tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33025963558378794042012-02-07T13:57:22.519-06:00Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125WheresWaldnerhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-85373363406088466572012-02-05T01:07:00.001-06:002012-02-05T01:07:59.925-06:002012-02-05T01:07:59.925-06:00<p><em><font size="1">Days 412-415, January 13-16, 2011</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">With my Dive Certification in hand, my job in Koh Tao was finished. I probably could’ve stayed and did my Open Water Advanced course as well and still make it to my train in Chumphon in time but considering that I fell asleep at 9pm the night we were celebrating, I took that as a sign that I was just too knackered to do anymore diving right away.</font></p> <p><font size="2">My next destination was the island of Penang in Malaysia. From Koh Tao it was a pretty easy journey. The trip on the ferry back to the mainland was a lot worse than the trip to the island a few days earlier. The typhoons in the South Asian Sea were causing massive waves up here in Thailand and most of the people on the ship were getting quite queezy from the rolls the ferry was making. We still managed to get to the mainland with lots of time to spare. And the train itself: I’m not sure how, or whether it was just standard on this particular route, but I managed to get a bed in the really new, air conditioned car. It made for a very nice journey. </font></p> <p align="center"><em><font size="1">Ferry to Penang</font></em><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/cddebc62e00f_14741/IMG_9176.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9176" border="0" alt="IMG_9176" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/cddebc62e00f_14741/IMG_9176_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/02/island-of-religious-mixology.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-8537336340608846657?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/5J6HSMaw0sY" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-59290198473558566482012-01-30T11:51:00.001-06:002012-01-30T11:51:29.924-06:002012-01-30T11:51:29.924-06:00<p><em><font size="1">Days 404-411, January 5-12, 2012</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">It’s funny how things can change in a hurry. When I was thinking about Thailand, I pictured myself spending week upon week on white sand beaches, hopping on ferries to the next out of the way island to bask(or bake as it were) in the sun. As it turns out, I got none of that, and completely on purpose. Besides the little stint on Koh Samet back in September, Koh Tao was going to be my only other Thai island. And for me, it was strictly business. I was going for my Dive certification. </font></p> <p><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/Going-Down-in-Koh-Tao_B4B/IMG_8974.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8974" border="0" alt="IMG_8974" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/Going-Down-in-Koh-Tao_B4B/IMG_8974_thumb.jpg" width="342" height="454"></a></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/01/going-down-in-koh-tao.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-5929019847355856648?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/JN1_9wXL4Kg" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-32451808399524977922012-01-27T04:38:00.001-06:002012-01-27T04:38:30.727-06:002012-01-27T04:38:30.727-06:00<p><font size="2">Another Travel Blogger meme is floating around, this time started by Christine of <a href="http://www.christineinspain.com/post/10241899947/travel-alphabet" target="_blank">Christine in Spain</a>. And it’s come around to my turn, having been tagged to do it. Grrrrr. </font></p> <p><font size="2">The concept is simple! 26 questions, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet, about my travels and experiences. Lets see where this takes us, eh?</font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/01/coreys-abcs-of-travel.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-3245180839952497792?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/1LoP9k-dUDY" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-76616359193407957242012-01-25T23:57:00.001-06:002012-01-25T23:57:29.853-06:002012-01-25T23:57:29.853-06:00<p align="left"><em><font size="1">Day 399-403, December 31,2011 – January 4, 2012</font></em></p> <p align="left"><font size="2">At the start of my trip, oh so long ago, Chiang Mai was really just another Thai city on my list of ones I wanted to see. There was no real particular reason behind it, I didn’t know what there was to see or do in the city. That all changed probably around the beginning of October when I learned that Warren and Betsy of Married With Luggage were going to be settling down for a few months in Chiang Mai. Suddenly, I had a major incentive to go to Chiang Mai. A reason 1 year and 3 continents in the making. </font></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/8d1c659f2247_D10B/IMG_8597.