11/30 Pics from the Weekend and Fitness for the Week

Hi friends!!

I hope you all had a fabulous Monday :)

I ended up doing the following circuits this morning - it's quick and gets your glutes fired-up for the day! 

Glutes-on-Fire Circuit

I was inspired by Emily Skye's new app, and did her daily workout for today. 

Do the following exercises one after the other, with as little rest in between sets as possible, for a total of 4 rounds. 

12 x weighted squats

12 x alternating backwards curtsy lunges 

12 x bridge hip thrusts (lie on your back with knees bent - thrust your hips to the ceiling, hold & release to the floor)

12 x deadlift

12 x high plank knee-to-elbow 

Pics from the Weekend

I had an impromptu trip to Montreal this weekend - a friend from school was back in town, I couldn't help it! 

I know, such an irresponsible student haha. 

Anywho, we went to the amazing bar 'Velvet' in the old port

Indulged in a Schwartz smoked meat sandwich

And walked it off with a long walk around the city!

Parc Lafontaine, my fave :)

Fitness for the Week

It's another week of time-efficient HIIT and circuit workouts for me! It's final paper writing season, after all - every extra moment counts ;)

Monday: Glutes-on-Fire Circuit

Tuesday: HIIT 

Wednesday: Run

Thursday: Bodyweight Circuit

Friday: HIIT

Saturday: Run

Sunday: Active Rest Day

• What are YOUR fitness plans for the week? Do you try to be more time-efficient with your workouts this time of year?? 

Throwback Travel Thursday: Sapa, Vietnam

Hi friends,

I hope you all had a fabulous day!

I went to le Nordik Spa with my mom, aunt and middle sister - the little wee one was missing. That's what you get for going to school in a different city I guess ;)

Note: If you live in the Ottawa region and haven't been to le Nordik yet, well, you just haven't lived. 

Fix it. Go. ASAP. 

Throwback Travel Thursday: Sapa, Vietnam 

I'm going to keep riding the Vietnam train for another throwback travel Thursday post. Today's focus is the amazing Sapa. 

Snuggled up in the northwest region of Vietnam, Sapa is certainly not to be missed.

It is an absolutely gorgeous area, full of the epic terraced rice fields. 

We organized a 3 day trek with a tour company in Hanoi - there are TONS of places, so we went to a bunch and went with one that had good reviews and was reasonably priced. 

We cheaped-out and took the overnight sleeper bus instead of the train. Although it wasn't completely terrible, I wouldn't recommend it. 

I didn't actually end up taking any trains while I was in Vietnam since I had good ol' Bessie. 

Anywho, our guide came and met us at the bus, took us and our bus-bedraggled selves to get some pho,  and then we headed for her house. 

It was a fantastically beautiful walk - we passed by small houses and expansive rice fields. 

It was about a two hour walk to her house, where we had our own room with mats on the floor. The family also fed us all of our meals - so delish! 

We went out for a looong hike around the area with the mom the next day, and then decided to do a 'pub crawl' in the local village. 

Note: There were only two little 'stores, so we went back and forth, and then bought a crate of beers and lugged them up the mountain back to our home stay. The dad loved it, and an entire bottle of rice wine (aka wine whiskey) ensued.  

One of the guys even ended up getting an outfit made for him - it was amazing! 

On the last day, our guide took us a new route - which turned out to be the hardest trek of my life - back to the town of Sapa. 

We stopped in at the local market - it's the best to go on a Sunday since that's when ladies from all the surrounding areas come to sell their beautiful handmade wares. 

Overall, Sapa was one of the most beautiful areas I saw in Vietnam - which is quite a feat since the entire country is fantastic.

I would definitely recommend going for 2 or 3 days. You can stay at a wonderful home stay and do different   treks depending on your fitness level. 

If not for the amazing hospitality, the beautiful hand-broidered goods, go for the majestic landscape - terraced rice fields as far as the eye can see!

• Have YOU been to Sapa before? What did you think? If not, is it now added to your 'must-see' travel list?? 

Dalat, Vietnam

Driving into Dalat, I was amazed at how similar it looked to Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada. 

It is a cute European-looking city in the central highlands of Vietnam, so there are mountains all around. 

The temperature is generally between 15-25C, a great escape from the 40C heat I endured along the eastern coast of Vietnam! 

