tessbev

[tessbev]

Story time

Obviously travelling comes with many ups and downs and even more so being in such a big group. Our two friends grace and issa left us after the boat trip so we were back to our core six. Our time in Vietnam had come to an end and we had a bit of a travel day to endure before arriving at our next country, the Philippines! We had had to fly from Da nang in the middle of the country down to Ho Chi Minh to catch a separate flight to Manila. Seems simple enough right? HAH! So the morning of we wake up to an email saying our flight to ho chi min had been changed from 2pm to 7 pm. Now we didn’t book the trip to Manila together because it was cheaper to book it separately (first mistake) and our flight to Manila left Ho Chi Minh at 950 pm. Basically not giving us enough time to get our bags, go to international departures, re check our bags, deal with immigration and make it for the next flight. So we found a different airline leaving at 2 and booked it right away. Hahaha. They email us shortly after saying that flight has also been changed to 7pm. So now we have two of the exact same flights booked that don’t leave us enough time to make the Manila flight. We decided to just get everything packed and go to the airport to figure it out there. Luckily we found another flight leaving at 4pm that got us to ho chi min is with more than enough breathing room to catch our Manila flight. First issue solved, just cost us a bit extra. We landed in Ho Chi Minh and played some cards until we’re able to check our bags and go through security. Not only did the company charge us up the wazoo for checked bags but the lady also only took cash so 100% a scam but whatever take my bags and get us to Manila! Bags are dealt with and we’re heading through immigration before we go through security. Now Vietnam was the only country that we needed a visa for and we all had done our due diligence and had the proper paperwork to at least enter the country so what could go wrong? I’m just getting stamped and heading through when I see Jenna being escorted by an immigration officer and look at me and mouth “somethings wrong”. Quickly received a text from her saying the officer said “not ok” regarding her visa. Luckily he took her just across the room and we were separated by a little gate before security and could hear her conversation with the officer. He told her the visa she had chosen was incorrect and she had only been approved to be in the county until the 5th of February. It was the 9th so she was kinda just like okay well I’m leaving now……. That didn’t fly and he started telling her she had to go into Ho chi minh city and go to an immigration office to get her papers sorted. Obviously that sent alarms blaring for all of us and a panic set in. He kept changing the story and then told her she had to fly back to da nang and get it sorted there. Now the rest of us couldn’t go back through immigration to stay with her as we had just been stamped out but how could we leave her alone?! Stress set in as the time passed and after what felt like ages of Jenna crying and pleading with the officer and him having absolutely no empathy a Canadian or American passerby came up to us and said “I’ve lived in Vietnam for a very long time, ask him what the fee is, she’ll be okay”. God bless this man. We were just leaving Vietnam and spent all of our last dong on snacks or little trinkets so we were scrambling to see how much cash we could pull together. The officer had taken the inconsolable jenna into a room and about 5 minutes passed before she came out, now composed she gave us a little nod and thumbs up. Sure enough all he wanted was a payoff and he asked for 2 million dong which is about 110 Canadian dollars. We thought it was gonna be hundreds so obviously she paid that instantly. Relieved and exhausted we reunited with Jenna on the safe side and rejoiced at the simple corruption of the Vietnamese government we experienced. We made it onto the flight and got to Manila no problem but it’s safe to say that Jenna will never go back to Ho Chi Minh :)

[tessbev]

Okay!

It’s been awhile!!! I’ll just jump straight into it. I got sick while on the boat and even though it was only a 24 hour thing it stuck with me longer than expecting. It seemed to just be a bout of gastrointestinal something but I was having issues up until this past week and was feeling pretty off for over a full week. I’m feeling back to normal now. Luckily I had my bad day on an overcast day on the boat. I had the air conditioned room to myself and a nice big bed to pass away in. The next day we were leaving Hanoi and flying to da nang. We rented an airbnb in between da nang and hoi an for 4 nights. Hoi an is basically the tailored clothing capital of the world. Having clothing made is kinda the thing to get done when you’re visiting because it’s so quick and such a cool process, I’ll run you through my/our experience with it.

