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RTW 2022
  • Christie Mitchell
Mar – Dec 2022

RTW 2022

“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” (Winnie-the-Pooh) Read more
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  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Driving in the Libyan Desert
    The "convoy"Jordan's view of the tripFound a mich more comfortable way to rideAbu Simbel TempleThe sun hits these only twice a year - on Ramses birthday, and coronationRamses's favored wife, Nephrati's templeThe Nile river near Abu SimbelSailing down the NileThe Temple of Kom OmbuMe and Mohammed after our "sale"1After I gave him an extra 5 poundsTrying to get back to our boat

    A long, long day

    September 3, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 104 °F

    We had a 3:30am wake up call this morning for our 9 hour day to the Temple of Abu Simbel. It’s located pretty close to the Sudan border in the south, which historically has been very dangerous for tourists. Military drive the highway first, clearing the way making sure it’s “safe” (of Sudanese who have attacked tourist buses, robbing and killing them, in the past) and then your bus joins into a “convoy” of other tourist buses and 18-wheelers and is escorted for the 3 1/2 hr journey across the Libyan desert. 😳 Yep … I have been apprehensive about this part of the trip for months, knowing it was by far the most dangerous part, but it went off without a hitch. Abu Simbel was amazing!

    Then we headed back to our boat and sailed a couple hours up the Nile to Kom Ombo. It is surreal to stand on the deck of the boat and watch the banks of the Nile slowly pass by. Something I hope to never forget.

    We docked in Kom Ombo and got right off at the temple. It was CRAZY - with small children everywhere begging. I met a small boy, maybe 5 or 6, named Mohammed. He was so cute, friendly and appeared so happy. I ended up buying 6 bracelets from him for 20 Egyptian pounds … $1. He asked me for 5 pounds more (25 cents) so he could buy himself something to eat. 😢 He was so happy, he gave me a high five and giant hug. Experiences like this put life into such perspective. I walk away feeling so fortunate to have born into the conditions I have been - that afford me so much privilege, simply because of my place and time of birth. And I think that if little Mohammed finds joy and happiness in his meager existence and simple interactions, why have I struggled to find happiness surrounded by so much luxury?

    I hope to never be the person I was before coming on this journey.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Temple of Horus in Edfu at sunrise
    When christians arrived at the temples, they would deface them by scratching their faces out. 😢Hieroglyphics from top to bottom, end to end!Streets of EdfuBoats sometimes theee across!Rowboats selling goods to the touristsRowboats were surrounding us just like this other boatMaking a sale!Delivering the cash backA rowboat thats followed us into the locks!Leaving the locksGorgeous scenery - contrast of the lands was amazingKarnak Temple2Luxor temple - one obekisk, and the other missing on the right - its in Paris!These statues are HUGELove that we aee these temples at sunset2Valley of the sphinx - 1200 of them on each side stretching 3 miles - from Karnak to Luxor

    Nile Cruise

    September 4, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 104 °F

    Miles: 3.6 Steps: 9872 Flights: 8

    We made it to Edfu in the night and we were off the boat and out seeing the Temple of Horus at 5:30am. By 7:30 we were sailing again. We spent the morning and early afternoon up on the pool deck, again, just watching the amazing scenery from our lounge chairs.

    As we sailed, men in rowboats would get right in front of our boat and hook themselves to us with ropes while we were speeding down the river, and then try to sell goods to the passengers! From the boats! At times we’d get 2-4 boats hooked to us at once. It was fun to watch, and lots of people bought things just for the experience. They would show items, and then if you were interested they’d throw them up to you! You’d put your money in the plastic bag, and throw it back down to them. All without speaking each other’s languages. This went on for hours!!

    We also got to experience going though a set of locks, which was even more interesting as these rowboats were so determined, they would get themselves in the locks with us at times!! So crazy.

    Once we arrived in Luxor, we headed out to the Karnak Temple (2nd largest temple in the world) and then went to the Luxor Temple. Interestingly, when we were in Paris we saw a big Egyptian Obelisk there - it was a gift from Egypt. We were told when in Paris that the sister to it was at the Luxor Temple - and we saw it! Neat to know we saw both of these amazing artifacts on two different continents.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Safety briefing for the balloon on the ferry
    Convoy of balloon vans - 5 across the small roadwayThe police escort from the trip inAall the balloons waiting to get startedOur balloon2Temple of Hapshepsput22Her picture should be here but was scratched out by her step-son who murdered her to take the throneValley of the Kings diagramValley of the Kings (location oiced because of the pyramid shaped hillDo you see the shape of the mummy on the hill, laying on his back?King Tut's actual tombKing Ramses III entrance - very steep2Lots of hieroglyphicsHeading further downAlabaster demo guys - they had a good sense of humorView of the East bank from our hotel terrace

    Disappointing last day of the cruise

    September 5, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 100 °F

    Miles: 3.8 Steps: 9001 Flights: 14

    We had the earliest wake up call yet for the trip - 2:30am! We had to head out early for our hot air balloon ride over Luxor, Egypt!! It was a bit of a journey - left our boat, short van ride to a small ferry, to another police escorted “convoy” of balloon vans to get to the take off point. Not sure why we needed the police escort, but we’ll take it.

