Discovering Nong Khiaw, Laos

Posted in Lucky in Laos on September 1, 2010 by aprilcole

Is over 400 pictures taken in 3 days too much?

Obviously, one of the greatest rewards of working for a tour company is the opportunity to travel.  I usually allow all other work to take precedence over this job requirement and haven’t been out exploring and tour inspecting in quite some time.  But felt was about time I got out of the office and took advantage of my work!

Recently, a colleague of mine was setting off to the northern part of the Luang Prabang Province with his employees for their annual work trip and invited me along.  They would be going to Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi, two small villages that I have heard great things about from the expats living in Luang Prabang.  Also on the trip they would be staying one night at a homestay at a small village my colleague claims to be his favorite in all of Laos.  According to sources I would be seeing lush limestone cliffs, green rolling hills and valleys, beautiful textiles and quiet riverside village living.  How could I resist such an offer?

So, I set off for three days over a Laos National holiday weekend armed with a couple of the areas experts, bug spray and most importantly, my camera.  I felt pictures would do a better justice summarizing my weekend adventure more than with my words. Now, you tell me if it looked like an adventure worth getting out of the office for…

Driving to Nong Khiaw takes about 3 ½ hours.  The drive is one of most pleasant drives I have ever had in Laos.  The road surprisingly followed the Pak Ou river so the van didn’t have to whip around  or climb to many of the mountains.  The blue skies, rolling hills and endless tribal villages made the 3 ½ hours feel like a breeze.

Picture 1: View of Pak Ou River and the valley from along the road

Picture 2: Textile Indigo sild drying along the road

Picture 3:  Pit stop. One of my favorite traditional houses.

Picture 4:  Blazing green rice fields galore.

After arriving to Nong Khiaw, the only “town” we were to visit over the next three days, I realized why Luang Prabang was considered the big city in Northern Laos.  Nong Khiaw doesn’t have much beyond great views, river shrimp (if in season) and a true small town feel. And that is exactly why I liked it.

Picture 1: Main Steet in Nong Khiaw

Picture 2:  Lucky for me it was the season for river shrimp – yummy lunch

Picture 3:  Quaint Riverside bungalows with great views

Picture 4:  View from bungalow balcony

Picture 5:  She is carrying a 40kilo bag of rice up 100 stairs, in the blazing sun, barefoot and with her head!

Picture 6:  Surrounding mountains at Nong Khiaw

Who doesn’t love boat rides?  I guess some don’t, especially during the rainy season.  But while driving up river you forget about the occasional rapids because of the stunning views along the way.  The 1 ½ boat ride until Sopjam village has been one of my favorite boat rides in Laos thus far.  Because of few villages along the river, much of the landscape hasn’t been touched. The looming limestone cliffs look as if they are going to fall right on top of you. The mountains are overflowing with lush green fauna and tall tropical trees. And majestic blue skies that are so bright you honestly can’t look at them for too long.  I also had the opportunity to see the mountains from the river on foggy, rainy morning when we were returning to Nong Khiaw.  The fog wrapping the mountains and creeping along the river made me feel as if I had dropped into another world.

Picture 1:  Fog wrapping the lime stone cliffs

Picture 2:  It felt as if the fog was following us.

Picture 3:  Nothing like a beautiful day for a boat ride.

Picture 4:  Rolling along…

Picture 5:  Towering white limestone cliffs

Picture 6: Look at that sky!

We finally made it to the village of Sopjam where we would be sleeping in a homestay.  This tiny village on the river of Pak Ou relies heavily on the fish they catch and the textiles they weave..  After only an hour I could see why this was my colleague’s favorite village in Laos.  I’ll let the pictures explain…

Picture 1:   This charming and dusty village is surrounding by mountains and water.

Picture 2:  Fishing boats resting on the still river

Picture 3:  No reason for a bike in this village – piggy back only

Picture 4:  My suite in the village headman’s house

Picture 5:   Sopjam specialty

Picture 6:  The Princesses of Sopjam

Picture 7:  The village waking up – literally at dawn

After an evening we traveled down river to the village of Muang Ngoi.  Muang Ngoi is bigger than Sopjam but still much smaller than Nong Khiaw. Muang Ngoi has some delicious Lao food, great walking/trekking options and cute bungalows.  It’s hard to get lost in this small town but difficult to find your way to bed if you don’t make it there by the 10:00 electricity curfew.  I am so thankful that the moon was at least out to help guide my way!

Picture 1:  The main drag of Muang Ngoi

Picture 2:  American remembrances used as decoration

Picture 3:  View of rice fields and mountains while trekking to the caves

Picture 4:  River Fisherman set with net and spear gun

Picture5:  The crystal clear water from the cave.  It felt as if I was swimming in the fountain of youth!

