One Long Trip

Van Life Mexico - Oaxaca

2020-01-22T14:46:00.002-08:00

The wedding party

We were full of excitement about entering the state of Oaxaca. From the rich culture in Oaxaca city to the famous surf breaks on the coast, we knew we would find some amazing places. We were not wrong, and if I had to pick a favorite state it’s probably this one.

We arrived in Oaxaca city fairly early on a Saturday and were immediately enthralled in the buzz. We walked to the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Asunción where a wedding party was just exiting the church. They had all their friends and family dancing out with them as well as a half dozen people dressed up in crazy costumes and some on stilts to keep the party going. They also had huge (like really huge) paper mache dolls of the bride and groom. People were inside each puppet, making them swirl and dance. We walked a little further on only to find another wedding parading their party down the street.

Tejate

All the streets and town squares were packed with tourists, locals, parties, hawkers, food stalls, and everything you can imagine. We even saw a lucha libre match set up with a huge crowd around it. Not as impressive of a performance as we saw in Guadalajara but it was still amazing.

We went to the Oaxaca Culture Museum and loved all the art and artifacts from the area. Then to the Mercado Benito Juárez market and saw about a thousand different types of mole and tried Tejate which is an ancient drink that is still popular in the area. It's made with toasted maize, fermented cacao, mamey pits (a small melon like fruit), and flor de cacao. It's really off putting because the coco flowers float to the top like cottage cheese but it's delicious. We ate tamales and tlayudas or “Mexican pizza” which are a giant thin crackers topped with beans, cheese, avocados, mushrooms, and sauces. We also tried a handful of different mezcals from Union de plenqeneros a small co-op of local distillers. Once we picked a favorite mezcal the lady working syphoned it right out of the five gallon drum and into a small bottle for us. One morning we had breakfast at Itanoni where they are making traditional meals such as mamelas and squash blossom quesadillas out of ancient corn varieties.

I could have spent months walking around Oaxaca city and discovering the many cool bars and caes they have but we hit the road after a few days and headed to the “petrified waterfall” or Hierve el Agua. This is a very famous spot and even though it is far from any town, the place fills up with tourbuses. We arrived in the afternoon, along with the crowds, and had a good swim. We then got to go “home” to cook dinner right in the parking lot. The area closes to visitors at 6 so by sunset we had the place to ourselves. The next morning we woke up at dawn and walked back down to the pools for an incredible sunrise over the huge valley. We got to enjoy a couple more hours there by ourselves and by the time it reopened we were ready to leave. It’s one of the best parts of traveling in a van, getting to move at your own pace and sleeping right at many of the attractions (this time it was an extra $5).

We had been at high elevation for a while and we’re heading to the coast but first we had to climb over some high mountains. We heard about a town at the very top called San Jose del Pacifico that is famous for its magic mushrooms and “temezcal” which is similar to a sauna. We decided to spend the night there in the cool mountains and since there wasn’t a good camping option we treated ourselves to a little cabin. It was such a nice break from the hot van. We got a big room, showers, a porch with a view, and at night it got cold enough that we lit a fire in the fireplace and snuggled up. For only $30 including breakfast it was definitely worth it.

The next day we headed down the craziest road we had been on yet, dropping 11,500 feet in under 70 miles. It was amazing to watch the scenery change so quickly. From a foggy pine forest to thick jungle, and then to beaches in just a few hours. By the time we reached sea level we were peeling off jeans and socks as fast as we could because we arrived at the hottest and most humid beach yet!

Our first night on the beach was at playa Boquilla, a tiny cove with one small hotel on the beach. That night at the beach we woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone on the roof of the van. Our first thought was that someone was trying to steal our surfboard that was starapped up there. Tom jumped out of the van to see what was going on, only to find a cat was on our roof and he couldn't get down. After Tom's heart stopped racing and he was able to help the cat down, we had a peaceful night's sleep. The road in was so steep coming in, I was certain we wouldn’t make it back out. But our gal charged it up just fine. We then headed up to playa Escondido to meet a few friends. It was a busy surf town but had the best fish tacos since Baja.

Next we headed a couple hours south to a little no name beach that a friend had told us about. There was nothing out there except a few other campers and some surfers that came for the day. We perched ourselves at the top of a little cliff and opened all the doors to a much needed breeze. The surf was gentle enough that I had a great two days or surfing in a super comfortable environment. It was so nice to be back on a beach with nothing to do but surf, lay in hammocks, read, play games, and make food, just like we did for so many months in Baja.

I loved that spot and overall loved Oaxaca. There were so many different parts to the state that were so unique and all so beautiful and fun. The culture of the city, the wild landscape, the peaceful mountains, and the serene beaches. It’s probably the state I would most recommend to anyone wanting to explore Mexico. I can’t wait to go back!

The main Cathedral

Mole at Mercado Juarez

Crispy bugs for snacking on

Esquites over Tostitos!

One of the cute cafes

Lucha Libre in the park

View from the culture museum

Itanoni

Tetela (left), memela (right), and spiced cafe olla

Tamale

Hierve el Agua from a distance

Hierve del Agua up close

The main pool

Our camp at Hierve el Agua

sunrise!

Our cabin in San Juan del Pacifico

Typical Oaxacan menu

Corn husk flowers

Our first beach camp in Oaxaca

Our second beach camp in Oaxaca

Van Life Mexico - Mexico City

2019-10-21T12:36:00.001-07:00

The illustrations Mexico City loomed ahead of us like a wild tornado. We imagined driving straight into the swirling cloud of swallows we had just witnessed a few days before. We hadn’t planned to subject ourselves to the stress of such a big city.However, a few weeks before when we met a young couple on the beach who lived there. They spoke so highly of Mexico City that we put it on our map. We then made plans with our friend Miles, so that he could fly out of Mexico City after our week in the wilderness.

I (Leila) have become the designated city driver. I’m a bit more aggressive when it comes to merging or changing lanes but I’m also very cautious. Tom is an excellent navigator with the help of google maps. I still remember driving into New York City as a teenager with printed out maps and if a wrong turn was made we were on our own. Now days we can miss a turn and not worry about it. Thank you technology!

It was slow and stressful but we eventually made it to our new home base. A huge park a few miles

Our camp spot

from the city center called Chapultepec (Grasshopper) Park. On its edges are several lots that allow overnight parking for about $5 a day with security. The lots were busy during the day but every evening it was perfectly quiet and safe, giving us surprisingly good nights sleep. We walked across the street to find some food and we’re quickly in love with the huge, cheap, flavorful meals we would get to enjoy. The family running this little restaurant were so excited to welcome us to their city and told us all of the most beautiful places to see. We thanked them and started off to explore. We rented scooters and had a fun ride up to the famous angel statue and from there set out on foot to the city center to see the Palacio des Bellas Artes and La Plaza Garibaldi. Both huge landmarks full of history that we would learn about a few days later on our walking tour. We watched street performers in the park, ate elotes as we walked, and marveled at the many tilting buildings we passed. If you don’t know, Mexico City is sinking at a rather fast pace. The original city was built in 1521 by creating small islands that connected and grew as the population did. As new civilizations came they continued to build upon the last, apparently unaware or unconcerned of the unstable ground beneath them. Now the buildings lean with the history.

We spent hours one morning at the Anthropology Museum which was a huge highlight. I think that everyone should go to Mexico City at some point in their lives and this museum should be their first stop. We were blown away by the amount of artifacts from all over the americas and the rich history they provided. The museum was beautifully designed and easy to navigate. We got to see famous pieces like the Tultec heads and the Aztec Sun Stone.

Another highlight was the Frida Kahlo house / museum. This is one of the most famous attractions in CDMX and so we had to wait in line for 2 hours! The art was amazing and the house beautiful, we love the open courtyards in these old Mexican homes. They also had an exhibit on her famous fashion, showing many of her outfits and overall aesthetic. Worth the wait!

Teotihuacan

One day we got up very early, took an Uber to the bus station, and boarded the first bus out to Teotihuacan. We happened to be visiting during Semana Santa, or Easter week, so even our very early start did not give us the leg up we had hoped for. We piled on to the crowded bus and all filed out into the very crowded sacred site. We read that we should visit the largest pyramid first before the line gets too long so we did. It was still a very long wait but we all slowly moved up the steps of the pyramid in somewhat of a line. The top gave us a beautiful view of the site but we couldn't stay long, as the line continued us forward. We then wandered down the main “roadway” to all the other pyramids. The history was really fascinating and we had even more intel because Tom was reading the book “1491” which talked a lot about ancient civilizations in North and Central America.

Another highlight from Mexico City was the free walking tour. We try and do these in all the major cities as they are really fun and informative. We started off seeing the current excavation project just off of Garibaldi square where the city is actively digging up and preserving ancient buildings. We walked for hours as the guide told stories of the surrounding buildings and history of the area. We then grabbed tacos and tortilla soup at a local lunchería.

We had one big night out in the beautiful and hip Roma district where our friend Rob took us to all the best breweries and beer bars. We had surprisingly great beer including one of the best beers I’ve ever had! I’ll have to track down the name of it for you fellow beer lovers...

For our last night we had dinner at our friends house and thanked them for the extensive recommendations all around Mexico. Without them we would have had a much different experience. They made us fresh salsa verde over grilled nopali cactus with melted cheese!

We spent ten days in Mexico City and every day was filled with a new adventure. It was so worth it to make the stop and we had nothing but positive experiences and encounters.

About to hike to the top of that monster (along with thousands of others!)

view from the top

the steep climb

A model of the sacred grounds

one of the smaller, unmaintained pyramids

Mexico city!

Artifacts at the Anthropology Museum

The Aztec "sun stone"

Chipoltepec Castle

View of downtown Mexico city

Mezcal with a spiced orange slice

the golden post office

One of the many huge bakeries!

China Town

Waiting in line at the Frida Kahlo House

Some of her outfits

Inside the courtyard

Homemade Salsa Verde and grilled nopali cactus with our friends!

Van Life Mexico - Huasteca Potosina Part 2

2019-10-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

We headed south through more winding slow roads to the town of Xilitla to visit the Edward James Gardens. This is an area that most foreign tourists have never heard of but is very popular for local tourists. It was a little late in the afternoon but we decided to grab some tamales and head in. The minute you walk through the gates you enter the abstract mind of the artist. Stairs spiral up concrete towers to nowhere, old domes are being taken over by moss and plants, trails meander their way through the giants leaves, windows frame beautiful views of the jungle. You are pretty much free to wander and climb at your will but occasionally get turned around by an employee when the 4 story tower has no walls or rails. There are multiple swimming holes for when the humidity gets too much, one of which has a beautiful waterfall! I took a thousand photos on my phone until it died and then took a thousand more on Tom's. The way the art melded with the jungle was just too picturesque.

We stayed until closing and then headed back to our lovely campsite. We grilled veggies, took showers (real ones!), had a few beers and slept really well! We usually don’t stay in a paid camp site but when we do I sleep better with that extra sense of security.

As we drove the small highway out of town and over the mountains we passed a van that looked just like ours going the other direction. Same van, same roof top box, same coloring, we laughed and noted we had seen them a few weeks ago near Puerto Vallarta (we wouldn’t officially meet until Belize!). We hadn’t seen any other van campers in at least a week which made this sighting even more exciting! Compared to Baja, mainland Mexico was like a ghost town for campers.

We found a place to camp on our trusted app, iOverlander. It was described as a free grassy spot along a nice river with lots of cool rock formations. Sounded perfect and there were even photos to back it up! So we drove the VERY steep dirt road down the valley only to find a cramped road with a crowded dirt lot. The locals all stared as we drove our huge van across the tiny bridge. The guy at the lot wanted $5 to park for just a few hours which I thought was ludicrous but we all needed a swim and a break from the heat of the car. Have I mentioned yet that there is no A/C?

The guys explored upriver to the Puente de Dios, or "Bridge or the Gods", which I relaxed by the river with a couple of friendly pups. We didn’t stay too long as we now needed to find a new place to camp. We headed back up to the highway and pulled off at an old camp not far away. We had gained a lot of elevation so the air was cool and crisp and the pine needles on the ground were a nice change. We all slept well and packed up early the next morning for another long drive. As we were pulling off our knoll Tom went a little too far to the left and we dropped over a rock. Luckily we weren’t resting on our fuel tank but we were pretty stuck. We were on the front axle and the front wheels were barely touching the ground. We pushed and pulled and revved the engine. Tom decided to get out the jack and light the front axle off of the rock. Once the wheels were in the air we got out of tracks and used them under the wheels. We out them at an angle to build a small ramp, supporting them with rocks. Combined with more pushing it finally worked!

We drove and drove, headed to a popular rock climbing spot just outside Mexico City. As we were finally nearing our destination we got stopped by a few police. Oh boy... we had read about this happening and felt prepared but still nervous. Without giving any reason for the stop they climbed inside and started looking around and asked the guys to empty their pockets and get patted down. Our friend had some cash loose in his pocket so they immediately knew we were good for something. They questioned the mints and the baggy of Advil and finally found a small can of pepper spray. We had found it on the street in Baja, thinking it couldn’t hurt to have, but having no idea it was illegal. They wrote us an outrageous ticket and then went on to say that we had to pay at the station but the station was closed so we would have to spend the night in jail and the van would be impounded. Or... we could just pay them now. They were even nice enough to bring the price down. We were expecting this so we remained friendly and acted confused, repeating “no entiendo” with a smile. We opened our wallets and showed that they were empty, Tom offered to write a check or go to an ATM. The thing about this interaction is that everyone knows it’s a bribe we’re all just pretending it’s not. After about half an hour of friendly but stressful discourse they take the 500 pesos from our friends pocket (about $25) and told us we can go. We pulled away feeling pissed off, kinda shaky, but relieved.

We found a campsite in the beautiful Peñas de Dexcani park and a few hours later a family set up dinner nearby and insisted on feeding us tacos! They were delicious and the family was so sweet, they even brought over all their leftover firewood when they left.