    What was especially exciting was we were making history. Today our group was going to be in the largest basket ever used in Egypt - would hold 32 people. They are used elsewhere in the world all the time - but never Egypt. National Geographic was there filming all the preparations and the flight!!

    Unfortunately shortly after we got there, they halted preparations because the winds were picking up. We waited about an hour, and then they canceled the flights for the day. 😢 Egypt hasn’t had the best safety rating for hot air ballooning - there have been some terrible accidents and many deaths here, especially back when the pilots determined if it was safe or not to fly. Now the air traffic control at the airport determines whether they fly that day and so things have gotten much safer. Regardless, we were very bummed. They rescheduled us for tomorrow morning, but around 4:00pm they called and canceled it as well. We’re not here any more days so no ability to keep trying - maybe we’ll try again at our next destinations? Really sad, but glad they care about our safety first.

    We continued touring sites - headed to the Temple of Hatshepsut which was an amazing sight. I was more enthralled with the limestone cliffs. She was a a woman who reigned over Egypt for 21 years, who pretended to be a man.

    Then we went to the Valley of the Kings - the tombs of over 65 pharaohs of Egypt! They were built hidden, into this hillside far from the cities to prevent tomb robbers. We were allowed to pick 3 tombs to visit, and only allowed to stay 10 min in each. It was 10 min too long as it was sooooo hot and humid inside them. I don’t even know how hot it was inside. But when we exited to the 109° outside, it felt cool and refreshing. 🤷‍♀️ just wrong - Crazy.

    Our last site for the day was an alabaster shop. Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving. We watched a short demonstration of how they made vases and such.

    And then like that the cruise was over! We booked a hotel room across the river on the West Bank (less touristy section of Luxor) for a couple nights. Our plan is to recuperate a bit after all these early morning wake-ups and marathon temple visits. We’re pretty exhausted.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Our hotel on the west bank in Luxor
    1Nice balcony overlooking the Nile in our roomRestaurant on the roof! Average cost of a meal was about $3.50 eachLots of activity on the Nile today5Small pool - but still very nice in this oppressive heat

    Lazy day in Luxor

    September 6, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 99 °F

    Spent the day lazy-ing about the hotel, swimming in the pool. After our marathon on the cruise of early mornings, late nights and tons of activities it was nice to just sleep in and rest a bit.

    We’re staying at a family run hotel. It’s very homey - and we haven’t left it in a day and a half. 😂 Since we saw all there was to see in Luxor on the cruise, no biggie. Plus it gave us a day to get our laundry done - they did it for us here. Two loads for $8 - better than the $35 it cost me in Jordan a few weeks back! It’s a 4 story house and they have a restaurant on the covered rooftop terrace, so didn’t even have to leave for food - very convenient. Not bad for $20 a night - and that’s with free breakfast! Love the cost of living here. We move on tomorrow!    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Our bus "the only way to travel" ... literally.
    Hubcaps held on with wire1Our journeyLush fields near the NileGetting desertyHit the mountainsThe resortOur view - not quite as good as other places - but unique.2Sunset outside my window. This is all real - #noeditingOur resort at night2"The Nile" - lazy river that connects the poolsBuffet restaurantThe beach area on the Red SeaLow tide

    Hurghada, Egypt

    September 7, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    We left Luxor today and headed for Hurghada - a resort city in eastern Egypt on the Red Sea. It’s a vacation place for Egyptians for the most part, as well as some Europeans. It was a 5 1/2 hour bus ride - we were nervous about the quality of the bus, especially if there was going to be air conditioning or not - but it actually was pretty good.

    Hurghada is right across the Red Sea from the Sinai Peninsula. This area has had a history of terrorist issues - but none since 2017. Tho I think this area is probably more secure now than where I live back home. They have a gate out front and checked our Uber for bombs before they let him in (mirror on a stick that they look at the underside of the vehicle). We experienced that a few times in Jordan as well. Very odd, but glad they are checking. We also had to go thru numerous metal detectors on the way in and our bags were scanned. They’re being very careful with who they allow in these resorts.

    Watching the terrain change as we drove here was incredible. We went thru the lush fields near the Nile, to desert, to rocks, to mountains and then back to sand and desert before reaching the Red Sea.

    We’re staying at a resort - dated, but not too bad, considering our budget. We’re so tired of the food in Egypt. We really haven’t enjoyed a meal since we left Greece. In Egypt, they TRY to make western food, but it just isn’t right. It’s like having a hamburger at a Mexican restaurant. It’s just not right. We’ve been in the Middle East for almost a month (if you count Turkey) - I guess we’ll survive another week, but we sure miss Europe’s cuisine.

