Vietnam

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Apologies for taking so long to get this one posted, iv been a bit lazy the past couple of weeks.

After a delay ridden crossing of the Vietnamese border and finally arriving in Ho Chi Minh, the 5 of us were eager to make the most of the 24 hours we had before we caught the night train to Nha Trang the following evening. We found a cheap hotel for the night, went for an Indian and passed out on our beds. The plan for the following day was to go and visit the tunnels at Cu Chi where the Vietcong operated during the Vietnam war, but getting to the train station to buy tickets for that evening took waaaay longer than we anticipated and we ended up not having time do go. It was a bit of a shame as at the site you can shoot an AK-47 for $1 a bullet, and apparently shoot a bazuka at a live cow for a mere $300. This provided the trigger for a lengthy ehtics debate between us.... Would it be the same as giving it a lethal injection?.... Would it matter if the cow was ill?.... Would u feel u would have to eat the shredded remains to make it an ethical killing and not just mindless brutality?.... Our final collective response...."Sod it, i would blast the damn thing regardless!"

So, instead we found an internet cafe to book a couple of flights for leaving the country and also for flying out of Thailand before Xmas. I ended up sitting for a while giving relationship advice to the lady behind the desk. It was very strange. She was showing me emails some Australian guy had sent her asking her to come and stay with him and asking me what i thought she should do. I felt like Trisha. James was nearly cracking up overhearing the odd exchange of words.
After this we went looking for a post office so i could send my photos home, but apparently u cant send cds from the country incase ur spying or something ridiculous. The day was turning out to be a bit of a failure until a little girl walked past and asked us if we wanted to buy something from her. We almost rejected her like we had done to the previous million street sellers...until we saw what she was selling. All through Cambodia we saw people playing keepie-ups with these little shuttlecock things which didnt seem to be on sale anywhere. This girl had 4 bags of them! We'd hit the jackpot! We ended up buying a couple each and started embarrassing ourselves in full view of the Vietnamese public trying to keep this little bright feathery thing in the air. Didnt take long to string a few passes together and not long after that the locals started joining in with us. At one point we had about 5 or 6 of them showing off their tricks. We were about to leave for food when this old man wanders over, sets down his bag and assumes his position between us. He must have been pushing 70 years old but this guy was an absolute pro! He was teaching us how to do this little flick trick, where you flick one leg behind the other and kick the "cao" with the sole of your foot. He was amazing at it, every connection was sweet as a nut...he was like a minature Darren Fletcher. We played with him for 10 mins or so before we had to go and catch our train. We all shook his hand and left the park grinning ear to ear. What a hero.

And now to the train station. We took our seats in a carriage filled with locals where we were to remain for the next 7 hours. We set off on what was to be a pretty disgusting, uncomefortable, sweaty journey. After only about 15 mins or so the boy sitting accross the aisle from us starts wretching into a little plastic bag. The poor guy was in a bad way. His mam was sitting beside him trying to keep him as comfortable as possible but it didnt seem to be helping. Fortunately for us (but probably unfortunately for him) there was nothing left in his stomach to come up, and he would be making the most horrendous noises and then dribbling a bit of saliva into his bag. We didnt know wheather to laugh or cry. The first few times he did it i just had to put my fingers in me ears before i was sick myself, but by the end of the journey me and Craig were trying our best not to laugh at him. He sounded so bad it had started to become amusing. Those noises will stay with us forever and we have all been constantly mimicking him from that day.
We all left the train with the urge to disinfect ourselves before we caught his disease. We all showered at our new hotel and washed our clothes, it seemed to do the job.

We were now in Nha Trang on the east coast, where we would be staying for the next few nights. After the ridiculously busy schedule of the previous few weeks we were looking forward to just spend a few days chilling on the beach and recharging our batteries. Thew first day was good as the weather was nice with a fresh sea breeze. Craig and I took a run along the beach and did some press-ups at the end. We all vowed wer going to look like Hugh Jackman come next June, so we need to start the intense work-outs now!
That night we went out for a few drinks and Luke, Craig and I ended up sitting on the beach all night chatting with some people until the sun came up. I went for a highly refreshing swim under the orange sky with a group of old ladies in armbands before we walked along the beach back to our digs. It seems that 6am is the time to do excercise here. The beach was filled with people old and young playing badminton, jogging, swimming, and a lot of folk doing yoga by themselves. It was good to see.
We slept for a bit and awoke to grey skies and rain. It was to stay like this for the next 7 days. Gutter.

