Hi everyone,
just a quick message...we cannot make cheap calls from vietnam (something about security restrictions), but we can still get online to read any blog messages and you can still call us for free and leave a voicemail which we can hear online:
1. Dial 0800 028 9653
2. Press option 2
3. Enter our account number: 201 986 0504
4. Leave us a message!
love Sam and Em
xx
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Hanoi (Vietnam)
So after a somewhat stressful airport experience in Bangkok and a short flight later, we arrived at around 20:15 in Hanoi to a 33 degree temperature. We were pleasantly surprised how quick it took to get through passport control and get our luggage - we were even met by our very own "chauffeur" to take us to our hotel The Hanoi Cozy Hotel.
The journey from the airport was less pleasant however; there are no lanes in Vietnam, and thousands and thousands of mopeds carrying anything from 4 people to chickens, to someone carrying a baby in their arm (whislt driving). We held our breath for most of the journey, but arrived in one piece.
We got to our hotel, where the staff also held their breath at the size of our cases, which they kindly took up the stairs to our 3rd floor room (there is no lift - shock horror!!). They could not be more helpful here, and that goes for many of the locals we have met. After unpacking a little, James (Sams best friend) and some other boys from Birmingham Uni. came to meet us to go out for a drink. We ate in a really nice local restaurant, where everytime you ordered a bottle of water (which sam tends to have 6 of every meal), they would have to go out and buy one themselves - needless to say, the waitresses were also out of breath after our dinner.
Hanoi is a chaotic but an amazingly exhilirating city - we are in the heart of the old city, where a mix of rustic old buildings are adjoined by new hotels and coffee shops, all adding to the cities charm. Each street seems to have its own designated commerical trade, and after taking a 3 hour cyclo today (someone else of course doing the cycling) we managed to see DIY street, the clothing street (selling everything from Armani to Abercrombie to Next!), the paint street, the knife street etc.
We also visited the Temple of Literature which is basically the first University in Vietnam and over 1000 years old. We saw the opera house, Hanois equivalent of Park Lane and mopeds - lots and lots of mopeds that seem to hoot for absolutely no reason at all! We have found that crossing the road is like playing a game of tetrus - trying to fit the gap between the mopeds, cars, cyclos etc. We have found that if in doubt stand still and they will just go around you!
Tonight (Tuesday) we went out for dinner with our friends again this time to a restaurant reccomended by our Vietnam book. Clearly money was exchanged when recommending this restaurant as everything on the menu was either unavaliable or about 3 days old!!
Tomorrow (Wed) we plan to go see Ho Chi Minhs body (even though he died years ago gross!!!), and wander around the markets. We have beedn advised to go see the water puppet show tomorrow evening, which Hanoi is famous for.
We have decided to book a trip to Halong Bay leaving on Thurs. Anyone who has seen the Top Gear Vietnam special will know where we mean. We were offered three different tour options standard superior and deluxe. We'll leave it to you to guess which one we went for.... The trip is 2 nights and three days staying on a boat, we will let you know how it went when we return on Saturday night!
We will update you when we return from our Halong Bay trip, and miss you all!
Sam and Emxxx
The journey from the airport was less pleasant however; there are no lanes in Vietnam, and thousands and thousands of mopeds carrying anything from 4 people to chickens, to someone carrying a baby in their arm (whislt driving). We held our breath for most of the journey, but arrived in one piece.
We got to our hotel, where the staff also held their breath at the size of our cases, which they kindly took up the stairs to our 3rd floor room (there is no lift - shock horror!!). They could not be more helpful here, and that goes for many of the locals we have met. After unpacking a little, James (Sams best friend) and some other boys from Birmingham Uni. came to meet us to go out for a drink. We ate in a really nice local restaurant, where everytime you ordered a bottle of water (which sam tends to have 6 of every meal), they would have to go out and buy one themselves - needless to say, the waitresses were also out of breath after our dinner.
Hanoi is a chaotic but an amazingly exhilirating city - we are in the heart of the old city, where a mix of rustic old buildings are adjoined by new hotels and coffee shops, all adding to the cities charm. Each street seems to have its own designated commerical trade, and after taking a 3 hour cyclo today (someone else of course doing the cycling) we managed to see DIY street, the clothing street (selling everything from Armani to Abercrombie to Next!), the paint street, the knife street etc.
We also visited the Temple of Literature which is basically the first University in Vietnam and over 1000 years old. We saw the opera house, Hanois equivalent of Park Lane and mopeds - lots and lots of mopeds that seem to hoot for absolutely no reason at all! We have found that crossing the road is like playing a game of tetrus - trying to fit the gap between the mopeds, cars, cyclos etc. We have found that if in doubt stand still and they will just go around you!
Tonight (Tuesday) we went out for dinner with our friends again this time to a restaurant reccomended by our Vietnam book. Clearly money was exchanged when recommending this restaurant as everything on the menu was either unavaliable or about 3 days old!!
Tomorrow (Wed) we plan to go see Ho Chi Minhs body (even though he died years ago gross!!!), and wander around the markets. We have beedn advised to go see the water puppet show tomorrow evening, which Hanoi is famous for.
