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Published: March 21st 2009
The mothers have been and gone, as have 2 whole countries, since we last had time to update. This means there's an awful lot to catch up on - are you sitting comfortably!?
Our first full day in Ho Chi Minh City was Valentines day, so the two of us went for a suitably romantic stroll around some of the cities main sites; managing to squeeze in the Municipal Theatre, Ben Thamn Market and The Fine Arts Museum, plus long visits to the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum, before it was time to pick up visiting mum number one from the airport (once she'd finished scoping out the best duty free deals). For those who don't know, Carol is James' mum; she is youthful exuberance personified, but recently remarried - so hands off, guys! ;-) There was just time for a quick catch up over beers and cheap street food before bed.
Carol's first day in 'Nam consisted of lots more wandering around, with visits to Chinatown and an invigorating ride on the back of a motorbike to the Jade Emperor Pagoda being the highlights. We also found time to book a 2 day trip around the Mekong Delta, and departed on this tour early the next morning - February 16th - unarguably the most important day of the year, as this is when, 22 long years ago, James exited Carol: A beautiful moment! After a 3 hour bus ride, we arrived in My Tho, and the trips prominent nautical theme began with a longtail boat ride down the Mekong River. First stop was a honey bee farm, complete with complimentary nibbles and rather potent wine. More tasty samples were on offer at the nearby tropical fruit farm, where we also enjoyed some traditional singing, before jumping in a canoe and paddling to Ben Tre. Another rustic, local factory, this time producing delicious coconut candy, was next on the day’s itinerary. It was very interesting to watch the locals at work on the production line; extremely monotonous tasks, but performed with great speed and accuracy. This brought the day’s activities to a close, and we settled down in nearby Can Tho for the night.
Up bright and early on James's Birthday Boxing Day for more water-based adventures, commencing with a visit to the local floating market. These markets start stupendously early (around 3/4am) so things were starting to wind down by the time we arrived, but there was still enough activity to get a feel for the place, and plenty of opportunities for lovely, colourful photographs. Our Mekong Delta trip finished with one final local factory visit, this time producing rice paper. This may sound like local produce factory overload, but it really is fascinating to see the very basic conditions these people work in, and how certain products begin life before ending up on your plate. Tour complete and the group set off back to HCMC, except for the three of us who jumped in a minibus instead (that seemed to also be functioning as a Cockroach farm) and made for the South West Coast. 3 hours off this coast is Phu Quoc - which, at nearly 50km in length, is Vietnams biggest island (although controversially positioned much nearer to Cambodia), and famous for its production of black pepper and fish sauce - yum! We arrived on the island about midday on the 18th, and were nicely settled on the main beach by 1pm. Carol and Hannah were happy to spend the rest of the day (or possibly the year) locked in an impromptu sunbathing contest, but, as always, James got bored after melting for a few hours and went for a walk along the beach. Predictably this walk ended at a motorbike hire stand, and James gave in to the temptation. He left the girls worshiping their sun god, and set off to explore the main town. This turned out to be more like a busy city, and at rush hour, so James had to learn quickly how to read foreign road signs, navigate busy junctions, and all the other intricacies of proper road etiquette. There was just enough time to get lost once or twice, and suffer a badly burnt leg on the exhaust pipe, before finding the road home as the sun began to set. Finally reunited and in one piece at the hotel, the three of us (two with glowing shoulders and one with a toasted leg) went for a superb beachfront seafood feast, seated on little plastic chairs in the sand, and lit by erratic candlelight - it doesn't get much better!
An initially reluctant Carol found herself with a moped of her own the next morning and, with Hannah in expert hands on the back of James' machine, we began some serious island exploration. Some nearby natural springs were top off the list, which were pleasant enough to wander around for a while (although the big crocodile chewing on a flip flop was a little worrying - we didn't stick around to ask where the owner was!). A few more kilometres down the road and we arrived at a beautiful little beach, with squeaky white sand and crystal clear waters. This was where the day’s island exploration ended. Another afternoon was dedicated to sun, sea and sand, before we headed back to the hotel along a beautiful coastal road; just in time for another superb sunset, and more scrumptious seafood. Day three on the island, and we had the morning for more beach frolicking before catching the boat back the mainland. One more night at the coastal town, then we flew back to HCMC (very extravagant compared to our previous methods of transport) for a hurried afternoon of souvenir and gift shopping for Carol, before her flight back to sunny England - very sad to see her go after a fun-filled week that went far too quickly. There's still another 2 1/2 months to visit again, mum! ;-)
So, it was back to just the two of us.... but only for a couple of hours, before the arrival of our next two visitors - Hannah's mum, Maggie (obviously the primary source of Hannah's good looks, and most probably the subject matter in Rod Stewart's classic number), and her partner in crime, Jim (suave, sophisticated and chivalrous, like James Bond's silver-haired dad - they just don't make 'em like Jim anymore!).