The next morning we headed into Mexico City, a place we were equal parts scared and excited to see. But that incredible city deserves its own blog...

Van Life Mexico - Huasteca Potosina Part 1

2019-09-14T07:55:00.001-07:00

We drove seven hours in the wrong direction... We were making our way south through Mexico but had received recommendations for an area that looked really cool and only a little out of the way. But like most good detours in Mexico, it took waaaaaaay longer than expected. The curving, climbing highway went on and on. Our ETA kept getting later and later. There was three of us in the van now so it meant one person was sitting on our tiny bench, looking out the window to try and avoid the onset of motion sickness. Each of us privately wondering if this is really worth it. Well, spoiler alert, IT WAS!

When we finally arrived at our destination we were pretty beat and a little discouraged, I tried to get us to just go to camp and chill all afternoon (it was still pretty early as we had gotten a sunrise start), but we only had a week to see all the sights. So the boys rallied and took us to our first waterfall, Puente de Dios. Upon arrival it was a little overwhelming and we weren't sure if we were getting scammed by the guys making us pay to park and rent a life jacket. Luckily it was only one dollar each for the rentals and then three dollars each to enter the swimming area so we figured even if it sucked it'd be worth it. We were also really hot!

We walked down to the river and were immediately blown away! It was the bluest water we had ever seen, surrounded by steep mossy rocks, and so many waterfalls. We jumped straight into the cold clean water and immediately felt good about our decision to come here. I would have driven seven hours just for this pool. We climbed the steep, moss covered rocks, swam under waterfalls, and then let the current take us into small opening in the rocks that opened up into a cave where the water got even bluer. You can swim all the way through the cave and under the "Bridge of the Gods" to another waterfall and small swimming area in the river. We then walked up stream to a few more swim areas that had almost nobody there. If we had had all day these would have been great picnic spots.

Now we were really ready to settle in to camp, but when we pulled up to the public park along the Tamasopo river we found it packed with people. It was Sunday so all the families were there swimming and barbecuing. When in this type of situation we always find it best to just join in... so we put our suits back on and took the rope swing into another beautiful river. We then brought out the grill to make pizza right at the waters edge. As it got dark, everyone went home and we had a peaceful night sleep. The next morning was quiet so we walked upriver and checked out the many different areas for swimming and picnicking. It was such a great spot and so close to town.

We then drove a short distance to Tamasopo Falls. This also had a small entry fee of about three dollars and then life jacket rentals for a small fee as well. The life jackets were required only in the really deep pools with the big waterfalls. Once again, the turquoise color of the water blew us away and the whole area was like a playground with rope swings, diving boards, small natural pools to climb between, smooth rocks and tiny fish. The infrastructure was minor enough that it did not take away from the beauty of the river. We swam and played for hours and then got in the car and headed to... you guess it, another waterfall!

Our next destination, Tamul Falls, brought us even further off the main route, up into the mountains where we heard the roads got even windier. We almost didn't go in order to not spend so much time in the car but we figured we were here so we might as well see as much as we can. There are two options when visiting Tamul falls, you can either camp at the top and get a guide to repel you down to the river at the base of the falls, or you camp at the bottom and canoe up river 4km. We opted for the latter as the camping seemed nicer and the canoe ride was cheaper. We arrived in the late afternoon when things were pretty quiet and all the boats were done for the day. Each river seemed to be more beautiful than the last and this one was an amazing creamy turquoise, made even more picturesque by the colorful boats tied up along the bank.

The next morning we were up bright and early and greeted by another young couple from Guadalajara who wanted to be on the first boat out. It was just the five of us so we had to pay a little extra because the boat wasn't full. We are always super cost conscious so I almost made everyone wait for a full boat but I was told once the boat is full that means there will probably be tour buses arriving with throngs of people. So we paid the extra few dollars (I think $10 each instead of $7) and climbed aboard. I'm so glad we did! We got to practice our Spanish with our new friends and paddle up the most beautiful river while it was still quiet and peaceful. We had the waterfall to ourselves and got to jump off rocks and swim as long as we wanted. On the way back we stopped at a place selling snacks and cold drinks, our group opted to go for another swim in the cenote just nearby.

We got back, tired and satisfied from all the paddling and swimming, just in time for lunch. And being on a tight schedule we got right back on the road. It was the hottest day we had experienced so far, our car was reading 109F and that was without taking into account the high humidity. We kept an eye on the engine temp, which was hovering just below the red zone as we climbed the winding mountain roads. We stopped at the town of Aquismon for ice cream and agua fresca but even sitting in the shade was tough. Somehow we kept pressing on to a nearby cave, hoping climbing underground would bring us some relief.

We went to Mantetzulel cave and met our guide, which is required and cost only two dollars. Our guide was part of the local indigenous tribe that has lived in the area for centuries. The community takes care of the caves and leads the tours. He was so friendly and helpful and excited to show us the area. Going into a cave in the United States, we are used to having man made paths and being told many times not to step off of them and not to touch any of the walls or rock formations. Well in Mexico non of those rules apply. There are a few paths but for the most part you can climb around and peak into any of the nooks that you want. You're sometimes encouraged to touch things and in this case fill your water bottle with the clean cave water. We went to three different caves and had a great time exploring around.

We had barely made it up the last two kilometers of the road so going back down was a bit exciting and I kept telling Tom to go slower even though he was creeping along at a few miles per hour! We made it down and then went further into the mountains to the "Sótano de las Golondrinas" or Cave of Swallows. We arrived in the evening and had a bit of a hard time finding a place to park because the road was really steep and we had planned to just park on the side of it to sleep. There was a few parking attendants that were helpful in telling us to just wait until the sunset crowd had left and then we could pull into one of the diagonal spots. It wasn't totally flat but much better. After dinner Tom and Miles hiked down to the cave where there was a platform for Miles to set up his tent on. We said goodnight early as we would be hiking back down before the sun came up.

The next morning our alarm went off in the pitch darkness and we sleepily packed a bag with some water and a thermos full of coffee. We hiked the couple mile trail down to meet Miles and find a good spot on the edge of the cave. The cave is popular due to the amount of birds that sleep inside. At sunrise you see them all exit in swarms and at sunset they spiral back in. The majority of the birds are swifts (often misidentified as swallows) and green parakeets. The cave is also an incredible sight because it is the largest cave shaft in the world, dropping straight into the ground for 1,500 feet. This is deep enough to fit the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower. Because of this drastic change in elevation the cave floor is a completely different and unique biosphere, much more lush and jungle compared to the rocky forest we were sitting in. In order to experience the bottom you can repel down, which is quite expensive, or base jump, which is quite scary! The closest we got to seeing it was by paying $1 for a man to tie a rope around your waist and let you climb out on the rocks as far as you dare and peer down. We could just barely make out the shadows of the cave floor but it was exhilarating to look down as the clouds of birds came rushing past.

Van Life Mexico - Querétaro and Peña Bernal

2019-07-06T10:07:00.001-07:00

We would have driven right past Querétaro as we didn’t know anything about this city. We had planned a visit with one of Tom's childhood friends, where he would fly into the Querétaro International airport and out of Mexico City 10 days later. So we stopped and decided to spend the afternoon exploring before his pickup the next morning. We camped on a surprisingly quiet street just a short walk from the city center, spent the afternoon walking all through downtown and finally settling at a cafe for a few cold beers and to watch a tradition dance troupe practice in the park. One of the great things about the cities in Mexico is that they all have a main square. It’s usually out front a church, filled with vendors, and surrounded by shops and restaurants. It’s a great place to start when exploring a new city. We got our favorite snack grilled elotes. This is corn on the cob topped with lime, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, chili powder, and your choice of hot sauce. It’s messy, cheap, and delicious!

The next morning we went to the airport at picked up Miles. Now most people when visiting friends in Mexico might picture beaches, surfing, tons of tacos, and big parties. But with us you never know what you’re gonna get and lucky for us our friends are ready for adventure! So we picked up miles and headed into the mountains.

We went to the Pueblo Magico town of Bernal which was tiny but one of the most picturesque towns we’d been to. “Pueblo Magico” is a designation given to many of the historic town throughout Mexico and basically means that it’s an old colonial town with a colorful church and is tourist ready.

In Bernal is the 3rd largest monolith in the world called “Peña de Bernal”. It stands high and proud above the town and can be seen from miles away. We hiked up as far as you can for an epic view of the surrounding area. To get to the very top you need climbing gear as the mountain turns to a shear rock face.

To reach our campsite we had to go all the way around, through another small town, then down a steep dirt road. I was a little nervous we wouldn’t be able to get back out of here (especially with the growing rain storm that could this into a slip n’ slide). As always though, I let Tom tell me “we’ll be fine” and went with it. Besides, at this point we were already half way down!

We arrived at the quiet and beautiful camp Chichidho. This was the most expensive place we stayed in our entire travels at $10 per person per night! But the beauty and great vibes at the place made it worth it. This is a super popular climbing spot with routes for everyone. Besides the obvious mission of climbing to the top of the Peña there are hundreds of bouldering areas and small climbs littered around the base. It was fun to just walk through it all and climb around and through the huge boulders.

There were a handful of other travelers there so we had a nice time cooking in the communal kitchen and all eating at the giant picnic tables. The high elevation and sprinkle of rain made for a cozy night sleep.

The next day we woke at dawn for a long mission north!

One of many cathedrals in Queretero

Exploring the Beaches of Nicaragua by Dirt Bike

2019-07-03T09:11:00.003-07:00

Van Life Mexico - Guanajuato and San Miguel

2019-06-27T14:14:00.002-07:00

Guanajuato

Guanajuato was one of those places where we hadn't heard about it, then all of a sudden it seemed to be popping up everywhere! We were excited to see the hills of brightly colored houses surrounding the beautiful historic city center. When we got there, what really surprised me was how young and vibrant the city felt. It’s historic and pretty touristy but there is a big university there which attracts students from all over Mexico as well as many foreigners. Because of the university there seemed to be a lot of free events, like an amazing concert we stumbled upon one night.

Our first night we camped a little outside of town near the government buildings. There was parking along a big reservoir and the street was relatively quiet through the night. That evening we decided to go for a quick walk in search of some bread but as we walked, the sites just got better and better so it turned into a long stroll all through town. That was the first of many long and hilly walks we were to have in Guanajuato! The streets were colorful, bustling with people and food stalls, and lined with cafes. It felt very different from any other city in Mexico.

One of the main attractions is the Mummy Museum. There are signs for it all over the city so of course we had to check it out. We were picturing mummies like you would see in Egypt, completely wrapped up and covered bodies. However we were a little shocked to find naked bodies propped up against walls with their skin still intact. They are some of the best preserved bodies in the world and it happened on accident. During a Cholera epidemic during the 1833 many people died and were buried in the local cemetery. 40 years later, that city implemented a tax for buried bodies, presumedly because they were running out of space. Since many people couldn't pay the tax, the cemetery began exhuming bodies. They discovered that most were in very good condition, so they stored them in a near by tunnel that was cool and had very low humidity. This combination kept he bodies in extremely good condition. It was really interesting and a very unique experience, but about half way through I began to get a little nauseous and had to hurry us along!

We spent one afternoon cheering on the local baseball team amongst a very small crowd. The tickets really cheap so it was a great way to rest our feet. We got to try all the snacks, including my favorite, potato chips with hot sauce and lime. And if you want a beer you get pointed to a guy in the bleachers who I’m pretty sure just runs to the closest mini mart and sells it to you for a couple cents more.

Guanajuato is famous for its wandering hilly streets and deep confusing tunnels that cut through the hill sides and connect the streets. One of our favorite places to people watch was Santo Cafe. It's located on a pedestrian bridge over a walking street. We spent hours just walking around, enjoying the cool air, popping into art stores and cafes. The whole city feels very European.

Another little tourist spot we visited was the "kissing alley". The story goes that two young lovers were forbidden to see each other but luckily they lived across from each other on the smallest alley in the city and could lean out from their balconies and kiss. Today you can pay $1 for a kiss between you and your loved one!

The famous Mexican artist and activist Diego Rivera is from here. We were able to tour his restored childhood home and got to see work from his entire career.

The market downtown is huge and full of amazing food. Tom got a seafood soup that he is still talking about. That was also the last time we saw seafood tostadas for less than one dollar (when we got to Mexico City they were ten dollars!).

We walked for miles and miles around that city for 4 days and because of the small hidden streets everywhere I think we barely scratched the surface. Around every corner was a new and colorful scene to revel in. Like a lot of Mexico ,it is a mix of old and new, donkeys delivering sacks of rice to stores next to students working on their laptops in a modern cafe. We loved it all and hope to go back one day.

San Miguel Allende

The church in this town is the most beautiful in all of Mexico. Because of this there are weddings there every weekend and the square out front is packed with tourists taking photos and buying snacks and trinkets from the many vendors. So we did just that! The city was clean and colorful and very pleasant to walk around in.

We read about a gallery walk happening that evening and when we arrived it felt like walking right out of Mexico and into California. Every single face we saw was white. Every artist was from America or Canada, and every attendee the same. We saw some beautiful art, talked with a few people, and had our fare share of free wine. The expat community is strong here and I see the appeal... beautiful city, temperate climate, and all the comforts of home. We enjoyed our one day walking around and I’m sure we would have gotten more had we stayed longer.

That evening we heard about a parade going through the city from one church to another to celebrate a holiday. We thought about going, but as it didn’t start until midnight and we were beat from exploring. But we did not miss out! At 4 am we heard the loud popping sound of Mexican fireworks. They didn’t stop until well after sunrise! It was also the start of daylight savings time so the next day our bodies were so tired and confused. Pretty sure we got more sleep than the rest of the city but still not nearly enough for us!

Guanajuato

coconut treats from the side of the street

Our favorite coffee shop Cafe Conquistador

So much cool art in the city

Colorful houses on the hillsides

The market in downtown Guanajuato

Loved this van!

