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Published: October 10th 2009
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its a big deal, but i don't remember the name of it Vietnam is country I never intended to visit, which would have been a big mistake. Vietnam was a hidden treasure for me and I'm glad I took the advice of those that have been. I flew from Bangkok into Hanoi and to make things easy decided to have someone pick me up from the hostel I was staying in. My flight, as usual was delayed so I got in late that night so when I checked into the hostel I was very tired. Since travelling on a budget I opted for cheaper accommodations and stayed in a dorm style hostel. It reminded me of the days of backpacking through Europe with 5 others. That was a completely different experience. The hostel was comfortable and clean but was occupied by those that were like myself 5 years ago backpacking through Europe.
I knew I didn't have much time and wanted to see the sights, so I went on an organized day trip around Hanoi which turned out to be more informative than I expected. Uncle Ho is a quite the big deal up there in Hanoi. It was interesting to hear about the history of Vietnam (or any other country for
that matter) from another perspective. Growing up in America, you tend to learn things from one side and never really learn about how things affect those on the other side. That is the thing I cherish the most about travelling to all these different countries is learning first hand from people that are directly influenced by certain parts of history.
Hanoi it is a crazy city. There are about 10 times more motorbikes on the road than cars. I thought Korea had bad drivers but that is nothing compared to the way the Vietnamese drive. A fellow traveller called it "organized chaos", it is complete chaos with cars and motorbikes driving where ever they want but yet they all seem to know what they are doing and more importantly what is going on. Crossing the street is another story, all you have to remember is to hold your head up high and just walk, the bikes will weave themselves around you.
After a day in Hanoi, I made my way to Ha Long Bay. What the company advertised as a "modern bus" which was really just a 15 passenger caravan with semi-working A/C picked me up and then
some cool art
what do you think it means? we drove 4 hours to Ha Long City. Lucky me, since I was traveling alone got to sit in front between the driver and guide. Only the guide kept falling asleep and leaning on me! I finally had to poke him to stay away and off me. From there we boarded on a "junk" a small ship where I slept for a night. It was amazing. We sailed out to a cave and went swimming on the beach and then next morning we went kayaking. Our group consisted of 15 passengers mainly coming in pairs but nonetheless the group was amazing. It was interesting sharing travel stories and life experiences. We even had an Aussie actress on ship. A friend said, "Vietnamese are the quintessential Koreans if you took all the money and face-saving attitudes that Koreans have." And this rang true when the crew on ship threw a party on boat with disco lights and...karaoke. Yes...the other boats were jealous. After the chaos of the city, it was just what I needed. The return trip back to Hanoi was an experience I'll never forget. On the way out of the city there was a motorbike accident and when we
at the temple of literature
the first university in hanoi approached it the driver had passed away and was covered with this bamboo like sheet. His brains and guts were splattered on the streets and people were throwing money out the window as they were passing. I asked the guide why they did that and I guess is was for luck. It was a sight I'll never forget or be able to erase from my mind. Everyone was in a somber mood but after a few hours started chatting up again. I had to catch a bus that night Hue at 5:30 and about an hour away the tire on the car blows and we are stranded on the highway. Why do these things always happen to me? I try to go with the flow and not worry, I'm traveling without an agenda after all. After about 20 minutes, the guide flags down another travel van and it happened to be the same company so he explains my situation and I have to get on their van to make it back in time.
That night I left for Hue by bus. A 14 hour bus ride on a charter bus made for little Vietnamese people. Not a good idea.
At some point in the middle of the night the bus stopped for what I thought was just a routine pee break. I of course got off, but failed to notice what the others saw. Later when I met up with a couple that were on the same bus they said they saw another dead body on the side of the road and were certain the we had hit it. The blood spots and conversation with the driver confirmed that it was us. Damn, two in one day!
I finally make it to Hue, a small and very old town. I went to see the Citadel and the living quarters for the Emperor. It is so sad to see that they have left the place in shambles. From Hue I decided to go with another option instead of bus. Since it was only a four hour ride, I hired a motorbike (despite the previous days accidents) and driver to take me from Hue to Hoi An. That was cool! We left Hue and along the way the guide took me to some cool sights. The first stop, Elephant Creek, had a small waterfall but was beautiful. We need a
break from the heat and jumped into the creek for a short swim. Heaven. Mr. Ty was the coolest guide and was so helpful. His friend and my driver was kinda creepy. He kept touching my knees and then told me I was beautiful and that he wanted to marry an American. I told him I had a boyfriend but that he could marry another American. Later he asked me for a tip. Weird.
Hoi An was the next stop. A rather small town but famous for the tailors. They are able to make anything you want. Just go in show a picture and they take your measurements and produce what you want. After a day in Hoi An, I took the night bus (for 12 hours) again to Nha Trang only this time I was a bit smarter and took a sleeper bus rather than sitting. It turned out to be a lot more comfortable.
Nha Trang is known for their beach, which is nothing like Thailand, but relaxing and just what I needed after a few days of travelling in a row. A day in Nha Trang then I set off for the final destination in
Vietnam, Saigon currently known as Ho Chi Minh City. I took another bus from Nha Trang to Saigon, I'm starting to get used to this bus thing. The bus stopped for what I thought was a rest stop and of course with my overactive bladder, I decided to get out and pee. As I was in the bathroom, I hear the bus take off and midway through I pull up my pants and run out the door. I see that the bus drove down a few hundred feet and unsure if the bus was stopping for a while or just a bit I freak out. Luckily there are motorbikers always trying to get you to take a ride for a small fee so when one sees my freaking out, he comes over and I make him book it over to the bus. Damn, all that for nothing, this was the scheduled stop and I had to pay the driver for a few hundred feet. I thought I was going to die. Note to self...always ask if this is a pee break.
Saigon is insane compared to Hanoi, but I liked the city a lot. The people are a bit
citadel
very old and in ruins different, a little more frank but that makes for an interesting experience. I went to the War Remnant Museum and that was overwhelming. The images were so intense I started to get goosebumps just looking at them. Again it was so interesting to see the war from the other side. A few more days here in Vietnam and then I'm off to Cambodia on Monday. I heard that it is intense...
Hope all is well. I'm safe and (cross my fingers) haven't got sick again. Take care.
Peace and love.
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kalpesh
non-member comment
cool!
wow, that was awesome story, mr. ty sounds weird for sure! Did you get some cool stuff from the tailor shop?? I thought the one we went to in Korea was pretty good too. The adventure continues for you! Well try not to have your van run over any more dead people on the road in Cambodia! j/k, be safe and have fun! :) -kj