Vietnam...the end

We started our day off with breakfast at Koto (http://www.streetvoices.com.au/) , a non-profit restaurant that takes poor Vietnamese teenagers, trains them in the restaurant business and life skills, gives them a place to stay, medical benefits, etc, and in the end most go off to good jobs at nice restaurants and hotels in the city.

Then we headed for Halong Bay, another UNESCO World Heritage site known for the amazing rocks and caves. Along the way, we passed all sorts of sights on the road...

This is a popular postcard, but we saw many motorbikes on the bumpy 2 land 'highway', with various types of livestock on the back.
Working the rice paddies - when we first got out of the city, everyone was hurrying to get a good photo of the workers in the fields, not realizing it would be the landscape most of our drive.

We arrived in Halong Bay and boarded our boat, our 'floating hotel' for the night, as it was described to us. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually really nice, I had my own room and bathroom. We were served an amazing lunch and dinner on the boat, complete with very impressive vegetable art - the fish was served in a net made out of a carrot, the shrimp came in a bouquet with flowers made out of carrots and cucumbers.

The only downside of the trip was the weather. It was overcast and rainy the entire afternoon as well as the next morning. It was still beautiful, apparently Halong Bay is in the running to be named one of the 7 natural wonders of the world.

I stole Chris' idea to take black & white photos, since it was so grey anyway. We stayed on a boat similar to the one in the picture, anchored in the middle of the amazing rock formations.

A floating village - complete with a floating school. People also had floating markets, rowed their boats over to us, filled with beer, wine, Oreos, Ritz crackers, cigarettes, anything they thought they could sell. I did buy 2 beers when we went for a walk, mostly because I wanted to see how I would get them - she put them in a plastic bag and hoisted them up by a pulley system, then I put the money in the plastic bag and sent it back down.

We took a walk through Surprising Cave (I love the name), with lots of stalagtites and stalagmites, and then took a kayak trip where we could get closer to the rocks and caves. Again, I was disappointed because I didn't find the animals that were promised - this time monkeys. Apparently they usually are out at dusk, but because it was a cloudy day they were probably already asleep? Or so I was told.


The next morning we were back on the bus for a 4 hour drive back to Hanoi - this time I was smarter and didn't sit in the very bumpy back of the bus!
Maybe my new career if NYC doesn't work out??

We took our final cyclo trip of the tour and had a last supper, another feast. I knew it would be my last, no more 8 course meals for me for awhile - Japan is definitely not as cheap!

The 15 day trip ended the morning of Easter Sunday, but I had arranged for an extra overnight trip with 3 others from the group to go to Mai Chau, a town a few hours away in the mountains.

We were staying in Bain Lac, a small village just outside the town, where all of the houses are wooden built on stilts. The bus ride there was a bit terrifying, lots of mountains and blind corners, apparently in Vietnam they aren't too concerned about flying around a corner with no idea what is on the other side, they just blow their horn and assume if anyone is on the other side, they will get out of the way.

We did arrive safely though and to a nice, much more local feel of this small village, though even it has been taken over by tourism. Most of the houses either were open as homestays for visitors or were selling some sort of souvenir or craft out front. You couldn't walk more than a few steps without them trying to get you to buy something, something from them, even if you had the same thing in your hand that you bought from the house before. Some of the things clearly were not local crafts, made in China apparently, but there were people with looms weaving scarves, so we bought a few of them - hand woven and selling for 30,000 dong which is 2 USD (the keyboard doesn't have a dollar sign!).

The village

We watched a local music and dance show in one of the homes, and tried some of their local 'happy water', only a sip as we weren't too sure of the contents. We walked more around the village, watching people at work - all the men working together to build someone a new house, women out in the rice paddies, boys bringing the cows home before dinner, and a mother trying to get her 2 year old who was throwing a tantrum up off the floor of the front porch.
Our home for the night

The kitchen in the house where our meals were cooked...i tried not to look too closely!

We had dinner served by the family where we stayed and a pretty early night to bed, as it was dark and not a lot to do. But no matter how remote we seemed, I still received an Easter phone call from my parents on my cell phone just before bed - reminding me I really wasn't that far away! Bed was a cushion on a mat on the floor, upstairs in the stilted house, with a mosquito net - not a great nights sleep, especially with the roosters early in the morning, but an experience.

We took a couple hour walk the next morning, after our 7:30 breakfast through the fields and some of the nearby villages.

Once we were back in Hanoi, I was on my own - I moved to a cheaper hotel (30 USD instead of 50) and had a few days to myself - well after one last dinner with the only person remaining from our tour group.

