TRAVELLING BACHS |
Author: Beth So as the title suggests, I was lost in Panama. Sounds frightening, right? It was. I was genuinely afraid. Let me start from the beginning: I was travelling solo around central America, after flying more than 5,000 miles to escape the smog-filled bubble that is London. I was used to travelling alone and honestly enjoyed the freedom. Don’t get me wrong, I am a sociable person, but to have the ability to go where you want, whenever you want, without having someone by your side, is all I have wanted in life. After two weeks of sunbathing (burning) on the beach and drinking too much (alcohol not water as I should have been) in Costa Rica, it was time to cross the border into Panama. A few people had recommended a remote hostel, aptly named ‘Lost and Found’ - hidden in the western hills. It’s a steep stretch to reach the hostel, but the view from the top is so worth the mid-morning hike in the sweltering sun. I dared to lie in the swinging hammocks, overlooking the stunning mountains. It was breathtaking. After taking in the views, this brand new home for a few nights, I felt my belly began to rumble. The cost of meals at the hostel wasn't cheap and would soon amount to a fair bit in just one week, so I headed out on my own in search for food, down the steep hill to the main road. ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ - I sighed. The nearest store was a 10-minute walk away once you reach the bottom of the hill, and after a 15 minute walk, it was clear, that I walked in the wrong direction. So, I had no idea where I was, I was tired, my feet were aching and I had no water or food on me. It was only late in the afternoon but I was scared. More than scared. Where was I?
I was out of my depth, with no idea what to do, I slumped down not the ground, and all the confidence I had previously felt about ‘travelling alone’ was starting to fade away. After what seemed like an eternity, I saw a glimmer of hope driving towards me in a white van. I held out my thumb, and closed my eyes in fear it wouldn't stop, or worse still, in fear it would stop. A short man with the biggest smile on his face, stepped out of the van, took one look at me and we stood there in silence. He gestured me into the van, and so I took a chance. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat in the passengers seat, with the cool breeze of the air conditioning and smiling family pictures posted all around. I told him where I wanted to go, and he just handed me bottle of cold water and turned the engine on. I was starting to feel better when I heard the Spice Girls singing on the radio. Viva forever? Oh yes. I was going to be ok.
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Author: Beth Part 1 - HanoiSimilar to capital cities across Asia, Hanoi is a bustling noisy one, with a reported 5 million motorbikes on the roads along with Tuk tuks, taxis, cars and bicycles. The streets are littered with rubbish, food waste and there is a smell to it, not a strong one but a lingering smell that lasts throughout the day and into the night. This city is a great central point if you want to explore nearby towns/cities which can be done in a 1/2 day trip - and that's exactly what we did. This wasn't our original plan but we received great advice and help from Ann, who worked as the receptionist at our hotel. We stayed at Hanoi Sincerity Guest House a basic and simple run down hostel but it is located in a great location. In almost all the reviews, tourists are raving about Ann or 'Miss Ann' - she was a fountain of knowledge about the area, and went above and beyond for us in helping organising trips to pointing out the best places to eat. Famously known for its 'street train' we were excited to catch a glimpse of this unique attraction. Videos online have shown a wide train flying through the streets of Hanoi, almost to big to fit through! It wasn't too hard to find and once you have you know you're in the right place, as train tracks are running right up the street (pictured above) with houses and even small cafes remaining open for most of the day. Unfortunately, we didn't see the train despite walking there twice over 2 days. We were given different times by so many different people , so if you manage to see it at all, count yourself lucky! Here is a link to a video of said train - Hanoi street train We found a treasure of a breakfast place and looked forward to returning there each morning. The place is called Joma bakery cafe and served food from croissants to cooked foods including vegan and veggie options! As much as we enjoyed Vietnamese food out there, it was great to have a taste of treats from home. I enjoyed a granola bowl and seeded bread with mango and cream - delicious (pictured below right) along with some traditional Asian cuisine and a typical busy Hanoi street. Our sleepy journey to Sapa Having read about sleeper buses, we decided this was the best way to travel to Sapa in north Vietnam, about 200 miles from Hanoi. After a rush to find the bus stop and a lot of help from Miss Ann - we managed to board and find 2 beds together. There's around 30 beds on board and they are mainly used for long journeys (hence the name - sleeper bus) The trip to Sapa was 7 hours plus and felt like it... Fortunately, the bus had air con, wifi, free water, a safe place for your bags, and a cable for charging phones, so listening to music/podcasts was not a problem. The beds are comfortable enough and although I can't remember if there was a toilet on the way there (as we made 2 stops on route for a comfort break and a leg stretch) there was definitely a toilet on our sleeper bus back. Ensure you have tissues and hand sanitiser with you at all times - and if you have ever been on a coach journey before I'm sure I don't need to tell you the perils of a bus toilet....! As I mentioned before there are comfort breaks where you can pick up snacks, but we were lucky to find a bakery store in Hanoi called King Roti - selling sweet treats for as little as 50p/cents - definitely worth a trip and the long queues are worth the wait! I had wanted to do this for a very long time and in my new-found independent phase I decided that I wanted to do it on my own. Far from the original purpose of a religious pilgrimage to visit the shrine of the apostle St James the Great, my aim was to have a nice outdoor experience in the North of Spain, a physical challenge and to learn to get by with the basics while enjoying of the wonderful Spanish cuisine I miss so much. In a way, it was "an atittude of search" as they require for you to obtain the certificate once you finish and that I will explain below.
Do you want to know how did it go for me? Do you want to learn more about it because maybe you fancy doing it yourself? Read my story to find out where I went wrong and the kind of stuff you need to take with you. |