    So we were excited to be at this resort but Egypt is nothing but consistent. Even here, the buffet is just not good at all. 😢 So we’ll enjoy the drinks, the pool, the activities and the beach and call it good!    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Enjoying the pool today
    2Jordan finishing up her dive test. That was me too a few min earlier!!!

    Piglet does brave things pt 2

    September 8, 2022 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    Jordan began SCUBA diving a number of years ago, and ever since she’s begged me to dive with her. I’ve always been interested in doing it but never put the effort into finding a place, etc. Today, I took the plunge, literally. I mean why not make the first dive experience be in the Red Sea??

    I signed up to get Open Water Certified, and took my first breaths underwater! Today they gave me a brief overview of the equipment, threw everything on me, and I got to try diving in a pool. The main purpose of this initial attempt is just to make sure I liked it, and to make sure I could physically, emotionally and mentally handle it.

    It was pretty weird, and it felt slightly terrifying. I’m sure it will get easier, but I passed the first hurdle. Tomorrow I start with the certification course that will allow me to dive anywhere in the world!! Excited and scared.

    Jordan is also doing some dives while here and since it had been over 3 months since she had been in the water, had to do a dive test in the pool as well - hers was to show she was capable and knew how to dive. She passed, obviously. 😃

    We both went in at the same time, he worked with me first and then I got out so he could test Jordan. So … no pics of me this time around. But I did snap one of Jordan as she was finishing up! Next time hopefully we’ll get some shots of me.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Heading out to our boat
    Driving out to the first dive siteGetting my gear ready (after being shown how)The blue water was AMAZINGAnother dive boat in the areaJordan divingJordan's "buddy" and divemasterPics don't do the colors justice2Me and my instructor (I'm on the right)Me working on a skill... still working1Jordan's dolphins!! Came so close she could have touched itKite surfers everywhere here - reminds me if the Columbia Gorge in Oregon

    Diving!!

    September 10, 2022, Red Sea ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    I went SCUBA diving today … in Egypt … in the Red Sea! You don’t get to say that everyday.

    I started the training yesterday actually - computer lessons to go through for 4 hours. Today started the practical training. I’ll have a total of 6 dives over 3 days to learn the material, plus homework every night.

    We went out early on a big boat filled with a bunch of snorkelers, a handful of divers and me and my instructor. I was the only one being certified today so got one-on-one attention.

    Most of my day was spent at the bottom of the sea on my knees or trying to float, watching my instructor and learning various skills. He would do something, then I would repeat it. I found the training very intense and a bit overwhelming - but by the end of the day, I was pretty proud of myself.

    Examples of what I had to do today: remove my mask and leave it off for a bit, then put it back on and clear the water out; remove my regulator, push it away (now with no air), find it, put it back in my mouth and clear the water out so I could breathe again; learn to float in one place by inflating and deflating my lungs; experience him turning my air completely off so I would understand how it felt; breathe out of a stuck open regulator; and much more. Basically they cover every possible emergency and scenario that could happen so you will know how to handle it. Pretty intense since it’s all happening 18 meters under water while you’re still just learning to breath. I did two one hour dives today doing just skills work, but at the end of each we did swim around a little where I could see some fishies and such.

    While I was doing my training, Jordan was diving off the same boat but in a different area. The Red Sea is FILLED with dolphins, and she accomplished a bucket list item by finally swimming with them in the wild. Luckily, she had the GoPro so we got a few pics.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Heading out to the dive site
    Top deck of the dive boatSitting on the bow, hitting the surf, as we were going4Taking off the gear2Putting the gear back onSurface trainingDiver tow training - he was a big dude!2After a long couple days!

    SCUBA training

    September 13, 2022, Red Sea ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    I spent the last two days out on the water doing my SCUBA training! So many emotions during the experience - fear, excitement, exhilaration, disappointment, pride, amazement. You name it, and I probably felt it. At times, I debated quitting and giving up, wondered if I was just too old - but just kept telling myself if other people can do it, so can I and just kept getting back in the water!!!

    It’s such an unnatural thing to do - head underwater and breathe, where everything in your body says this probably isn’t the best idea. The training and skills portions were intense, and I certainly didn’t master any of them on the first try. Some I had to do over and over again until I got it right. But each time I went down, I got better and better and more confident. The hard part is the training really isn’t that enjoyable - you don’t see much aquatic life. He just took me directly to a sandy bottom and there I sat for 50-60 min doing really hard crap. Then the last 10 min going back to the boat I might see some fish. It got pretty discouraging on the second day out.

