China – in Longsheng
Hello all. We are currently in Longsheng. Wifi is really limited so the post for day 11 and 12 will be up later tonight. Stay posted…
URBAN DOMAIN 2024
LC Pagodas – Day 9
We set off from our Kampot hotel early and headed Off to Mt Bokor National park where we saw a massive Buddha under construction. The views were amazing and it was enjoyable to just relax, sit and observe the landscape out in front of us. We could see Vietnam in the distance across the ocean. We saw this as a great opportunity to take some photographs while we inhaled the sea air.Mount Bokor’s temperature was much cooler because of its high altitude. We all embraced the opportunity to cool down after experiencing one of our hottest mornings to date.
We then checked out an old and empty Catholic Church. The church was built in stone and was covered in a rich moss, which had turned a bronze colour. We followed a mildly steep and winding path that led us to cliff face with amazing views. We sat and pondered for a while as we admired the magnificent views.
We then boarded our bus and travelled to the deserted Grand Black Palace. We were in awe of this massive construction that had been built by the French and unfortunately was never completed structurally or inhabited. This was where we had a take away vegie fried rice lunch, followed by some fruit. We all explored this mansion and climbed the stairs and imagined what would have been if it was ever finished. There were many balconies, bathrooms, bedrooms and many stairwells, which created a platform for us to further refine our photography skills.
We headed back down the mountain and headed off to the to the pepper farm. There we learned about the making of Kampot pepper and its quality taste from the high levels of quartz in the soil. We also walked around the farm and even tried some pepper straight off the tree. It was interesting to note that the workers at the farm were all volunteers. They farm used all natural, organic methods to grow their pepper
From there we had a relatively short drive to seaside town of Kep. Soon after arrival we headed down to the pool and cooled off after the hot day and had some down time.Then we hopped back on the bus, and headed to ‘Crab Kitchen’ in the village. We wandered around the town after eating some scrumptious food before heading back to the hotel. We split up into groups of 10 and reflected on the highlights and lowlights of the trip.
Then we headed to bed after a long day.
Blogged By
Tom Galloway and Josh Cherubino
Y
Vietnam red-day 10
Day 10 begun with an early 7 o’clock breakfast buffet at the Hoi An Historic hotel. It was incredibly delicious with a variety of foods, like omelettes, bacon, sausages, rice, hash browns and pastries. After what could be called a healthy breakfast we set out on our second bike ride of the trip. It took us through some of Hoi An’s streets to the beach. Once we got to the beach we realised that the water was very high and the beach had suffered some erosion because of a typhoon, so we headed down further to find more sand to enjoy. On the beach we relaxed and played soccer, some of us decided not to get sandy and bought drinks and kicked back on the beach chairs. We then got back on our bikes and put on our cool, Vietnamese-style helmets and rode back to the hotel. It was quickly in, and out again for lunch. We had some special noodle soup for lunch with some other foods to go with it like tasty prawn wantons. After that we had some free time to go shopping on the Hoi An streets where we were able to practise our bargaining skills. Some students returned to various tailors around town for a fitting of their clothes being made. By 5pm we got on a local boat that took us around a small island just off the main land, where we were able to enjoy the sunset. After the sunset we were given about an hour to continue explore the streets and find a place to have a free choice of dinner with our friends. We bumped into Vietnam Yellow which is one of the 3 Vietnam groups, they came down from the north of Vietnam. On the way home we took a visit to Mrs. Bong who had our washed clothes that were desperately needed. Then to conclude the chilled out day we took a dip in the hotel’s pool and prepared for the next day.
Ned and Joe
Temples Day 10 Laos
The Temples have arrived in Laos, Vientiane. After a massive day of travel we arrived around 8 pm and have settled into the hotel for a massive day tomorrow.
Stay tuned for an in depth blog from our next stop on our journey
Temples
Vietnam Yellow: Day 10 – Hoi An
Waking up to an early start we left Hue with a feeling of excitement for our day ahead. First up was the terrifying yet satisfying abseiling we had planned. There were a lot of nerves rushing through our bodies as we were confronted with staggering heights. The first few steps were very daunting but once we got the swing of things it became very enjoyable bouncing off the vertical rocks. Even though we had to deal with the frustrated voices of those coaching us through the process were a little unsettling, as my (Elise’s especially) ability to take direction was not amazing, the experience was something we all will never forget. After all, “life starts out of your comfort zone”. We survived this even with our lack of skill, and all shared a great sense of accomplishment. 
We then hopped onto the bus once again, and headed off to the beautiful city of Hoi An. These calm and sleepy streets were completely contradictory to the busy streets of Hanoi. First impressions were that of delight and wonder, for the beautiful lakes and lanterns were a sight to see. We started off at the tailors, where we all got something (or in some cases a lot of things) made just to fit us. They had such a gorgeous range of designs and fabrics to choose from, we dived straight into it all with excitement for the finished product.
We hit the streets of this beautiful city and gawked at the lovely items that were on display. Intriguing artwork, a sea of genie pants and over-priced shoes mixed with a large amount of tourists and extremely incessant shopkeepers made it quite the experience. With all the amount of rice and other Vietnamese foods we were all craving a good western meal. Once we saw the western styled dishes on offer we couldn’t resist and quickly got a table. After consuming an abundance of burgers and pasta we were highly satisfied and ready to take on the city with style.
With a week to go we have already done so many incredible things, and seen so much. We are taking in all the opportunities that we are given and making the most of what is left. Every one has come to that stage were we are all missing our families, however our enthusiasm towards the activities and experiences yet to come makes this a lot easier to endure.
– Elise and Sofie
China – Day 11 – Longsheng
We woke up today in the city of Guilin. As we looked out the window it was raining quite heavily. Luckily it cleared a little whilst we ate breakfast. After a western style breakfast we ventured outside our hotel through one of the cities many parks and along the Li River. It was interesting to take in the surrounds of a city. Guilin is the least populated of the cities that we visit in China, 750 thousand. After our walk along the river and on Pedestrian Street we made it to our lunch destination, a local Chinese buffet. I (Josh) personally enjoy the buffets as there is a wide variety of food that caters well for all of the tastes amongst the group.
After lunch we departed for Longsheng. The bus journey took 2 hours, ventured across farmland and up a winding mountain, and required 2 buses as the first bus was too long to travel up the winding road to the carpark close to the top of the mountain. The bus was filled with the “horrible” (our personal opinion) singing of our peers as we travelled. The morale was high as we were excited to see our first mountainous region of China. The final part of the journey to the top of the mountain was on foot. We ventured past many local stores and houses as we ventured through the villages on the way.
After settling in our homestay style hotel we had a trek through the rice fields and past many local houses. The hike took 90 minutes and involved some climbing. The path was amazingly well kept for such a remote area and the entire path was made of laid cobble stones. The views from the trail were absolutely stunning and it was amazing to see the patterns amongst the rice paddy beds. It was also fascinating to see how the clouds would float in and then out so seamlessly.
Once we returned to the hotel, we ate a tasty meal of rice and other traditional Chinese foods which we found quite refreshing after our walk through the humid climate of Longsheng. After dinner we had the wonderful opportunity to interview a couple of the local village people about their lives for our Journey Doc. It was great to hear how differently their daily life it to ours. Finally we filled in the last hour before bed catching up on the adventures and playing cards.
– Josh Seddon and Sam Howard