Our first day as a foursome was spent stocking up on supplies, before boarding a 20 hour train up to Central Vietnam - a lovely introduction to the travels for Mags and Jim. We eventually arrived at our destination and, one short bus trip later, in Hoi An. A beautiful little town right in the middle of Vietnam's long coastline, Hoi An features some of the countries oldest buildings (amazingly not blown up by the yanks!) and is rightly famous for its tailoring. We found a decent hotel right on the riverbank, and spent the rest of the day wandering around the old town. An early night was needed for all after the long journey, and a nice lie-in the next morning. Except for James, who opted to awake at 4.30am for a sunrise tour of the nearby Champa era My Son temple complex instead. A thick mist surrounding the site prevented any sort of real sunrise effect, but did create a suitably eerie atmosphere, and James had a great time rambling around the ancient ruins and avoiding the numerous giant spiders. Back in town by 10am, and we were reunited as a four-piece for breakfast. Lack of sleep began to have an effect on James, and he spent the remainder of the day chilling out by the hotel, while the other 3 visited some more beautifully preserved buildings, a couple of museums, watched some extravagant traditional dancing, and indulged in more shopping.
We had a driver booked the next day to take us on a tour of the nearby Marble Mountains and China Beach before dropping us off in Danang. The day didn't get off to the best start, however, as he thought that 4 adults with 4 bags was overloading his car - a large estate! We made it clear that we weren't going to pay extra for a people carrier and, eventually the driver relented and set off.... very begrudgingly. First stop, Marble Mountains: 5 huge outcrops (actually predominantly limestone) just outside of Hoi an - slightly reminiscent of Phnom Sampeau in Battambang, but much more impressive. The main rock formation is littered with pagodas, temples, holy caves and giant Buddhas, and it’s a wonderfully colourful place to explore. After an hour and a half of enjoyable rambling, we returned to our car and grumpy driver... cue crisis number 2! We explained which part of 30km long China Beach we wanted to visit, but he refused to take us there because it wasn't where he wanted to go. We'd foolishly assumed that paying for a car and driver for the day meant we should be able to choose the destinations. The driver responded to this suggestion by locking all our luggage in the car and refusing to go anywhere. Much toing and froing followed, with the giant language barrier not doing much to help matters. Luckily, some local girls who could speak slightly better English stepped in to mediate, and he eventually agreed to take us where we wanted to go. We stopped at a lovely beachfront guesthouse for lunch and, on discovering they had rooms available, decided to get rid of the worst driver ever and spend the night there instead. With this burden lifted, the rest of the day was fantastic - more seaside frolics, a run along the beach at dusk, followed by a lovely communal meal, complimented by cheap beer and after dinner cigars.
First thing next morning we caught a taxi the final 10km to Danang, and jumped on the early train to Vietnam's old capital, Hue - a relatively short journey, but rightly renowned for its beautiful coastal scenery. On arrival in Hue, we found a lovely hotel (thoughtfully subsidised by Mags and Jim) and spent the rest of the day exploring the ancient citadel. Another great day, suitably finished with an extravagant meal showcasing Hue's delicious local cuisine (complete with pineapples carved as poultry!).
The two of us decided to repay M & J's kindness with some pedal-powered 'fun' on our one full day in town. Bicycles were hired, a picnic (of sorts) was packed, and we set off to explore some of the many royal tombs surrounding the city. These tombs are actually huge complexes, each containing numerous lakes, buildings and landscaped grounds, in addition to the emperor’s burial site. We only had time to visit three of these tombs, as the hilly terrain made cycling tougher than expected. The final tomb was 15km out of town, and M & J didn't fancy pedalling all the way back, so they chartered a vessel while us two raced them (and won!) back along the road. On return to Hue proper there was just enough time for a feed and a shower before the next overnight train to Hanoi. We were in the capital by 10am the next morning and, after the ubiquitous hotel scam attempt - 'No, not Sunflower Hotel, we said Sunshine Hotel. No, you are not the same thing' - we settled in at our chosen accommodation. The rest of the day was spent choosing the best option for a Halong Bay tour (from the countless possibilities available) and there was just time for a little late afternoon Old Quarter exploration. It was during this wandering that James literally bumped in to a good friend from university (Andrew Dawson, for those of you who know him) - quite an unbelievable chance meeting! After some bemused greetings, they arranged to meet up for a few drinks. A couple of hours later James headed out for a night on the town with the lads (for the first time in over 3 months!), while the others enjoyed a rather more civilised evening.
A little worse for wear the following morning, James had a much-needed recovery period watching the six nations on TV, while Hannah, Mags and Jim scoured the old quarter for more bargains, and visited the nearby Temple of Literature (dedicated to Confucius). With James back in the land of the living, we became a foursome again for lunch - devouring a delicious meal at a local restaurant offering employment opportunities to street children. The afternoon was spent in the immense Ho Chi Minh Museum (housed within the even more extravagant Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex). It’s difficult to comprehend just how widely revered HCM is within Vietnam, and it was very worthwhile to learn about his legacy at one of these numerous museums dedicated to his memory. An early night was then had by all, in preparation for our trips out of town the next day - Mags and Jim to an overnight stay in a nearby rural village and for us two a day trip to the Perfume Pagoda. We were on the road by 9am and, after a short bus ride and an hours row, we arrived at the base of the mountain that’s home to the various holy caves and temples known collectively as the Perfume Pagoda. The place was heaving with locals and over 6000 rowing boats! We later discovered that we'd inadvertently visited during one of Vietnam’s biggest Buddhist festivals, with tens of thousands of visitors daily. It was all a little overwhelming at first - jostling for position at shrines and ancient relics with pilgrims full of religious fervour - but also an incredible experience. Back on flat ground, into the boat, onto the bus, return to Hanoi, bed!