    Yesterday tho was much better. I only did a few skills - such as I had to take off all my equipment under water and sit without it off for 60 sec under control, and then put it all back on. Harder to do than it sounds. Then we swam around for 30-40 min adventuring! So cool! Then my last dive was just that, an actual full fledged dive. I got to go with three other divers, Jordan included, and we went everywhere! Made all the work over the three days totally worth it!!

    So now I’m an Open Water Certified diver! I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of myself, to be honest. I can dive anywhere in the world, but only up to 18m deep. So we have a few more countries on the agenda these last two months, a few of which look like amazing diving spots so now I can join Jordan on some underwater adventures before we finish up. Can’t wait!!    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    We found Nemo!
    Lots of small rays!Thousands of fish around this coral3Im doing it!!Baby dolphinWith Mom

    Diving in the Red Sea!

    September 13, 2022, Red Sea ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    Over the last two days of diving we saw SOOO much sea life. The Red Sea doesn’t have the best visibility, especially this time of year. It’s very windy here, but we still saw a lot. Most, we didn’t get pics of cause they swim by so fast or your just enjoying the moment.

    Some of what I saw: a couple Lionfish, A Moray Eel, multiple rays, clown fish and their anemones, BIG Angel fish, stone fish, pencil fish, lots of schooling herds, so many that I don’t know the names of. At one point we saw a large coral and it looked like it was moving. When we got closer there were thousands of orangish fish schooling around it. It was an amazing sight. It’s crazy that 70% of our planet is underwater and most of us will never see any of it live.

    Driving in and back we saw a lot more dolphins, tho I didn’t swim with any yet. Lots of mommas and their babies, which was neat to see.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    1st leg of 3 completed ...
    Abu Dhabi smoking sections. Little glass cubes they stand inWe had to walk down 61 gates!!

    Abu Dhabi layover

    September 15, 2022 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 100 °F

    In the middle of a couple massive travel days. We took a 7 hr bus ride to Cairo yesterday, spent the night and then flew out this morning from there. Not sure how many hours it will be when we finally hit our final destination, but SE Asia here we come!! I just wanted to record hitting the United Arab Emirates right now so it puts it in the log that I was here. 😃 We have one leg down, two to go … and … I developed an ear infection after diving so flying has been a true adventure with only being 24 hours into my treatment. 😢Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Hanoi from the air - just a tad different look than Egypt
    Lines at passport control in Hanoi, Vietnam- took about an hour2Rain storm during our trip to the hotelLots of motorcycles and scooters hereFirst dinner in Vietnam - thinking we'll enjoy the food here lots more than the last month8

    Vietnam!!

    September 16, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 79 °F

    We’ve been up about 29 hours, even accounting for the time change - we caught a plane out of Cairo in the morning 9/15 - flew to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Had a layover and then flew to Bangkok, Thailand. Then had another layover and finally made it to our hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam at 7:30 pm 9/16! It was a long trek.

    It was such an amazing terrain change, going from the desert of Egypt where there is virtually zero precipitation, to the lush green fields of Vietnam in the end of monsoon season. Personally, I don’t like either extreme.

    We arrived in the midst of a huge thunderstorm which dumped buckets on us as we were heading to the hotel. Even coming from Oregon I don’t know if I’ve seen so much rain.

    So now off to sleep for a long while! We’ll start exploring in a day or so when we’ve recovered from the journey.    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Map of vietnam - we're starting up north
    The train street that's now shut down1BIG Live fish in these buckets for saleCleaning lettuceButcher on the streetHoan Kiem Lake2Bagn Mi sandwich shop $1.15 each - assume everything is elevated because of the rainsStreet meatLittle plastic chairs everywhere to sit on4Restsurant arter restaurant... and then there were balloons for sale??Back at the lake after the sun went down2Ice cream!2The traffic here - backed up for blocks!

    Hanoi, Vietnam

    September 17, 2022 ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    We spent the late afternoon and evening exploring Hanoi’s old quarter. Hanoi is in Northern Vietnam. Going from one country to the next like this, it’s crazy to see the immense differences in the cultures - Vietnam is MUCH different than anywhere we’ve been yet.

    There are so many people here. The streets are so crowded, and there are thousands of scooters and motorcycles. I’d describe Egypt and Jordan as straight chaos - chaos with little or no rules. Vietnam is controlled chaos. There’s an as-semblance of rules, but still very chaotic. Just crossing the road reminds me of being in the video game “frogger” - it’s pretty crazy.

    We went to a Hoan Kiem Lake and on the weekends they shut the roads down around it for pedestrian traffic only, which made it a little more quiet and nice. We walked around it twice and then headed to the night market and “beer streets”. The only way I can describe the atmosphere is to say it was like we were at a parade, or a fair, or a celebration/festival, like 4th of July back home - but there wasn’t a reason for the celebration- it was just Saturday night! Just people, food, music, balloons, etc.

