Ho Chi Minh•day 1

The hostel has free breakfast until 9:30 everyday so we made sure to make it up for that! :) 

 

After breakfast we decided to chill for a couple more hours before heading out for the day. We were both still feeling extremely beat! We got up and moving around 11 and were out and about by noon! 

 

Of course after our busy morning we were ready for lunch so we headed off to find this place called Royal Saigon. The food here was really good and the family that owned it was super sweet! 

After lunch we jumped in a cab and headed to the war museum. What an interesting place. 

 

We spent a good 3-4 hours there just reading every piece of information we could. So intense.

 

We got a cab at the museum to go back to hostel. On the way there it cost us 40,000 dong and there was a decent amount of traffic and what not. Within minutes of being in this cab we noticed that the meter was jumping So fast. We started paying attention to it and realized that we hadn't even been driving for 5 minutes and it was already up to 55,000! We decided we just get out and walk but had to wait for the driver to turn and go through the light. Before he turned the meter said 62,000 and by the time he stopped (right after he turned) it was up to 95,000! In a matter of 30 seconds!!! We were so annoyed...he tried to tell us it's because of traffic jam but he wasn't realizing that we saw how fast it jumped in such a short time. We handed him 50,000 and got out. He wasn't happy but either were we. 

On the walk back we got talked into massages. We both had been wanting/needing them since our trek so it worked out. They definitely weren't as good as our weekly Thai massages but they did the trick! 

By the time we were finished we were ready for a drink and some dinner! We walked forever before finally deciding on a spot where we grabbed some Vietnamese food and beer! 

Our hostel has a daily happy hour from 6-9 so we decided to head back and have a few drinks there. Lucky for us, we walked in to find out it was ladies night and we got a free drink! :) we sat and enjoyed our drink and then headed up for showers! We were pretty oily from the massages! 

Excited for day 2 in Vietnam!  

Off to Vietnam! 🇻🇳

Alarm went off abruptly at 7:45! Good 2 hours of sleep for this girl! I got up and moving. I had a good idea of what all I needed to pack but it was just more of getting everything organized and put together! Doing last minute things around the house and making sure I had everything I needed for Vietnam! Gabby and I left the house around 11 to head down to the van station. It took forever for the van to leave but we were finally on the road by 12. 

Luckily there wasn't any traffic and we made it to the airport around 1:15! We got checked in to our flight and then went and got subway! We had been craving it for days! Our flight was delayed about 40 minutes but we weren't really in any hurry so it didn't matter too much. 

Once we got on the plane I put my headphones in and passed out! I don't even know what time we ended up taking off or how long the flight was. I woke up to the flight attendants getting ready for landing. Perfect timing! 

Once we got off the plane we had to get our visa put in our passport. The line wasn't too long and we had already filled out the form ahead of time so we just turned it in and waited about 5 minutes! They called our names, we paid the $25 and we were on our way! :) 

We exchanged money and then we were off to figure out how to get to the hostel. Of course we were bombarded by taxi drivers but we decided on checking out the bus. The girl was really helpful and told us where we needed to get off and it ended up only being 20,000 dong (30 baht/$0.87) each for about a 20 minute drive, which was so much cheaper than a taxi!  

After we got off the bus we walked about 10 minutes to our hostel. It was nice to be outside and see the streets while walking around. We checked in and then went back out to find a bite for dinner. We were pretty overstimulated and super exhausted so we defaulted to pizza and pasta! It was delicious! We made our way back towards the hostel and ran into a yogurt place! :) of course we made a cup before going back! Tonight was a chill night...we were so exhausted from the non stop travel the past 2 days! 

