Advertisement
Published: August 7th 2007
Edit Blog Post
At the onsen japan
in our yakuta- well smart! Japan
Our last day in Japan was spent in Odaiba the waterfront area on Tokyo. We went to a Japanese traditional Onsen - hot baths. When we arrived we had to removed our shoes and change into Yakuta with just underwear beneath- I felt like a complete idiot but everyone else had them on so it wasnt so bad.The onsen was full of Japanese which made it even more authentic. First we ventured into the outdoor warm foot baths where it was unisex which was lovely really relaxing. I was just psyching myself up for going in the indoor proper baths! Next we had to go our seperate ways to the segregated baths- which I wasnt happy about as we both had to go naked!arrgh The first few minutes were horrid but after 10minutes or so you start to forget you are in a room full of naked people. First you have to clean yourself thoroughly before going into the various kinds of baths there were massage baths, royal baths, bubbling baths, a tub bath and outdoor rock baths, it was really good. We both felt so relaxed when we came out, they could do with one in Manchester!
mekong delta
Just stay calm... not like it can squeeze you to death Ho Chi Minh
We arrived at the airport stunned at the chaos ensuing in the street. The roads are like wacky races 100s of motorbikes weaving in between each other beeping their horns all the time, ignoring the traffic signals. We managed to get a cheap taxi and off we trotted to the hostel we had several very near misses with the bikes then just as we slowed down at a junction whack- a girl on a motorbike smashed into the back of the taxi!no one was hurt luckily.The driver wasnt best pleased, had a slanging match with the girl then continued.
Ho chi minh is unbelivably busy you get lots of hassle from people when you walk down the street, people selling books, cigarettes, lighters, dried squid- alsorts! then the men trying to get you in their cyclos, or on motorbikes. There is even a little girl of about 6years selling cigarettes from a wooden box walking around! Its awful some of the kids you see around they are so poor!
We have had a good look around Ho chi minh, the jade pagoda, several temples, markets and the reunification palace.The most interesting was the war remnants
museum where they had all sorts of US airforce planes, helicopters, tanks and even a seismic bomb! Inside there is an exhibition with photographs and stories from the war which was very harrowing. Evil things go on in war, I even imagine how it must be. We got taken around the city by a guy called Ho in his lilac cyclo- a bike with a huge basket on the front. He cycled round with us both in the front for 3 hours, we has agreed a price then at the end he changed his story and said we were to pay in dong not dollars which made the ride much more expensive- we were well and truly conned, wont be letting that happen again!The man was nackered by the end of it but it serves him right.
We also went to the chu chi tunnels north of Saigon where the people dug tunnels to live in during the vietnam war, the tunnels were tiny I could have got in them but Jon had no chance!60cm by 90cm thats all. The men over here are all tiny though compared to Jon.They had made the tunnels wider so that we could
ho chi minh
Jade pagoda crawl in them and even after a few minutes I was getting panicky, They must have been absolutely desperate to resort to living in the tunnels. We also went to a beautiful Cao Dai cathedral and watched a service there- there were lots of tourists there which spoilt it a bit.
Mekong delta
We have just arrived back from a trip along the mekong delta. Where we spent most of the time in boats along tributaries of the mekong river. Its a very beautiful country .They have lots of houses on stilts along the river and people rowing past you in their tiny boats . We went to a floating market in Cai Rang which was bizarre, people coming up to the boats selling all sorts of fruit and veg. We also went to a coconut candy factory, rice noodle factory and an incense factory- they do most things by hand, no fancy machinery here!We also has a taster of the tropical fruits pineapple, check fruit, darian,lychees and mangoes and they are just the ones I can remember! We had some banana wine and Jon tried some snake wine, The though of it makes me wretch.It stunk!! He
mekong delta
Incense sticks drying then had a python around his neck- he didnt get any choice in the matter as the guy just came and wrapped it around him, his face was really funny!!
The town market on the shore was interesting too, they sell allsorts pigs heads,tongue and ears.Frogs, eels, ducks heads, intestines of some sort- there was no refrigeration at all its a wonder anyone survives after eating stuff that has been out in the hot all day!
We also went to the border with Cambodia to Chau doc up a mountain called Sams mountain, which was rather small for a mountain- well compared to my fuji anyway!Near the top there was a buddhist temple with a female buddha!! There was also a random cave in the back with a huge plastic snake in it, they have some weird and wonderful things in the temples.Next stop Bangkok
Advertisement
Tot: 0.193s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 11; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0459s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Jenny
non-member comment
That's a very fetching outfit you have on there Jon......