Picture 6:  The picture doesn’t do justice to the electrifying color of the rice

Picture 7:  Muang Ngoi the Pak Ou River

Picture 8:  Setting sun and rising moon.  Now is not the time to have forgotten my flashlight!

All in all, it was a great trip not too far from home (Luang Prabang).  The traveling was light and with spectacular views.  The villages were charming and peaceful.  And the experience was unforgettable.  It reminded me how much I appreciate the job I have and the country I love to do it in. Can’t wait to go back!

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Traveling while Pregnant

Posted in California Casual by April, Travel With Kids with tags , , , on July 15, 2010 by aprilcole

This past July I took my first trip overseas while pregnant, since then I counted that I have been on 17 different planes (including domestic and international)! Prior to my first flight I did a lot of research to see how I could travel safely and comfortably. I was very disappointed with the lack of information I could find and extremely disappointed at the suggestion that I simply should not travel overseas while pregnant. Well, for my job and as a personal preference, that just didn’t work. I must say that I did make the decision not to travel in my first trimester as I know that that stage is very delicate and the possibility of needing a doctor is much greater than after the 12 week mark (and I do not suggest travel overseas while in your first trimester). I went against the baby books, blogs and websites and decided to take a trip to Cambodia when I was 14 weeks pregnant. As a disclaimer – I’m not a health care professional, and don’t in any way claim to be. So my first suggestion if you are thinking about traveling overseas while pregnant is to discuss your travel plans with your doctor and see if your doctor says it’s safe to travel. If you’re doctor gives you the go-ahead – then here are a few of my personal suggestions to keep you happy and comfortable while you travel.

Stay hydrated! Stay hydrated! Stay hydrated!

Air travel and travel in general can be dehydrating and your body requires a lot of extra fluid while you’re pregnant. Grab your favorite water bottle and make sure to keep it full at all times. I find keeping a large refillable water bottle at my side is a great reminder to drink water. If you’re traveling overseas, stalk up on bottled or safe drinking water and always bring an extra bottle with you. It may feel inconvenient to carry around so much water, but if you get dehydrated your body can react by having strong Braxton Hicks and it’s scary and uncomfortable. While I was in Ohio I was running around chasing my 4 year old son and I had neglected drinking enough water and my body reacted whith Braxton Hicks, trust me – you don’t want this to happen – just carry around that extra water bottle okay?

Pack snacks, a lot of them and a variety of sweet and salty. – Travel sized packs are your friend.

While in Cambodia I knew that finding my current craving of Fig Newtons wasn’t going to be easy and I also knew neglecting my pregnancy cravings would equate to me being a grumpy travel partner. Because of this I neglected my “pack less” rule and stocked my bag with a good travel box of Fig Newtons. I also threw in travel sized packs of trail mix (with chocolate, cause a girl needs chocolate),  fruit roll ups and lolli pops. The travel packs are great because you can put them in your purse or back pack, and keep the extra in your bigger bag which is likely to be checked, or in the trunk or in your overhead compartment. For the long car rides through the middle of the Cambodian countryside,  I was so happy to something  to satisfy any craving easily accessible. I think Andrea appreciated having snacks in the car too : )

Aisle seats are a requirement for a pregnant woman! While on the plane, get up and walk around at least once every hour, and stretch.

If you have the aisle seat you won’t feel as bad getting up all of the time (and you know you’re going to have to use the restroom every ten minutes anyways, because you’re staying hydrated ; ). Make a little track and walk up your aisle, down the opposite aisle and stretch in the extra space by the flight attendants working area. They won’t mind and you won’t feel silly doing ankle rolls right next to the people sitting opposite you. I like this set of stretches from wikihow.com : http://www.wikihow.com/Do-an-In-Flight-Fitness-Workout – If you’re a Glee fan you may refer to the video the principal made on airline stretches for pure entertainment.

Research the area where you’ll be traveling and have emergency contacts available.

Hopefully you won’t ever need this information, but you’ll feel better knowing you have someone to call if you need to. Also, make sure you have means of communication while you’re traveling. Bring a phone that works in the area which you are traveling, or if you have a guide with you during your trip ask them ahead of time to make sure they have a cell phone. You may also ask your guide to help you find a disposable cell phone for your use during the trip.

Pack for comfort.

I’m all for style, especially during pregnancy when you may not feel your best anyways. However, when traveling you’ll like your trip a lot better if you pack shoes that you can walk in and waistbands that allow for stretching. Also, make sure you’re packing things that keep your temperature cool enough (or warm enough). Traveling in Cambodia in May would normally be a pregnant woman’s nightmare, but I packed clothes that were cool, breathable and I survived. Quick tip: Maxi Dresses are a pregnant woman’s best friend.

