This morning we are collected by our new guide, Phuong. Robyn is still not 100% so she has opted to sit this one out. Probably a very good thing as it turned out as this was the hottest, most humid day so far! In fact, once we got back to the hotel I had 2 gastrolyte tablets to replace all that had been sweated out of me today. I don't really think it was the heat so much as the humidity but it felt like 45. One certainly doesn't need to bring facial cleanser here as any impurities are are sweated out at a rate of knots!
So it is just Tyrell and me who travel to My Son which is in the jungle and was one of the areas heavily dosed with bombs and Agent Orange. The ruins of many temples are here, which were the hiding place of the Viet Cong, and of course it has now grown back so it is easy to imgine how it would have been. The humidity is so opressive I truly wonder how the soldiers (both sides) were able to stand it, although the locals certainly had the advantage.
We arrive back at our hotel in time for lunch by the pool. In each place we have been I have taken it upon myself, on Pat's behalf, to saample the local beer, all of which have been extremely drinkable. Today I try Tiger beer and am for the first time disappointed. One not to order again.
Later in the afternoon, once the "cool change" hits, we head off to the shopping district to collect our clothes which were being made but none of them are ready as apparently the electricity has been off for most of the day. Our resort obviously had alternative power. This explains why the 2 ATM's I tried to get money from weren't working. It is supposed to be back on by 5pm but until then most of the shops have no lighting. Some however have generators roaring out the front which are very noisy and emit quite a bit of heat and smell as you walk by. We know when the power comes back on as they all, almost simultaneously, switch off the the silence is almost deafening!
We continue to wander until it is time for dinner. We choose a random restaurant beside the river and go to the upstairs section. The narrow staircase is so steep I'm sure I'll have to come down backwards but we watch as the waitress skips up and down quite easily - and with trays laden with food or dirty dishes!
When we have finished we come downstairs to an absolutely beautiful aroma. One of the options we noticed on the menu is the opportunity to cook your own, under supervision as a cooking lesson. We chatted to the family (a Mum, Dad & 2 kids) doing just that and when we said we were doing a course ourselves tomorrow the little girl said, "Oh you will have so much fun, you'll just love it." On her recommendation, we cn't wait!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday 22 April - Hoi An free day
Today is a totally free day so we have a very leisurely breakfast then gather up the clothes we plan to have made. Hoi An is an absolute mecca for having tailoring done and we actually met one lady who arrived (from Shepparton, and knew people Tyrell did from when she was a student teacher there!) with just a carry on bag and bought a suitcase here to take home all she was having made. The place which has been recommended to us is called Yali and as luck would have it is just one block from our Resort.
I am only having trousers made here as they tell me they don't have the fabric for the other things I have brought. They say they are unable to do one of Tyrell's items too, so we move on, although they are making a number of things for us combined. Later in our Hoi An sojourn we discuss the Yali thing and all agree they are only interested in things they may be able to on-sell. They are not interested in any way to duplicate anything they may not be able to offer in the future and therefore can't be bothered to make a pattern for it. They have absolutely tons of catalogues to browse through but it really looks like they are catering to the "corporate" wardrobe clients. Their loss, as we find other places to make the "öne-of's".
The prices we are being asked to pay for things in the market is so cheap it is almost embarrassing to barter. Tyrell and I each buy a set of chopsticks in a beautiful wooden box and know we have probably paid 3 times what we should have. But this is still early in the piece and we haven't hit our straps yet (and we really liked them!). Not so Rob! The lady at the stall opposite the chopsticks rip off obviously thinks we are easy targets and thinks she can get in on the act. Picked the wrong target when she tried to charge Robyn 1 million 200 thousand dong for 5 hair clips - the ones you'd only pay $3 tops for in Coles or Woolies, so her asking price of over $50 got the hackles up big time!
It was quite entertaining to watch Rob tell this woman to rack off, no WAY was she paying that. This woman chased us for quite some way (probably didn't want to lose face) and eventually accepted 200,000 (about $10) and it didn't take a translator to tell us we were being called some rather insulting names! After a bit more browsing Rob headed back to the hotel, Tyrell went in search of another tailor she'd been told about and I headed off to find the lady who earlier had offered to scrape Grand Canyon off my heels for only $5.
My little sojourn ended up quite profitable for a number of people in this paticular narket. During my foot scrape a "cousin" came along and offered a neck & shoulder massage ($5). Why not! The foot scraper also offers to wax my legs ($5) using strands of cotton. Quite ingeneous and absolutely painless! Then she gives me a foot massage. Guess how much! Yep, $5!! !!
So then I was dragged off to a friend's shoe store. arrange to have 2 pairs of ballet flats made (no, not $5!) but no money changes hands so if I don't like I don't pay. Next stop is a tailor. Can't hurt to ask if she can duplicate the top Yali weren't interested in. Of course Madam. How about the pants I wearing. Of course Madam. I leave a deposit which cleans ot my wallet so I think I can't be dragged anywhere else. Think again! "You come look in my shop now Madam". "But I have no more money." "No problem, you just come look."
I end up with a set of placemats from one shop and 4 silk scarves from another - all on credit! "No problem Madam, you pay me tomorrow." I have to come back tomorrow to collect my shoes and clothes so I figure they will know as soon as I step foot in the market as news spreads fast (about suckers) so I won't be able to leave without paying what I owe.
I get back to the hotel around 3pm and meet the girls at the pool. We order only tonic water as we have the gin cleverly disguised in a water bottle!
