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The view from halfway up Hang Mua, Ninh Binh, Vietnam. Halfway was unfortunately as high as I managed with 500 or so stairs in 100-degree heat with my migraines, but I want to come back one day in winter so I can get to the top! (Taken by me, 2023)

#vietnam #travel photography #travel #mountain #wanderlust #scenery #ninh binh #hang mua

Rowing a boat into a low, narrow cave in Tam Coc, Ninh Binh, Vietnam. (Taken by me, 2023).

#vietnam #travel photography #tam coc #ninh binh #caves #boat ride #wanderlust

Bich Dong Pagoda (Chùa Bích Động) in Ninh Binh, Vietnam. It's interesting to note that, in Vietnam, Buddhist structures like this are designated as pagodas rather than as temples; temples are dedicated solely to monarchical/political figures. (Taken by me, 2023)

#vietnam #travel photography #travel #buddhist pagoda #wanderlust #ninh binh #bich dong pagoda #Chùa Bích Động

Lotus fields at the base of Hang Mua, Ninh Binh, Vietnam, situated next to limestone cliffs. (Photo taken by me, 2023; man pictured was my tour guide!)

#vietnam #travel photography #travel #wanderlust #hang mua #ninh binh #lotus fields

Climbing 500 stairs to reach the Hang Mua Peak; Ninh Binh, Vietnam. (Taken by me, 2023)

*Unfortunately, because it was over 100 degrees and I get frequent migraines, I only made it halfway. Luckily there was ice cream at the bottom. :)

#vietnam #travel photography #travel #wanderlust #ninh binh #mountains #hang mua

Boarding a boat in Tam Coc, Ninh Binh, Vietnam. The route features beautiful scenery and two "underwater" caves. Boats, rowed (often with their feet) by expert locals, constantly arrive to ferry thousands of tourists each day. (Taken by me, 2023)

#vietnam #travel photography #travel #wanderlust #boat ride #ninh binh #tam coc

My best attempt at rowing a traditional round boat in Hội An, Vietnam. The challenge is not just spinning in endless circles. My brilliant guide here later showed me how it was done (after some benevolent laughter) and we caught some little crabs along the shoreline.

#travel #photography #vietnam #Hội An #wanderlust

Giving an elephant a bath in a waterfall in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Not an encounter I’ll forget anytime soon. 💜

#travel #photography #wanderlust #thailand #chiang mai #remember to research elephant preserves #be sure the animals are treated ethically #not ridden #not drugged #and that proceeds support local communities

One of the many reasons I miss Vietnam... driving my friends around on motorbike while wearing heels. Generally they were higher than this, haha. Did we almost get into a crash immediately after this photo was taken? Sure. But the key word there is almost.

#travel #teaching abroad #vietnam #motorbike #hanoi

siempre-selamat

don’t you hate when this happens? Grojogan Sewu, East Java, Indonesia (taken by me)

Sometimes things are horrifically uncomfortable but worth a quick photo anyway. Christmas at Phú Quốc, Vietnam. (Picture taken of me).

#photography #travel #teaching abroad #beach #wanderlust #vietnam #phú quốc

Jumping off a bridge in Baños, Ecuador (longer name: Baños de Agua Santa; the video is footage of me in 2012). This is called puenting, which many dictionaries translate to bungee jumping, but it isn’t quite the same. Puente means “bridge” in Spanish, and this was a rope, not a bungee cord.