Theres not much else to do in Nha Trang besides go to the beach or take a boat trip around the nearby islands. But when its 13'C, windy and rainy neither of these are very appealing, so we didnt do much for the next couple of days. A few of us, myself included, had ropey stomachs during this time so i dont think we would have been up to much anyway. On one of the rainy days we thought we would treat ourselves to a trip to the spa to mend the body and soul. When we arrived we slipped into our swimming shorts and then slipped into a mud bath. Dont think it was built for 5 young men (im sure iv said this a few times now) but we made do. It was a messy tangle of brown legs and feet but by now wer all very used with our personal space being invaded. After we had accidentally swallowed a couple of gulps each we hit the showers then went for a hot bath via some pretty painful water jet filled corridors. A very relaxing experience, just what we needed. On our final day in Nha Trang the weather did pick up very slightly and we braved the strong winds and went back to the beach. Peoples towels were being blown around the place and keepie-ups became quite a challenge. The waves were great fun, although we had to be sure to avoid the row of jagged wooden spikes which we could just about see protruding from the water about 20m down the beach. I didnt want to be flown home early with a 2 by 4 through my chest, dont think mam would have been too chuffed.

After the train experince (described in graphic detail earlier) we opted for sleeper buses to take us up the rest of Veitnam. You basically buy your ticket all the way up to Hanoi and you can jump off at places along the way for a few nights. Our next point of call was the picturesque town of Hoi An. If you ever want a dress or a suit Hoi An is the place to get it. Pretty much every shop makes tailored clothing, all at very cheap prices. Luke got measured up and purchased a suit for a very reasonable price. I did toy with the idea of getting one for myself but, i thought i might be better off finding a fancy job first. The SIC may be supplying me with free high visibility gear for a while yet. We stayed 3 nights in Hoi An. The first we went out for some food and drinks, met a lot of folk in one bar and followed the crowd to another bar on the beach. Its so easy to meet people when ur travelling. As soon as you see another non-local you instantly have something in common with them and striking up a conversation with people is so easy. I was just waiting at the bar for some drinks, and after about 30 secs a young lady starts speaking to me, asking what im doing in vietnam and what my plans are for after. I told her i had just finished studying economics at uni and was taking a gap year. She told me she was working up in North Vietnam on an energy development program and that i should come back out next year and start working with the same team. I only came out for a couple of drinks and nearly left with a job! Everyone is willing to chat away to you for as long as you want and its a great way to get tips and recommendations for things to do and places to go.

Even though the weather was just as poor in Hoi An as it was in Nha Trang we decided to take advantage of the free bike rental one of the days and went to the beach for a look anyway. The place was completely deserted except for a dog who followed us the whole way. We walked along for a bit then headed back to our bikes where some crazy old lady demanded we pay for parking them by the beach. She was probably talking rubbish but we gave her a few pennies and went on our way.
As Luke was planning to visit Chaing Mai in the north of Thailand before spending time in the south islands, he headed off from Hoi An a couple of days earlier than us to see the rest of Vietnam on his own. We would be reunited in Kho Pan Ngan in a week or 2. So the group of 5 became 4, making sleeping arrangements and taxis far simpler, but "Hide and Seek" and "Bully the Englishman" a LOT harder.

We then headed up North to Hanoi via Hue (pronounced "whey") where we stayed for a night and got a pretty dull city tour the following day. Not much to report from here.

After a long overnight bus from Hue we arrived in Hanoi and booked a 3 day, 2 night trip to Ha Long Bay which departed the following morning.
That night after checking into our hostel (the Drift Backpackers Hostel) we went round the corner for some street food. We sat down on the plastic chairs around our plastic table, which posed quite an annoyance for our comparatively supersized appendages and tucked into bowls of noodles, beef, lettuce and peanuts made my a old lady sitting beside us with all the ingredients. It was very, very nice, and at 60p a bowl how can you complain?