Tight street going into a tight tunnel

The cafe across the alley. Perfect for people watching

Diego and Frida

One of our camps

Toms favorite seafood soup

View of the city

Watching a wedding in San Miguel de Allende

Market in San Miguel

A typical afternoon for us!

Farmers Market, San Miguel

The best Tamales

Van Life Mexico - Guadalajara

2019-05-26T15:42:00.002-07:00

Bosque Primavera

We were only an hour outside of Guadalajara but not quite ready to re enter bustling city life. We decided to look around for a campsite. This is often done by just clicking the little green icons on the iOverlander app and seeing if something pops out. Tom stumbled upon one called “Rio Agua Caliente” and after more research we saw it was indeed a hot water river.

So we said goodbye to the fields of agave and headed into an arid pine forest. The camping area was huge and empty so we picked a prime spot with our own covered picnic area and grill. We then ventured down to the hot river. The air was still 95 degrees, not the ideal soaking temperature but since entry was only 20 pesos, or $1, we grabbed some beers, stuck our toes in, and enjoyed the beautiful forest.

That evening we made sourdough pizzas on the grill (classic!) and snuggled up as temperatures began to drop. We set our alarms for just before sunrise and went to sleep.

One of our favorite moves wherever we are is to arrive at a hot spring just as the sun is rising. It’s always so quiet, the outside temperature cool, and the water still clear after a night of cleansing itself. We couldn’t make it here quite so early because it didn’t open until 8 but we were one of the first ones there and the air was still cold from the night before. We walked the river searching for the best pool. Once we picked one we refilled in the small hole in the dam to deepen our pool. We lounged and soaked for a few hours before our stomachs told us it was time to go home.

It was a beautiful campground and we could have stayed and breathed in that pine air for days but pushed on, rejuvenated for our next big city.

Guadalajara

We did not know very much about Mexico’s 3rd largest city until drove into its dizzying highways. When driving into new cities it’s hard not to get stressed, anxious, and frustrated at the others driving style or direction giving. We always just try and go slow and remember that if (or when) we make a wrong turn that that’s ok, our GPS will correct it for us. I still remember trying to navigate through New York City with printed out maps as a teenager so I will always be grateful for google maps!

We chose a gated public parking lot that was anything but glamorous but close to the city center. There was no shade to park under so we knew we would be spending our days out and about. We immediately walked down Chapultepec avenue which is a newer tourist strip. The center is a long park full of walkers, bikers, and vendors selling crafts and snacks. The outer edges are lined with chain restaurants (mostly a place called Vancouver Wings), and more ice cream shops than I ever dreamed could be in one place.

Over the next few days we explored all through the central part of the city and really enjoyed all the parks, museums, and coffee shops we stumbled across. On Sundays the city shuts off 40 miles of road to cars and the streets become filled with bikers, joggers, roller bladers, and skate boarders. We rented bikes through the city bike rental for about $4 for 24 hours and had a blast biking all over and getting a feel for the city.

It’s a college town so it was really refreshing to be around so many young hip people again! We love our quiet beaches of Baja but socializing with retired folk can get a bit old (no offense to our retired friends reading this haha). We checked out a few cool bars that reminded us of some of our favorite old haunts in Portland, and tried some amazing Mexican beer from the Patan Ale House, a craft beer bar. But we really got into the spirit of things when we joined a double decker bus full of tourists and locals heading to a lucha libre match! Lucha libre is a big deal in Mexico and Guadalajara is where it all began. The arena was filled with fans dressed up in wrestling masks yelling and cursing at the wrestlers and each other. I’m not gonna lie I was a bit overwhelmed! But watching the wrestling was really fun and much more like a choreographed dance than a wrestling match.

One morning we did a free walking tour of the city and had a great time learning about the history of the buildings and also chatting with our guide, a college student who grew up in Guadalajara. We walked all over the old town and went into a few buildings with huge murals from the famous Mexican muralist José Clemente. We walked through the market and tried chapulines (grasshopper) and peaked inside the jewelry building which is home to the cheapest gold and silver market in the world. Afterwards our guide joined us for lunch where we tried the local specialty, tortas ahogadas. A crunchy baguette typically filled with carnitas pork (veggie options available) then doused in warm tomato sauce to soften the bread. It’s served with a spoon as you can’t really pick it up like a sandwich anymore. It was so flavorful and delicious I’m getting hungry writing this!

Our camp spot in the city was convenient to walk everywhere but one night we decided to park a little outside of town on a side street next to a park. The park ended up being huge and had a gorgeous Japanese garden.

We got to experience a lot of the Guadalajara culture and even made it to a rodeo where the men wore the traditional outfits and large, adorned hats. Pretty much every stereotypical Mexican thing comes from the state of Guadalajara. Mariachi, tequila, charros (cowboys), ponchos, cacti, etc. This is because when Mexico gained its independence the leader wanted to unify the country by creating a national identity. He came up with all of these things because he was from Guadalajara and that was the Mexico he knew. This is a nice idea in theory but Mexico is a huge county with so many different cultures and climates that some Mexicans grow up in the tropics and have never seen a cactus!

We loved the working city feel that Guadalajara had and really enjoyed our time there.

Hot day at the hot river!

Our awesome campground

Perfect cool morning to soak

Guadalajara!

loving all the street art and city vibes

Japanese Gardens

At the art museum

Sunday bike rides!

Eating the best quesadillas at the rodeo

Trying lots of great Mexican craft beer

We actually got asked to stop playing cards because it is considered gambling

Mural by the Famous Jose Clamente

In one of the Catholic churches is this little girls body, her face is waxed over and her hair is a wig but you can see the bones of her hands which are displayed in a small mesh glove. She is a local saint.

Tortas Ahoggadas

Lucha Libre!!!

Van Life Mexico - Tequila

2019-04-25T19:00:00.001-07:00

The drive from Puerto Vallarta to Tequila was long. It was also way more expensive in tolls than we expected but the new arid scenery was a welcome change. We pulled into town and followed signs to a parking lot. It was just someone’s house with a large field he opened up for visitors. However, it was a beautiful piece of land with a garden, agave plants, horses grazing, and friendly dogs. This was all surrounded by a large wall making it feel much farther from the city center than it was. The man welcomed us to town and gave us a few tips (don’t drink too much tequila!).

It seemed like a pretty quiet morning for the town, as the main squares were just beginning to get set up with booths and vendors. The huge tequila bottle shaped tour buses seemed very out of place in this otherwise quaint historic town. We wandered around a bit before deciding on the Abuelos Museum. This museum is all about the Sauza family (of Sauza tequila) and how they have been making tequila for generations. It’s in their old house and a few of the rooms, like the glorious kitchen, are still intact. The museum also gave a lot of info on how agave is grown and turned into tequila. It takes 5-7 years for an agave to reach maturity and although they are a tough desert plant, they still have to be carefully tended to by hand. The Sauza family sold their original brand but now make tequila under the name Los Abuelos (the grandfathers) in honor of their long line of tequila brewers. This tequila is one of the only ones that is still brewed in the traditional way. We also learned that in order for an agave liquor to be called tequila it must be made from the blue agave of this region. For just 30 pesos a person we got a private tour in English and would definitely recommend this museum.

We then tried to tour the famous José Cuervo distillery, but were turned off by the high price. So we poked our heads in the side window and wandered through the very pretty gift shop and courtyard. But right across the street was the National Museum of Tequila that cost just 15 pesos (75 cents) and had a free guide to walk you through. Much more our style! It was really interesting and we loved learning about the process even though we aren’t big tequila drinkers.

Our camp that evening was just out of town at the trailhead to a waterfall. We parked between agave fields that stretched on for miles. Their sweet smell was something totally new. There was also a horse and her tiny colt walking between the plants to keep us company.

The next morning we hiked to a waterfall. It didn’t seem like it was going to be too hard but just a few minutes in we walked around a corner and saw that we were on the edge of a huge ravine. So our hike was pretty much straight down! The waterfall was beautiful but the hike back up was tough as the sun got higher and the air got dryer. But it always feels good to stretch our legs between drives.

Historic downtown Tequila

Very much a tourist town

Angel in the town square

Tequila route!

Statue of the Jimadors, or agave harvesters

A peak inside the Jose Cuervo distillery

A stone wheel for mashing agave at the Tequila Museum

Art at the Tequila Museum

Agave fields at our camp

The view just half a mile from our camp

Waterfall at the bottom of our hike

Vanlife Mexico - Nayarit

2019-04-16T14:30:00.001-07:00

Mazatlán

Our journey to the mainland started in La Paz where be boarded the ferry across the narrow sea. We had done as much research as we could to try and find out the days, times, and prices for the various ferries but like all good things in Mexico you just have to go and figure it out firsthand. We arrived in the afternoon thinking we would catch the Baja Ferries boat that night. They told us it didn’t leave until tomorrow but we asked if we could get weighed and buy tickets today since we were already here. They said yes and after going through the process we started walking back into the office but we’re told that was the wrong office, we were on the TMC ferry. Sure! We go into a new office and find out the ferry leaves in a few hours, is cheaper, and we can sleep in our car. We love when things work out like that!

After a surprisingly restful sleep in the van on a boat we walked outside and watched dolphins playing in the huge bow wake and could clearly see land on the horizon. A few hours later we were docked and driving on unknown streets. Most beach cities in Mexico have a Malecón, a long promenade along the waterfront, it’s a good place to start when exploring a new place so that’s where we headed. We parked, grabbed our cameras and began our long stroll through Mazatlán’s old town. We hadn’t heard much about Mazatlán except about the traffic and that most people didn’t stay long so we were pleasantly surprised by how much we loved it. The colors on all the buildings, the little town squares and old churches made it charming and beautiful. The lack of hawkers made it easy to look around. The shops and their eccentric owners made it unique. And lastly the food made it unforgettable. We got tostadas from the same place two days in a row because we could stop thinking about them! This area is known for fresh shrimp and crab so that’s exactly what we ate. Followed by some surprisingly delicious brews and friendly locals at Tres Islas Brewing Co.

Beautiful church in the plaza (MZT)

Our campsite was at the end of a beach access road sandwiched between two hotels. There was a small palapa serving food during the day and a handful of people coming to walk the beach and watch the sunset. We used the hotel bathrooms and even got a little hot tub time in the next morning while it was cloudy. We then hiked a small hill to the worlds second highest lighthouse. It’s light can be seen just over 30 miles away, second only to that on the island of Mallorca in Spain. The hill also happens to grace the label on the world famous Pacifico beer!

Our next campsite was about an hour south on a long stretch of beach. We passed by several fisheries as the workers were clocking out for the weekend. The beach here was definitely not the white sand and clear water we were used to and unfortunately there was tons of trash around. It’s places like this that make us super grateful for our comfortable living bing space. We’re able to cozy up inside, play games and make food, and listen to the distant waves. We felt save, slept well and left early the next day.

San Pancho

Holding a baby crocodile

It was a long but beautiful drive along the coast to San Pancho. We drove through huge sections of various crop... mangos, jackfruit, bananas, wheat! It was beautiful and all along the road were little stalls selling more fruit than we’ve ever seen! We decided to stop in at the crocodile rehabilitation center to see what it was all about. It cost about a dollar to enter and while it was very small and not the best environment for such large creatures (mostly cement) it was very cool to see them so close. They were all hurt in some way which is why they were brought here. Most of the injuries sadly came from humans, one had been sliced with a machete and another had had his mouth taped shut for months. So in some ways their lives are better because they are being helped but at the same time I couldn’t help but wonder if they would be happier at home in the lush rivers. But then we got to hold a little baby and it was the cutest and softest thing! I had to idea how amazing their skin would feel.

Leila enjoying the Capomo

When we arrived in San Pancho, we pulled down onto the rocky beach access road next to a hotel with a security guard. We were a little far from the sand and close to our neighbors for Baja standards but it seemed to be the best option for the area. We spent a few days here walking the beach, popping into little shops, and tasting some lovely local cuisine. The most interesting thing we tried was the local drink, Capomo made of maya nuts and brewed in a French press like coffee. It tastes a lot like coffee but is caffeine free and has many healthy boosting properties!

We got showers at the public showers down by the beach which were perfectly nice but very cold. The open roof let the warm sun shine in and also let the town parrot walk around the top of the walls and spy on us all! We enjoyed walking around the cute town and popping into all the little stores. We rarely buy anything but always love to see the styles of the region. Friday was the farmers market where we got to taste some amazing homemade food and brought home a loaf of Chilean seed bread and some BBQ jackfruit meat substitute.

Jungle camp at our new friends house

Our good friend Aldyn put us in touch with her family friends who have a house in San Pancho and they invited us up to camp and visit. We got to enjoy their beautiful land just out of town that even had a small private beach on it. It’s always so nice to have connections from home while traveling. They went out to dinner with friends that night and let Tom and I enjoy cooking in their big open air kitchen.

Sayulita

Exploring Sayulita

We had heard good things about this town and it was a beautiful hip surf town. I wish we had had a slightly nicer place to camp so that we could really enjoy it. I can see the appeal as there was surf every day, the weather is beautiful, and there is tons of young people, yoga classes and cool bars. We even got to go to a movie night at the local brew pub that had surprisingly good beer from Colima Brewing Company just an hour away.

Unfortunately the town has had such an influx in the last couple of years that the roads and sewage systems cannot keep up. The city drains right out into the ocean in the middle of the main beach and reeks if you are anywhere near or downwind of it. What was once the “undiscovered Puerto Vallarta” is now very busy with tourists and all the good and bad that come with it.

Litibú

Beachfront camp in Litibu

The next little town we stopped at was Litibú. There isn’t much here which was perfect for us. We found a small beach access road, backed the van up to the end, and opened the doors to the roaring sea. This section of coast faces directly into the incoming pacific swell and the huge waves pounded straight into the beach. It wasn’t good for swimming or surfing so we walked the beach and watched local search and rescue practice getting past the waves on their jet skies.