    There’s a famous street here - “train street” where the train comes through multiple times a day, right down this street that’s lined with cafes and people with only inches of clearance. Supposed to be quite a sight. We had really hoped to see it. Unfortunately, the government shut it down … today!! What crappy timing. They’ve deemed it too dangerous. Sad for the business owners - they only gave them two days notice that they’re business were no longer.

    4.29 miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Tran Quoc Pagoda - oldest in Hanoi
    3West LakeHo Chi Minh Mausoleum2They'll wear masks outside on a scooter - but not helmets?? Its common to see bikes with 4 ridersTemple of Literature2Hoa Lo Prison, "Hanoi Hilton"Shackled their feet, but were too small for the US soldiers. They did lots of damage to their legs.Actual guillotine that was usedInformation on John Mcain's imprisonmentStreet vendor selling live seafood2BIG snake skin on the road 😬😳People park anywhere and everywhere - this is a sidewalkNot a car parking area - a sidewalk.Our hotel lobby - feels very extravagant compared to where we've been staying

    Hanoi, Vietnam

    September 18, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 91 °F

    The weather here is so tough - hot, high 90’s with very high humidity making it feel 10° hotter. Mid 100’s. I’ve found I like dry heat, but really struggle in this humidity.

    Luckily I splurged and got us a nice hotel here with great air conditioning and facilities so we have somewhere nice to escape to - actually splurged for the rest of the trip and booked us in much nicer places from here on out. No more hostels. ❤️ The cost of living is so low in SE Asia that $20-40 a night gets you a very nice, can I even say luxurious place.

    We went and looked at a few of the sites - We saw the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, and then walked along the West Lake to Ba Dinh Square and Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum. Continued walking a bit more till we got to the Temple of Literature - originally built as a university in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. It was very pretty. By that time I was literally soaked in sweat!

    After that we headed to Hoa Lo Prison. (Fortunately we’ll air conditioned). It’s the prison originally built by the French in 1886 during their occupation. It was built to hold Vietnamese revolutionaries that were fighting against the French. Later during the Vietnam War, it held the US POW pilots (John Mcain was one) that were shot down, then renamed by the US, the “Hanoi Hilton”.

    It was crazy the propaganda - everything there was about the cruel and inhumane incarceration of the Vietnamese by the French. It was cruel - it was inhumane. But there was just one wall that even mentioned the Vietnam war, and that was filled with stories of how well the US pilots had been cared for, which goes completely against what our soldiers say happened. Clearly they want a particular story line being told here. Regardless, it was interesting and intense to see what was left of the prison.

    4.2 Miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Hoa Lu25These authentic hats actually helped with the heat a lot22Bike ride thru the villageBoat ride up Ngo River - they must have abs of steel!4Our boat and driver! She was really sweet500 step climb up Dragon mountainVERY steepThe top!!2View to the river below that we were just in

    Ninh Binh, Vietnam

    September 19, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 91 °F

    We took a tour today to the area of Ninh Binh, two hours southeast of Hanoi. It was GORGEOUS scenery from start to finish.

    First, we went to Hua Lú (10th century capital of Vietnam) and saw beautiful temples and remnants of the old imperial city. Then took a 30 min bike ride thru the village and area. After a great authentic Vietnamese buffet lunch we got on small river boats, and took a 90 min ride up the Ngo Dong river. They were rowed by local men and women from the area … with their feet! Amazing to watch. The boats only carried two passengers and It was so peaceful gliding thru the water. We passed thru three caves along the way as well. Last, we made the 500 step journey up Dragon mountain - the highest point in Ninh Binh. We’ve made some huge uphill climbs but this was by far the hardest. The steps were twice as high as anything we’ve done, and boy was it steep!

    It was in the mid 90’s, but with the excessive humidity the “real feel” was 109° - and we felt every one of those degrees! By the time we finished, Jordan and I were completely soaked with sweat, as well as everyone else with us. I don’t think I’ve ever sweat like this in my entire life. I literally was able to wring my shirt out when I was done - so gross. My sandals got so sweaty my feet were slipping in them to the point I couldn’t walk, and had to finish the climb carefully, barefoot. But … as always, we made it! Not everyone from our 18 person tour group did, so was proud of myself for not giving up - or having heat stroke!!

    Overall, a tremendous day! It was a great start to our time in this amazing country.

    4.1 Miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Our "Bungalows"Respect for the women who ride side saddle!The "soeedboat" that took us to the island

    Travel day

    September 20, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Travel day today. We left Hanoi on a “luxury” bus and traveled 3 1/2 hours to Cat Ba Island. Took a bus, “speedboat” (their word, not mine), and then a second bus to get to our hotel. Got in close to sunset so didn’t see much yet.

    We’re staying in a pretty nice bungalow - it may look nice, but the beds are literally rock hard!! Ouch. This is going to be painful for a few nights.