Andrea and Me - and Me in a maxi dress : )

Put your feet up whenever possible.

Cankles are not pretty nor comfortable and the best way to avoid the dreaded cankle is to keep your feet elevated whenever possible and to stay hydrated.

Ask your doctor what medications are safe to take if you have traveler’s stomach or fever and pack them with you.

Hopefully you won’t need them while out, but just in case you do, I’m sure you won’t want to be trying to translate “is it safe to take while pregnant” to a local pharmacy.

Buy travel insurance.

This way, if you don’t feel well prior to travel or decide you’re not up for the trip you don’t have to make the tough decision to stay or leave with the whole financial issue making the decision that much more difficult. There are so many other great reasons to get travel insurance if you’re traveling while pregnant, but I know my ability to make decisions while pregnant is sorely lacking and I like anything that helps me make a decision easier. If booking with Journeys Within ask your tour consultant about their Travel Guard policy (it’s really extensive and offers great coverage for pregnancy)

Keep sanitary. Carry hand sanitizer and don’t experiment with street food (on this trip!).

You want to make sure that your hands are clean, because I’m sure you’ll be enjoying al those snacks you packed with you and you don’t want to transport grubby germs onto your food before you place it in your mouth. Also, keep an eye on what you’re putting into your mouth. Make sure the food you are eating is either packaged well or if prepared for you, cooked to full tempurature. If you’re a fruit lover, choose fruits that can be peeled. I had an obsession with fresh pineapple juice – it was amazing. And since they cut the peel off I could enjoy as much of it as I wanted!

If traveling in Southeast Asia, be Malaria smart.

Pregnant women are more susceptible to malaria and it is more dangerous for you if you contract it. There are ways to avoid it though. Do NOT take anti-malarials while pregnant – and discuss this with your doctor as I said before I’m not a health care professional. DEET bug spray is your best defense, but you want to use it very sparingly while pregnant. At dawn and dusk when malaria biters are out, wear long sleeve shirts and full length pants or skirts, then apply DEET OVER your clothing. This will deter the bugs and you won’t be putting the chemical onto your skin where it can be absorbed by baby. Also, request bug coils or candles wherever you are and if they’re too far away, insist they move them closer to your table.

Bring some pregnancy books with you.

This way if you have a thought or a question while you’re out you have a nice easily accessible reference. I downloaded pregnancy apps on my iPad. I like the What to Expect app and the Pampers app. I also have the Contraction Timer app. This was helpful when I had my scare with the Braxton Hicks contractions. When I called my doctor to ask her about the contractions I could tell her the exact spacing between them and she let me know everything was fine. This website has a lot of great pregnancy apps to check out too: http://www.goomedic.com/25-pregnancy-applications-for-iphone.html

My current reading materials

Communicate your needs.

If having a kid has taught me anything, it’s to communicate my needs. Being polite and afraid to speak up will get you no where. If you’re hungry, ask to stop for food. If you need a restroom, ask to stop. If you need a break or need to cut the day short – there is nothing wrong with that!! Let your travel companions know what you need and I’m sure they’ll be compliant. If you say what you need your entire trip will be so much more comfortable – I promise.

Enjoy your trip!

Traveling is fun and an adventure and it doesn’t have to stop just because you’re pregnant or have children. If you plan ahead and prepare and discuss your travel plans with your doctor, the trip can be all you need right now. Being pregnant should be a highlight of your life and just think of how cute your pregnancy pictures are going to be when you have a beautiful overseas backdrop! Relax and enjoy the trip, you deserve it.

Here are a few pics of me prego while traveling (although, I’ll admit my tummy hadn’t quite popped yet in these!)

Shadow Belly Pic. In Vegas.

Enjoying my Trip!

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Give Holiday Cards that Give Back

Posted in California Casual by April, Journeys Within Our Community with tags , , on December 1, 2009 by aprilcole

This holiday I wanted to give my family and friends a gift that meant something very special, something that was more than just a gift in shiny paper. This year, I have opted out of the Black Friday shopping madness and have opted to make a donation to my favorite charity in honor of my family and friends. I did this because I wanted to give them a gift that reflected what the holiday means to me. To me the holidays are about family and they are about hope, joy and gratitude. I am so blessed to have such an incredible group of family and friends as well as the blessing of my health and well-being. This year, I wanted to share my gratitude by giving someone who isn’t as fortunate some hope and some joy.

By making a donation to JWOC’s Holiday Fund, I know that JWOC will provide children with an education. I can’t think of any better gift than that.

In the hopes of making a holiday card to give my family, the JWOC team and the students in the language schools put together these beautiful cards so that you can give a gift that means more too! With a donation of $25.00 you will receive 10 holiday cards to give to the people that mean the most to you.