Punta de Mita

Fishing boats in Punta de Mita

We then went down to Punta de Mita and spent a few hours surfing the very gentle waves in town. Tom even got out our inflatable SUP and caught a few on that! At first the water was thick with foam boards and new surfers (which is fine as we are kooks as well) but then it cleared out and we ended up getting a few nice long waves. We wandered away from the overpriced beach bars in search of food and found a new little food cart set up on the side of the road selling poke. Tom thoroughly enjoyed it while I patiently waited to go back to the car and eat bread cause I was still on the BRAT diet in hopes of curing my runny tummy!

La Cruz

Tom making beat burgers at our camp in La Cruz

There wasn’t anywhere tempting to camp in Punta de Mita so we kept going a little farther to La Cruz where we parked right by the beach under a shady tree. It was busy with all of the locals picnicking and hanging out over the weekend. I’ve noticed that Mexicans are amazing at setting up for a beach day. They have everything you need for a long day of fun for the whole family! It quieted down by dark and we had a good nights sleep. We ended up staying 4 days here because it was so quiet and comfortable. On Sunday there was a huge farmers market that took hours to walk through. We got some amazing food and took home some fresh berries and vegetables.

Bucerías

Our next stop was Bucerías where we did laundry, stocked up at a big grocery store, and walked around a little. There wasn’t much in this town that interested us but we wanted to give all these little spots a chance. Camping here was the worst we came across so we were happy to have only planned one night here.

Puerto Vallarta

Lively Puerto Vallarta!

The next day we got up early and drove into Puerto Vallarta! We managed to park relatively easily in the old town.

We really enjoyed walking around and looking at all the stalls selling their crafts, and there are lots! We took the free walking tour around the city. Our guide told us a bit of history, showed us the top sights, and took us to the old house of Elizabeth Taylor. She owned two buildings across the street from one another, her bedroom in the upper building and the pool in the lower. Apparently she used to walk naked between the two until the neighbors complained and asked her to make a walkway over the road. Now it’s a fancy hotel that costs $800 USD per person per night.

Every Wednesday there is an art walk, so we hit the town for some free wine and culture. Our first stop was a small and quiet gallery but we had a nice long chat with the owner about art, history, and Mexico. I love telling Mexicans that we are on a long road trip through their country and seeing their face light up with pride. They want to share the beauty of their country and we always feel so welcome.

Adios Baja!

Our ferry boat from la Paz to Mazatlan

Land Ho!

Hiking cerro Faro in Mazatlan

Funky shops in Mazatlan

Colorful streets

Exploring Mazatlan

Natural infinity pool in Mazatlan

Our private beach just outside San Pancho

Our pretend home for the evening

Sunset card games in Sayulita

Our camp in Sayulita

So many colorful walls

Sayulita markets

Beautiful Sayulita

La Cruz farmers market

Picking out some fresh veggies!

Statue of Elizabeth Taylor

The famous walkway

Beautiful church in Puerto Vallarta

Pacific coast sunset

Vanlife Baja Sur

2019-03-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

Most people start their Baja overland adventure in the north, slowly making their way down towards the warmer weather. We, of course, did the opposite. We crossed the border in Nogales Arizona and headed down to Guaymas to check on our little sailboat. We’ve done this crossing many times and are familiar with where to stop for visas and what not. This year though we almost got straight up denied. You see there is a new law in place that vehicles over 7,000 pounds cannot enter unless they are commercial or a motorhome. According to our paperwork we’re just a van (which helped with ferry ticket prices). Luckily the people at the counter were willing to help us, so they called for an official border patrol agent to come and inspect the van to see if we were in fact a motorhome. We patiently waited, wondering what our other option would be if we were denied. As you can probably guess from our Instagram photos, the inspection went well and they let us pass and continue our journey south.

We spent a few days at our favorite old dirty boat yard cleaning up our boat a bit and waiting for a notoriously unpredictable ferry across the sea. One morning our friends came through in their truck and suggested we follow them down to Topolobambo to catch the fast and reliable ferry straight to La Paz. We packed up the van and the next morning we were in hot sunny Baja Sur. That was after the several hours and confusing conversations it took to get us an appropriately priced ferry ticket!

It felt really good to be back in La Paz, a place we have spent several months in while living on the boat. We missed being anchored out, not worrying about where to park and where to sleep and we missed our boating community. But we didn’t miss the anxiety of the evening winds as they began to grow and we didn’t miss the strong tides tugging at our anchor.

After a few days we drove out to Playa Conejo on the pacific side of the peninsula. One of the reasons we wanted to drive Baja this year was to get to the many pacific beaches where anchoring the boat was not an option. We came here because our good friends have been coming for the past 5 years. It felt really good to get somewhere new and immediately have a community. Every day it felt like the whole beach would gather around our friend's camp for beers or tacos or just to chat about the surf.

On Christmas Eve my brother, Josiah flew down from California. One of our new beach friends was able to pick him up at the airport and bring him to Conejo just in time for sunset and the big potluck party at the other end of the beach! It was such a sweet little scene made even more special by having family.

We had spent the week parked right on the sand, doors open to the crashing waves and setting sun. We knew we might need a quick tow to get us out but when we went to town for the day our exit became increasingly dramatic. Not only were we stuck, but our friends truck got stuck in deep mud while trying to get us out. It took several tries, two more trucks, and many beers to pull them out. Luckily everyone is always in good spirits here and always up for an adventure. We spent one night in town then headed back for another week. This time we camped back in the “manglé” which was perfect as the wind had picked up on the beach.

It was sad to leave but new places were calling our name so we packed up the van and my brother and headed out the long dirt road. We spent a night in La Paz to shower and stock up before heading to the east cape. The only place we really knew there was Los Frailes, as Tom and I had gotten held up there for two weeks while sailing around the cape. We had a love hate relationship with the place but mostly a ton of nostalgia. We met some of our best sailing friends there who we still keep in touch with. By land, it was a pretty big disappointment. The only camping was in a big open “arroyo” or wash that was very exposed and full of trash. We spent the night and told stories of our two weeks there, but in the morning we were happy to leave.

A little further down the slow going coastal road we found a nice little pull off with a rocky point that would be perfect for spear fishing. It was still a little windy so when Tom and Jo went out they couldn’t see a thing but the next morning the air and water were perfectly still. The boys went out and I got some alone time on the beach. This time they came home with 6 beautiful fish! They got to work cleaning them and I got to work cutting up veggies and squeezing limes for ceviche. We spent another night in this little paradise and then headed into San Jose Del Cabo for some internet and groceries.

As Tom was working, Jo and I walked the town to buy some supplies but instead got suckered into a tequila tasting which turned into us getting suckered into a timeshare pitch the next day! Tom and I have done this before and while it was annoying it got us a fancy dinner and tickets to Cirque de Solei in Vegas, which was worth it for us. So we sat through a couple hours of sales tactics we left with two bottles of tequila and a discount stay at their resort. Not as worth it but like we always say… We’ve got more time than money!

We blew through the buzz of Cabo and into the sweet little beach town of Todos Santos. First we spent a few nights in Pescadero. Jo got some waves and we met a few of the many Americans and Canadians that spend months on end here surfing all day and putting back cervesas in the evening. The camping is just a big parking lot, so everyone gets close, literally and figuratively, real fast. Next we headed up to La Pastora for a few days and the scene was pretty much the same. For Toms birthday we made our world famous margaritas and fish tacos and watched yet another spectacular sunset over the pacific ocean. We then headed back to La Paz where we were supposed to part ways with Jo and start heading north. But plans changed and we had another week in the south. It’s cheesy to say but things happen for a reason and I’m so glad that this change kept us in the area to explore some of our now favorite places.

First we went to Bahia de los Muertos to paddle board and spear fish in the clear warm and spend my birthday on the white sand beach. We’d been to this bay on our boat six years ago, and knew about a small but fancy resort there with a pool and hardly any customers. We weren’t sure what to expect but turns out nothing much had changed. Even the scratchy bit of concrete at the bottom of the waterslide was still there! We treated ourselves to fancy frozen drinks and lounged on the beach and by the pool for a while on my birthday before heading back to the van for our new favorite dish; Taki fried fish tacos. The next morning we woke up to a few tiny raindrops on our noses and looked around to see the most incredible sunrise of our lives. The sun was coming up over the water turning the whole sky pink, orange, and red. I stared so hard to the east that Jo had to make me turn around so I could see the real treat… a full rainbow across the purple dawn sky. It even had hints of a double rainbow. I’m not sure I’ll ever see anything like that again but I sure hope so. Then we headed up the coast a little to Punta Arena. There wasn’t much here, an old lighthouse that reminded us of the east coast, and a pretty empty beach. However, the minute I walked down towards the water my feet touched the most amazing sand of my life. It was an area of smooth round pebbles big enough to not get stuck everywhere but small enough to still move and feel like sand. We spent way too much time playing in this sand all evening and even doing our stretches in it the next morning! I’ll forever be in search of more beaches like that one.

We headed to La Ventana, a small beach town known as a hotspot for kiteboarders. We camped a little out of town on a beach with hot springs. The hot water comes seeping out of the sand at a piping 140 degrees but at the right tide level you can build a little rock pool and let the waters mix to a comfortable temperature. It does require a lot of moving rocks around and constantly readjusting but it was still nice. We spent the whole next day paddle boarding and lounging in our little shady area with our new friends from Mexico City. They had just finished a 4 day hike through the desert and were ready for some cold beers. They were our age, just married, met in Scotland, spoke five languages, and had a lot of interesting and positive things to say about Mexico City and mainland Mexico in general. It was really fun talking with them and made us want to cross back over the sea and explore there.

We finally decided to go into the mountains to some other hot springs our friends had told us about. I love hot springs but my standards are very high after living and traveling in the Northwest. But we had a few days to kill so we figured might as well. Of course the drive in was rough and muddy and steep and when the rain wasn’t letting up I almost made us all leave for fear of getting stuck up there. But I let the boys convince me all was well and I’m damn sure glad I did. We put on our suits and raincoats and walked down to the springs. The pool was huge and blue and made of all natural rocks, perfectly blending in with the river. The temperature was ideal and the gentle rain scared away all the day trippers, leaving us this oasis all to ourselves. The next morning we went for a sunrise soak then came home to make fresh sourdough bagels, then a morning soak, then decided to pay for another night so we could spent the day exploring. We hiked up the river into the canyon, the smooth rocks welcoming our bare feet and the cool water welcoming our hot bodies. Around every turn we found a pool more magical than the last. Our favorite however was the deep pool with with a natural rock waterslide and cliffs to jump off of. We spent the afternoon there then headed back to the hot springs as the sun crept behind the mountains. After dinner we went for a late soak and watched the stars glisten until the moon rose and outshined them. This place will always have a special place in my heart and I cannot wait to go back.

We left after two nights and took Jo to the airport to catch a flight to Tijuana and meet up with another friend to drive Baja north to south cause in this family, the adventure never ends.

Transitioning to vanlife

2018-12-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

We were back in America after a long and adventurous six months abroad. We had seen Europe, Africa, and Asia and were happy to be home but needed to figure out what was next for our lives. A year ago we thought we were moving to the East Coast to settle down and buy some land, but we weren’t quite ready and it seemed these travels had made us even less ready. So we spent the summer in New England. We had tons of family time, our great friends got married, we spent a week on an island in central Maine, and another week on an island on the St Lawrence River. Somewhere in the midst of that we bought a beat up Toyota Tundra for $500 and planned to fix it ourselves and take it to Mexico with a camper on top. When that turned into more work than we anticipated we sold it to a scrap yard for $75 more than we had put into it.

As summer started winding down we were feeling pretty unsure of our future. We’d been looking at vans, trucks, trailer and houses hoping for some perfect thing to come along and give us direction. We wanted to keep traveling but we also wanted a home. We knew a van could do that for us so we set our sights on a 2002-2006 sprinter. I often read about couples having these long conversations about uprooting their lives and making some big leap into van life. For us it’s always just happens. We try and stay open to whatever presents itself. But once Tom gets an idea in his head, we make it happen.

We checked out a few vans in person before deciding on our 2002 Freightliner Sprinter. It was long and tall but easy to drive. We took it home and immediately set to work. Tom already had a plan drawn up on the computer that we made together after years of looking at and living in different rigs. Boats and vans are similar in that the space must be utilized to its maximum potential and there is an endless amount of options to do this. We felt that we had a pretty clear vision of what we did and did not want out of our first real van build.

We spent the next 2 months working 8+ hour days on the van. It was already fall and our work space was outside so we knew we had to finish before the snow, lest we spend the winter in New England. We had never built anything like this but Tom knows enough about construction to figure it out. He took the lead on most of the build, especially the more technical aspects like drawers, electrical, and plumbing. But we worked together every day. We went through phases of having fun, being frustrated with each other, and being so frustrated we had no choice but to laugh about it.

We took a two week break to drive down to North Carolina to get all of our belongings out of storage. It was an emotional trip for many reasons but on the way down I found out a childhood friend had killed himself. It really put all of my problems into perspective. I realized I am so fortunate to know that when my life is sad and confusing I have a huge support system in my friends and family. I know that things will always get better.

We stayed for the memorial and got to see so many old friends. I just wish it had been for a more joyous occasion.

We headed back up north, stopping at Tom's mom house to sort through our belongings. We made three piles. Storage, van, and goodwill. We gave away an entire van load of stuff! Then we drove back to New England to get back to work.

We literally finished the van a day before the first snowfall. It was 20 degrees as my mom and I painted the interior and Tom finished installing the roof racks. We got to show off our hard work to our community with a little going away party the weekend before Thanksgiving. We were so proud of what we made and excited to share the final product.