A relaxing few hours then showers before heading back into the old quarter to find a venue for dinner. Back to the hotel and bed by 9pm. Pat would be proud
I am only having trousers made here as they tell me they don't have the fabric for the other things I have brought. They say they are unable to do one of Tyrell's items too, so we move on, although they are making a number of things for us combined. Later in our Hoi An sojourn we discuss the Yali thing and all agree they are only interested in things they may be able to on-sell. They are not interested in any way to duplicate anything they may not be able to offer in the future and therefore can't be bothered to make a pattern for it. They have absolutely tons of catalogues to browse through but it really looks like they are catering to the "corporate" wardrobe clients. Their loss, as we find other places to make the "öne-of's".
The prices we are being asked to pay for things in the market is so cheap it is almost embarrassing to barter. Tyrell and I each buy a set of chopsticks in a beautiful wooden box and know we have probably paid 3 times what we should have. But this is still early in the piece and we haven't hit our straps yet (and we really liked them!). Not so Rob! The lady at the stall opposite the chopsticks rip off obviously thinks we are easy targets and thinks she can get in on the act. Picked the wrong target when she tried to charge Robyn 1 million 200 thousand dong for 5 hair clips - the ones you'd only pay $3 tops for in Coles or Woolies, so her asking price of over $50 got the hackles up big time!
It was quite entertaining to watch Rob tell this woman to rack off, no WAY was she paying that. This woman chased us for quite some way (probably didn't want to lose face) and eventually accepted 200,000 (about $10) and it didn't take a translator to tell us we were being called some rather insulting names! After a bit more browsing Rob headed back to the hotel, Tyrell went in search of another tailor she'd been told about and I headed off to find the lady who earlier had offered to scrape Grand Canyon off my heels for only $5.
My little sojourn ended up quite profitable for a number of people in this paticular narket. During my foot scrape a "cousin" came along and offered a neck & shoulder massage ($5). Why not! The foot scraper also offers to wax my legs ($5) using strands of cotton. Quite ingeneous and absolutely painless! Then she gives me a foot massage. Guess how much! Yep, $5!! !!
So then I was dragged off to a friend's shoe store. arrange to have 2 pairs of ballet flats made (no, not $5!) but no money changes hands so if I don't like I don't pay. Next stop is a tailor. Can't hurt to ask if she can duplicate the top Yali weren't interested in. Of course Madam. How about the pants I wearing. Of course Madam. I leave a deposit which cleans ot my wallet so I think I can't be dragged anywhere else. Think again! "You come look in my shop now Madam". "But I have no more money." "No problem, you just come look."
I end up with a set of placemats from one shop and 4 silk scarves from another - all on credit! "No problem Madam, you pay me tomorrow." I have to come back tomorrow to collect my shoes and clothes so I figure they will know as soon as I step foot in the market as news spreads fast (about suckers) so I won't be able to leave without paying what I owe.
I get back to the hotel around 3pm and meet the girls at the pool. We order only tonic water as we have the gin cleverly disguised in a water bottle!
A relaxing few hours then showers before heading back into the old quarter to find a venue for dinner. Back to the hotel and bed by 9pm. Pat would be proud
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Thursday 21 April - Hoi An
Thinh stayed last night at the hotel directly across from our resort. (Bet his room wasn't as nice as mine!) We had seen him on the street last night (while sucking back cocktails), most likely catching up with other tour guides doing the same os him. We go on a walking tour of the old city area, including the markets. The markets are where we discover Robyn's threshhold for disgusting smells has been breached! She was reasonable OK until we got to the area where the fish were No closed shoes made it worse as heaven knows what we were slopping through. Tyrell and I were able to switch off and not think too much about it but it was something that stayed with Rob for some time!
This is just a half day tour so we take note of lots of places we may want to come back to later. We then board a boat and head up the river to a pottery making area. This is the only place in Hoi An that makes pottery and its all done without any mechanical help. It is mainly old people here and Thinh tells us that the youynger generation have no interest in learning this craft to carry it on.
The boat then takes us back to our hotel and this is where we say goodbye to Thinh. He is ging back to Hue by public bus (our driver went back yesterday after dropping us off) and we will be taken on our nex excursion by a Hoi An local.
And so we are on our own. The pool beckons so we have a swim. After a shower we head back to do some browsing, have dinner at one of the restaurants Thinh had recommended, and head home dog tired, more than ready to call it a night.
PS: Robyn is still keeping up but the cocktail of choice is now a Mojita!
This is just a half day tour so we take note of lots of places we may want to come back to later. We then board a boat and head up the river to a pottery making area. This is the only place in Hoi An that makes pottery and its all done without any mechanical help. It is mainly old people here and Thinh tells us that the youynger generation have no interest in learning this craft to carry it on.
The boat then takes us back to our hotel and this is where we say goodbye to Thinh. He is ging back to Hue by public bus (our driver went back yesterday after dropping us off) and we will be taken on our nex excursion by a Hoi An local.
And so we are on our own. The pool beckons so we have a swim. After a shower we head back to do some browsing, have dinner at one of the restaurants Thinh had recommended, and head home dog tired, more than ready to call it a night.
PS: Robyn is still keeping up but the cocktail of choice is now a Mojita!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday 20 April - Hoi An
Thinh and our driver collect us from the hotel at 9.00am for the drive to Hoi An. It is an absolutely beautiful drive and we stop lots for photo opportunities and sightseeing. Thinh is extremely informative and just like Chinh, there seems to be nothing he doesn't know about the history of his country. When we ask about distances for example he does not give approximations, he knows exactly. For example when we asked him the size of the Imperial City in Hue he gave us the exact dimensions but I can't remember what they were so in my previous post you only get the approximates!
There is a tunnel (7 kms - that fact I do remember!) cut through a mountain on the way to our destination but it is only used by tourists in the wet season when the road we take is closed due to possible land slides. No locals take our route as it takes too long but the views are stunning. Along the way we stop at the gateway between north and south. Facebook has been blocked by the government (I am assumng in all but the 2 major capitals as I had access in Hanoi) so photos are coming - hopefully when we get to Ho Chi Minh City.
