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Vietnam

Chau Doc

We decided to take a boat into Vietnam from Cambodia on the Mekong River. This was a very nice, quiet, scenic, and relaxing trip, albeit a very slow one which dropped us off at a small town called Chau Doc. This town had floating houses on the river. At this point in the trip we had become fairly accustomed to the fact that everywhere we went almost everyone could speak English. This was not the case however, in Chau Doc. The town was not a touristy town and it allowed us to get a realistic view on the daily life of the Vietnamese people. Most of the women sat all day at an outdoor market selling fruit, seafood, and various other food. The men seemed to be constantly hanging around their motorbikes and frequently offered us rides. That evening we went out to dinner and were delighted when the waiter placed a dish of peanuts and wet naps on our table. It wasn't until the end of the meal that we realized the rule in Vietnam is that if it is on the table, then it is also on the bill. As we walked along the river after dinner we came to a park where all of the children were taking martial arts classes. It was fun to watch them for a while and we found many of them to be very good for their age. The next day we rented a motorbike and rode to many temples and up a mountain which had a view all the way back to Cambodia. We were not able to rent an automatic motorbike so on our first attempt up the mountain we were in the wrong gear and as Ian changed gears, he popped a wheelie which slid Rachel off the back of the bike on her feet and threw Ian and the bike to the ground. All was okay and on our second attempt we made it up the mountain without any problems.

Ha Tien

We boarded a local bus to the next town which was called Ha Tien. Ian was quite a hit on the bus as many of the people had never seen arm hair like his and they made him show his arms to the other bus riders. The men and women here did not have any body hair. Halfway through the bus ride, the bus stopped in the middle of nowhere on the side of the road and the driver started unloading all of our bags. Everyone got off the bus and someone told us that we had to wait for another bus to take us to Ha Tien. We were pretty surprised that it only took 5 minutes for the new bus to pull up. We hopped on the bus and were lucky to get two seats as many people had to sit in the aisles. The bus actually puts plastic stools in the aisle so people aren't sitting on the floor. After a little while our bus stalled and three people hopped off the bus with tools and started to fix the engine. A few minutes later the bus stalled again and they tried to fix it. This went on nine times!! Finally, the other passengers flagged down another bus which was passing by and we all grabbed our bags and hopped on the bus. This bus actually got us to Ha Tien! This was the second town we were in and we realized that this was more touristy and English was more commonly known. We also realized that the women's outfits were the same in both towns and it is customary for women to wear matching patterned pajama sets. This was actually the style throughout Southern Vietnam and we were never able to really get used to it. We spent one night in Ha Tien which was right on the water and then took a boat the next morning to Phu Quoc Island.

Phu Quoc Island

This island was the most relaxing and serene place we had been. It was a stunning beach even though the water didn't even have any waves. We enjoyed spending a few days here lying on the beach and reading. One day we took a boat trip where we went fishing and snorkeling. Phu Quoc Island was definitely a highlight in Vietnam.

Can Tho

We took a boat back to the Mekong Delta and stayed in a town called Can Tho. Here we went on a longtail boat to visit the local floating markets and many of the small canals with houses lining them which make up the Mekong Delta. It was a beautiful and relaxing experience to cruise around among the rice farms, houses, and fruit orchards.

Ving Long

The next day we made our way to Vinh Long where we were planning on doing a home stay on one of the small islands in the river around the city. Upon reaching Vinh Long we hired two motorbikes to take us to the home stay, and the ride took forever. The "homestay" was in the most remote part of the entire island, was right on the river and had their own orchards. This really should have been called something other than a homestay, because we didn't stay with the family or really interact with them apart from the first hour we got to their place, but the food and scenery were fantastic.

