Almost home!!!

This morning we woke up at 6:45 to go to Cu Chi tunnels. It was were the Vietnamese hid during the Vietnam War. We got to see some of the traps they set and got to go in the tunnels. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't call it fun to go see how our kind was killed. Well I guess I could say it was interesting! The tunnels were so small and so dark I had to scoot on my side. I was really surprised because they opened it up so much more for us but it was still tiny!!! After that we got back on the bus we came here on and head back! When we got back we: ate lunch, shopped and then came back to our hotel where I'm writing this right now. Were going to take a cab a six ti the airport. Are flight is going to leave at 12:00pm!!! Then we land at 6:00am at are home. Were spending half a day on a plane! I can't wait to see all my friends and family back at home. See you all soon!!!

Riley,

Floating markets

We woke up at 4:55 and met our tour guide to show us around the floating markets and a couple other things. The floating markets are boats with fruits and veggies that they sell on there. Some people even live on their boats! We got breakfast and a drink there while Sue, (person rowing our boat ) rowed us here and there. We also stopped at a temple called Co Dai, well I can't say much about it but it was sort of colorful!

We took breaks along the way too. We got to walk around villages and taste different types of veggies. I also played chef with all the floating Lilly pads and flowers we rowed past today. Oh, and I almost forgot, we got to eat birthday cake for breakfast! Our guide gave us a magnet Vietnamese doll, book marks, muffins, and some kind of cake in a cup for breakfast!!! My mom would never let me do that! Just saying. Anyways, right now were in a bus heading for Saigon. Write later!!!

Riley,

I have no clue what to call this

We woke up at 7:00am and ate breakfast, which was: egg, toast/bread, jam/butter, mini cakes, tea, coffee, rice rolls, bananas, watermelon, and orange roll ups. Then we went into a car and visited places along the way to Can Tho. Here are the places we went: pottery making, Hyacinth braiding, rice noodles, and tofu skin. 

Let's start with pottery making. We figured out that they shaped clay into pots pressing the sides together with a design forming a round pot. Well, it's kinda hard to explain, but it's much harder then it seems. I didn't add all the details but it's like forming a pot out of play-dough. 

Next we did Hyacinth braiding. It's like braiding hair but with weeds. They air dry weeds, they braid them and sell them. People buy them because it's a good material for baskets and other things. Next we saw how to make rice noodles. They put rice powder in a machine that somehow formed rice noodles . They did this twice until it was straight, afterwards we got to try one! It was good! There was also a little girl who never seen an American before so she was all over us. 

Then we went to to see how they made tofu skins, gross right? Well, it turns out that they take a tofu bean and take out the stuff and mix it up with water. Then they cook it in a big vat and skim off the top layer and hang it up to dry. A lot of ands, it also turns out I'm too lazy to fix it. Oh well! Bye!

Riley,

Floating Markets

We woke up at 4:55 and met our tour guide to show us around the floating markets and a couple other things. The floating markets are boats with fruits and veggies that they sell on there. Some people even live on their boats! We got breakfast and a drink there while Sue, (person rowing our boat ) rowed us here and there. We also stopped at a temple called Co Dai, well I can't say much about it but it was sort of colorful!

We took breaks along the way too. We got to walk around villages and taste different types of veggies. I also played chef with all the floating Lilly pads and flowers we rowed past today. Oh, and I almost forgot, we got to eat birthday cake for breakfast! Our guide gave us a magnet Vietnamese doll, book marks, muffins, and some kind of cake in a cup for breakfast!!! My mom would never let me do that! Just saying. Anyways, right now were in a bus heading for Saigon. Write later!!!

Riley,

Mekong Touring

We woke up at 7:00am and ate breakfast, which was: egg, toast/bread, jam/butter, mini cakes, tea, coffee, rice rolls, bananas, watermelon, and orange roll ups. Then we went into a car and visited places along the way to Can Tho. Here are the places we went: pottery making, Hyacinth braiding, rice noodles, and tofu skin.

