Good Morning Vietnam

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Day 33 Goodbye Thailand, Good Morning Vietnam

After only a short but eventful flight from Bangkok to Hanoi, I arrived at my hotel (the nicest yet). The eventful ness was completely self inflicted. I had been up since 230am to catch my flight so was very tired. I had about an hour at the airport before boarding started so decided to rest my eyes. The last thing I remember was thinking I should really set an alarm for 6am. When I woke up and noticed that it was 634am and my flight left at 645am my heart nearly burst. I ran as fast as I could and really did only make the door closing by about 30seconds. Talk about cutting it fine. Not the best experience only a few hours into being on my own. Never mind though, I made it that was the main thing.

I met the girl, Tammie, whom I will be travelling with when I checked in. After a small sleep and shower we went out for a delicious lunch. We had fresh spring rolls, squid in garlic and shrimp with cashew nuts. A very good start to my love for vietnamese food. We then spent the afternoon lazily walking around and meeting the rest of the group at 6pm. We had a quick coffee and then hit the night market.

Day 34 Hanoi

Today we had an early ish breakfast ready for a day of exploring Hanoi. First of all I visited the Hoa Lo Prison, also known as 'Hanoi Hilton'. A small section now serves as a museum. It is mostly a reminder of the Vietnamese who were incarcerated here by the French. It was quite haunting and I found myself not wanting to be left alone at anytime. The conditions for the prisoners were terrible, twenty or so prisoners per cell, only being let out of their foot chains for half an hour a day. Later American pilots were held captive by the Vietnamese. We then visited Ho Chi Minh's tomb and thr One Pillar Pagoda. Unfortunately or fortunately, you cannot go in and see 'Uncle Ho' lying in state on a Monday so we could only observe from outside. Ho Chi Minh had no wives and never any children hence the nickname 'Uncle Ho'. The One Pillar Pagoda constructed in 1049 is Hanoi's oldest structure however does not look that old due to it being blown up in 1954. The current Pagoda is a replica. A short walk and we were at Ho Chi Minh's residence. A beautiful house painted bright yellow with gorgeous gardens. He later moved to a smaller residence at the back of the house. This was quite a large cabin style house made from wood. Still beautiful but far simpler and over looking the lake.

Our last stop was at The Temple of Literature. A beautiful place founded in 1070. It was Vietnams first educational institute and a place where candidates for the position of Mandarin were examined. There are huge grave style slabs engraved with the names of candidates, that rest on turtle back. The bigger the slab/turtle, the more prestigious the academic award being given.

After the tour in the morning, Tammie and I decided to catch a 'Water Puppet Show'. It was fairly random however very clever how it was performed. The massive ice cream we ate during it went down a treat! A quick shower and we were packed up and making our way to the railway station for a sleeper train... Next stop-Hue.

Day 35 Overnight sleeper train to Hue - day of exploring Hue city

We arrived in Hue at 8am from a semi eventful sleeper train. There were quite a few cockroaches however they were fairly small. The cabin had four beds in and I was sharing with three Ausie's who it is safe to say we're not so happy with the conditions on the train. At one point Tammie thought she saw a mouse. This was about 12midnight though and I was so tired that I had to just ignore it and try to get to sleep. In spite of this I actually slept ok. Only waking at 12, 3, 5 and then 7 so all in all a good night for a sleeper train. I hate mice and rats so am quite pleased with myself that I managed to get over it and sleep.

We hired a shopping bike for the day and set off to explore Hue. Hue was the capital of Vietnam from 1801 till the declaration of independence in 1945. First of all we rode to the riverside and boarded a Dragon Boat for a cruise along the Perfume River. We stopped at the palace 'Thai Hoa' that has a beautiful 'Ngo Mon' gate. Our second stop was at Thien Mu Pagoda which is the oldest most significant pagoda in Hue. On the way to visit a tomb that I cannot remember the name of a the min, we stopped to see the locals making the traditional Vietnamese hat and in-scent sticks. One of the ladies insisted I have a go so I poorly made one of the sticks with cinnamon. They smell amazing so I couldn't resist and bought some (of the ones the pros made). Around 3pm when we had just finished at the tomb, the heavens opened. We sat and had a coffee and some lunch whilst watching the kids play in the torrential downpour. They were having a great time! I was tempted to join in. When it reduced to a spit we got on our bikes and cycled the 10km back to our hotel. I treated myself to a massage for only 90Dong (approx £3). Tammie and I then walked the 10 minutes to the sister hotel for a night dip in the pool followed by dinner at one of the restaurants. It was again, so so tasty! I really want to do a cooking class so I can learn how to replicate it at home. Fingers crossed i will have time over the next few days.

Day 36 Arrive in Hoi An

We caught the 8am bus to Hoi An arriving around 12pm. The journey was actually really nice as there was so much gorgeous scenery. On arrival we had about an hour and a half before a walking tour of Hoi An. I decided to work on the tan so relaxed by the pool which was lovely. Its safe to say that there is a significant difference in the standard of accommodation I am staying in from Thailand to Vietnam. I have Dad (Stevie Loyd) to thank for that as he has helped me pay for my Vietnam section.
On the walking tour we first stopped for more delicious food. We then visited the old town stopping at Tan Ky House, a preserved 19th Century house. The house is a private home and the owner is the seventh generation of their family to live in the house. Every year the house along with the other buildings in the area floods in the typhoon. In recent years reaching 2.7 metres. We then went to the Japanese Covered Bridge, it has a roof and small temple built into its side. One end in guarded by a dog and the other a monkey resembling the years construction began and finished. Quan Cong Temple was next on the list. Prayers are written onto a piece of material and then hung inside a huge spiral in-scent stick that burns over two weeks. Finally the Old House at 103 Tran Phu. Here silk lanterns are made. There also was a traditional Vietnamese performance put on.

