Viet Nam Overview
Trip Start
Nov 16, 2007
1
2
20
Trip End
Jan 14, 2008
Hanoi,
Vietnam
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Welcome from Viet Nam!! I have so many impressions (and pictures) to share, but no time right now. I'll give you a brief summary of what we've done so far (as of 26 Nov) and what we have planned for the rest of our 3 weeks in Viet Nam. I'll write more specific entries as soon as possible.
We flew into Hanoi from Narita, Japan (see my other blog for our 2 months in Japan) on 16 November. It was amazing ... just the idea of being in Hanoi, (north) Viet Nam, as an American. The reality has been fascinating and enjoyable as well. The first 2-3 days were almost too much to take in. Our hotel was in the middle of the Old Quarter of Hanoi, an incredibly lively, crazy place with super high population density, out of control traffic ... primarily motor cycles carrying all manner of stuff, shops with merchandise spilling out onto the streets, and NOISE. You eventually adjust, but initially I felt shell-shocked.
We were in Hanoi for 1 day and then came back for a couple more days later. We went to Cat Ba, an island off the NE coast of the country. We took a tourist boat (junk) through Ha Long Bay out to Cat Ba, where we stayed at a really nice resort. Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba are beautiful places, and there's a floating village of fishermen, which was fascinating.
Then it was back to Hanoi, followed by a night train up to the NW part of the country in Sapa ... where I'm writing from. Sapa is beautiful - at the foot of the highest mountain in the country, with striking, steep, eroded valleys and rivers. This area is known for its ethnic minorites, and we have visited a number of villages and markets. It has been a fascinating experience. Our guide here is part Hmong - one of the groups who live here; he has taken us to visit his friends and we've gotten to see how they live. Tonight we are having dinner at his house.
After this we return to Hanoi and then fly to Saigon (most people still call it that) tomorrow. We'll spend 3 days at a resort on Phu Quoc, off the SW coast near the Cambodian border, followed by a tour of the Mekong delta and a visit to some of the floating villages. After that we take a speed boat up to Cambodia.
Stay tuned for more details and hopefully photos!
Comments
Greetings and hurry up
Just kidding, but I am caught up with this blog and am anxiously awaiting more entries.