We stop at another marble place (nowhere near the size of the one at the co-op) and are again amazed at the beauty of this stone, and the work produced. We travel through Da Nang, which is not far from our final destination. This city is not on our itinerry but will will come back here in 5 days to fly to Ho Chi Minh City. One thing on our itinerary for tomorrow is a visit to a lantern making place to watch how its done. We are passing it today so stop now to visit. Suite us as it will mean extra free time to explore Hoi An.
The short tour though the factory is very interesting. When you see the work that goes into making one of these thing you have a lot more respect for them. They have electric fans now but the heat is incredible and they are just working away.... We sit at a table and under the guidance of 2 lovely girls we make a lantern each. There is lots of giggles from them but they are far too polite of laugh out loud at our efforts!
From there we go into Hoi An. Before we are taken to check in at our hotel we do a bit of a tour to visit a temple and a few other things. We stop at a place for lunch and this is probably our first bad experience. This is not for the food, which was OK rather than great, but the service was pretty crap. Up to now we have been astounded by the friendliness of everyone we have come into contact with. The people here were extremely - hmmm... I know what I mean but can't find the right words. It was as if they just couldn't give a rats. We have been taking business cards from all the places we visit but didn't bother here.
We visit one or wo more things that are actually on the itinerary for tomorrow but we are very happy to do them today. I think the reason is that as soon as Thinh finishes with us he is going home to Hue by bus and probably wants to get back sooner rather than later. This more than suits us as the first day in a new place is a bit of a waste if we don't know our way around so this is definitely helping.
We check in at the hotel and are taken to our rooms. My turn to have the single room and boy, did I get lucky!! Hotels in Vietnam don't do triple share well apparently (having been here, I'm a believer!) so our rooms in each location have been a twin share and a single. We are taking turns going solo and this is my turn. This place makes the previous two look positively 3-star!! (Only bad thing is that we are on the 2nd (top) floor and there are no lifts. Oh well, looks like we are getting enforced excercise!) This might be hard to describe so stay with me! The entry to the room is 2 steps up to the outside "foyer", which has 2 day beds (1 either side) at the front door. Once inside the bottom level is a ounge room, then 3 steps up to the bedroom. Beyond that is the bathroom. The shower is over the back but the back is sunken, so seps down into it! The attention to details is incredible, and little daisy flowers all over the place. I feel like the Empress!
As with other "first nights" we opt to eat in - and lets face it, happy hour starts in 20 minutes! Cocktails are again only $5 and the happy hour deal is "Buy 2, Get 1 free". We can do that! And we do - twice!! Into the restuarant for dinner and then off to Nirvana to sleep!
There is a tunnel (7 kms - that fact I do remember!) cut through a mountain on the way to our destination but it is only used by tourists in the wet season when the road we take is closed due to possible land slides. No locals take our route as it takes too long but the views are stunning. Along the way we stop at the gateway between north and south. Facebook has been blocked by the government (I am assumng in all but the 2 major capitals as I had access in Hanoi) so photos are coming - hopefully when we get to Ho Chi Minh City.
We stop at another marble place (nowhere near the size of the one at the co-op) and are again amazed at the beauty of this stone, and the work produced. We travel through Da Nang, which is not far from our final destination. This city is not on our itinerry but will will come back here in 5 days to fly to Ho Chi Minh City. One thing on our itinerary for tomorrow is a visit to a lantern making place to watch how its done. We are passing it today so stop now to visit. Suite us as it will mean extra free time to explore Hoi An.
The short tour though the factory is very interesting. When you see the work that goes into making one of these thing you have a lot more respect for them. They have electric fans now but the heat is incredible and they are just working away.... We sit at a table and under the guidance of 2 lovely girls we make a lantern each. There is lots of giggles from them but they are far too polite of laugh out loud at our efforts!
From there we go into Hoi An. Before we are taken to check in at our hotel we do a bit of a tour to visit a temple and a few other things. We stop at a place for lunch and this is probably our first bad experience. This is not for the food, which was OK rather than great, but the service was pretty crap. Up to now we have been astounded by the friendliness of everyone we have come into contact with. The people here were extremely - hmmm... I know what I mean but can't find the right words. It was as if they just couldn't give a rats. We have been taking business cards from all the places we visit but didn't bother here.
We visit one or wo more things that are actually on the itinerary for tomorrow but we are very happy to do them today. I think the reason is that as soon as Thinh finishes with us he is going home to Hue by bus and probably wants to get back sooner rather than later. This more than suits us as the first day in a new place is a bit of a waste if we don't know our way around so this is definitely helping.
We check in at the hotel and are taken to our rooms. My turn to have the single room and boy, did I get lucky!! Hotels in Vietnam don't do triple share well apparently (having been here, I'm a believer!) so our rooms in each location have been a twin share and a single. We are taking turns going solo and this is my turn. This place makes the previous two look positively 3-star!! (Only bad thing is that we are on the 2nd (top) floor and there are no lifts. Oh well, looks like we are getting enforced excercise!) This might be hard to describe so stay with me! The entry to the room is 2 steps up to the outside "foyer", which has 2 day beds (1 either side) at the front door. Once inside the bottom level is a ounge room, then 3 steps up to the bedroom. Beyond that is the bathroom. The shower is over the back but the back is sunken, so seps down into it! The attention to details is incredible, and little daisy flowers all over the place. I feel like the Empress!