The next 2 days I spent relaxing, enjoying some American tv and doing some practical stuff - laundry, trip to the post office to send home souvenirs, finding accommodation for Japan, etc. It seemed though that everytime I left the hotel room, I was instantly lost. Was I on Hang Bong, Hang Than, Hang Da, Hang Bac, Hang Bai or Pho Ba, Pho Ma, Pho Lo streets - I had no idea. I would be out of the hotel for an hour and come back exhausted from constantly dodging motorbikes, cars, street vendors. I did make it to the Ho Chi Minh museum, out for a final meal of pho noodles, a 2nd trip to the restaurant with grilled pork in coconut milk sauce, and did successfully drop of my laundry to be done and find the place to pick it up again (for 4 usd), so it was a successful few days I think.

Just in case you didn't get my point about the insane traffic

That's a bicycle under that little shop, if you can't tell!

Wednesday night I took a taxi for 15 dollars, for over an hour ride to the airport for my midnight flight to Tokyo, relieved to be leaving the craziness of Hanoi, but sad knowing my Japan would not offer me water for less than 50 cents, beer for max of a dollar, hotel rooms with own bathroom and tv with Oprah & ER for 30 dollars, and 8 course meals for next to nothing.

Vietnam Part 2

Continuing the tale of my trip through Vietnam...

We flew from Nha Trang to Danang, from one tiny airport to another, on Vietnam airlines - slightly worrying from when we pulled into the airport, but the flight seemed ok, until the landing - one of the worse I've ever experienced. But, we survived and got on our minibus to Hoi An.

We stopped first at Marble Mountain, climbed up for views of the city, and into the tunnels used by the Vietnamese in the war to shoot down planes flying above. We also stopped in a few marble shops, but it was all out of my budget! And besides, I don't think a giant marble statue will fit in my NY apartment (whenever I get one!).

The view from Marble Mountain

Down in a cave

We stayed in Hoi An for 2 nights, a small town of 80,000 people famous for its history and for shopping. The town was declared a UNESCO world heritage site and there are many historic temples, pagodas, and homes to visit. But more striking than the beautiful buildings when you arrive in town are the hundreds of shops. Basically you can buy just about anything in Hoi An, and even better have it made especially for you - dresses, suits, jeans, shoes, boots, belts, jackets, etc. This, of course, proved more tempting than most of the group could handle and almost everyone left with at least something custom made. After you pick what you want and the fabric, they take your measurements and photos of you, then you come back the next day for another fitting. If there are any alterations, they do them the same day. It was great! And cheap. :)

Sugar cane for sale in Hoi An

Monks visiting the famous Japanese covered bridge in Hoi An

Hoi An also has a beautiful beach that I spent a few hours on - rode down to the beach on the back of a motorbike (with a helmet of course), paid $2 for a lounge chair under a bamboo umbrella, and then when I was ready to go back, they called my motorbike driver to take me back to the hotel, for $3 round trip. Not bad. The only downside to the beach was that someone was constantly coming up asking me to buy something - postcards, jewelry, snacks - and didn't like no for an answer.

That evening, we went for a cooking class - made and enjoyed a 5 course meal - and have the recipes to try at home.

On Monday, after too much time ordering custom made clothes, I bought my ticket and toured the historical sites.

That afternoon, our group was picked up on motorbikes for a tour of the countryside. We went through the rice paddies and fields, spotting people out working, water-buffaloes pulling plows, lots of fishing, and small villages.




We then had a boat ride out to a small island where we had a private bbq. Another amazing day, it was great to be out of the city and see more local people and how beautiful the countryside is.

That night we celebrated St Patrick's Day - it was a fun night, no green beer to be found, but I was happy with the special of 2 beers for $1!

Wednesday morning we took a dragon boat down the river to visit the Thein Mu pagoda. The dragon boat was nothing like the boats we were in for a work function in London - it was much bigger and I didn't have to paddle! It was a day of sightseeing - after the pagoda, we visited The King's tomb, and after lunch toured the citadel. Lunch was unique though - we had lunch at a Buddhist nunnery, cooked and served by the nuns. It was yet another delicious, massive spread of food, but this time all vegetarian. After lunch, we took an afternoon rest on mats on the floor, making sure to have our feet away from the Buddha - yes, all 10 of us literally laid on the floor of the nunnery. I didn't sleep, but was amused at the concept, so figured I had to lie down!