The following morning, our group of about 20, led by our tour guide "Minivan" (his name was Van, and he was pretty small) made our way to one of the most spectacular places on earth. The scenery here is incredible. We got aboard our junk and slowly chugged our way out to the limestone rock formations. We took a walk through some caves where Minivan would point out various formations that were supposed to look like various different animals, much to amusement of some members of the travelling party. My personal favourite was the chicken. He pointed his laser pen up to the limestone above and shaped out what was meant to be its outline. It was a rock, and a pretty shapeless one at that. I like to think that i have quite an active imagination, but i reckon even J.K. Rowling would have struggled with this one. It all sounded a bit like a barrel being scraped, but the formations were pretty amazing. After the caves we were let loose with some kayaks and paddles. We boarded one of the many floating man made islands, made of empty barrells, polystyrene and planks of wood (all of which seem to have a dog or 2 on them) and got our lifejackets on before hitting the water. It was awesome, we all raced off to explore the caves and hidden lagoons before getting back on board our junk. We did backflips and dives off the top deck while the sun went down, then had our meal and spent the evening with our new found friends Mel (Australia), Jenny (Washington), Daniel (Swizerland), Emanuel (Canadian), James and Matt (both English). We all got on exceptionally well and sat under the stars drinking cheap beer and even cheaper vodka which Emanuel had sneakily purchased from one of the dozens of ladies who row out to ur boat and shout "You buy something?". There were several boats anchored in the same area, one of which had a couple of guys on board murdering "Hey Jude" on karaoke. It was a good night but we had to keep ourselves in a fit state for the following morning.

Up at 7am we were fed and set sail to Cat Ba Island to conquer one of the thousand peaks. Suitably dressed in flip flops with an expensive camera in 1 hand and a big bottle of water in the other we set off up the slope, navigating our way over tree roots, jagged rocks and makeshift ladders until we emerged at the summit, faces dripping with sweat. The view was understandably awesome. There was a big rusty tower at the top which you could climb for an even better look. When our turn came we headed up. Before id even reached a quarter of the way up i had to pause clutching the handrail, to put my camera in its case around my neck, i was going to need both hands for the rest of the climb, fearing i might defy the laws of phisics and somehow fall between 2 of the steps. The platform at the top looked very makeshift. Some rusty metal poles with planks of wood just laid across it. No wonder the sign at the bottom said "Only 5 Persons at a Time". At the summit we met another bunch of people, all Scots who were staying in the same hotel as us.
After our breif time at the top we headed back down which proved to be just as tough a challenge as getting up. James managed to crack his sunglasses and rip his shorts in the space of 5 mins. Amateur.
We made it to our hotel in time for lunch before Minivan rounded us up to head for Monkey Island. He had warned us of their tempramental nature before and warned us another twice on the boat journey on the way. He basically said that unless you want to be hospitalised, stay a good few metres away from them. This place sounded like a barrell of laughs. I had a vision of me swimming for my life with an angry troop of primates hot on my toes. We arrived and it wasnt that bad, although we did see 1 lady going mental on one of them, who in turn was going mental on her. She was swinging a big branch at it and even lobbed a big bottle of water in its direction. We swiftly moved along the beach from the commotion, lay our towels out and chilled for a while taking in the inescapable views. Mel and Jenny went scavanging for shells along the shoreline (which was very fruitful i must say), while Craig and I did some press-ups on top of a big boulder covered in monkey poo.
We passed another floating village on the way back, again filled with dogs. Couldnt help but think that playing "catch" might be somewhat restricted. Had our evening meal back at the hotel and went to the tourist hotspot for some drinks. We met up with the Scottish group and drank disgusting homemade rice wine till the early hours. It was Daniels birthday at midnight so we fashioned him a birthday cake from a Cornetto and a shot of flaming Sambuca. There was a guy at the end of the bar giving massages to anyone that wanted so i sat down infront of him when my turn came and let him work his magic on me. It was fantastic. Every joint in my upper half was worked with his hands before he jerked and cracked it, never felt anything like it. When i was making my way back to our seats afterwards i was so relaxed i nearly collapsed in a heap on the floor.