I didn't spend very much time here - less than 24 hours, actually, but it is definitely a cool place to wander around the hilly streets - kind of what I imagine San Fransisco to be like - and enjoy a bit of fresh air. 

Crazy House 

Crazy House is, indeed, crazy! 

The Crazy House, a must-see if you go to Dalat - is the project of a Vietnamese architect, whose father used to be the President, in the aim of reconnecting people with the importance of nature. 

It has been under construction for years, and continues to be built upon to this day. 

It is made out of concrete and painted to look like tree houses, with branch-like stairways connecting them all. 

It offers great views of the city, as long as you aren't too afraid of heights - the archways are a bit precarious up in the air. 

So glad that I checked it out!

Mui Ne, Vietnam

After such an incredible time spent on the gorgeous island beaches of southern Cambodia and Thailand, I was a bit disappointed with Mui Ne. 

I knew that I was approaching Mui Ne when I started to see the Russian signs for big resorts along the side of the highway. 

If you've spent any time in Southeast Asia, you will know the little Russian enclaves that have been developing. Turns out, Mui Ne is one of them. 

Mui Ne stretches out on a peninsula, with little guesthouses and shops on either side of the road that follows the ocean side, with larger and more glamorous resorts along the water. 

I stayed at 1 & 10 Hostel - the owners are super nice and the dorm is only 70,000 Vietnamese dong ($3.25). Although the mattresses and pillows could use a bit more stuffing, it's a cheap and cheerful place to stay. 

I was ready to leave pretty much as soon as I got there, but unfortunately I came down with a super bad flu and was essentially bedridden for two days straight. 

Not too shabby when you are laying by the water on a comfy lounge chair from a resort across the road from your cheap hostel ;) 

There are tons of little fishing boats along the water, and the beach is perfect for a long stroll. 

The seafood is amazingly fresh and delicious (for obvious reasons). Def try Mr Crab's restaurant for the most amazing grilled seafood! Fresh out I the tank. 

Delicious banana pancake 

You can also rent a bike and see the red and white sand dunes. 

Aside from that, I wouldn't suggest sticking around for too long. If you're looking for the beach, there are much less-developed areas further up the coast of Vietnam. Otherwise, I would say you can skip this destination altogether...but that's just my humble opinion ;)

Killing Fields and S21 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I don't really have the words to describe the experience that is the killing fields, but it is definitely something that everyone should make the time to visit if they are in Phnom Penh, or Cambodia in general. 

It takes about 30-40mins to get to the killing fields from Phnom Penh, and you should only pay $15 for a tuktuk (two-way fare) or about $5 for a moto. 

There is an audio guided tour of the killing fields, which is super well done and very powerful. 

It gives a good explanation of what happened in this place, and also gives some personal stories of those who were affected by the Khmer Rouge. 

The tour takes about 2 hours, so give yourself sufficient time to wander around the lake and hear the extra stories and music created by survivors. 

I went to S21 the same day, which was a high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a torture and interrogation centre. 

I found this to be the most difficult place to go through: there are headshots displayed of all of the prisoners, including many women and children. 

Some of their faces are so defiant and strong, while others look terrified and others still seem to have already accepted their ultimate end. 

Walking through the larger classrooms turned into torture chambers, and others with narrow wooden and concrete cells erected, was overwhelming. You could feel the energy from all of the atrocities that the Khmer Rouge committed here. 

The Khmer Rouge were a communist group that defeated the Nol Lon government. Once they successfully took Phnom Penh, the capital city and final stronghold, they forced all of the citizens out of all cities in Cambodia - then renamed 'Kampuchea' - and into the countryside to start their agrarian society free from currency and the West's influence. 

They essentially starved the entire population and killed everyone they saw as a threat: intellectuals, teachers, doctors, nurses, even monks. About a third of the country perished during their rule from 1975 to 1979, when the Vietnamese conquered Pol Pot, the notorious leader of the Khmer Rouge. 

It was definitely a heavy day, but I think it is important to pay respects to those who suffered in this beautiful country while the rest of the world was shut off from it and did not come to the Khmer peoples' aid. 

I hope that one day human kind will learn from our mistakes and that peace will be profound. 

In the meantime, may those who were affected by the Cambodian genocide rest in peace.