After thanksgiving with Tom's family we hit the road. We were thankful we had put in the diesel heater as we still had many cold nights ahead of us before sweet sunny Mexico. We camped by a river in Virginia, listened to the blues in Memphis, feasted on food and beer in Austin, sang Willie Nelson songs in Luckenbach, and had an incredible time in Big Bend National Park. I think it’s my new favorite park because it is so vast and full of beautiful plants. There are so many hikes and amazing private camp sites.

We spent one amazing night up on cactus covered hill in Tucson and then two nights in a hotel in due to a breakdown. Once we were back up and running we ran all our USA errands and headed for the border.

scheming up a plan in Maine

Toothaker Island 2018

Grindstone Island

Fishing with our nephews

the empty van!

quick visit to Maine

work all day

Our going away party

On the road!

Sweden

2018-12-07T10:51:00.004-08:00

Biking to the sauna

After saying goodbye to my mom at the train station, Tom and I boarded a train over the Oresund Bridge to Lund, Sweden. We planned on meeting our good friends Aldyn and Julius. We didn’t know exactly what time we would arrive so Aldyn gave us the easy walking directions the day before. We wandered off the train, through the clusters of students, over the cobblestone streets, and up the four flights of stairs into the cozy apartment of our dear friends. It was still early in the morning so we accepted some more warm coffee and got to catching up. They are both students at Lund University and had just finished up for the semester and were ready for some solid hangout time. That afternoon we suited up in some Alaska biking gear and biked 10km to the most amazing sauna. Built on the end of a long pier, you pay a few bucks to steam your sins away while looking out over the water towards Denmark. It was cloudy and really windy, which made it even more relaxing in the warm sauna. When we got too hot we walked down a few steps right into the clean cool water.

We spent a few days checking out Lund and then all loaded up into their Toyota Hiace camper van. Three on the front bench seat and one on the bed (usually Tom who would fall asleep within 3 seconds of driving). First we headed north and a little west towards the rocky beach cliffs. but stopped on the way for a quick tandem bike adventure around an island. We hopped on a ferry to the small island of Ven in the middle of the Oresund Channel between Denmark and Sweden. We went to rent bikes and immediately all wanted tandems just to make things a little more interesting. None of us had ever ridden a tandem bike before and it was so hard! It takes a lot of trust and communication and hopefully a lot of laughs. When Tom and I's got a flat tire half way around the island we got upgraded to one with gears! It was such a beautiful little island with wide open fields, horses right along the fences, beautiful sailboats and old fishing boats, and little beaches perfect for sharing a few beers.

Back on the mainland we headed for our first campsite, a little picnic area right on the water. In Sweden there is what's known as the "right to camp" where basically if you are not disturbing anyone and there is no specific sign that says no parking or camping, you can stay there. So we tucked into the corner and set up our zone. The next morning was cool and cloudy so we slept in and the boys did a little fishing. Then we packed up and drove to our first hike of the day. Julius and Aldyn kept what we were hiking to a surprise so when we reached the beach we were amazed to find a massive labyrinth of driftwood. This installation was first constructed by an artist using only found materials from the beach. As it grew he brought it more materials and lots and lots of nails. The towers weren’t so much constructed as they were randomly nailed together in a way that got taller. To climb up there was no clear path but to look for holes you body could fit through up the center or climb the outside. Both options were sketchy and we couldn’t help but laugh that this would never be allowed in America. Check out the video below.

Next we drove to the very tip of the peninsula and hiked to an awesome little cove where we swam, had a picnic, and explored an old mine. We then packed up for the long drive across Sweden. Luckily it was the middle of July and we still had many hours of daylight left. We cruised by wide open fields, quaint red cottages, and made our way to the Baltic Sea. We went down several long farm roads only to find a locked gate at the end. Just as the sun was getting low we found a little spot right on the water where we set up camp. We made gin and tonics as the sun slowly crept into the still and silent Baltic.

The next day we made our way down the coast stopping at a few adorable towns to get ice cream and see the sights. We camped in the tall grass right by the sea and enjoyed it to ourselves until just about dark when 6-8 cars pulled up and completely loaded with gear, beer, and German dudes! They shared some beer and told us they were competing in the “Round the Baltic” car rally.

Once back in Lund we had a few days until our departure. It happened to be high school graduation so we got to see the strange tradition where the high schoolers, all wear white, climb into the backs of giant trucks and slowly drive around town while blasting pop music and occasionally throwing roses. It was a pretty funny thing to see, especially in this quiet little town.

We were sad to say goodbye to our dear friends but excited to be flying home to America and back to our families.

Biking

Ven

Quick beer break!

Our first campsite

the amazing towers

Looking down one of the towers

Dinner

My ancestors made this clock!

Candy and a movie after a long camping trip

Our last night in Sweden we were treated to this amazing meal by Aldyn's Aunt and Uncle!

Denmark

2018-10-29T04:20:00.003-07:00

I had been wanting to visit Denmark my entire life. My mom's father immigrated to the US in his early twenties after making a name for himself in Copenhagen as a talented artist. Like many others of that era, he was after the American dream. He wanted to be an artist in the land of opportunity. Although I never met him, I always loved that I had this connection to Denmark. Us nonnative Americans often have a strong connection to our ancestral homeland, even if our family has been here for hundreds of years. I was proud to say “I’m part Danish”. Proud to be able to say that a quarter of my DNA came from one place because the rest is just a wild concoction of caucasian.

Jon from portland OR!

We spent our first three days in Copenhagen. My mom arrived a day before us and had a whole list of things she wanted to go see. She used to come here as a child, but it had been over thirty years. It was fun to see her remembering specific events and people suddenly broken free by the familiarity of this place. We walked all over the city and had some amazing food. I used to turn my nose up when my mom would come home all excited about finding some good pickled herring or when she said pumpernickel was bread! But now I love it all and so does Tom so we found some new foods to try. It was super hard coming from Vietnam, where we could get huge meals for $2, to Scandinavia, where a lunch portion was at least $10. However, we knew this was a once in a lifetime trip and also we have to eat! We also have to drink and were stoked to finally have some flavorful beer. Our second day we met up with our friend Jon, who was on the Portland State sailing team with us. He taught us the pro-tip that if you want to sit by the canals and have a beer in one of the many adorable bistros but don't have the cash, buy some cans at a minimart and drink wherever you like! It was great to visit with a familiar face and get shown around to some hidden gems.

Our next destination was the quaint little town of Elsinore a few hours drive north of the city. On the way we stopped at the Viking Ship Museum and got to see a lot of amazing artifacts and read some pretty gnarly stories of what life was like as a Viking. The most interesting exhibit was the real Viking ships that had been found in the channel several years ago and carefully dug up and reassembled. Much of the ships wood had rotten away but there was still enough to see what it would have looked like. They also made exact replicas of the five ships found using only tools from the Viking age and use them to take people out around the harbor.

We went to Elsinore to visit my great aunt Birtha whom I had never met. She is my grandfathers much younger sister. She and my mom were never very close because when my mom would come visit her grandparents here in Elsinore, Birtha was usually away at university. When my mom was busy raising children she lost touch with many of her danish family as this was the time before Facebook and constant text updates. Birtha had been wanting to get back in touch with my mom but she has a very common danish name that she was impossible to track down. It wasn’t until Birtha found an old letter written to her brother Tom (my moms uncle) where my mom was telling Tom about her life as an artist and said she was thinking of changing her name to Maya. When Birtha added Maya to the name she immediately came across my mothers website and sent her an email. They have been emailing back in forth for several years now so it was really exciting to finally meet in person.

We spent every day, Tom, my mom, Birtha, and I wandering through the town where Birtha grew up and knew so much of the history there. It’s also home to Kronborg castle which is the castle that Hamlet was based on. We walked all around the castle grounds which are right on the water and next to the historic shipyard where my great Uncle Tom worked for almost his entire life. It is now the Danish Maritime Museum and the warehouses are a library, cafe, and general public use area. The town is just a short ferry ride across the Oresund channel from Sweden, so one day we went over for lunch and another day our good friends Aldyn and Julius, who live in Sweden, came over to spend the day with us. I was expecting Birtha to be a little old lady whom we would visit with for an hour or so but mostly be on our own. I am happy to say that I was way off! Birtha is just 75 but looks and acts at least 10 years younger. She was ready to walk, eat, drink, and tell stories all day.

It was sad to say goodbye to Birtha but I’m so glad we all had this chance to get to know each other and she taught me so much about my danish family and the rich history that we have there.

Our last few days we went back to Copenhagen to a cozy little Airbnb apartment in Norrebro. We went back to our favorite food market, walked through Christiania and saw the many hash dealers and artists. We spent an evening at Tivoli, and an afternoon sipping Carlsberg Elephants along the canal watching the tall ships come in. I loved all that we saw and I cannot wait to go back.

Finally in Copenhagen with my mom!

Beautiful markets

Beautiful beer!

Playing dress up at the Viking Ship Museum

Traditional building techniques in use

Elsinore with Aunt Birtha

Kronburg Castle and the old shipyard

Meeting distant relatives over a traditional Danish lunch

The beautiful historic church Birtha attends and gives tours of

The church

Mom in Elsinore

At the beach in Elsinore

Taking the ferry to Helsingborg, Sweden for lunch

Sweden!

Tasting all the amazing coffees and sweets!

Aldyn visiting us in Denmark

Getting a tour of an old steamboat

Sunset

Traveling with my mom

Giant troll statues surrounding Copenhagen

Canal Street

Tivoli

Catching a short ballet performance at Tivoli

Taking a rest while on a long walk around Copenhagen

Coffee and chess on our new little board Tom found at a flea market

Motorbiking Vietnam - Cat Ba Island to Hanoi

2018-10-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

For weeks we had been quietly winding our way through breathtaking mountains and quiet villages, so when we made the sharp right turn onto the highway heading into Ha Long we were quickly shaken back to reality. With so many cars and bikes on the road staying together was tough. We stopped for gas and to catch our breath and tried to remember we're on the same team. This little mantra is what we always came back to when we found ourselves taking out our frustrations on each other... same team. It was one of our worst driving days due to the congestion and when we finally got to our room all we wanted was a snack and some AC.

Vietnam Ep 7 - Cao Bang to Cat Ba from One Long Trip on Vimeo.

The next morning we caught the 10 am ferry out to Cat Ba Island. It was a beautiful boat ride and when we landed we had about an hours ride on the bikes to the other side of the island. We arrived a bit before check in so decided to drop our bags and take a quick drive up to some nearby caves. What seemed like a harmless little excursion turned into a dramatic event within the first 5 minutes. I always carried my purse on my body but for some reason had decided to bungee it to the luggage rack with the water bottles. Of course it contained my passport, wallet, phone, bike registration, etc. When I turned to check on them everything was gone. I honked like a maniac for Tom to stop and immediately turned around to look for my stuff. As it had only been a few minutes, I was sure it'd still be there. However, we spent the next few hours scanning every inch of the road, asking people sitting out front their homes, asking the hostel if it'd been returned, and eventually going to the police station. There they told us to come back in 2 hours because it was nap time!

We headed back to the hostel to check in, regroup, and wait out the police nap before trying again. We had splurged a little at this hostel because it was one of our last and we were looking forward to a few relaxing days by the beach. We got on our own private bungalow right by the pool and were happy to have such a comfortable place to hang out, even if I was pretty bummed about my bag being lost. When we went back to the police station they sent us to the tourist center to find someone to translate and help with the paperwork. We did that and got ourselves an amazing local friend that helped with everything. He even made an announcement on the city wide loudspeaker for everyone to keep an eye out. At this point I was pretty sure it was gone so after a few tears I tried to not let it ruin my trip. We had just spent 6 amazing weeks in this country and I didn't want my carelessness to cause me to leave on a bad note. So we spent the evening watching a beautiful sunset and eating some of the best oysters we have ever had (grilled with caramelized onion and wasabi).

The next morning, while eating breakfast and making a game plan the front desk man at our hostel called me over and said he'd been looking for me because the police had found my bag!!! We went to the tourist office expecting to have a pleasant exchange, many thanks, and maybe offer some reward money. Instead we got a whole party of people wanting in on this exciting event. I was instructed to write a thank you letter to the police, pose for photos, shake hands, and chat with the man who returned my things. They filmed as I took everything out of my bag and confirmed it was all accounted for. Then I was asked to say a few words of thanks to the community and it was all put on the news that evening. Tom later found the recording on facebook and it had already been viewed over three thousand times! I was just happy to oblige as I was so stoked to have everything returned to me.

Our sweet bungalow

Our spirits were high the next day as we headed out on a full day cruise around the islands. We got to spend the day boating between hundreds of amazing karst islands sticking straight up out of the beautiful turquoise water. We got a tour of a family run fish hatchery, which other than tourism, is how most people make a living. There are whole floating villages where people spend most of their lives, only going to town to stock up on dried goods. We went kayaking through caves into a lagoon full of jellyfish, jumped off the boat, swam to a small sandy beach covered in seashells, had a huge seafood lunch, and met some really nice people. It was well worth the money and as it was one of the few "touristy" things we did we had a great time.

After five days on the island we headed back to the mainland and on to our final destination, the city of Hanoi. I got a flat tire about half way there so we stopped and got the bikes tuned up as we would be selling them in a few days. The shop patched my tire, replaced some screws, tightened a few things here and there on both bikes, and charged us a whopping $1.50.

Our free tour

Hanoi was busy and overwhelming. We were tired and dirty after six weeks of riding motorcycles and over two months of traveling in southeast Asia. Had this been our first city we may have loved it, many people do. But it was our last so we just felt claustrophobic while meandering the streets. Riding our bikes there was absolute chaos. Luckily we were pretty comfortable by this point but it was still scary. On one of our last days we managed to get asked to join a free motorbike tour of the city. It was great to get to ride on the back of a bike while a local navigated the river of traffic and pointed out fun landmarks. They took pictures of us for their new website and took us on a really fun tour of the city to places we never would have gone on our own.

