Tired and cold from the previous night's hike from the city center to our homestay located in a village deep in the hillside of Sapa, I exulted at the sight of sunlight creeping in our spacious second floor room. Because this means the temperature is hovering near 10 degrees compared to the almost 2 or negative 2 degrees that chilled us the night before when I lay shaking even under a thick blanket.

The weather was still cold when we commenced day 2 of our trek just after we downed a hearty breakfast consisting of fresh fruits and pancakes. I felt more comfortable in the weather that has become more bearable to even take off your jacket like what my fellow hiker from UK, Alyson did. Our hiking party all got to meet each other for the first time the day before when we all arrived at Sapa as passengers of the train from Hanoi, the one that stopped in a random town for seven hours thereby delaying our arrival until late afternoon. Because of this unforeseen hiccup we started our hike at around 4:30 pm. Many hours behind our schedule, we hiked until darkness.

Our group is composed of Alyson and Serena who are from the UK, both avid travelers and are now journeying in Chile as of this writing. They were the only ones I got to reconnect through Facebook after this trip. There were five other young professionals from California who are of Chinese and Vietnamese descent, two of whom were married in Saigon a few days later, while two towering couple from the Czech Republic completes the cast.

During our night trek while struggling to find our footing in the dark, one of the Asian Americans in our group asked aloud "Where are the tall people?" I turned my head and there they are lagging a few dozen meters behind accompanied by one our guides who belongs to the either the Hmong or the Dao hill tribes of Sapa.

Actually, our tour organizer only provided one local guide but we were nonetheless accompanied by around six to seven more locals including two adorable young girls who can speak English well. One of them keep asking about myself like "are you married?", "you want to live here?", "what is your country like?" to which I tell her "My country the Philippines is just like yours, lots of mountains too and rice fields without the snow"

There are five ethnic groups in the region of Sapa and they consist of the Hmong (52%), Dao (25%), Tay (5%), Giay (2%) and a tiny percentage of the Xa Pho people to go along with the local Vietnamese people.

Even with the many similarities in scenery with our countrysides, the monotonous greenery and sweeping landscape of rice fields stretched like our very own rice terraces and the snow capped peaks of the nearby mountains, all relentless in splendor, makes my eyes glisten in visual banquet. What savored my vision made my huffing and puffing take a backseat as I enjoy numerous solitary breaks while I stare at my surrounding mouthing repetitive "Wow"(s)

We had our longest rest atop a hill that provided a magnificent 360 degree view of the mountain range. While the wind picks up pace, the sunlight kept us warmer at the same time. As I sat exhausted on the grass I ran my hands over it like I would do on a lover's hair, massaging it just enough to get mounds of Earth on my skin. I watched my fellow hikers pose for jumping pics on the camera, while our guides - some of them even carrying babies smiles back looking at us.

No doubt it was a beautiful day. Our hike lasted for another four to five hours that day which took us on long trails leading to awesome viewing vantage points and unto pockets of other tiny villages and a small waterfalls. When we finally reached the town at the end of our route a set of hot Pho lunch are already waiting for us.

The whole hiking itself wasn't just an exercise that moved every inch of my leg muscles, it also moved new information into my head about this vertical-land locked region. Even though the cold bothered me the night before - as we all sat around the table with burning charcoals underneath heating our feet - talking about travels and stuff, the people I met along the trail, who belong to the minority groups added a semblance of uniqueness to the over-all experience.

Even as our hiking party went on our separate ways - the five going to Saigon to attend their friend's wedding, Alison and Serena going back to Hanoi and the two tall Czech couple who I wonder if they're still trotting around the world, my memory of these two days will forever intertwined with their own set of recollections. And that would be our lasting links to each other. All thanks to the chance to travel.

During my first visit to Hanoi last year I was able to ride its famous rickshaw or "cyclo" as they call it there, on a brief pedal from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum back to the old quarters. Other than that, I wasn't able to hop on it and pass through the busier parts of the city, as I opted to spend most of my time moving and dodging motorcycles on foot.

Less than a year later, I was fortunate enough to be included in a familiarity tour organized by the Philippines' leading budget airline Cebu Pacific Air - for another runabout in this charming city teeming with colonial architecture and crawling with rich history. Among the first activities we did was to take a cyclo that rolled us to the heart of the Old French Quarters for an hour.

