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Published: March 27th 2010
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The underground tunnels
Underground tunnels used by 1 village during the Vietnam war Just wanted to update everyone on our previous travels. Fisrt stop - Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) in Vietnam. So after our cool experience in Ha Long Bay and Hanoi (and after I almost got mugged outside our hotel .... which I managed to deal with by grabbin my bag and shouting after him in the street!!) we moved onto Hue just south of Hanoi for New Years Eve. Hue is a cute little cultural city located on a river with loads to see and do. One of the main things we did was the Demilitarized Zone Tour which took us to the area where the country was divided into North and South durind the Vietnam War. We got a glimpse of the Ho Chi Minh trails which ran from the North of Vietnam out into Laos and back into the South of Vietnam which were used to bring weapons and essential supplies to the Viet Cong. What was also really cool was that we stopped off at an underground village in this area which was built so that the locals could shelter from the constant aerial bombardments during the war. As we went
Breath in tight... getting measured up
Christophe making the most of what Hoi An has to offer... no not the prostitutes.... the tailors!!! further underground we could see the little rooms where families stayed (they were tiny!), not only this but they made makeshift maternity wards (literally big enough to fit one pregnant woman). Aparently half a dozen babies were born there during the 4 years that they were used during the war. So it definately was a real eye opener. We also saw the citadel where the emperor used to reside when Hue was the capital, so it was nice to learn about the more ancient history of Vietnam too. Apart from the historical aspects of Hue the food was the best that we had since we left home. There was this little french place that did the best sea food pasta ever so we were so happy with that. We managed to get a huge hotel room for $12 per night so that was cool (oh christophe asked me to say there was a balcony and cable tv too...we know what his priorities were!) And sadly enough we slept through New Year´s Eve which was actually relly nice (after have a free dinner and drinks which was given by the hotel)
We then moved onto Hoi An which was a
finally the beach
Wohoo... beach time in Nha Trang really cute place with riverside restaurants. It´s also really well known for the tailoring that you can get for half nothing. It wasn´t the most cultural place but it was really pretty and we made the most of the tailoring offered there. Chris got a fully tailored suit for himself and I got 2 dresses - to give you an idea of how quick they can work we ordered everything at 11am and we left for the bus with our new clothes at 3. So all in all it was definately worth the trip there and the prices were so cheap it would probably be cheaper to get a flight to Vietnam just to get a new wardrobe.
Then it was beach time..... yipee...something my pasty skin was looking forward to for such a long time. Nha Trang was a really relaxing, beachside city which you would imagine you´d find in the U.S. Loads of cheapy restaurants, an Irish bar (owned by a Scottish guy!) and lots of tours to do. The highlight of our stay in Nha Trang was a boat trip out to the nearby islands. It started out a bit strange on a small boat overcrowded
Kite surfers in Mui Ne
A regular site in Mui Ne with about 40 of us..we were tipping along and then the fun started. We stopped for snorkelling and then the beer started to flow and from there there was no going back. There was a big group of Ozzies who had brought on some rice wine which they offered to us. It was pretty much a booze cruise and the crew were obviously making some kind of commission on the beer they sold. Anyway we had a mad time with all the lads (there was a Brian O´Driscoll look alike) and it was definately a highlight. And of course, something which had become a recurring event on this trip..... Christophe had an accident and fell off the boat! It´s o.k we saved him.... but he was more worried about the bag that fell in the water than himself. Note to self... water and alcohol don´t mix with Christophe. After having some more beach time it was time to move on.... to another beach.....
Mui Ne was smaller than Nha Trang (and bloody expensive). The beach was miles long with kite surfers as far as the eye could see. We decided to treat ourselves to a lovely beachside place (which
Local craftsman
Local craftsman in the Hoi An market we had to do after walking with our backpacks on for a couple of hours trying to find some budget place). We spent the time there just chilling on the beach and Chris did some body boarding. We went to the white and red sand dunes in the area which was great and Chris did some sand dune tobogganing.
Our final stop was Saigon, which was everything you´d expect Saigon to be. Seedy, full of life and with some kind of a buzz more than most major cities would have. We only stayed 2 days and made the most out of it by just walking around, taking everything in and eating out.
All in all that was Vietnam. Our experience had good sides and bad ones like everywhere else. Because it´s a Communist country you do feel like you´re on a tourist trail that you can´t really move from. You either travel from north to south or south to north (on the same path) and so we always saw the same fellow travellers in every place we went. What also unfortunately took us by surprise and it´s what a lot of people said, was that a lot of
Selling whistles
Local women selling wares by the waterfront in Hoi An the locals in Vietnam are very short tempered and even hotel, bus employees were really rude (although I soon stopped that!). I think it´s really hard to become a part of local life there because you´re just seen as another foreigner - of course this is not the case with everyone we met. We had some lovely family hosts in hotels that went out of their way to help us. So all in all we had a good experience but if we had any advice to give someone going there it would be - don´t think you´re a traveller, you´re a tourist. Enjoy the cultural aspects Vietnam has to offer. Respect the people. Enjoy the amazing beaches and last but not least take any misunderstandings and rudeness with a pinch of salt.
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