Vietnam part 2

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07/02/12 - Hoi An - A homely place



For our onward travel we had been talked into hiring a private car which picked us up 8:30am. The driver spoke with limited English but was friendly.



We stopped off at a beach along the way and had a walk on the sand. A clear jellyfish had been washed up with whole baby squid in its belly (it should really learn to chew its food).



Back in the car which is a very comfortable way to travel compared to many buses we've been on.



The next stop was Hai Van Pass on top of a mountain which had some bunkers that were used by the Americans during the war. But the real attraction here was the spectacular view all around. In the distance below us I could see the beach we had just walked along.



There were a few shops up here and the locals pounced on us as soon as they saw tourists. We stopped for a coffee and a lady came and put a pearl necklace around my neck trying to get Bobby to buy it for his beautiful girlfriend, well this is the first I've heard about her 😉



We finished our pitstop and were ready to carry on. The journey took us through Danang which is the fourth biggest city in Vietnam and seemed to be undertaking huge developments. The streets were extremely wide and empty of traffic along the coastal road. The roads were lined with trees and bushes all trimmed to perfection.



Onwards to marble mountain. The entrance to marble mountain is lined with shops selling statues and ornaments made by the locals from the marble out of the mountain. I liked the look of a small dragon but it was very heavy for it's size and I didn't want to carry it for months.



There was a long steep climb up the mountain and it was a hot day. The mountain had several caves and inside were various carvings, some of which were huge. The final cave was the biggest and contained its own temple. There were sunbeams shining through a hole in the roof which looked just magical.



A further climb took us to a lookout at the top of the mountain and around were four more mountains which were once islands. The land has clearly been dry for a long time because the area around was so built up with buildings that I couldn't see any space between at all.



It had been a hard climb but worth it.



It was mid afternoon when we reached Hoi An and the hotels here are expensive but I was prepared for that. We found a 'reasonably' priced hotel that also had a pool. This is the most expensive room we've had but by far the nicest so it was worth the $20 per night.



After we settled ourselves in we went for a walk into the town and I fell in love with it. The buildings were a French style with wooden shutters around each window. There is a river running through which has created its own island.



Coloured lanterns were strung across the lanes and gave the place a romantic paradise feeling. There was little traffic which meant less noise than some of the big cities.



Every street had tailor shops offering to make suits and dresses. Bobby was looking to get a suit or two made and while he was getting measured I spotted a dress that I thought I could wear to my brothers wedding. The dress was made from silk and cost around £20 and I was soon measured up to. Tomorrow we come back for a fitting.



Bobby didn't have enough money on him to way so I waited in the shop while he went to get some cash (getting lost in the process). While waiting I got chatting to the tailor and she explained that the government don't help anyone out here so life isn't easy (clear to see why people are so pushy to sell things to the rich white people). She also explained that all men enter into the army at age 18 for two years and when they leave and go home that they are starting from scratch in work - I bought a coat.



After this Bobby wanted to get some shoes tailor made and went into a shop to pick out his design.



Time to stop spending and go to bed.





08/02/12 - Hoi An - Money, money, money



I woke to some random panflutes playing in the street which must have been in a car that went passed.



We sorted some laundry then headed to town for some lunch. I ordered a salad and ended up sharing it with a caterpiller which kind of put me off.



We hired some bikes and cycled to the beach which was a few kilometers away. It was a bit cloudy to sit on the beach so we went for a walk instead.



As we were walking a lady started running frantically down the beach toward us waving a menu in her hands and trying to get us into her restaurant. We walked on.



We returned in good time and decided to get pampered before our fitting tonight.



I had a back neck and shoulder massage. I had to basically strip in front of the lady then lay on the table. She then straddled me and made sure she could reach my bottom. I did wonder what I had let myself in for. It turned out to be a really good massage.



I then had a manicure and pedicure (at the same time) and a French polish on my hands and feet which all came to a grand total of £12.



Bobby had a pedicure with callus removal where they seemed to remove enough dead skin to make another person. Then he had a haircut and close shave.



We felt like a million dollars as we walked to town to get our tailor made clothes fitted.



On the way we could hear a crowd of people cheering loudly and came across people playing a game where one person had a stick and was blind folded and had to walk towards a small clay pot that was hanging from a string and try to smash it with the stick. It was quite a giggle to see and surprising how many people broke the pot considering you only get one shot. Bobby had a go and hit the pot but it didn't smash so he didn't win a prize.