To order the Christmas Cards click here http://www.journeyswithinourcommunity.org/jwoc-christmas-cards/

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Sprint to the Finish

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, Travel With Kids on November 3, 2009 by andreaross

I showed up at San Francisco Airport with 300 lbs of luggage! I was flying Asiana Air and I was sure that there were going to be disapproving stares at best and absolute refusal to help at worst. Turns out my sweet smile (a girl can dream) and my story about the school in Cambodia and a quick flash of toothbrushes and toothpaste was enough and we were on, luggage and all. I had been dreading the check-in for days, not that I am generally a light packer, but I try to have my luggage weigh less than the travelers! Anyway, with this initial hurdle cleanly jumped I thought we were good to go.

Until the plane was 30 minutes late leaving San Fran and there was “abnormally strong headwind”. Suddenly our hour and a half transit time was about 10 minutes! I debriefed the flight staff from my seat in the second to last row. I explained that I had a flight at 630pm and the information on channel one of my personal flight computer said we were arriving at 616pm. The first flight attendant suggested the following:

“As soon as the seatbelt sign comes on, run for the front of the plane, that way you don’t have to wait.”

Yea, okay lady, good in theory, but in practice I have two kids under the age of four, we all have at least one piece of carry on and some of us might have two. Not to mention that this plane is full of Koreans, lovely people, but they do not believe in the seatbelt sign and they are of the ‘shove right back’ ilk.

I called the kids into a family meeting and explained that we had ten minutes to get from this plane to the next plane or we wouldn’t be able to see their daddy tonight. I stressed that we all would have to run, that they needed to listen to mommy and that if we didn’t make the flight we would have to eat Kim-Chee for the next 24 hours.

As we landed and taxied people were, as I predicted, already up in the aisle. I don’t know if my mom taught me well or I have a weird premonition that one day one of my planes is sure to run into the terminal while attempting to be hooked to the arm-thing, but I refuse to take my seatbelt off until instructed to do so. As soon as the light went out I was up, I grabbed my hand luggage and the kids and we started down the isle…about 2 feet, and then we hit the wall of Koreans. As I saw my chances slipping away, the pretty, 100-pound-at-the-most flight attendant pushed past me and grabbed Callie’s hand (I had made Callie the engine while I was running clean up). In Korean she started yelling at people and shoving. I caught a glimpse of Callie’s eyes through the mix of elbows and hang luggage and told her to push and that I was right behind her. I gave Couper a slight knee-to-the-back in an attempt to convince him to plunge after Callie and away we went. We shoved our way from back to front and got off right after the business class passengers…victory number 1!!

When I had asked them on the plane to get us assistance at the gate I had stressed that one of those people-movers would be in order. In this case the people mover was a 100lb gate agent with a walkie talkie.

She grabbed Callie’s hand and we started running. At first Couper ran, then he lay down and refused to go another step, so I loaded him onto his Trunki (www.trunki.com: check them out, they’re awesome). He sat on his, hunkered down, gripping the handle like his life depended on it and started the ride of his life. I pulled Couper with one hand, wheeled my carry on luggage with the other and tried to keep my shoulder bag on my shoulder with my teeth. All was going well with this method until we had to corner. At this point, the Trunki tipped over and Couper flew off, let the screaming commence! I scooped him and his trunki up and kept running.

Callie, who was still running her little heart out, holding the hand of the gate agent turned around, in full run mind you, and yelled, “run Couper, if you want to see daddy you have to run!”. I would have been telling Couper the same thing if I could breath!

We finally made it to transfer security and put our bags through, then it was back to running full-out. We made it to the gate, covered in sweat and breathing like I had run a marathon (Seoul Airport is big so it was at least a half marathon). Korean Air had kindly held the flight for us, so everyone got a good look at us as we struggled down the aisle sweating, with hand luggage at all angles and Couper still screaming.

Five hours later on arrival in Siem Reap, Couper takes off in a dead run out the doors of the terminal and into his daddy’s arms, Callie and I have a bit less gusto, but Couper obviously believes in a sprint to the finish. The 300 pounds of luggage, it didn’t run fast enough…they say it will arrive tomorrow.

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Leavin’ on a Jet Plane – response!

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, California Casual by April on October 27, 2009 by aprilcole

When Andrea was on her way to the States she wrote a blog post about all the fun times she had in Cambodia over the Winter. I responded to that post with a challenge to do more things in the States than she did over the winter in Cambodia. Well, now that she and the kids are on a plane back to Cambodia I’ve compiled a few photos from this Summer and I think I’m safe to say that we met the challenge!