It was about 1130am, it was a scorching day and there are tailor shops everywhere (just like the 7/11s in Thailand). Choosing a place was the first battle. I had heard of a couple places on the internet so I had some names in the back of my mind. One of them being “Yaly couture” sure enough we find it and go inside and are greeted instantly by a lady asking us what we’re looking for. Now I’ve been preparing for this for months so I had photos of things I’ve been wanting that were either super expensive or pictures of clothes I’d seen someone wear but couldn’t find. I showed the lady a picture and asked if she could make it and she said yes and took me right to the fabric wall to pick fabric. I was a little taken aback at how confident she was she could make the dress (I’ll post a picture) but I went with it. At this point Jenna and gabi decided to check out another tailor spot we had heard of because they hadn’t seen any patterns they were too keen on and it was the first place we went into so they wanted to shop around a bit. The shop seemed impressive enough to me and the lady (her name was Melinda, we became close) asked what else I was looking for. Sure enough I show her everything and she takes me through all the different materials and patterns I can choose. Once the hard part of deciding fabric was done she sat me down and I sent her all the photo references for each piece. She drew out the pieces and we talked about the fit, the length, the waist band thickness, zipper no zipper, pockets etc etc she covered everything. Then she measured every thing she needed, wrote it all down and told me to come back at 430 to try it all on. The same day. Under 5 hours to have it made I was gobsmacked. Feeling euphoric and like I had drank 16 cups of coffee I strolled to meet up with the girls who had found another shop to get things made. And wow what a difference in shops. It was utter chaos. First off it was huge. Massive. Like a warehouse and there were people yelling over each other in Vietnamese there were thousands of materials and the girls were in a fluster bartering and figuring out patterns. The place I had gone didn’t have one of the patterns I had wanted for a skirt so I thought I’d get one thing made here and all I can say is it was so chaotic. Especially coming from yaly couture where it was so composed and tranquil. Anyway I joined in the chaos and got my measurements taken and picked out a pattern after the woman was barking at me to hurry up lol. After we left that place the girls were super on edge and stressed out and didn’t feel like they got what they were after so I brought them right back to my girl Melinda. She greeted me with a nice smile asking if I wanted more and I told her I brought my two friends because my experience had been so lovely so far. Sure enough they too were given a much more enjoyable experience and were also on the shopping high I was riding. Then Nick and Paige met up with us because they had spent the morning securing us scooters. Neither of them were too fussed about getting clothes made but they felt our buzzing energy and I told them how cool the experience was for us and they had to do it. So I brought them back to Melinda who was overjoyed with the extra business. Nick really wanted a suit made and it was so fun picking out the fabric and the lining and watching him actually enjoy shopping. By the end of it he was kicking himself that he didn’t get more because everything turned out incredible but we’ll get to that I’m getting ahead of myself.

We went and got lunch while our clothes were made and did a bit more street shopping. Vietnam is so affordable and everyone is willing to barter so you can get things for such a steal. I miss Vietnam already.

430 rolls around and we go back for our first fitting. Everything needed a slight adjustment but the fact the clothing was done was mind blowing. Same thing for the chaotic place too, but I’m gonna focus more on Yaly lol. We came back a bit later in the evening for a second fitting and any final tweeks before we could pick it up tomorrow. Everyone was ecstatic and in awe of how beautiful the clothing was and how quick!!

Quick sidebar about the pricing. Here it was fair, it wasnt “cheap” or standard Vietnam prices but it was way less than you’d get from home or buying in store and it was tailored to all our bodies so 100% worth it. From yaly I got a formal long dress, a short skirt, a short skirt and tank top set and a long skirt and matching top. Before I tell you the price I want to preface that the dress I showed a photo of was 450 USD from the store. And everything all together was 320 USD. From the other store the skirt I got (she actually convinced me to get a matching tank top cause I’m weak) was 75 Canadian. I may have also gotten a couple leather bags and a duffle bag to die for because I needed extra space for all the clothes!! And when you see the bags you’re gonna be shocked I got for 150 Canadian. Did I blow my entire Vietnam budget in one day? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes. We have been so under budget throughout Thailand and Vietnam so really i just evened it all out.

We all came back the next day for our final fitting, had some lunch and then got to pick up everything a few hours later. Melinda gave me a couple hugs and because she has all my measurements she told me I can message her from home with clothing orders and she can mail it to me now that she has my measurements. Like what?! That is the coolest thing ever I can get tailored made clothing from Vietnam and I don’t even need to be in Vietnam. Mind blowing. If ever I were to win the lottery and say I’m getting married one day I’m bringing my whole family and whole bridal party to Melinda and we’re all getting gowns and suits made and spending a week in Hoi An. If you’re reading this that includes you.