Let's start with pottery making. We figured out that they shaped clay into pots pressing the sides together with a design forming a round pot. Well, it's kinda hard to explain, but it's much harder then it seems. I didn't add all the details but it's like forming a pot out of play-dough.

Next we did Hyacinth braiding. It's like braiding hair but with weeds. They air dry weeds, they braid them and sell them. People buy them because it's a good material for baskets and other things. Next we saw how to make rice noodles. They put rice powder in a machine that somehow formed rice noodles . They did this twice until it was straight, afterwards we got to try one! It was good! There was also a little girl who never seen an American before so she was all over us.

Then we went to to see how they made tofu skins, gross right? Well, it turns out that they take a tofu bean and take out the stuff and mix it up with water. Then they cook it in a big vat and skim off the top layer and hang it up to dry. A lot of ands, it also turns out I'm too lazy to fix it. Oh well! Bye!

Riley

Awesome Dinner

We woke up at 6:00 to get ready for our trip on the bus. We spent 4 whole hours on it!!! Well.... That's not to bad I guess. We did I take a break in the middle for a quick drink then back on the bus! That's not really a good thing is it? Anyway, people picked us up from the bus station and took us to a home stay. We got our own room  

and got to swing in our hammocks while picking and eating this type of fruit nearby straight of the tree! Right now we just finished lunch and started blogging. After lunch we took bikes to town and got to see how note books were printed a sewn together. We even got one! I got a crafty picture one the front with bamboo paper, and Tara got a Lilly pad one. Then we went back to the hotel and ate dinner, which was: fish, spring rolls, rice roll ups, fruit, veggies, chicken, egg sandwich, and a soft drink. I say we feasted like kings!!! Then we took showers hopped in bed to let our food settle!

Bye!!!

Riley,

Shopping day!!! So fun.

Today we woke up at 6:40 to go to breakfast. Breakfast was a meal of: pineapple, watermelon, bananas, an omelet, ham, bread and juice (much better than what Mom makes at home). After that, we did some shopping. Tara bought shoes, a sweatshirt, and candy. I only bought candy, after all, I'm not much of a shopper. We shopped all afternoon (which is pretty hard for me), then ate lunch at a cafe. We had sandwiches with ham and vegetables (and of course, we had to take out the vegetables). That's all I have to say about today so I'll see you later! Bye!!!

Riley,

Trip to Da Lat

This morning we woke up and ate a breakfast of eggs and bread. Then we took a walk around to say bye to all our surroundings and the people. The waterfall, the fishing lake, the swimming pool, our room, and of course, saying thank you to the owners. Then we got in the van to drive to Da lat and take a couple stops along the way. The first place we went was a tea plantation. He said they come around when it's the season to pick them, and only pick the smallest tea leaves in order for the plant to stay alive and healthy. The second place we went was a silk factory. The silk is taken from a silk worm and weaved in a machine then sold at the markets. The said five cocoons can make a roll of silk. The third place we went was a bungee making place. They took old rubber tires and cut them, then weaved different colors of thread in them and put on the hook. The fourth place we went was the crazy house. It was just like Toon Town from Disneyland but better! I don't really know how to explain it but I'm sure my dad will post some pictures of it! Then we went to our hotel for a little bit and got a room just to put our stuff in for a couple hours before we go on a plane. We walked around a little bit and strolled around the lake. Then went back to the hotel to gather our stuff and fly again!!!

Riley,

Elephant Riding

This morning we woke up at 6:45 to go get breakfast then ride elephants. We went into the village and found a nice breakfast place. Tara ordered bread with jam and butter. And I ordered toast with an omelet and orange juice. After we ate breakfast we rode cute little elephants. It was a really bumpy trip but it was worth it. We also went in the water and up high ramps. Tara must have a problem with animals because this time it wasn't the crab, or the monkey that hurt her, but the elephant, which went crazy! It seemed to Dad and I she might get bucked off! But she's fine now. Then we took a walk through the minority villages. We also got to ride some water buffalo, but I was the only one brave enough to do it. Then we got back on the the van that we've been riding with a tour, and head for the mountains. After a little while we stopped to have lunch. Our lunch was: rice, beef, and veggies. And then back up the mountain we went!