    2.3 Miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    The Cat Ba Oasis - our hotel set at the base of the jungle
    PromenadeWorkout equipment on the promenadeCat Ba Town23

    Cat Ba Island, Vietnam

    September 21, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    We walked around Cat Ba Town today a bit. I found a beautiful hike that I took in the morning, and then pulled Jordan to do it with me again around sunset.

    Cat Ba Island is on Lan Ha Bay, which is the little sister to the much more famous Ha Long Bay. It is an area that is surrounded with limestone rock formations jutting up in the water. Just getting a taste of it today from the shore - such a beautiful area! And I still LOVE me a good sunset!

    And the hotel moved us to a room with a bed that actually resembled a bed versus a hard as rock bench, so tonight should be much more comfortable.

    6.4 miles, 26 flights    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Our boat for the day
    24Cai Beo Fishing villageDogs on the village - i would assume guard dogs looking at their size and typeGuard cat?? 😂Loving the views32One of about five beaches we stopped atKayaking, our fuide on his paddle boardKayaking in a massive rain stormJordan trying some paddle boarding2Forest Gump - "sometimes rain even seemed to come up from underneath"5Jordans HUGE plunge off the third deckEven the rain couldnt dampen our spirits

    Lan Ha Bay

    September 22, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    We spent the day cruising Lan Ha Bay, which is right next to Halong Bay. Lan Ha is very similar but with a fraction of the tourists so very peaceful and serene. When we headed out it was fairly nice, but as the day went on the weather got rougher and rougher. In the end, we kind of liked it better then if it was just a beautiful blue skied day. We got to see Vietnam in its full glory, at the end of monsoon season.

    Rain is nothing new for me being raised in the Pacific NW - I’ve visited Detroit Michigan during massive thunderstorms - and of course, the rain I’ve experienced in South Carolina is far from tame. But this here is something that has to be experienced to believe. I’ve never seen it downpour so hard, for so long. It POURED for HOURS! Amazing to watch and be out in.

    It was a beautiful tour of the limestone rocks. We left thru an old fishing floating village where they are farming local fish. Amazing to see people living on this floating “city”. We drove out a few hours into the bay and then got into kayaks and paddles around the bay, stopping at beaches and swimming. Then got back to the boat where people jumped from the third story!! Showered, then we’re fed a beautiful Vietnamese seafood lunch before cruising back for two hours.

    It was a beautiful day!    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Love the reflections - try to find them everywhere
    Little poodle at the mini mart next door - yes, she is wearing a dress!Our new stylish ponchos for travel - we're fighting back!1The view of this bay never gets old3Jordan's amazing mind control abilities at work

    Rest day

    September 23, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    It was forecasted to rain hard all day today so really didn’t make any plans - plus we needed a down day. Slept in, hung around the hotel and took care of necessary “housekeeping” that still needs to be done, even when traveling.Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    First off the plane - never done that before!
    Streets of HueForgot to get a pic of lunch, but heres desert! So yummy. Green crepes!Thien Mu PagodaPerfume RiverThese are the buggest Pomelo's I've EVER seen!The Imperial CityI LOVE reflections - I still don't see them until Jordan points them outThe clouds here are beautiful

    Hue, Vietnam

    September 25, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 84 °F

    We left Cat Ba Island today - took a bus, ferry, bus and plane to Hue which is in central Vietnam. Flights within Vietnam are SO cheap - like $30 each way cheap. We upgraded to their first class for almost nothing - never flown that way before. Fun to be the first person off the plane!

    Hue is much nicer than Hanoi. Less people, less garbage, less crowded - pretty. It’s a much smaller city. Hue is smack dab in the middle of the country between North and South Vietnam - so it took quite a beating during the Vietnam War. Sad as so many things were destroyed during that time period - and a reminder of what they went through.

    We took off right away and saw a few sites since we’re only here one day. Saw the Thien Mu Pagoda which is right on the Perfume River. Then went to the Ancient Imperial City.

    I am LOVING the food in Vietnam, at least all the noodle dishes. We had a meal today that was to die for - “Bun bo nam bo” with Banana, coconut & chocolate crepes for dessert! I didn’t realize the French influence over Vietnam - they colonized the country in the late 1800’s - they eventually revolted and kicked the French out, but their influence remains, especially in some of the food.

    3.98 miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Actual satelite image of super typhoon Noru - its a big one!
    Our rickshaw rideView of the traffic from the rickshaw - controlled chaosOne of the hundredsnof rickshaws aroundOur BBQ plate - it was pretty tasty

    Hanoi … again?

    September 26, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    One benefit to this long trip is we have become very disconnected from world news. We rarely get English speaking tv in countries, and honestly, don’t seek out the news on our phones, so we live delightfully in the dark. This week, this isolation from reality became an issue.

