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Published: October 2nd 2006
Hello All!
So I've been gone almost 3 weeks and of course I am just now getting around to setting up a blog (it's been quite the ordeal!) . . . but you should all be happy to know that I am doing wonderfully! I've got all my teeth, no arrests, not even a lost item - maybe I should become a full-time traveler 😉
I left Vietnam Thursday evening (on a 24 hr. bus) and arrived safely in Laos last night. Besides a potentially disastrous landslide during the trip that stopped us in our tracks for about 5 hrs. I also had my first self-inflicted potentially disastrous experience. There was one bus that took us several hours through Vietnam, and then we had to move to another bus that took us the rest of our journey. Well (I hope you'll all see the humor in imagining me doing this!), when I made my transfer I only took the belonging I had with me and neglected to remember to grab my big pack from underneath the bus (this isn't like an airline where your luggage automatically moves with you!!). About 15 minutes into the new bus trip I thought, "oh shit, my bag!" and jumped up to try to communicate to the bus driver what I'd stupidly done. I offered to get off the bus and just grab a motorbike (what I use as taxis here) to take me back and then wait (possibly another day) for the next bus. Thankfully for me, not so much for everyone else on the bus, the driver took me back where the first bus was still waiting and I retrieved my bag. In an attempt to make myself not look like a total blond I'd like to say in my defense that I'd been traveling without my big backpack for about 5 days prior (transferring from one form of transport to another) and that I was woken in the middle of the night by a man who didn't fully make me feel confident that a) he even worked for the bus company, or b) that what he was telling me in his broken English re moving to another bus he pointed at was even the bus to Laos. As I got off my bus the other one was already boarding and I quickly verified with the other passengers that it was indeed the bus to Laos and found a seat to settle back in to my peaceful (as peaceful as can be expected on a crowded foreign bus) sleep. What I'm sayin' here is that in this half-asleep, confused state (with just the belongings I was used to carrying), anyone could have made the same mistake . . . ok, ok, maybe not! Fortunately it all turned out fine and now I'm here in Vientiene, Laos with all my belongings 😊
Vietnam was incredible! I had heard good things from friends who'd been there, but I wasn't expecting the people to be as nice as they were (especially to an American), or to speak such good English. I keep thinking how grateful I am that English just so happens to be my first language - it's made the trip so much easier. I love warm weather and man, have I gotten it! I've only had a couple of days with rain and a few more in the north that were overcast, but mostly it's just been hot, hot, hot! Not to mention humid, although I could do without that. As I expected the sights in Vietnam were breathtaking. What I didn't expect was how varied they were traveling from south to north. Unfortunately I had a heck of a time uploading photos to this site, actually I had a heck of a time uploading pix in general, but now it's done, (thank god!!) and if you'd like to see them visit:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=anr6pk9.62vxoail&x=1&y=6ckat1
**For people like my mother, if you don't have a Kodak Gallery account you'll have to sign-up for one in order to view them** The pictures don't do the things I saw justice, but at least this way you can get a little taste. I promise in the future I'll work on being in more of them!
I started in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where I spent a few days seeing the sights and learning how to walk across the craziest, lawless, motorbike-packed streets I've ever seen! My first day out I hired a rickshaw (bicycle with a cart attached to the front to sit in) to take me around the city and I found it amazing that with all the people going in every direction no one seemed to get in accidents. The War History Museum and the Cu Chi tunnels (an intricate, narrow tunnel system that the VietCong lived in during the war) were both totally crazy. The tunnels were fascinating, but the museum was really heavy - good to see and well done even though it was all obviously from the opposite side of what I'm used to hearing. Many times since I've arrived I have thought that the people who need to see the things I am seeing are the ones who'd never dare visit, which I think can be attributed to the problems that continue to go on in our world. I must also say that I felt so fortunate to be visiting all these amazing places and experiencing their culture and lives while it's clear that nearly none of the people who have been so good to me will every get to see anything beyond their own region, let alone country.