We have decided to book a trip to Halong Bay leaving on Thurs. Anyone who has seen the Top Gear Vietnam special will know where we mean. We were offered three different tour options standard superior and deluxe. We'll leave it to you to guess which one we went for.... The trip is 2 nights and three days staying on a boat, we will let you know how it went when we return on Saturday night!
We will update you when we return from our Halong Bay trip, and miss you all!
Sam and Emxxx
Monday, 27 July 2009
Leaving us a message on this blog
Hi everyone,
Just a quick message to make sure you write your name on your message so we know who it is from - this ain't facebook!
Leaving for Hanoi in a few hours! Will update you soon
Emma and Sam
xx
Just a quick message to make sure you write your name on your message so we know who it is from - this ain't facebook!
Leaving for Hanoi in a few hours! Will update you soon
Emma and Sam
xx
Sunday, 26 July 2009
Bangkok!!
Hello from Bangkok!!
So we set off for our 3 month trip on Friday night - after hearing about sams success in his exams, our luck continued on the plane, the person sitting in the seat next to us didn't show up to the gate, therefore we had a spare seat in which to spread out (and for sam to get away from emma!!).
Arriving in Bangkok after a rather turbulant flight, the first thing that hit us was how everyone working at the airport were wearing masks; always a pleasant sight to see. However, we got to our hotel at around 6pm local time, and were pleasantly surprised at how clean it was (though the whole throwing used toilet tissue in a bin is a little different).
We set off to the Khao San Road (the main backpacking street in Bangkok), and sat in a local restaurant for dinner to sample local food. Sam had spagehetti Bol. and Emma had chicken fried rice - emma thinks she is more cultured than sam, which could be true, because she kept getting offered to play ping pong - to which we are reliably informed isn't table tennis (haven't worked out quite what it is yet, but Sam is keen to!!).
We were exhausted after dinner, proven further by the number of stalls and shops, to which Em was too tired to even look!! Though a pair of ray ban sunglasses each for 2 quid wasn't bad going.
Today (Sunday) we set off for a 6 hour tour of Bangkok, including the grand palace, sleeping buddah and a number of temples, a boat ride with a dubious floating market, lunch on a floating restaurant and a tour of the golden mount. By the end, the heavens opened, which was nice and convenient, given we had to leave our shoes outside the temple (guess who had to go get them!?!?).
Our tour guide (as most men here are) was quite obsessed with Sex...and Emma. Every reference to buddaism was cross referenced to "sexy ladies". Nevertheless, he was a good tour guide, and we made South Korean Mafia friends, who paid for a tour in English, despite not speaking the language!!
After the trip, still feeling the old jet lag, we slept - now currently in a internet cafe close to our hotel. Tonight, more food, more shopping (Em is awake unfortunately) and we leave for Hanoi (Vietnam) tomorrow evening, to start our next leg.
Until then, hope all is well with everyone at home,
Sam and Emma
p.s. happy bday Richard, sorry we missed it, but we appreciated the 6am (our time) phonecall from your fiance!
Miss u all!
xx
So we set off for our 3 month trip on Friday night - after hearing about sams success in his exams, our luck continued on the plane, the person sitting in the seat next to us didn't show up to the gate, therefore we had a spare seat in which to spread out (and for sam to get away from emma!!).
Arriving in Bangkok after a rather turbulant flight, the first thing that hit us was how everyone working at the airport were wearing masks; always a pleasant sight to see. However, we got to our hotel at around 6pm local time, and were pleasantly surprised at how clean it was (though the whole throwing used toilet tissue in a bin is a little different).
We set off to the Khao San Road (the main backpacking street in Bangkok), and sat in a local restaurant for dinner to sample local food. Sam had spagehetti Bol. and Emma had chicken fried rice - emma thinks she is more cultured than sam, which could be true, because she kept getting offered to play ping pong - to which we are reliably informed isn't table tennis (haven't worked out quite what it is yet, but Sam is keen to!!).
We were exhausted after dinner, proven further by the number of stalls and shops, to which Em was too tired to even look!! Though a pair of ray ban sunglasses each for 2 quid wasn't bad going.
Today (Sunday) we set off for a 6 hour tour of Bangkok, including the grand palace, sleeping buddah and a number of temples, a boat ride with a dubious floating market, lunch on a floating restaurant and a tour of the golden mount. By the end, the heavens opened, which was nice and convenient, given we had to leave our shoes outside the temple (guess who had to go get them!?!?).
Our tour guide (as most men here are) was quite obsessed with Sex...and Emma. Every reference to buddaism was cross referenced to "sexy ladies". Nevertheless, he was a good tour guide, and we made South Korean Mafia friends, who paid for a tour in English, despite not speaking the language!!
After the trip, still feeling the old jet lag, we slept - now currently in a internet cafe close to our hotel. Tonight, more food, more shopping (Em is awake unfortunately) and we leave for Hanoi (Vietnam) tomorrow evening, to start our next leg.
Until then, hope all is well with everyone at home,
Sam and Emma
p.s. happy bday Richard, sorry we missed it, but we appreciated the 6am (our time) phonecall from your fiance!
Miss u all!
xx
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