One of the smaller buildings behind the pagoda

Lunch at the nunnery

The nuns going out

Thursday was another early morning, checkout at 6:15am for a flight to Hanoi - bigger plane this time so it felt safer! We were impressed by the architecture and layout of the city, much more French than Saigon had been. We stopped to take photos at the mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh's body is still being out to be viewed(apparently sent back to Russia for 'maintenance' 3 months per year - he died in 1969!) I can't say I was disappointed we were too late to visit the body.

The crowds waiting to get in to see "Uncle Ho's" body

We all followed Son, our leader, for lunch at a local restaurant. We ended up eating on the 5th floor, essentially the attic - I was getting more uncertain each floor we went up - for one, it seemed the whole place could have fallen over, especially with the number of people packed in for lunch, and 2, it wasn't really the cleanest, most appealing of places, especially our attic - though it was a private room I guess. But, lunch ended up being delicious - a bowl of soup with meatballs in it, then you add rice, greens, and however much spice you want. Eating with chopsticks was a challenge, but well worth it, because it was good!

Lunch in our private room/attic

We took a tour of the city that afternoon - visited the Temple of Literature (honoring Confucius) and the Hanoi Hilton, known for where John McCain was held. Of course, we received a very cheery and happy version of what went on in the prison - that the prisoners were held under the best of circumstances, allowed to have a Christmas tree, make Christmas dinner, send home letters, play sports, and generally live comfortably.

That night we saw a water puppet show, which was surprisingly impressive and then had dinner on the top floor of a building in the center of Hanoi looking down on the craziness that is the traffic of the city.
The water puppet show

And the next day we went to visit Halong Bay, on an overnight trip. Yes, believe it or not, I'm still not finished telling about Vietnam, more to come later!

Who needs a minivan?

Who needs a minivan?

2 parents, 2 kids, and groceries - no problem, just pile onto a motorbike. 2 TVs to move or a refrigerator or mattresses -no problem, just put on the back of your motorbike. This has been one of the most fascinating and terrifying things about Vietnam. Thousands of motorbikes and bicycles everywhere, with a few cars, buses, and trucks thrown on the road too.

I was met at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City by a driver and taken to the hotel where I would meet the group later that night. The first sights of the city were overwhelming. I checked into the hotel, and was immediately happy with my choice to go with the 'comfort' version of my tour - the man at the airport holding a sign with my name on it and my own room in the nice (3*) hotel, complete with own bathroom and tv. It took me a few hours in the room to get up the courage to venture outside, and when I did it was a challenge! Although there are traffic lights, lines dividing the road, and cross walks, no one seems to pay them any attention. There are motorbikes coming from every direction at all times, regardless, just using their horns to tell you to get out of their way.

That night I met my group that will be together for the 15 day tour of Vietnam, south to north. There are only 10 of us, and I was a bit surprised to find out that the majority of them are retired. I guess that is the downside of the 'comfort' version of the trip. Still, it has been fun and extra well organized by the tour guide which makes it all very easy. We had a group dinner that night, an outdoor restaurant near the market. None of us were sure what to do as we hadn't been planning on eating at outside restaurants and had already seen the kitchen where they were washing dishes in a bucket, but we figured it must be ok. The food was good and so far no one has been sick.

On Monday, we took a cyclo ride to see the sights of the city - again a bit terrifying with all the traffic zooming around us.

My view from the cyclo

We visited the War Remnants Museum, which was previously called the American War Crimes Museum, with photos and stories from the American War, as it is called here. There was a photo exhibition that said it was a gift to the people of Vietnam from the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sponsored by the Louisville Courier Journal - very random! Then we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, learning more about the war and the poor opinion of Americans.

Going down into one of the tunnels the Vietnamese used to hide from the Americans


The next day we took an overnight trip to the Mekong Delta - it was a few hours on the bus and then we got on a boat on the Mekong River. On the boat we stopped at several different family homes that have opened their doors to tourists. We stopped at one for yet another huge meal. It was great food, except that the fish was placed on the table whole and seemed to be looking at me! We visited a brick and pottery factory - definitely not easy jobs. So much of it was still done by hand in horrible conditions.
We went to another home for fresh fruits and tea and to relax in a hammock. Some of the others held a massive python, but I had no interest in holding the snake.

And we took a long boat ride, hats provided!

That night we stayed in one of the family homes. They put on a huge dinner and breakfast for us and we were able to ask the mother questions, with our local guide as an interpreter.

Learning to make spring rolls at the homestay before dinner - I'm pretty sure sitting on the table wouldn't pass any cleanliness checks.

The next day we were up by 6am for a few reasons: 1) Roosters. 2) The 10 of us were in 1 big room. 3) We were told we should go check out the local market. The local market was truly local - I'm not sure it was worth getting up at 6 to see!