The following morning involved a hungover bus journey back to the boat which took us back to the mainland so we could catch a further bus back to Hanoi. The bus was tiny and i had to unleash my contortionistic abilities to fit in my seat. It was all good until i lost sensation from the waist down and had to invade Craigs space with my blue legs for a bit.
We arrived back at the Drift hostel, had some food and a well needed nap. We had arranged to meet up with the Scots again for a few drinks that night at a place callled Bia Hoi, which basically consists of a X junction with a bar on each corner selling, appropriately, Bia Hoi (fresh homemade beer poured straight from the keg). We all sat on the plastic stools which spilled out onto the busy road, ocassionaly pulling ourselves into the pavement when the passing motorbikes got that little bit too close for comfort. Our tab of 42 beers came to a total of 128,000 Vietnamese Dong (the equivalent of about 4 quid back home. Not bad for a night on the town).
Our final day in the hostel we didnt have much to do until our flight at 9 so we went down to a nearby park, where we played some more "da cao", the shuttlecock equivalent of keepie-ups, and tried to out-do the locals at chin ups and bench dips on some metal bars. We failed.
One thing we've noticed about asia is that they love their pictures, and this park epitomised that notion. Within 10 mins of being inside we saw 3 people posing between the trees and benches while their friend took a picture. Parents were constantly snapping their kids on the climbing frames and a breakdance crew were also getting involved.
Back at the hostel we were greeted by a group of guys all strapped up in bandages, a couple limping and another propped up on crutches. When quizzed about their accidents and they told us that they just returned from "tubing" in Laos. Basically u get a rubber ring and are let loose at the top of a river to visit bars on the way down. Here you can take advantage of the various rope swings and slides on offer (youtube "laos tubing slide" for a clearer illustration). These boys were only some of the hundreds who get injured every year. Sound amazing fun, but well dangerous. The guy on crutches seemed in pretty high spirits considering he was on x number of tablets a day, and was unable to leave the country until he had reagined his health. Dont worry parents, unfortunately we dont have time to pay a visit.
We went to the same noodle place we visited a few days earlier with one of the guys, named Danny (he was ok and had only lost a toenail) who gave us some tip top recommendations for Australia and NZ. He'd been travelling for 2 years now and had a very positive outlook on life: Get a job here and there, earn some money playing guitar and do whatever you want.
In the evening we got a taxi to the airport and flew back to Bangkok. Since our last visit we'd all had an unforgettable time.

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Comments

[hazelaitken]

Good to hear from you again. Hope you were just joking at the idea of killing a cow. Its fine that you are meeting so many other people. is it really necessary to drink so much beer?Pity the weather hasn't been kinder but its probably more comfortable than blazing sun the whole time.Take care. Mam

[Raymond]

hair today gone 2moro!
If there's no sign of growth on the bald patches believe me the hairline has already receded. Bad luck! Dad

[Brian J]

Coos, beer and baldness...
...this all sounds very familiar! Great read again Andrew. Cheers. Brian

[Rory J]

Vietnam
Your blogs just get better and better, and it's good to see some pictures, to see what you're seein. I laughed at that caption on the photo of the lady makin incence, and it said: "and that jobby thing is...". Well now I know what I'm doing after uni!! I'll just say it noo, merry Christmas and happy new year!!!! :D

[Andy Aitken]

Dear Rory
Thanks for the feedback Rory, glad to hear you're enjoying my ramblings....and poo related words (to be honest with you, i stuck the word jobby in just for the kids, i knew you would appreciate it). Yeah, although im only 2 months in i would have to say a gap year can only be a good thing, but you'll have to work hard and make it through high school first! And maybe get a peerie saturday job to earn some pennies too. Merry Chrismas and a Happy new New Year straight back atcha! Hae a good een!