Vietnam – South to North (Feb 27 – March 23)
Mui Ne beach in south Vietnam was amazing! Totally splurged there but still well under our budget, actually about 40% under our budget, so we can only feel so bad. Our days are spent by the pool reading and reading. I have learned how to dive and can swim the length of the pool underwater!! It was definitely time well spent and I think ANdre was very happy that I can play with him in the water!
We have spent time in Saigon trying to find the Reunification Palace which turned out to be a complete disapointment, we visited the War Remnants Museum which was horrific, met Phuong from The Asian Kitchen restaurant who took us around Saigon and then we later came back and celebrated her birthday with her and her friends. She helped us buy some great English grammar books that we later took back to Mui Ne beach as a gift to Luan, a young guy who works at one of the restaurants near the resort who told us in his very limited English, that he wants to save his money to go to school in Saigon to improve his English. He works from 8am-4pm, has one hour of free time that he uses to swim in the ocean before returning to work again from 5pm-10pm. After we gave him the books, he no longer swam in the ocean during his free time but instead came to visit us with his books for lessons. Since we were ALWAYS at the same table on the beach for the sunset, he knew where to find us. Eventually Heinz, Virginia, Andre and I went to Dalat together but met other friends at the resort who took over the lessons. We later found out that when they left they passed Luan onto others…….we’re hoping this trend continues!
We had many happy hours, BBQ’s on the beach, stumtish and gumulichite, coconut boats, crossed eyed Sao, sand dunes in a sand storm and all the $2 wine you can drink!! We did a week long trip to the Mekong Delta and were able to leave our big packs behind in Mui Ne with Heinz and Virginia……we were hoping that we wouldn’t get too used to travelling without them!! I saw a guy washing his rooster with a wash cloth on the bank of the Mekong!!! How crazy is that!!
The ride to Dalat in central south Vietnam was so beautiful yet a bit frightening as it brought back memories of the bus rides in Laos! Ahhhhhh!!! We saw The Crazy House hotel described in the Lonely Planet as something akin to Alice in Wonderland….but it was great and we’d love to stay there on our next visit to the area. The temperatures were so cool, air con was not needed and that was a treat!! LEaving was sad because this was where Heinz and Virginia and Andre and I separated……it was so great to get to know them on this trip…..It’s just so unfortunate that it took a trip 1/2 way around the world to get the time to spend with family……..
Yay for trains in Vietnam -the ONLY way to travel!!! We ALWAYS get the soft sleeper and also travel in the day time – you can stretch out, relax, read and enjoy the scenery. Most trips are about $10……more than the $2 bus, but very comfortable!
Up the coast by train we came to Nha Trang – so beautiful with a very large sea wall and a gorgeous and clean beach! We did a big booze cruise with Mama Lihn’s boat tour getting to see some islands in the Protected Marine Park, later there was swimming and they throw you a life preserver, you hang out in the ocean while the guide in a larger, well-stocked preserver serves a wine/sangria drink until you run out……15 bottles later, then an electric guitar playing chef, a make-shift drum set of pots and pans and a cat walk/dinner table and the singing and dancing began! We almost lost Andre when we came back to the wharf after all the drinking……his feet were on the deck, but the body started to droop and sag between the wharf and the boat as the boat drifted away from the wharf……….if it wasn’t for an Aussie and 2 English guys, well, I might be on this trip by myself!
From Nha Trang we headed north to Hoi An – the land of tailors! Hoi An was so amazing….the best part is that the old part of town does not allow cars and in the evenings they don’t allow motorbikes, so no horns!!!!! It was not unlike old Montreal with narrow streets and amazing shops. We finally sampled Bia Hoi – fresh beer!!! We heard about it, but didn’t believe it……3000 Vietnam dong/glass……yes, that’s right 20cents a glass! And it tasted great!!! We were very happy, needless to say but we’re still missing that great Beer Laos!! Over the next couple of days the shopping started – I could hardly control myself! Andre too! Three suit jackets later for him, an evening gown, suit and jacket for me, a gong, yes a gong and we were off!!!
From Hoi An we headed north to Hue. Again by train, and this trip was so magnificent! The views and scenery were so beautiful. It’s ashame that the ride was only 3 hours. The best part about us always taking the sleeper seats on the train is that taking them during the day ususally means no one else does, so we never had to share a cabin! In Hue, we visited the citadel which was quite large and very beautiful……then we hired the cyclos to take us around the city for an hour. Later we went out for a drink and ended up having many more with 2 other cyclo drivers…..on the way home around 1am, we tried our hand at the driving these crazy contraptions to give our drivers a break…….When I almost ran off the bridge and then couldn’t get my feet back on the pedals, I figured I’d just be a passenger…….the driver was happy too!
From Hue we travelled north again to Hanoi and signed up for a trip to Halong Bay. This place is stunning…… Andre said that it reminded him of a place off Vancouver Island called Pretty Girl Cove. We did some kayaking there after visiting some caves. We stayed overnight on the boat and then back to the mainland. Since the place is so amazing, it gets thousands of visitors and there are hundreds and hundreds of boats in the harbour and visiting the same spots you signed up to see. We just had to look blindly past all the people to take in the beauty of it all……
From Halong Bay we travelled to Sapa in the interior close to the Chinese border. We wish we had 2 weeks to spend in the mountains here. This is where we are at the moment….right in the clouds……we have done a couple of treks so far and are going on another tomorrow. Our visa runs out in 3 days…then we’re off to China!!
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