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City

The next morning we were headed up to Saigon from the delta, but not before we were essentially held hostage by our homestay family who refused to call our arranged motorbike drivers and insisted that their friend come pick us up in their overpriced boat and drop us off by the ferry terminal where we had to flag down 2 motorbike drivers and head to the bus station. However, with little other problems besides a two hour delay we were off to Saigon. Upon arriving at the bus station in Saigon, we got on two motorbikes and took off for Pham Ngu Lao St. which is the backpacker area of Saigon, and this was by far the scariest bike ride either of us have been on so far. The traffic in Saigon is horrible at all hours of the day, with nearly 5 million motorbikes according to one source. Our drivers were all over the road, on the sidewalks, in the way of on-coming traffic, and continually smoking a cigarette the entire time. Luckily we made it to our destination in one piece albeit faster than was completely necessary. We spent the rest of the day walking around, window shopping, getting a feel for Saigon, and finding a great place for Bia Hoi, which is apparently the cheapest draft beer in the world. It is a home brew that little stalls sell for either 12,000 Dong (70 cents) per liter or 4,000 Dong (22 cents) per glass and you sit around a short little table on a tiny little plastic stool while throwing back several cheap beers. The next day we met Ian's dad and Leslie and the four of us did a walking tour around the city which included such sites as the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, a Vietnamese Notre Dame Cathedral, and some temples. The following day we went to see a Cao Dai Temple which we both agreed was quite gaudy and a complete waste of 5 hours in the car, but we also went to the Cu Chi Tunnels which showed how the Vietcong army used tunnels, traps, and other forms of trickery first against the French and then the Americans during their fight for freedom from the "Imperialists" as they called them. Our guide at the tunnels was very informative and enthusiastic about showing us around, and we both went for a 100 meter crawl through the tunnels which was hot, cramped, and claustrophobic, but quite a fun, eye opening, educational experience. We were only in the top level of a 3 level tunnel system that the Vietnamese people lived in for years. This was definitely among the highlights of our Saigon visit. The following day was Ian's dad's 60th birthday, and the day was spent walking around the city, visiting various markets, and capped off with a delicious French meal.

Dalat

The next morning we got on the bus and headed to Dalat, which is a mountain town with much cooler weather and is famous for it's different scenery, many waterfalls, and "easy rider" tours (they have a motorcycle gang that turned into tour guides who take people on tours around Dalat and all over Vietnam). We got into town in the afternoon and spent our time walking around, enjoying the wonderfully cool weather, and checking out whether to do an adventure canyoning tour (rappelling down waterfalls) or to take an easy rider tour for the next day. We ended up deciding to do the canyoning trip which was a truly exciting day filled with rappelling down 2 cliffs, then down 2 huge & powerful waterfalls, water sliding down smooth rapids, jumping off a 12 meter cliff, and finally rappelling down another waterfall. The scenery was spectacular and the adrenaline rush was amazing.

Nha Trang

We arrived in Nha Trang just in time for dinner. Since Nha Trang is a beach town we decided to walk along the beach and see where we ended up. Sure enough, we found a woman grilling lobsters on the beach for $5.00 US dollars per lobster! They were delicious. The next day was the Super Bowl, so Ian woke up at 6 in the morning to watch the game. Rachel joined in for the second half, and it was quite an interesting experience to watch the Super Bowl in Vietnam, at 6:30 in the morning with a bunch of Europeans who barely understood the game and were constantly comparing it to various forms of rugby. The next day we went to a Vietnamese amusement park called Vinpearl Land that had county fair type rides, free video games and 3D movies, and a really good waterpark. It also was right on the beach.

Hoi An

That night we took an overnight sleeping bus to Hoi An. It was a very interesting experience as neither of us had ever been on or seen a sleeping bus before, which is essentially a bus with 38 recliners which go back almost all the way into beds. We were at the back of the bus and were sleeping in a row with 5 beds across and we were next to 2 French women and a young Vietnamese woman all of whom were as weirded out as we were. When we arrived in Hoi An, we were greeted by an amazing, historic, colonial style city that was beautiful and turned out to be our favorite city in Vietnam. The entire city was in bloom and decorated for Tet (Vietnamese New Year) with flowers and lanterns. Hoi An is famous for one thing in particular, very cheap & good tailors. We spent the first two days walking around the city looking at the sites, enjoying some really good food, and visiting well over 100 tailors until Rachel found a fabric and tailor she could work with. The tailor made a dress and skirt in a few hours both of which fit perfectly and are absolutely beautiful. The next day we went to see the Marble Mountains and China Beach with Ian's dad & Leslie. We climbed up the mountain and there were many temples up the mountain.