    We were checking into our hotel in Hue yesterday and the receptionist apologized for the noise in the hotel - she said they’re making preparations for “the storm”. We looked at her and said “storm? What storm?”

    She went on to tell us about the Typhoon that was barreling straight for us! So we got to our room and looked it up and found we were in a bit of trouble.

    For those not following weather on this side of the world, Typhoon Nuro (Karding) is barreling toward Vietnam. (A typhoon is just hurricane, but in the Pacific instead of the Atlantic. ). Nuro went through the Philippines last night as a category 4/5 and did tremendous damage and is picking up strength and speed heading straight for central Vietnam.

    We were scheduled to drive thru Hai Van pass Tuesday and stay in Hoi An Wednesday thru Saturday this week. But the typhoon will make landfall as a cat 4/5, a direct hit in Hoi An, on Wednesday morning. 😳 It is supposed to be the strongest storm Vietnam has seen in 20 years! So unfortunately we had to change our plans, very quickly.

    Sadly, we had to scrap our plans in beautiful Hoi An, jumped on a cheap flight this morning and headed back to Hanoi in northern Vietnam. Flexibility is key. We’ve already been here, but it is the most likely place to just be stormy, not life threatening. So … we’re in Hanoi just waiting this out to see how bad it gets with fingers crossed. Not sure how long we’ll be here, or where we’ll go next now - it’s in the hands of Mother Nature. We have about 36 hours before the weather gets dicey, so going to enjoy the good weather tomorrow while we can.

    We went out tonight - took a rickshaw ride and had dinner on Beer street. We had a “BBQ plate” - fun cooking our own meat and veggies sitting on the street.

    3.2 miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    "Nucleating" the oyster to produce pearls
    Boat ride into the cove111Yes, the water is that green! They call it emeraldLimestone rocks are beautifulMonkeys!! Feeding them sticky rice from lunch2The hole in the cliff is the entrance to the caveFrom the top before we entered11Football field sized portionSwarms of fish jumping at once1

    Ha Long Bay

    September 27, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Being back in Hanoi is odd - flying into the airport saying “we’ve already seen the airport”. 😂 But we’re back with not much to do just waiting out the storm.

    The first time here we went to Lan ha bay, bummer finding out we couldn’t get to “famous” Ha Long bay from Cat Ba Island. (I had serious fear of missing out.) Ha Long bay is a UNESCO world heritage site - it MUST be better, right?

    So we decided to take advantage of the great weather and go back to the area and took a cruise on Ha Long bay this time, and …. Found that Lan ha bay was better!! Who knew?!? (But now I know).

    There were a few additions, which were nice. We were taken to a pearl farm (very interesting watching them “nucleate” the oysters) and went in row boats into a cove where there were monkeys! Finding we love monkeys. Also we were able to see Sung Sot cave - it was massive. In one area bigger than a football field. Caves in Vietnam are famous and being the rainy season, most are shut down for fear of flooding so I hadn’t been able to go to any. This gave me a taste.

    This cruise tho had such a different vibe. Our first one was tailored to young, backpacker type people. Adventurous, no rules, jump from the third deck kind of cruise. This one today had a rule for everything. Limited adventure, no swimming unless in a designated roped off beach area - which most didn’t even swim. Definitely tailored to a tourist type crowd. But … now I’ve seen both, and we clearly like adventure!

    The storm is hitting Hoi An very badly as expected. So glad we left. They evacuated 800,000 people yesterday.

    2.7 miles 16 flights    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Jordan's day at the spa
    Cookies!!The owner of "Half baked cookies", MathewSites from our walkLots of Duck for saleWater puppet theater stageBeautiful bandPuppeteers taking a bowRed bridge and Ngoc soc templeWaking in the rain to get dinnerHere's to a fun day and to turning 24!

    Jordan’s day

    September 29, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 79 °F

    Today we celebrated Jordan’s 24th birthday here in Vietnam! She got a hot oil full body massage and facial done, which she absolutely loved.

    Then we went in search of a quality chocolate chip cookie!! Here in Vietnam desserts are rare. The Vietnamese aren’t huge on sweets - their idea of a dessert is a plate of fruit at the end of a meal. So it’s hard to find much, and Jordan has been craving a great cookie! So we found a place on the other side of town - almost cost me as much in taxi fare as the cookies, but it was worth it. To our surprise, “Half-baked cookie lab” is owned by Mathew, from Denver! It was awesome talking to him and hearing about how he opened this business here. And the cookies were fabulous!

    Later in the evening we went to a “Water Puppet theater”. It was so unique and amazing. It’s a whole puppet show, 17 short stories in Vietnamese, done on the water! In the 11th century rice farmers would put on these shows in the rice paddies! Pretty incredible and wonderful music. Didn’t understand a word of what they were saying, but much like Opera we could understand the gist of the story by watching the actions.

    Across the street from the theater was the Red Bridge and Ngoc Son Temple, so we took a walk out to that in the pouring rain.