We carried on for our dress and suit fittings. Bobby's suits looked fantastic and didn't need adjusting (he had ordered 2 jackets, 4 trousers, 2 shirts, 2 waistcoats, 2 ties and a coat for £220). My dress was a little loose but my coat fit perfectly.



Dinner at mango rooms which I didn't realise was so expensive (around 4 times what we had been paying) but we decided to try it. Apparently Mike Jagger has eaten here before. The food was excellent and I had duck breast that was cooked to perfection. We didn't have dessert.



Bobby went to pick up his shoes and I was persuaded to order some too.

It has been a day of spending and living like a millionaire today and I could certainly get used it this.





09/02/12 - Hoi An - My Son



Today we decided to do a self guided walking tour around some old Hoi An sites which included the Japanese bridge, a meeting house, museum and temple.



We also went to an old house in the town which was built around 200 years ago and has been home to 7 generations of the same family (we met the 7th). The house was next to the river and on one wall was markings of previous flood levels which were well above head height. There was even a picture of a boat in the living room.



The house was beautiful with a French style on the outside and Asian wood carvings inside. There were some Chinese writings that when you looked closely the letters were made of mother of pearl bird pictures.



Bobby had been eyeing up a proper motorbike to hire since we arrived so we hired one and headed to My Son which is a site of cham ruins around 50km out of town.



The scenery on the journey was amazing and at times there were rice paddies as far as the eye could see.



It took around an hour to get there and the site was due to close in 10 minutes, I was surprised they still let us in. We had the place to ourselves.



The ruins were set in jungle and looked majestic with the crumbled temples covered in creeping green vines.



We explored the ruins quickly but it still took 45 minutes and we felt bad the guards had to stay longer.



The journey back was in the dark. I could see into most houses as we passed them. Most homes were painted the same two colours of blue or green inside. The homes looked simple and had a mini temple inside the living area. I was surprised that the majority of homes had a tv out here in the middle of no where.



Back to Hoi An and off for my shoe fitting. The shoes fit well but were not the colour I asked for so they said they would change them.



I picked up my dress and it was perfect, very simple but pretty.





10/02/12 - Quy Nhon - We speak no English



Up early to get things done. I picked up my altered shoes which were now the colours I had originally asked for and we headed to the post office to send our new purchases home which was fairly cheap for the weight. Bobby had treated himself to a new backpack and so was sending everything home in his old pack which made a rather large parcel.



Checked out of the hotel just in time to catch the bus to Quy Nhon and met Nathan (from Norfolk) and Jo and Rob (from Canada) on board. The Canadian couple are cycling down Vietnam and getting the occasional bus due to time constraints.



The bus was tiny and the lads all had difficulty as they were over 6 foot.



The bus was full but the driver was still stopping to pick up locals who then had to squeeze on seats that weren't really there.



Arrived at Quy Nhon and walked a few minutes to find a hotel. The first we looked at was very grimy and the beds looked ready to collapse or eat us alive with bed bugs. The second was seedy and I suspect it was pay by the hour with a sign to say if a guest had a 'visitor' after 12 that they needed to pay extra. The staff seemed surprised that we wanted a room together.



We found a hotel that was dirt cheap ($7) and easy to see why but we took it anyway.



After dumping our things in our room we walked to find some food and stopped at a cafe to discover that very little English is spoken here. The staff didn't understand that we wanted food even with Bobby miming eating so we tried another 2 cafes to find the same problem.



We passed the first mall we've seen in Vietnam and did the unthinkable... had a KFC.





11/02/12 - Nha Trang - Beach town



A phoncall this morning to say that all trains are full so we have to get a bus to our next stop at Nha Trang.



I wanted to see a 17m tall Buddha here so we took a walk to find it. When we arrived we bumped into an American couple (the only other white couple we've seen here) and got talking about where we've been and where to go.



While chatting a begger came over to us for money. It was hard to see especially knowing people here get no help. It was awkward and the American couple told him no. I felt bad not giving him anything.



After saying goodbye to the Americans and walking to a cafe we were approached by 2 more people begging while we sat and had a drink. It was hard to relax.



We waited at the hotel for our bus and when we got on we found it to be the most comfortable so far with loads of leg room and reclining seats and it wasn't even half full.



