Recently I arrived back from Southeast Asia after fifteen days of mini-adventures and relaxing. This entire trip opened my eyes, challenged me every day, and made me appreciate the life I have and the opportunities that exist for me.
Whilst in Thailand, especially Bangkok, I had my exploring cap on - I tried new foods, rode in tuk tuk's, shopped at the markets, and visited several Buddha's including Wat Pho, a 46 metre long reclining Buddha.
After 5 days in Bangkok I headed south to Vietnam; two countries that are close in distance but are completely different. In Vietnam I stayed in Hanoi Old Quarter; an extremely busy part of the capital city where the traffic never stops, and street lights and road rules take a back seat. Navigating these streets was a challenge for me as they drive on the other side of the road, there are no foot paths, and to top it off every street looks the same - very easy to get lost.
During my time there I visited Hoa Lo Prison, sarcastically nicknamed the Hanoi Hilton. Visiting the prison was very eerie as I saw the holding cells, various torture tools, and images of past prisoners. Hoa Lo Prison translated means Fiery Furnace and was initially built by the French to hold Vietnamese revolutionaries in the late 1800's. The prison was then used by the Vietnamese to hold prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, this leg of the trip though came to an end quickly as Typhoon Haiyan made its way to Vietnam.
Once back in Thailand I stayed in Krabi south of Phuket where I had the chance to relax, go on an elephant ride, kayak with wild long tail monkeys that had jumped on board, and snorkel in crystal clear blue waters out at Hong Island.
Vietnam was my favourite country; the beauty of their lakes, the friendliness of the people, their history, and their craft talents are all memories I won't forget. Fifteen days and 36 kilograms of luggage later, it was time to come back home - flying in over Auckland reminded me just how lucky I am to live here.