Vietnam: The First of Many

Finally, back home with my boys after the trip of a lifetime in Vietnam. Yes, Vietnam! My very first, BIG trip outside the U.S. If you’ve been following us on Instagram then you’ve already seen some of the adventures I’ve been on!

First, let’s just say my bucket list is GIGANTIC: travel across Europe (typical white girl dream), visit and collect bracelets from each state in America, adopt a baby from another country, and give my parents a retirement to remember. A few I’ve crossed off, but I have a ways to go, which I’m definitely looking forward to: Thailand and Portugal, buying a dream home in a tropical area…okay, okay, but Justin and I can dream, can’t we?

As you can tell, Justin and I have always had a dream of travelling across the world and experiencing new cultures and people. Vietnam was actually offered out of the blue by a good friend of mine, Emma. She attends Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, OH and offered me the chance to travel with her and her Art Therapy class to Vietnam for eleven days. Of course, I said yes! The best advice I’ve ever heard is jump. Worry about the money later and take the chance when you can. Now, I’m not saying spend money you don’t have, but if there is a will, there is a way. Live by it, friends.

Vietnam is a beautiful country and Emma and I had such a good time. We traveled from the North of Vietnam to the South. The first stop was Hanoi, and I’ve never seen so many scooters! The best way I can describe the city is organized chaos; hundreds of motor bikes squeezing past one another while families of four or sometimes five cling onto a single seat, Vietnamese weaving and dodging through the wave of vehicles carrying large baskets of fruit or meat, leaving sweet smells through the alleyways, and old men stationed on small plastic chairs with their knees to their chest taking a drag of their remaining cigarette.

2017-05-03 11.50.38 1

2017-05-03 11.50.36 1

2017-05-03 11.50.35 1

2017-05-03 11.50.29 1

2017-05-03 11.50.33 1

2017-05-03 11.50.32 1

2017-05-03 11.50.30 1

2017-05-03 11.49.59 1

2017-05-03 11.50.29 2

2017-05-03 11.50.25 1

2017-05-03 11.50.27 1

2017-05-03 11.50.00 1

2017-05-03 11.50.01 1

After Hanoi, it was Halong Bay where we slept on a cruise ship, ate 10 meals a day, enjoyed Thai Chi on the deck, and climbed through the most beautiful caves and limestone rocks. On our last night on the boat our guide, Jackie, performed hilarious tricks where he used rice and sang us a song where we cheered our drinks at the end. Once we left Hanoi we headed down south to Hoi An, and this time instead of scooters, it was tourists who crowded the city. At this point in the trip, Emma and I’s stomachs had gone through the ringer adjusting to the Vietnamese food, so we were craving an old fashion American burger and fries. We found a small sports bar run by an Australian man who knew how to treat us right; potato skins, beers, and burgers. After our feast, we were ready to tackle the cuisine once more with a cooking class where we became masters of spring rolls and peeling mango.

2017-05-03 11.50.10 1

2017-05-03 11.50.24 1

2017-05-03 11.50.07 2

2017-05-03 11.50.23 1

2017-05-03 11.50.16 1

2017-05-03 11.50.19 1

2017-05-03 11.50.22 1

2017-05-03 11.50.17 1

2017-05-03 11.50.05 1

2017-05-03 11.50.04 1

2017-05-03 11.50.07 1

2017-05-03 11.50.13 1

2017-05-03 11.50.15 1

2017-05-03 11.50.12 1

2017-05-03 11.50.11 1

2017-05-03 11.49.49 1

2017-05-03 11.49.50 1

2017-05-03 11.49.58 1

2017-05-03 11.49.52 1

2017-05-03 11.49.44 1

2017-05-03 11.49.53 1

2017-05-03 11.49.43 1

2017-05-03 11.49.41 1

2017-05-03 11.50.02 1

2017-05-03 11.49.59 1

2017-05-03 11.49.55 1

2017-05-03 11.50.00 1

2017-05-03 11.49.48 1

2017-05-03 11.50.01 1

Out of all the places we visited, Hoi An was my favorite. Everywhere we went the people we met were genuine and sweet, but there was a certain essence in Hoi An that was hard to forget. During our stay, we went on a river cruise along the city and we came across two old fishermen throwing nets into the water. There was something magically happening as one man danced across the small fishing boat, swinging the net gently back and forth until he’d spin once and let the net bloom and gracefully sink into the river. The man then quickly pulled the netting back to find no fish. Once he satisfied us tourists he motioned his comrade to paddle towards us for a photo opportunity. He beamed holding up the net as we flashed our cameras. We gave him some money and we were on our way.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) was last, and it was much different from our first adventures. The city was huge and I couldn’t believe our tour guide, Thomas, when he said the entire city would be underground in just two years! Our remaining days were something to remember. We enjoyed the city’s skyline from a river cruise, took a boat through the Muddy River, learned how to make coconut candy, danced and sang The Beatle’s songs at a glow party, and then woke up at five a.m. to get on a plane back to the U.S. It’s a trip I will never forget.

2017-05-03 11.49.31 1

2017-05-03 11.49.32 1

2017-05-03 11.49.30 2

2017-05-03 11.49.26 5

2017-05-03 11.49.30 1

2017-05-03 11.49.28 1

I want to give a big shout out to Buffalo Tours and Cuyahoga Community College for the best trip I’ve ever been on. Our Buffalo tour guides were incredible and insanely knowledgeable. They made our trip one of a kind. I would recommend anyone planning a trip to contact them if it’s your first time traveling to Asia.

Now let’s see what Justin is up to in Louisville, Kentucky. Derby weekend is upon us and he has some exciting things in store. Stay tuned!

Love ya friends,

Ash