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A Year of Living Awesomely
  • Lynne Schroeder
  • Richard Schroeder
  • Lynne Schroeder
  • Richard Schroeder

A Year of Living Awesomely

In which we take our last big trip. SE Asia and Europe Read more
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  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Marble Mountain

    April 16, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Off to Marble Mountain just outside of DaNang. There are six mountains rising straight out of the ocean sand dunes. Marble shops everywhere shipping statues of all types and sizes worldwide. Our driver dropped us in to one of these shops with a hopeful sales lady at the ready. The mountain entrance is by steps or elevator. Everywhere on the mountain there are steep steps and pagodas. Caves also have pagodas and Buddha statues.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Last day Hoi An

    April 18, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Our last day here and we cycled over in the morning to the bamboo boat organic vegetable place. Went for a little paddle, then iced coffee. The menu looked so good and affordable we came back in the evening. Delicious pork with lemongrass and bamboo leaf fish.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Hué

    April 19, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C

    Said goodbye to our home for 3 weeks, and the staff really seemed sad that we had to go. Driver to Danang station, and of course train was late. Grabbed a coffee and takeaway Banh My. Train finally arrived an hour late. Found our seats. We were looking forward to the views as the train mainly follows the coast. Ended up being disappointed. Train was tired looking with air con. only coming on when train started moving. Well over 30 and for the whole trip it never got under 28 degrees. The windows were dirty so no point filming. Went to the end of carriage door window which was open, but powerlines were right in the eye-line. Trip distance was 94km and took 2.5 hours. Cab to hotel and relaxed before going out for some street beer and sausages.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Markets

    April 20, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    Had a good look around this little hotel. Next door to a shrine. Lunch at a street stall. Evening Grab to the markets opposite the main Citadel entrance. Looking for underwear and then dinner. We got wrangled by a lady and headed to her stall. Paid $36. for 4. Probably a bit more than we should but still ok. Downstairs we sat down at a food stall and ordered Pork on Lemongrass and some spring rolls. Still really hot a night, over 30!Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Citadel

    April 21, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    After a nice breakfast we headed to the Citadel. A huge ancient city that houses many residential and commercial suburbs. First an ATM, then coffee on tiny chairs, then to the entrance. But not the main entrance. Had to go right round the inner wall. Grabbed a rickshaw for 100k. Once inside many buildings parks and walkways. Impressive.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Leaving Hué

    April 22, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Up early on the free hotel pushbikes for a ride up the Perfume river to an ancient pagoda. The grounds are lovingly swept by the monks. Interesting to see locals swimming in the river, even right out to the middle. The rest of the day was avoiding the heat and waiting on our 8.30pm overnight train to Ninh Binh. Organised a half day rate with the hotel with check out at 6pm. For an extra $20. definitely worth it. Arrived at the station, had a local street food dinner, chicken and rice and an omelette. The waiting room was air conditioned so no great hardship. Train on time and we found our compartment. We paid extra for a 2 berth sleeper. Just not up to dormitory style cabin with strangers. We were given our snack pack soon after departure. We had this for breakfast. Banana, Twinky style bar and some milk. A bumpy ride but overall a pleasant night.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Ninh Binh

    April 23, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Arrived at Ninh Binh at 9.00am. Taxi driver jumped us and we were off! A small town which was the opposite of the bustling city of Hué. Our quaint little Homestay hotel down an alley off the main road. Only a few rooms with a pool. Looks great and only $30. per night. Took the rest of the day off as the train trip took a lot out of us. Just across from us a nice little cafe where we had lunch and dinner.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely
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    Bike ride

    April 24, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Took off early on the hotel bikes. No particular direction, just see where we ended up. Turned right and shortly thereafter we were riding through rice paddies with mountains on either side. Magical. The road ended at a shrine squeezed between the water and a mountain. An old lady selling incense followed us toward the main entrance. Choice was to push her into the pond or buy some. 😁. As you climbed there were smaller shrines to pray at. On the way back to town we had a coffee at a cafe right under a cliff overlooking the valley.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Tam Coc Boat Trip

    April 25, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    Ninh Binh. This place has been high on my bucket list for a very long time. Beautiful images of soaring karst formations emerging from rice fields, a ribbon of water winding its way through the green dotted with tiny boats. These images had captured my imagination.

    Today I was on one of these small boats. Teaming up with a young Dutch traveller to form a party of two for the two hour journey there and back along one of Ninh Binh’s many waterways, and through three caves. The boat was rowed as promised by a man using his feet to control the oars. I had read a dodgy review which had caused me some concern, about aggressive touting but happily this didn’t occur.

