Update from Vietnam!

Hello Everyone!

Please excuse my sporadic posts to my blog these days, but life seems to be moving faster than I can run! Vietnam is an amazing country and it has totally blown me away in ways that I never expected. After Ho Chi Minh City, I went on a three day moterbike tour with a company stationed out of Dalat which is in the central highlands of Vietnam. I traveled with a girl from Canada named Maggy who is a chef (we had much to talk about considering my passion for food!). It was an incredible trip and offered the chance to not only take in the breathtaking views, but discover a piece of the "real Vietnam" that most tourists don't see. We stopped at many places along the way...from massive waterfalls to small villages where I learned to use a well and had the opportunity to take a glimpse into people's homes and ways of life. I also got to visit a silk factory where I walked through the process from the silk worm to the final product. I even ate a silk worm...they taste like peanuts! I know...not a very vegan thing to do! Don't worry...I'm on the right path once more. :) There were many more stops and things I learned along the way which I don't have time to record at the moment, but I have them all documented for good stories upon my return! My journey ended at Nha Trang which offers a gorgeous coastline. From there, I took the bus (31 hours!!!) to Hanoi in the North of Vietnam. I spent a day exploring the city which is continually moving and offers some great "people-watching" opportunities! The next day I was off to Halong Bay where I went out on a boat and soaked in the amazing sights that it has to offer. Basically, there are hundreds of limestone islands that are jutting out of the water. It appears to be a mountain range in the middle of the sea and is really surreal! We also had the opportunity to visit some vast caves on these islands that contain amazing stalagtites that take on all kinds of shapes and structures. I had a hard time convincing myself that what I was seeing was real...it almost looked like a movie set. From there, we went further into the islands and had the opportunity to do a bit of kayaking and swimming! The water was so warm and it felt so good to swim after spending 4 + months in intense heat! :) I spent the night on the boat and was really blown away by the way that the early morning sun illuminated the islands and cast their reflections on the sea. Anyway, now I'm back in Hanoi and am taking the night train this evening to Sapa which is up in the mountains. There, I'll be doing some trekking and staying in a homestay with a Vietnamese family. I'll let you know how it goes!

love and miss you all,

Rachel