Some familiar places and faces...

Our first stop in Europe was Kiev and we absolutely loved it.  We were met at the airport by my wonderful roommate Lilia from the Prague days and spent a few days being pampered and guided around the city by Lilia and her family (extended family included!). I cannot say enough thank yous!!  After a few busy days touring the city and sampling the local cuisine, we were sad to say goodbye and move on to our next destination.

 

Swan Lake

Mosaic made out of Easter Eggs

We took a surprisingly comfortable train ride from Kiev to the Western Ukraine city of Lviv. It had quite a different look to it than Kiev but was also very beautiful and we enjoyed a few relaxed days there: drinking some beer at the beer museum (our favorite type...) and strolling through the old town. We also went for drinks at an underground pub with an unmarked door, a password to enter, and a man waiting inside with a gun to ensure you are not in fact a Russian spy.

Next we headed further west to Poland to visit Krakow where Adam did his university exchange. It was great to be back in a familiar city after all of the travels and to go to some of Adam´s old favorite spots. We were also able to visit the Schindler factory that has been recently converted into a museum. It was a great museum that we would highly recommend for any future visitors to Krakow.

After Krakow, it was only fair to spend our next few days visiting my old exchange city and so off to Prague we went. It was just as beautiful as I remembered, but with many more tourists for the high summer season.  The beer was also as beautiful as I remembered...and we did our best to drink as much Czech beer as possible, specifically Gambrinus. Unfortunately, it was in this favorite city of mine that I finally succumbed to the wrath of the bed bug, or more accurately to many, many bed bugs.  I suppose it is only fair that after almost 11 months of traveling we finally encounter them, something like a rite of passage for a backpacker.

We are now in Croatia and getting ready to travel down the coast.  More on that later.

Junk Boats and Rice Paddies

We have spent our last couple of weeks in Asia in Northern Vietnam. We arrived in Hanoi after a long overnight bus ride from Hue, and searched the old quarter for a reputable tour agency to take us to see one of the most beautiful places in the country - Halong Bay.

After some debate, we finally chose a tour with Halong Dragon Cruise and had a fantastic time. After a short bus breakdown at the beginning of our tour, we were on our way to the beautiful bay.  Our junk boat was surprisingly comfortable and served great food, and in no time we were sailing through thousands of limestone islands, visiting caves, kayaking and hiking to some amazing viewpoints. Our guide, Dzung, was hilarious and loved to tell us (the good looking couple) tips about Vietnam and romantic places to visit.

After Halong Bay, we boarded a train to Sapa to visit the rice paddies and meet with some of the local hill tribes.  Our first day we trekked through the rain to Cat Cat village to watch some Hmong dancing. On our second day, the weather cleared up and we trekked through rice fields to the villages of Lao Chai and Ta Van.  All along the way, we were accompanied by Black Hmong women who would hold your hand and help you up and down the slippery slopes of the mountains. It was such an incredibly beautiful place to see, and it was so interesting to look around and see the different traditional costumes worn by the surrounding hill tribes.

We spent our last few days in Asia wandering around Hanoi, taking in our last bowls of pho, bun, and extremely cheap ice cream. We also went to see a water puppet show (highly entertaining), and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, both of which we would recommend.