As with other "first nights" we opt to eat in - and lets face it, happy hour starts in 20 minutes! Cocktails are again only $5 and the happy hour deal is "Buy 2, Get 1 free". We can do that! And we do - twice!! Into the restuarant for dinner and then off to Nirvana to sleep!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday 19 April
Woke us this morning feeling like we'd been run over by a steam roller! The bed is ROCK hard and we all agree we are happy to pay whatever it costs to upgrade to a room with a softer bed. Apparently they are full and can't accommodate us. They offer to put some extra doonas under the bottom sheet and we agree it's better than nothing. As we are leaving for the day we see a couple of matresses being dragged down the hallway. Yep,they're for us! We feel them before leaving and they as least move when you touch them so tonight will tell. We discuss that the hotel missed an opportunity to fleece us. We were willing to pay for an "üpgrade" and had they merely moved us to the rooms where the matresses came from we would have thought that is what we had got!
We are met in the Lobby by our guide, Thinh, at 9.00am and we walk to the dock where all the dragon boats are. We are taking a ride on one down the Purfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda (there's a Google opportunity for those playing at home). Stunning architecture, as is everything we have seen so far. From the Pagoda we go to the Imperial Citadel which is a moated compound of the residence of the Emporer. We walk around this area (over 400 metres front to back, and over 600 metres left to right) and are staggered that this was still lived in up until 1945 when the last Emporer abdicated. Mind blowing that this type of existence was going on not that long ago. From there we went to the Dong Ba market for a bit of a look around. Similar to Vic Markets or Paddys in Sydney but so much more conpacted. We really had to squeeze through the stalls. It was a fascinating place although the girls thought it smelt bad. Oh course it did, but that perhaps added to the charm? We then headed out of the city to visit the Mausoleums of two past Emporers, but these ones have actually been buried!
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant recommended by Thinh, and again the food did not dissapoint. We hooked in to a few cocktails before we went to dinner, and then had another one when we returned. (Note please: Robyn is keeping up and at this point Tequila Sunrise is the new favourite drink!)
Tomorrow we are going to Hoi An, the silk capital of the world, so the credit cards might finally get a run!
We are met in the Lobby by our guide, Thinh, at 9.00am and we walk to the dock where all the dragon boats are. We are taking a ride on one down the Purfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda (there's a Google opportunity for those playing at home). Stunning architecture, as is everything we have seen so far. From the Pagoda we go to the Imperial Citadel which is a moated compound of the residence of the Emporer. We walk around this area (over 400 metres front to back, and over 600 metres left to right) and are staggered that this was still lived in up until 1945 when the last Emporer abdicated. Mind blowing that this type of existence was going on not that long ago. From there we went to the Dong Ba market for a bit of a look around. Similar to Vic Markets or Paddys in Sydney but so much more conpacted. We really had to squeeze through the stalls. It was a fascinating place although the girls thought it smelt bad. Oh course it did, but that perhaps added to the charm? We then headed out of the city to visit the Mausoleums of two past Emporers, but these ones have actually been buried!
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant recommended by Thinh, and again the food did not dissapoint. We hooked in to a few cocktails before we went to dinner, and then had another one when we returned. (Note please: Robyn is keeping up and at this point Tequila Sunrise is the new favourite drink!)
Tomorrow we are going to Hoi An, the silk capital of the world, so the credit cards might finally get a run!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday 18 April - Hue
This morning Robyn has a touch of the dreaded belly so rests at the hotel while Tyrell and I take a cyclo tour back into the old quarter. We are being collected at 11.30 to go to the airport so we take a 45 minute tour ($5) to fill in time. What an exciting way to be in amongst the traffic, which is a story on its own!
At the airport Chinh stays with us to check us in and then leaves us. He has been so good it is almost like saying goodbye to a friend. I have forgotten that I have duty free grog in my carry on which I cannot take. I opt to check the bag in so have to go back out of security to do so. Half way to the checkin counter I realise I have left my passport and boarding pass with Tyrell & Robyn but as long as I leave the offending bag with them they allow me to go in to retrieve my documentation. All good, and we are on our way to Hue.
This city has a population of only 350,000 so very similar size to Canberra. Different, but not too much so, to Ha Noi although the traffic is one hell of a lot more civilised!! Our hotel for the next 2 nights is lovely although the bed is so hard I think I might be better off on the floor! I had been warned but was not quite expecting the equivalent of concrete!
We are too tired to venture out for a meal so decide to eat at the hotel. Good choice - $5 cocktails!! We have an absolutely sensational 2-course meal and the total bill, including 4 cocktails, comes to the grand total of $64!
At the airport Chinh stays with us to check us in and then leaves us. He has been so good it is almost like saying goodbye to a friend. I have forgotten that I have duty free grog in my carry on which I cannot take. I opt to check the bag in so have to go back out of security to do so. Half way to the checkin counter I realise I have left my passport and boarding pass with Tyrell & Robyn but as long as I leave the offending bag with them they allow me to go in to retrieve my documentation. All good, and we are on our way to Hue.
This city has a population of only 350,000 so very similar size to Canberra. Different, but not too much so, to Ha Noi although the traffic is one hell of a lot more civilised!! Our hotel for the next 2 nights is lovely although the bed is so hard I think I might be better off on the floor! I had been warned but was not quite expecting the equivalent of concrete!
We are too tired to venture out for a meal so decide to eat at the hotel. Good choice - $5 cocktails!! We have an absolutely sensational 2-course meal and the total bill, including 4 cocktails, comes to the grand total of $64!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday 16 April - Ha Long Bay
We are picked up at 8.00am for the drive to Ha Long Bay. It is a distance of only 97kms but we know from yesterday this will be a long trip!
We stop for coffee at a place that carves marble statues (sensational) but also houses artisans doing tapestries, and lots of beautiful jewelry, pottery etc. Sort of like a co-op. The artisans employed there all have disabilitie which would prevent them from working otherwise - some are even 3rd generation sufferers of Agent Orange. We have no problem makng purchases to a good cause!
