29-08-2017 We did a snorkeling trip in the morning at a pretty nice spot with corals and colourful fish! The water was extremly warm so I spent lots of time swimming in the water without noticing that I was getting a sunburn. Well, it was worth it. After lunch, we headed to a outdoor pool of a brewery in Nha Trang you can use for free - free things are more than welcome with backpackers! After enjoying the evening in Nha Trang, I'm ready to leave to Da Lat in the highlands of Vietnam tomorrow morning.
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28-08-2017 Today, I went to visit the temple in Hoi An. It was such a beautiful and peaceful place, with a nice smell of jasmin covering the whole building. I was amazed by how colourful and bright this temple was, very unlike the churches I am used to back in my home country. In the evening, we caught the overnight sleeper bus to Nha Trang. This was a pretty funny experience, laying in a kind of bed on the bus with like 30 others.
27-08-2017 In the morning, we head to the local markets to buy some fresh ingredients. In Vietnam, I haven't seen a supermarket so far, probably because everyone buys their food on the streets and local markets anyway. With full shopping bags, we go to a cooking class near Hoi An, where we learned how to cook all these delicious vietnamese dishes - yes, I cooked them all by myself! We also went for a "boat cruise" with one of the typical vietnamese wooden boats that rather remind me of a little bowl or half a nut since only 2-3 people fit in there and you just use a little wooden paddle to move. This was so much fun!
26-08-2017 In the afternoon, we arrived in Hoi An, the city of lanterns. It's genuienly the most beautiful and magical little town I've ever been to. There literally are laterns and cozy little cafes all around the streets, where pedestrians and bicycles are allowed only. The city was even declared to be a world cultural heritage. Being completly overwhelmed by the beauty, I spend hours walking around the streets and having some cake in one of the sweet cafes. But when night comes in, this is the time when you can sense the magic of the city the most intense. As the sky turns black, the laterns light up the whole town. Little boats float along the tiny river and you can get one of the lotus candles, make a wish and let it swim away with the river's stream. This is a place to loose the ability to distinguish between reality and daydream!
23rd-25th August 2017 23rd August By midday, we were cruising along on a traditional junk boat in magical Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. In the afternoon, we got off the boat to do a kayak tour during which we cruised through some absolutely stunning bays and caves! This place was definetly a defintion of paradise! We stayed on the boat for the night. Ha Long Bay means something like "Descending Dragon" in Vietnamese. It consists of 969 islands. 24th August At lunchtime, we arrived on a small private island we had just to ourselves with a bunch of people. It is the only island in the bay with two beaches. After our arrival, we had a volleyball tournament. Then, I grabbed a kayak on my own and cruised along in the bay and around some islands which has probably been my favorite part about Vietnam so far. It was so peaceful just to be to yourself in the emerald green and endless sea, enjoying the tropical sound of the animals living in the t
22nd August 2017 During my stay in Vietnam, I'm going to travel around with a group of people from the UK and the US. Today, we went out for food tasting and tried loads of delicious vietnamese food. After four hours of straight eating, I was sooo stuffed! At first, we tried some fruits I don't even know the name of at a local street market. Some were nut-like but had the texture and looked like jellyfish inside. It was pretty good, though. After that, we had a type of bread filled with meat - well, with vegetables for me. Well, I skipped the part with the chickens you can see below. Already feeling pretty good, we went for "the best" rice noodles, tofu, soy sauce and undefinable green stuff. Then, we had some kind of donut, sweet and crunchy on the outside, filled with sticky rice and beans. As if we hadn't have enough yet, we had some smoothies at a roof top cafe and some dessert on the street with fruits like dragon fruit and avocado, ice and jelly. I&
21st August 2017 This is my first day in Vietnam and it's quite a contrast to South Africa! I'm stunned by how there is so much life and diversity in one little world. Walking down the streets, I found several temples and pagodes. I feel like I'm having a day dream strolling around and seeing people wearing these traditional hats, driving old bikes and carrying like tons of exotic fruits with them. I already love the culture and the busy city of Hanoi and am excited for what is about to come. The traffic is crazy, though. It seems like there aren't any rules at all since everyone just drives the way they want - even if the traffic lights are red, there is a pedestrian crossing or whatever. They even drive on the opposite side of the road and dodge other vehicle just by a few inches. And there are looooaaads of scooters - even with four persons on it. If you want to cross the street, you just step right on the street - with up to 6 lanes - and hope for the
18th August 2017 Back on table mountain again! This time we wanted to enjoy the view on the north side and there it is! The city of Cape Town right in front of us! Not being tired of climbing yet, we even climbed the lion's head in the afternoon. After only 45 minutes, we already reached the top and were able to enjoy the stunning view on Camps Bay, table mountain and Cape Town. This was my last day in Cape Town and South Africa. Since I've already got used to the life here and kind of fell in love with the culture and the way of life, I didn't really want to leave. I will definetly miss the "easy-going" of South Africa, the hospitality and kindness, the diversity, endless inspiration and the wicked food! See you soon, South Africa - this wasn't the last time for me.
17th August 2017 Starting thursday morning with a skydive. Until the very I wasn't sure if I would be able to actually jump out of the plane at a height of 4km. Lucky me that I was pushed instead. I was bloody nervous, but it was definetly worth it! After falling at a speed of 200km/h, we paragluided smoothly to the ground and enjoyed the view on the table mountain and the sea. This feeling when you actually sit on the rim between plane and absolutely nothing is just incredible! As if we hadn't have enough of heights, we climbed the table mountain on the westside in the afternoon - far away from the touristic walking tracks and normal paths. After almost 2 hours of straight climbing and hiking, we finally made it and reached the top of table mountain and were surprised by the breath taking view on Camps Bay, Cape Town. Having underestimated how quick the sun sets, we really had to hurry to make it back down the mountain before it got dark.