Travel Day•day 13

This morning started off a little more stressful than we planned. Our first flight is at 3:40 out of Bagdogra. We have to take a jeep from Darjeeling to Bagdogra which is a good couple of hours away through the super windy mountain roads. We decided to get to the taxi stand around 9 just to be safe and give ourself plenty of time. We got to the stand around 8:40 and were just pushed into the crowd of people also waiting for a jeep. These are shared jeep taxis that hold about 10 people (2 in the front with the driver, 4 in the middle and 4 in the back with all the luggage on top). We were waiting and waiting, trying to stay patient but getting a little antsy. Finally around 9:15 we got into a jeep! He didn't end up leaving for at least 15 minutes because he was waiting for one more person to fill up the jeep. We finally start moving and not even 10 minutes in he pulls over because he has a FLAT TIRE. So all 10 of us pile out of the jeep and are just standing on the side of the road waiting. The spare tire that he pulls out of the back looks like it's 100 years old and in worse shape than the flat. 

Luckily the tire went on with no problems and we also didn't have any problems with the tire the rest of the way (which I was genuinely nervous about)! 

We randomly stopped on the mountain around noon because the driver was hungry...so he gets out and gets food meanwhile the rest of us are impatiently waiting for him! Gabby and I were getting pretty nervous about time. We had know idea how far we were but knew we were still on the mountain so we were still doing the super slow, driving down the curvy mountain. Around 1245 we are finally back into town and the driver stops in a pretty busy area for a younger Indian couple to get out. While he was getting their bags off the roof I asked them where/when we should get off the jeep for the airport. Lucky that I asked because the couple was actually headed to the airport and had already sent for an OLA (like our uber)! They offered for us to go with them and we ended up paying about 1/4 of what we expected to pay to get the airport! The whole trip from Darjeeling to the airport only cost me 255 rupee (130/125)! We made it to the airport with plenty of time to catch our flight and were starving and excited to be able to grab a bite to eat! This was just a short flight down to Kolkata where we would then fly back to Bangkok. Security was a complete disaster! So unorganized and crazy. People just doing whatever they wanted and not following any of the rules or lines, etc. When we got through security we were even more disappointed! It was TINY! 3 small gates, a coffee stand with a few snacks and a jewelry shop! We were annoyed but decided to just wait to grab dinner when we got into Kolkata! International terminal would definitely have something good! :) The flight to CCU was uneventful. We got into CCU grabbed our bags and ended over to the international checkin. We were so much closer to dinner! We got checked in and through security pretty easily only to be extremely let down AGAIN!!! international terminal and there were TWO places. A coffee stand and a little half ass restaurant. We ended up ordering potato wedges, French fries and tandoori paneer (was the most bland and boring thing ever) and a chocolate muffin! On top of there being nothing we had like 4 hours to kill. We sat at our table for hours playing cards. It helped the time go by a little bit! 

We boarded our flight and took off on time. We were so much closer to a shower and our beds!!! *we haven't taken a shower since we started our trek* 😳 

The immigration/customs and baggage claim in Bangkok went really quickly since it was so late and not super crowded! 

We had already decided to just take a cab back to saraburi to get there faster!! 

We were definitely planning on having to haggle with our driver to not charge us a ton to take us to saraburi but we walked up and he told us 1000 baht right off the bat (we were expecting 2000ish and hopefully working our way down to 1500ish)! 

The drive home only took about an hour and 15 minutes putting us at the house at 3am! I was so excited to be home and really should have gone to sleep straight away but I had too much to do before leaving in the morning for Vietnam! 

I started some laundry and then took the longest shower! It was my first shower in way too many days! I finally fell asleep around 5:30 and my alarm was set for 7:45! 

Darjeeling•day 12

Today was our last full day in India! Pretty crazy how fast the time has flown by but we've had a great time! 

I will say tho that when we woke up this morning I was wishing that we were leaving today. I am so tired of being COLD! It was fine for a few days, and when we were trekking it wasn't too bad because we were exerting so much energy that I stayed warm pretty easily! But waking up today I was freezing and thinking about how excited I am to get back to the hot weather of Thailand!! ☀️

We took our time getting up and ready this morning because we had absolutely no plans and nothing really to do! Darjeeling is a pretty small town so we've seen all there is to see in the short time we've been here. 

We walked down to Glenery's for breakfast and wifi. We took our time eating and decided that we'd kill a few hours of our day by going to see a movie. 

