Nha Trang, Hoi An and Hue

Saturday 5 February

Buddha

On our first day in Nha Trang we walked to the huge Buddha that sits on the hill overlooking the city. Because of Tet the town was dead; most shops closed and crossing the roads was relatively simple.  During the climb up the hill we witnessed a young boy taking a leak in public on the stairs – interesting. The Buddha was a pretty cool dude and it was a peaceful place to spend some time. There were a group of children playing at the top because their mother had a stall selling coconuts and other refreshments. It was super hot, so we enjoyed a coconut but did not enjoy the children pointing toy guns in our faces. It was actually really frightening. It made it worse that we didn’t know what they were saying. We’d had enough so wandered back down through the monastery and back to our hotel. For some reason we thought it would be a good idea to try some Indian out for lunch … fail. It was the worst Indian (if you could call it that) that I’ve ever had. I needed a rest after all that garlic naan so Carol and I headed to the beach books in hand while Helen visited a spa for some treatments. We found a gorgeous bar down on the beach and chilled there for a while. Pleased we did knowing now what the next day held.

Monestry and grounds before the walk up to the Buddha (you can see him in the middle at the top)

Some crazy Tet fun (2011 is Year of the Cat)

Sunday 6 and Monday 7 February

A not-so-pleasant 24 hours

It all started with the idea of a bit of relaxing island hopping where we could work on our tan while drinking a couple of cheap cocktails. Instead of doing it alone and navigating local ferries, we thought, ‘why not take a tour?’ After shopping around there seemed to be only one option, so we booked through our hotel, which we were rather find of.

The day of the tour: first of all there’s always the initial drama picking everyone up from their hotels. At one stage the bus drove off leaving us and the tour guide standing on the side of the road! The bus came back, we jumped on and off we went, togs on, towels and books packed. Arriving at the ferry terminal and seeing the hundreds of people (mainly Vietnamese) and plenty of boats, we realised this wasn’t going to be a pleasant, scenic boat tour we’d anticipated. We were piled on like sardines and then the tour guide proceeded to explain the day’s itinerary in what I think was three languages – Vietnamese, Mandarin and English.

First attraction was the Nha Trang Aquarium, which we thought was happening later that day. We also thought the entrance fee was included in our tour price. We hadn’t heard of the aquarium and it wasn’t in the Lonely Planet (our Bible) or on Trip Advisor (our online Bible) so we thought we’d sit this one out. The Vietnamese and Chinese tourists were so excited it made me think how lucky we are in New Zealand to have so many beautiful and often untouched beaches and coastlines.

There was the typical 20-minute wait for the Vietnamese people getting food and messing around. Next stop and it was snorkelling time. We got dropped off on a fragile looking floating platform and were told where the snorkelling took place. To our right was a 20x20m area of water that looked rather shallow … this was where we were meant to snorkel! No boat trip out to a reef for us. After hearing we couldn’t even get onto the island and walk around we decided we needed to get off this tour as soon as possible. We had a combined diva moment and convinced a jet boat driver from a resort to call someone to take us home! It cost one million dong (NZ$65) and was well worth it!

It was tonight that we discovered A (for amazing) Mart – a 7/11 and so much more.  We stocked up on treats for our night bus to Hoi An and a few packet face masks and skin treatments for back at the hotel.

The night bus to Hoi An was not so A for amazing. It was 12 hours of loud, irritating discomfort. The driver took the beeping to a whole new level and the Vietnamese pop music blasted through the speakers until 2am, when it was finally turned off for the last four hours of the trip. To make matters worse the roads were the worst we’d come across – extremely uneven and full of potholes. It didn’t deter our driver because he seemed to speed up to go over them. If one needed to go to the toilet the bus stopped and you squatted on the side of the road in full view of the rest of the bus. I also found it rather curious when the guide slept on a mat on the floor beside me on the isle. I didn’t even know he was there and when I stepped on his mat I got a nasty glare. He didn’t speak a word of English, so it was hard to apologise. I left a small plastic bag off food containing half a bag of pistachio nuts, a couple of bites of a Snickers bar and two bananas, on the bench in front of my seat on the bus. Around 4am I woke from my almost sleep to the rustling of that very plastic bag. The local woman who’d been sitting on the inside steps on the bus for most of the journey had rummaged through it, eaten what she liked the look of and left the rest. We made eye contact, but there was no apology. I couldn’t sleep after that.

More panda-confectionary goodness from A (for amazing) - Mart

Enjoying the first pilsner of the trip at Louisiana Brew House in Nha Trang

2-4-1 mojitos followed by some serious card playing

The icing on the cake was the drop-off point after the gruelling 12-hour trip. Instead of getting dropped in the main part of town in the backpacking district we got left outside a hotel 20 minutes away. The hotel obviously pays the bus driver a commission in the hope we’d all succumb from exhaustion and stay there. We’d already booked our accommodation so we shared a cab into Hoi An.

Hoi An was a definite highlight. The ancient town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was a trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. The buildings are Vietnamese with various Japanese and Chinese influences. It’s situated on the Thu Bon River and because we were there over the Tet season it was beautifully lit up and decorated with lanterns. We meandered through the narrow streets and alleyways and then stopped for a beer and some people watching. This really is tourist town, and not just westerners. There were plenty of people visiting from Vietnam and other parts of Asia as well. With markets, galleries, tailors and shoemakers galore it was hard to know where to start.