Okay here are the reference pictures for the styles

And here are the results (I haven’t tried the blue one on again since my final fitting because it was SO hot and sweaty trying to get it on and I haven’t wanted to go through that again. Also they packed them up so nicely individually into little bags so I didn’t wanna unwrap it but this is a screenshot from a video)

(The red and blue flowery one is the one from the chaotic hectic place)

This is my baby duffle

And this is my favourite of them all

[tessbev]

All is good. I have a lot to update on!! it’s been busy but i will post soon xox

[tessbev]

Life high- day 3!!

The last day! We had the option of 3 or 4 days but the timing wasn’t going to work for the 4 day and to be honest my butt couldn’t handle another day. Doing the 3 day meant we had to do a lot more driving on our last day but our drivers stopped lots for stretching and coffee breaks. We were blessed with more sunshine and incredible views the whole day. Just when you’d think it couldn’t get any better we’d make a turn and have this incredible landscape smack us in the face. I was on a major life high. I can’t believe I get to experience this with my best friends. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again my the best way to see a country is on two wheels. It’s just so unique and you see so much.

We passed so many little villages and watched people working in the mountains. So many cute kiddos along the way waving and smiling at us. A lot of them working alongside their parents or just on their own. A bit heartbreaking seeing 5 year olds with their infant siblings strapped to them, covered in dirt and working. It was common to see little toddlers taking care of babies or carrying grain up a mountain. We also saw motorbikes strapped with dead pigs on the back a few too many times for my liking. We drove through bustling markets with hundreds of people crowding the streets and the vendors. One thing I didn’t think I’d get used to is the honking! Boy do they use their horn. They use it differently though, it’s more of a “hey I’m driving here so don’t hit me” which makes complete sense. Every time we took a curve the leader of our gang (and at least 5 other drivers) honked at least 7 times. I feel like back home using the horn feels rude but here it’s just what you do. Such a different culture but it works and keeps everyone safe.

We took a sleeper bus back to Hanoi at around 730pm, getting back to Hanoi at 2 am. We booked a boat tour that left the next morning at 730 am so we slept in the hostel lobby until then. A pretty uncomfortable sleep but the hostel was booked and it was just a few hours to get through. We’re headed to Ha Long Bay next to do a boat trip to Cat ba island and a few other places for Grace’s birthday. Weather isn’t supposed to be great but such is life!

[tessbev]

A pool table in the mountains

I thought these were gorgeous so they get their own post.

[tessbev]

I forgot to mention!!

Our group has grown! Our two friends from lake named Grace and Issa have joined us. They were already in Vietnam so they met up with us in Hanoi and decided to tag along to do the loop and are doing Ha Long Bay with us next!! They’re an awesome addition.

[tessbev]

Day 2 pics

[tessbev]

Wow wow weeeee wow. Day 2

Actually before I get to the good stuff….

So i woke up for day 2 feeling great. No hangover whatsoever! Happy water living up to its name. Nick on the other hand had been up 6 times in the night getting sick (both ends🫠). He even put himself to bed much earlier than I did so we’re thinking it might have been some of the meat maybe?? Anyways, he “wakes up” (he actually didn’t sleep due to other people’s sleeping noises and what have you) so he’s a mess, and stays in bed basically unresponsive until the last moment. Remember also that he’s supposed to be driving himself on these windy roads for 6+ hours. One look at him and I knew he couldn’t (or more importantly shouldn’t) do that. None of the drivers spoke well enough English for them to understand the situation but after some phone calls and some broken conversations I got through to them that he needed a driver (the cost of the trip is a lot less if you were to drive yourself so he had already paid for a driver and when you’re driving you can’t take in any of the scenery like you can on the back). A stressful start but we got him a driver and the fresh air did him good. We start driving and what do we get blessed with?? SUNSHINE!!!! GLORIOUS SUNSHINE!!!! I started crying within the first 10 minutes ( happy tears).

The views were absolutely incredible, the sun was beaming we were so warm and everything was glowing. The difference the sun made was everything. I was expecting cold weather the whole way through so this was SUCH a treat. Throughout the day layers and layers were peeled off as we got to bask in the sun and feel the warm breeze. We went to the furthest most northern point of Vietnam. We saw the border to china and took a million photos and videos. I was feeling fabulous. Nick on the other hand was wishing he had never been born and will never sleep in a shared hostel room again lol. Also claims he’s never drinking again but it’s our friends’ birthday tomorrow so good luck.