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8597" border="0" alt="IMG_8597" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/8d1c659f2247_D10B/IMG_8597_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/01/chiang-mai-tweet-ups.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-7661635919340795724?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/NgEbgA8S4qM" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-63386106050812682302012-01-19T08:00:00.000-06:002012-01-19T08:00:03.203-06:002012-01-19T08:00:03.203-06:00<p><em><font size="1">Days 396-398, December 28-30, 2011</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">When you’re in Northern Laos, or Northern Thailand for that matter, and you want to move to the next country, the method of transport you are most likely to take, because it’s a journey everyone raves about, is the slow boat down(or up) the Mekong. Sure, you can take the speedboat(it cuts the journey down to 6 hours) but the slow boat is a much more amazing experience I would imagine. </font></p> <p><font size="2">And while most people do the journey going from Thailand to Laos, Lucy, Janine, and I did it the less common, less busy way. Laos to Thailand. </font></p> <p><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/94444732b81b_FE25/IMG_8429.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8429" border="0" alt="IMG_8429" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/94444732b81b_FE25/IMG_8429_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/01/slow-boat-from-laos-to-thailand.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-6338610605081268230?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/F1aF5lLDh2k" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-84121096569163423762012-01-18T03:58:00.001-06:002012-01-18T03:58:20.973-06:002012-01-18T03:58:20.973-06:00<p><em><font size="1">Days 391-395, December 23-27, 2011</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">I grabbed the bus from Vang Vieng rather than the minibus as it was a tad bit cheaper and left a few hours later in the morning, allowing me the opportunity to sleep in a bit more. In the end, it probably wasn’t the smartest idea as the bus tends to always arrive a bit later than scheduled because it’s harder to navigate the tight corners on the cliff sides around the mountains than in a mini bus. I still made it in one piece though, and that’s all that matters. </font></p> <p><font size="2">My destination: Luang Prabang, where Lucy, Janine, and I were meeting back up with Isabella to spend Christmas together. Once again, we got into separate guesthouses as we arrived at different times and had no means of contacting each other besides Facebook. So after finding a place in the heart of the old downtown and messaging them, I grabbed a wonderful Oreo Shake from the night market and settled down to sleep as I wanted to be up early for the Alms.</font></p> <p align="center"><em><font size="1">Heaven</font></em><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/52600ffb7b65_F30D/IMG_8240.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8240" border="0" alt="IMG_8240" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/52600ffb7b65_F30D/IMG_8240_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/01/very-laos-christmas.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-8412109656916342376?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/5n18RbJq6Fw" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-39391438170773808842012-01-13T20:31:00.001-06:002012-01-13T20:31:51.954-06:002012-01-13T20:31:51.954-06:00<p><em><font size="1">Days 387-390, December 19-22, 2011</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">Vang Vieng, Laos is one of those places that almost seems to get trapped in a singular focus. Ask most backpackers or travelers about that town and they’ll all name the “must do” thing there: tubing. At home, tubing means being put in an inflated tire tube and pulled being the back of a speeding boat around the lake. Here, it means laying in an inflated tire tube, floating slowly down the Nay Som River, and getting drunk off your ass. At least a dozen bars are located on the rivers edge, pulling tubers in for free shots, cheap beer, and even cheaper buckets of whiskey cola. </font></p> <p align="center"><em><font size="1">Each of those cost $1.20</font></em><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/738104d47e0f_94F2/IMG_8123.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_8123" border="0" alt="IMG_8123" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/738104d47e0f_94F2/IMG_8123_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <p><font size="2">Swings, zip lines, and slides are also found in abundance at these riverside bars. I’m trying not to judge those that go strictly for that, but there’s enough deaths each year that you’d think people would realize that extreme alcohol + water + rocks + jumping in drunk = not a good combination. I had no desire to do the drinking and tubing mix. In my head, I was going to do the tubing, have a beer at one bar, and spend the rest of my time floating down the river taking photos. I had no idea that there was so much more to do in Vang Vieng than the tubing. </font></p> <p><font size="2">And I spent three days doing everything but tubing.