A little 'alone time' was had the next day, as the two of us had different ideas about what constitutes a good time - Hannah wanted to go shopping rather than look at Ho Chi Minh's embalmed corpse (weirdo!). So, Hannah spent the day sampling Hanoi's commercial offerings and James got 'cultural' - visiting the Temple of Literature, the Natural History Museum, the Revolution Museum, Hoa Loa Prison Museum (featuring the flight suit worn by John McCain when he was captured and imprisoned here during the Vietnam War), and Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. The latter attraction was the most interesting of the day: HCM died nearly 40 years ago and, in the same manner of other communist leaders like Lenin, Stalin and Mao, the Vietnamese had him embalmed and displayed (as you do). Every morning his Mausoleum is open and anyone can join the queue to enter and view his body - best of all, it’s free! To be honest, he doesn't look well; more like something from Madame Tussuads rather than a real human body. But, it was a fascinating experience, if a little odd, and James is very glad he visited (weirdo!). Mags and Jim were back in Hanoi by the evening, and the four of us went to the very popular water puppet theatre (like normal puppetry, but in water!). We somehow managed to wangle front row seats, and thoroughly enjoyed the show.
The following morning began our much anticipated trip to Halong Bay. Mags and Jim had kindly paid a little extra for us to go in a small group, and it was well worth it - only us and 4 Americans on the tour. We were in Halong City port, and on our very nice traditional wooden Junk in time for lunch; an extremely extravagant affair with countless courses of sumptuous seafood. Fully sated we lounged on the deck and marvelled at the astonishing scenery this wonderful place has to offer. The weather was very misty, but this just ended up created an ethereal air, and added even more to the experience. Similar to other stand-out places from our trip so far - the trek in Nepal and the Angkor Temples to name a couple - it is impossible to do Halong Bay justice with words alone, we'll just have to rely on our next photo blog to do the talking. Suffice to say, it was truly breathtaking. After floating in this other world for a couple of hours, we stopped to explore three immense caves; beautifully lit and brilliant fun. There was just time for some kayaking and swimming in this incredible setting, before we dropped anchor in the middle of the bay, and settled down for the night.
A brisk trek to a hilltop viewpoint started the next day (good exercise, but the thick mist prevented us from really 'viewing' anything), then we were back on deck and heading to shore - ending, without a doubt, one of the highlights from the last 4 months. Returning to Hanoi, we headed to a lovely restaurant for our final meal as a foursome - Maggie and Jim flew back home early the next morning. It was truly a pleasure to have their company during our last 2 weeks in Vietnam, and we wouldn't have been able to experience some of the once in a lifetime moments if it wasn't for their huge generosity - thanks for coming guys!
The two of us also left Hanoi later that day, with the prospect of a 23 hour bus journey to Laos' capital, Vientiane, to look forward to. We'd heard bad stories about this notorious trip, and the appalling treatment of the passengers (especially Westerners), but nothing could have prepared us for the reality. First off, the driver forced all the white people to sit at the back of the currently empty bus; when a couple of young girls refused to sit on the back seat because of motion sickness, he became overly aggressive and threw their bags off the bus - not a good start, and things only got worse. One local woman was seated with the segregated whites at the rear of the bus (like a paradoxical Rosa Parks incident!) and it quickly became clear why - she proceeded to vomit, retch and flem for the entire journey - nice! Terrible music, played at ridiculous volume was another unpleasant constant and, at 1am, more bemused Westerners were shepherded onboard and made to sit in the aisle (they’d actually forked out for luxury sleeper beds!). We were all kicked awake early the next morning and abruptly told 'Stamp!', translation - 'Good morning, we've arrived at the border'. After being ripped off by the border guards we returned to the bus from hell, only to find all the food we'd bought had been eaten in our absence. Now, furious, James threw what little food was left at the drivers and invited them to finish their breakfast. The remaining 7 hours of the journey went by comparatively eventless, but the whole affair was really unacceptable and left everyone onboard with a more negative attitude towards travelling in Vietnam as a whole. A real shame. We were hugely grateful to arrive in Vientiane, and have never exited a vehicle so quickly.
There are still 2 weeks of adventures to catch up on before we're up to date, but, as usual (and despite Hannah's warnings) James has been rambling. We've just realised how long this blog is already, so, to avoid reaching novel length, we're going to bring it to a close early. Hopefully, we'll have time to bring things up to date over the next couple of days, and then we'll be back on track - keep checking your emails! xxx
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Carol Ross
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Long awaited chapter!!
At last another episode in the trek, loved it. Shame about the bus journey, not a good experience. xx