When we got to the next hostel he paid extra for a private room so he could get some sleep *diva moment I was foreshadowing earlier* (in his defence the night before his pukey happy water fiasco we had the same group sleep situation in the hostel and he had gotten no sleep that night so he had 2 sleepless nights in a row and if there’s one thing to know about nick it’s he needs his 8-10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Or else). He went to bed at 4 pm and woke up the next morning at 8 am so it was money well spent and he woke up a new human. I also should mention that the alternative to the private room was one HUGE room with like 30 people?? Maybe more?? And someone got sick all over their bed and it sounded like a nightmare. A bit too college-esque for my liking and nick would have most certainly lost his mind.

While nick was having his beauty sleep we had another family style dinner, delicious as usual! Same things as the night before but I feel like I could eat rice tofu and veg everyday for the rest of my life. You probably already guessed after the pukey story that the happy water was flowing. Lots of happy water. Maybe a bit too much but you live and learn. Not much to report about that night, had a great time and put myself to bed pretty early. One thing I love about drunk Tess is she always puts herself to bed before she can make a total fool out of herself. She also doesn’t get sick on her bed either (except that one time after my 19th birthday but I’ve grown up since those days)

Tumblr only lets me add 10 photos so I’ll make more posts with more pictures xx

[tessbev]

More pics from day 1

[tessbev]

Day 1 Ha Giang Loop

Wow gonna do this in parts because there’s just so much to say about this trip. We woke up around 830 and had some breakfast. Seems like an egg banh mi is the standard. It’s basically a mini baguette with egg tomato and cucumber. Pretty good but nothing amazing. Does the trick. We had a little orientation, went over the route and talked about what to expect and what we were going to see. Afterwards we chose our helmets (of course none fit me but I found a little red lone with Anna and Elsa from frozen on it that did the trick. Felt perfect for the passenger princess that I am). We met our drivers shortly after, mines name was bang, pronounced like bung and he was wearing a sweater that Paige and I tried on a few days earlier, it was such a funny coincidence (I’ll post a pic). He was awesome, most of the drivers were. They didn’t speak much (if any) English and some of them couldn’t read so you couldn’t even give them the phone to google translate but mine could and he knew the basics “you okay” “so beautiful” (the scenery, not me) “let’s go”. He also taught me how to say “let’s go” in Vietnamese. I heard “knee toy” (phonetically) but when looking up it’s actually “di thoi” but we said it all week so I must of been pronouncing it okay. He also said beautiful was “tem” but when looking it up it says it’s “xinh đẹp” so maybe it’s their slang who knows there was a big language barrier lol.

We all paid for drivers but there were about 70 people starting the loop when we were and they didn’t have a driver for nick so he ended up driving himself the first day (this gave me major anxiety because I had heard the roads were pretty intense but he did fine and had a blast).

The first day was pretty cold, about 12 degrees and super overcast and wet. I had on a tank top, two long sleeves, a t shirt, a sweatshirt and a windbreaker and then leggings and joggers overtop. Like mother like daughter lol I was the perfect temp. We stopped lots along the way at all the amazing viewpoints and also to stretch the legs and give our bottoms a break. The motorbikes were “crotch rockets” as dad likes to say and by day 3 my butt was so sore. The price you pay for being a passenger princess! We stopped at this one place where you could watch the women making clothes and bags. They were weaving and painting and I wish I could have bought so many things but we only brought our day backpacks and it was already bursting so I just bought a keychain. We were told all about how Vietnamese women are known for being extremely hardworking. They had to be because historically the men were constantly at war. The day was amazing, such a cool experience.

We made it to our hostel finishing the day around 430. We were there with about half the group so 35 ish people and we were the only ones at the hostel which was super fun. The room had 14 mattresses on the floor and not an inch of space in between. Crammed like sardines but it was only for a night and I’m no diva I can sleep anywhere (foreshadowing a bit here... ) We played some card games and pool before dinner was served. It was done family style and we split up our group and sat with new people (not intentionally but super happy we did). The food was so good, rice, tofu, spring rolls, salad, rice chips, beef and pork. We traded our meat for the next tables tofu. There was also this chilli garlic soy sauce and a sweet chilli that I poured on everything. Ugh so yummy. They also fed us happy water shots all dinner. I could do a whole post about happy water but illl just give you the jist.