</font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/01/i-went-to-vang-vieng-and-didnt-tube.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-3939143817077380884?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/PC_106r3OvY" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-40872961388724203232012-01-11T07:53:00.001-06:002012-01-11T07:53:13.089-06:002012-01-11T07:53:13.089-06:00<p><em><font size="1">Days 383-386, December 15-18, 2011</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">Can I be brutally honest right now? My main reason for blazing past Pakse after the 4000 Islands was so I could get to Vientiane and apply for my Thai visa and receive it before the weekend. I did not want to get stuck in the city over the weekend waiting for my passport to be handed back to me from the Thai Embassy.</font></p> <p><font size="2">Funny how things don’t always work out the way you planned it. </font></p> <p align="center"><em><font size="1">Vientiane, Laos</font></em><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/6d94c2238f14_12E23/IMG_7985.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_7985" border="0" alt="IMG_7985" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/6d94c2238f14_12E23/IMG_7985_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/01/visa-runs-and-other-fun-in-vientiane.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-4087296138872420323?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/cNCMr8BvMx8" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-25333907489798098612012-01-04T05:33:00.001-06:002012-01-04T05:33:22.895-06:002012-01-04T05:33:22.895-06:00<p><em><font size="1">Days 379-381, December 11-13, 2011</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">Located a mere 5-10 minute drive from the border with Cambodia, the 4000 Islands of Laos are, for the most part, peoples first or last stop on their trip in the tiny, landlocked country. At this section of the Mekong, the river widens enough to create dozens upon dozens of islands. Maybe not the 4000 that the name implies, but there are plenty to see. However, there are only three that are usually on anyone&#39;s itineraries or radar. Most of the other “islands” are too small or too temporary to hold any sort of infrastructure.</font></p> <p align="center"><em><font size="1">My bungalow</font></em><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/d1984ea9d4f1_F07C/IMG_7732.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_7732" border="0" alt="IMG_7732" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/d1984ea9d4f1_F07C/IMG_7732_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2012/01/1-out-of-4000-isnt-bad.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-2533390748979809861?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/RqeVMWODUKA" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-38325579807522514292011-12-31T20:22:00.001-06:002011-12-31T20:22:21.863-06:002011-12-31T20:22:21.863-06:00<p><font size="2">I’ve been on the road for over a year now(actually, at the time of writing this it has been 13 months). I had wanted to write a post for my 1 year anniversary and my thoughts at that time but a combination of laziness and writers block stopped me. That is something that has yet to change on this trip, the writers block. For the most part, I know there aren’t too many people outside my family and friends that are reading this, but I still feel compelled to write something of at least some semblance. </font></p> <p><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/50c4a64f6376_A656/IMG_0066.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Via rail board" border="0" alt="Via rail board" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/50c4a64f6376_A656/IMG_0066_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <p><font size="2">I guess that is still the perfectionist in me. I’m rarely, if ever, satisfied with my own writing. But, nonetheless, here I am. At the tail end of my trip, having been on the road, living out of my backpack, for 13 months. And what a year it has been.</font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/12/1-year-down.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-3832557980752251429?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/iwUMXoby3ow" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-86793555157539614062011-12-27T04:39:00.001-06:002011-12-27T04:39:22.878-06:002011-12-27T04:39:22.878-06:00<p><em><font color="#ffffff" size="1">Day 378, December 10, 2011</font></em></p> <p><font color="#ffffff" size="2">There is only one land border crossing between Cambodia and Laos and for the longest time it was a painful one to cross. While most other land crossings into Laos would have visas available on arrival, this particular one did not. </font></p> <p><font color="#ffffff" size="2">That all changed a few years ago and according to the owner of a restaurant in Kratie, it has had the effect of boosting business like crazy. More travelers are making the journey in that direction as it has become easier and more convenient. It is not without its challenges though!