Vietnam - Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City
Trip Start
Dec 26, 2008
1
12
13
Trip End
Jul 17, 2009
Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sorry this chapter has taken so long to get to you ... with doing so much travelling we've fallen a bit behind but here goes ...
So we left Laos with a hop, skip and a jump and 7 banana cakes ... the 'only' thing to spend our last few kips on in the airport and I mean the only thing! On our little plane the smiley air hostess served us up some Laos-style space food which Soph turned her mose up at in her usual fashion ... I ate hers!
An hour later after a rather sketchy landing ... yes we thought we were gonna die ... we arrived safely (just) in Hanoi.
At the airport the taxi touts were out in force but thankfully for once the Lonely Planet was right and we found the public bus to the city ... a quid each for a 45 minute journey ... winner!
Ordinarily we like to scout round ourselves to find the best / cheapest room but by the time we were dropped off in the Old Quarter it was quite late and we were both pretty jaded so we took a free taxi with one of the touts to view a room. Thankfully this paid off as we bagged a nice big room with 2 double beds, ensuite, satelite TV, minibar, air-con and a PC with internet for 8 quid ... happy days!
That night we went in search of food and got amidst the insane Hanoi traffic ... there appear to be no rules, not even at crossroads, roundabouts or traffic lights and many people drive on the wrong side of the road. Our observations led us to believe that the only rule is to yield to things bigger than yourself i.e.. everyone yields to buses and lorries, bikes and motorbikes yield to cars and pedestrians are pretty much screwed and you play chicken every time you cross the road.
Motorbike riders are particularly unruly and they are in their thousands ... one girl came flying round a corner too fast, mounted the kerb and nearly took me out as I tried to catch her. I received no thanks and she drove off along the pavement. Later on we were using one of the few pedestrian crossings when a guy on a motorbike nearly ran Sophie over ... clearly green men mean nothing here either.
That said it's an enjoyable kind of madness and if you're not dodging the moving traffic you're weaving your way through the masses of parked motorbikes along every pavement.
Our food finding mission failed so we shared a 'Bia Hanoi' instead which thankfully we didn't enjoy and it put us off drinking in Vietnam ... good news for our fat butts!!!
The next day we woke full of determination to get healthy. It was easy to get started as there were many ladies walking the streets with baskets full of fruit and vegetables. It was such a treat for us eating pineapple all the time ... we rarely buy it at home as it's a chew on to cut up but these ladies are pros and they peel and dice them in a matter of seconds.
Our nice room had been double booked so we found another nice room round the corner which was usually $20 per night ... we haggled them down to $10 so we were pleased. We spent the rest of the day writing our Laos blog as we had fallen a bit behind.
That evening I went to check on Soph who was on the computer downstairs and when I went back up the door would not open. I struggled for a while and eventually went for help. The nice guy on reception came to my aid and after trying to get in using several tools and failing to kick the door down he eventually bashed the handle off with a hammer and changed the locks.
The next day we took a long walk through the city. Along with way to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex we admired the architecture of many embassies and government buildings.
At the complex the tomb itself was unfortunately closed but we took time to explore the grounds. Outside the Presidential Palace there was some kind of ceremony taking place with the current president, hundreds of uniformed officers and a marching band ... we couldn't establish what was going on as an angry guard moved us along swiftly. When I stopped to try and take photos he blew his whistle and I think he told me off.
We looked around the house of 1954 where Ho Chi Minh lived and worked from 1954 to 1958, followed by the house on stilts where he lived and worked from May 1958 to August 1969 which symbolises his living way of simplicity, modesty, gentleness and dedication for the nation and the people.
Walking around the fishpond and gardens which are full of wind, light and fragrant flowers it was very peaceful and we could understand why Ho Chi Minh enjoyed his time there.
We enjoyed what we saw but were a little disappointed that we didn't get to see inside the tomb or the palace which are the main attractions.
On our way back through the market Soph was horrified to see the back end of a dog (tail and all) on one of the meat stalls. I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to food but I'm not sure that even I could eat Fido ... saying that I haven't actually had the opportunity as not seen it on any menus ... must be just in local places for local people.
