Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh
The next day brought a new set of circumstances as we hung lazily around the hotel pool, saying goodbye to our old group and somewhat reluctantly greeting the new. There were only four of us going on so it felt very odd at first. Vietnam was to be our home for the next ten days, and as I’d come to learn lots already (the good and the bad) about SE Asia in general, this was to be a further learning experience.
In the afternoon, regrouped, we hopped on a flight to Ho Chi Minh city and another fresh country to tick off our ever growing list. The ceiling on this plane was fortunately not stuck together with duct tape and we arrived in one piece. That day is still a bit of a haze in my mind, but I do remember one of the first things we did once we had checked into our hotel and ventured out into the city, was to try a Vietnamese coffee. Honestly I think this (and Laotian) is my favourite coffee in the world, even better than Italian or Australasian.
The Ben Thanh markets were the order of the night that night, as we got lost in the chaos and the haggling for items. I’m generally shit at haggling, but a couple of the girls were awesome, taking no nonsense and putting down a firm price or walking away immediately. The vendor would then be like oh no please come back any price is better than none, and therefore they came away with insanely cheap goods.
Please don’t get me started on the state of the traffic and pedestrian rights. Basically you had none. Your best bet, if you needed to cross to the other side of the road, was just to walk out into the middle of oncoming cars and hope for the best.
Ho Chi Minh to Mekong Delta
We would be making a return to the much loved river today, with a special cruise followed by a visit to a local tea house and the floating markets. Our transferral from land to a Vietnamese ‘Sampans’ (a small boat) was amusing as it was rocking dangerously when we tentatively stepped in. Wearing the traditional hats, ‘Non la’ made from leaves, we drank from coconuts with straws and enjoyed the journey. On dry land we made various pit stops and watched, intrigued, some cooking demonstrations at how the locals made their rice paper.
We were also treated to various creatures dotted around, alive or dead, tanked or jarred.
Upon arriving at our traditional guesthouse (complete with garden hammocks) that we’d be staying in that night, Alicia and I decided to rent some bikes and go explore the island. Everyone waved to us as we went past and kids grinned broadly, sometimes running to follow our trail. Which admittedly got a bit lost, ah well, we weren’t too fussed.
We got back just in time for this.
Not to mention a trek through the undergrowth where the Aussie boys all wrestled each other in a muddy ditch. An ant then bit down viciously on my foot which sent me involuntarily kicking my flip flop across said ditch in pain and surprise. Everyone laughed. Bastards.
That evening, our hosts kindly made us dinner outside, accompanied by a local song and dance.
The Vietnamese people are much like the Laotians, some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met, and it was really interesting to learn their customs and way of life along the river. Plus we did get to hold a snake. A really big one.
Mekong Delta back to Ho Chi Minh
We could have very easily spent more time on the beautiful Mekong, but back to the big smoke we had to go. I’ve always thought that people are well suited to boats, assuming it’s not too choppy. Being in or near to water seems to relax and make us happy, no doubt having something to do with being made up of 90% water.
En route to Ho Chi was a stop at Viet Cong’s immense 250 kilometre long Cu Chi tunnels, used during the Vietnam war and all dug via hand by the Vietnamese resistance fighters. There are many hidden trap doors, with one particularly narrow and claustrophobic tunnel open to the public. Camouflaged into the ground by leaves, this involved taking off the wooden cover, lowering yourself into the hole up to your waist, before squatting down and lifting your arms up, neatly pulling the wooden cover back over your head. An uncomfortable art form.
Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang
Our morning looked set to be a busy one as we made the most of our time left in Ho Chi Minh by visiting the War Remnants Museum. This was another fairly harrowing experience with some shocking photos of the short and long term after effects on the Vietnamese people due to the release of Agent Orange by the US, a deadly, or at least highly destructive, chemical. After the museum we checked out the Notre Dame Cathedral, General Post Office and Presidential Palace before hopping over to Nha Trang, a stunning coastal town with turquoise waters and golden sand that overlooks the South China Sea.
The afternoon in Nha Trang was much more relaxed as we indulged in a mineral mud bath and vegetated in the varying temperatures of the hot thermal springs. We probably would have stayed there, caked in mud all afternoon and evening and ended up eating dinner in there, had we been given half the chance.
Nha Trang
Ah, Nha Trang. Another day in this beautiful place, cruising the water on our party boat ‘Funky Monkey’, soaking up the rays, swimming, snorkelling and enjoying the pleasures of the ‘water bar.’ I think I speak for everyone when I say that nobody will forget our resident watery bartender and the shine that he took to one of our girls. “Becky! Becky! Where’s Becky?!”
Anyone could enjoy this bar, the catch being that every time you wanted a drink, you would have to jump into the sea and hold onto a large rubber ring (the bar) whilst waiting in your own rubber ring. The effect of this was as follows.
Looking back, I’m not sure why we queued so patiently, as a lot of the drink being offered up was some disgusting sweet orange liquid that I could barely swallow. After enough of this we piled back onto the boat for a session of Karaoke, and I have this hilarious video of Danielle cooly sitting there and looking unimpressed while we all yelled the song ‘I’m on a boat!’
Nha Trang to Hoi An
We do cover a lot of ground on these tours, which is why the next day witnessed us getting on another flight to Hoi An. This place is unforgettable, containing an ancient old town cut through with canals and bridges. A sort of Venice of the East, if you like, or ‘lantern town’ – as at night time it is gorgeous, lit up by hundreds if not thousands of lanterns guiding your way through the gently humming streets of people.