In the south I also visiting the Mekong (the 3rd largest river in Asia) Delta by boat for 2 days. It was great to see all the floating markets (which included nothing less than snakes and a variety of other creepy creatures) and way of life for the people who've lived in more or less the same manner for centuries. I then moved onto the beach!! I spent a few days in Mui Ne, a quite beach town, and then just a day in the more lively beach town of Nha Trang visiting their beautiful islands by boat. There was some snorkeling and swimming, but mostly just me trying to get maximum sun exposure (no burns so no lectures!). In Mui Ne I went on my first (and only) Vietnamese date . . . unbeknownst to me until the end of it. I got a ride with a 21 year old motorbike driver earlier in the day and he, like all the other drivers, wanted to show me around later. He found me on my way back to my hotel on someone else's bike and stayed around after I'd been dropped off to convince me to let him take me to a good local restaurant and bar (all of which I paid for). My intuition was right that he was completely harmless and we had a fun night out - good dinner and a few drinks at a touristy bar where his friends were playing pool. I wondered how strange I looked to the other foreigners sitting there with my group of Vietnamese boys (trying to) teach me Vietnamese and playing pool. It was getting late and I told my new friend that I wanted to return to my hotel. He hadn't been drinking and wanted to take me back . . . I found out why on the ride home when he tried to kiss me . . . while riding the bike!! I politely refused his come-on and although he didn't seem sore about it he did still try to convince me to let him take me to the beach where he'd climb and get me a coconut - nice try buddy 😉 I was scheduled to leave the next afternoon, but spent the morning on the beach trying to get a few more rays . . . I have to mention that while I was lying out a herd of cows came down the beach about 5 feet in front of me with no cow-herder in sight! It was so strange I laughed out loud. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera, for that or for what was about to ensue. My friend from the night before showed up on the beach to see if I'd like to get a coffee with him (persistant little guy) and after I declined he asked if he could get me a coconut. Seeing that I was already on the beach and it was daytime I quickly agreed! It was very impressive, damn hard work - I think a few more guys back home need to start climbing palm trees to win over some women's hearts 😉
After the beach I spent a day in both the towns of Hoi An and Hue before moving onto the capital city of Hanoi. Although busy and definitely a city, unlike Saigon it had a completely different feel - much more charming and quaint. With it's heavy French influence there were plenty of good cafes to sit and relax. From Hanoi I took a 2 day tour of Ha Long Bay on a boat, which was beautiful - straight out of a movie, but unfortunately it was overcast the whole time we where there. I did get to kayak and swim some which was great. Next came the total highlight of my trip to Vietnam (which I wasn't planning on doing, but a lovely French couple in the south had insisted it couldn't be missed) - a 2 day hiking trip in the mountain villages of Sapa. The scenery was spectacular - so beautiful - and the minority villagers were so fun to meet. I met one little girl in particular who was the ringleader of the group of girls/women selling their crafts (and who spoke English better than I do!) that lead me around everywhere and took me to visit her family's home (more like a shack with no electricity or running water). The ladies were quite amused by my laugh and had fun imitating it - can I not go anywhere without being made fun?! We spent the night at a village family's home, which did have electricity, running water, and even a Western toilet - it was a great experience.
This is a good point to give you a little idea of what staying in Vietnam was like. Surprisingly, aside from the propoganda billboards that were spread across the nation, I'd never have know that I was in a Communist country - a 3rd world country, yes. On the topic of toilets, most of those in Southeast Asia (not in the hotels I've stayed in, but pretty much everywhere else) are just holes in the ground that you swat over, with no toilet paper provided in any of them. I quickly learned to always have tissues along wherever I go! Fortunately, thanks to all my Hieb family vacations I am used to interesting accommodations and long, long road trips 😉 My hotels have been nicer than I expected (clean and my own bathroom are all I really care about) and cheap! Everything's crazy cheap. However, since I am crap at bargaining I know for a fact I am paying more for hotels, rides, and goods than the average traveler . . . but it's still only like a few dollars here or there so it doesn't bother me. The food's been good, but being a vegetarian the options are somewhat limited - i.e., noodles with vegetables or rice with vegetables - so I'll take a break from the local fair every few meals for some Western food. There are some crazy local fruits that I've enjoyed - dragonfruit is my favorite! I'm also quite fond of coffee with condensed milk (the norm here) - most travelers find it disgusting, but I think it's delicious! Doesn't take much for me 😉 I have felt amazingly safe and although I've gotten a few random hugs, some sniffs of my hair and professions of love, the men have been very respectful and for the most part not smarmy. To ease some minds it should be noted that "wild Nikki" has been left back in the States so that helps loads in the safety department!
While on my Sapa trip I met a really fun group of random young travelers - we joined forces and instead of seeing Ho Chi Minh's embalmed body as planned (we were informed his mausoleum was closed for his annual upkeep!) we spent our last day back in Hanoi together drinking bia hoi, which is like keg beer, but it only costs about $0.20 a glass and you drink it sitting on little stools outside the shop on the street. It was a great last day in Vietnam!! I've met so many great people from all over the world that have totally enhanced my experience. The people are a bonus, but even without them I am doing awesome and at points look forward to some alone time.
I plan on being in Laos for about a week and then onto Cambodia - I'll send you an update when I can check Laos off my list too 😉 Thank you for all the encouraging emails and updates. I wish you could all be here with me, but know that you're all here in my thoughts!
Hoping all is well wherever you are!
Love, Nikki
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Ursula
non-member comment
Hi Nikki, Barb forwarded this to me and enjoyed reading it immensely, i'm so glad you're having such a great time and a little jealous, wish I were with you. Anyway am looking forward to your next installment. You've inspired me to do the entire Camino alone next year, i was afraid to go it alone but hey, you're having such a great time I figure I can do it too, you go girl and be safe, Love Ursula