TravelStream™ news feed for member tracy_coward on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/tracy_coward en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:05:11 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1153212420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1153212420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1153212420/tpod.html Fri, 23 Jun 2006 10:05:11 -0400 Finally jumped ship, please join me while I prove that Pigs Can Really Fly, if only you give them their wings back x...

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Beijing, China

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Coniston, United Kingdom

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Xi'an, China

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Shanghai, China

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Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is a fantastic place to visit, 'Go There' is the best advice I can give. The town is a World Heritage Site, small and beautiful, lots of lovely old buildings. It is also the 'tailoring' capital of Vietnam. You can have any type of clothing, made to measure within a day. The tailors are so skilled they can copy almost anything you ask them for, all at a fraction of the cost back at home. I am not a great clothes shopper but even I was captivated, none of that trudging around trying to find something that fits in the style and colour you want, just sit down, look through the catalogues (Next Directory is a favourite) and they will make it for you within 24 hrs, any adjustments are made until it is perfect.
On top of all that shopping, there is a gorgeous beach! I was able to sit under a sun shade, have a pedicure, sip cold beer and eat delicious prawns all for a few dollars (this backpacking just gets tougher!) The people of Vietnam were wonderful and I would love to come back one day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1145948280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1145948280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1145948280/tpod.html Fri, 19 May 2006 05:45:31 -0400 Finally jumped ship, please join me while I prove that Pigs Can Really Fly, if only you give them their wings back x...

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Hanoi, Vietnam

The first place we visited in Vietnam was Halong Bay, with its amazing limestone cast landscape, legend says that it was created by dragons descending into the water, well it looked pretty spectacular to me! We spend our time on a 'Junk' style boat exploring this World Heritage Site, the food was very good and apart from my cabin being next to the generator room it was very comfortable. As we sailed, what I can only describe as floating corner shops pulled up along side to try and sell everything and anything! We enjoyed exploring the 'Amasing Cave' with our guide who was most amused, and spent far to long looking at the penis shaped rock formation!! The sunset in the bay was beautiful and most of the group took the leap from the top of the boat into the sea, I chickened out, even with my new found diving prowess!
The next day we returned to harbour and the captain performed a miracle in parking, he parted a row of about 20 huge boats by pushing his right through the middle, Moses could not have done any better! We then headed for Hanoi. The first thing that strikes you about Vietnam is the amount of Red Flags Flying, from every fixed object their seemed to be a red flag with a golden star in the middle, it was colourful and patriotic. The second thing that strikes you is the amount of motorbikes on the road, carrying everything, including the 'kitchen sink'. I saw families of 5, numerous pigs (on one bike), washing machines, and even a double wardrobe to name a few...those bikes exploded any laws of physics you might have learnt at school, they are the work horses of a nation.
I think I fell in love with Vietnam from my first experiences, it was hectic, vibrant and alive. Everybody was doing 'something', it didn't seem to matter what. On arriving in Hanoi our first lesson was in crossing the road, our local guide told us that if we waited for a break in the traffic we would wait on the same side of the road forever. The technique in crossing was simple, take a deep breath and just step out into the traffic, walk slowly, at a steady pace and cross to the other side. After a while you even forgot about looking at the traffic, everything just seemed to flow around you, I even tested this out by crossing about 6 lanes of traffic with my eyes shut (purely in the name of research, and having had a 'couple' of beers), and I am obviously still here to tell the tale. The method certainly worked with motorbikes, but we were warned, four wheels or more and we had to be a little more cautious!
Hanoi was a great city, went to visit Uncle Ho in his final resting place, there were hundreds of local people and children filing past his body with us, making the pilgrimage to see him.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1145410740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1145410740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1145410740/tpod.html Tue, 16 May 2006 05:03:59 -0400 Finally jumped ship, please join me while I prove that Pigs Can Really Fly, if only you give them their wings back x...

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Luang Phabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

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Chaing Mai, Thailand

Having met up with my new travel buddies for the next month we all headed north through the Thai countryside on the night train to Chaing Mai. Although we had beds the movement of the train was similar to a washing machine on a spin cycle so very little sleep was had by all. I was thrown immediately into the hectic schedule of the trip, just having time to shower before heading out to go elephant riding in the countryside. It was fiercely hot but a great experience sitting on top of these gentle giants, the elephant would gracefully raise its trunk to where you were sat on its back and delicately take a banana from your hand, continue until it had eaten the whole bunch then blow elephant 'snot' all over you in displeasure of having no more food!
The next stop was river rafting, floating down a shallow stream on a few poles of bamboo, you stood on one end to punt your way along. We were lucky to be there to celebrate their New Year festivities, year 2549 of the Buddha. This entailed what seemed to be the whole population of the area, congregating around the river bank to throw water at each other and the people on the rafts, it was obviously especially lucky to throw as much water at the foreign visitors because within minutes we were soaked (a blessing in the heat) but after nearly two hours of it the tradition started to wear a little thin, by now I must be the luckiest person in the world!
That evening we enjoyed the fabulous night market, selling beautiful handicrafts made by the local people. Over a delicious meal we watched Thai children of about 4yrs old dressed in traditional costume dancing on an outdoor stage, one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. Just when I thought this jam packed, activity filled cultural experience of a day couldn't get any better I went into the obligatory Irish pub to find that they sold Strongbow!!! Not the Aussie imitation that I had enjoyed in Sydney, but the real thing....I was in Thai heaven! I even bought a few bottles to take away, this place just gets better!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1144719240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1144719240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/tracy_coward/world_tour/1144719240/tpod.html Tue, 16 May 2006 04:25:26 -0400 Finally jumped ship, please join me while I prove that Pigs Can Really Fly, if only you give them their wings back x...

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Bangkok, Thailand

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Siam Reap, Cambodia


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