After breakfast we walked around town for another hour or so before heading over to the theater. We were going to see Beauty and the Beast at 12:40! I am typically not a movie watcher..especially not one to pay to see a movie. I'm just not good at sitting still and tend to fall asleep if I do end up watching a movie but we had nothing else to do so I was totally down! 

The movie ended up being so good!! I was so happy I went to see it! So randomly about 1/2 way through the movie it just stopped and it was time for an intermission...we had no idea this was a thing so we were a bit confused as to why the movie just stopped at the most random spot but luckily someone told us about the intermission. So we took advantage and grabbed some cheesy popcorn! 

After the movie we walked around for about another hour before finding a little coffee shop to stop in. We had a cup of coffee and hung out for a good couple of hours...talking, relaxing and people watching. After a few hours we decided it was time to eat again. That's all we've done! Eat, walk, eat, walk! We are a little burnt out in Indian food so we settled on a classic...SUBWAY! It definitely hit the spot! We walked back to the homestay and played a couple of rounds of cards with Passang before calling it a night! 

Tomorrow will be busy but pretty uneventful! Just a day full of travels! ✈️✌🏼

Sandakphu 4 Day Trek

Wednesday || Day 1

Today was one of the most challenging things I've probably ever done...physically but also mentally! 

 

We started our 4 day trek through the Singalila National Park today! We booked the trek through Ashmita Trekking. We met at the office at 10 this morning where we met 3 other guys that would be trekking with us. Two guys about our age and then one older guy, all 3 from Paris. They had a guide and Gabby and I had a guide. We left the office and drove about an hour to the start of the trek. 

Okay, so I feel like I live a pretty active lifestyle but holy moly...within the 5 minutes I was breathing like I've never exercised in my life! I was really questioning my abilities and felt like I should just quit while I still had the chance! This is were the mental part really came into play. The high altitude most definitely has an impact on your breathing and ability but I was not letting myself take that into account...instead I just kept telling myself that there was no way I was going to be able to make it the next 4 days! Luckily I had Gabby with me who helped a lot with the mental aspect. I just had to breath and take it easy. We started in Bhanjyang at an altitude of about 2000 meters. It's a lot different than what I'm used to in Thailand and I just had to keep reminding myself of that! 

I'd say things got a little easier after the first 30 minutes or so but I could definitely tell that my body was going to be exhausted by the end of this! We hiked a good 13/14 kilometers today up to Tumling, Nepal (about 2900 meters)!

In the beginning of the trek we ran into another guide and trekker. They are from another company but the guides are friends and they were doing the same trek as us so we all trekked together! So we've now picked up another friend named Ott, from Estonia. 

Through the next four days we will be weaving in and out of India and Nepal! At many points today we were standing in between the two countries! 

So our first night stay is in Nepal which is pretty cool! We are staying at a beautiful homestay! We got to the homestay and were welcomed in with a nice hot cup of tea! We were all freezing! It started to rain right at the end! Maybe 15 minutes before we reached the house! We made a fire and all sat around and relaxed until dinner was ready. There is another family staying here tonight. They are also from Paris and have such an awesome story! So there are 6 of them....grandparents, son and daughter in law and 2 kids (3 years old and 14 months)!!! And yes! They are all trekking! Like the same trek that we are doing that I was whining about (just at a slower pace, 6-7 days). The dad is carrying the 3 year old and the mom is carrying the 14 month old! And then the grandparents are trekking too! 

And to make them even more badass, the couple has been driving a camper van for the past 8 months with the 2 boys! They started in Malaysia and have made their way to India at this point and plan to go all the way back to France! The grandparents came out for 2 months to visit/travel! 

Alright we are waking up at 515 tomorrow to see the sunrise so I better call it a night! 

***I almost forgot a pretty major detail which plays into my struggle this morning...I've been sick with "Delhi Belly" as some people call it. Something I ate recently has not sat well with me and I've been sick for the past 36+ hours... everything I'm eating is going right through me causing me to have NO ENERGY whatsoever! So, this is a major part of the reason that I felt like I should quit while I was ahead this afternoon! 

