Anna Casey

Hanoi: Day 5

Museums here often close during the lunch hour (or two), so we had to browse in the museum shop for a few minutes before the ticket counter opened. The History Museum itself was small, but its collection was well-curated. On either side of the lobby were two avant-garde art installations that seemed out of place,Continue reading “Hanoi: Day 5”

Hanoi: Day 4

Yesterday was lazy, boring, and wonderful. Aaron and I passed several hours in our local favorite cafe, Coffee A. We sipped iced coconut coffees, wrote, and planned our trip. Coconut coffee is a Vietnamese treat that’s sort of like a Starbucks Frappuccino, but with coconut milk, condensed milk, and coffee that isn’t burnt to shit.Continue reading “Hanoi: Day 4”

Hanoi: Day 3

Apparently, Cocoon Inn was turning 3 years old. That’s what we learned when we rode the elevator to the bar after our naps. To celebrate, they were serving cake and fruit in addition to the already free beer they gave out at happy hour. Aaron and I did our part to join in the celebrationContinue reading “Hanoi: Day 3”

Hanoi: Day 2

After fueling up at Garden House Restaurant, we were ready to chew some sidewalk– except Hanoi doesn’t so much have sidewalks as it has scooter parking and fruit stand space. Our first stop was the Heritage Tea House in Old Town Hanoi, a restoration of a traditional merchant’s home. It was small, but intricately detailedContinue reading “Hanoi: Day 2”

Hanoi: Day 1

Our introduction to Hanoi was fitting for the city. It was sketchy, a bit scary, a little crazy, and, in the end, totally groovy. Let me explain. We exited the terminal looking for a cab. Our data was not working on our phones, so we couldn’t use Grab (the Asian Uber). We were waved overContinue reading “Hanoi: Day 1”

Luang Prabang: Highlights Reel

Best Experiences: Anna Watching the sunset on the Mekong while Sigur Ros filled my heart with sentiment and frisson during our Sa Sa River Cruise Photographing the fantastical, forested falls at Kuang Si Quenching my thirst with fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice after a hard day of working in the paddies at Living Land Rice FarmContinue reading “Luang Prabang: Highlights Reel”

Luang Prabang: Day 4

After an afternoon rest, we thought we’d get a bit fancy for the evening and do a date night. I made reservations at Paste, the fussy modern fusion restaurant we had tapas at a couple of days before. First though, we would need to get some coffee in us, so we grabbed a latte andContinue reading “Luang Prabang: Day 4”

Luang Prabang: Day 3

Compared to the Monk’s Trail leading up to Wat Pha Lat, Phu Si Hill was a breeze. Well, more like a wheeze; I did have to take a couple of breaks. The views of the surrounding city were more than enough dessert for eating my hiking vegetables, though. There’s only so many different ways toContinue reading “Luang Prabang: Day 3”

Luang Prabang: Day 2

Wat Xieng Thong is a temple with a lot of historical significance for the Lao people. Prior to the establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the current ruling body), it was a royal temple under the patronage of the king. It served as a place for Lao kings to be crowned, and still housesContinue reading “Luang Prabang: Day 2”

Luang Prabang: Day 1

The flight to Laung Prabang was short and uneventful. We walked past the airport gates, because I had read you could get a tuk-tuk for cheaper than the shuttle-taxis in the airport. No such luck. Tuk-tuk was charging the same price as the taxis, so we shrugged and forked it over. We were staying atContinue reading “Luang Prabang: Day 1”