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Published: October 25th 2012
This was written when I was offline - so it is not in sequence.
The parting of the ways last night was a bit sad - we had enjoyed our team of seven as a happy little group with no ructions or disagreements. That is a mark of the Kapiti Wanderers.
So looking back - what were the highlights?
Angkor Wat and Siem Reap were fantastic - the temples are just so amazing and the history and sophistication of such ancient peoples are simply fascinating. I think we were all pleased that we added this to our itinerary - and not just for the fantastic hotel!!
It was in Siem Reap too where we learned lessons about self-help and recovery from the hideous damage caused by the Khymer Rouge years. These cheerful people are actively working their way back to prosperity, supported by charities, other nations (e.g. France, Switzerland), de-militarising forces e.g NZ's mine destroying mission and themselves.
Restaurants have sprung up staffed by trainee young people picked off the streets and sponsored by major corporates, even. Our guide had an orphanage and his earnings went towards keeping these children not just fed, but educated and
Gobsmacked by the inroads made by the jungle
Pouring rain made this even more mysterious and amazingset up for a future with a bike. Magic. We heard similar stories throughout Vietnam, but none as moving as this.
Mui Ne, the resort near (or so we were told) some six hours drive from Sai Gon was lovely for a blob out - but I could have given that a miss. But the others liked it. That long uncomfortable trip in a van was SO bad, especially when we found out there was an airport there!! There was also a golf course, but it is far too hot to consider, even if we had carts (I'm hanging out for the golf emporium multi floor department store in Singers...)
Sai Gon was a big, ugly busy city with lovely restaurants and unreal traffic - this was so bad that volunteers man pedestrian crossings in green uniforms to help the tourists across the road!! The old hotel Majestic was grand - very similar to the Intercontinental in Budapest some years ago.
The Mekong delta day was well worth while, even with the long van drive (bigger van and different driver). We saw more floating and stilt houses, like we saw in Cambodia, and enjoyed watching families
working together to make a living - and the coconut toffees were a real treat.
Hoi An is all that we are told. A very pretty, old, UNESCO protected town and another lovely resort hotel with swimming pool and very cheap laundry. I had some clothes made which turned out really well. A trip up the river to view pottery and carpentry villages was fun, again being with families who wanted to share their lives and earn a few dollars from tourists. All cheerful and seemingly optimistic. Seeing the high tide marks left by last year's floods at rooftop level was pretty sobering.
Hoi An was also a town of wonderful and historical sights like the Japanese bridge and ancient houses, shops full of pearls, fake bags and touristy clothing all with eager hawkers calling out madam madam, to catch our attention. Which they did!!
Hue's citadel, the home, temples, throne room, secret women's forbidden areas and lovely lawns and gardens is being slowly and lovingly restored to its former glory after the damage in the American War and looting of timber and tiles by a desperate populace after the civil war. Again, the international brigade has
Kapiti Wanderers in final city - Hanoi
Outside Uncle Ho's mausoleum in Hanoi - but he was in Russia having a rebore or recharge of what-ever it is that embalms him pitched in.
We loved this visit but not the cyclo drivers who turned down their tips as not being enough - and were a bit threatening. Also in Hue we took a boat trip to one of the most important pagodas in the region. The guide, a random choice, was magnificent and we had an enjoyable and educational afternoon on the river - as always in our own boat, with rickety chairs, and very little sign of safety equipment. This boat was home to a family as well as being a tourist business. Many boats were waiting for punters, but there did not seem to be a lot of tourists.
The train trip to Hue from Hanoi/Da Nang was not a highlight, despite being promoted as such.
Hanoi was busy and much cleaner than Sai Gon - but still insane in the traffic department. Here we had another great guide who took us to the Museum of Literature which was a magnificent compound with temples, accommodation, obelisks, walled gardens and promenades. Again the sophistication and civilization of people long before Henry VIII established his universities was impressive.
On the more prosaic side, I had workable spectacles
Crowded - everywhere
Ferry near Hoi An - one of several like this made in three days - very cool
Halong Bay was as beautiful and amazing as we expected. Monkeys, caves, hundreds of weird shaped islands, a luxurious boat with every mod con and treat that we could possibly desire came along with interesting history such as how the caves were used as hospitals during the war.
Value for money - oh yes.
We stayed in top class hotels which were, without exception, really nice - and apart from Hanoi and Sai Gon all had pools. Us big kiwis would have appreciated larger vans in the south, a lack of leg room had knees seizing up! Breakfasts (provided) were also excellent, with a nice mix of European offerings, fruit and local foods, like pho and fried noodles.
Our dollar goes a long way, so shopping was great - lots of pearls coming home, along with knock off bags, summer clothes and some crafts.
Food too was amazingly cheap and simply divine - we (i.e. Davie and me) could eat SE Asian food very regularly, and it is nowhere near as fatty, coconutty, and turgid as some of the Thai offerings we have at home. Everything is fresh
and clean on the palate - super.
Were there any downsides? Yes - getting to places takes a long time - but hey, it always has, we are just getting more and more demanding about instant gratification I suspect.
Also too, Vietnam is a long long land, and roads are largely poor, and clogged with the ever present Hondas and pushbikes with their alarming loads. The most alarming was a live, trussed buffalo on the back of a Honda.
Animal welfare leaves a lot to be desired - we saw a huge snake coiled into a small cage, and similarly, a whacking great fish on display without the room to even turn around in his tank, puppies piled on top of each other going to market and chickens, ducks and geese all trussed up and jammed onto bikes. Not nice at all.
Dave and I could have managed easily without Mui Ne as we are not really resort people, and we would have happily exchanged a day in Hanoi for an extra day on the Halong Bay boat.
None of us got sick - of course we were careful, but that was an added bonus.
However, the quality of our accommodation and the classy restaurants we frequented (at such reasonable prices) let us be confident about raw salads and ice - something we would not normally do.
And, a jolly bonus - for once we have some exciting coloured stickers and stamps in our passports - they have been pretty dreary affairs over the past few years despite our exotic destinations!
And best of all? Having good friends who are great travelling companions to enjoy the journey with us. Thanks guys - we'll miss you on the Malaysian leg.
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