But, I must say..I'm super proud of myself for getting through the day! It was HARD but I did it! 

Thursday || Day 2

We started the morning out with a beautiful sunrise! We were able to see some really beautiful views! We got an awesome view of the Kangchenjunga Range (also known as the sleeping Buddha). The Kangchenjunga is the 3rd highest mountain range in the world at 28,169 feet (about 8600 meters)!  

 

 

After the sunrise we came back had tea and breakfast and got our stuff ready to get on the road! Today was a pretty long trek! About 17 kilometers! We FLEW threw the first 7km! The first 7km was all pretty flat so it was really easy and allowed us to cover a lot of distance in no time! The second half of the day definitely wasn't that easy! It got tougher as we got closer to Sandakphu (which is the highest point we are going to).

Sandakphu is the highest peak in the West Bengal at 3636 meters (11,941 feet). Four of the five highest peaks in the world can be seen from its summit if the skies are clear (Everest: 1, Kangchenjunga: 3, Lhotse: 4 and Makalu: 5)! 

So after a very tiring day we made it to Sandakphu! We were all completely beat but really excited! It started hailing while we were trekking today! And, there was still snow on the ground!! It's pretty chilly here! This Thai/Florida girl is having quite the time trying to survive! 😂

We got in around 4 and dinner wasn't until 7 so we had plenty of time to relax and warm up! We sat by a little fire, drank hot chocolate and played a bunch of card games! It was a nice afternoon! 

•we are sleeping in Nepal again tonight•

We are planning on getting up early again tomorrow! If the weather is good then we will be able to see Mt Everest!! Fingers crossed for clear skies! 

Friday || Day 3

As soon as I opened my eyes this morning I could tell it wasn't going to be clear enough. I looked outside and it was super foggy. I heard the guys talking outside so I walked out there and I was right...the visibility was no good! Such a bummer as this was our only chance to see Mt. Everest. Back to sleep we went for a couple more hours! 

Three of the guys had to leave earlier than us today because they had flights to catch Saturday so they were only doing 3 days. We said goodbye to them, enjoyed our breakfast and then headed on our way!

Today was down hill basically all day! Definitely easier than the uphill climb yesterday but still tough on your body! 

 

Also there was a decent amount of snow/wet mush on the ground so you had to be a little more careful with your step! 

The day seemed to go by pretty quickly and we arrived at our final homestay around 1:30! This homestay is in India! Such a beautiful little spot and the weather was so nice when we got in! We sat outside and chatted for a bit before deciding it was nap time! 

 

I woke up from my nap to super intense thunder and rain! This storm seemed to come out of no where! We got lucky that we made it in before the rain started! Gabby and I went to the common area around four and were lucky enough to grab a little stool by the fire. We chatted and enjoyed a cup of hot tea! We played a couple rounds of cards and listened to music. The storm still hadn't stopped and the power had gone out. The ladies in the kitchen never stopped working! Just lit some candles and kept cooking! 

A little while later we got to learn how to make momos. They are like little dumplings and so delicious! 

 

We had dinner around 7 and then just sat around chatting for a bit. I don't think I've ever gotten this much sleep! My bedtime the past couple of days has been 8:00! Haha 

Saturday || Day 4

Gosh I can't believe today was the last day! Although the first day seemed like torture, it has honestly flown by! I have enjoyed each day so much! Pictures don't do this trip justice but I know the memories I have will never fade! 

 

We woke up to a gorgeous morning! It was the first day that I wasn't bundled up to start the day! We ate breakfast outside in the sunshine! 

We had a really easy day today! Only about 6km on pretty flat ground! We started around 8:45 and just took our time! We stopped in a flat area at one point to chill and eat some apples and oranges! 

We made it to the end around 10:30! A jeep picked us up and we still had about a 4 hour drive back to Darjeeling. I just wanted to sleep but the roads are SO ROUGH and windy that it was impossible! 