June:

Attended Arienne’s wedding at Lake Tahoe, Went to Disneyland (was that June or another month??)

wedding june

The JW Crew at Arienne and Ben's Wedding

wedding june2

Andrea and April at Arienne's Wedding

Callie

Callie with Princess Jasmine at Disneyland

July:

Just a quick trip back to SE Asia for Guide Training and Callie’s 4th Birthday

In Luang Prabang, Laos

On the Mekong River in Laos

vietnam july

Andrea and April in Hanoi

The Birthday Girl

The Birthday Girl

birthday july 2

At Callie's Princess Birthday Party

August:

Celebrated Andrea’s Birthday in Reno and Took a fun day on the Truckee River

birthday aug 2

Out for Andrea's Birthday

birthday aug1

April and Andrea out and about for Drea's Birthday

river Aug

Steering the Boat!

river Aug 2

Gavin and Couper in the boat

September:

I can’t even list all the places she visited in September. Narla was in the States for a whirlwind JWOC fund raising tour. They visited Truckee, San Franscico, Sacramento, Washington DC, Philidelphia, Rhode Island, New York, Los Angeles, Orange County… and those are just the places I can list off of the top of my head!

Narla speaking to a class in San Francisco

Nalra speaking to a class in San Francisco

sept

At the FilmAnthropy Festival in Los Angeles

sept 3

Taking a break to tour Philidelphia

October:

Winding down from the hectic summer, letting the kids play together and enjoy each other’s company before they head off again to another wonderful winter in The ‘Bodia.

Couper and Gavin in their Pumpkin shirt made by Andrea and Callie

Couper and Gavin in their pumpkin shirts made by Andrea and Callie

oct2

The Jack-O-Lantern Kids

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A picture says 1,000 words

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, California Casual by April, Lucky in Laos, Viva Vietnam with tags , , , , , on September 17, 2009 by aprilcole

Clearly, we are a bit behind in posting reviews from our fantastic guide training trip in July (Can someone please tell me where August and September have gone??) . While we’re still working on writing and adding full reviews,  I thought I would quickly post my favorite pictures from each location to give you glimpse of our great trip. Enjoy!

In the Cu Chi Tunnels in Saigon

In the Cu Chi Tunnels in Saigon

At the Reunification Palace in Saigon

At the Reunification Palace in Saigon

At the beach in Hoi An

At the beach in Hoi An

At the Friendship Bridge in Hoi An

At the Friendship Bridge in Hoi An

Taking a Moto to an Organic Farm in Hoi An

Taking a Moto to an Organic Farm in Hoi An

Temple of Literature in Hanoi

Temple of Literature in Hanoi

Yep, Andrea really is checking her Blackberry while on a Cyclo tour in Hanoi.

Yep, Andrea really is checking her Blackberry while on a Cyclo tour in Hanoi.

On the Mekong River in Luang Prabang

On the Mekong River in Luang Prabang

At the Kuang Si Waterfalls in Luang Prabang

At the Kuang Si Waterfalls in Luang Prabang

Morning Alms to Monks in Luang Prabang

Morning Alms to Monks in Luang Prabang

On tour in Vientiane

On tour in Vientiane

Being silly at the World Eco-Tourism Conference in Vientiane

Being silly at the World Eco-Tourism Conference in Vientiane

At the Grand Palace in Bangkok

At the Grand Palace in Bangkok

Jeab acting like a tourist in Bangkok

Jeab acting like a tourist in Bangkok

Last night of my trip, enjoying dinner with our fantastic Bangkok guides

Last night of my trip, enjoying dinner with our fantastic Bangkok guides

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Jeab travels to Phuket during the rainy season

Posted in Waew and Jeab Thai it up on September 11, 2009 by aprilcole

I think the good things about travelling during the low season are;

1. Good prices for hotels and air tickets.

2. You have much time to enjoy facilities in the hotel because it’s rainy outside!

3. It’s more likely that you can get a room upgrade.

4. You feel you have more privacy on your trip sicne there are not as many tourists.

The hotel with very few tourists

The hotel with very few tourists

We are glad that we decided to take a last minute trip to Phuket and Koh Phi Phi even though it was raining. We started our trip by visiting the Big Buddha which is in Phuket town and then went on an island excursion and climbed to thehighest view point of the island.

Big Buddha

Big Buddha

After that our driver drove us to see Rawei Beach when we were there we found a good place to have local thai food. The restaurant is called “ Mae Klong Sea food” I had Somtum, grilled chicken and sticky rice! It was either really tasty or I was starving – I am not so sure! (These three things are like you having steak with ketchup, toast and sausage.) They also serve another thai dish there we had “Cashew nut fried with chicken” After that we had lots energy so we went to Promthep Cape. The atmosphere up there was so clean and fantastic. While there I breathed a lot of O2 but it would have been nicer if the sky was more clear.

