Well, it has been nearly a month since I last posted anything on the blog, let's just say that as the fall semester winds down, the work load has increased considerably. Reports and presentations all come due either this week or next week. Needless to say it has been a very busy November.
The fall semester officially ends on Friday November 30th... tomorrow, with exams following for the next two weeks. All of my exams are scheduled late in the second week, meaning plenty of study time but also a late start to the Christmas break. It's incredible to think that it is almost December and the semester is about to come to an end - where has the time gone? I am definetly looking forward to spending time over the Christmas break with everyone back in Ottawa and southwestern Ontario.
In other news, it has been difficult to keep focused on school work these past couple of weeks as I (along with Lucia and Jen) have decided to make a trip to Asia! What we've decided is that for the three week break that I have in between the winter and spring semesters at MUN, we will get together and spend some time backpacking throughout Hong Kong and Vietnam.
Here is a quick breakdown of our trip...
Leaving St. John's on Saturday April 19th, the day after exams end for the winter semester, I fly into Toronto and meet up with Lucia and Jen. From Toronto, we all fly non-stop from Toronto to Hong Kong. After the long 15 hour flight, we take a couple of days out to tour Hong Kong and area. Lucia's Cantonese will certainly help us during our stay in Hong Kong. After a couple of days in Hong Kong, and with our fill of dim sum, we fly into Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. We have a week and a half together in Vietnam, during which time we intend on making a visit to the Mekong Delta, Hue, Hoi An, Hanoi, and Halong Bay. Our travels together end after Halong Bay, as Jen and Lucia return to Ottawa via Hong Kong and Toronto - they are due back at work.
As for me, the MUN spring semester doesn't start until mid-May, so onwards from Halong Bay I continue. My intentions are to take an overnight sleeper car from Hanoi to Sapa, in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam, and spend a few days jungle trekking. Making my way back down into Hanoi, I fly into Siem Reap, Cambodia. I have 5 days in Siem Reap and will be spending a good amount of time touring the famous wats of the region. From Siem Reap I fly into Ho Chi Minh, and then onwards back to St. John's via Hong Kong and Toronto. The whirlwind vacation ends with me arriving back in St. John's on Sunday May 11th at 4:00am, with classes starting the next day!
Airline tickets have already been purchased (Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, and Vietnam Airlines), and now we are searching the many places to see, hostels to stay, and restaurants at which to eat (this of course being Lucia's passion). Besides taking in all of the amazing sites... one of my goals on this trip will be to get my fill of fresh fruit, this in an attempt to make up for the 8 months of a cod filled, vegetable absent diet in St. John's. It's all very exciting, with more details to come as the three of us plan the trip in greater detail over the Christmas break.
Courtesy of Wikipedia, here are some highlights of what we will see on our trip:
Amazing Hong Kong!
Sailing among limestone karsts by junk in Halong Bay.
The incredible Angkor Wat!
1 comment:
Hey Real - Have an amazing time, I love Asia, and I am so jealous! I have the LP for Cambodia. If you want it, let me know in the next week and I'll drop it off at Lucia's in February.
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