A walking tour and bike ride through the town was the first activity covered, as we marvelled at the combination of the Japanese bridge, brightly coloured houses and French colonialism.
The brakes on my bike were a little dodgy, but by that point I hardly cared and nothing surprised me.
Our entertainment that evening was a cooking class, which I sadly had to miss, yet was fortunate to be able to rock up to right as it was finishing and eat the food.
As we had two nights to kill in Hoi An, after the cooking class many of us excitedly went to a tailors to pick out the fabrics and be fitted for some custom made clothes at dirt cheap prices – with the hope they would be ready by tomorrow evening at the latest. I decided to get a Greek style dress done for my upcoming Big Birthday.
Hoi An
Not too far from Hoi An are the Marble Mountains, and this is where we headed the next day. These are a collection of five peaks that represent the five elements in Vietnamese folklore, and in more recent history, were the hiding place for US soldiers during the Vietnam War. The Thuy Son caves and grottos were impressive, with intricate stone carvings.
Most of us managed to get our clothes finished in time. I say most – someone arranged for a special international package to be delivered… (No, not me)
Hoi An to Hue
What stands out most to me about this day is the drive. One of the best looking drives I think we’ve done on tour, it is recommended in many guide books and is also made famous as part of Jeremy Clarkson’s motorbike tour through Ho Chi Minh all the way to Ha Long Bay (in-case you even cared)
Hue itself is known for its lotus flower ponds, artwork and decorative pavilions, and upon arrival we were sucked straight into its intriguing depths with a cyclo ride to the Imperial Citadel. (As a walled fortress and palace surrounded by a moat, neither is the style something that would look out of place in Japan) Contiki wouldn’t be Contiki if we didn’t also manage to squeeze in the Tu Duc Mausoleum, as well as the 7 story Thien Mu Pagoda where we were informed about the nasty Hue Buddhist massacre.
Hue to Hanoi
The flight to Hanoi today was broken up by some amazing cloud porn.
Hanoi is a fantastic mixture of Vietnamese, French and Chinese influences, and this was certainly something we noticed as we checked into our hotel in the old quarter. Hanoi acted as something of a base for us, as we were there for two nights yet it was useful as a jumping point for our jaw dropping cruise through Halong Bay.
The time in the city that afternoon was spent in the Garden of Literature, roaming the Parisian inspired boulevards and trading streets, as well as eating delicious Pho for dinner.
A strange guy on our tour was suffering from swollen feet quite badly by this stage. Alicia, being a nurse, had previously told him to stop walking and put his feet up, which he ignored. At this point she was so annoyed with him that the sight of his two balloons did nothing to elicit her sympathy, something which I can’t blame her for.
Hanoi to Halong Bay
The next morning a group of us decided we needed to go and visit the dead body of Ho Chi Minh (interestingly stored in Hanoi and not Ho Chi Minh itself) and balloon man decided to tag along, much to our dismay. How he was still standing on them I have no idea.
It was another sweaty day and I was glad we had decided to stop by to see a corpse so early in the morning, as it meant that we could once again avoid huge queues. The performance to get in to see him was extraordinary. After a thorough bag search, we had to walk in a uniformed line, with guards marching beside us, even when we got inside the gloomy mausoleum. Ho Chi was illuminated in a kind of sickly yellow light, although I couldn’t be sure as we only had about five seconds in there. Apparently they are worried that you might smash the glass and steal a body part, or something.
Our main destination was the great Halong Bay itself. This may very well surpass, or at least equal, the Fjords of Norway or the Grand Canyon when I try to explain how my jaw dropped. It is out of this world – and we had a whole 24 hours there!
After we had boarded our Chinese style junk boat, we went to the top deck to snap a million photos, whilst cruising through the lagoons, forests and grottos of the Gulf of Tonkin. I believe our first visit was to the Sung Sot caves where it was so hot that it felt – and looked – like Dante’s Inferno, and we spotted a rather rude formation.
Our second stop was via a small speedboat to an island where we climbed to the top to get even more unreal photos of Halong Bay.
Back onboard our main vessel and a woman enthusiastically rowed up to our boat with a whole supply of snacks waiting. (Note all the Pringles)
Sunset was a stunner.
Dinner that night was seafood heavy, as we cranked up the music and got ready to party – pirate style 😉
Halong Bay back to Hanoi
The next morning we woke to a generous breakfast display and an option to go kayaking around the Bay, something that none of us were going to say no to. That hands down has to be my favourite kayaking experience, breathing in the splendour and also keeping a look out for little monkeys hiding in the cliffs looming high above us.
Back to Hanoi – was really not what we wanted to do as it would spell an end to our trip, and for many of us, the next day we would be leaving to fly home. But go we must. I couldn’t quite believe it.
Hanoi to Home (wherever that is)
Well, I’d done it. One whole month in South East Asia, and still miraculously alive. For now – I still had to get back to the UK. Sitting in the airport and sweating whilst waiting for my flight, I decided that I was actually quite relieved to be returning to a much cooler climate – perhaps my brain would start functioning properly again. In all likelihood, it would probably be plotting out the next great adventure in another tropical paradise…
Until then…
look2find 