Happy water is basically corn wine. Because northern Vietnam is so mountainous it’s really hard to grow food so they started planting corn to sustain themselves. The consistency is just like water but it tastes like alcohol lol. They gave it to us in water bottles (like you would with moonshine) and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between it and water by just looking at it. They taught us a Vietnamese chant and fed us shots all throughout dinner. Let me tell you it lived up to its name. Maybe the best drunk I’ve ever had? Actually a tie with one night in Australia drinking goon but anyways it had me, a person who typically hates karaoke, grabbing the mic and screaming the classics. The vibes we immaculate, it was so much fun. Nick sang brown eyed girl (little homage to yours truly).

We made some friends from the states and tried to teach them our card game rules, but they were pretty stubborn and annoying about our variation. Ended up having a bit of an argument with them as they wouldn’t shut up about New York City being the best and greatest city in the world blah blah blah. They were pretty arrogant and it was a shame cause they were so cool at first. Would it shock you to know that they’re from New York? If that’s the hill they want to die on so be it, I could never make such a blanket statement having never of even visited BILLIONS of cities out there. Oh well. We put ourselves to bed around midnight and recharged for our next day.

[tessbev]

Doing the loop

We took a sleeper bus from Hanoi to ha giang yesterday (about 7 hours long) and were doing the ha giang loop! It’s about a 400 km motorbike tour of the northern part of Vietnam. It’s their winter now so it’s supposed to be chilly and it’s through the mountains so doubly cold! Very excited it looks absolutely beautiful. Tons of rice fields and corn fields and view points to see. We go right up to the border of China! We all have riders driving us on the motorbikes so we’re passenger princesses for the next 3 days.

Not sure what the service will be like so I’ll update when I can :)

[tessbev]

Hanoi cont’d

Egg coffee!!!!! Ever heard of it? Neither had I. It’s a Vietnamese must try. I’ve started doing food reviews on instagram just for fun of the new stuff I’m trying and egg coffee is a huge thing here. I went in completely blind and wow was I impressed. It sounds gross but so do most things before you try them. We went to the note cafe which is this very famous 4 story building COVERED in handwritten notes. They’re on every surface, every wall, every chair and table. It’s so cute. Every table has a bunch of empty ones so you can write your own and put it up. The egg coffee was a hit! It’s sweet and the texture was so fluffy and light, it was heaven. It’s like a latte on steroids. They whip eggs yolks, vanilla and condensed milk into coffee and then top it with cocoa powder and it’s divine. 10/10.

The weather is oh so cold. We all brought one sweater and one pair of leggings and we’re planning on doing the ha giang loop tomorrrow so we’re scrambling for warm clothes. Ha giang is in the north so it’s going to be that much colder and I know I’m from Canada but the cold gets to me quick. Luckily we have some good hagglers in the group getting us discounts on raincoats. I’m not one of the hagglers i have to be quiet when people are bargaining.

Tried my first banh mi as well and was also super impressed. We went to banh mi 25 which is apparently a really good spot. It’s just a sandwhich with lettuce carrot and their signature sauce that has mayo hot sauce sesame oil and a bunch of other things. I got the chicken and avocado and the baguette was so perfect. We didn’t eat much bread in Thailand because it’s really not a part of their cuisine but it is in Vietnam so bring it on.

I also tried pho yesterday! (It was a big day of firsts) I had a chicken one and the broth is heaven. (I’ve tried pho before but I mean first in Vietnam). I was so worried for Vietnamese food but I am so impressed it’s so flavourful. I really became accustomed to spiciness in Thailand and I loved it so it’s making Vietnamese food that much for approachable.

It’s our last day in Hanoi today so we have a few things on our list to see. We met up with two of our friends from lake Louise who were also in Vietnam so our group is now 8! Theyre coming with us to ha giang and then we’ll do ha long bay together afterwards. So fun being in such a large group, there are so many different personalities going on. Very excited for the next week ahead xx

[tessbev]

Good morning Vietnam!!

Never seen the movie but whatever. Man was I not prepared for this weather. I think it’s just a cold snap but weeooo it’s chilly!!

