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Articles Tagged ‘Vietnam’

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Hanoi – Farewell Ruth and Vietnamese Road Rules

Sunday, March 11th, 2007

It was back to Hanoi for a few days after Halong Bay. ruth and I spent our last days together shopping for xmas items for my family which she was to take home, recording a small xmas day video message for my family, and exploring the bars and clubs on offer and having a last few nights.

And then it was time for me to leave for China and say goodbye to southeast asia after a brilliant six months, and goodbye to Ruth who was the best travel partner i could have wished for (who else would stroke my arm to get me off to sleep when i asked?!) and was jetting off to Thailand for a little taste of the south islands before heading home.

On a side note – Vietnamese drivers are possibly the worst i had yet encountered. The horn is used very strictly in Vietnam, only for the following situations:

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Halong Bay – Karsts, Kayaking and Karaoke

Sunday, March 11th, 2007

Halong Bay was our last stop in Vietnam, and yet another UNESCO world heritage centre, this time natural rather than cultural or historic.

A tour bus took us the 165km from Hanoi to the bay. Halong is one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations and a natural wonder of the world – often touted as the eight wonder by proud Vietnamese.

The bay is situated in the Gulf Of Tonkin and consists of a dense cluster of nearly 2000 limestone monoliths, pillars, islands and tiny islets, which rise spectacularly from the ocean and are topped with lush, verdant jungle vegetation.

It is a stunning seascape, providing one of the locales for the James Bond film ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’. The limestone formations are range from the bizarre to the awesome. Many have corroded bases and appear to float on thin air. Others are unsually shaped, resembling animals, people or structures, such as Choi Islet (fighting cock), Voi Islet (elephant) and Mai Nha Islet (roof).

We were booked onto a three day, two night tour.

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Hanoi – Exhausted in Vietnam

Sunday, March 11th, 2007
It's hard to sleep with people treading on your head. Granted i should not have slept down the aisle, but it's far comfier than the squashed seats. Ever since Laos I had been kipping down on the floor, but the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Hue – Vietnamese History Before The War

Sunday, March 11th, 2007
From Hoi An we travelled by bus to our next stop, Hue. It was short enough for a daytime journey which allowed us to appreciate the scenery, including a spectacular seven-tiered pagoda perched high on a limestone karst. On route ... [Continue reading this entry]

Hoi An – Cooking School and Clothes

Sunday, March 11th, 2007
Food was an important part of our experience in Hoi An. Everything we ate was delicious; the cakes and sweets in the cosy french cafes, the fried spring rolls cooked freshly in front of us at a tiny stall in the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Hoi An – Good Morning…Vietnam?

Sunday, March 11th, 2007
Were we really still in Vietnam? No karaoke bars, no motorbike hordes, no tall and ugly hotels. It felt like Laos - no wonder we took an instant liking to Hoi An, even though it was only six o'clock in ... [Continue reading this entry]

Nahtrang – Sun, Sea, Sand / Pimps, Prostitutes and Pickpockets

Sunday, March 11th, 2007
I was warned about Nha-trang by a girl i met in the Perhentian Islands, so long ago in Malaysia. Why did i not listen to her?! Nha-trang is a coastal city; the main resort in Vietnam. With its wide beach and ... [Continue reading this entry]

Ho Chi Minh – Bush Blows

Sunday, March 11th, 2007
The rest of Ho Chi Minh was spent in a leisurely fashion, eating delicious local food, relaxing, and then spending a particularly good night out dancing in a nearby bar and club (in spite of a curfew on their opening ... [Continue reading this entry]

War and Religion – Chu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai

Sunday, March 11th, 2007
"What is the only good tiger?" asked the tour guide while the rest of the bus rolled their eyes in a 'Oh god, not another crappy joke!' way. "A tiger beer". Groan. At the risk of generalising, why are ALL ... [Continue reading this entry]

Ho Chi Minh – War Remnants Museum

Sunday, March 11th, 2007
Was it the cheap Vietnamese vodka we drank on the street, the expensive B52's cocktails in Apocalypse Now, or the rum and coke in the bar/whorehouse we briefly frequented? Most likely it was all three combined with one hours sleep. ... [Continue reading this entry]