Arrival at the dock in Ha Long Bay is just after midday (remember we left at 8.00am with only a 45 minute stop). The day is quite misty and unfortunately the fog does not lift for the 2 days we are here. We board out tender to be taken out to our junk. We are given a welcome drink and then listen to the safety speech, and are told where we will be cruising and what we will see.
There are only 30 people on board and a staff of 32! By the time we get to our rooms our luggage has been delivered and because this is only an overnight cruise we have only brought our overnight bags. Back up to the dining area for a buffet lunch and then out onto the deck to catch our breath.
This bay is so quiet its almost spooky, and breathtakingly beautiful. It is a real shame we are unable to see all over the bay but as we float past all the outcrops of limestone islands we are able to appreciate what it could be like.
We are taken by tender to a floating fishing village and are again rowed around as we were the day we went to Tam Coc. I have seen one of these on Luke Nguyen's cooking show and he said that some of the children living this way have never set foot on land. A fascinating place but you have to wonder what they do for entertainment, and if they get bored - although quite a number of them have satellite dishes!
We are told dinner tonight will not be on the boat. We will be taken to one of the islands for a BBQ in a cave. When we get there we discover it is a limestone cave complete with stalactites/mites. We are able to wander at will and touch as much as we like. Then, for dinner, we sit in the cave on a purpose built platform for a full silver service BBQ - also cooked in the cave.
Conservationists in Australia would have an absolute coronary! As much as it is against all we know about preservation we thoroughly enjoy the experience (although we all wonder just how long this experience will be able to be sustained).
Up early the next morning we sit on the deck with coffee and pastries, as "brunch" will not be served until much later. The choice of activities this morning is either an onshore walk up to a lookout or a cooking demonstration on board. With the mist still hanging around there will be a view of not much so we are staying on board. There are only 6 of us to watch the spring roll making demo and we each get a turn to make one. Our teacher then cooks them for us to eat. YUMMO!
We are back at the dock by 11.00am and of course Chinh is there to meet us. We learn he and our driver had stayed overnight to wait for us. What service!
On the way back to Ha Noi we again stop at the marble place. As we wander around we are recognised and word spreads. I am eventually decended upon to ask if I was the lady who spent $xxx yesterday. I said yes and the look of relief was blinding. Apparently they had given me all copies of the transaction so I still had the bit they needed to give the bank to get their money. The young lady stuck to me like glue until we went to the van to get her bit out of my case. Some days you get luck and some days they do!
We asked Chinh for a recommendation for dinner and he gold us about a place that offers a buffet. Sounds good so he calls ahead and makes a booking for us. It is quite expensive at $15 a head. This is said very much tongue in cheek as the amount of choice is mind blowing. We are the only Westerners in the place, which is encouraging as if the locals fill the place it must be good.
At one point I was heading back for another go at it when a young Vietnamese boy deferred the way to me. I said thank you and he replied "No worries". I decided I couldn't let it pass so turned back to him to tell him that was a very Australian thing to say. Turns out he studied for a few years in Canberra!! We rolled out of the restaurant extremely satisfied and headed back to our hotel for our last night in Ha Noi.
We stop for coffee at a place that carves marble statues (sensational) but also houses artisans doing tapestries, and lots of beautiful jewelry, pottery etc. Sort of like a co-op. The artisans employed there all have disabilitie which would prevent them from working otherwise - some are even 3rd generation sufferers of Agent Orange. We have no problem makng purchases to a good cause!
Arrival at the dock in Ha Long Bay is just after midday (remember we left at 8.00am with only a 45 minute stop). The day is quite misty and unfortunately the fog does not lift for the 2 days we are here. We board out tender to be taken out to our junk. We are given a welcome drink and then listen to the safety speech, and are told where we will be cruising and what we will see.
There are only 30 people on board and a staff of 32! By the time we get to our rooms our luggage has been delivered and because this is only an overnight cruise we have only brought our overnight bags. Back up to the dining area for a buffet lunch and then out onto the deck to catch our breath.
This bay is so quiet its almost spooky, and breathtakingly beautiful. It is a real shame we are unable to see all over the bay but as we float past all the outcrops of limestone islands we are able to appreciate what it could be like.
We are taken by tender to a floating fishing village and are again rowed around as we were the day we went to Tam Coc. I have seen one of these on Luke Nguyen's cooking show and he said that some of the children living this way have never set foot on land. A fascinating place but you have to wonder what they do for entertainment, and if they get bored - although quite a number of them have satellite dishes!
We are told dinner tonight will not be on the boat. We will be taken to one of the islands for a BBQ in a cave. When we get there we discover it is a limestone cave complete with stalactites/mites. We are able to wander at will and touch as much as we like. Then, for dinner, we sit in the cave on a purpose built platform for a full silver service BBQ - also cooked in the cave.
Conservationists in Australia would have an absolute coronary! As much as it is against all we know about preservation we thoroughly enjoy the experience (although we all wonder just how long this experience will be able to be sustained).
Up early the next morning we sit on the deck with coffee and pastries, as "brunch" will not be served until much later. The choice of activities this morning is either an onshore walk up to a lookout or a cooking demonstration on board. With the mist still hanging around there will be a view of not much so we are staying on board. There are only 6 of us to watch the spring roll making demo and we each get a turn to make one. Our teacher then cooks them for us to eat. YUMMO!
We are back at the dock by 11.00am and of course Chinh is there to meet us. We learn he and our driver had stayed overnight to wait for us. What service!