</font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/12/travel-daykratie-cambodia-to-si-phan.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-8679355515753961406?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/mnuyBuTrpu4" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-17130993504473549892011-12-24T06:25:00.001-06:002011-12-24T06:25:09.698-06:002011-12-24T06:25:09.698-06:00<p><em><font size="1">Days 368-369 &amp; 376-377, November 30-December 1 &amp; December 8-9, 2011</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">Two small towns in Cambodia exist a slight ways off the beaten track. For the most part, people tend to ignore these in exchange for the war history in Phnom Penh, the magic in Angkor Wat, or the sun and surf in Soukanitville. And it is understandable why most people would leave these places off their “must see” list after going there myself. </font></p> <p align="center"><em><font size="1">Monk walking in Battambang</font></em><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/The-Bats-and-Dolphins-of-it-All_10625/IMG_7284.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_7284" border="0" alt="IMG_7284" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/The-Bats-and-Dolphins-of-it-All_10625/IMG_7284_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <p><font size="2">Don’t get me wrong, they’re both nice little communities, but they’re also very very quiet, with little to do but one or two sights. While the second, Kratie, has easy access to small Cambodian villages in which to visit, the first, Battambang, is really no more than a small city. Not much of a draw besides the “bamboo railway” and the “killing caves.”</font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/12/bats-and-dolphins-of-it-all.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-1713099350447354989?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/YFw9fiWOS_g" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-45162793738005375762011-12-22T03:18:00.001-06:002011-12-22T03:18:25.546-06:002011-12-22T03:18:25.546-06:00<p><font size="2">Besides the temples in the Siem Reap area, the city is also a pretty happening place for foreigners. I don’t think I have been to a town that is as touristy as this place. Because of the proximity to the temples, and the fact that they are one of the main reasons people come to Cambodia, it wouldn’t be surprising to find out that the majority of the local population works within the tourism industry in one way or another. </font></p> <p><font size="2">Case in point: Pub Street. Yup, an entire street in this little Cambodian town is called Pub Street. They even have street signs with that name on it. </font></p> <p><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/317182f5720a_F069/IMG_6511.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6511" border="0" alt="IMG_6511" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/317182f5720a_F069/IMG_6511_thumb_3.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <p><font size="2">And it is probably one of the reasons that I got drunk for the first time in a very long time on this trip. I blame Val. And Lucy. And Juno. </font></p> <p><font size="2">Ah, hell. I blame everyone. </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/12/after-temples.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-4516279373800537576?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/h3IPU2vr96k" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-6485938782182554882011-12-11T05:33:00.001-06:002011-12-11T05:33:54.684-06:002011-12-11T05:33:54.684-06:00<p><em><font size="1">November 25-29, Days 363-367</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">I only spent two nights in Phnom Penh that first time before I took off for Siem Reap in order to meet up with Val, a fellow travel blogger whom I had been chatting with for months through Twitter. I knew I would be coming back through Phnom Penh later so I wasn’t too worried about missing anything the first go around. </font></p> <p><font size="2">There are a multitude of options to get from the capital to Siem Reap, home of the Angkor Wat temple complex. Myself, Nicola and Juno, and Jens and Julia were all heading there on the same day on three different buses. And the journey is another one where paying a little more does mean a better experience. I paid a whopping $10 for a mini-bus ride to the town. Nicola and Juno, on the other hand, paid $9 for their bus ride. They left an hour before me, got in an hour later, and from the sounds of it, had the stinky ride from hell as a baby had messed their diaper at the beginning of the trip and the parents decided to change him on the bus and leave the diaper on board. </font></p> <p><font size="2">I slept the whole way in Air Conditioned bliss with a single stop for lunch halfway through. </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/12/temples-of-angkor.