In the afternoon we made our way through the crazy Hanoi streets to the Hoan Kiem Lake. Legend has it that in the mid 15th century, Heaven sent Emperor Ly Thai To a magical sword which he used to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam. One day after the war he happened upon a giant golden tortoise swimming on the surface of the water; the creature grabbed the sword and disappeared into the depths of the lake. Since that time, the lake has been known as Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword) because the tortoise restored the sword to its divine owners. A respected Vietnamese scientist has been crusading for the protection of the very few real giant turtles that live in the lake since 1991. We didn't spot any turtles but we did see lots of locals working out along the edge of the lake and others relaxing in the late afternoon breeze.
We strolled around and on the other side we crossed the 6 lane main street ... Soph was bricking it as we slowly shuffled across the road ... the logic is that if you move slowly the oncoming vehicles will go around you, but if you move too fast you are likely to get flattened. We did move slowly but even with baby steps we nearly got squashed by a motorbike whizzing across lanes from behind a bus ... it missed us by an inch!!!
Safely back on the pavement we viewed the Ly Thai To monument which was guarded by colourful dragons.
Back at the hotel the staff were very sweet and helpful and they booked us a trip to Halong Bay the next day.
Stupidly we stayed up watching Star Movies until 2am so when we rose at 6 we were like zombies; on the up-side though the hotel gave us free breakfast. Yay!!
Our little bus was in pretty good shape compared to most; we were glad about this as it was a 3.5 hr stint to Halong Bay. As we were leaving the Old Quarter down a typically narrow road the bus took down an overhanging power cable ... I guess some poor sod had no electric that day.
This was our first overland journey in Vietnam and although the landscape is not as picturesque as Laos we were glad to be on a flat, straight road ... there are some hills but its predominantly very green and flat ... perfect for the rice paddies and many fruit farms ... on this leg we passed through pineapple country ... there were literally hundreds of roadside stalls selling just pineapples.
On the way we killed time chatting to an English couple from Hong Kong and a nice old couple from Australia. Throughout the journey we saw several methods of pig transportation including one on a skateboard, a huge one tied over a motorbike seat; it was still alive and clearly in distress as its snout practically skimmed the road and dozens more piled on top of each other in the back of a truck ... I guess those little piggies were going to market.
We were also shocked to see dozens of live chickens strapped together, hanging upside down by their feet and tied onto a motorbike.
When we arrived in the bay it was very misty and we couldn't see any of the islands rising from the sea which is what it's famous for.
This is what it should look like:
http://www.friendsofworldheritage.org/assets/wallpapers/halongbay_vietnam_wallpaper.jpg
As we were only on a 1 day tour, we were split from our bus buddies and shown to another boat. There were hundreds of boats in the harbour and although it was very misty it was a great site (photos don't do it justice).
We made our way to the top deck as we set sail ... it was very quiet and the mist gave it an eerie feel. We couldn't see what we were heading into but when we looked around there were many other boats heading in the same direction which was nice to watch.
The mist lifted a little and we stopped for lunch alongside a floating fishing village. We shared our table with a charming Columbian guy, a friendly and well-travelled Malaysian girl and a very abrupt old French lady with unusual dress sense. It was an enjoyable lunch and we all talked about our travel tales. The sun came out and as we returned to our top deck position hawks circled above us.
Next stop was to view one of the many caves in the area and the ride there was very relaxing. Climbing up the many steps to the cave entrance Soph was very excited as she doesn't remember being in a big cave before.
The size alone was spectacular and the clever lighting really brought the formations to life ... I tried to take photos but it was too dark so you'll just have to believe us when we say it was brilliant.
On our way back to the harbour we chatted to a nice Thai lady and her family and they invited us to stay when we return to Thailand in June. Another 3.5 hours later we were back in Hanoi and the friendly staff at our hotel arranged our open tour bus ticket to head south the next day. We both slept well that night.