    Overall, Jordan said it was a fantastic birthday that will not be forgotten!

    4.2 miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Beutiful clouds from the plane
    Much more controlled chaos here - still so many scooters. Our hotel in the backgroundCity from our rooftopMassive thunderstorm over usJordan brave it without the umbrella for a few momentsWe're a lot more wet than we look here*not my pic* The dragon bridge "breathing" fire*not my pic* Dragon Bridge*not my pic* What dragon bridge SHOULD have looked like at night 😢

    Da Nang

    September 30, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 79 °F

    The weather has cleared some, airports and trains have reopened - so we headed out from Hanoi today to resume our schedule. We flew to Da Nang which is in central Vietnam, and is where the eye of the typhoon went over. We were supposed to be here a few days, but the storm had other ideas so now unfortunately just here one night.

    One thing I really wanted to see here was the Dragon Bridge. It’s a bridge with a dragon intertwined in it - the pics I had seen were fantastic. They light it up at night, and on the weekends it “breathes fire”. But the weather here is still pretty rough, but Jordan and decided to go see it anyways.

    They use “Grab” here, like Uber - but it’s not real reliable. So a lot of times you want to hire a car but there just aren’t any. Tonight was like that. So we decided to walk down to the river and see if we could see the dragon from a small distance. Once we got out a ways, the sky’s opened up and a HUGE thunderstorm began, that actually went on to last for many hours.

    It was pretty disappointing at the river. We could barely make out the dragon as much as we tried. I found some pics online to show what I missed. 😢

    This storm is something else tho. Rained in buckets. And … even tho we’re in one of the nicest hotels yet, as I was going to bed I felt something on my leg and looked down … and it was a GIANT cockroach! Probably 2-3” long. I’ve seen some big ones in South Carolina, but this was the biggest I’ve ever seen. We killed it, but dang … they moved us to a new room but … I’m sure they’re probably everywhere. Actually surprised we haven’t had any insect issues yet to be honest considering where we are and the climate. So now up, unable to go to sleep. 😳

    2.6 miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    Our train
    They delivered this meal to our seats. $1.87!! Didnt try the "meat" under the chopsticks. 🤷‍♀️Snack cart that came around. Great kettle corn for 60 cents!Elaborate Burial sites EVERYWHEREWater buffalo!A man "herding" ducksBurial site on the family farmNot sure what these are used for but every house had them - barn?More burial sitesIt rained for only about an hour of the tripBeautiful countryside

    Vietnam train

    October 1, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    We took our first train since we left Europe - from Da Nang to Nha Trang, around 10.5 hours south. It wasn’t too bad - not the quality of what you’d find in Europe but was okay. In Europe you hardly feel like you’re on a train because it’s so smooth, noiseless and fast. This train brought me back to my childhood (Dad worked for the railroad so we traveled by train a lot). It rocked and you could hear the rickety-rack of the tracks. It was nice. ❤️

    Flying is really cheap here but I felt like I was missing out on really seeing the country just flying over it. This allowed us to see so much of the countryside. Loved it. A lot of people rent motorcycles and see the country that way, but with the rough weather I’m not quite adventurous enough for that.

    The rain continues to follow us. I don’t know what I expected coming in monsoon season, but I guess not quite this much. Forest Gump apparently taught me nothing about Vietnam.

    .9 miles    Read more

  • Christie MitchellRTW 2022Christie Mitchell
    View from our hotel windown
    The bananas here are SO tinyLong Son Pagoda5We were SO confused!1Really big snails in the pathwayThe White BuddahReally big millipedeSwastika built into all the decorationsMore swastikasAnother swastika, if you look closelyThe walk back - very clean and more controlled trafficStorm coming in during the evening

    Nha Trang

    October 2, 2022 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Nha Trang is a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam known for its beaches, diving sites and offshore islands. It is very pretty and doesn’t seem anywhere near like the other parts of Vietnam we’ve seen thus far. Definitely a vacation spot.

    We visited the Long Son Pagoda and the White Buddha this morning. Our biggest shock was to see the swastika symbol everywhere. We were very confused until we sat down and decided to google the history of the symbol. I had no idea that it had been used by Buddhists, Hindus and Jains for millennia as a symbol for peace, harmony and wellbeing. It has even been found in ancient Mesopotamia! It wasn’t until 1920 that Hitler took the symbol and made it the official symbol of the Nazi party that it began being associated with hate, bigotry and evil. Am I the only person that didn’t know this?!?

    We decided instead of taking an Uber back that we’d walk through town and down the beach to our hotel. We haven’t walked near as much since leaving Europe, so are trying to do more when we get a chance. Plus you see so much more of the area. The ocean water is very muddy right now from all the rain - the runoff from the mountain streams. So we hit the pool instead!

    3.6 miles    Read more

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