During the mid-term week, we had nearly one week to rest. We made a plan to travel around Batam and Vietnam.

Because Batam is very close to singapore, we bought tickets to get there by ferry. With only one hour, we arrived Batam which is a small island. The facilities on this island is a bit out of date. But the island is famous for its beaches and seas. The seas here looked pure and so blue!

After three days in Batam, we took flights from singapore to Vietnam. The first city we came to is Honoi. While sitting on the taxi in Honoi, we felt familiar with the city. Because the sytle of architecture here is similar to the style of Shanghai, the small city has a retro charm for us. What surprised us a lot is the amount of Europeans. There are large amount of European travellers on the streets.

After two days in Honoi, we took a train to Sapa, a small town in Vietnam. The town is filled with fog and we could even not see the views clearly when we arrived here. At noon, the fog disappeared and the town showed its beauty to us.

The views of sea and mountain are all seen by us. The culture of southeast countries also left us with deep impressions. We came to realize that people’s life mode is so relavant to their living environment.

2018/10/22-2018/10/28

After a tense week, we had a memorable and fascinating vocation in Bali. Every place has its unique character, Bali is not an exception. I’d like to conclude Bali I felt as follows, although I’m very clear that Bali is far more than these.

• Passion of Lembongan – Coconut under the wooden shed, waves and rainbows, and hospitable local friends.
• Life breath of Ubud Pasar – Dazzling handicrafts, earnest stall owners and lively air with the voice of bargaining.
• Romance on Jimbaran Beach – Guitar, drum and songs; candlelight, BBQ and beer; and cozy sand under my feet.
• Freedom between the valleys – Swing, terraces and people’s screams; deep valleys, high forests and my delight.

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SaPa is a niche city in Vietnam. We had heard that the place is very beautiful for its scenery.
It took us several hours taking the train and bus to get there. It only at 6am when we arrived here. The city was so foggy that we could not even see the streets clear. And the temperature here was also very cold which was so different from Singapore. At around 12am, the fog had dispersed a lot. Only at this moment, we had found the true color and scenery of this city. The beauty of this city is really well-deserved.
SaPa, the small town in the mountains, is a place that makes me unforgettable.

Besides the beautiful sea, another thing hard for me to forget is the big swing in Bali. The swing has already be very famous when it hits Douyin app.

When I saw my friend screaming on the swing at starting point, I felt a bit funny but also afraid. Some men would jump up and hang on the swing, and at the same time they throw themselves and also the swing outwards. Luckily, they each got a safety rope on their waist so that they would not fall off easily.

When it was my turn, I got a bit uncomfortable when i was thrown out because I almost left the swing in the air. It was so funny.

During the recess week, I went to Bali with friends. And indeed it is an interesting and refreshing trip. The features of Bali are recognizable, which are beach, water sports, tropical sunlight, nice villas.

Bali has been developed in to a tourism destination to a great extent which reduced its natural and local vibe. I got the feeling that whenever you talk to somebody, they were aiming to empty your wallet. So you’d better know the tips well before landing in Bali.

The water sports are interesting, we fly up into the sky above the sea and enjoyed the splendid scenery. The food or souvenirs you could have are rather similar all around Bali.

Upon our last day in Bali, the driver told us that it was a special day in Bali. When people decorated their cars with something made of leaves.

It was nice to experience different cultures!

Because of the holiday in the midterm, we went to Ha Noi, Vietnam, which is really a special city.

The price in Hanoi is very low compared to Singapore so we can eat very good things with a small amount of money. In addition to the Vietnamese cuisine, what I most miss is the architectural style there. The houses in Hanoi are built very narrow but very high, and the distance between each building is very narrow as if there is no gap. It is such a strange style that makes Hanoi look so different. Its houses are very old-fashioned, making people feel that each house has its own story.

We ate a lot of local specialties, such as egg coffee and Vietnamese barbecue, which made us feel that Vietnam is really a good place!

During recess weak, me and my friends went to Bali Island to spend a happy time. One of the biggest attractions of Bali is her sea. So the first day we just got one thing to do: play sea ports.

The most exciting one is hanging in the sky with a parachute. A ship dragged us at the bottom so we and our parachute could travel above the sea.

Another interesting sports is to use the water pressure to keep a person “flying” on the water-water jetting. We all had to have an instructor standing behind us because we cannot do it ourselves. But we were impressed that the staff there were so friendly to take photos for us.