Promthep Cape

Promthep Cape

The excursion ended at another view point from there we can see 3 beaches…Kata, Karon and Patong even though they were so far away!

View of Phuket Town

View of Phuket Town

Then my day ended at the bar called Joe’s Downstairs but rained like crazy at Patong beach so no chance to show you the photo!

Have a good day!

Cheers!

Jeab

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Guide Training begins and a personal tour of the tunnels

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, California Casual by April, Guiding Lights, Viva Vietnam on July 28, 2009 by andreaross

11 Jul 09 Saigon – Cu Chi Tunnels / Dinner with Mr Nam
Breakfast meeting with the guides for guide training.
Take an afternoon excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels. Arrive and descend into the Cu Chi tunnels where the guerilla fighters constructed an amazing underground base and meet a veteran of the Vietnamese/American war who will give you a private tour of the tunnels and recount his experiences as a tunnel rat. Finally, to end our trip, we will be taken to the private home of Mr. Nam where we will have dinner with him and his family.

Rookie Review:
I’m going to be perfectly honest, when I first saw Mr. Nam I was a bit intimidated. Here’s a man who I know was a veteran of the Vietnam/ American war, in addition he has a very noticeable and distinct war wound, a missing arm, which adds to the whole intimidation factor. In our first encounter we sat down for tea and I quietly sipped and sat without motion, wondering how the rest of the day would go. We made our introductions and quickly the intimidation faded away. He smiled and laughed, and cracked jokes and even though there was a language barrier, I could tell he was a man full of joy and he was enthusiastic to share his story with us.

After tea we walked over to a presentation area where Mr. Nam gave an overview on the Cu Chi tunnels and his daily life as a tunnel rat. He went into detail about how and where the tunnels were made, the rooms that they had, the different levels, the ventilation system, and so much more – it was extremely interesting information.

From there we went down into the tunnels. I was surprised at how big the rooms were and tried to imagine living there for 12 days, let alone 12 years as Mr. Nam did. Andrea and I crawled the whole way through and were, quite frankly, exhausted by the end of the hunched trek. Although we were exhausted, the experience of going through the tunnels was very memorable and I’m happy I did it.

Then it was off to Mr. Nam’s house for dinner. While I was really excited to visit the tunnels, having dinner with Mr. Nam’s family was what I was really excited about – and it actually managed to exceed my high expectations. It is hard to put into words exactly what made the night so special. The evening was filled with great company, incredible food as well as unique and interesting conversation.

To speak of the great company – At Mr. Nam’s home we met his wife whom he met while living in the tunnels, his daughters and his beautiful grandchildren. They were all so kind and welcoming, I felt as if I was joining an old friend for dinner.

Oh and the food? All I can say was that when I left there was certainly not a scrap left on my plate. Although, I guess I could have gone without the second “taste” of the homemade rice whiskey Mr. Nam insisted on pouring.

For the conversation, we discussed more about his experiences during the war and also went more into how he feels now about the war and also Americans. I found it very profound when he explained how he didn’t chose to fight simply to fight – he choose to fight to protect his family and his country. He went on to say that he has no ill will towards Americans and he hopes that anyone faced with the choice between war and peace, would chose peace. Having never personally had to make that choice, I found it special to hear that someone who had once had to make that difficult decision did it not to fight, but to protect what he loves most. It opened my mind to something I had never really thought about in true depth and it is something I will remember forever.

Expert Edition:
Guide training was fantastic! It was great to be able to introduce April to all the guides and they had some great new suggestions for tours and when we discussed family travel they were really interested to hear our suggestions on how to make the whole family happy. I love that I know all of our guides and I know that they will take wonderful care of our guests, which is so reassuring to me. We had breakfast and lunch with the guides and had some good laughs, a great start to our guide training this year!

Our afternoon trip was also a great start to our tour. I met Mr Nam 5 years ago while leading a group of high school students through Vietnam. I was having trouble getting through to the students and it seemed that for them the Vietnam War was ancient history…Mr Nam made them sit up and pay attention. He joined the guerilla forces at the age of most of the students and he fought and lived underground for years. Seeing Mr Nam again was a joy and I love hearing about his first-hand experience in the tunnels and the way but he answered all our questions so matter-of-factly that sometimes it was easy to forget the difficulties he lived through.

I had never been to his family home before and loved seeing the photos of him as a younger fighter and hearing his opinion on the past as well as the future. I asked a lot of questions as I wanted to make sure that he would be comfortable if our guests really wanted to know as much as they could. He took all of my questions in stride and was a pleasure to talk to. It was so fun to be a part of his family for the evening and I thanked him and his wife for all the meals they had cooked for our guests. He told me that he enjoyed the company and meeting Americans and I believe he genuinely is honored to be the host and show off his beautiful family. It made me proud that I can offer this amazing experience to guests and with that pride and the rice whiskey I drove back to the hotel glowing!