    The experience was everything I expected.

    For dinner we went to the Main Street. Numerous restaurants offering local beer for 30 cents, and half spit roast duck for $8.00. Best duck we have had in a long time. (Excluding Hoi An) 🙂    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Ninh Binh move

    April 26, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    We left our Homestay and travelled to north Ninh Binh to a new hotel. It’s a great hotel but quite remote for a person without a bike or car. And we are currently the only guests so we have the run of the place. 🙂.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Motorbike

    April 28, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 39 °C

    Organised the hotel motorbike and took to the road. I’ve only ridden a bike 4 times in my life so I’m pretty experienced. 😬. We headed east along the causeway toward a town that featured a huge church. Either side of the road was lily ponds, water buffalo and rice paddies. After a couple of hours we got back to the hotel, alive, for breakfast.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Back Lanes and Neighbourhoods of Hanoi

    May 1, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Today is May Day and a public holiday in Vietnam. We begin the day with breakfast at a small eatery we stumbled on last night while searching for a Bun Cha place we had heard about. Breakfast is Bahn Cuon Nong which are stuffed very thin crepes made of fermented rice flour batter filled with a mix of pork and mushroom, topped with fried shallots and served with salad greens and a dipping sauce.

    After breakfast we stopped for coffee at an iconic cafe we just stumbled on. Housed within a beautiful old French building, today we work our way around a photo shoot to a table at a window overlooking the street. Richard has the famous egg coffee while I am happy with my regular ca phe sua da, iced coffee, but here it has a hint of cinnamon.

    After coffee I take a Grab motorbike to meet Cong for a tour. A fantastic tour in back streets, alleys, even a glimpse inside an apartment before finishing at a cafe on the train tracks. Cong and I leave the group for lunch of beef noodles and discuss plans for a livestream tour next week    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Glorious food

    May 1, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Had 2 great meals today. Back again for a fantastic Pho for breakfast, and for lunch a recommendation from YouTube. Down a narrow alleyway where ladies cook the meal, to a small alcove with a few tiny tables. Spring rolls, salad and a broth full of noodles, meatballs and meat. Delicious 😋. Had my first egg coffee at a local coffee shop. Thick, sweet and frothy top with strong black coffee at the bottom.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Street walk

    May 4, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    Today we walked across town to a travel agent to book our trip to Cat Ba (Halong Bay). From our research Cat Ba island is less busy than Halong. Booked bus there and back and boat tour with lunch. We booked separately our hotel on the island. On the way back we stopped off at a couple of coffee shops ( one with noted Vietnamese paintings) and a street food stall selling samosa style food. Finished off the day at our local bar. 🍺Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    The Neighbourhood

    May 5, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Strolled around the immediate neighbourhood today. Found another Pho breakfast spot noted by Michelin. Sunday service at St Joseph’s. Mini So store opening. A Parisian style cafe. And Mamas Bahn My where people were happy to queue for 20 minutes.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Recovery

    May 8, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    After 3 days of being laid low, we had enough energy today to go for a walk. Down to the lake and a coffee by the water. Across the way a shopping mall. Lovely air conditioning with every high end store you could imagine. Doormen checking bank balances before you could enter. ( we got in through the loading dock 😏). For dinner we craved something different, so we had Indian curry. It was great.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Water Puppets and Temple of Literature

    May 9, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    This morning we headed to the Temple of Literature. In essence an University. Built several hundred years ago by an emperor schooled in Confucius. We also visited at the same time as school graduation ceremonies. Later in the day we attended the famous Water Puppet Theatre. A great show. Ended the day with roast quail and dumplings.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely
    3

    Cong and Min

    May 10, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Today we had dinner with Cong, Lynne’s former Heygo guide colleague, and his wife. A lovely young couple. A thank you for looking after Lynne on a couple of her tours. After dinner we had coffee in a little cafe squeezed between bamboo ladder shops.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Another Train Street

    May 11, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    We went to another Train Street. This time we were in time to see a train. The locals certainly take safety seriously as tourists wander along the track while the train is coming. Whistles, bells and yelling “ get off the track you idiot”. There is very little margin between the coffee table you are sitting on and this huge train.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Cat Ba Island

    May 13, 2024 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    On the bus to Cat Ba Island. Cat Ba is located next to Ha Long Bay, but quieter. We decided to take the 4km cable car to the island, instead of the speed boat. On to another bus for the 30min ride to the town. Neat little hotel facing the sea.Read more

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