Radreffies' blogs

It’s been a busy few days full of trains, buses, walking, eating (especially eating!), meeting relatives (brothers, cousins, aunts, nieces and nephews). After spending last week in Daegu with Shinjoung’s parents, we headed up to Seoul and its surroundings to visit myriad relatives — I know some names, but mostly I remember them as relations [...] Related posts:

1. Right at home in Taegu, Korea
2. South Korea – U.S. FTA Jan 15-19
3. Photos from our SE Asia trip to Singapore, Vietnam and Korea

Yes we’re still on our SE Asian tour. Shinjoung and I have been in Taegu, Korea for the last few days. No videos to post yet (and also no tour books to consult ). We’ve been staying pretty close to home, visiting with family, eating, visiting with more family. As some of you know, Shinjoung’s [...] Related posts:

1. Eating and wandering through Korea
2. Mountain Voice
3. Hotspots for democracy

Well we’re off tomorrow for Korea. It’s been a great (but IMMENSELY HOT & HUMID!) 4 days in Hanoi. We ate tons of street food — Bun Cha, Pho (pronounced like “fur”), Banh Mi, Banh Goi, Chao Ga, and a bunch of things we don’t know the names of but are listed on the wikipedia [...] Related posts:

1. Vietnam day 2 & 3
2. Shinjoung’s Yalta
3. Overnight sleeper to Hanoi

As our Vietnam trip comes to an end, I have to admit that we haven’t completely abolished the guide book but have come to a detente. It’s hard to kick old habits ☺. We’ve had fun, lots of laughs and continuous debates – did you expect anything less from me?! One of the most exciting [...] Related posts:

1. Experiment of un-lonely planet guide experience
2. Vietnam wrap-up
3. wanderer vs. planner

Shinjoung and I took the overnight sleeper train from Hue to Hanoi. Originally we tried to get our own ticket at the station but were defeated because a) we didn’t have enough Vietnamese Dong on us (thought wrongly that at least the train station would have the ability to use a visa card); and b) [...] Related posts:

1. Shinjoung’s Yalta
2. Vietnam wrap-up
3. Experiment of un-lonely planet guide experience

Today we’re heading for Hanoi and I proposed to James to do the un-lonely planet guide experience. James insists that he is different since he is using a rough guide instead of a lonely planet guide.  I will let him believe whatever makes him feel good ☺. James is not unique among travelers. You can [...] Related posts:

1. Shinjoung’s Yalta
2. wanderer vs. planner
3. Guide to DRM restrictions

We decided to rent motorcycles (and drivers, we’re not THAT crazy!) today in order to get further afield in Hue, Vietnam. Below is a video cobbled together of the day. We’re off tomorrow to Hanoi on the overnight sleeper train which should be fun. At least it’ll be air-conditioned Related posts:Overnight sleeper to Hanoi Vietnam [...] Related posts:

1. Overnight sleeper to Hanoi
2. Vietnam wrap-up
3. Experiment of un-lonely planet guide experience

James and I have a little different travel style. I’m a wanderer while James is more of a planner (who likes to wander).  I rarely plan for any trips or read about the place where I will visit partially because I’m lazy but also because I enjoy trips with few plans or goals. On the [...] Related posts:

1. Experiment of un-lonely planet guide experience
2. Shinjoung’s Yalta
3. Vietnam wrap-up

Day 2 we decided to take an organized tour (against our better judgement) to the Mekong delta. It was pretty cheap ($24/person) but it was mostly ferrying the group around to various places to buy trinkets. The water coconut farm was interesting, but I wanted to spend more time visiting the beekeepers and listening to [...] Related posts:

1. Vietnam wrap-up
2. wanderer vs. planner
3. Photos from our SE Asia trip to Singapore, Vietnam and Korea

Shinjoung and I landed in Ho Chi Minh City last night and are staying a couple of days at Madam Cuc’s hotel. We went out exploring today and this is the first thing we saw: Click To Play Traffic in Ho Chi Minh City We had some delicious soup, gluttonous rice wrapped in banana leaf, [...] Related posts:

1. Experiment of un-lonely planet guide experience
2. Vietnam wrap-up
3. Vietnam day 2 & 3