were taken to the largest fish farm in the area where we were amazed by the size of the fish! 

We couldn't quite ignore how much pollution we saw in the bay, and Ha Long is supposed to be even worse. 

Next was a stop at Monkey Island where we took a bamboo boat ashore. We were disappointed to see guides feeding the monkeys and encouraging them to jump up on them so that left a sour taste in our mouths. There was an option to hike to a viewpoint, which Craig did. He agreed with our guide's description that it was 70% dangerous as the terrain was spiky rocks. There were even people climbing it in flip flops and bare feet!

We finished off the day by watching the sun descend in the sky between the cliffs. Overall, it was a great day. 

Vietnam Day 13: Cat Ba

We took it pretty easy for our first day in Cat Ba after our two previous travel days. Our guesthouse is outside of Cat Ba town and the setting is serene.

After some schoolwork and blogging, we headed in to town for a sunset dinner by the beach. The kids were excited that the city busses on the island are like a giant 3 rowed golf carts!

We found a great restaurant right on one of Cat Ba's beaches that even had board games and giant Uno cards to play with. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and let the sunset unfold before us. 

As the evening wound to a close, it felt like it couldn't have been a better night... until we got a group text from some mutual friends with some very good news! :)  We all went to bed very excited and happy for our friends! 

Vietnam Day 12: Hanoi

We dragged ourselves out of bed the morning after our late-night flight. Our bus to Cat Ba left at 10 am so we only had a short window of time to see Hanoi. Thankfully, Craig had found us a hotel right in the old quarter so within moments we were wandering the narrow streets with food stalls everywhere.

Between us we took separate trips: Alex on his own, Craig with Adventure Girl, and Erin and Beth together. We all circled the important Hoan Kiem Lake of the Returned Sword. Erin and Adventure Girl had read the story in preparation for the trip and were excited to see the central Turtle Tower, Ngoc Son Temple, and the red Huc Bridge. 

The rest of the day was spent travelling to Cat Ba. We had a bus, ferry, bus, and taxi transport in total. We arrived at our garden guesthouse in the Cat Ba hills excited for the days ahead in the Ha Long Bay area.

Cambodia Day 11: Lovely Lotuses

We had most of the day left in Siem Reap before our flight to Vietnam. The girls took the opportunity to do one last excursion to the nearby lotus farm. 

Here, we learned how the stalk of the lotus plant used to be thrown away. Now, the whole plant is used to produce fantastic creations, such as scarves, purses, tea, and baked goods. 

Our guide took us through the steps of harvesting the lotus plant with a hands-on tour. We broke stalks to see the long threads of fiber on the inside. We ate fresh lotus seeds; their taste was similar to a pea. We unfolded the petals of a flower bud to feel the spongy inside that can be used as a body scrub. We even tasted tea brewed from its petals and leaves.

Next, we took part in crafting our own souvenirs: a lotus seed bracelet, a bracelet made from the plant fibers, and paper we decorated with leaves and petals from their garden. 

It was an incredible experience, both formative and enjoyable, for all five of us. 

On our way back home, we stopped at the Satcha Handicraft Incubation Centre. Here, Cambodian artists work on ethically and environmentally sustainable pieces of artwork in the disciplines of wood working, painting, leather works, fibre arts, and more. The serene setting adds to the ambience, full of creativity and peacefulness. 

We finished the afternoon off with a swim in the pool and lots of organizing. It was a smooth but late-night trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. 

One last temple...
at the pristine Siem Reap Airport

Cambodia Day 10: Temple Time

The kids were feeling a bit templed-out so we took advantage of being a big group and on Day 10 split up yet again, this time as couples. Alex and Beth spent the morning visiting the "Pink Temple", while Craig and Erin spent the time with the kids around our place doing some swimming and schoolwork. Then, we traded for the late afternoon. Alex and Beth took the kids to see the flying fox bats in the park and the original High Fivers appreciated the chance to visit Ta Prohn without complaining children in tow...

Craig and Erin enjoyed wandering the gorgeous ruin at a leisurely pace and were surprised by how quiet it was at four in the afternoon. Despite having been there before, it still felt like a complete maze of toppled walls, bat-filled doorways, and towering trees. It was magical!

From there, we stopped at two smaller, less-visited temples evident from the sweeping cobwebs in the corners of the entrance ways, and the fluttering butterflies prancing around the vines. 

We took some time by the water to watch the sunset, a cheeky cormorant diving for dinner, and some birds of prey who insisted on flying directly toward the setting sun so it was impossible to identify them. 

On our way back, we noticed the rising moon over Bayon. Our driver let us hop out to take in the moment: the smoke filling the air from a nearby brushfire, the local music, and the darkening sky. 

We finished off the evening with some tasty braised pork ribs, and an evening dip in the pool. We really enjoyed the rare opportunity to have a date night while travelling!

Cambodia Day 9 Part 2: Delicious and Deathdefying Entertainment

After a fun morning with the elephants and a swim and a rest, we decided to mix things up again and split up for Girls & Guys Night Out! As the dads headed in to town to explore Pub Street and the Riverside Night Market, the five ladies hopped in a remork and took off for the Phare Circus and food market!

Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPSA) was founded in 1994 by nine men who returned home from a refugee camp after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. While at the refugee camp, they took drawing classes and found art to be a powerful tool for healing. When they returned to Siem Reap, they began offering free drawing classes to street children. Soon they opened a school, eventually offering formal K-12 education and professional arts training in the areas of visual arts (illustration, painting, graphic design, and animation), theater, music, dance, and circus. Today more than 1,200 pupils attend the public school daily and 500 attend the vocational arts training programs. All programs are offered for free. (Taken from the circus website). What a great cause to support!

The Desserts!

Before the show started, the venue opened to guests so that we could spend time in the beautiful gift shop with many ethically-made products, some from the art school students themselves. Then, we strolled over to the open-air food market courtyard and enjoyed several local Cambodian street food dishes, including vegetarian spring rolls, Cha Kreung Sach Ko (a lemongrass beef stir fry), a fried banana and potato combo dessert and palm fruit cakes. 

Beth and Erin also savoured some delicious cocktails on the side like the Lemongrass Lemonade and Ginger Honey Mojito. There was even a cultural performance from students of the school with dancing and acting while we waited for the main event to start. 

When the doors to the big top opened, we streamed in and found seats with popcorn in hand. The next hour was filled with incredible performances and feats of human strength that rivaled Cirque de Soleil. 

The whole evening was incredible! The circus photos are courtesy of the talented Beth! Erin's hands were too sticky from eating the fried bananas to attempt photography. 🤣