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Published: April 8th 2018
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So last time I wrote was from Hoi An and since then it has been a real changing landscape. It’s Sunday 8th April and my 26 day Intrepid basic trip is over and I am checked into my upmarket hotel.
It’s my first real experience of group travel and it has advantages and disadvantages but overall it has been a different but fun trip. I have met some lovely fellow travellers and have not had to worry about getting from A to B. A couple of places wouldn’t have been on my itinerary and I would have stayed longer in a couple but it definitely gave a flavour of both countries.
Saturday 31st March in Hoi An went out with Tham on a bike ride through the paddy fields. It was good to get away from the traffic and see some of the countryside. We stopped off to visit an old couple of 95 and 89 who had been together over 70 years. They have been photographed loads as she has an amazing smile and as they are such an engaging pair. There was loads of organIc vegetables growing out the back. It’s impossible to
get much in the way of cereal fibre out here as everything is white and polished, partly because the outside coat of the rice might be contaminated with pesticides.
Afterwards I had a wander and shop with Chloe and a lovely iced Vietnamese coffee. I bought lotus flower jewellery to remind me of Vietnam and Cambodia. I booked a cookery course and spent a fabulous 2 hours with a really good teacher and we all ate together at the end. Marion and I from our group and a young Australian couple Josh and Emily.We made a gorgeous meal of spring rolls, papaya salad and fish wrapped in banana leaves. We has a glass of Pinot Noir to wash it down and it was a lovely relaxing evening.
The next morning we headed in the bus to Hue continuing our travels north.Tham took us to a very local place for two local specialities . The first was a small dish with rice paste topped with minced pork, the second was a type of kebab but on a lemongrass skewer which you then put into a rice wrap.
That evening I shared a fixed menu
with 3 others and there were 9 dishes which were tasty but a bit too much. Next morning we did a really good coach trip to visit a tomb and then the magnificent Citadel which, sadly, was bombed in the Vietnamese war.
Our third train was Hue to Hanoi, twelve hours from 5pm till 5 am. Luckily it was one of the more modern ones in the fleet and also very clean. I slept okay but not convinced three trains were the best way to travel. Hanoi was something else, so much noise, so much traffic and much dirtier than the other places in Vietnam. It wasn’t helped by the fact that we arrived at the hotel about 6am and only had shared rooms till 2pm. Headed for the lake for breakfast and walked around watching the Vietnamese doing their early morning exercise Tai Chi, stretching, walking, running and dancing rock and roll……..all at 6.30 am. We did a walking tour of the old town and it was mayhem. Then walked to the Women’s Museum but too tired so headed back and checked in early and snoozed.The hotel in Hanoi was not brilliant so cancelled my booking
for the end of the trip and booked a treat.
Set off early next morning on what for me was the highlight of the whole trip. We drove four hours to Da Bac, out in the fabulous countryside west of Hanoi. We had a home cooked lunch in the village and then hiked 8k to a reservoir where a boat was waiting to take us to the village of Da Bia. We stayed overnight in the village and had fabulous freshly prepared food, local women dancing, a trip to the local nursery and stunning views. We all slept in one big room with mattresses on the floor and I loved it. I could have stayed longer. After lunch we took another boat about 2 hours across the reservoir and down the Da river before our bus took us back to Hanoi.
Overnight in Hanoi was a real contrast with the homestay but our next adventure was the UNESCO site Halong Bay. Swimming, sailing on a junk and an overnight stay were on the itinerary. However after near perfect weather for the whole trip it poured with rain and was blowing a hooley. Trip cancelled! When Tham suggested we all go back to Hanoi there was a collective groan. In the end we saw the bay, stayed the night in a hotel, ate very local food and did a 4 hour trip the next day. Serendipity . Back to Hanoi for the final night and we had a delicious meal together and said our farewells.
So tomorrow I am off to Chiang Mai, staying in one place for eight days but that is for next time.
Take care
Norma xx
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