Riley,

A day of learning

6:30 is the time we woke up today. We ate oatmeal for breakfast and then got 

dressed. After that, we met our driver who was going to take us up to Lak Lake.

He said that we'll be taking stops along the way including lunch. The first place we went to was a fishermen village. It was interesting..............I mean, who knew their baskets were made out of cow poop. They say it saves money which I bet it does,

but still, I wouldn't touch it. Then, second we went to a brick factory. They said that when they first make it, it's like clay. After it hardens they put it in a kiln, and that's how it turns red. Third, we got to to taste a sugar can drink. It was actually really good! Then we went to lunch and ate rice with chicken. Fourth, we went to see coco beans. They look like a tiny green bean before they cut it open and send it to a plant to process. Fifth, we went to see how peppers grew. Which was quite interesting. Then we went to our hotel, ate dinner, and went to bed. Till next time!!!

Riley,

Monkey Island

We went to Monkey Island today, where hundreds of monkeys live. Normally you would say "Aww, the cute little baby monkeys are eating out of my hand!" Or, "The little monkeys are drinking out of my empty pop can!" They did do all of the those things and more, including: "Aww, the giant hairy gorilla is attacking my mom!" They call him the king of the forest. It all started when people started to feed him more peanuts and bananas than other monkeys. Then it seemed to him that he was the boss now, so when other monkeys/or people, are eating he'd fight them to get the food. Also, when Tara was feeding them one of them almost got away with her glasses! When he grabbed them of her, it made three scratch marks on her face. But, I'd have to admit the baby ones were cute. Afterwards we went back to our hotel to rest a little, eat lunch, then swim on the beach. Till next time!

Riley,

Going to Nha Trang

We woke up at 6:30 to pack for the taxi we're taking to the airport at 7:00. We got all all packed, stuff outside, ready to go, and..........HE'S LATE!!! About 25 minutes later he arrives, gets our luggage in the car, and takes us to the airport to go to Nha Trang. Minutes later we reach the airport, got our stuff, and rushed inside trying not to miss the plane. Luckily, the plane takes off at 7:25, and it was only 7:10.

Well....that's not a lot of time but was enough to reach the plane in time. With suitcases flying, partly running through security, getting caught by the police,

flying pink elephants started dancing, and-!!! Just kidding 😋, it wasn't like that. Well partly like that. Sort of..............ya. Anyway, so we got on the plane and flew to our location, Nha Trang.

We arrived at 8:30 and went straight to our hotel with a cab. Our hotel was only a two star but it was still great! We had two doubles, a TV, a tiny bathroom, a balcony, and a sitting place in the corner. We also went to the beach close to here and got our shoulders burnt. But that's another long story. I think I wrote enough, at least according to me. Maybe not my mom 😶. Don't worry I'm sure my dad will talk about it! ( he's crazy!!! ) Don't tell him I said that! Be back!

Riley,

The Beach

I woke up at 8:00 in the morning, then I got up and ate cereal for breakfast. We went for a walk on the beach, walked back and took a break watching TV (non-English speaking) Then, went back along the beach, ate lunch, and swam/surfed on the huge waves and played restaurant with sloppy wet sand making cakes and stuff. Afterwards we went back again, took a shower, and took another break!!! So long! Well........at least for now.

Riley,

Beach Day

A soft wave of the beach awoke me. But, that was just coming from our annoying sound machine in our room.  Luckily, we were going to a real beach today! It's called the An Bang Beach. Then we got up, got dressed, and hopped in a taxi cab and went to the beach! First we went to our personal house to drop of our bags and look around our house before bounding off to the beach! At the beach we did some beach/like things. For example, swimming (or jumping over waves ), collecting sea shells, getting bit by a crab, (not as fun, it happened to Tara) and being buried in the sand. After that, we went home, took a shower, and had a great rest of the day! Bye!!!