Hue

We arrived in Hue on the Vietnamese New Year's Eve. We wished everyone "Chuc Mung Nam Moi" which means Happy New Year in Vietnamese. At midnight we went to the river to watch the fireworks. The New Year is a quiet time in Vietnam. Everyone travels to be with their families so many restaurants and stores are closed. They also make fires outside of their homes and burn lucky money which they believe goes to their ancestors, so they will be rich in the afterlife. New Year's Day was also Valentine's Day so we had a fun day sampling Vietnamese wine and relaxing since everything in the city was closed. The following day we took a boat cruise on the perfume river and visited tombs and temples. One in particular was made from pottery shards into a beautiful mural all over the room. Our last day in Hue we wandered around the citadel which is the walled city where the Emperor lived in ancient times. This city actually had a walled city within the walled city but unfortunately it was not in good condition.

Sapa

After taking a bus to Hanoi, we then took an overnight train to Sapa, which is in Northwest Vietnam and right near the border with China. We planned to do three days of trekking through the rice fields to visit small minority tribal villages. It was pouring rain when we got there and didn't look like it would let up anytime soon. We had three other couples with us for the trek and our guide, Mao. As we left the hotel we found a group of women from the Black H'Mong tribe waiting for us. Mao told us that they would walk with us all day in the hopes that we buy one item from them in the big baskets they carried. Rachel immediately took a liking to a 13 year old girl named Yay. Due to the rain and fog the visibility was pretty bad but there were moments when you could see rice terraces going up mountains that were gorgeous. The trek itself was difficult due to the rain. The Black H'Mong women were able to trek easily since they did this almost every day, while we were all sliding in the mud. The women held our hands and helped keep us upright. It was pretty amazing that Yay, who was half the height of Rachel could keep them both standing in such horrible mud. We trekked for a while through the rice terraces and small villages and then we came to our homestay in the Black H'mong tribe. We bought an inexpensive bracelet from Yay to thank her for her help and she was ecstatic. We helped make dinner and learned how to make spring rolls. Then we feasted on delicious food and homemade rice wine. Our guide Mao told us many stories about the different minority tribes and their superstitions, wedding rituals, death rituals, dress, and culture. He also told us funny stories about his love life. The following day we did a long trek and ended up in a Tay Village, which is another minority group. Our guide told us we had some free time while he prepared dinner. We walked through the village and we heard loud music and cheering. We approached the house that had all of the noise and we were summoned inside to a party with dancing, musical instruments, singing, and lots of rice wine. We were the only tourists and it was an incredible experience to partake in the festivities and be welcomed so warmly. We trekked to another village the next morning and met the tribe of the Red Dao. In this tribe the women shave their eyebrows and the hair on the front of their head based on a legend about a young bride who had an eyelash fall into the food she cooked for her groom's family and the parents decided that she was not good enough for their son and sent her away. We also spent some time in the town of Sapa and saw more of the minority tribes selling their crafts.

Halong Bay

We boarded a boat to cruise through the 1,969 islands of Halong Bay with Ian's Dad and Leslie. The limestone islands were stunning and the boat was very relaxing. We also climbed through a limestone cave and hiked up to a viewpoint. We spent some time kayaking around some of the islands.

Hanoi

In Hanoi we visited Ho Chih Minh's Mausoleum where his body is embalmed for people to view. We went to a one pillar pagoda and Ho Chih Minh's house. We saw water puppets which were not very entertaining but it is a big part of their culture. We went to the Temple of Literature which was Vietnam's first University founded in the year 1076. Overall, we really enjoyed Vietnam and Sapa was definitely the highlight for us. Then we boarded our plane and were off to Beijing, China.

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Photos

Inside the Reunification Palace
Old telephones and equipment used in the war

Roof of the Reunification Palace
Site where the Americans left from when the Vietcong rolled tanks through the gates of the Palace.

Funny Sign 2
This baby needs a diaper change

Comments

[Eddy Frisch]

We miss you guys!!!
What a great stop Vietnam was!!! Loved the tunnel and rapel images!! keep sending us storys! kind regards from SD E

[Richard]

great trip
You guys really seem to be having fun. Thanks for the photos and news. It is spring here now and everything is in bloom. Corporate tax deadlines were yesterday and we are gearing up for April 15th. Same old, same old. We took Christina (our receptionist ) to happy hour the other day as she has done a good job and has stayed with us !!! We miss you guys so travel carefully Richard and the gang