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Published: September 11th 2006
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My eyes still bloodshot and cheeks stinging, I absently amble through the crowds of chattering travelers and weave my way to the bus. Nina has just passed through to the departure lounge at Hanoi international airport and will be making her long journey back to the UK. Our joint adventure is over and it will be another three and a half months before I see her again. My mind races, am I right to carry on traveling, will I be lonely, should I go home now! Only time will tell if I have made the right choice, but for one thing it is the beginning of a new chapter of travel and new adventures await....
Vietnam - oh wonderful, friendly, happy, manic Vietnam, you have truly showed us your wonders over the last few weeks. You have given us a real treat and there is still so much left to explore. I will remember you always with very fond memories.
It all started over three weeks ago. Tired from our trip from Cambodia we arrived in Saigon. A mad town - fun, full of life and full of lunatics on scooters. Crossing the road is an interesting experience; the
only way you can get across is to trust in the person on the bike steering around you as you walk Wylie Coyote style into the oncoming traffic. All the rules of the UK go out of the window and the only way you can understand Saigon and Vietnam for that matter, is to throw away all your prior knowledge.
Saigon is vast and with a population of over eight million there are people everywhere. It is hard to see a lot in a few days, but we tried our best wondering around the town and taking in the War Crimes museum, Reunification Palace, numerous markets and many other sights. We managed to head south into the Mekong Delta, where we floated through densely forested islands and out into the great brown mass of water that is the Mekong River.
We bought an open bus ticket in Saigon that would take us all the way to Hanoi with a number of stops. Our fist was the hill station of Dalat. Rain soaked mountains and locals wrapped in scarfs and hats greeted us. The climate was just like that of the UK. We wrapped up in jumpers and jackets,
jumped on a hired scooter and had a look around. The highlight of Dalat was the Liang Biang mountain range, where we spent a day hiking through fur trees and sucking in wonderfully fresh air. As we reached the bottom the heavens opened and we would have been soaked if we were five minutes later. In the town of Dalat we also visited the Crazy House, a cross between a Dali painting and something out of the lord of the rings. Very impressive.
After a few days it was on to the coastal town of Nha Trang, with it's UNESCO world heritage site marine park. We spent the days diving in warm clear water, relaxing in a hot spa and wallowing in mineral mud. Excellent..!
Our next stop was Hoi An - an old town with narrow busy streets and more tailors than people... We were a bit disappointed with the town, but came away with a few tailor made suits, dresses and shirts for next to nothing...
Our next stop was Hue, the capital of Vietnam up until 1945 and a beautiful old town centred around an ancient citadel. It is also the gateway to Dong
Ha and the DMZ, the area separating North and South Vietnam during the American war. We explored the citadel and took a bus up into the DMZ, squeezing into the Vinh Moc tunnels, taking in a number of old American bases and surveying the Agent Orange damage to the beautiful mountain sides.
Hue was our final stop before a fourteen hour overnight bus journey to Hanoi. Not the most comfortable journey. Hanoi is another great town, there is strong French influence and you can almost believe you are in Paris, when sipping great coffee and eating pastries in quiet leafy street cafes.
We spent a lot of time walking around Hanoi, soaking up the atmosphere and taking in the sites such as the old cathedral and traditional water puppet shows. Mainly it was a chance to relax after the long journey from the south.
We took a three day trip to near by Halong Bay, another world heritage site and one of the most beautiful places we have visited in Vietnam. Limestone hills rise out of the water like the back of a giant sea monster as the clear blue sea glistens in the hot sun. We
spent the first day on a boat and visited a large cave and some prime swimming spots. We the moored up in a spot where we had a fantastic view of the setting sun, being treated to an incredible light show as the sky turned from bright blue to yellow and finally a deep purple. A spectacular sun set. After spending the night on the boat we cruised to the Catbar island, trekked in the National park and Kayaked between some islands. That evening we had a few beers with some new friends.
It was then back to Hanoi for a few days before Nina flew home. I was hoping to leave for Laos on the same day as Nina, but my visa for Myanmar was not ready in time, which meant that I had to spend the weekend in Hanoi. This gave me the opportunity to see some of the sights we had missed and also take a trip to Ninh Binh, a beautiful hilly area to the south. I have also met a few Vietnamese and Dutch friends over the last few days and had a couple of nice evenings chatting over a few beers. I think
that traveling on my own will allow me to meet a lot more interesting folk.
Later today I get on a bus that should see me arrive in Vientien after 22 hours. Lets hope I get some leg room.
This feels like the end of a chapter - I'm beginning the penultimate chapter and nearing the end of this traveling book. Still having a great time and looking forward to seeing all in three and a bit months.
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harbz
non-member comment
your never alone.
I cant wait to hear all your stories in person "uncle traveling mok" Im sure your next chapter of travel will be just as entertaining to read. Remember, knowing that your traveling helps me get through my 9 to 5 mundane boring excuse for a job! Laters potatoes! chris.