The Letter of the Day is H

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As mentioned in my last blog, I have been plagued by bad weather through my Vietnam trip. While the worst was the typhoon we experienced in Nha Trang, rain followed me from place to place, only letting up when I boarded a train or bus to move on to the next location. Despite this, I really enjoyed what I saw of this country (and I know there is so much I was unable to see because of the weather).

It was a fast and furious trip, characterized by cities that begin with the letter H, which sometimes got confusing. One night in Hoi An one of the girls I'm travelling with suddenly turned to the table and said "Hanoi, Ho Chi Min, Hoi An, Hue - Where the fuck are we?" I answered Hanoi, but I always call Hoi An Hanoi so technically I was giving her the right answer in my head.

Instead of posting blog after blog about Vietnam (too much fun to be had in my current locale - Luang Prabang), I though I would give you the highlights and photos for the "post-typhoon" stops in Vietnam.




Hoi An

Almost every backpacker I have talked to raves about Hoi An, many saying it is their favourite city in Vietnam. It really is pituresque. While we didn't get to enjoy the beach or bike riding due to the weather, it was a great time. From repelling in the Marble Mountains (see my last blog entry) to wandering through the streets of the town, it really was a great visit.

I think it is a city that I will need to return to when I can figure out a way to guarantee better weather, as I know there is so much I missed out on. I will admit it wasn't my favourite place in Vietnam (too many tourists for my liking, I prefer to feel like I'm not just part of the general backpacker/flashpacker/tourist mass, even if I am), but it was definitely up there. It's hard not to love a pituresque town with a million things to do and an amazing beach (so I'm told).




Hue

Hue was a brief stop on the way up to Hanoi and Halong Bay. Really the only thing I saw while there was the Imperial Citadel due to cash flow problems (transport to the tombs was not financially feasible), and it was interesting to see but not amazing as they were based on the Forbidden City, a sight still fresh in my mind from my time in Beijing. What drove me crazy in Hue was the cyclo drivers and their constant harassment about whether I wanted a ride, to the point where some would follow me when I said "no". By the time I wanted a cyclo ride, I continued to refuse on principal which resulted in a long walk in drizzle. Sometimes I'm too stubborn for my own good.



Halong Bay

By far my favourite stop was Halong Bay. Even though the fog was so thick there were times we couldn't see the water, it cleared up just enough that we could see the islands rising from the water once on our boat. It was pretty cool being there with the fog, as it made the waters seem very mysterious and as if we were in a film noir movie.

Like everyone, we headed to the Sung Sot Cave, a name which aptly translates to the Cave of Surprises. My friends and I really did not expect to love the caves as much as we did, and it surpassed are expectations and then some. There was something almost magic about the caves. While normally I don't like when the natural beauty of something is "enhanced" by manmade devices such as lights, I loved the colours used in the cave. I didn't want to leave them when we got to the end, I was so enthralled.

I do want to see the bay when the weather is better, so that the ships sails are up and we can see more of the islands. Between here and Hoi An, I have an excellent reason to visit Vietnam again, which I have no complaints about.




Hanoi

Hanoi was a cool city. Much like Saigon, it had the street bars and food stalls, something that I enjoyed immensly. I felt more secure in Hanoi, and I was able to relax more (still clutched my bag tightly, don't get me wrong, just much less neurotic) which is probably why it was my favourite of Vietnam's two main cities. What I like about Hanoi was the narrowness of the streets, and the little restaurants and stores everywhere. While I did the big tourist things (saw the lake, went to the Water Puppet show - not my thing, but some of my friends really enjoyed it), what I like about the city was the ability to sit on the street or a terrace having a drink and watch the world go by. The city is a great blend of old and new, and I was constantly seeing things that made me smile.



Overall, my trip to Vietnam was soggy but interesting. Hopefully one day soon I'll get back when there is better weather so that I can experience everything that I missed - particularly the beaches, bike rides, and everything outside!

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Comments

[David]

Jealous
I have just caught up on your more recent adventure and will admit to being jealous. IT appears to be a wonderful adventure, despite the recent rain! Keep it coming and write more about your culinary experiences, they have me hanging on for the next one!