Guide training in Saigon

Guide training in Saigon

April in the tunnels

April in the tunnels

Yo! (Cheers in Vietnamese)

Yo! (Cheers in Vietnamese)

With Mr Nam and his family

With Mr Nam and his family

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We’re Back!

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, California Casual by April, Viva Vietnam on July 27, 2009 by andreaross

So April and I didn’t do well at posting updates during our trip, but in our defense, we were really busy and got so much done AND, we are going to make up for it now with a day-by-day recap of our whirlwind trip…what we liked, what we didn’t like, new hotels, our favorite parts and photos galore.

Starting with:

10 Jul 09 Saigon – Arrival and City Tour
April arrives at 1005am
Andrea arrives at 10pm
Arrive in Saigon where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon enjoy a City Tour.

Rookie Review:
Did someone just turn the volume up? Cars and motobikes are speeding by, vendors are busy selling handicrafts and bootlegged DVDs, people are sipping iced coffee and celebrating the easily accessible WiFi at café street tables – I am certainly in Saigon. I’m not sure what exactly makes the pace of this city so fast and so vivacious, if it is just the enthusiasm of the people or all the caffeine in those iced coffees, whatever it is it makes Saigon the city that it is.

Today my guide Mr. Khoa took me on a tour of this amped up city. Khoa’s calm and intelligent demeanor was not what I expected, but it balanced the buzz of the city quite well. He crossed the crazy streets without a second thought, and insisted that I couldn’t visit Saigon without riding a motobike (I disagreed with this one!). We visited historical landmarks and museums and I was able to get a deeper understanding of this busy city.

I must admit I didn’t last long on today’s city tour having just stepped off of my overseas flight. I went back to my hotel with a full belly of fresh spring rolls (yum!) and settled into my bed. The honking, talking and buzzing of the city was able to hush away and a full night of very needed sleep was the end of this great day.

Saigon2

Expert Edition:
My day was made up of airplanes and airports, but there’s no complaining here! Vacation! That’s what I call a 24 hour flight without kids. No one spilled anything on me (spilling on myself doesn’t count), no one cried, the person sitting next to me got really drunk (sure I’ve been tempted to booze up the kids, but so far I’ve resisted), and no one sat on my lap! I watched movies, I read two books, I slept, I ate my snacks and didn’t share, it was awesome!

I arrived in Saigon without a hitch…even got a pretty good meal in the Hong Kong Airport…and I walked out of that airport and the noise and heat and Asianess hit me all at once and I felt like I was home! Even at 11pm the Saigon airport is chaotic and I am always struck that for our guests arriving for the first time it must be a bit overwhelming. Of course I was then met by our guide Khoa and I felt taken care of instantly. We caught up on the way back to the hotel, his daughter is a few months younger than Couper so we compared notes and discussed strategy.

Saigon has become so sophisticated since my first visit seven years ago. The streets are cleaner now, there are cafes and trendy shops on every corner and Khoa pointed out the new Gucci store when we hit downtown. I’m happy that Saigon is booming, but at the same time, I know it makes it harder for our guides and drivers to afford life in the city…for all the positive steps, there are always some downsides.

I found April completely out and snuck around getting ready for bed. It felt great to get horizontal and enjoy the blast of the AC, I never sleep as well without that reassuring hum.

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Ready Set Go, Go, Go! We’re leaving for guide training!

Posted in Andrea's Adventures, California Casual by April, Lucky in Laos, Viva Vietnam on July 8, 2009 by aprilcole

At 01:20am tomorrow morning our guide training trip to Vietnam and Laos begins! Andrea and myself will be taking this trip together, focusing this year’s guide training on family travel.  Ironically, this will be a trip with out husbands or kids – we’ll be far too busy!! I’ve outlined our itinerary below, because there is just no way you will believe how busy we will be until you see the itinerary.

10 Jul 09   Saigon – Arrival and City Tour

April arrives at 1005am

Andrea arrives at 10pm

Arrive in Saigon where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon enjoy a City Tour.

11 Jul 09   Saigon – Cu Chi Tunnels / Meet with Vets

Breakfast meeting with the guides for guide training.

Take a full day excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels.  On the way to the tunnels, visit Tay Ninh Cao Dai Great Temple, a unique religion worshiping Jesus, Confucius and Buddha! Enjoy lunch at Ngoc Tuyet restaurant in Tay Ninh. Arrive and descend into the Cu Chi tunnels where the guerilla fighters constructed an amazing underground base and meet a veteran of the Vietnamese/American war who will give you a private tour of the tunnels and recount his experiences as a tunnel rat. Finally, to end our trip, we will be taken to the private home of Mr. Nam where we will have dinner with him and his family.