On the way back to Ha Noi we again stop at the marble place. As we wander around we are recognised and word spreads. I am eventually decended upon to ask if I was the lady who spent $xxx yesterday. I said yes and the look of relief was blinding. Apparently they had given me all copies of the transaction so I still had the bit they needed to give the bank to get their money. The young lady stuck to me like glue until we went to the van to get her bit out of my case. Some days you get luck and some days they do!
We asked Chinh for a recommendation for dinner and he gold us about a place that offers a buffet. Sounds good so he calls ahead and makes a booking for us. It is quite expensive at $15 a head. This is said very much tongue in cheek as the amount of choice is mind blowing. We are the only Westerners in the place, which is encouraging as if the locals fill the place it must be good.
At one point I was heading back for another go at it when a young Vietnamese boy deferred the way to me. I said thank you and he replied "No worries". I decided I couldn't let it pass so turned back to him to tell him that was a very Australian thing to say. Turns out he studied for a few years in Canberra!! We rolled out of the restaurant extremely satisfied and headed back to our hotel for our last night in Ha Noi.
Friday 15 April - Ninh Binh
Up for breakfast and then off on today's adventure. We leave the city and head out into the country. I've never seen so many rice fields!
The city of Hanoi is one of such contrasts. It is not "rubbish" dirty,it's more like grubby and run down, but so beautiful at the same time, and so many parks! So much construction too and the new inbetween something that's been there for ever and it doesn't look out of place. And no skyscrapers!
The country then in contrast is also beautiful. The rice fields come right up to the city limits and go forever. All the buildings, whether they are houses or businesses (or both!) are built along the roads, as that is where all the passing trade is. I was quite fascinated to see a small cemetary in the middle of a rice fiels but as the day goes on this not an exception.
Where we are going is less than 100kms but it is going to take about 3 hours. Yes, the roads are that bad! But also, with the amount of traffic it is impossible to drive fast anyway.
We stop for coffee, something the Vietnamese do very well! You can almost stand your spoon is this one. No "normal" milk, it's a tin of condensed milk! YUM! But the coffee is so strong the sweetness of the condensed milk works. Robyn can't handle the sweetness though so I guess it will be just Tyrell and I pinging for the rest of the day.
When we arrive in Ninh Binh we go to see a Temple and hear the story behind it of the King and his sons who fought over who should be next king. They fight, get killed, and leave a 6-yr old as King. This leave the country vulnerable so the old Queen marries again to a neighbouring King, against all custom. Such scandal!
This place was once the capital city but as we learn, the capital changed a number of times, depending on where the current leader lived. Hue (pronounced Way), where we are going in a few days, was also once the capital.
Chinh then takes us to a restaurant for lunch. This area is quite renowned for goat, so when in Rome.... It is a set menu of 8 courses. No need to be concerned about the amount of food we may have to consume as they are more like tasting plates, so only a little of a lot. The grilled goat skewer is sensational, as is everything we have eaten so far.
After lunch we go to Tam Coc and get into a sampan for a 2-hour trip down the river and back. The girl rowing us alternates between using her hands and feet, as do most of the other rowers too!
It has been a fantastic "free day"seeing such a different part of the country. We have a great guide in Ching, who actually knocked back an extra shift on his day off to take us today. This is not an area many tourists come to so we have been extremely lucky!
The city of Hanoi is one of such contrasts. It is not "rubbish" dirty,it's more like grubby and run down, but so beautiful at the same time, and so many parks! So much construction too and the new inbetween something that's been there for ever and it doesn't look out of place. And no skyscrapers!
The country then in contrast is also beautiful. The rice fields come right up to the city limits and go forever. All the buildings, whether they are houses or businesses (or both!) are built along the roads, as that is where all the passing trade is. I was quite fascinated to see a small cemetary in the middle of a rice fiels but as the day goes on this not an exception.
Where we are going is less than 100kms but it is going to take about 3 hours. Yes, the roads are that bad! But also, with the amount of traffic it is impossible to drive fast anyway.
We stop for coffee, something the Vietnamese do very well! You can almost stand your spoon is this one. No "normal" milk, it's a tin of condensed milk! YUM! But the coffee is so strong the sweetness of the condensed milk works. Robyn can't handle the sweetness though so I guess it will be just Tyrell and I pinging for the rest of the day.
When we arrive in Ninh Binh we go to see a Temple and hear the story behind it of the King and his sons who fought over who should be next king. They fight, get killed, and leave a 6-yr old as King. This leave the country vulnerable so the old Queen marries again to a neighbouring King, against all custom. Such scandal!
This place was once the capital city but as we learn, the capital changed a number of times, depending on where the current leader lived. Hue (pronounced Way), where we are going in a few days, was also once the capital.
Chinh then takes us to a restaurant for lunch. This area is quite renowned for goat, so when in Rome.... It is a set menu of 8 courses. No need to be concerned about the amount of food we may have to consume as they are more like tasting plates, so only a little of a lot. The grilled goat skewer is sensational, as is everything we have eaten so far.
After lunch we go to Tam Coc and get into a sampan for a 2-hour trip down the river and back. The girl rowing us alternates between using her hands and feet, as do most of the other rowers too!
It has been a fantastic "free day"seeing such a different part of the country. We have a great guide in Ching, who actually knocked back an extra shift on his day off to take us today. This is not an area many tourists come to so we have been extremely lucky!
Thursday 14 April - Ha Noi
Breakfast on (official) Day 1 was in the hotel's French restaurant but we chose to sit outside. It was just so lovely to sit and watch the people go by. We had a Western breakfast but oh so nice! My omelete was made in front of me (Jess: reminiscent of the cruise - but not as cute!) and was just devine.