We got to Hanoi last night and went right out. We’re staying in the old quarter and it was sensory overload to the max. The street was shut down for cars and there’s little tiny plastic chairs and tables set up on every sidewalk. People EVERYWHERE. Stuff everywhere. We picked a place and got some food as we were famished from the travel day. The currency is something else. 1 Canadian dollar is 18 306 dong. Yes 18 thousand. The big bills are 200 000, 500 000. We’re millionaires in Vietnam!

[tessbev]

Bye Thailand!

A sad goodbye to say the least. I truly loved Thailand. The food was incredible, the people were friendly, the weather was STUNNING and everything was so affordable. I could have stayed here for months, there’s still so much of the country that I’d love to see. I haven’t talked much about the prices of things but here’s the sparks notes. Thai baht is their currency. The money is similar to us with the colours with 20, 100, 500 and 1000 notes. 1 Thai baht is about 26 Canadian dollars so 1000 is about 38 Canadian. It was hard to wrap my head around something being over 200 baht, and to think about spending a full 1000 note in a day on just essentials was wild.

Here’s a rough day of spending if we were eating 3 meals a day (which we didn’t most days but just to give you the jist)

Breakfast: smoothie/ protein shake: 100 baht

Coffee:80 baht

Lunch: pad thai (this varied depending where we were, the cheapest we found was 60, the most expensive was 120 baht) we’ll call it 100

Dinner: green curry with rice 120 baht + 30 baht rice

Water bottles: large 14baht, small 7baht

Ice cream bar 35 baht

Beer: 80 baht x2 160 baht

Most days we didn’t pay to do activities we’d amuse ourselves and I didn’t drink everyday but let’s say I did on this day just for fun

Total: 646 baht = $24.40 Canadian. Mindblowing!

Excursions obviously cost more, or in koh samui there seemed to be zero public beaches so we’d have to go to a beach bar and order something and then we could stay but we’d just use that as our lunch spot or just have a drink.

Really changes everything about travelling when you’re actually able to try things without breaking the bank. Especially seeing as we’re gone so long we try to do less wherever we can.

Anyways, I’m sad to leave Thailand and the beautiful weather but excited to learn a new currency and new language! We’re off to Vietnam where the weather is supposed to be 12 degrees… didn’t pack for that

Xx

[tessbev]

Boat day!

We’ve been waiting to rent a boat until Jenna got here because we had an epic boat day in Mexico and we wanted to continue the tradition. We had a couple options but we went with a private speedboat that took us out for 6 hours to whichever of islands we wanted to see. The first few hours were super hot and sunny and then it was overcast which was such a blessing. The islands were gorgeous with pristine blue water everywhere. We had such a fun day snorkelling, listening to music and jumping off the boat. The fish were so cool, we even saw Gil from finding nemo and a bunch of his family.

One of the days (I can’t remember which) on our way to town we saw a dog fighting a pack of monkeys!!! It was wild. The doggy definitely doesn’t like the monkeys presence but the monkey had a whole squad ready to back him up. It was a bit alarming but nothing escalated at least not while we were watching

[tessbev]

Im a little behind

I tried uploading a post on Monday and I didn’t realize it failed. Anyways lots to catch up on! We’re on phiphi island this week. It’s a little island with zero cars! Very cool little cobblestone streets to walk through. It’s very unique but it’s gorgeous and the weather when we arrived was stunning. Our reunion with Jenna was epic, felt like she’s been here the whole time. We of course got carried away and hit the town. The heat is wild, it is so humid my hair is never dry and 9.9/10 is in a bun. The day rolled into the night and we were in our bikinis still when we were playing pool. If I’m uncomfy my whole mood is ruined and I don’t like wearing a bikini top at a bar so Jenna and I found myself a basketball jersey. I was deciding between the raptors and the bulls jersey when I looked at the back and saw the guys name is pippen!!! Like merry and pippin from lord of the rings. It was fate. Also it’s Chicago duh. Anyways apparently pippen is an awesome dude so I was happy w my choice and rocked the jersey all night.

So in Thailand there’s something called a Thai bucket. It’s a mickey of spirit, soda and a Thai redbull (no carbonation redbull) and we hadn’t tried one but it was Jenna’s first night so when in Rome. We shared a few and I couldn’t tell u if they were “Thai” buckets or regular buckets that just don’t have the redbull I was just along for the ride.