12 Jul 09   HoiAn – Arrival

You will be picked up and taken to the airport for your flight to HoiAn.

You will be met at Danang airport and driven to HoiAn

Dinner meeting with the guides for guide training.

13 Jul 09   HoiAn – City Tour Half-day

After breakfast your guide will meet you and take you on a walking tour of HoiAn. Visit the Ancient Town including the beautiful Chua Cau, or roofed bridge, Hoi Quan, the ancient meeting places, some ancestral family homes and some of the lovely and hidden pagodas. Have lunch at a local restaurant.

Drive to Danang where you will transfer to the airport for your onward flight to Hanoi.

Arrive at Noibai airport Hanoi, where you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel.

14 Jul 09   Hanoi – City Tour

Your guide will meet you and will discuss with you what you would like to see. There are so many options that we like to leave it up to you and your guide to decide what suits you best. Some interesting highlights are the Hanoi Hilton, where John McCain and other prisoners were held during the war, it now houses a museum. Or head to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where you can see Uncle Ho laid out to rest. If you like art you can visit the Fine Art Museum or see which local galleries are offering shows. The Temple of Literature is always a nice place to stroll through and is a great stop before or after lunch as you will be having lunch at KOTO, a restaurant benefiting at risk youths. Your guide will be with you all day so discuss what suits you and then have fun. Dinner meeting with the guides for Guide Training.

15 Jul 09   Luang Prabang – Arrival

Transfer to Noibai airport for your onward flight – Vietnam AirlinesVN869 departing at 09:00 & arriving at 09:55

Upon arrival in Luang Prabang you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon meet with JWOC Scholarship students. In the evening, visit the night market. April to go out to dinner with friend honeymooning in Luang Prabang!

16 Jul 09   Luang Prabang – Day in the Life

Today you’ll escape the tourist hubs in town and see Luang Prabang through the eyes of a local. First, you will drive up the Mekong to visit the small village of Ban Mueng Keo, known for its production of Lao whiskey. Here you will receive a demonstration of the whiskey-making process by a local Lao Lao producer. And if you’re up for it, sample the finished product for an early morning punch! From here board a small boat and take a tour of the local fishing area, checking traps with the fisherman along the way and collecting any fish you might find. Return to Ban Pak Ou, where the former village chief and his family will cook you a Lao-style lunch and you’ll learn about dining customs and etiquette. After lunch, drive to the small weaving village of Ban Phone Xay, where you’ll receive a weaving demonstration and have a chance to purchase handmade items directly from the source. Learn the story behind who really makes the beautiful textiles sold at the night market! You’ll be the only tourist in town who knows the real story behind the boffles of Lao Lao, the grilled Mekong fish and the night market stalls. Dinner with guides for guide training.

17 Jul 09   Luang Prabang – Sunrise to Sunset

Wake up at sunrise to give monks morning alms. You’ll be accompanied by your guide who can demonstrate the proper method of alms giving and explain this daily Buddhist ceremony. Return to your hotel for breakfast, after which your guide will take you on a tour of the city, including visits to The National Museum, Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Visun and Wat Sen. Enjoy lunch in town at a restaurant of choice. After lunch your guide will meet you and you’ll continue your tour, finishing with a hike up Mt. Phou Si in the late afternoon to see a sweeping view of Luang Prabang and watch the sunset.

Transfer to Luang Prabang airport from your hotel in time for your flight to Vientiane. Arrive Vientiane where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

18 Jul 09   Vientiane – World Ecotourism Conference

Attend the World Ecotourism Conference.

19 Jul 09   Vientiane – Departure

You will be transferred to Vientiane Airport in time for your onward

flight to Cambodia. You will be met by a Journeys Within representative and taken to Journeys Within Bed & Breakfast. (Andrea)

You will be transferred to Vientiane Airport in time for your onward flight to Bangkok (April). You will go on to Bangkok to visit Jeab and have dinner with the guides.

20 Jul 09   Bangkok – Departure (April)

21 Jul 09   Saigon to Phu Quoc (Andrea)

Arrive in Phu Quoc where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

22 Jul 09   Phu Quoc – Day at Leisure

Have a free day to explore on your own.

23 Jul 09   Phu Quoc to Saigon and departure

While we will be very busy touring, training, inspecting, checking emails and working – this trip will still be a lot of fun too. Andrea and I will be sure to make time to buy trinkets for our families, enjoy the fantastic food and maybe even fit in time for a massage. What can I say, my job is tough ; )

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