We tried our best to enjoy our last few days eating amazing cheap food and drinking as much coffee as we could stand. By the end we were hot and have I said tired? Yea we were tired. A ten hour plane ride with no worries, AC, and endless movies sounded like a dream. We grabbed a 6 am bus to the airport with plenty of time to spare just in case something unexpected happened. It all went smooth and we even snuck into a private lounge to pamper ourselves for a few hours before the long awaited flight to Denmark.

Taking the ferry

Cruising around Cat Ba Island

best oysters

Beautiful fishing boats

Amazing rock formations

Our boat tour

Happy tourists

Last sunset on Cat Ba

Hanoi famous egg coffee

Hanoi train bridge

Our awesome tour group

Tom got his shows re-glued and cleaned up

Hanoi train street

Last day with my bike

Airport lounge :)

Motorbiking Vietnam - The Far North

2018-09-20T05:10:00.004-07:00

Getting to the far northern regions of Vietnam was the most anticipated part of the trip for me. I had seen photos of the steep cliffs with turquoise water below and I was dying to see it for myself. I knew I wanted us to have time to explore this area but when we started our trip we were a long ways away. We set a fast pace up the entire country, to allow for breakdowns or unforeseen delays. Finally reaching the city of Ha Giang felt almost like a relief. We'd made it and could now take our time.

As we had read would happen (thanks to our bible and most helpful guide and savior Tom of Vietnamcoracle.com) The minute we crossed into the Ha Giang province the roads turned to chewed up and spit out cement. Our speed was cut in half and our heads bounced like a bobblehead on the dash of an old car. In a few gracious sections there would be a strip of almost smooth pavement wide enough for one motorbike. No matter what part of the road it happened to be on it was shared by all, so if we were coming around a corner we would toot the horn and try to avoid a head on collision.

The town of Ha Giang was bigger than we had expected so we got a good long walk in when we went exploring. We found a hip little spot to get iced tea and play cards but mostly hung out in the hostel. A lot of tourists take a bus to Ha Giang and then rent scooters to do the 2 to 3 day loop through the mountains. They had a nice selection of western style food that all ended up being a little weird but we still enjoyed the break from rice and noodles.

The next day we rode to Yen Minh. It was a pretty mild day, especially now that we were used to the steep and chunky mountain roads. There was a noticeable increase in other motorbike travelers which was fun to see. As we were descending one pretty big hill I noticed Tom wobbling and saw that his bike tire was completely flat. I gave the three honk warning to pull over and when we stopped he was well aware. Luckily we happened to be within sight of civilization and with any town here comes a mechanic. Sure enough we inched into town and pulled right into a shop that patched Tom's tire in about 20 minutes. We were super grateful that this happened where it did as we were driving through long patches of no mans land and some pretty scary roads.

Yen Minh was weirdly busy for such a small town and the main street felt dirty and crowded. No matter how tempting it is to stay in a nice AC-ed room we always force ourselves to walk around the town and get a small feel for how things are there. We turned down a side street and walked through a small market. I tried to look away after glimpsing a skinned dog head resting on a table. At the end of the street was a small path along the river where everything was lush and glowing with the evening sun. We watched a million ducks bathing in the river, said hello over and over to the kids running between the buildings, and got to see a father and his young daughter catching little fish in the pond. I was so happy to have found this little oasis.

The North Pole

The next morning we were first on the road as we headed for the North Pole! This is Vietnam's northernmost point and was just barely worth the rough drive to get there but we had fun people watching, looking over into China, and trying to grab the gigantic flag to snap a pic with it. We headed back out on to the drive of a lifetime. I don't think I can describe this section of highway. It literally blew our minds around every corner. The road was cut along the edge of the mountains, the river below was a milky turquoise green, the smooth and the cool air was perfect for a motorcyclist. Every inch of the hillside was being used to grow crops but it was too steep for the usual rice terraces. All of the tilling and tending had to be done by hand because the water buffalo could not navigate the mountains. I would have stopped a thousand more times but the pull offs were few and the guard rails were ever fewer. Of course right when we arrived in this most scenic area the GoPro died so these views live only in our memories.

Beautiful Ha Giang

We made it to the town of Meo Vac in time for a sunset walk where we said "xin chao" to our local neighbors and watched as the adults prepared the geese on the sidewalk. This town had a really pleasant and welcoming feeling to it. The people were friendly as we asked to take photos and pet all the puppies. We stayed in our favorite hotel of the whole trip. It was a series of colorful one room pods tucked just far off the main road to feel hidden. The lawn was well kept and a few travelers were busy decorating the gazebo. The bed had a fluffy duvet and we had high hopes for a soft mattress but alas, that would have to wait.

Our next leg was a long one but we had a two night stay ahead of us. We arrived in Cao Bang, checked into our hotel and set out to find a coffee shop to do some work. This far into the trip and we were still obsessed with the Vietnamese coffee. I had read that a novelty in these parts was the coconut coffee so I found one and all my dreams came true. It was blended coconut and cream with a shot poured over the top, a true treasure. That night we walked around checking out the many "restaurants" that set up along the sidewalk. Another dish I was dying to try was the duck pho. I settled on a popular looking noodle spot and pointed to a bowl. A few minutes later I received the best meal I've ever had in my life. No joke. The saying in these parts of Vietnam is "There's no bond as strong as sisterhood, and there's nothing better than duck meat". I shelled out a whopping $1.50 and still dream about the flavors of the broth and the richness of the duck meat.

We spent two nights in Cao Bang so that we could spend a full day driving up to the famous Ban Gioc waterfall. It was two hours each way but without our heavy bags or a tight schedule we were able to enjoy it. The falls were insanely beautiful and the color of the water was unbelievable. People come from all over so it was a little crazy with the amount of shops set up. The other side of the river is China and it's to take a boat tour and shake hands with the Chinese tourists on their boats.

At this point we were pretty much through the mountain region and headed back for the coast. We were still very far away so we spent the night in Lang Son, a big exciting city with one of the few major entrances to China. It would have been pretty uneventful but we ended up in a weird hotel and I had my first and only feeling of uneasiness when we went to sleep. I tried to laugh it off by telling Tom but just as he reassured me we were fine footsteps came pounding down the hall and straight to our door. They shook the handle and tried to get in so Tom jumped up, said "Hey!" real load and opened the door to an equally surprised couple just trying to find their room.

Somehow, that put me at ease and we were able to sleep. We were still happy to be on our way the next day as we headed for the luxurious Ha Long Bay.

Quick tire change

Back streets of Yin Minh

Yinh Minh

Tom and the happy ducks!

Scenery from the road

The road to the North Pole

View into China

Bike inspo :)

Beautiful roads in Ha Giang

The green river of Ha Giang

Our funky hotel in Meo Vac

Ban Gioc Waterfall

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A cool cave where Ho Chi Minh hid out after the war

Ride buddies

Motorbiking Vietnam - The Sa Pa Loop

2018-08-21T13:31:00.006-07:00

We were so close to Hanoi, our final destination that we could have been there in a matter of hours. We could have sold these bikes and been done with white knuckle driving. Instead, we went right on by and into the mountains where we would spend the next 2 weeks.

Making friends at our homestay

We spent the night at a small home-stay in Yen Bai. We had gotten up especially early to make it before the rain and we're so glad we did as about an hour after we got there the rains came in full force. It was one of the biggest rain storms we had ever seen. Luckily there were puppies and a couple of kids to keep us entertained. The family cooked us an amazing and huge dinner. This was our first home-stay and it was really sweet to see. We were the only guests which was ok because there was just one huge room where we hung out, ate, and slept behind a curtain.

The next day we went to Lao Cai, which we had read had great seafood and was a really interesting town due to it being on the Chinese border. When we found a place to eat Tom ordered snails and I ordered plain noodle soup but couldn't even finish it as I was quickly deteriorating. I went up to our hotel room and let Tom finish paying. I was pretty feverish through the night and still weak and light headed the next morning so we took our time packing up. We only had a one hour ride ahead of us to as soon as I felt ok we hit the road.

The drive up to Sapa was thick with mist and fog. It was a steady climb on a one lane road straight into the clouds. We stopped about half way up to suit up in our plastic rain pants and ponchos but luckily the rain stayed light. When we arrived we were surprised at how busy and full the town was. There were tourists everywhere and when we drove too slowly the locals would stop us and ask if we needed a place to stay. Staying at a home-stay is very popular here as the mountain villagers have a long and beautiful culture that they share with guests. We had opted for a hotel in town so carried on trying to find it. As had happened before, the place was nowhere near where it was supposed to be. We drove in circles for a while, Tom got off the bike to go wander down alleys a few times, we tried asking around and eventually finally found it. The clouds began to break as we hiked up the stairs to our room and the view was breathtaking. The layers and layers of mountains were finally visible through the mist. Our hotel had a fireplace and the courtyard smelled like Pho.

Sturgeon on the menu everywhere

Sticky rice in bamboo

It was easy to see the appeal of such a destination. It was old, charming, picturesque, and the local people's traditional clothing was beautiful and unique. The women wear mostly black with layers of embroidery, sandals, leg warmers, big silver hoop earrings, and wrists full of bracelets. The men wear navy blue pants, jackets, and wool caps that remind me of an old sailors hat. And the children wear colorful outfits with big hats adorned with dangling beads like the bottom of a lamp shade. I describe these outfits because I did not take any pictures. There seemed to be a price for a photo and while I love to support local economy I did not want to encourage this change in culture. And although the children's pouty, bored expressions would have looked great through the lens of my film camera I did not want them to feel objectified. I did get followed around by a tiny toothless old lady whose big smile and soft voice warmed me right up. I'm currently wearing the bracelet and I constantly get compliments on the earrings I bought from her.

The next day we headed deeper into the mountains. It was a cool, clear, beautiful day and we had practically empty roads and sweeping views of rice terraces and water buffalo. We stopped a lot to take pictures and shed layers as the day warmed up. We were a little nervous about this drive as we read pretty recent reports that the road was closed. It hadn't rained in a few days so we decided to risk it. When we reached the washed out area I waited at the top of the hill and watched a few other motorbikes cross. Tom went right in. There was a shallow but wide river going over the road but it was cement and there didn't seem to be rocks or debris to trip you up while crossing. So I finally got up the courage and rode through, lifting my feet up as much as I could to stay dry. The other side of the bridge was no rest though as it was a steep, muddy, lumpy road. No stopping there.

We got to our home-stay in Y Ty and were a little bit nervous about the prices. They said there was a 200,000 dong charge each that they would pass on to customs officials because we were so close to China. We found one other report of this fee online but at the end of the day we really had no choice as we were in the middle of nowhere. We also got over that fee because the room was cheap and board was cheap, the family was very outgoing and friendly right off the bat, and the place was beautiful. We went on a sunset walk around the tiny town and played a quick game that was similar to hackysack with a group of giggly preteen boys. We came home for a huge and amazing dinner, complete with a bottle of homemade rice wine out of an old iced tea bottle. They call it wine but it hits like tequila and gives a hangover like no other!

Leaving Y Ty and getting back to the highway was our most adventurous road yet. It was gravely, winding, and steeper than I would have liked it to be. I must sound like a broken record but the views! Oh the views... they make all the white knuckle driving worth it. We finally made it back to a flat easy road and had a fast ride along a river separating us from China. We almost made it the entire way but about an hour out my bike started dumping oil. We pulled off at a mechanic and he patched me up in no time and said I was very close to totally running out and ruining the bike. We spent the night at a pretty unexciting hotel and mentally prepared for driving into the "real mountains" the next morning.

Walking down the road in Y Ty

Golden hour in Y Ty

The views!

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Getting that pesky oil leak fixed

Vietnam Ep 4 - Sa Pa to Y Ty from One Long Trip on Vimeo.

Motorbiking Vietnam - The Ho Chi Minh Highway

2018-07-25T06:19:00.002-07:00

Many people love the ancient capital of Hue, but to us, and whatever mindset we were in at the time, found it strange. We were more than ready to leave when we packed the bikes at 6 am to hit the road. Not 10 minutes out though a man came up behind Tom and flagged him to stop. He told Tom his back wheel was wobbling and that his friend was a mechanic close by. As Tom had felt the bike was slightly off, we obliged. I was very skeptic since we could easily have been an easy target with our backpacks and motorbikes. But when we got to the mechanic, out fell about half of Toms spokes. So they brought us iced coffee and cold water and we sat in the alley for 3 hours. They got the parts and rebuilt the rear wheel.

As we headed west out of Hue, it felt like we were finally on the trip of our dreams. The roads got smooth, empty, and perfectly winding. I could easily follow Tom at a safe distance without dozens of motorbikes filling in the gap and separating us. Tom had the only phone holder and battery pack so I held up the rear and trusted that he wasn't missing too many turns. The scenery along the highway became lush as we drove away from the salty ocean breeze and small hills began to surround us.

After a few hours we turned onto the Ho Chi Minh Highway. The road goes all the way from Saigon to Hanoi and some travelers take it the entire way, but we wanted some beach time mixed in. We stopped from lunch at the first place we saw (civilization had been scarce for a few hours) and tried our best to get a vegetarian meal, but ended up with two bowls full of noodles and pork. They were the kindest people though, we had showed up after the lunch hour, obviously tired and hungry and the man called someone to have fresh noodles delivered as he had run out. As we sat, the dark clouds on the horizon grew closer and once we were done we chose to load up and try to outrun the rain. As you could probably have guessed, that did not work. We went through several small showers but the roads were mostly dry so we kept riding. With hours to go ahead of us and nowhere to rest there was not much else to do but put on our ponchos and try and keep a cheery outlook. It started raining really hard. At one point Tom pulled to the side of the road and I thought he was doing so because of the large stream crossing the road ahead. I tried to stop too but started to fishtail and had no choice but to power through it. Turns out he was just checking the directions. Our rugged tires still felt safe on the slick roads and we went extra slow during the really wet sections. At another bridge not only was there water rushing over it but it was entirely covered in thick sand and rocks. We tried to stick to the few other skinny tire tracks but the piles of sand made us wobble all over the place. With our feet barely above the surface, hoping not to slide out and get covered in mud, we made it across. We sat on the other side and laughed and rested for a bit before continuing the last hour or so to the hotel. We arrived completely drenched with water sloshing around in our boots. We emptied our soaked backpacks, got a long hot shower, and ate instant noodles at the hotel restaurant before crawling into the surprisingly soft and luxurious bed.

