http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Vietnam en-us Thu, 03 Dec 09 13:34:15 +0000 Thu, 03 Dec 09 13:34:15 +0000 The week of my inclass TESOL course was fantastic. I learnt so much and met some wonderful inspiring people.On Tuesday 13th of October I met my class at Hoabinh Palace Hotel on Hang Be Street. I sat with and chatted to Roslyn and Di and Dean. Di and Dean are a couple who live in WA Dean is originally from New Zealand really lovely people. It was so nice that they were doing the cours http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-457878.html While I was at my first full day of my inclass course on Wednesday 14th October 2009 Lukee was busy looking at rental apartments for us to move into. Wersquod had enough of living out of our bags and wanted a place to call home with a kitchen for the next 6mths. He looked at 5 places and with the two wersquod already looked at together in mind he favored a place in Dong Da District http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-457868.html Thang Long Hanoi is one of Asialsquos most ancient capital cities Hanoi covers a thousand years of history. Its old temples sanctuaries and shrines reveal the amazing history of ancient Thang Long now known as Hanoi.Recent archaeological excavations within Hanoirsquos city walls have uncovered an abundance of relics attesting to the enormous scale and influences of Thang Longrsquos hist http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-457864.html As Mully and I patiently awaited the arrival of our bus in the Hello Vietnam Guesthouse we met the two girls from New Zealand who were also on the trip and sat quietly for over an hour. It finally arrived and we followed a Vietnamese guy to a bus and he took the bags off the girls who got onto the bus and then refused to take ours as we weren't to be picked up by this bus. So back to the hotel t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Northeast/blog-457644.html Was soll man schon ber eine Trauminsel schreiben Phu Quoc ist das was Koh Pipi war bevor Leo bdquothe Beachldquo dort gedreht hat. Oder das was Koh Samui war bevor die Pauschaltouris es bernommen haben.Ein Rckzugsgebiet fr Naturliebhaber Aussteiger Backpacker und Hippies. Stressfreie Traumstrnde mit Kokospalmen Fisch BBQs und Bambus Bungalows. Leider stehen schon Plne fr einen Int http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Mekong-River-Delta/blog-457456.html Yesterday I spent in Saigon. First I took a taxi to the War Remnanats Museum what an upsetting experience. If you think Mai Lai was an isolated incident think again Quite how the Americans justified killing and disembowelling 3 boys aged 10 8 and 6 I will never know. Several war reporters witnessed civilians being shot by US marines. It seems to have been an every day occurrence. The Vietnames http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Mekong-River-Delta/blog-457352.html The golden key that unlocks a thousand doors.... even this may not be enough praise for the value of learning the local dialect when traveling. When combined with with a smile and an open personality the thousand doors easily becomes a million and more. I have been here nearly one week so far and the initial rush of being back in asia is beginning to wear off.Although I cannot altogether disco http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-457170.html Saturday 28 November 2009 The third weekend of this month I was not at home. This time I traveled with my parents and their friends to T7843n 272 spa resort and Khoang Xanh. There were 42 people on the trip and I was the youngest one. It is always fun to spend time with old people at age 55 to 78 as I could learn from them a great enthusiasm and affection for life. They experienced both F http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-457055.html We set off early again and yet again we have an early 'toilet stop' at a handicapped persons Agent Orange victims handicraft centre us and 20 other coach parties. Unlike yesterday I'm really impressed with the lacquer work stuff that's made here. I didn't realise that all the patterns and pictures are made with egg shells and then varnished and lacquered. If I had the room and the baggage allo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Mekong-River-Delta/blog-456905.html Up early and off at 0800 on a bus tour to Cu Chi. This place is famousinfamous and a place the French and the Americans who fought there will never forget. There are approx 200km of tunnels in this area dug in to red laterite clay which hardens like iron when dry and is pretty much the same when it's wet it was certainly rock hard walking on it today. I know we're close when we pass through http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Mekong-River-Delta/blog-456676.html I met a motorbike guide from Da Lat while waiting for the taxi ti the airport. Lots of people have told me thatb Da Lat and the Cental Highlands are the real Vietnam. Pete says so too he does tours all the way from Da lat straight up into the mountains and jungles up the Ho Chi Minh trail up past Khe Sanh and onto Ha Noi through the mountainous route. Sounds like I've really missed out not doin http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Mekong-River-Delta/blog-456480.html I met Nick again at the Bo Bo Cafe he's just got back from Ha Noi and even he nearly got ripped off by the taxi drivers and they knew he could speak Vietnamese We talk about jacking our respective jobs in the UK in he was Civil Service and found it very constricting. He's developed more done more and achierved far more in Vietnam. He told me about a British guy who started at the bottom in o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-456402.html The bus actually arrived in Mui Ne although an hour late and we boarded it to head to Nha Trang although Mully wasn't allowed on untill he cleaned his feet with a bottle of water. This was our first experience of a sleeper bus which is exactly what it says on the tin. A bus with three row across the middle of it with a number of beds. We had been advised to get onto the back seats as there was http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-455770.html We were all set to slog out the 5 hour local bus to Hoi An but chickened out at the last minute. We took the 'easier' option of a 12 hour trip on a sleeperbus. The promise of children sleeping for 10 hours or so and missing the bulk of a bus journey was too tempting to pass up. Had to hang around in Nha Trang for the 7 pm departure. It was really hot so we headed down to the beach where it was http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/South-Central-Coast/Hoi-An/blog-455722.html The weather is exceptionally good today apparently this is more like Spring for them. At least the locals won't keep asking me if I'm cold in just a Tshirt today. This time of year is very cold to them cold at 14C I try to explain that I would not take the heat when it's hot like they can but the women still think I'm going to catch a cold.I walk throught the town along the river and notice http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/blog-455684.html I'm off to China after I finish this blog and I wanted to get a quick blog off in case travelblog.org is blocked by the great Chinese firewall dragon. I've been back in Sapa Vietnam now for about 9 days. The weather the first week was typical of this time of the year cold cloudy foggy drizzly ... The last two days though have been stellar clear and warm. One thing that amazes me is h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Northwest/Sapa/blog-455556.html I arrived back in Ho Chi Minh City after a four week visit in the UK. I had just started to get used to the flights I have done it a few times now but then they threw me a curve ball. Having got used to a selection of movies to watch on the interactive entertainment system well it stops me getting bored I then found myself on an old Air France 747 which only had a central screen. I knew there http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-455515.html Saturday 21 November 2009 Some friends visited Hanoi so we rented a taxi and traveled 40km to two villages in Thanh Oai commune. The first village we visited was the Vc village where the locals make bird cages and paper fans. We visited 3 houses and saw the locals drying fans in the sun or making bird cages of different shapes. The next village is more interesting. Our taxi went along the Nhu http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-455179.html We all really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and cool climate of Dalat. While we were loving getting around in tshirts in 20 degrees the locals were breaking out the winter gear including beanies mittens scarves and down jackets. Our hotel was appropriately named the 'Dreams' hotel and was pretty much the perfect hotel. Beautiful rooms spotlessly clean and with an owner who would quietly http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/South-Central-Coast/Nha-Trang/blog-455167.html Nov 17Last time I left you I was having a terrible experience in Saigon. That evening my husband Daniel booked a room at lavish Equatorial Hotel and arranged limo airport pickup for Cheri. She arrived at 1130 pm and we enjoyed catching up since it had been several years since seeing each other at my wedding.Nov 18Woke up early had a fantastic breakfast at the hotel and set out to do some sight http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Red-River-Delta/Hanoi/blog-455023.html