Might have been the buckets fault but we ended the night at a muai Thai bar. I hate watching fighting of any kind there’s literally nothing I’d rather watch less than two ppl hitting each other but when in Rome I guess. So the thing with this arena is that civilians can fight as well. So you can fight your friend or a stranger and of course someone can up to Jenna and asked her if she wanted to fight. Jenna’s fiesty, she was raised w 3 older brothers so the girl can handle her own. (I’d like to point out that we wrestled once and I won but I think she’d end me if we had to box). Anyways so she sizes up the girl that challenged her, she was taller, pretty thin and had beautiful white blonde hair. The height thing is definitely a huge handicap but Jenna agreed to the match. It felt like forever from the time she agreed to fight to when they actually got in the ring. We hung out with the girl the whole time, she was so sweet and was obviously very nervous as well so we were trying to amp her up. Jenna had a whole squad boosting her up and this girl had no one and as nice as we are she needed her own ppl in her corner. I found her friends and her boyfriend and gave him a bit on an earful and sent him over. Women supporting women and all but at the end of the day I’m screaming for Jenna to knock this girl out I can’t be amping her up to knock Jenna out too.

I hate to say it but it was a good fight. They both held their own and got in some good punches (even know it’s muai Thai the civilians weren’t allowed to kick thank god). They each won a round so they called it a tie and no one got hurt. It was a really great show of sportsmanship they were super cute afterwards and Jenna was buzzin. You can imagine the night got a little carried away and we all were quite hungover the next day (It was the buckets). Jenna was sore so we kept it very low key. Thai food is the best hangover food so we were in our element. Played cards and swam but not much to report from Tuesday.

Here are some snaps though and I’ll do a separate post about yesterday (Wednesday)

Xx

[tessbev]

Our one full day in krabi

Recounting the day always feeels like we did a million things. We started the day with a little boat trip to railay beach, about a 10 minute scoot on the long tail boat. Spent the afternoon wandering about, swimming, and throwing the football. Saw some monkeys hopping from rooftop to rooftop, didn’t manage to snap a pic but you can use your imagination for this one :)

We all got a little sunned out quicker than we usually do so we called it a day and took the boat back around 230/3. Had a little quiet time before setting out to find myself a papaya salad. These are my favourite so far. It’s unripe papaya, carrot, tomatoes, green beans, and peanuts. It’s cold and crunchy and unripe papaya has a similar vibe to cabbage but better. It’s in this light tangy sweet dressing that I could drink. I looked it up and it’s mainly lime juice garlic, sugar and fish sauce (I ask for no fish sauce, I like it better without). I always ask for one chilli which is the perfect amount of heat. The spiciness here feels different from home, it feels more intense but also way more enjoyable if that makes sense? Like the flavour is just that much more complex. Idk I’m not a food critic but I like the spiciness lately.

After the papaya salad craving was sufficed we walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. I’m trying to make a point of seeing as many sunsets or sunrises that I can. I love how different they all can be but also how similar. Ugh and the lighting, I could cry I just love it. The perfect time to sit and reflect and appreciate all of these experiences I’m having. We finished watching the sunset at a beach bar while playing a couple rounds of pool. The balls here are so much smaller and the table is huge and that is why nick is beating me every round and the only reason!!!!!

We wandered over to the night market for some live music and some uno. Got myself some of the same sushi from last night and tried my first mochi. These are really a Japanese dessert but I’m using this whole trip and an opportunity to try things I normally wouldn’t. If you don’t know what mochi are they are these rice cakes/rice balls that are usually filled with something. Traditional ones have taro or sesame but obviously I got Nutella, Oreo and rainbow flavoured (what is rainbow flavour?? Sprinkles maybe!!??). Theyre super soft and light and I really wished I liked them but they’re super gelatinous and not at all my cup of tea. Rainbow flavour btw was not sprinkle filled it was fruit with chocolate inside (my worst nightmare).

Finished the night with more uno and some fun music back at the hostel. Woke up this morning around 5/530 to go for a run before the heat. Whenever I’m getting a bit testy I know I need to go for a run. When Alison and I travelled Greece she would notice when I would start getting moody and tell me to go for a run and sure enough it resets me completely. So with my battery reset we’re headed off to phi phi island. Finally meeting up with Jenna today, our final member of the gang!!!

Can’t wait xx