Less than a month to go!

Hello everybody!

This week has been a great one for trip planning! As is stands Pearce and I have secured almost all of our travel items for our big trip. It has been really fun to scour the internet for tips from other travelers who have backpacking down to an art, or is it science? We were able to find great resources/ideas on Amazon's Listmania, Tripadvisor, Travelfish, and traveler's blogs. Based on their advice, here are some of the gadgets/accessories we have on our packing list:

• Telescoping stainless steel chopsticks with case - Good for those communal eating experiences
• Rick Steve's  Braided Clothes Line - You don't need clothes pins bc you can tuck your clothes right in   the braiding
• Ex-Offcio travel boxer briefs -  No sweating = no chafing!
• Buffs- I know it is a glorified gator, but I really like this thing. Not only do they have UV protection in order to protect Pearce's neck, but it will be critical to control my crazy hair!
• Keens - I debated back and forth about what shoes to bring and we landed on Keens and so far on our test walks (up to 4 1/2 miles) and one 3 mile hike, we have not been disappointed. They are actually more comfortable than my running shoes! The one drawback that they are prone to getting little pebbles in them when you are going down hill on a trail. I think this might be fixed if we were our socks while hiking.
• Cool Wrap Neckties - All you have to do is let it soak in water for 30 minutes and it activates cooling crystals for 2 hours. I was able to test it out when our air went out this past week and it worked great!
• Memory Cards - A small, and lightweight way to save our travel pictures and video and since we got them pre-used, they were cheap cheap!
• Monster 4 Outlet Travel Strip - Small, light and a great way to charge all of our electronics at once!
• Paracord bracelt - This one is more for fun- but who knows maybe I will need to rescue Pearce from a ravine!
• Netbook*- We are leaning heavily towards bringing a netbook now. In our research, travelers overwhelming say that they would not travel without one in SE Asia because of all the benefits. First, it actually helps you maximize your time in each country because you can pre-write your emails/blog entries when you have forced downtime on trains, planes, etc. Second, as many cafes, restaurants, hostels, and even internet cafes now provide free internet access, you save money! Third, it will allow us extra perks like using Skype to talk with friends and family, watching movies when trapped in bus stations, quick researching of local restaurants, activities, etc., and safe on-line banking. In order to minimize the risk of any sensitive data or our pictures being lost, we will make sure to backup it up onto a portable hard drive we will bring.

Let us know what your favorite travel items are!

A & P

Time flys... when you are having fun?

Greetings!

Life seems to be speeding up day by day for us here...

In the less than 40 days we have left we will somehow manage to drive my grandparents to their summer gathering grounds, go to a supercool wedding (while hosting my dad, stepmom and sister), host my bestie for a quick catchup, participate in a triathlon, celebrate Pearce's 30th and party for Pearce's completion of his Neurology program (not to mention 23 years of school/training). Oh and did I forget to mention that we are going to Asia for 3 months?!? Luckily I am free and clear from school work-and so can focus all my energy on organizing our life here so we can cast off free and clear.

Already, I have been able to get some pretty big things checked off our list. We have arranged for our good friend Jay (from my program) to stay in our house over the three months so our home doesn't get lonely. Yay JAY! My stepdad John has volunteered to drive my car with our most precious belongings (the chia pet of course) to Florida so she too can be well taken care off in our absence. Yay JOHN! I have also got our mail forwarded, most of our packing list bought, phone cancelled, China Visas applied for and have booked our first hostel!

The Beijing Downtown Backpackers hostel came highly recommended by a friend of a friend Yay PEKWEIN! who lives in Beijing.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294212-d674488-r33284734-Beijing_Downtown_Backpacker_Hostel-Beijing.html

It is located in a historic Hutong neighborhood just North of Tianamen and the Forbidden City, and just east of Beihai park and the lake area. After some deliberation, we decided to tackle Beijing first, rather than head off to Mongolia directly. We thought it would be beneficial to transition to the time zone there rather than Mongolia so we aren't as tired when we see my Mongolian family. Additionally, seeing Beijing first will allow us to arrive in Mongolia closer to the time of Nadaam which I want Pearce to see for sure. I also thought this would free us up to go directly to another Chinese city if we wanted on our way back from Mongolia- if that is even feasible.

So that is where we stand for now. I'll keep you posted- I am sure I can fit it in somewhere!

Al and P out

Vietnam Top Picks

Chao Ban!

Man, I am on a roll- two entries in two days!

Took a look through our Lonely Planet Vietnam to see the places that Pearce and I were most interested in visiting. As is stands, our top picks are the following:

Hanoi - The grand old dame of the orient, Hanoi is perhaps the most graceful, atmospheric and exotic capital city in Asia. Highlights include Hoan Kiem Lake, Big Hoi junction where you can grab a locally crafted beer; the Hanoi Opera House; Water Puppet show and the night market. Pearce will most likely get his tailored silk suits here as well!!





Hanglong Bay - Majestic and mysterious, inspiring and imperious. 2000 or more incredible islands rising from the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Tonkin. Highlights include Cat Ba island, with hiking, climbing, sailing, kayaking and of course a Junkboat ride.



Sapa- This charming highland town in tucked into the mountains overlooking a plunging valley of cascading rice terraces and is a great place to see the "Hill Tribes" of Vietnam. Highlights include hiking, visiting the local villages and maybe even seeing the "Love" market where country folk come to town to speed date.





Hoi An - Once a sleepy town, Hoi an is now a developed tourist town and designated world
heritage site due to its old architecture and cultural history. Highlights included a cooking class, and diving at Cham Island a off-the-beaten- track island located right off the coast.





Nha Trang - The beach capital of Vietnam- beaches, diving and mud baths await!

Dalat - The bizarro Vietnam, it is spring-like and cool instead of having tropical heat, it has French colonial villas instead of socialist architecture and farms with strawberries, not rice. A very romantic feeling escape.

Con Dao Islands - Isolated from the mainland, the Con Dao Islands are one of the star attractions of Vietnam with plenty of hiking, swimming, diving and rare animal sightings. Have you every heard of the Dugong?


Let us know what you think and if we are missing anything!!

This is as far as we are going with any pre-planning for traveling. That is not to say that we will not be going to other SE Asian countries, but as I have been to Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand, we do not feel as pressured to map out a plan of attack so formally. We will let our whims take us where they will and see what happens. That is half the fun of travel after all!

Until Later,

Allyson (and Pearce)