Travel Tales From a Colombian Abroad
[Diario de Comida, Vietnam] The smell and colors of Asian food cannot be compared to others. And Vietnam is not the exception. When we arrived to the hotel, the first thing we did was look for a place to eat. And right next to our hotel, there was a small Bun Bo Nam Bo restaurant, maybe the best in the world (it was that delicious!). A Hanoi beer, and one of these bowl of noodles… nothing better to start this trip throughout Northern Vietnam. Enjoy my Vietnam food diary!
We had to finish our trip through Northern Vietnam with the one and only, Ha Long Bay. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, its emerald waters and limestone islands did not disappoint. The bay was named World Heritage Site in 1994 and it comprises 1,600 islands that are mainly inhabited due to their limestone composition. Thanks to this, the area has an extensive and impressive biodiversity.
Asian food has always captivated me, since I was a little girl my parents used to take my sister and I to a Chinese restaurant in Medellín, going there used to be like a price for us. Ever since, I took a real pleasure in these unique flavors, and well going to China and having the opportunity to taste its gastronomy was a delight.
We arrived in Hanoi in the afternoon very tired and without our luggage, but ready for a new adventure. Once at the hotel, the first thing we asked was where we could eat some Phở, one of the most traditional plates in Vietnam, and this is how we began our trip throughout this Asian country.
In a previous post I explained how China requires a visa for most citizens to enter the country, however, there’s a small loophole to that. China has in place a 72-hour and 144-hour transit visas. The really interesting visa is the 144 hours one, equal to 6 days, and was implemented to increase tourism in the area. The policy was put into place this year (2016) and covers only the cities of Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang. However, only nationals of certain countries can enjoy this special transit visa. The downside of this visa is that you cannot leave the city it was delivered in, but on the other hand, Shanghai is big and interesting enough for you to spend 6 days there. The 72-hour policy only includes 18 cities for the moment, and you are required to leave through the same airport you entered. Three days might seem short, but if you’re wanting to visit say, Beijing, while avoiding all the visa hassle it may already seem like the better option. One important thing is that, upon arrival in order to obtain either visa you must make sure you have a ticket confirming your flight to your final destination. So if […]
![Shànghǎi - Futuristic City [Ciudad Futurista]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_0774.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Unfortunately our trip to Shanghai was very short, we were there for only 3 days taking advantage of the fact that we had some friends that lived there. Our final destination was actually Vietnam. To travel to China most people need a visa (Colombians, French, Americans , etc.) however you can do transit through the country for a total of 144 hours. So luckily we didn’t have to deal with that! But you do have to get a special permit upon arrival, showing you’re there for the less than the hours permitted.
Si vas a visitar a Bali, dos semanas, te da el tiempo suficiente para disfrutar y recorrer la bella isla. Claro que podrías visitar a Bali solo una semana y después ir a otro lugar en Asia, pero se estarán perdiendo de cosas muy lindas. La mejor manera de recorrer la isla es contratando a un chofer. Puedes encontrar a uno en el hotel, restaurante, el mercado…en cualquier lado, alguien conocerá a alguien que te pueda llevar a donde tu quieras. Este itinerario incluye toda la isla (incluyendo la pequeña isla de Gili Trawangan) con la excepción de el lado oeste de la isla. Acá abajo les dejo un mapa de nuestro itinerario para que lo sigan: sigan la linea azul al igual que el alfiler rojo en la derecha (Gili Trawangan).
If you’re visiting Bali, two weeks give you just the right amount of time to enjoy the island. Sure you can do one week and then go elsewhere in South East Asia, but you will miss out on a lot of great things. The best way to travel the island is by hiring a driver. You can find one at your hotel, in a restaurant, at the market… Pretty much anywhere, someone will know someone who can drive you. This itinerary includes the whole island (including Gili Trawangan) with the exception of the far west side. Below is a map so you can follow our itinerary: follow the blue line along with the pin on the right (Gili Trawangan).
![Monkeys Bite [Los Monos Muerden]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/dsc01711.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Last Bali post…promised. There are just so many stories to share about this trip that it’s hard to choose. But I left the best for last, or I should say the worst for last. During our last leg of the trip in the city of Ubud, we went to the Sacred Monkey Forest, a park where monkeys live freely in their habitat. And well, one of them bit me. [Versión en español abajo]
![Trekking Mt.Batur [Trekking el Monte Batur]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/dsc01082.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Climbing to the top of Mount Batur was without a doubt one of my favorite things about the trip to Bali, and maybe even one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. If you go to Bali and don’t climb to the top, you’re missing out on an incredible experience. It’s like going to Chicago and not eating deep dish pizza, or going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel tower,… or going to Medellín and not eating arepa con quesito. Well… you get the point. [Versión en español abajo]