After breakfast we took our boat back and visited the floating market- with all sorts of fruits and vegetables on sale. They advertise what they have for sale by hanging the item on a stick above their boat.

We also visited a village where we watched them make rice paper, rice wafers, pop rice, and coconut candy - and of course had samples and bought some too. Then it was a bus ride back to Ho Chi Minh City and a free afternoon. I went for a walk, but went the wrong direction a few times, so it took longer than I expected on a very hot day. But I found the market, got a north face back pack for $12 (something tells me it may not be real) and had local Pho for lunch. It was basically a chicken noodle soup, but I had to attempt to eat the long noodles with chop sticks and a spoon - it was not a pretty sight! Then after my long walk, I relaxed with a $5 pedicure. :)

We left the hotel at 10pm that night for our overnight train journey to Na Trang. We were in the best type of accommodation - 4 berth soft sleeper, but it was definitely an experience. I shared with Son our tour guide, Chris from NZ, and an unknown Vietnamese man who was trying to sleep. We stayed up for a while talking with the others and having some drinks and snacks, knowing that there wouldn't be much sleep. I think I slept for about 2 hours, waking up around 5 when we were getting close to Na Trang.

Son and Chris on the train. The 4 bed cabin was about 7 ft by 7 ft- cosy!

This is me when we got off the train looking like a bag lady.

After a city tour of Na Trang, we were convinced by our tour guide that we had to try the mud baths. We were skeptical, but all 10 of us ended up going. It was interesting and more fun than we expected - all sitting in a giant tub of runny mud, covering ourselves and each other in it. Then, baking it on in the sun before washing in hot springs. That night I went out for dinner just with Son, our tour leader and Chris. We took a taxi to a place Son liked, but when we got out, I had to veto - it was an outdoor restaurant on the corner, with bowls of seafood that would become my dinner just sitting out. Ok, not even a restaurant, basically just a set up on the street corner with little table and chairs. And serving only seafood. Luckily Chris agreed with me that our stomachs probably wouldn't be up for such local dining, so we got Son to take us somewhere that actually had a kitchen.

Friday, we had another day trip on a boat - they took us snorkeling, to an beach island to relax, served us lunch (and beer), and had 2 girls giving manicures, pedicures, or massages - we thought it was a perfect boat!

We stopped at one point and took a smaller bamboo basket boat to shore and walked through a local village. Lots of the kids were waving and shouting hello. One 4 year old decided to run after us and hit me with a stick - I guess like kids anywhere!

Others from my group on the bamboo basket boat - literally a giant basket made of bamboo and then lacquered. Our bigger boat is in the background.

This is the island where we spent a few hours - I read, had a massage, and played beach volleyball- not what I thought I'd be doing in Vietnam!

We took a cyclo tour around Na Trang - I of course was the lucky one to get in an accident - well not really, but the guy did rear end a motorbike, but only lightly.

Hong Kong

So I left Australia and set out on the 2nd half of my trip - on my own through Asia. First stop Hong Kong, where I was met at the airport by Susan, a work colleague who moved from London to Hong Kong over 2 years ago. She took me back to her great apartment with a water view, set me up a sofa bed, and gave me her laptop with wireless internet - a definite luxury! So I wasn't quite roughing it yet.



I had changed my flight to arrive in Hong Kong a day early, because I needed to get a visa for Vietnam. I was at the consulate at 9:01 to arrange the visa and spent the rest of the day exploring the city. I had visited Hong Kong for a few days last summer with Rick, Maureen, Tim & Brendan, but it was fun to be back. And it was definitely a different feel than Australia!



After walking around a while I spotted the trams going down some of the streets, and decided just to jump on the next one that came by. It was fun exploring without really having a destination.

I visited a temple, a few markets, took the miles of escalators up (and then tried counting on my way down, but tired after I got to 500), passed a movie set, and then had some lunch in the park.

Friday night, Susan & I went out in the city, it was fun being out somewhere that felt familiar- it felt it could have been after work in London or NY just as easily as Hong Kong.

Saturday we had lunch on the waterfront near her new apartment and then took a cable car up to the Big Buddha.

That's me before climbing all the steps up to visit the Buddha.

Afterwards we took a taxi to the beach and had dinner at a South African restaurant on the beach. Susan is South African, and I had never tried any South African food, so it seemed like a good idea, though strange to be in Hong Kong on the beach at a South African restaurant!

And Sunday morning I was off at 6:30am to the airport to fly to Vietnam!