The next morning we checked out and went to find an internet shop to upload our Laos photos. There were over 400 and on the dinosaur machine it took forever to get them on. Hours later we'd finally titled them all and we could almost touch the finish line, when Soph being a total numb-nut somehow managed to delete everything ... photos, titles ... the lot! Subsequently she chucked a mental, started screaming at the computer and then turned on me. I was in a state of shock and could not defend myself which annoyed her even more as I sat staring at her with my jaw-dropped expression. It is unusual for me not to have anything to say but I really was in shock and could not believe what had just happened. Soph was determined to at least upload the photos and although I tried to help I was clearly getting on her nerves.
It was almost 5pm and our bus was due at half past so I went back to the hotel to stall them. Hanoi is a difficult place to navigate when you're in a rush and I nearly got ran over several times. At the hotel the smiley staff informed me that the actual pick-up time was 6 o'clock. I had no way of communicating this extra time to Soph so I went to wait out front for her. At 29 minutes past she came steaming round the corner flustered and angry-looking having successfully uploaded the photos and pretty much sprinted back fearing the bus would leave without her. She was hot and hungry so we got her some scran from the stall on the corner and got on the bus.
As usual it looked nothing like the brochure ... we were expecting comfy bunk beds, but there was still a lot more leg room than the usual sleepers (kinda like sitting upright on a sun lounger) so it wasn't all that bad, except they were only about a foot wide ... clearly a local bus not built for western tourists.
Squashed together I thought we could be in for a reasonable nights sleep until a young man sitting in front of us who looked like one of the evil ghosts off 'The Grudge' started glaring at me through the gap in the seats. Not wanting to appear uneasy I ignored him for a while but after about 10 minutes he was still there with his devilish glare so I cracked him my cheesiest grin hoping to soften his hard exterior. This was completely ineffective and his icy stare intensified.
When we stopped for a break and passed down the aisle we noticed that the old lady beside him was restraining him. Obviously we can't say what was going on there but we assumed he had some mental issues. Unfortunately for me these insane stare episodes continued throughout the night so I didn't sleep a wink.
At 6am we arrived at a very grey Hue and being exhausted we were vulnerable prey for the vulture touts ... subsequently we ended up in a room infested with ants but as we were only staying one night we 'sucked it up' like an anteater!
We lounged around for a while, had a naff fruit salad and even though the sky looked threatening we were determined to see Hue's best bits. We took a long walk through town and crossed the Huong River to the Citadel which was constructed in 1804 by Emperor Gia Long. Inside the 6m high, 2.5km long wall is a surreal world of deserted gardens and ceremonial halls. Although we were impressed with the scale of the complex, considering it was only 200 years old it was pretty run down and we wondered where the entrance fees of the hundreds of daily visitors went ... clearly not on maintenance.
As we walked the grounds a French lady was crouched down on the floor ... we went to investigate and she showed us an open-leaved plant that when touched shrivelled up and played dead but if you watched it for long enough it sprung back to life.
Central Hue has little charm so after the Citadel we returned to the hotel for some much-needed rest in our ant-infested beds.
The next morning we were up bright and early and as our southbound bus wasn't due till lunch we took a morning tour of the tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty. First of all we visited a local village that specialised in making conical hats and incense sticks. It was interesting to see how much work and detail goes into the hats and we were surprised to learn that one lady can make over 1000 incense sticks by hand each day. Looking around we noticed 2 familiar faces ... the old Australian couple from our bus to Halong Bay.
Next stop was the tomb of Tu Duc which is laced with frangipani and pine trees and set alongside a small lake. Again it was quite run down and the tomb itself was closed for maintenance so we were a little disappointed.
The next destination was the tomb of Khai Dinh ... as there was an entrance fee for each tomb the Lonely Planet guide recommended to skip this one so we stayed on board the bus. We were a little frustrated to learn when our fellow passengers returned that it was actually better than the first one ... BUMMER!!!