We stopped for lunch about 3 hours in and made it back to Darjeeling around 3:45. We chilled for a little bit just trying to stay warm and then went out to grab a bite for dinner. 

Nice chill evening at our homestay! 

Our India trip is slowly coming to an end! But I can't wait for WARM weather! ☀️

Darjeeling•day 7

Today we headed up north to get ready for our four day trek! 

We packed up and left the hostel around 8 this morning and took a tuk tuk to the metro station. From the metro we went to the airport change and got on a shuttle bus that would drop us off at the airport. We were flying from Delhi to Bagdogra. The flight was nice and easy...I legit slept the whole entire time! It was fantastic! Once we got to Bagdogra we had to take a taxi up to Darjeeling. It's about 3 1/2 hours. We organized a taxi for about 1800 rupee (about $30) and were on our way! 

 

The ride to Darjeeling was absolutely beautiful! We honestly felt like we weren't in India anymore! The houses, people and scenery were so different! The houses were so bright and colorful! A lot of the houses didn't have doors but instead pretty curtains hanging. We were driving around the same time that school was getting out so we passed soooo many kids walking home from school! They were precious! The people in this area look a lot more Asian (or Nepalese) than Indian. It was such a change from Delhi. They were beautiful! 

 

This was one of the windiest drives but beautiful! We were on the narrowest roads that looked like they could only fit one car but we somehow managed to make it all the way up with no problems! 

We got up to Darjeeling and found our homestay, The Cozy Nest. The owners are the cutest couple! So welcoming and friendly! There house is adorable! We went out to find the trekking office and check in for tomorrow's trek and then grabbed a bite to eat. It's freezing here! Like 9 degrees Celsius! Ugh!!! After dinner we headed back to the house! We ended up sitting in the living room with Passang (the wife) playing cards and drinking tea! It was a really nice chill evening! We start trekking in the morning! I'm so excited!! It's going to be a long 4 days! 

🎨HOLI🎨

Today was the whole reason Gabby and I planned the trip to India•Holi Festival 2017! 

We had read a lot, looked at pictures and videos and talked to lots of locals about it once we got to India! We had an idea what to expect but it was still so overwhelming but an awesome time! 

Five of us (Michele, Andy, James, gabby and I) from the hostel spent the day together "playing holi". The guys at the hostel didn't want us to go out by ourselves (especially the girls) because it can get really crazy throughout the day. But told us some areas to head towards where it may be a little more calm. People drink something called Bhaang, which is a really strong alcohol mixed with some sort of milk and mint and who knows what else! Anyway, the men are typically pretty drunk and VERY aggressive and touchy by the late morning/afternoon. We went out around 10 and it was pretty chill. 

 

We bought a couple of bags of color and were starting to get covered as well! 

 

When you see people you go over and tell them happy holi and put some color on their cheeks and forehead...some people are very delicate and others take their hand and smear color all over your face! 

 

But...you typically give what you get! 😁 so if you get a handful of color then you typically put lots of color on that person as well! It's a lot of fun! Some people put it in your hair or have spray foam that they'd ambush you with! We also ran into many groups of people on rooftops throwing water balloons or big buckets of water over the edge. The festival reminds me of songkran in Thailand! 

 

A little bit later we headed to this strip that is pretty busy and touristy with backpackers and what not. It was definitely a whole new ballgame here. The men were definitely more aggressive and kind of bombard you all at once. Wanting to take a selfie with you and cover you with color. It got to be too much so we found a rooftop restaurant down the street and stopped for lunch! It was all in all an awesome day and experience! By the end of the day we were COMPLETELY covered! 👍🏼🙃 

 

This is what I looked like once we got back to the hostel! 😂 showering was quite the process...color everywhere!!! 

The festival typically ends around 3 but we didn't want to go back out for dinner because you can still run into people on the streets that are drunk and still playing! We were nice and clean and didn't want to be bothered so we ordered pizza, chilled at the hostel and played cards. 

 

Tomorrow we are heading north! ✈️