The end of the Year 2012 was fast approaching. My wife and I decided to trudge the path that's different this time compared to our past adventures. It's a trip, I guess, that's worth-sharing and telling; a sort of country-hopping with full of amazing stories infused with beautiful sceneries and a myriad cultures that are awe-inspiring. In a very brief period of time, me and my wife had fun despite our fast-paced schedules. We had to squeeze everything in 10 days.
Reach 4 Countries in 10 days was our adventure's mantra. (The countries we trudged on were Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore) Yes, we saw magnificent sites, ate great food, immersed in different customs, met great people, found photo worthy lives of ordinary and fantastic people but the traveling itself is one great experience that we just can't get enough-- it was exhausting yet enriching. There was a sense of fulfillment in both of us and it is greater than the exhaustion one can get in a cross-country experience. The challenges and risks we faced in our traveling is a great story in itself.
Here are some notes with tips on how we survived our grueling travel with flying colors:
1. We did experience long stays in airports. Oh, waiting for your plane is a pain in the butt specially if you woke early morning just to catch your flight. It's not easy to rest in airports, you know. That's what happened to us when we embarked from Mactan Airport in Cebu to Clark, Pampanga and then from Clark to Bangkok. There were nonstop waiting, lining up in counters and waiting again. Good thing we had our excitement with us in our first day that kept us in good aura. Being excited can help you to be patient during this long transits esp when you find out there is no WIFI connection available in a certain airport. We also had long stays in Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, Chaing Mai International Airport, Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Airport and of course Changi airport of Singapore. The great thing with these airport is that they are comfy and modern though most of them have no free WIFI in gate areas which was the sad part. But we are lucky at least that Changi Airport has a WIFI zone like Clark. So, if you're in Thailand and you wanted to check your Facebook or Instagram from time to time, you better buy a sim card (which comes with internet data). It can be helpful in GPS tracking, too in case you get lost. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, you can have WIFI access in a cafe. Just buy a coffee or two and you're good to go. But it depends if a local carrier sponsor a WIFI access for free but sometimes, it lags like a turtle. You can't even see an image load after connecting to it. Tip: Don't make technology affect you day.
2. Long flights from country to country and from city to city. Just like waiting in an airport for your flight, a plane ride requires patience too. However, they are actually time-savers. Riding a plane is better than taking a bus for a 9-hour trip or a train for an 11 to 15-hour trip if you are traveling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai which a great tourist destination in Northern Thailand with its unique culture called Lanna. Choosing the plane as our mode of transportation during our 4th day Southeast Asia adventure was a great decision in our part since we saved a lot of time and got to enjoy Chiang Mai more. Train and bus rides are cheaper though so it's your choice if you want the fast way or the "snail-paced" transport.
TO BE CONTINUED
Reach 4 Countries in 10 days was our adventure's mantra. (The countries we trudged on were Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore) Yes, we saw magnificent sites, ate great food, immersed in different customs, met great people, found photo worthy lives of ordinary and fantastic people but the traveling itself is one great experience that we just can't get enough-- it was exhausting yet enriching. There was a sense of fulfillment in both of us and it is greater than the exhaustion one can get in a cross-country experience. The challenges and risks we faced in our traveling is a great story in itself.
Here are some notes with tips on how we survived our grueling travel with flying colors:
1. We did experience long stays in airports. Oh, waiting for your plane is a pain in the butt specially if you woke early morning just to catch your flight. It's not easy to rest in airports, you know. That's what happened to us when we embarked from Mactan Airport in Cebu to Clark, Pampanga and then from Clark to Bangkok. There were nonstop waiting, lining up in counters and waiting again. Good thing we had our excitement with us in our first day that kept us in good aura. Being excited can help you to be patient during this long transits esp when you find out there is no WIFI connection available in a certain airport. We also had long stays in Bangkok's Don Mueang International Airport, Chaing Mai International Airport, Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Airport and of course Changi airport of Singapore. The great thing with these airport is that they are comfy and modern though most of them have no free WIFI in gate areas which was the sad part. But we are lucky at least that Changi Airport has a WIFI zone like Clark. So, if you're in Thailand and you wanted to check your Facebook or Instagram from time to time, you better buy a sim card (which comes with internet data). It can be helpful in GPS tracking, too in case you get lost. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, you can have WIFI access in a cafe. Just buy a coffee or two and you're good to go. But it depends if a local carrier sponsor a WIFI access for free but sometimes, it lags like a turtle. You can't even see an image load after connecting to it. Tip: Don't make technology affect you day.
TO BE CONTINUED
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