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Published: January 3rd 2007
Well we have done it all on this holiday. So far we have had 3 flights, 4 train journeys and untold amounts of car journeys but we are seeing this beautiful county from top to bottom!
Thank you to everyone for your comments and messages, its good to know that someone is reading it :-O and you also get an idea of what we are up to, we hope that you also get an idea of what a fantastic time we are having in Vietnam.
We had a great nights sleep in our mahoosive bed in Hue, Simon was asked to put some comments in the Managers Guest Book when we checked out, of course he wrote 'War & Peace' but they got the jist...... we loved it
Our driver and Guide picked us up and we started our drive down south, over the Hoi Van Pass and Marble Mountain. It was really misty going over the Hoi Van Pass and it was pretty hairy at times. We had a coffee break and were accosted by 'village people' wrapped up like it was -10c but it was still about 26c!! The views were not great due to the mist and we thought that we were going to have a bit of a disappointing drive, but, the mist soon cleared and by the time we arrived in Danang it was really warm and the sun was shining.
The Cham museum was great, even if absolutley everything in there was a different meaning for fertility, sex or other bodily parts. I still can't see how an alter looking peice of rock can represent a woman's fertility but who am I to argue, the Cham people have believed this since the 10th Century. Simon and Dung (remember to pronounce it Young!) giggled like school girls all the way around the museum!!!
After lunch (another fabulous restaurant) we headed for China Beach. Wow this place was amazing, it was a bit cloudy and overcast but still really warm and we were the only people on it, the beach just went on for miles and miles, beautiful white sand and crashing waves. I dipped my toes in the water and that was as far as my swim went!
Marble Mountain was the highlight of the day. From the ground it just looked like another Pagoda but when you started the humungous climb up you started to appreciate the magnificent views. There are some caves there that the Vietcong made into their field hospital. You would never guess that it was ever used as a hospital, the sun rays came in from the small opening at the top and it was spectacular. Sorry if I am sounding a bit 'gushy' about it all but it was great. We seem to have got some decent internet connection back so we are going to put a load of pictures up tomorrow. (The internet has been really intermittant since the earthquake last week in North Indonesia) It takes so long normally to put them up without the connection cutting out every 10 mins or so!
We arrived at The Ancient House Hotel in Hoi An yesterday afternoon and it was a lovely little town, really quaint, I could of spent another few days there at least. The shopping was to die for but I have absolutly no room left in my rucksack already so I can't buy another thing.........unless of course I start throwing my old bits away!!!! When I suggested to Simon that we took advantage of the Hotels free bicycles I was amazed when he said yes, so off we went, wobbling down the road in search of the town. We found it ok, found the Japanese covered bridge, the Tam Tam Cafe that had been recommended to us and a couple of other highlights we wanted to see. We headed back to the Hotel, I know that way I told Simon, are you sure he asked, 100%!I(MISSING) answered.......... of course we got a bit lost but my Happy Buddha (Dung's nickname for Simon!!) got us back eventually.
We thought it was safer to walk back into town for dinner!! It was the 14th night of the lunar month last night and all of the street lights were off and the cafe's, restaurants and shops all had lanterns hanging outside, it looked so nice, we have taken some pictures, hopefully they will come out well. We had the little town sussed and found The Cargo Club restuarant with ease (well it was opposite the Tam Tam!) We grabbed the last table outside and settled in for the night, we people watched for hours and munched a very nice dinner in between. We were just finishing off our last drinks when the Polish/Austrailian couple that we had met in Sapa (Emotion Cafe/Copius amounts of Hot Chololate/left 5 1/2hrs later!) walked past. They then joined us and we had more coffee together and another catch up before heading off for the hotel at gone midnight......this was a bad move, our alarm call was booked for 5am so that we could catch our flight to Saigon this morning :-O We did manage to get up but it was a stuggle. Danang Airport is so tiny it is unreal, it is just one room with 3 departure gates, a coffee stall, a snack bar and a gift shop, thats it! We were only there a short while before we boarded and off we went. It was a good flight and we landed early. The baggage came through in super quick time and off we went, about 45 mins ahead of my mental schedule. Our driver was waiting for us and we settled into the car..... well it was a great big Toyota Land Cruiser, very comfy indeed, so comfy in fact that as soon as we had mananged to get out of Saigon (4 miles and 1 hour later!) I curled up on Simons lap and slept for 3 of the 4 hours it took to get here!
The hotel, The Seahorse Resort is WOW..... bigger than WOW in fact. Our bungalow overlooks the pool and the sea and is lovely. I was quietly relieved when I walked in the bathroom and it was not an open air one as I expected. I did not realise how many Gekkos and creepy crawley they get here. It is perfect in every way. We have taken the plunge and hired a moped for the day tomorrow. We are going to get up before dawn and go up to the Sand Dunes and watch the sun come up. It is apparently amazing and we are really looking forward to it. If we manage to drag our butts out of bed out might get to see some pictures tomorrow afternoon. Simon has got some major picture updating to do! We have already been out for a little ride on the bike and its great. Don't panic Mum/Dad/Ann, its just the same as Bermuda....... and we have a fridge magnet to say that we survived that!!!!
Ok, I think that I have waffled on more than enough for now. Hope that you are all ok..... nearly forgot......
Bex, Shane and Oliviyah.... We are thinking of you and O today and fingers crossed for tomorrow, big kisses for O xxxx
Matty & Kate.... Congratulations on the birth of Owen, can't wait to see him when we get back
Mel.... I hope Cropi is ok now and you are still giving her lots of kisses, she will tell me when I get back you know!
Mum..... hope that Amber is behaving herself and NOT sleeping on the sofa!!!!
Dana & Darcy Simon has managed to have a real Bloody Mary, made with proper tomato juice, rather than a blended tomato!!!!! The Buddha is
VERY happy!!
thats it, we are off
Lots of love to you all
Nikola & Simon xxxxx
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Vanessa
non-member comment
Fantastic!!!!
Hi Simon and Hi Nikola, Happy New Year!!! You sound like your having such an amazing time, the photos are brilliant and its so lovely to read your adventures each day!!!! Have a great time at the Seahorse Resort I cannot wait to see the photos.... Lots of Love Vanessa xxxxx