Our second day on the Ho Chi Minh Highway was our best day of riding yet. It was a beautiful sunny day and the roads continued to wind through the mountains along the border of Laos. We stopped and took pictures, cooled off by little waterfalls, tried to pet baby goats, and felt free as our little bikes rambled up the highway. The scenery got more beautiful with every turn as we drove into Phang Nah Ke Bang National Park. This park is home to the worlds largest cave. It was only discovered in 2007 and that cave is still very hard to explore, requiring booking over a year in advance for a $3,000 tour. We do not A) plan that far ahead or B) have that much money. So lucky for us there are still lots of cool places in the park to explore.

We researched several different tour options because we had heard that was the thing to do. However, we found that no tour did exactly what we wanted so we decided to drive ourselves and pay individually for each cave. This turned out perfect and we saved a bit of money. We started with Paradise Cave right when it opened and it was absolutely beautiful. Some of the coolest cave structures we've ever seen. Then we went to Dark Cave where we had to wait with a few other self guiders until we had a group large enough to do the tour. We started by watching the biggest joke of a "safety video" we had ever seen! Then we all walked up a tall tower and lined up in our harnesses to slide across the longest zip line in Vietnam! We flew over the beautiful turquoise river and crash landed on the other side one by one. Once everyone arrived we swapped the harnesses for helmets and headed into the cave. I never thought I would go spelunking barefoot wearing only a bikini and a helmet. There was no lights inside the cave but everyone had a small light on their helmet as we wove through the muddy cave into a huge pool. I was the first one to walk in, sinking into the muck and trying not to squeal as I swam in the completely brown water. We were instructed to cover our bodies in the mud for its health benefits. It was pretty gross but very hilarious.

Once out of the cave we got into kayaks and paddled back to the start where they had set up a ropes course, games, and a zip line where you drop into the beautiful river. We had no idea this cave would be such an amusement park but we had the best time. We then went to another silly sounding place called The Duck Stop where you ride a water buffalo named Donald Trump. Again, we thought we were too cool for this but had heard from friends it's really fun. We arrived and got a snack of peanuts and fresh peppercorns from the farm then got put in a group with one other guy our age from California. First they took us down to the duck pond where they filled our hands with feed and had us feed them out of our hands. It was an absolute frenzy as they all frantically nibbled and pecked. They chased us around, then our guide put feed in between our feet and I have never laughed so hard at ducks! It felt so funny and strange. The other guy in our group couldn't handle it and jumped out of the pack. Then we each grabbed a duck and threw it into the pond for good luck. After that we walked over to where Donald Trump was peacefully munching on grass and proceeded to take turns riding on him as the guide ordered us into one silly pose after the next. Again, so unexpectedly fun. When we went back they fed us a delicious local meal of banh xeo and Saigon beer. All of this for just $5 and the guide and entire family here on the farm were just the nicest people.

The next morning our very friendly hotel manager walked down the road with us to get the oil changed in our motorbikes. We tried to decline but she was very persistent and said she could get us a good deal. She did and it was by far the cheapest oil change we got the entire trip! We had a beautiful ride out of the park through the lush green farmlands. The road was smooth, empty, and straight and we made record time to our next destination. When we pulled in I went to shut my bike off and it wouldn't stop running. I took the key out and everything. Tom disconnected the fuel and the bike eventually puttered to a stop. When Tom asked the young guy at the hotel desk where to find the parts he needed the man proceeded to walk with Tom and then help him fix the problem. This genuine hospitality seemed to be everywhere!

The Ho Chi Minh Highway continued to be fast easy riding so the next day we rode 300 kilometers all the way to Cúc Phương National Park. We arrived in the evening and were the only guests at a new little resort. We had booked a cheap room but they offered us a private bungalow instead. We had our own little porch with hammocks and could look down to where the the pigs and bunnies lived. The family made us a great dinner and told us about the park. We decided to spend the entire next day hiking and riding in the park and booked a second night at this sweet spot.

It was butterfly season so the entire park was full of beautiful butterflies. I walked through a few clouds of them and felt like a disney princess. Then tried not to think of that as they splattered against our chest and helmets as we drove. We went on a hot and muggy hike through the woods and saw an ancient cave and a 1,000 year old tree that I'm pretty sure was dead. As we were walking out we got stopped by two young Vietnamese guys having a picnic. They invited us over and shared their fish, chicken, and fruit that they had just killed and collected nearby and cooked over a fire. They spoke hardly any english but we laughed and communicated through expression and some google translate. They were insanely nice and we had a great time hanging out. We also got to see some of the nearly extinct monkeys at the primate rehabilitation center. They are kept here and bred and then released back into the wild when they are ready. They were some of the coolest monkeys we had ever seen and it was so sad to think about them being killed by poachers.

We had another relaxing night in our bungalow and geared up for a sunrise start to our next destination.

Another mechanic

Soaked but still in good spirits as we arrive at our hotel

Goats on the highway

Scenic stops along the Ho Chi Minh Highway

Our trusty steeds

Farmlands

Paradise cave

Ready to go caving!

Valley in Phong Nha Park

Picking up ducks!

Buddies

With "Donald Trump"

Tom riding the buffalo

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Our bungalow outside Cúc Phương National Park

Beautiful butterflies

Monkeys at the primate rehabilitation center

Hiking in Cúc Phương National Park

Lizard glamour shots

lunch with our new friends

Motorbiking Vietnam - Hoi An to Hue

2018-06-25T12:14:00.005-07:00

Hoi An was one of the major cities that we had heard a lot about and were really excited to see. We'd planned two nights there, which was a big deal for us as we were trying to move quickly through the central part of Vietnam. We were excited to see the UNESCO World Heritage site of Old Town which is still a fully functional part of the city and has been beautifully preserved.

We had heard about the amazingly professional tailor shops lining the streets, but were still taken aback when we saw just how many were along every section of town. It's a very touristy city so it was hard to walk down the street without getting called on to come have a look in the shops and to let them measure you for new suits, dresses, and shoes. Tom had done a bit of research about getting boots made and decided to go for it, as he has needed a pair of leather work boots for a long time.

Hoi An is known for its region specific cuisine so we were really excited to try it. The most elegant of these is the Banh Bao Vac, renamed by the french as "white rose" because of its soft petal like edges and delicate flavor. It is a secret recipe for a shrimp dumpling and must contain water from the centuries old Ba Le Well. The well itself is pretty nondescript but the ancient stories of mystical beings and long forgotten times give the well its lure. The chefs still make their walk there every day to collect the water for their dishes.

We also had to try the Bahn Mi place made famous by Anthony Bourdain when he visited and claimed it to be the best Bahn mi in Vietnam. The line was around the block because as you probably could have guessed, we weren't the only people to have watched that episode before visiting. BUT we had done the extra research to know that we could just walk inside, have a seat, and order from a waiter. Do as the locals do. It was a very good sandwich but we ended up preferring the ones from Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen. My other favorite dish was Bahn Khot, a small coconut and rice flour pancake deep fried with a quail egg on top, garnished with spicy sauce and papaya salad!

We did manage to do other things besides eat. We had a great time wandering through all the beautiful, colorful streets along the river and exploring some of the heritage sites. There is a beautiful ancient Japanese bridge and several ornate temples. In the evenings the old town would light up with handmade lanterns that were beautiful.

The real excitement came when we finally found me a motorbike! We had been wanting to buy a second bike since our first day riding. There was just too much weight and bags to be comfortable on one motorbike for 6 weeks. Plus I felt like I wasn't motorbiking Vietnam and I wanted to share in this experience with Tom, not just bounce around on the back. So we bought a slightly nicer Honda Win knockoff from a nice Vietnamese girl. She buys and sells bikes mostly to tourists like us. It's common for foreigners to pay more for things in Vietnam. Everything from coffee to motorcycles are almost always ramped up a bit. We've heard of people getting upset about this but everything is still so cheap that I am happy to pay an extra dollar or two for my meal. The girl we bought the bike from was very nice and helpful and she and her father fixed all the little things Tom and I noticed, switched out the mirrors for the ones I wanted, and found us each full faced helmets for a decent price. I was stoked to finally be on my own two wheels.

We immediately went on a ride out to the beach and lounged on some cozy chairs. That evening though Tom started to not feel well and spent the whole night with a fever. The next day we went to a doctor because we were worried he was showing signs of Malaria. In hind site it seems silly but when you get really sick in a foreign country with foreign illnesses it's a lot scarier and worth it to get a quick and cheap checkup. In the end it turned out to be just a stomach illness and was gone after some rest and medicine. We spent the next two days resting and getting some strength back. It felt good to be forced to slow down for a few days. I ventured out a little but we mostly watched TV in the AC and were perfectly ok with that.

For my first day of riding solo, we rode the famous Hi Van Pass. Getting an early start, we stopped at the Marble Mountains on our way. It's a very beautiful, but very touristy, small mountain full of intricate Buddhas and temples. There are several large caves you can climb around in that open up to big cavernous rooms with huge Buddha statues and other small shrines. We grabbed some coffees and headed to the exciting part of the drive. The Hi Van Pass is a beautiful stretch of highway right along the coast the curves up and down a steep mountains. It was made famous by the guys on the show Top Gear. It's a great highway for motorbikes because the road is in good condition and there isn't much traffic since an inland tunnel was built. It's the perfect scenic road with picturesque switchbacks. Many tourist rent motorbikes to ride this section. I was a little nervous at first but quickly felt right at home. It was a great ride but in the end it didn't even make our top 5 favorite stretches of road. It's a little sad that so many people think this is the best Vietnam has to offer but then again it keeps the best places empty for the rest of us.

As we were coasting down the other side Tom's shift level came loose and he wasn't able to down shift. We stopped and he was able to temporarily fix it. This was enough to get all the way down and we stopped at the first mechanic we saw. He got us up and running again but after an hour it started acting up again and he couldn't shift again. So we stopped at another mechanic who banged it into place and sent us on our way, free of charge.

We spent the night in Hue at a hip backpackers and were really surprised when we walked around and found a whole section of town that was all cool coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and backpackers. We didn't think this city had much to offer and while that isn't really our scene it was interesting to see. We grabbed a bowl of Bun Bo Hue (the local noodle dish) from a street vendor and called it a night.

The beautiful Old Town of Hoi An

A friendly local with one of the nicest bikes around

Bánh Tráng Nuong or "Vietnamese pizza" is rice paper with egg, shrimp, and spices

Hoi An at night

Tofu Bahn Mi's from the famous Bahn Mi Phuong

Leila's first motorcycle!

Lantern making shops in Old Town

Photos at the Hoi An Museum

Bánh Khọt, a rice flour pancake deep fried with a quail egg on top. Served with papaya salad

Dragons at the Marble Mountain temple

A hip coffee shop in Hue

Motorbiking Vietnam - Central Coast

2018-06-06T00:40:00.002-07:00

After a short stint in the misty mountains, we were back on the beach. Our first stop was Nha Trang, a popular vacation spot for Vietnamese and (to our surprise) Russian tourists. We stayed in a little hotel a couple blocks from the beach. Our budget is around $10 a night for hotels and we try and get a private room with our own bathroom when possible. This usually puts us a little outside the main tourist areas, which we are totally fine with. Once we arrived, we went in search for lunch and, once again, found that we had missed the lunch hour. In Vietnam lunch is strictly served from 11:30 to 12:30 and no matter how hard we tried, we missed it almost every day. Sometimes it's because we're driving and not really near a town, other times it's because we're just not hungry yet. Luckily this was a bit of a bigger city so we found an actual restaurant that was still serving.

The next day we got up and headed straight for the beach. It was a beautiful morning and the sand stretched on for miles. The water was finally clear and refreshing. We swam and played and when all the chairs with umbrellas were too expensive we sat under a shady tree. Some local people came by selling lobsters and crabs. Their setup was amazing. Over their shoulders was a bamboo pole and on one end hung a little charcoal grill and on the other hung the live crustaceans.

That evening we had a beautiful sunset drive along the coast which led us to a little roadside Oc (shellfish) restaurant. I used the word restaurant loosely here as it was really just a grill on the sidewalk with little plastic chairs and tables. We got some amazing oysters, scallops and beer. We chatted with the friendliest locals while watching the sky turn dark.

One of the first things people ask us in "where are you from?" When we say USA their face just lights up. It's always great to have a warm welcome anywhere but it seems Americans are often worried they will be judged or hated, and for good reason (especially here in Vietnam). So far we have found only the nicest people who love that we are from America and want to chat and share beers with us.

We then spent one night in the town Tuy Hoa. Upon arrival realized there was absolutely nothing going on here. We found a measly lunch and when we went back to our hostel to rest I got a splitting headache. I spent the rest of the night praying I wouldn't delay our trip by getting sick in this desolate place with rock hard dorm beds. Our bunkmates were loud, arriving late and getting up at 4 am to start their day. I was very happy when I woke up feeling ok and we quickly packed up and left.

As we drove along the beautiful coastal roads, we made a pit stop at Ghềnh Đá Đĩa beach, famous for its columnar basalt rock formations. It was really cool and unique but we were surprised to see how many Vietnamese tourists were also there. One couple was even taking wedding photos!

The third beach town on this leg was Quy Nhon. We stayed at John Paul Hostel, which was Beatles themed and had a really fun vibe. We went for a swim and walked around a bit. That evening we got free beer from the hostel and ate a nice American Veggie burger with fries. It's always nice to have some "normal" food every once in a while.

