24-25 February Saigon to Hoi An

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After saying goodbye to Kevin, the blind albino Irishman, Gina and I head for a stroll to Saigon's Fine Arts Museum. On the way we stop at a kerbside cafe for coffee. No matter how small or how grand the setting, you are always guarranteed a good cup of coffee in Saigon. Whether its straight black or with a shot of condensed milk or over ice when heat of the day is about, the coffee is good, strong and caramelly. The Viet serve their coffee in a small tin pot that sits on top of the cup or glass you will actually drink the coffee from, with the pot acting as a percolator for the coffee.

The Fine Arts Museum was a disappointment. Two buildings holding a very sad collection of works, most of it drab depictions of war. To call it a Fine Arts Museum shows that they have a total disregard for things that we in west would hold in fairly high regard. Typical example is the paint splatter from a recent refurb on one of the sculptures on display.

After the museum we head toward the newly opened Bitexco tower. Its a 50 floor structure that towers over the Saigon skyline and obviously a bold symbol to show how far the saigonese have come. With entry fee for the ride up to the viewing platform on the 49th floor set at USD$10, I'm not sure how many of seven and a half million saigonese would be able to afford the view.

Before going up take a meal at one of the oldest cafe restaurants in Saigon, the Nhu Lan. It's located across the road from the base of the Bitexco tower. Like a lot of the good eateries in Saigon, the food is prepared within view of where you are sitting on something like a barbeque or a charcoal griller and not away in some dingy grotty kitchen. The meal was simple and very tasty. The Nhu Lan also has a long heritage going back to the colonial french days and still showcases a takeaway deli with smelly french cheeses and pastiserrie items.

After the meal we head across the road for the view of the Saigon skyline. Its a clear day and the view from up there is amazing. What's impressive about the recent growth in Saigon is that high rise development appears to be going on not just in the affluent centre (District 1) but also in patches in all directions. The newly opened tunnel under the Saigon River is also in view.

Afterwards we head back to our guesthouse to meet up with Alex and Ellen. Ellen has been taking Alex for a quick tour of District 1. He's almost speechless trying to take it all in. But he'll have time to contemplate because in the evening Alex and Ellen will take the night train from Saigon to Da Nang. Not sure of the distance exactly but must be something like 800 kms. The train - the Reunification Express - departs at 7pm and arrives at Da Nang station at 12 noon the next day. On the other hand Gina and I have decided to fly. It will take us about 75 minute for the same trip at an equivalent price, about $50. Doesnt really make sense but the train is still a very important part of travel for the Viet. Gina says that its because there is still a widely held fear of flying amongst the Viet - I share that with them.

After Alex and Ellen have refreshed and packed and have said big goodbyes to the guesthouse owner Mrs Long, we escort them out to the railway station. They have chosen the best way to travel in a train going that sort of distance - soft sleeper - and will be sharing the cabin with a couple of youngish Viet girls. The cabins appear to have gone through a refurb since we last took a train and the beds look pretty comfortable. Still the same shabby carriages on the outside that ply the 1750 kms between Hanoi and Saigon. We say our goodbyes knowing they'll have a good time. Our flight arrives in Da Nang at about 11am so Gina and I agree to pick the kids up at Da Nang railway station for the transfer out to Hoi An.

Arriving back in District 1 in the backpacker area and we bump into our old friend Julie Jarman not more than about 100m from the Long Guesthouse. Julie's just arrived back from doing a Mekong delta tour and looks quite the veteran traveller. Tomorrow she is off to Dalat to do motorbike tour of the central highlands with the Easy Rider group. So we head to our favorite kerbside restaurant and talk about travels. Loc joins us and orders an exotic banquet featuring seafood and mushrooms steamed and served in a large bamboo container, scallops on shell, sauteed shallot flowers, twice fried posrk in 5 spice and lastly a rather special hotpot. The hotpot looks and tastes vaguely medicinal with bits of herbs and bark and a grissly meat. Whilst chewing on the grissle Loc asks if my phone is ringing. I say now but he insists that it is. Begrudgingly I check the phone to find that Loc has texted me to say that we are eating bulls penis hotpot. I burst out laughing and eventually share the joke with Gina and Julie.

The next morning we breakfast with Julie before she takes off to Dalat. Her thinking is to make her way north to Hanoi and then across to Laos and then Cambodia. We talk her into maybe coming back to Hue and then crossing over to Laos as the northern crossings are pretty wild - Sam did that last year and it was sheer luck that he made his way across to Vientiane the Lao capital.

After a slow breakfast we pack and fly to Danang and pick Alex and Ellen up at the Danang railway station. Their trip has been long but very enjoyable. Our trip has been short and equally enjoyable! We head to Hoi An for a short visit before making our further north to the Phong-Nha Kebang National Park.

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Photos

View from Bitexco Tower
Saigon from the top of the Bitexco Tower - Ben Tanh market in the centre of the photo

Reunification Express
Elle and Alex about to board the overnight train to Danang