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-648593878218255488?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/a-DdGHAoKk8" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-50965846778793428012011-12-10T08:15:00.001-06:002011-12-10T08:15:22.116-06:002011-12-10T08:15:22.116-06:00<p><em><font size="1">November 24, December 3-7,2011. Days 362, 371-375</font></em></p> <p><font size="2">“Oh, you’re going to Phnom Penh? You’re going to need a few days to let it grow on you.”</font></p> <p><font size="2">Those were the first words I heard from someone about the capital city of Cambodia. I wasn’t entirely sure what they meant other than perhaps it is like most cities and needs time for you to find its charm. Coming from Vietnam, the differences were immediately striking. I found it smaller(because it was) and surprisingly cleaner. There was certainly rubbish, but there didn’t seem to be nearly as much as the cities in Vietnam. I’m not knocking Vietnamese cities, just merely stating something I’ve noticed.</font></p> <p align="center"><em><font size="1">Independence Monument in central Phnom Penh</font></em><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/f1e552292aab_1148E/IMG_6472.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6472" border="0" alt="IMG_6472" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/f1e552292aab_1148E/IMG_6472_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <p><font size="2">But the whole “need a few days to let it grow on you” adage? It didn’t apply to me. As soon as I arrived I felt drawn to the city. And in the few days I spent there(split in-between a visit up to Siem Reap and Battambang), I easily found a city that I could live in and relax in. </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/12/life-and-death-in-phnom-penh.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-5096584677879342801?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/4pXLK7s-4Ks" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-74075400480780411442011-12-08T07:32:00.001-06:002011-12-08T07:32:13.646-06:002011-12-08T07:32:13.646-06:00<p><font size="2">My return to Ho Chi Minh City was really just to sign up for a tour into the Mekong Delta that would also end up taking me into Cambodia. I figure that it would be easier to do the border as a group than on my own. Plus, if I did it on my own, I still wanted to do the Mekong Delta and that would require coming back into Ho Chi Minh City anyways. </font></p> <p><font size="2">My time in HCMC was pretty laid back. I spent much of my time kicking back in the Vietnam version of Starbucks, Highlands Coffee. Iced coffee was amazing there and I ended up getting lots done on my Geocaching KMZ file(still not done but it’s building slowly). I was in the city when Vietnam beat Laos to win their Grouping in the Southeast Asia Games for football. I also took in a traditional Vietnamese Water Puppet show. I had no idea what was happening but it was still cute and fun. </font></p> <p align="center"><em><font size="1">Vietnamese Water Puppet Theater</font></em><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/17a7eccb53b6_DC46/IMG_6307.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_6307" border="0" alt="IMG_6307" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/17a7eccb53b6_DC46/IMG_6307_thumb.jpg" width="553" height="416"></a></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/12/from-vietnam-to-cambodia-over-mekong.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-7407540048078041144?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/-xjsCn6JBfI" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-20798180314125312462011-12-03T07:18:00.001-06:002011-12-03T07:18:48.486-06:002011-12-03T07:18:48.486-06:00<p><font size="2">A long, and rather gruelling, 14-hour overnight bus ride from Hanoi brought me back into Hue. The last time I was here I only stayed for a day and a half as I was with <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-feel-kinda-bad-about-my-last-post.html" target="_blank">Frank and Po</a> at the time. This time I was alone, in a private room hotel. As I had already seen the Citadel the last time around, I decided to skip that, rent a bicycle for a few days, and take in the Royal Tombs that lay just south of the city. </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-hue-to-get-around.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-2079818031412531246?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/t6QLSiRb0eg" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-23058818412741067412011-11-30T09:00:00.002-06:002011-12-02T05:44:24.465-06:002011-12-02T05:44:24.465-06:00<div style="text-align: left" dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><span style="font-size: x-small" class="Apple-style-span">**</span><em><span style="font-size: x-small" class="Apple-style-span">I am going to try something new with the photos on my blog, making them bigger in the first place so you don’t have to click for a larger image. Please let me know if you prefer this or the previous way I did things**</span></em><br><br><font size="2">Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Even though it is also the second largest city in the country, few people seem to come to Hanoi for little more than to escape to either Ha Long Bay or Sapa, or both. There are plenty of museums(none of which I actually went to) and things to see, but the two outer excursions tend to overshadow the city.