Last stop was the tomb of Minh Mang who ruled from 1820 to 1840. Our tour guide painted a picture of the 'sexy king' who had 500 or more concubines (wives / lovers) and over 170 children ... horny old goat!!!
The guide also told us about the eunuchs who worked for the king ... Minh Mang must have been either seriously insecure or just plain greedy as all the men who worked close to his concubines had to be castrated. There were 3 kinds of eunuchs ... the physical eunuchs who actually had their genitals cut off ... the chemical eunuchs who since birth had been intended to work for the king so were given medicine to shrink their genitals down to nothing ... and last but not least, the financial eunuchs who paid someone in authority to say that they had been castrated and secure them a position within the concubines quarters. By day they would work as a eunuch and by night they would have their wicked way with the king's women ... crafty hey!
We were dropped back at the hotel and went to catch our bus to Hoi An. Thankfully it was only a 5 hour ride and having seen a predominantly flat Vietnam so far it was nice to see some of its mountains and coastline.
We arrived in Hoi An just before sundown and as usual we were dropped at the bus company's hotel. We looked at a few rooms but it was a bit skanky so we decided to get back-packed up and hit the streets. We had no idea where we were going so we followed our noses down the main street. Many of the hotels in the town centre were out of our price range so we continued on with our search. Further on we viewed several grimy rooms in hotels which were pristinely polished on the exterior ... we wondered why they didn't save some of the money for the inside.
By this point Soph was getting rather cheesed off and when it started to pour down she was ready to go back to the skanky room at the drop-off point. Just as well I persevered as eventually I bagged us a nice room with satellite TV, air-con and an indoor swimming pool for $10 (7 quid) a night.
The next day Soph was a bit worn out and as it was raining she wanted to chill in the room so I went for a little wander down to the market. I returned with bagfuls of fruit which put a smile on Soph's face. In the afternoon we went down to the pool for a swim ... a group of 4 English guys from London joined us soon after and one of them remarked that I had in fact taken their photograph in Hanoi a few days earlier. I didn't remember their faces as it was such a brief encounter and I was surprised that he'd recognised me especially as I'd been wearing a bandana and sunglasses at the time. They were nice guys and we enjoyed swapping travel tales.
The following morning Soph was feeling a bit brighter and for once the sun was out so we took a nice long walk around Hoi An. The Old Town is utterly charming and with its narrow streets and rustic buildings has a very European feel. Hoi An is famous for high quality tailoring at extremely affordable prices ... many people go there to have suits, wedding dresses and pretty much everything else custom-made. Often customers present a tear-out from Vogue magazine or similar and the tailor will make a perfect copy. There are also many quirky craft shops and galleries which we happily mooched around.
Later that night after we'd been for a swim we learned that our new baby niece Mia had arrived which made us feel really homesick and needless to say we didn't sleep much that night.
The next morning we received much-awaited news from home that both Lyns (our sister-in-law) and baby Mia were well which put our minds at rest but didn't cure our homesickness.
We were leaving for Nha Trang at 6pm so we had all afternoon to kill. We'd been at each other's throats all morning ... I think that missing home and the arrival of our first niece teamed with the fact that we'd eaten just fruit for the last week had finally taken its toll.
I suggested we went for a bevy to wet the baby's head. In our usual fashion this turned into 2 bottles of wine and a 3 course meal ... sod the budget, we were celebrating! We sampled the local delicacy of 'Cha Ca' which is fish slices cooked over charcoal with a touch of spice ... most delicious ... and the wine was good too. The fruit diet was now out of the window!
On the way back to the hotel we left our brother Sam a merry voicemail to congratulate him on becoming a dad.
On the bus we enjoyed the first few hours, laughing and joking and singing songs until the booze wore off and the remaining 9 were long and sleepless.
We arrived in Nha Trang at 6am and yet again it was raining. It was a public holiday and we'd been warned that the hotel rates would be steep. The drop-off hotel wanted $50 so we went in search of something cheaper. All of the budget hotels were full so we went back to the first one to negotiate ... ended up paying $30 which was well over our budget but the room had a huge balcony / terrace with views of the city so for one night we made an exception.
