Travel Tales From a Colombian Abroad
[Diario de Comida, Vietnam] The smell and colors of Asian food cannot be compared to others. And Vietnam is not the exception. When we arrived to the hotel, the first thing we did was look for a place to eat. And right next to our hotel, there was a small Bun Bo Nam Bo restaurant, maybe the best in the world (it was that delicious!). A Hanoi beer, and one of these bowl of noodles… nothing better to start this trip throughout Northern Vietnam. Enjoy my Vietnam food diary!
We had to finish our trip through Northern Vietnam with the one and only, Ha Long Bay. Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, its emerald waters and limestone islands did not disappoint. The bay was named World Heritage Site in 1994 and it comprises 1,600 islands that are mainly inhabited due to their limestone composition. Thanks to this, the area has an extensive and impressive biodiversity.
Asian food has always captivated me, since I was a little girl my parents used to take my sister and I to a Chinese restaurant in Medellín, going there used to be like a price for us. Ever since, I took a real pleasure in these unique flavors, and well going to China and having the opportunity to taste its gastronomy was a delight.
We arrived in Hanoi in the afternoon very tired and without our luggage, but ready for a new adventure. Once at the hotel, the first thing we asked was where we could eat some Phở, one of the most traditional plates in Vietnam, and this is how we began our trip throughout this Asian country.
![Shànghǎi - Futuristic City [Ciudad Futurista]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_0774.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Unfortunately our trip to Shanghai was very short, we were there for only 3 days taking advantage of the fact that we had some friends that lived there. Our final destination was actually Vietnam. To travel to China most people need a visa (Colombians, French, Americans , etc.) however you can do transit through the country for a total of 144 hours. So luckily we didn’t have to deal with that! But you do have to get a special permit upon arrival, showing you’re there for the less than the hours permitted.
Si vas a visitar a Bali, dos semanas, te da el tiempo suficiente para disfrutar y recorrer la bella isla. Claro que podrías visitar a Bali solo una semana y después ir a otro lugar en Asia, pero se estarán perdiendo de cosas muy lindas. La mejor manera de recorrer la isla es contratando a un chofer. Puedes encontrar a uno en el hotel, restaurante, el mercado…en cualquier lado, alguien conocerá a alguien que te pueda llevar a donde tu quieras. Este itinerario incluye toda la isla (incluyendo la pequeña isla de Gili Trawangan) con la excepción de el lado oeste de la isla. Acá abajo les dejo un mapa de nuestro itinerario para que lo sigan: sigan la linea azul al igual que el alfiler rojo en la derecha (Gili Trawangan).
![Trekking Mt.Batur [Trekking el Monte Batur]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/dsc01082.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
Climbing to the top of Mount Batur was without a doubt one of my favorite things about the trip to Bali, and maybe even one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. If you go to Bali and don’t climb to the top, you’re missing out on an incredible experience. It’s like going to Chicago and not eating deep dish pizza, or going to Paris and not visiting the Eiffel tower,… or going to Medellín and not eating arepa con quesito. Well… you get the point. [Versión en español abajo]
![Bali, Food Diary [Diario de Comida]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thiscolombiangirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/dsc01469.jpg?resize=720%2C471&ssl=1)
If you’re like me…you eat through your eyes ! And the flavors, scents, and colors of the Balinese gastronomy are amazing. One of the things that I enjoy the most when traveling is tasting the typical food and drinks of each place.
This past Monday I came back from a two-week trip to Bali, Indonesia, an incredible island. Before leaving, we made an itinerary of the trip we wanted to make in Google Maps. We practically ended up crossing the whole island except for the West part… and we decided to spend the two weeks in Bali only to really enjoy and get to know not only the important places, but the people, the traditions, the food, etc. If getting to Bali from France is a long trip, from the American continent it is even longer, which is why in my opinion it is worth going at least two weeks. [Versión en español abajo]