Vietnam
Arrived safely in Vietnam after a long flight. Just in time for the end of the new year celebrations so a happy new year (of the cat) to you all. Too hot (34) and too tired to do much today but saw some of the flower festival for new year and will be out later to see it all lit up at night. Tomorrow off to see the war time tunnels and a tour of the city – a river cruise lined up for the next day. Hope you are not all freezing in the UK.
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Doon The Hole
Last night we went back to see the flower festival at night and took a few photos of the dragon and dancers. Today on the way to see the war time tunnels we passed by the rice growing in the paddy fields and stopped to see a plantation of rubber trees and an explanation of how they collect the latex. The tunnels were very interesting and we had the chance to walk ( or in my case crawl on hands and knees) along a short length of some of the tunnels.
Doon The River
Overnight the flower festival was cleared away and the streets appeared strangely empty when we saw them from our 20th floor hotel room. We started the morning with a drive to the Mekong delta where we went to see a beautiful pagoda and several large statues of Buddha before we started our river cruise. This took us to an island where coconuts grow and we saw how they were processed. After a short ride in a horse drawn cart we were paddled along a canal in a canoe. Tonight is a cruise and dinner on the Saigon river. Tomorrow we have a short flight to our next destination. Watch this space, but we don’t know when the next update will be!
Change Of Scenery
The fish in yesterday’s picture was a part of lunch and formed the basis of a fish spring roll. The waitress took a circle of rice paper (similar to ones we’d watched being made when we were at the tunnels) , added lettuce, rice noodles, cucumber, a slice of pineapple and the fish and then rolled it all up. Today we flew to Da Nang and visited a museum of sculptures from the time of the Cham people. Then we drove on to Hoi An which is a lovely old town full of beautiful buildings. We also saw demonstrations of silk making from the silkworm to the embroidery and the made to measure suits ready to wear the next day. Temperature continues to a pleasant 26.
Another Relaxing Day
10pm and sitting outside sipping cocktails. Started this morning with a tour to see the ruined temples of My Son – very atmospheric and beautiful. The scenery here is very different from what we saw in the Mekong delta. Green and hilly with lush vegetation. After lunch we had a short cruise on the river and a visit to see some pottery being made. We found a nice restaurant tonight and then wandered back through the incense scented streets which are lit with brightly coloured lanterns. An explanation of some of today’s pictures – we dropped off some laundry this morning and got it back late this afternoon clean and pressed (even John’s pants were ironed). The other photo was outside one of the shops and a very Scottish recommendation.
Mountains and Palaces
After a late breakfast at 7.30 we had a scenic drive over the mountain pass (lots of hairpin bends and drops down to the ocean). Hazy so no clear views of the mountains, but very atmospheric. Our first stop was at the marble mountain where there were lots of marble sculptures for sale. After the mountain road we arrived in Hue where we stopped at a local cafe for lunch of dumplings and noodles which cost all of 3 pounds for the two of us and was very good. In the afternoon we visited the Imperial City, the site of the palace of the last king. Tomorrow we have a late start, but won’t reach our hotel until around ten pm so may not send updates for a day or so. Meanwhile enjoy some more photos including last night and tonight’s hotels.
Boats, Buses and Planes
After yesterday’s cheap lunch we dined in the evening in the hotel which cost a mere 1.4 million Vietnamese Dong. This morning we started with a trip on a houseboat on the Perfume River to visit a beautiful pagoda and Buddhist temple. From there we visited the tombs of two of the kings. The older one in poor repair but partly restored and in an attractive location. The newer one was smaller but more elaborate with lots of mosaic work and paintings of dragons on the ceilings. After another lunch of noodles we were taken to the airport for our flight to Hanoi and at the moment we are on a 3 hour bus ride to HaLong bay which we should reach by 10.30pm. Another early start in the morning for a 7 hour cruise in the bay and sea food banquet (John will have the pudding) before another 3 hour return journey to Hanoi – but tomorrow the scenery should be spectacular and the trip well worth it. Still warm but we had a misty start to the morning so hope that it is clearer tomorrow.
Cruising in a Junk
Weather today reminded us of Glasgow in the summertime. The day started with mist and fine rain which has increased to a drizzle as the day has worn on. The cruise round the bay was on a Junk and lasted for 5 or 6 hours and (apart from the cold) was very enjoyable. Talking of the cold we learnt that primary school children don’t have to go to school when the temperature drops below 10 degrees; John realised that in Scotland this would have meant he would rarely have had to go at all!br The first stop on the cruise was at one of the nearly 2000 islands in the bay and after climbing up a couple of hundred steps we entered a cave system which took us through the centre of the island (meanwhile the boat had sailed round ready to meet us). The cave was massive with lots of interesting rock formations which had been illuminated with coloured lights. Later we visited a fish farm which effectively is an artificial mini-island floating on the sea with a small hut for the family (and cat) to live in. The farm itself divided into smallish tanks, each with a different type of fish or shellfish and provided the fish which within an hour was served fresh for lunch (vegetarian option available, thankfully for some – but the fish was really good to eat). Now we are doing the 3 hour drive back to Hanoi.
The Last Night In Vietnam
Started this morning with a visit to Ho Chi Mihn’s mausoleum for a chance to pay our respects to Uncle Ho. From there we went to the presidential palace and The House on Stilts where Ho Chi Minh lived. After coffee and cakes we also visited the national museum which was well worth a visit and full of beautiful artifacts. The afternoon started with a walking tour of the old part of the city with small streets each of which specialised in selling different items like jewellery or fruit or clothes. After a short break for coconut ice cream we went to see a water puppet show – the stage is underwater and the puppets perform on top of the water operated from underneath by backstage puppeteers. This evening we went for a walk from the hotel and just round the corner was the Britannia Fish and Chip shop which even sold scotch eggs and mushy peas (but no deep fried Mars bars). We continued along the road and found an Indian restaurant which made a change and was also very good (especially for vegetarians). Tomorrow we fly to Loas in the late afternoon so this is our last message from Vietnam, before we go we are adding some more pictures to yesterday’s post, so have another look at that.
Final Postcard From Vietnam
A late start this morning so we went for a walk for a few hours along the side of the lake by the hotel. Watched the fishermen for a while and then found a local Market with token money for burning, fortune tellers, party decorations, fruit and meat – all life was here. So while we wait for transportation to the airport here are a few final pictures of street life in the Market and round the lake.
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