Blogs from North Central Coast, Vietnam, Asia - page 99

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Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué July 13th 2005

Hey All, Let's wish me better luck with this today than last night when I spent the better part of an hour typing only to have the save not save. Lordy! As we wait to catch a bus to Hoi An, let me get you caught up on the last few days. On Sunday, back in Ninh Binh, we went to Cuc Phuong to see the Endangered Primate Rescue Center. Filled with langurs specific to Vietnam and gibbons rescued from the animal markets, they are kept in cages (suspiciously like a zoo) while they are nursed back to health. Afterwards, they are released into the surrounding area then separated from their caged breatheren by an electric fence. (What?) You take a 20 minute tour with a guide, make you donation, snap some photos and are on ... read more
Gibbons
Lunchtime
Incense

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué June 24th 2005

Before climbing into the airport shuttle I got talkin' to a friendly German (Claus) and his sweet YOUNG Saigon girl, Mai....(Yes, he's far greater in years and ....greater in economic status...such are the pairings of the world....tis a theme....the emperor can have many wives.....)We were due to depart (via Vietnam airways) the oppresive Hanoi sun bound for yet more oppressive heat in Hue. I'm feeling feint and dizzy and am told its just the local coffee.... Hue, located in central Vietnam, is the famous former (imperial) capital of Vietnamm. A taxi ride later (with an English couple (Gavin and Helen)) and after checkin' in to the immaculate and sun drenched Binh Duong II guesthouse (10$), I'm headin' over Phu Xuan bridge downtown to the citadel and to see the forbidden purple city. Yes, they have a ... read more
Bridge
Thien Mu pagoda
Angels

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué June 16th 2005

I have just had the best few days of my trip thus far. Am convinced that the only way to see this country is from the back of a motorbike. A real motorbike. Last time I wrote, I was about to leave Hoi An with a backpack full of new digs. I ditched my tourist bus ticket and Dale and Katherine, the Aussie couple, picked me up from my hotel. They hired a couple local fellows to drive us up the coast to Hue in a car! When you're on a bus, you really only get to see the highway. It was so nice to be able to stop when we felt like a drink or wanted to take a photo. Or to use the bathroom. There are no bathrooms on those dang busses. We stopped ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué May 29th 2005

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Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué May 26th 2005

Well I've discovered that the majority of internet places here in Vietnam are useless. The few times I could manage to log in to the blog I could never get to the page to make a post. But we've found a good connection here in Hue, so I have a bunch to update on. Alright, first off is Nha Trang. Nha Trang is a beach city. It's a municiple beach and it's very busy at night. Well, at least the one night we actually went to the beach, for five minutes while we walked back to our hotel. The first full day we spent in Nha Trang we went on a boat tour that cost us an additional $2 when we bought our Open Bus ticket. It was definitly a wise purchase. The boat brought us ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué February 22nd 2005

now it continues to unfold. my family lineage. the tomb of my ancestors. my mother's mother's family temple. these are my roots! we arrived in hue and checked in for a solid night's sleep. the next morning we would hired a car to visit my great grandfather's uncle's tomb. i had no idea what was in store. i just knew we were to leave at 7am. yikes. the next morning 7am, bright and early, aunt huong, uncle vinh, + mom were ready to go. remember they are in their 60's! i guess they wake up early at that age right? dressed and ready to go. we drove into the country. the rice fields were spotted with tombstones made of 10 feet wide sandstone lotus flowers with a hump of grass inside each of them. that was ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué February 22nd 2005

(part two, feb 22nd) so after seeing my mother's mother's family temple we had a few hours to explore hue. yes i know..only a few? no perfume river boat ride? totally american style...rush in take pictures, rush out. we had a train at 4.45p to catch out of hue to hanoi. the original option was a 22 hour bus ride! no way in he--! i was heading for a plane but realized that i should stay with mom...and besides....this train ride had a sleeping car...only 12 hours...but all sleeping. i stayed. it all worked out. but not before we raced to the citadel. got dressed in costumes that you can rent from them....my uncle was the emporer, aunt the queen, my mom + i were princesses ofcourse. i'll share those pictures another time. then off to ... read more
Khai Dinh Mausoleum
Citadel

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué February 1st 2005

Hello everyone! Sorry to bombard you with emails but following our visit to A'Loui, home of Fueng, our sponsored child, we just had to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard if you will.. We were picked up in Hue at 8 by World Vision, a driver and Huang, the female interpreter and Social Development Leader. The drive was 5 hours until a year ago when completion of 2 bridges reduced it to 2 (thank goodness - done enough 'bums on seats' already). A'Loui is a town based in the foothills of the Loas/Vietnam boarder, site of the infamous Hamburger Hill massacer of the VN war. This area is striclty off limits to any foreigners unless accompanied by an international organisation such as W.V. Consequently we were only the 6th and 7th westerners (and only ... read more
The School
Lunch
Local kids

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué January 22nd 2005

Hello All (Ken writing) Despite the fact that we bought almost all of Chiang Mai and so had heavy luggage, we arrived in Vietnam last night into Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Stayed the night and then got up at 5:30 AM for a short flight to the city of Hue further up the coast. Last night's supper made for some comical video taping of our desserts (which included lychees, some form of taro/potato, vietnamese fruit, etc.) Very interesting. No matter how little we took from the buffet the lady always piled on more. We have found a nice guesthouse here in Hue and rented some bikes (very high-end - almost like my mom's old Glider - but no back pedal brakes). We proceeded to conquer the crazy traffic of Hue where lanes are a suggestion ... read more

Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế January 14th 2005

Just before New Year we took the bus from Hoi An to Hue (still in Central Vietnam), from where we would be able to make our assault on Laos. The bus takes us first to Marble Mountain, it's raining and we haven't had any breakfast so rather than go and look around the wonderful hand-carved marble sculptures on display we headed straight for the coffee and baquettes! The Sculptors work at the foot of the mountain where great slabs of marble lie around. The rest of the journey is through thickly-forested mountain passes, the cloud drifts like smoke from Red Indian fires. At the valley floor we arrive at Lang Co, surrounded by a mystical lagoon dotted with oyster nets and small boats. We stop for lunch at a roadside cafe and the driver says we ... read more
Sculptors at Marble Mountain
Sculptures at Marble Mountain
Lang Co lagoon




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