Walking around it was like a ghost town and as the beach was pretty grotty we booked a bus to get out of there the next day. We struggled to find something to eat as most places were closed and ended up in a 'local' restaurant where the menu was filled with strange dishes such as snakes head, salamander and bloodworms ... even I felt a bit nauseous at the thought. Maybe we just caught Nha Trang on a bad day?!
The journey to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) would be a gruelling 12 hours and annoyingly the overnight sleeper bus was fully booked so we rose at 6am and spent the whole next day travelling.
The day was pretty uneventful but we did meet an interesting American Vietnamese guy from LA at one of the food stops. He was there on business ... looking for products to take back and sell in America. He said we should get into imports / exports and build our own little empire ... maybe that's how we'll make our millions ha ha!!
We passed through mango and dragon fruit countries and we also bumped into the London lads from Hoi An.
As we arrived in Saigon around 7pm we were dazzled by the bright city lights. We drove past many luxurious hotels, fantasised about a night in one of them and wished we had a bigger budget.
We were dropped in a bustling part of town right in the heart of backpacker central and we began our hotel hunt. The first thing we noticed was that all the rooms were very small and we realised we wouldn't get much for our money. We finally settled on a little room in the Phong guesthouse down a quiet side street. We got it for $12 which was much cheaper than all the other rooms, plus we had air-con, TV and fridge ... happy days!
The next day it was raining as usual so we stayed in our room, tried to write some blog and had the ladies downstairs wash all of our clothes ... yay, gone were the smelly farangs!
We wanted to get out and see the city so although it was hot and humid the following morning I got my sexy walking sandals on and dragged Soph out of bed. Just around the corner there was a small inner-city park where many locals were playing badminton and volleyball (a regular sight in Vietnam). We sat down on one of its shaded benches and agreed our plan of action.
First we went to get our bus tickets to Cambodia and we also bought a map of the city. Further down the road when we removed the map from its packaging we realised we'd been sold a dud as it looked like it had been printed when the toner cartridge was on the way out. We binned the map and decided to go it alone.
We headed for the riverside as it had looked so pretty the night we'd arrived. As we walked we passed many designer stores and expensive boutiques. We made it down to the water and much to our disappointment, in the daylight, the area was quite unattractive and the river dirty.
We looked again at the posh hotels and in this setting they were far less inviting and we were now not so jealous of their guests.
We are not sure if it was the heat, the effects of the toxic car fumes, the disappointing river views or just homesickness but all hell broke loose and we had a massive barney in the middle of the street ... our mother would have been proud ... NOT!!!
The screaming match continued down a few blocks and as we were on the verge of a bare-knuckle fight we went our separate ways in tears.
I walked back to the park where we'd people-watched earlier and took my place on a bench to think it over. While I was pondering a little Vietnamese lady approached and wanted to do my nails ... I wasn't interested but she tried to make small-talk anyway. She asked if I was alone and I said I was with my sister. She could surely see I had things on my mind and left me alone.
Around a half hour later Soph appeared, put down a half empty bottle of water on the bench (perhaps a peace offering) and walked away. I was a little confused as to how she'd found me there but I went after her to make friends. It turned out Soph had been sitting close by in the park and when the little old lady had sat down with her and asked if she was alone and she'd given the same answer, the lady pointed me out and asked "Is that your sister?". Maybe she was sent to make peace between us?!
After cuddles and apologies we agreed to put it behind us and went for a beer. Later on we explored some more of the city (although nowhere near as much as we'd hoped) and then being our last night in Vietnam we treated ourselves to a nice Italian meal and a bottle of wine where the waitresses were very friendly and interested in our travels. It was a nice end to our Vietnamese adventure.
We're currently in Indonesia ... have been here a couple of weeks and a couple more to go but we can't tell you about it yet as we've got our Cambodia episode to write first ... stay tuned.
Lots of love
Lois & Sophie x x x
P.S. This PC won't load our Vietnam photos but we'll get them on ASAP.