<br><br></font></div><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/e1d645da5502_EFBE/IMG_4719.jpg" target="_blank"><font size="2"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 5px auto 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Hanoi street" border="0" alt="IMG_4719" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/e1d645da5502_EFBE/IMG_4719_thumb.jpg" width="190" height="254"></font></a><br><font size="2">I found myself drawn into Hanoi as a place to relax before and in-between my trips into Ha Long Bay and Sapa. And with the help of an iPod app, I managed to meet a couple really cool guys to hang out with on my down time. <br></font> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/11/capital-we-ignore.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-2305881841274106741?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/lZ4067uePas" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-68310931369430613982011-11-29T09:00:00.000-06:002011-11-29T09:00:04.776-06:002011-11-29T09:00:04.776-06:00<p><font size="2">Besides Ha Long Bay, Hanoi is a great jumping off point to explore the highlands around Sapa. Every hotel and hostel and guesthouse in the capital city are falling over each other to sell you tours to both these places. And while it could be argued that to really see Ha Long Bay with ease, one must go with a tour, Sapa can just as easily be done while on your own as on a tour. I opted to go for a tour as I was unsure of the ease of doing a homestay in the villages surrounding Sapa town on my own. And the homestay is essential I think to really get a feel for the area, and to see even more than you would. </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/11/minority-villages-of-sapa.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-6831093136943061398?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/fudujXwCUUU" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-60705212437143922422011-11-18T03:17:00.001-06:002011-11-18T03:17:58.590-06:002011-11-18T03:17:58.590-06:00<p><font size="2">Ignoring, for a moment, the justifiable <a href="http://www.goseewrite.com/2011/11/new-7-wonders-world-scam-behind-sham/?utm_source=feedburner" target="_blank">controversy surrounding the selection of the “New 7 Wonders,</a>” Ha Long Bay still stands out as an amazing place. Of the seven places that have been named onto the new list, this one is one of the few that is actually deserving of the title in my opinion. I had already done a one day tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site with Po and Frank a few days earlier and it’s very apparent that four and a half hours is not nearly enough to really appreciate the beauty of the area. So, with that in mind, I set out to book a three day, two night tour of the bay. </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/11/ignoring-for-moment-justifiable.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-6070521243714392242?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/UNldQVNcQSM" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-81349300499296282462011-11-16T11:44:00.001-06:002011-11-16T11:44:40.992-06:002011-11-16T11:44:40.992-06:00<p><font size="2">I feel kinda bad about my last post where I pretty much slammed the town of Dalat. At least it seemed that way. I was more slamming the tour I was on. Dalat itself seemed like a cute little town. I know the one thing that stuck out in my mind was how clean the lake in the middle of the town looked and how well groomed the walking trails were. Perhaps if I had gone to Dalat with a better attitude I would’ve enjoyed the town more. Check out <a href="http://www.travelnlass.com/" target="_blank">Dyanne’s blog</a>, the geocacher I had met in Sapa, for a better idea about Dalat once she moves there to teach English.</font></p> <p><font size="2"><a href="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/27d3644a1b5f_110D7/IMG_4325.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 5px 5px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Broken down bus" border="0" alt="IMG_4325" align="left" src="http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff256/pangaeanshift/blogger/27d3644a1b5f_110D7/IMG_4325_thumb.jpg" width="129" height="98"></a>Leaving Dalat was an adventure in itself. The bus was . . . run down to say the least. Fumes filled it for the 4+ hour drive to Nha Trang where I had already reserved my seat on the bus to Hoi An. I would only have an hour changeover to make that bus. When the bus heading to Nha Trang pulled over with a flat tire, things looked dire. </font></p> <p><font size="2">Haha, I just rhymed! </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-feel-kinda-bad-about-my-last-post.