Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang

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Moving South

OK so I'm statrting to get a little bit beind in this thing so I will aspire to be briefer.

I decided to get the open bus ticket that goes from Hanoi to Ho Chi Min (Saigon). The buses here can travel at a max speed of 50km/hr (30km/hr through the towns. The longer journeys take up to 14 hours but luckily they're generally over night (not that you can sleep with the bus honking and jolting every 20 seconds)

Hue

Hue is the old capital of Vietnam. The morning I arrived I jumped on the back of a motorcycle and go for a cruise around the sites.

There are a lot of pagodas in Vietnam! After a whole day of siteseeing I finished up at the Citadel which is the the old home of the emperor back in the day. This place was huge!!! Most of it is severely damaged either due to bombing during the wars or due to neglect in more recent years. You can still imagine what the place must have been like during its day though.

That night I had a meal where we got 9 courses for US$6, all delicious. It's hard to imagine how these people buy the ingredients for the prices they charge.

Anyway I decided that I had seen enough of Hue and it was time to go find some beaches! So the next morning it was back no the bus.

Hoi An

Hoi An sits on the coast and has a reputation for its tailors. At this time of year it seems there are more tailors than tourists. I had always intended to try and get a suit made here but after a little look I had a suit and 5 shirts on the way (I somehow managed to avoid getting shoes made).

Ontop of all the tailors there is a bustling market that sells everything you could possibly want.

Shopping is not really my thing so after a brief cruise around the shops I was off to the beach. A few kilometers on the bike and you arrive at one of the most idyllic beaches I have seen. You can bask in the sun, rent one of the deck chairs under the umbrellas or sit back under the palm trees and watch the world go by.

Of course as soon as I sat down I was being offered pineapple, dragon fuit, foot massages and manicures, postcards, newspapers and jewlery. All of course at special 'cheap cheap' 'happy hour' prices. I have found that reasoning with the pedalers is not an option and "No" has obviously not been translated accurately and is often replied to with "OK, later".

Every now and then you do get a little peace and quiet and this place is beautiful. The water is warm and clean and the gentle breeze and shade keep you perfectly comfortable.

Nha Trang

After a couple of days in Hoi An I headed to Nga Trang expecting a slightly smaller version of Hoi An but next to the beach.

As I arrived I was greeted by towering hotels and highrise buildings. The beach is huge and completely developed with walkways and gardens. Dotted along the beach there are groups of deck chairs and unbrellas to sit back and relax in (for a price) and order a drink. The place reminded me of Miami.

My firsy day in Nha Trang was spent on a boat trip around the islands. This fairly slick outfit took us out for a bit of snorkelling around the islands with fish and coral on offer.

After swimming and getting sunburnt luch was served which was a mini banquet with a range of local dishes followed by a great selection of fruit. As soon as the meal was finished the crew were up on the table singing up a storm. They managed to sing something in every language represented on the boat.

After the singing and dancing one of the crew jumped into the water with the floating bar (he sat in a life ring and passed out wine from a plastic box). The wine was so bad that no-one could drink the stuff!! Anyway after that it was back on the boat a cruise around a couple more islands before heading back to town.

The following day was spent relaxing and we cruised up to see a Giant Buhda. Not too exciting but the energy of the cyclo (bicycle with seats on the front) drivers competing for out business when we tried to leave the site was entertaining.

I have also now passed through Dalat, Mui Ne and am currently in Saigon but I'll try and catch up with that later. Tomorrow or the next day I'll head to Cambodia and try out these land border crossing things!

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