Chinh, our guide, picked us up at 9.00am and our 1st port of call is Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. The line to get in was massive but it is constantly moving. Before entereing all women must have their knees and shoulders covered. We are not permitted to take cameras, mobiles, food or drink inside; also no hats or sunglasses. We then slowly file past the actual body of Ho Chi Minh. He is one of only four leaders who have been embalmed, the others being Lenin (Russia), Kim (Nth Korea) and Mao Tse Tung (China). Quite a sombre experience.
Once outside we went into the gardens of the Presidential Palace, just behind the Mausoleum. The residence is not lived in today - the President lives in Saigon. It is used for meetings with visiting dignatories etc. Speaking of which, at our hotel we get a complimentary newspaper (in English) each day. So on our very first mornng here I get the paper and whose face is on the front page? Our very own Kevin Rudd who was here yesterday!
Ho Chi Minh refused to ever live in the Presidential Palace as he didn't believe he should be any better off than anyone else. Instead he lived in a 3-room bumgalow nearby, and then in the "House on Stilts", which was only 2 rooms!
More sightseeing at the One Pillar Pagoda, the Museum of Fine Arts (Tyrell's fix!) then to the Temple of Literature. After having worked at the National Gallery of Australia in my early days it was quite interesting to be able to wander through this gallery with absolutely no climate conrol or guards telling you not to touch. The Temple of Literature was an interesting place & makes you aware of how little we appreciate our scholars. For a period of time the top scholars (I suppose you could say the Dux of the University) had their name and details carved into a stone for future generations to know who they were. Today a uni degree lets you wait tables in a coffee shop!
Time for lunch. We defer to Chinh for suggestions and he tells us about a place nearby owned by a Vietnamese man who lived in Australia for a number of years before returning home to open a restaurant and employ & train underpriviledged kids, similar to Jamie Oliver. So we had lunch at "Koto" and it was sensational. We shouted Chinh and the bill came to $33 for all 4 of us!
Our next port of call was the (euphamistic) Hanoi Hilton, a prison originally built by the French - what a sadistic bunch of bastards they must have been back in the day! We watched a short film there about the "American War". It doesn't matter which side you're on, war sucks.
Then to another temple on an island in the middle of "The Lake of the Restored Sword", a similar legend to King Arthur. A short walking tour of the old quarter and then to a water puppet show (which was pretty lame!) and our day is finished.
Tomorrow is a free day so we asked Chinh what he suggests. He tells us we could take a trip out into the country to the ancient capital (Ninh Binh) and have lunch at a pace renowned for serving goat.
Tyrell is keen to go as she has read about all the places he has told us about so we asked him if he could arrange it. He apparently has a day off so offers to moonlight and take us himself!
We are more than happy to pay him rather than a tour company as we have clicked and he has been absolutely fabulous so far and he is offering a personalised trip we wouldn't have otherwise done. (Thanks Dad!)
Chinh, our guide, picked us up at 9.00am and our 1st port of call is Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. The line to get in was massive but it is constantly moving. Before entereing all women must have their knees and shoulders covered. We are not permitted to take cameras, mobiles, food or drink inside; also no hats or sunglasses. We then slowly file past the actual body of Ho Chi Minh. He is one of only four leaders who have been embalmed, the others being Lenin (Russia), Kim (Nth Korea) and Mao Tse Tung (China). Quite a sombre experience.
Once outside we went into the gardens of the Presidential Palace, just behind the Mausoleum. The residence is not lived in today - the President lives in Saigon. It is used for meetings with visiting dignatories etc. Speaking of which, at our hotel we get a complimentary newspaper (in English) each day. So on our very first mornng here I get the paper and whose face is on the front page? Our very own Kevin Rudd who was here yesterday!
Ho Chi Minh refused to ever live in the Presidential Palace as he didn't believe he should be any better off than anyone else. Instead he lived in a 3-room bumgalow nearby, and then in the "House on Stilts", which was only 2 rooms!
More sightseeing at the One Pillar Pagoda, the Museum of Fine Arts (Tyrell's fix!) then to the Temple of Literature. After having worked at the National Gallery of Australia in my early days it was quite interesting to be able to wander through this gallery with absolutely no climate conrol or guards telling you not to touch. The Temple of Literature was an interesting place & makes you aware of how little we appreciate our scholars. For a period of time the top scholars (I suppose you could say the Dux of the University) had their name and details carved into a stone for future generations to know who they were. Today a uni degree lets you wait tables in a coffee shop!
Time for lunch. We defer to Chinh for suggestions and he tells us about a place nearby owned by a Vietnamese man who lived in Australia for a number of years before returning home to open a restaurant and employ & train underpriviledged kids, similar to Jamie Oliver. So we had lunch at "Koto" and it was sensational. We shouted Chinh and the bill came to $33 for all 4 of us!
Our next port of call was the (euphamistic) Hanoi Hilton, a prison originally built by the French - what a sadistic bunch of bastards they must have been back in the day! We watched a short film there about the "American War". It doesn't matter which side you're on, war sucks.
Then to another temple on an island in the middle of "The Lake of the Restored Sword", a similar legend to King Arthur. A short walking tour of the old quarter and then to a water puppet show (which was pretty lame!) and our day is finished.
Tomorrow is a free day so we asked Chinh what he suggests. He tells us we could take a trip out into the country to the ancient capital (Ninh Binh) and have lunch at a pace renowned for serving goat.
Tyrell is keen to go as she has read about all the places he has told us about so we asked him if he could arrange it. He apparently has a day off so offers to moonlight and take us himself!