Riley,

Boring Hike

Today we got up at 7:00 which is a pretty good time to get up now. Then we went to go see the ruins of My Son. Well..... It was ok I guess. Anyway, all we really got to see was a pile of bricks. Well at least Mom and Dad liked it! It was really hot though.

We'll just call that the second hottest day of my life. Ok, that's it for today! Till next time!

Riley,

Car trip to Hoi An

Today we woke up at 6:00am (a normal time we usually get up now) we got dressed, brushed our hair, and packed for Hoi-An City. (next place were going to)

To tell you the truth, the car ride wasn't that bad at all! We stoped a couple of times to see some pretty sights. First we stopped at a fishermen village. Second, the place the solders fought. Third, China beach. Fourth, Marble Mountains. Out of all of them I think I liked the beach. When we finally got to the hotel we settled in and unpacked our bags. Till next time!

Riley,

Long hike

Right now we are at are hotel sitting in bed. We are all tired because we just got back from a big hike. There were three big emperor  tombs we went to. The first one had a lot of color that mostly faded away. The second seemed peaceful, and it was built around a lake. The third one was a mix of both. It was so hot out there, I bet that was the hottest day of my life. I started my day with a huge breakfast with as many fruits, and bread, and ham, as there were stars in the sky. They even had fruit I've never seen before!!! Well that's it for today! Bye!

Riley,

Another plane ride

We woke up at 6:00 to pack our bag our bags for the plane trip to Hue. Luckily, it was was only 1 hour compared to the 28 hour plane. Once we landed, a cab took us to the Orchid Hotel where we'll stay. And guess what, we have our own personnel doorbell outside our room! We also have a TV, a computer, and an awesome balcony too! There's thousands of lizards here, Dad tried to catch one but they're too fast and slippery. For dinner we went into this cool place. There was a woman who liked me, she got so close to my face and wanted me to kiss her cheek!!! I had no choice.   

Riley,

The Fishermen Village

We woke up at 5:50am preparing for a big breakfast of toast,(jam and butter), dragon fruit, apples, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, and hot tea. They said it wasn't enough food but boy, were they wrong! There was once a lady on there who said she gained weight, and I hope that didn't happen to me. After breakfast, we went to see the fishermen villages. Their house is on the water, so the the kids have to learn how to row a boat to school as their bike. (kids are done going to school at age ten) The fishermen and their children have lived there for generations. It all started when the French went over to take over Vietnam. The people packed up their belongings and went to live on the water where it was safe. And now, they like livening there so they stayed there ever since. Then we went to see the pearl house where pearls are made. They said they put a fake plastic ball in the oyster, and then in two years a real pearl is made by the oyster. Then we went back to the boat and ate lunch while we sailed back home.

The Boat Ride

Now this story isn't just about the kayaking, or the jellyfish and the snails, and hermit crabs we found. Nor the caves and sea food we got on the the boat, or the cool rooms and nice sun deck. Or the view of mountains popping up from the water, and the 10 course fancy dinner we got on there either. It was about the experience: The memory of us laughing on the beach,beating mom and dad pretty badly at kayaking when they thought we couldn't do it, learning more about nature, and just having a fun time. It's hard to believe, but it all started by lazily waking up at 7:00 am. (background snoring)

" I don't want to get up". Welcome to my world! The world of sleep. It's a world where you sleep almost all the time, well, obvious. And all the shops sell sleeping powder, night masks, and blankets. In this imaginary land, I'm queen snooze the great! By my side rules Slumber, my pet poodle and Snoozer bell my cat. I have a royal pink puff castle made out of pillows and fluff. And if you go through my garden gate you'll see pink puffer pill flowers made out of- " Riley, Riley wake up."

A Long and Boring Day

Suddenly, pirates started to attack the ship! So I ran out, kicked the pirates of the boat and saved the day!!! Unfortunately, that was not the start of my day. The real part of the story .starts with me single handedly being sick and lying in bed and skipping through TV channels' . And trust me, ( whisper ) you do not wan't to be doing that on you're vacation. So that's pretty much all I have to say about today. Nothing much happened, well, except lying in bed for a good 25 hours. Nothing can beat that! (sigh).....

