I was very sad to leave Ho Chi Minh. Not only did we get the chance to volunteer, but we met a bunch of cool people along the way. Many of the volunteers were either around my age or in their 50s-60s, making the accommodation feel very safe because I had my friends and my "parents" in one place. From the first week, Lainie and I were able to make friends with the younger volunteers by just hanging out in the building, as well as by going out. We ended up in District One with our new friends almost every day after volunteering where we ate, drank and shopped. One of the best parts of District One is Bui Vien, the famous "Backpacker Street." It's overflowing with triple story bars/clubs, restaurants, and people - LOTS of people. Music blares from every bar and colorful lights paint the street: a drunk paradise. 26 stories above the street, there are a few well-known sky bars with incredible views of District One and the rest of Ho Chi Minh City. Up there, we could dance and laugh for hours, especially on "ladies night" when women drink for free! Such a fun time.
Our group of friends included people from all over. Anna - from France - is a petite girl with a big attitude, and an even bigger heart. We grew very close over my two weeks in Ho Chi Minh. My new friends Jenny (UK), Marion, Wout, and Olivier (all three from Belgium) are hilarious, but were quite cliquey - they'd already known each other - and were a little harder to get to know. Pien and Leanne from Holland came to volunteer at the beginning of week 2, and were the sweetest people I've had the pleasure of getting to know. It was very interesting to make new friends without much prior knowledge of their respective countries. I loved hearing their accents and languages, as well as their stories and family traditions.
On Saturday, Lainie and I left the volunteer accommodation around 6 a.m. for our flight to Hoi An, Vietnam. Straightaway, we were greeted by a cool breeze - something we hadn't felt in a while. Ho Chi Minh had a consistently humid and 90-degree climate, while Hoi An's was breezy and about 80 degrees!! Our AirBnb was a gorgeous haven from the busy streets with a small pool and abundant greenery. Immediately, we dropped our bags and headed out for the afternoon, hitting the bigger market streets filled with trinkets, clothes, street food, and plenty of coffee shops.
Hoi An was a pleasant change from Ho Chi Minh's city structure. Its markets and old quarter/ancient town were colorful, charming areas that bled into each other. The buildings are mostly pastel yellow with terra-cotta roofs, the streets are filled with people, and at night, colorful lanterns glow as far as the eye can see. At night, the Thu Bon river is filled with more lanterns and colorful lights tied boats and canoes of various shapes and sizes.
On Sunday, Lains and I booked a tour to the Am Phu cave, the Monkey Mountain, and the Marble Mountain, all of which were incredible. The Marble Mountain had giant Buddha statues, Chinese temples, two large pagodas, and about 500 steps along the way to the top of the mountain. The climb was slightly treacherous, but the view made the uneven, slippery steps very worth it. The Am Phu cave was just around one side of the mountain and also held a ginormous Buddha statue. On sunnier days, the light floods into the cave and looks like a waterfall, but when we went it didn't quite have that same effect. Needless to say, it was still a wonderful sight. Finally, we headed to the Monkey Mountain where I gaped at the LARGEST Buddha statue I've ever seen. I still cannot seem to wrap my head around how much time and material it must have taken to create such a giant structure.
Today brought with it a new city: Hanoi, Vietnam. The plane ride from Hoi An to Hanoi was only an hour, but a huge change in the climate. It is currently 65 degrees and raining - a great change of pace. Lainie and I found a yummy taco place for lunch (sick of rice and noodles!!) and are now laying in bed as we wait for the worst of the rain to pass. This AirBnb is smaller but still quite nice - the bed is so comfy I might have to go nap right....NOW!
Talk soon,
Lilly
Our group of friends included people from all over. Anna - from France - is a petite girl with a big attitude, and an even bigger heart. We grew very close over my two weeks in Ho Chi Minh. My new friends Jenny (UK), Marion, Wout, and Olivier (all three from Belgium) are hilarious, but were quite cliquey - they'd already known each other - and were a little harder to get to know. Pien and Leanne from Holland came to volunteer at the beginning of week 2, and were the sweetest people I've had the pleasure of getting to know. It was very interesting to make new friends without much prior knowledge of their respective countries. I loved hearing their accents and languages, as well as their stories and family traditions.
On Saturday, Lainie and I left the volunteer accommodation around 6 a.m. for our flight to Hoi An, Vietnam. Straightaway, we were greeted by a cool breeze - something we hadn't felt in a while. Ho Chi Minh had a consistently humid and 90-degree climate, while Hoi An's was breezy and about 80 degrees!! Our AirBnb was a gorgeous haven from the busy streets with a small pool and abundant greenery. Immediately, we dropped our bags and headed out for the afternoon, hitting the bigger market streets filled with trinkets, clothes, street food, and plenty of coffee shops.
Hoi An was a pleasant change from Ho Chi Minh's city structure. Its markets and old quarter/ancient town were colorful, charming areas that bled into each other. The buildings are mostly pastel yellow with terra-cotta roofs, the streets are filled with people, and at night, colorful lanterns glow as far as the eye can see. At night, the Thu Bon river is filled with more lanterns and colorful lights tied boats and canoes of various shapes and sizes.
On Sunday, Lains and I booked a tour to the Am Phu cave, the Monkey Mountain, and the Marble Mountain, all of which were incredible. The Marble Mountain had giant Buddha statues, Chinese temples, two large pagodas, and about 500 steps along the way to the top of the mountain. The climb was slightly treacherous, but the view made the uneven, slippery steps very worth it. The Am Phu cave was just around one side of the mountain and also held a ginormous Buddha statue. On sunnier days, the light floods into the cave and looks like a waterfall, but when we went it didn't quite have that same effect. Needless to say, it was still a wonderful sight. Finally, we headed to the Monkey Mountain where I gaped at the LARGEST Buddha statue I've ever seen. I still cannot seem to wrap my head around how much time and material it must have taken to create such a giant structure.
Today brought with it a new city: Hanoi, Vietnam. The plane ride from Hoi An to Hanoi was only an hour, but a huge change in the climate. It is currently 65 degrees and raining - a great change of pace. Lainie and I found a yummy taco place for lunch (sick of rice and noodles!!) and are now laying in bed as we wait for the worst of the rain to pass. This AirBnb is smaller but still quite nice - the bed is so comfy I might have to go nap right....NOW!
Talk soon,
Lilly
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