We are more than happy to pay him rather than a tour company as we have clicked and he has been absolutely fabulous so far and he is offering a personalised trip we wouldn't have otherwise done. (Thanks Dad!)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday 13 April
So we are now in Vietnam. The stopover in Singapore was a good opportunity to just chill out and enjoy the beginning of the journey. While in the lounge I had a shower and a lousy coffee (and a Facebook fix!), We went in search of a decent coffee and browsed the duty free stores - of which there are miles. Again found that the camera I want is cheaper at store price back home. What the..? We spent some of Dad's bonus in the grog store - how unusual! Thanks Dad, all we need now is the tonic water!
Flight was uneventful. Still can't work out the stupid inflight entertainment but was lucky enough to snag Tangled at the opening credits.
We are now another hour behind, so 3 hours in total from home time.
We were met at the airport by our driver who looked after our luggage while we did business with an ATM. With over a million dong in our wallets we feel pretty rich! Our driver brings the car around and the luggage is put in the back. He tells us one of us should sit in the front so Tyrell gets in only to be confronted with a steering wheel! Left hand drive droppy!! Even the military guys watching laughed! The drive in to the hotel was about 40 minutes and was made very interesting by a very informative driver - not Tyrell! Such interesting architecture and hopefully some good photo ops tomorrow when he picks us up for a full day tour. We will have his sole attention so it should be a great day.
Once at the hotel we checked into our rooms and then went to the pool. Warmer than a bath and not refreshing at all but very welcome all the same. We had a few drinks (not at all cheap by the way) and a club sandwich which we called dinner and then we're off to bed. Yes, it's only 6.30pm but we've been on the go for over 24 hours so looking forward to a good night's sleep.
Flight was uneventful. Still can't work out the stupid inflight entertainment but was lucky enough to snag Tangled at the opening credits.
We are now another hour behind, so 3 hours in total from home time.
We were met at the airport by our driver who looked after our luggage while we did business with an ATM. With over a million dong in our wallets we feel pretty rich! Our driver brings the car around and the luggage is put in the back. He tells us one of us should sit in the front so Tyrell gets in only to be confronted with a steering wheel! Left hand drive droppy!! Even the military guys watching laughed! The drive in to the hotel was about 40 minutes and was made very interesting by a very informative driver - not Tyrell! Such interesting architecture and hopefully some good photo ops tomorrow when he picks us up for a full day tour. We will have his sole attention so it should be a great day.
Once at the hotel we checked into our rooms and then went to the pool. Warmer than a bath and not refreshing at all but very welcome all the same. We had a few drinks (not at all cheap by the way) and a club sandwich which we called dinner and then we're off to bed. Yes, it's only 6.30pm but we've been on the go for over 24 hours so looking forward to a good night's sleep.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Journey Begins!
Sitting in the transit lounge at the Sydney airport waiting for the bus and I realise this is the first time I've ever been out of the country on my own! Even with all my international experience and all the years at Ansett it's just a tad daunting. No Jess saying "Hey Mum, check this out" or no Pat telling me to hurry up. LOL! Can I do it along?
5.25pm - Hell yes, it's amazing how much you can spend at the duty free store when the anchor is not with you! So the Pandora store got all my Crowe birthday money (and then some!) so you'll see what you bought me when I get home. (Thanks Guys 'n' Girls.)
So the plane is delayed half an hour but with a 10 hour stopover in Singapore that's no drama. Time for a farewell Red! Back track 20 minutres. Went to the ladies and then decided the delay allowed time for a drink. Went to the bar and thought "Didn't I have more to carry?" Oh Shite! Left birthday pressie in the loo! Apparently you can run with a dodgey ankle and thankfully my purchases were still on the ledge in the cubicle. Lucky that day!
So my seat on the plane is in the centre, on the aisle - and someone is sitting it! Read your bloody boarding pass drop kick! Didn't really matter as when we were in the air I moved to a bulkhead seat with lots of lovely leg room.
Inflight entertainment sucks. Took the first 45 minute4s to work out how the control operates - with extremely limited success. Heaps of movies ("on demand" my butt!)but they are all on a continuous loop and when you finally find one to watch you just have to hope it isn't too far into it, or you get lucky and its just starting. Missed the first 20 minutes of True Grit, which must have been quite integral because the rest of the movie was crap.
Got luck with Burlesque only just starting and it was actually quite good. got the shits then with Channel 41 which was supposed to be Hereafter with Matt Damon but wasn't. The guide most be wrong as the channel allegedly showing Modern Family was something else too.
Oh well, try to sleep. Get woken for supper. Some sort of noodle dish with shredded port. Quite nice, however I don't think the chilli was the right thing to be serving such a captive audience! Just as well we are now only 45 minutes out.
Even though we were late leaving Sydney we had a massive tail wind so arrived in Singapore 15 minutes early. Went straight to the Transit Hotel to begin my 6 hour booking. Just as well I booked - they were full. Tiny room but what more do you need. I had a wake-up call booked for 6am but imagine my surporse when the voice on the phone was Tyrell!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Countdown begins!
OK so today is Friday 7 April - my last day at work for four weeks! Tuesday 12 April I fly out of Sydney at 5.50pm to Singapore for a 10 hour stopover and then on to Vietnam for three whole weeks with my two beautiful sisters! I'll be meeting up with the sisters in Singapore as they will be coming from Melbourne. Can't wait!
In Singapore I have booked a room at the Transit Hotel, which you rent by the hour. Just as long as there are no red lights I think it'll be fine! I get in at midnight and the girls arrive around 6.00am so I have just booked a 6 hour block for a snooze. When they arrive we have passes into a lounge to wait for our connection to Hanoi.
In Singapore I have booked a room at the Transit Hotel, which you rent by the hour. Just as long as there are no red lights I think it'll be fine! I get in at midnight and the girls arrive around 6.00am so I have just booked a 6 hour block for a snooze. When they arrive we have passes into a lounge to wait for our connection to Hanoi.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)