After 5 hours on the bus we arrived in Nha Trang, found a hotel and took a walk on the beach. It seems a very wealthy area here with bigger shops and a mall. Many shops had Russian writing on them so I guess it is popular with Russians.



We passed through a night market and I bought myself a big box of tropical fruit which I ate by the sea, yummy.





12/02/12 - Nha Trang - Vinpearl island



Vinpearl land today which is an island off the coast of Nha Trang and accessible by a very long cable car over the sea. It is "Vietnam's answer to Disney land".



We booked our tickets with a little old Vietnamese man who seemed very enthusiastic about everything. He offered to drive us to the cable car entrance on his scooter (all 3 of us) which we did. He let Bobby drive, possibly because he was having difficulty balancing all our weight and I ended up being piggy in the middle.



The cable car journey over the sea was incredible, the sea under us was a stunning turquoise blue and boats passed far below.



First stop was a small aquarium and we weren't expecting much but there were some huge fish that I've never seen before as well as some giant eels.



The water park was next and Bobby had been looking forward to this since Laos. It was a hot day and the plunge into the pool of water after the first slide was certainly welcome.



The rides were fun and some were fast and furious causing Bobby to giggle hysterically at me screaming. I was only mildly injured on a racing slide.



After drying out we got some 'fast food' which was really bad and my chicken burger seemed as though it had been pre-chewed.



Bobby went on some more rides while I baked in the sun.



Over to the theme park section of the island and we had a go on the rollercoaster which went quicker than I had expected causing Bobby to laugh at me again.



Found the food village and we had some really really good food in a restaurant by the sea. The skyline of Nha Trang's buildings in the distance looked great.



Next off to the 4D cinema and the short film was an underwater scene. The 4D experience involved wearing 3D glasses to make the scene come to life. The seats we were on would move to make the experience feel more real as you move with the film. Finally we occasionally got blasted with air and water jets. It was an experience that's for sure.



A quick dash over to the amphitheatre for a fountain show and I was glad we made it. The show was so impressive with perfect timing to the music. I recorded some of it but I couldn't have done it justice.



Last thing to do here was the indoor arcades and as we arrived we discovered they were all free! We played on a shooting game and Bobby got into a competition of strength with an Asian man on a punch bag, Bobby didn't win. I had a go and hurt my knuckles.



Cable car journey back to the main land as it was around 9pm and closing. It has been an amazing day.





13/02/12 - Nha Trang - A day to chillout



Bobby got up early and booked us onto the night train to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for this evening. We have run out of time in Vietnam and would have liked to have visited Mui Ne and Dalat but Cambodia is calling.



Another hot day (28 degrees) so we walked along the beach and paddled in the water. The beach was steep which caused huge waves to crash powerfully against the shore.



Bobby wanted to windsurf here but when we inquired about it the man said it was too windy today and the waves weren't calm enough. We then tried to hire a tandem bicycle but the people tried to rip us off at 100,000 dong then started throwing prices at us as we walked away getting down to 60,000 but even 50,000 was pushing it so we didn't bother.



We decided on a quiet lazy day walking around and chilling out in a restaurant with a pool by the beach.



We wrote some postcards to folks back home and enjoyed some good food.



Another meander around took us to a technology shop (Bobby's favourite) and even this shop had a small temple inside with food offerings on it.



There was an embroidery workshop near our hotel so we had a look around and were just amazed. The pictures that had been created looked like detailed paintings. Some must have taken months. There were many for sale at around £3000 and I'd have to say they would be worth every penny.



I picked a restaurant for dinner which looked posh but was very cheap. We didn't expect much for our money and were amazed at the quality of the food. It's been the best so far and one of the cheapest. If you ever visit Na Trang in Vietnam then you must eat at the Veranda restaurant! We had a 3 course set menu for around £4 per person and it was food i'd expect to pay at least £30+ back home.



After our sumptuous dinner we took a taxi to the night train for Saigon. The beds were very comfy and it wasn't long before I nodded off.



Quote of the day, Bobby: 'you have dirt in your ear', Emily: 'yeah I have lots of things in there, that's where I keep stuff'.





14/02/12 - Saigon - Hot, hot, hot



A fair nights sleep on the night train and we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City at 7am.



