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Published: July 18th 2006
Hello everyone, hope you are all well. Welcome to our last Asian entry before we head to Africa - our final continent before flying home!!!!
Well lets start by saying that Vietnam was absolutely fantastic - by far our favourite country in Asia. The people were so friendly and warm and the country itself was so unique and diverse. Here are some of our highlights, starting in the South:
Our first port of call was Saigon where we first encountered the many, many motorbikes, street sellers and ladies wearing the traditional conical hats. It was from here where we set off for the Mekong Delta, home to stilted houses, floating markets, rice paddies and many waves and smiles from children who clung on to our boat for a free ride down the river....
After 5 days of maximum humidity we headed to the beautiful sands of Mui Ne. It was here where we got to experience true Vietnamese life as the beach became swamped with local fishing families all pulling in their nets to collect crabs and fishes of all shapes and sizes.
Northwards from Mui Ne we reached Dallat - a beautiful hillside town with a
cooler temperature and a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel to it. Nearby to the main town were many of the countrys industries: a silk-making factory, a mushroom farm, a coffee plantation and, of course, more rice fields. We even got the chance to taste some locally made rice wine, which has a long way to go before reaching the standards of Mr C's homebrew!!!
Halfway up the east coast was Hoi An, a quaint fishing village steeped in history and French influence. The highlight of our stay here was having a private cooking demonstration from a top local chef and then sampling the signature dish of VN - fish cooked in banana leaf. Anna enjoyed the lesson so much she has promised to recreate the dish when we get back, so get your reservations in early!!!
Next up was Hue - another historical stop-off which was home to the grand citadel, many royal tombs, and where Nathan got to try his hand at making incense sticks and Anna experienced the joy of making and wearing conical hats.
Our final destination was the capital, Ha Noi, a bustling city with even more motorbikes and even less highway code. From here
we took a trip out to the stunning islands of Halong Bay. A blissful 3 days aboard a junk boat to take in the amazing views, eat freshly cooked seafood, kayak through caves, jump from the top deck into the clear blue water and top up our tans. What a life!!
With time for just one more trip from Ha Noi, we took the overnight train to Sapa. Here we got to live life on the edge by travelling around the narrow laned hillsides on the back of motorbikes, making several stops at the many ethnic minority villages. A fantastic way to end our stay in a truly beautiful country.
We now bid you farewell, hope you enjoy the piccies (and the hair-raising surprise!!). Well done to the Italians - Anna has now become a conniseur of top quality football and has begged to be taken to White Hart Lane asap!!!
Take care everybody and catch you next time from deepest Africa...
Lots of love and kisses
Nath & Anna XXXXXX
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Pa
non-member comment
OMG its Owen!!
Hi Kiddleys, wow what great shots I am truly envious. Thanks god Nathan cut his hair he was looking more and more like Owen Hargreaves!!! Thankfully you are well and safe and thats the main concern. We are experiencing 35C temps so you can imagine the underground at peak time...not for the squemish!! Oh well, it wont last! Have a great time in Africa very different I am sure. Love you both Pa and Val xxx