Ha Long Bay

Before I left, I got my other lens that’s a lot better fixed on my camera. 

It cost 500000 dong which is about 23 dollars.

Expensive for here, but I think in the long run it was a good buy.

Sithee that I met on the bus, she’s great, we got pedicures for 90000dong which is like four dollars or so. The place was really nice:

Then we got drinks to celebrate our last night together, for now anyways :)

The drinks cost 1 pound or about $1.30 or so.

I bought a 3 day tour to Ha Long Bay through my hostel. Apparently you can’t just go there and book something after like I’ll do in Sapa. You kind of have to get a tour that range from probably 65 to 150-200 dollars for the same thing. All of us payed different prices on our boats, mine was 75 dollars and no alcohol but I ended up getting some anyways. We get really big meals 3 times per day and yesterday we saw all the rocks or islands by boat, went to a cave, and went kayaking. Today we did a trek up a mountain. It was really hot, but nice once we got up to the top. We just ate lunch and now I’m living with some latinos in a hotel at a place called Cat Ba island. It’s a huge island that is mainly a National Reserve. they are really funny. Everyone on the boats seem pretty cool, my boat is really fun. I think it’s one company with a bunch of boats, some people came over to our boat last night...I think.

This is the first time I went somewhere completely on my own except for going to Vietnam. I always end up meeting other travellers that you become friends with then why not share a room. Going to Vietnam though I just ended up being friends with everyone in the back of the bus with me so it didn’t really feel like being on my own either. Now it does more, the girl I made friends with (Miriam from Chile living in Australia) had only booked one night so now I’m a little more on my own. Not that I don’t like being social, I really enjoy everyone that I’ve met and obviously wouldn’t spend time with them if I didn’t want to. It’s just fun being completely free, I wouldn’t want to be alone all the time though and you literally always meet new people travelling. I guess I’m figuring out a balance :)

I didn’t get in to the school I applied for which sucks a little bit. 

On the other hand, I’m completely free so I can go out travelling again this winter or do a working holiday visa in New Zealand or Australia :D