Cassidy Comes Along
Historic Yogyakarta, gorgeous Lan Ha Bay, and the stunning Ha Giang loop
For the two of us, sharing this experience together has been incredible. But to share it with Cassidy, Jenna’s younger sister and built-in best friend? Even better. Cassidy joined us for our last week in Indonesia, and our first week in Vietnam. We really had to pack it in for her short amount of time with us. We also saw ancient temples and learned about Indonesian traditions through food and art. In Vietnam we spent time outside exploring the gorgeous land and sea that can be found in the North.
Yogyakarta
Or Jogja is the cultural capital of Indonesia. We instantly felt the stronger hustle and bustle that most other Indonesian cities lacked. We also stayed across the street from a mosque with an Imam who could really harmonize during the very loud five daily prayers.
On our first night, we thought we stumbled into a one-off night market with food carts, performances, paint by numbers in the park, and retrofitted VW bugs decked out in lights like the one below. We ate steaming street food on bamboo mats without our shoes and worried only slightly about sanitation. It turned out that the festivities were put on most nights we were there with several festivals throughout the week. The city and locals came alive in the evening!
We visited as many historical sites as Jenna could take. One spot was, Taman Sari, and we had no idea it was focused on the Sultan’s concubine harem. It was a beautiful space, and a free guide told us all about how the king would throw flowers out the window to summon a wife to join him. So, yes, a bit like the Playboy mansion. We also spent a day exploring Prambanan and Borobudur — both of which were breathtaking. Prambanan, a Hindu site, originally consisted of 240 temples where individuals could pray. Unfortunately there are less than 15 temples standing after volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and civil unrest over the thousand years they’ve existed. Borobudur, about 30 miles away, is a Buddhist marvel that tells Buddha’s story as you walk the levels of the temple symbolically approaching nirvana at the top. These places gave us an appreciation for both the age and diversity of Indonesian history.
We attended a cooking class where we prepared gado gado, a mix of veggies covered in peanut sauce, and Javanese rendeng ayam. Rendang is a national Indonesian treasure, and is usually made with beef. The chicken is cooked in coconut milk and spices and turns out a delicious yellow. We ground all the spices in another mortar and pestle and ate every bite along with rice. The three of us also sampled kopi lewak, which is coffee from harvested from the poop of civets (basically forest cats). The coffee is supposed to taste better because the animals select only the best beans to eat… and then defecate. We couldn’t tell a big difference, but we’re all glad we tried it.
To round out our cultural experience, we tried our hand at batik, the wax dying art form that is more than 2,500 years old. The artist uses a special tool to create a design with melted wax that hardens on fabric to leave behind white lines. Then dyes are added and when that’s finished, the instructor melts off the wax, revealing the beautiful art. The instructors were a hoot throwing us right into it and joking that they had seen us walk by in the morning and that we spent three hours looking for the place. In reality we had a long, delicious lunch in the village nearby. Jenna finished her piece first, while Matthew and Cassidy took their time to perfect and tidy designs (this should surprise no one). While Jenna was waiting, the gallery director gave her a tour and showed off his political pieces about how the community came together during COVID-19 and the deforestation harming orangutans.
Halong and Lan Ha Bay
Ha Long Bay is a must-visit in northern Vietnam. The three of us were fortunate enough to charter a private junk boat beyond Ha Long Bay and on to Lan Ha Bay for a personalized two-night, three-day adventure surrounded by limestone peaks. We felt like a million bucks — delicious meals made by the chef onboard, spacious and gorgeous rooms, and a guide named Hien who prioritized our enjoyment and safety above all else. We spent the entire sail among beautiful rocky green islands, even though the weather was a bit gray and moody. We kayaked in several areas and watched gentle monkeys play among the branches near the water. We caught up on reading on the deck between the misty showers and played Phase 10 until we got tired on the smooth water.
After a couple days wandering the karst-studded waters, we climbed aboard an 11-hour overnight bus to our next destination. This was much better than expected as we each got our own bunk bed! Jenna and Cassidy couldn’t contain their giggles over the absurdly tight aisles and bouncy ride from the top bunks:
Ha Giang Loop
This was certainly the highlight of the trip - two nights and three days throughout the region on a motorcycle. None of us can think of any place in the world that has such steep, green, stunning peaks. We all felt instances of intense gratitude among the winding roads and rolling hills. It’s hard to describe with words, like trying to explain how much someone you love means to you or how truffles taste.
We all opted to go with an “easy rider,” which meant we rode on the back of the motorcycle and were paired with a driver, meaning we could enjoy the views and not worry about flying off a cliff. Our tour was greatly enhanced by our guides who were all complete characters. Cassidy rode with the leader of our trio, Nhan, who liked to go fast. He told us he was best friends with Jenna’s driver and it seemed like he knew someone everywhere we stopped. He joked with locals at and shared cigarettes with them like that was his job. Jenna was paired with Vinh, an early-twenties Vietnamese guy who loved to chat and sing songs she couldn’t understand. He wanted to learn English words like the difference between “steep” and “deep,” and how to pronounce “pot holes.” Matthew was with Lu, a very sweet Hmong man who couldn’t speak much English, but at the start of each ride Matthew and him would exchange a fist bump and enthusiastic “đi thôi!” (let’s go!).
There were seven other tourists and accompanying guides at our home stays, and we enjoyed chatting with them over meals. On the second night there was a Vietnamese karaoke party complete with shirtless men and Happy Water — homemade hooch that makes you “strong and doesn’t give you a hangover.” Oh, and you have to shout the cheers anthem at the top of your lungs before you take your drink.
One our second night we took a short ride to a local waterfall and swimming hole. The waterfall wasn’t much, but the ride through the village with the slightly setting sun made for some of the most beautiful views we’ve ever seen. We couldn’t really believe that the world could be so damn stunning.
In closing, do more with the people you love, and enjoy every single second of it.
My heart is bursting knowing you spent some of your journey with Lil Cass. Love you so much!
The food looks so good!! Can’t believe you had cat poop coffee 😂