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-8134930049929628246?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/GqV_3IQF7Gk" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-47136171010069104092011-11-15T04:45:00.001-06:002011-11-15T04:45:51.039-06:002011-11-15T04:45:51.039-06:00<p><font size="2">I left Nha Trang in a pretty down mood having had money stolen from right beside me on the beach. I had already booked a quick little trip into Dalat already so I was just happy to be getting away to maybe clear my head and get less angry at the people around the beach. I had purposely left Dalat off my Open Tour Ticket as I was getting many mixed reports on the bad weather it was having(i.e.//non-stop rain). When I got to Nha Trang, I checked again and it looked like there would be a slight break in the weather long enough for me to check it out. </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-left-nha-trang-in-pretty-down-mood.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-4713617101006910409?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/bcEWfER84p4" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-49703892086446304102011-11-12T05:34:00.001-06:002011-11-12T05:34:02.341-06:002011-11-12T05:34:02.341-06:00<p><font size="2">Vietnam has really hit the mark when it comes to [pandering? helping?] tourists. Case in point is the plethora of options available with their “Open Tour Bus” routes. These buses are a hop on, hop off style bus ticket. You purchase a ticket with a certain number of stops and go at your own pace, reserving your seat the day before leaving. I ended up booking my ticket through The Sinh Tourist.</font></p> <p><font size="2">That in itself is an interesting story as <a href="http://www.thesinhtourist.vn" target="_blank">The Sinh Tourist</a>, formerly The Sinh Cafe, was the original company to offer this. And they did so with such professionalism, and gained such a good reputation, that dozens upon dozens of imitators sprung up. And without any sort of major copyright law, they all had the same name too. Finding the real Sinh Cafe/Sinh Tourist proved to be a challenge, but I managed. And for only $23 I got a four stop ticket from Ho Chi Minh City, stopping in Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, and Hanoi. </font></p> <p><font size="2">First stop: Nha Trang.</font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/11/statistics-and-you.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-4970389208644630410?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/yaeSGJgj8HE" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-41430480821310768862011-11-06T08:08:00.001-06:002011-11-06T08:08:05.618-06:002011-11-06T08:08:05.618-06:00<p><font size="2">With my non-visa visa for Thailand about to expire, I had to make a decision as to where I was going to go to next. Was I going to go into Cambodia first and go overland through to Vietnam and into Laos, or start in Vietnam first? Even now I’m not entirely sure why I chose to head to Ho Chi Minh City first, but I did. </font></p> <p><font size="2">I landed, interestingly enough, on the day that news broke back home that Bangkok was flooding(it wasn’t yet, but media tends to hype these things up ahead of time). Without a proxy server on my computer to access Facebook, I had a friend, who informed me of Bangkok’s plight, to let people know that I wasn’t actually there anymore. The wonders of technology!</font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/11/city-of-motorbike-madness.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-4143048082131076886?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/aKw3S-YIcFo" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302596355837879404.post-67934828047243063362011-10-30T11:40:00.001-06:002011-10-30T11:40:11.849-06:002011-10-30T11:40:11.849-06:00<p><font size="2">One of the most popular, and common, day trips out of Saigon(aka Ho Chi Minh City) is a quick tour of the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels and the Cao Dai Temple. Although, in retrospect, the Cao Dai temple is really only a popular/common trip as it is usually rolled up in the same package tour as the Tunnels. </font></p> <p><font size="2">It is an interesting mix of sites when you think about it. First you have the wonder and curiosity of a religion that mixes many different major religions into one. Then you have a sobering tour through a major Viet Cong stronghold from the Vietnam-America War. I don’t think it would be too bold of me to say that it was this area that really began the slow loss of the war by the Americans. And it gives an interesting insight into some of the thoughts of the locals. </font></p> <a href="http://whereswaldner.blogspot.com/2011/10/war-and-religion-in-western-vietnam.html#more">Read More. . .</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3302596355837879404-6793482804724306336?l=whereswaldner.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WheresWaldner/~4/lazY8FshTVo" height="1" width="1"/>Corey W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00943596639118308777noreply@blogger.com0