After the walking tour was over I decided to hit the tailors. Hoi An has over 100 silk shops. I got measured up for a suit including dress, Jacket and trousers costing US$105. It's a little more than I wanted to spend but figured £64 for a tailored suit is good. It was a beautiful evening so we decided to go for a few cocktails. Two down and I was back at the tailors getting a formal dress and dressy skirt made haha. Oh well, I'll never get the opportunity again so got to do it whilst I can.

Day 37 Hoi An

We got up early and hired some bikes and cycled the 4km to the beach. It is such a gorgeous beach here in Hoi An. Really calm sea, clean soft sand and pretty much empty. We spent a few hours here just chilling out before heading back into Hoi An for our second fitting for our clothes. I am so pleased with my clothes. The suit is so nice and the dress is stunning. I just need somewhere to wear the dress now. After a spot of lunch and my cheapest ice cream yet at 15p we headed back to the hotel to spend a few hours by the pool. We may be hitting the 'disco tech' tonight... Watch this space!'

Day 38 Travel to Nha Trang

A bit of a boring day today. I caught the day train from Hoi An to Nga Trang. A horrible 10 hour journey. Arrived at 9pm so just got a quick bite (that was again delicious) and hit the hay.

Day 39 Nha Trang

Today we had an early pick up to take us on a boat trip. We had a private boat so just for the four of us and Lam, our tour leader. We set sale over to an island and anchored there for a few hours. I spent some time snorkelling and then relaxing on the boat. The coral was amazing. I thought it was different but just as beautiful as Thailand. The sea was crystal clear and there was lots of sea life. The captain cooked us up a fresh seafood lunch that we enjoyed on board. We had king prawns, rice, pork noodles, stir fried vegetables and fish in a salsa style dressing.

Later in the afternoon, Tammie and I went to the beach for a few hours. I then went and spent a few hours in a cafe reading my book and having a much loved long chat and catch up with Phil. I had a coffee, Phil had a cuppa ;-)

Sunday 2nd (tomorrow) is Vietnam's independence day so there are lots of celebrations taking place over the weekend. In the evening, Lam took us to a club on the beach called 'Sailing Club'. It was probably the poshest club I've ever been to. The night was brilliant. There was lots of entertainment to begin with starting with a traditional Vietnamese drum band, fire dancing and then a Cuban band. We all had a great night with lots of dancing. I also made friends with some lovely English girls that were doing the same tour as me but the other way round.

Day 40 Nha Trang

Despite not getting in till 3am the night before, I was up at 830am not wanting to waste the day. I decided to go to a hot springs place that was 7km away. It was a little more expensive than I was planning however was definitely worth it. You start by having a mud bath, then make your way through the jet massages and hot springs. I spent a few hours here and then relaxed in the sunshine by the pool. After a big lunch late afternoon in preparation for our sleeper train that evening I went for a massage which was lovely and then relaxed with my book until we got picked up for the train.

Day 41 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

The train journey was surprisingly okay. I managed to sleep pretty much the whole way. We checked into the hotel at 5am however so decided to get a couple of hours sleep. After breakfast Tammie and i went to the 'Ben Thanh Market' to have a look around and make a few purchases. Somehow this took up all of the morning. In the afternoon, I visited the 'War Remnants Museum' (that I wish I hadn't gone to alone especially after learning about agent orange that I didn't know a lot about before), the 'Reunification Palace' and the 'Norte Dame Cathedral. In the evening we met with four extra people joining the tour to Cambodia however I will be leaving them all here in Vietnam the day after tomorrow. We then went for some 'Pho', a Vietnamese noodle soup dish. I went for seafood and it was again, delicious!

Day 42 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

This morning we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. The reconstruction is situated 30km from Saigon however at its height, the tunnel system stretched from Saigon to the Cambodia border. In the district Cu Chi there were over 200km of tunnels. It is impossible to think that people spent months underground in these tunnels. I went in one for just 20metres and the poor guide nearly lost his hand through blood loss as I was holding on so tightly. It was so claustrophobic, only 50cm high by 30cm wide. The design of the tunnels is very clever. We were shown how the Vietnamese would cook and still conceal the smoke and disguise the smells that came from the tunnels. We also were shown the numerous traps that look horrendous.

After lunch and the biggest pot of Vietnamese tea I have had so far, I had a lazy afternoon reading my book, packing my bag getting ready to depart tomorrow and uploading some photos (on Facebook). Tonight we are going for our last meal as a group. I have to leave for the airport at 2:30am so it will either be a late night or early morning depending on how the night goes ;-)


I have loved Vietnam. It is totally different to anywhere I have been before. Next stop... Hong Kong!

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Comments

[Grandma]

Hong Kong
Hi Stephanie, Can not believe what you have been doing. Sounds as if you have had a great time and plenty of adventures.Looking forward to seeing photos.Make the most of the next 2 weeks with Phyl's sister.Keep well and enjoy every minute in Hong Kong. lots of love See you soon Grandma xxxxx