Hanoi and Halong Bay

We arrived to Hanoi, Vietnam on the coldest night in decades. We walked off of the plane at 21:30 wearing shorts and chacos. Once we got to the Hong Ngoc Cochinchine Hotel, we dropped our bags and headed straight to the night market to buy the cold weather gear we needed. About 800,000 Vietnam Dong later ( 22,000 VD is approximately $1) we had 'North Face' coats and scarves.

Bright and early the next morning, we joined a two day tour to Halong Bay through Oriental Sails.

The drive was quite scenic and took a couple of hours. Our guide explained that Vietnam is still a socialist country but half of the economy is based on capitalism, while the other half is still controlled by the government. There is only one party, which all citizens are strongly encouraged to be active participants of. The red flag with the yellow star is the flag of the party and we saw them all over northern Vietnam to advertise the party meeting that was coming up.

Here are some rice fields either soon after harvest or right before planting.

These were the first of the rock formations that makes Halong Bay so famous.

Heading out to the boat we will call home for the night.

Bundled up for the chilly boat ride.

New friends :)

Living the life of luxury in our snazzy cabin.

The first full shot of some of the towering limestone pillars that make Halong Bay so famous. Halong Bay was designated as a World Heritage site in 1994. 

While we were on board we were plied with delicious, unique and some interesting combinations of tastes and food

Somehow the afternoon felt colder but we were determined to go kayaking in spite of the weather and our lack of enough wa m clothes.

Cold toes ;)

Just as a bit of a warning, I went a bit photo crazy. I just could not help myself. Halong Bay is just so beautiful and majestic.

The whole kayaking group :)

Plastic bags are surprisingly difficult to remove from the water with a paddle.

Another new friend ;)

That night it started raining and just never stopped. The next morning we headed to one of the hundreds of caves that can be found within the limestone islands in Halong Bay.

We were there with about 250 other people. The cave was big enough for all of us but it was a tight fit.

Finally a photo of the whole gang.

We had a chilly drive back to Hanoi where Jenna and I opted to join Emily and Yulia, who were flying to warm Ho Chi Minh City the next day.

Goa

On 16 January we arrived in Goa and Pawan picked us up from the airport. We got to Rasa and settled in. After weeks of traveling and sharing everything, it was super nice for each of us to have a whole room to ourself. We went to the beach and did yoga everyday, ate delicious food, learned how to make some simple, yet mouthwatering Indian dishes and got a tour of a spice farm! Just to let you guys know, I did not take many photos this week and most of the ones I did take are of beautiful sunsets. 

Thanks for a great week Pawan and the Rasa team! I will most definitely come for another week at some point :)

Our first sunset in Goa :)

Jenna and I took out some ocean kayaks on a calm day.

We headed to a beach called Palolem, which is about a 45 minute drive from Rasa, for a few hours.

Watching the sunset while swimming is one of my new favorite things!

On 20 January we headed to Cabo de Rama fort and then to the beach. Goa was, up until a few decades ago, a Portuguese colony. As such, most of the people that live in Goa are Catholic and can apply for a Portuguse passport, though within a few years this will become more difficult.

We loved going to Cabo de Rama so much the first day, that for the remainder of our time in Goa, we went there every day :)

Here we are after just walking into the spice farm.

Here is a pepper plant.

These seeds, once broken, give a brilliant red pigment that is used in lipstick. It stains your skin for a couple of hours before it washes off.

Here is one of the hottest peppers in the world. Tiny but full of punch!

Turmeric

You know, just an elephant lying in a river. A common occurrence ;)

We stopped at a store called Fab India and Jenna and I ended up buying this same colorful, beautiful blouse .

Yet another sunset from Cabo de Rama.

On 22 January, we headed out on a river cruise. We got to see some dolphins and later stopped to see some fruit bats snoozing.

We are Kingfish, which is common all around Goa. It was delicious!

Here are the fruit bats just hanging out ;)

Our last sunset at Cabo de Rama!