The taxi ride to the hotel was a white knuckle ride on roundabouts and felt like a free-for-all with the bigger vehicle having right of way.



The hotel staff were very friendly and we had to wait for a room to become available. When a room was finally free it was 6 stories high to Bobby's dismay. The lady showing us up laughed at him and I joined in (quietly of course).



The hotel have a motorized cable system which pulled our heavy bags up for us.



After a freshen up we decided to have a walk and explore the city. I stepped outside and instantly the heat hit me. It was 32 degrees with a humidity of 80%, yikes!



The sticky walk took us passed city hall and on to an art gallery. The pieces I found most powerful were sketches of women with guns from the war.



We were feeling the heat now but continued on to Notre Dame cathedral which was closed so we popped into the post office opposite to get stamps for our postcards. One postcard requires 3 different (giant) stamps!



I wanted to see the botanical gardens here which were a bit of a trek and I was already suffering from the heat but we made it only to realise it was actually a zoo. We walked to see the reptiles and antelope and soon realised the zoo was actually very big and contained lions, tigers and bears oh my! The hippos were enormous and had just been fed (they looked like vacuum cleaners hovering up grass).



The yellow cheek gibbons were playing with the zoo keeper who was cleaning our their enclosure by trying to take his stick when he wasn't looking. That kept us amused for a while.



I was boiling and ready for a shower. As we were hailing a taxi 2 guys from Germany asked to share the fayre as they were going the same way.



We all hopped in a cab and talked about Vietnam (they have only just arrived). After a while I checked the meter which was going up very quickly. At the end the driver turned off the meter and tried to charge us 200,000 dong (30,000 more than before he turned it off!). I ran into our hotel while Bobby waited to pay to ask how much we should pay and was told around 50,000. Bobby gave him 90,000 and said if he had a problem to call the police. He didn't of course. Vietnam, scams on every corner.



Cleaned up and cooled off and we tucked into our simple (free) dinner at the hotel which was noodle soup and spring rolls.



Bobby treated me to posh icecream after as it was valentines day, aww.



15/02/12 - Saigon - Cu Chi tunnels



Today we were off for a guided tour of the Cu Chi tunnels which were used in the American war by the Viet Cong to hide from the enemy.



On the way our bus pulled over for a break at a workshop for people with disabilities. In the workshop people were making pots and wooden ornamental art works using materials like mother of pearl and egg shells. The end products were very impressive.



Arriving Cu Chi our guide explained there are 3 levels of tunnels on top of each other. The top level was the biggest with several chambers for things like eating and planning. The lowest level was just a crawl space which was effective for getting away from the enemy as the Vietnamese were much smaller than the Americans.



The Viet Cong were local villagers from all over Vietnam who were trying to protect their country. Bobby and I have been trying to find out why the Americans invaded Vietnam and our guide said he really doesn't know. There have been guesses that if America had control of Vietnam that the could control the surrounding countries.



We got to try our hand at entering the top level of the tunnels which were the biggest. Bobby had to crawl at times on his hands and knees where I was able to crouch along. There was a bit of lighting in places but it would have been pitch black in the war. There are several kilometers of tunnels all around the area.



In a makeshift workshop there were examples of how the Viet Cong would make land mines. They would take an unexploded bomb dropped by the Americans and saw through it to get the powder out, all the time knowing they could cause it to explode and kill themselves.



There were examples of the traps set for the enemy which were a bit gruesome but probably very effective. One trap involved falling into a pit with sharp bamboo spikes in the bottom. Others aimed at impailing the enemy with metal spikes either through the leg or torso. Pretty grim.



On the way back from the tunnels we were dropped off at the war museum which was very sobering. The museum very much focused on the Vietnam perspective and had some truly horrific pictures. The images included the effects of napalm bombs, the Agent Orange poison that was sprayed over population areas as well as bodies in streets including many women and children. These scenes will haunt me for a very long time.



To cheer ourselves up we went out for dinner and got talking to a couple of Aussies in suits. They teach English in Vietnam and one has lived here for 6 years. I may be able to undertake an English teaching qualification while in Australia for a few hundred pounds which would mean I could travel and work in many countries.



On a walk after dinner we bumped into Hassan who we had met in Halong Bay. He has been over to Cambodia and on his way back his bus was stopped by police and turned out to be smuggling drugs intimately the country. We leave for Cambodia at 6:15am tomorrow.

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