Our next beach town was Tam Ky. It was a long hot drive and we arrived with extra sore butts. We had booked a really cool looking "beach resort" and the pictures looked amazing with murals and big rooms. What we found was an abandoned resort that someone had very recently started to revive. It was pretty sad, especially when I got covered in ants on our bed and the power went out. However, the people were nice and hey, it's all part of the experience. We went for a walk on the beach and as it was a holiday there were thousands of Vietnamese out playing, fishing, snacking, and swimming. That evening our hosts cooked us an amazing seafood dinner with so much food of all types. My favorite was the cooked and seasoned coconut meat with fresh caught fish.

The next morning I went on a walk to to see the sunrise over the ocean. Normally a sunrise beach walk is quiet and serene, but in Vietnam everyone wakes up as early as 3 am and goes out for some exercise. It was amazing to see so many people walking and running together. I joined the herd for a bit and was rewarded when the most beautiful huge orange sun finally rose above the layer of clouds on the horizon.

Our hosts fed us delicious banana crepes and we happily headed to our next destination, the world famous Hoi An.

Evenings in Nha Trang

The beaches stretch on for miles, perfect for long walks

A typical $2 breakfast

The lobster man

Lounging in Nha Trang

Fresh oil for the beast

Sunset overlooking Vinpearland, a huge resort island

Amazing oysters and muscles on the side of the road

pitstop on the way to Tuy Hoa

Ba Ho Falls

Scenic drives

Columnar basalt at Ghềnh Đá Đĩa

Coracles, the round boats used for fishing

So many kids on bikes

The beautiful, colorful graveyards

Motorbiking Vietnam - Đà Lạt

2018-05-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

Looking back on this beginning part of the trip, I was shocked to discover we had only been driving along the coast for 2 days when we headed northwest into the mountain town of Đà Lạt. It seemed like by the time we had gone to Đà Lạt we were seasoned motorbike travelers and practically experts of Vietnam... we had only been in the country one week.

As we headed towards the mountains we could see dark clouds on the horizon. So for the first time we busted out the industrial sized trash bags and wrapped our things up tight. Our fist stop of the day was at the beautiful Pongur Falls. It was a perfect place to stretch our legs and enjoy the fresh water cascading down the stepped rock.

We wanted to stay and swim but the looming cloud pushed us onward. As we went up the mountain we rode right into the misty cloud. The air got cool, fresh, and wet so we pulled over to put on our rain gear. Everyone in Vietnam wears motorbike specific ponchos that have little holes for your mirrors and cover your legs when you sit. They work pretty well but we were still wet and cold when we arrived, wandering around for an extra half hour looking for our hotel. When we finally found it I made Tom drop me off at the top of the driveway so I could buy us some hot cheesy buns. Always a good idea.

We spent the next two days wandering around beautiful Đà Lạt. It was a very welcome change to be able to wear pants and sip hot coffee in the cool mountain climate. One evening we got a papaya salad with fried fish on top and a seafood hotpot for dinner. It's a meal we are still dreaming about!

Đà Lạt is a really different town than anywhere we'd been. The people were all very fashionable and the city is very well manicured. There is a big beautiful lake right in the middle with little swan boats for rent, people fishing, and art sculptures around the edges. You can also take a ride around the lake in a quintessential Cinderella horse drawn carriage.

We walked around the huge flower garden, checked out a very cool coffee roasters, which grows there own beans in the mountains nearby, tried several delicious little street snacks, and had a really sweet time.

A surprise highlight was the Đà Lạt Crazy House. We almost didn't go, thinking it would just be a silly tourist trap but entrance was cheap and we figured why not? We were blown away by the immense scale and wild creativity. The house was created as an art piece by famed architect Dang Viet Nga almost 30 years ago. It's continued to grow and change and has become an amazing labyrinth of walkways, towers and murals. When we were in the underwater rooms a local guy stopped us and started chatting. He told us that he painted the entire thing and then proceeded to ask for our phone so that he could direct a full on photo shoot! He even made us go into a closed off area so we could sit in the mouth of the shark while he went upstairs to get the best shot. He was obviously really proud of his work (which was incredible) and could not have been nicer.

The next morning we had the best egg banh mi's of the trip and hit the road. Back to the beach for these bums.

Motorbiking Vietnam - Saigon to Mui Ne

2018-05-19T05:39:00.001-07:00

When we first started planning our trip to SE Asia we thought we would split our time pretty evenly between Thailand and Vietnam. However, the more we talked and researched the more we realized we wanted to see all of Vietnam. Which meant we needed more time there, so we penciled in 6 weeks. We were so excited when we finally arrived on the 17th of April.

We arrived in Saigon and immediately set about finding a motorcycle. We had barely put our bags down and Tom had already bought a bike off a fellow traveler. The plan all along had been to get two motorcycles, ride all the way to the Northern border, then sell the bikes and fly out of Hanoi. After seeing the insanity of the traffic and talking to other travelers, we decided to both ride on one bike. It had all the necessary racks and a large seat for us and all of our gear.

We stayed in Saigon for four days, wandering through the city, getting used to driving, tasting all the new foods, and trying not to drink coffee all day long. It was the best coffee we'd ever had! We also got to taste some real, flavorful, microbrews from a new brewery that our friend Sean, from Portland, is the head brewer and co-owner of. It was really fun to see a Portlander so far away and to hear about his experiences living in Saigon for the past year and a half with his wife and son.

We also visited the War Remnants Museum, which has relics, photos, and history from the many wars that were fought here. Vietnam went through decades of occupations, wars, meddling, and horror from so many different countries. It was especially heart wrenching to see and learn so much about the American War (known as the Vietnam War in the US). However, this is an important part of history and we are glad we went and could learn a little more about the resilience of the people here.

After four days, we strapped our bags to the bike and headed for the unknown. We planned an easy four hour day to get us started and get a feel for what the next month and a half would bring us. We rode before dawn to skip the traffic. Just after a sunrise stop for coffee, the bike puttered to a halt. After exhausting every option we could on our own, we looked across the median and saw a man waving us over. So we rolled the bike to him, only slightly discouraged, and propped hit up for a proper inspection.

Four hours, four mechanics, and 300,000 VND ($15 USD) later we were on the road again! The guys replaced our electrical coils, which were worn and preventing the spark plugs from firing.

We arrived at our little hotel 10 hours after we left Saigon. Needless to say we were exhausted. We realized then that we were not going to be very fast and that we needed a second motorbike. But that wouldn't happen until Hoi A4n.

Our first seaside hotel was possibly the funniest we have ever seen. The decor was a mix of beach club, hipster, and family aesthetic. It had a ton of potential but needed a little TLC. It was also a pretty big realization of just how far the world needs to go in terms of caring for the environment. There was trash all over the beach and the plastic bags and fishing net rolling in with the waves made the ocean completely undesirable (even in the 100 degree heat).

We went into "town" for a nice seafood dinner. The many fishing boats and small round dinghies, called Coracles, made for an idyllic sunset.

The next day we were off to a good start and feeling more prepared for the trip ahead. It wasn't long before we got pulled over by the cops. Luckily we had been warned this may happen, and the best thing to do was have only 200,000 VND ($10 USD) visibly on us. So after they gave us a good shake down and spoke of ticketing us 2,000,000 VND ($100 USD) and confiscating the bike / taking us to jail, they took 100,000 VND ($5 USD) and sent us on our way.

By the time we got to our AC-ed hotel room (which we learned is pretty much a must), we were ready to lay down, watch some tv, shower, and rest our bums. The next day, we were heading up into the mountains.

The tall skinny building of Saigon

Getting the new bike tuned up before hitting the road

All loaded up

The coffee here is the best in the world!

Finally arrived at our first seaside hotel

Our (very) little beehive bedroom

Sunset in Tân Thành our first evening on the road

Colorful fishing boats along the coast

Quick photo stop!

All cozy on one bike

Roadside lunch for about $3

Cambodia

2018-05-17T06:30:00.004-07:00

The first time I heard about Angkor Wat was from my sister. She was sailing the Gulf of Thailand and did a side trip to visit the temples. She brought me back a t-shirt that I wore for years, knowing that one day I would follow in her footsteps. It took 12 years but I eventually made it! Our experiences were very different, as time can drastically change a popular tourist attraction.

In mid April, Tom and I took a bus from Bangkok straight to Siem Reap. It was a long day but pretty comfy, and the border crossing was smooth. We arrived in the evening and went to our hotel. We had splurged a little by choosing a $12 a night hotel and we were sooooo glad we did! We lounged by the pool, enjoyed the free breakfast, and got to see the city a little before exploring the temples. Walking around town can be a frustrating experience as literally every few seconds you hear "tuk-tuk, tuk-tuk?" as people try and sell you rides. But we got used to smiling and shaking our heads. The food around town was so amazing and cheap. Our favorite dish was the Fish Amok, a curry type dish with cooked down veggies, fish, and coconut milk, served in a little banana leaf bowl with a side of rice. It sounds simple, and it is, but the flavors are incredible.

We happen to be in Siem Reap during Sang Kran, the lunar new year, which made the city very lively with lights, food stalls, trinkets, and lots of tourists. We knew that locals came to the area for the holiday but we did not realize what a huge celebration it was. All over town and on the temple grounds there were stages and events and set up for thousands of people. After sunset was when the real party began. People lined the streets with squirt guns and buckets of water. There was absolutely no way of avoiding getting completely soaked. One evening we made the mistake of being in a tuk-tuk, which got stuck in traffic, leaving us helpless to the onslaught of water!

Our first day at Angkor Wat was insanely hot, humid, and crowded. Luckily the crowds were mostly in the activities areas set up for Sangkran and the temples could still be walked through easily.

Our first stop was the namesake, Angkor Wat. This is the biggest of the temples and the most famous for its majestic peaks. Inside are several beautiful gold Buddha statues which are decorated with flowers and incense and scarves. We also visited Bayon, Preah Khan, Ta Keo, Ta Preohm, Pre Rup, and Neak Pean.

The level of detail carved into every inch of the stone was beyond amazing. Many of the walls told stories of battles or were decorated with gods and goddesses. It is amazing how these carvings are still visible thousands of years later. In my head I liked to imagine what this place must have been like when it was first created. The carvings still fresh, the stones still stacked, the elites of the times roaming through the halls. It is said that the temples here were built to resemble heaven.

We spend three days exploring the temples and got to see all the major sites. There were still many smaller temples that we missed but we had a great time and got to see some incredible structures.

Angkor Wat

2018-05-02T20:30:00.001-07:00

24 Hours in Bangkok

2018-04-28T04:21:00.000-07:00

When we go to cities we love to look up all of the free things to do because normally there are tons! Bangkok was no exception, there were huge lists on the internet with everything from temples to airplane graveyards. It was overwhelming to say the least. And the hardest part was we only had one day...

We arrived at 5 am, after a 12 hour bus ride from Krabi. Sleep was extremely scarce as the lurching of the bus and foul bathroom smells weren't exactly soothing. So when we arrived we paid the extra $7 to check into our hotel 8 hours early and go back to sleep. It was the nicest hotel we had seen in a while and we were so grateful.

Once rested we made a game plan on how best to hit the max number of sights while remaining in budget.

Our hotel was a bit out of the city so we started with a 45 minute walk to a butterfly sanctuary that was very cute but had only a few butterflies and was very very hot.

Free Butterfly Garden

Bangkok Free Art and Culture Center

So we hopped on a train to take us closer to the city center. We got off and after walking only a few blocks in the wrong direction arrived at the Bangkok art museum. This was an amazingly impressive free museum. Not only was the art and photography beautiful but the building was as well. Inside were lots of cute shops and cafes. It was a great way to spend some time out of the heat.

Colorful streets of Chinatown

We then took a tuk tuk ride to China Town. We thought the tuk tuk would be the expensive touristy option but it was actually the cheapest and the most fun for a short distance. China Town was incredibly colorful. Every building is bright and unique and the streets are full of vendors selling pomegranate juice, dried fish, gaudy jewelry, and pretty much anything you could ever want. It's also the oldest part of Bangkok so the architecture is amazing. We stopped in a little Chinese lunch spot and got noodles, soup and tea to get ready for more walking.

The evolution of Thainess

Our next free spot was the Saigon Museum. This one requires a little planning as it's only free from 4-5pm. It focuses on Thai culture and the struggles that the Thai people have had in defining "Thainess" over centuries of changing borders, government, and times. It was pretty entertaining and had a lot of fun interactive exhibits, like a dress up and a recipe room.

Wat Chakrawat

Wat Arun

We cruised through the busy streets eyeing all the fun fabrics and foods for sale. We stopped at a few temples and even saw some crocodiles at one of them. Then walked all the way to the river before catching a very short ferry to the other side. We finally got the coconut ice cream I had been eyeing all day! The ferry took us over to Wat Arun which was definitely one of the more impressive temples.

As the sun went down we walked by the huge palace and contemplate what to do next. When this happens it's usually best to contemplate over a beer. So we walked another 20 minutes to Khau San road, the famous party strip where every door leads to either a bar or a massage parlor. As you walk down the center of the road surrounded by other tourists you have ample opportunity to try a bug, grub, or spider. We politely declined them all, although the blackened scorpion on a stick was kind of calling my name.

Earlier in the day we had planned to go walk around the red light district but after seeing this bar street and reading that they were pretty much the same we decided to skip it. Apparently the area exists solely for the ogling purpose of tourists. Our younger selves may have ventured out into the club scene and stayed out all night, we were in Bangkok after all, but our feet were ready to be in a cozy bed so we got some Pad Thai and a cab home.

The next morning was going to be another early start and another long bus ride, this time to Cambodia!

Butterfly Garden

Art and Culture Center

Chinatown / Oldtown

Wat Chakrawat

Saigon Museum

Thai food room at Saigon Museum

Beautiful temples and tuktuks

Coconut ice cream

The Ferry docks

The Palace at sunset

Khao San Road