It was a colossal encounter of the elements as they battle it out for the attention of my senses. The roaring motorcycles whizzing pass gave me visual thrills. Smelling the beautiful scent of brewed coffee, as we turned one corner had me yearning for it to accompany the cold of the forming winter months. The constant blowing of the horns and chatters of the locals solidify the good sensation of being in a foreign land.

As evidenced by my endless ravings about Hanoi during my first trip here - this time was no different and it came with the added bonus of experiencing it with fellow travel bloggers, a lot of whom I've traveled with before already. Same goes with the new faces I met on this trip. Creating new memories in the city that made me walk miles and miles without skipping a beat - because of pure bliss of witnessing fascinating scenes at every turn and ricochet of my feet, definitely boasts of a wonderful time.

We ended our cyclo tour near the rotunda at Hoan Kiem Lake and quickly proceeded to Trung Nguyen Cafe to order some brewed coffee. While the weather wasn't as freezing as last December, I held my cup using both of my palm, rubbing the heat into my skin and as I savor each sip, In no time the source of that pleasing aroma warmed up my already cheery spirit.

The vibe and the scenery surrounding Railay reminds me of the many beautiful islands in the Philippines but with Thai food and more tourists. Shrugging the resemblance aside as a no-biggie, I feel excited bout being here. The fact that I am now one step closer to visiting Maya Bay, a majestic dot on this planet which has become a fascination of mine since I first watched the Danny Boyle film (based on Alex Garland's novel) all backpackers know well about, I consider Rai Leh as a perfect pit stop.

The boat ride from Krabi town took around 30 minutes and as we arrived under deep blue skies, I couldn't wait to wade through the sparkling green waters and plant my feet on the shining white sands that stretches as far as my eyes can see. We settled at Railay East opposite at where most of the expensive resorts are located and found what could be the cheapest accommodation in Railay mainland at just under 400 Baht.

The plan to stay here for a couple of days was extended to another day. I love the laid back environment which surprised me a bit considering that Railay is teeming with tourists. All three days was spent under the sun that by the third day my back feels like I laid down on a bed of burning charcoals because of the massive sunburn.

I went here with fellow travel blogger Angeline who accompanied me because she lives a couple of hours from Krabi where she works as an English teacher. The routine became like this, by morning I look forward to breakfast by the beach, afterward I try to read a few pages of my book while lying on the sands - then late lunch consisting of stir fried chicken and Thai fried rice with Tom Yum soup then more beach bumming and capping it with a dinner buffet.

Sandwiching the island hopping around Maya Bay and Phi Phi Island, getting burned by the scorching sun at Railay beach afforded me a few good days without worrying about the world out there. I quit checking my email and just enjoyed the beach as much as I could.

If it weren't for a bout of laziness I would have tried wall climbing at the many rock climbing routes found all over Railay. The towering limestone cliffs and protruding karst formations that envelops the beach provides a paradise setting for wall climbing junkies.

For beginners like me a three day rock climbing course can set you back $200 but advance you forward with a better experience of doing something other than beach lounging. I should do that next time I come back to Railay.

Fire dancers take center stage during the night as people gorge on sumptuous Thai food at the many diners and reggae bars lined up at Railay West and East. A group of young students from Canada were seated beside us one night and we learned that they are on a 21 day island hopping trip around Thailand for which they paid a bit over $1,000 Canadian dollars. They started the trip not knowing each other, but watching them at that time - one would notice the absence of strangeness. What a marvelous way to make new friends than to travel altogether.

At the Phranang beach side of Railay a phallus cave can be seen near its mouth. While a small lagoon nearby will hide you from the crowd for a short while. Still, at East Railay, just follow the path towards the end and you will see the "Last Bar", a joint perfect for hanging out with good music. Another nice side attraction are the hordes of monkeys hanging around along the pathway leading to the Phallus cave in Phranang beach.

Railay is a short boat ride away from Krabi Town. It is not an island as it is still part of the mainland but the only way here is by sea because land access are blocked by the towering limestone formation. Krabi Town is about 3 hours by van / bus from Phuket where Cebu Pacific flies thrice a week from Manila.