Heading down the coast (Hue - Hoi An - Nha Trang - HCMC)

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I think this is the first time that I've actually left the real date on an entry! I'll try to make this shorter, but i have so much geography to cover.

We'll start with the overnight train to Hue. What was supposed to take 12 hours took about 16, but that's no real surprise in this part of the world! We were travelling with James and Ray, but we couldn't get a sleeper car all together - there were two together and two random tickets. Being the gentlemen they are, they gave Melissa and i the option of sticking together, which we happily accepted. Our "roommates" were a lovely British couple called Katie and Greg, and the six of us passed the first few hours chatting over some beers. It was a pretty cool experience - a rickety old train full of a mix of local people and a few travellers, chugging through the night down the east coast of Vietnam. The washrooms were a bit of an experience in themselves, but the view you could catch out the window was pretty awesome.

We arrived in Hue and once we'd settled into accomodation, we were adopted by this tiny, feisty Vietnamese restauranteur lady. She ran a little place called "Cafe on Thu Wheels" (her last name being Thu, pronounced "Two"), where we frequented during our two days there. Hue is located in central Vietnam, so this is a big area for war history. We did a tour of the DMZ area, and say the leftover damage of the shells and bombs in the rice fields there. We also walked through some of the underground tunnels that Vietcong supporters and their families lived in for five years during the war. Unimaginable! 17 children were born down there! I just can't begin to comprehend what living through the war was like - for anyone involved. War leaves such a lasting mark...you can still see it's effects all around in this country. Not just the physical damage to the people and the land, but the emotional and even the social implications are still so apparent. That being said, the people are so warm and very willing to tell their story. We also saw part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail - where a bridge now lies. The next day we opted to take a motorbike tour of Hue, organized by our fav little cafe owner. She has about ten brothers, and they're the ones who take you around on the back of their motorbikes. It was the most worthwhile four hours ever - and certainly the highlight of Vietnam for me. We got to see real, normal, everyday life. We drove through little villages, communities, rice fields, local markets, and we stopped in at a couple of pagodas as well (were monks live and worship Buddha). It was just awesome. Lots of history in Hue as well - but I won't get into it any deeper!

Our next destination was Hoi An, a few hours away by bus. James and Ray were still along for the ride, but this is where we parted ways. Our time in Hoi An can be summed up in a few words: shopping, shopping, shopping. This is THE place to get clothes made in SE Asia. Meliss and i went to town (quite literally) and got some nice duds for London. So now we're all set. Hoi An is a really pretty little town - very French in it's architecture and influence. Reminded me of Luang Prabang, actually. We also found some excellent cafes, and took in the local sights. But mostly it was all about fittings! We spent three nights there, and after buying a suitcase each, we hopped on a night bus to Nha Trang.

Nha Trang is a beach town - dare I say the Daytona of Vietnam? It pretty much is, but less cheesy at the moment. It's certainly getting more and more built up though - lots of construction happening. We spent two days and two nights here, soaking up the sun and eating some yummy Mexican food of all things! The highlight for me had to be getting an oil massage on the beach. Our massage ladies were such good salesladies they even convinved us to let them 'thread' our leg hair! Ouch!

We flew from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City, a.k.a. Saigon. We blitzed HCMC in a two days and one night...in effort to get to see Ankor Wat before our flights out of Asia. HCMC is a nice city - again with tons of history! I would have liked to have had more time to explore, but we did hit the War Remnants Museum which was quite sobering. Very pro-HCM and fairly anti-US, but understandable to some extent. More sadness and craziness that I won't get into right now. Highlights here included the best pho ever (pho=noodle soup popular for breakfast), and watching people play this hacky sack kind of game in the park. We joined in and of course ended up buying a couple of them. Tricky, but so much fun! We also met some interesting characters on the street that night. This one guy (from Jamaica) claimed that he was destined to approach me on the street - and that my beautiful feet indicate that I'd be an excellent mother!? Haha...

Next stop: Cambodia!

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Comments

[mommy dearest]

shopping??
and to think I was concerned that you wouldn't have clothes for the UK.... Hope to talk to you by phone soon! xxoo