Riley,

Another Train Ride

We woke up at 5:30 and hooked up on FaceTime to see some of our are friends. Then, we took a shower and got dressed, planing for a long day walking through Cat-Cat village. Sure enough, a rush of ladies and their belongings ran up to us trying to sell things. We tried to ignore them but they just wouldn't go away! "You buy this from me, you no shopping?!!! Finally we ran into a store for our own protection. Inside, there was a stone turtle hand carved for only $1.00!!! I couldn't help it it was too cheap to bargain! So, you know me, I bought it! After that we went back to the hotel to get our bags. To the train satiation we go! Until next time!

The Long Hike

Squish, slip, slide, scream, plop.....that was all I heard today. Not to mention but.........( whisper) that was coming from mom. It all started when we were walking down the steep slippery mud. Mom, who usually keeps her brains, was making quite a commotion back there. " Guys wait up or I'll, ahhhhhhhhh! That's when it started. When we arrived at our destination, a Village called the Black Hmong, we saw the cutest little swine. It's little pink snout stuck out and, and, one second. (sniff, sniff) That reminds me of my little b,b,b, Bitzy!!! ( crying in the background )Riley

Can't even think of it........

After we got of the train someone picked us up to take us to Sapa. But unfortunately, I ate Mento's for breakfast, and unfortunately he was a crazy driver. I was feeling a little funny, but I thought it was best if could hold to the top. Finally we had to stop the car about half way to Sapa, but I was fine, I thought I just needed some fresh air. 😃Yet not knowing that wasn't the end of it. Then when we got to the top we walked around and got some Italian bread for my stomach. Then after we walked around to see the markets It was time to go back in the van to go to our
Hotel. When we were almost there I started to feel sick again, so I got out of the car and...........😯 um let's skip that part. When we got to the hotel I got in the shower, then put on nice clean clothes. You never know what's coming next!

Riley

The markets

We arrived at 10:30pm in Hanoi from a plain then took a cab to our hotel. Minutes later we were greeted by a man who took our bags and showed us our room. And sure enough the embarrassing words, you know what he said......"Ya er beautiful".
Then we woke up at 5:30am for a delicious American breakfast, I mean for once.
Anyway, we had an egg omelet, 3 pieces of toast, and some fruit. After that, we walked around town to see the smelly markets, the beautiful lake, and the interesting prison before the long rocking train ride to Sapa. 

Riley

Day2 a long plane ride

You can guess already what happend to me. I got stuck In a plane ride! And I guess you can say that were almost there.😏Well.... I don't want to be too dermatick but.....What!!! Am I crazy!!! We have TWO THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED TWENTY SIX MILES TO GO!!!!!!!!!!😡And you can guess where my mom is right now.💤😴🍭🍬🍫🍦🍰 How am I ever gonna live?

Riley,

Day 2 awesome breakfast

I woke up at 6:30 am which is 7:30 you're time. Then I took a quick shower and got into my clothes. Trust me, we get the best showers. That thing barely worked!!!

Anyway, then we went downstairs for breakfast next to the fitness center, pool,

and lobby. We had the best breakfast ever!!! Pancakes,sausage, toast,cinnamon

rolls,yogurt,and juice or milk as a drink. Wow, that was a lot to say. It's mean to gossip, but it's hard to imagine my mom cooking that. (Sigh) Such a chef. 🍴🍰

Day1 Subway sandwiches

Right now we are on the plane to LA. I can't wait till we take off, it's the best part. Although I'm a bit nervous because I inhaled a giant Subway sandwich. Boy, It would be a shame if it came back up. Were starting to move millimeter by millimeter now, and soon we'll be up in the clouds!!! Well... In a hour or two. (Sigh......) This is going to be a long trip.

Riley,

       Just love it.✨