Back on the Road

Our last blog update was when we had to head back to Canada due to John being very sick. That was just over 3 months ago. Well, time flew while back at home. We got to visit family and friends in Granby, Montreal and Toronto.  

AJ got to work a little, John helped out his brother with some home renovations, we got in a little volunteer work, we enjoyed an epic 45cm snow storm and we even got engaged!

Next thing you know, we had waited the 90 days that the insurance company had told us would be necessary in order for John to be insured again. The conditions that had put on us was that his symptoms would either need to be steady or getting better for 90 days so that it would not be considered a pre-existing condition. Fortunately for us, John’s health just got better and better, and with lots of luck on our side, he was able to completely recover from GBS in an incredibly short amount of time (after talking to people about what happened to John, we heard some real horror stories about other people sick with GBS and the incredibly long recovery times – months/years – that they had to go through). 

And so, eager to continue our travels in Asia, we shopped around for a flight to Vietnam. What would you know; we found one leaving on January 1^st, the 91^st day since our return to Canada. 2013 would be a good year in Asia!

Now, enough about old health problems and cold Canada, we are now in Vietnam! Our first destination would be Hanoi. Too bad Hanoi is damn cold this time of the year… Never the less we’ve made the best of this amazing second chance and we soaked up as much as we could.

During our short three-day stay in Hanoi we visited a ton of museums and temples, walked all over the city and ate some really good food. We took time to visit the History, Women’s and War museums, while also checking the mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh’s body still lies today (it looks like he’s taking a nap) and the old Hanoi prison where American war prisoners, including John McCain, were held during the Vietnam War.

We saw this explanation in the woman's museum. We thought it was pretty timely since we are now engaged.

Visiting Ho Chi Minh was quite an experience, as the complex where they keep his body is tightly guarded by the Vietnamese military. When you walk in the room where his body is kept, you are told to walk straight, have your hands by your side and to keep moving. Never the less, it’s pretty amazing to see his body, over 40 years after he died in such good condition. Unfortunately, we can't take any photos of him...

The Hanoi Prison was even more intense. The torture exhibits, propaganda on the walls and tours of the tiny solitary confinement cells where prisoners were kept, was creepy to say the least. It was the first and hopefully the last time either of us had been in a prison!

The streets in Hanoi are pure chaos, with motorbike zipping all around you as you try to cross the street. It’s a pretty amazing site to be seen, especially since they find a way to avoid hitting you and each other, all while never really stopping. You can also buy anything you want on the streets. 

Say you have an interview and forgot to wear a suit, no problem! You can buy a suit, shoes and a tie all on the side of the highway, not to mention buy a baguette for breakfast and balloons to celebrate. Hanoi has it all!

One of the most impressing parts of Hanoi is the clothes boutiques. It’s pretty obvious that Vietnam makes most of the clothes sold in the west. There are “Made in Vietnam” stores everywhere selling any American brand you can think of for a fraction of the cost. How about a North Face jacket for $30? If we weren’t planning on travelling for such a long period of time, we would have bought so much stuff!

After our quick three-day stop in Hanoi, we booked ourselves a two-day one-night cruise on Halong Bay. Vietnam has proven to be the cheapest place we’ve travelled so far, and the quality of accommodations and food has been really high. The cruise was no different. We were amazed by our room, the food and, of course, Halong Bay! It’s amazing what $55 can get you!

We were fortunate to be on the boat with some really people who helped make our tour a memorable one!

Next, we are headed south. We will be visiting the largest dry cave in the world, we’ll check out some other amazing Vietnamese cities and hopefully, find some warm weather!