Hoi An

Tuesday 8 February 

The next morning we hired bikes and cruised around Hoi An. We explored the area on the other side of the river, biking out to more remote residential areas. The houses were very sweet, much like we’d seen throughout rural Vietnam. There were a few close calls in heavy traffic when we got off the beaten track, but all in all definitely the best way to see the town.

You're looking at serious cyclists ... and a midget

In the afternoon Carol and Helen did a Vietnamese cooking course and I had the remainder of the day to myself – that meant shopping and spa treatments! I got an hour massage, a manicure and a pedicure for NZ$25. Excellent value. In a bit of a daze I walked back to the hotel to shower and then hit the shops. I knew Hanoi was going to be cold so got a hoodie made and also some walking sandals – how long could my $1 Khao San Road sandals really last? Learn from my mistake and give them far longer to make the items than they say they need. I had to go back twice because when I went the first time nothing was ready. Later we met someone who had to wait a week for a dress to be made.

View of Hoi An from over the bridge

Shop front in Hoi An

Residential Hoi An

Two miniature fans drying my beautifully-pedicured feet

Wednesday 9 February

Carol and I got up early and got our five-trip ticket for the heritage sites of Hoi An. It was the most well-organised self-guided tour we’ve come across. We visited the Japanese covered bridge, the Museum of History and Culture, Tan Ky House, the Tran family chapel and another that has slipped my mind. My favourite was Tan Ky House. It was absolutely fascinating hearing how they dealt with living and trading when every year the river would flood and they’d need to move every thing up by pulley. It was also beautifully crafted and the design still works in contemporary times.  For lunch we went to Miss Ly which is opposite the museum. An American man and his Vietnamese wife run it. Because tourism is really picking up in Vietnam he is spending more and more time in Hoi An, which he doesn’t mind at all. I had white rose (delicate shrimp and pork dumpling that is shaped like a rose) and chicken rice – both traditional dishes of Hoi An and delicious. Even though you can get food on the street for $1, it’s nice to go somewhere a bit special sometimes and splurge. And at $5 for a main it would be rude not to.

That might we got another sleeper bus, this time to Hue. It was just five hours and much more pleasant than the last. We sat at the back and had spectacular views of rice paddies and other rural scenes. It was dark when we arrived in Hue which never paints the best picture of a city.  

Monkey protecting the Japanese covered bridge

Japanese covered bridge 

Tan Ky House

Tran family chapel

White Rose

Chicken Rice

Thursday 10 February

We didn’t get the best first impression of Hue, so decided to just stay the one night. That meant one full day in Hue, so it was bikes again. The main attractions in Hue are the Citadel and the many tombs and temples that surround the city. We went to the furthest away tomb first – Khai Dinh Tomb. It was about 30 km from our hotel and the roads weren’t particularly well maintained or flat, so when we arrived we were already dreading the return trip. Arriving at this tomb you immediately know the grandiose.  It’s situated on a hill and is terraced by two levels of sculptures. It was built for Emporer Khai Linh who ruled the country 1916-1925. Because western culture had made a mark on Vietnam by the 20^th Century and Khai Linh had made a visit to France during his reign the tomb incorporates some western architecture; concrete instead of wood, iron gates and electric lamps. The impressive thing about the tomb is the hundreds of mosaic bas-relief sculptures that surround it.

Looking up at the Khai Linh Tomb

From the top of the Khai Linh Tomb

The tomb itself

Beautiful mosaic bas-reliefs

Chillin' with my boys

Tu Duc Tomb (built 1864-67) was built for Emperor Tu Duc who had the longest reign of any monarch of the Nguyen dynasty, ruling from 1848-83. Work began on his tomb long before his death and he even lived on the grounds for a period of time. The setting is stunning; a small lake with an island, a winding river with bridges and a pine tree forest. There are about 20 structures on the 12 hectares of land, but none of them house his body – it’s in a secret location somewhere in Hue. I’m pleased I didn’t know that when I was there or I’d have been disappointed.

The lake on the grounds of the tomb

Not sure of the purpose of this, but it's pretty

Caz taking it all in

The last stop was the Citadel in the centre of Hue. It's made up of three areas separated by high walls and spreads over 500 hectares. We were there at sunset and the light was superb. There was no interpretation, so we wandered around not sure what each part was. Because of various wars much of it has been lost and the government are slowly working on tidying it up and restoring parts.   

Spot the elephant

Main entrance to the citadel

Fishies

We had drinks on our balcony that night to congratulate ourselves on our day of fitness! Before our 10pm flight to Hanoi we experimented with Indian again, this time with better success.  We landed at around midnight in Hanoi and had a taxi meeting us at the airport. He took us to our guesthouse, we unpacked and went straight to bed so we’d be ready to explore Hanoi early the next morning. 

The New Year celebration that lasts weeks

Monday 31 January

The bus from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City was pretty much empty so we helped ourselves to two seats each. After the series of bad bus trips this felt like luxury. We experienced excellent Cambodian food at the border crossing – noodles, fresh veges, fermented fish sauce (tastes much better than is sounds). HCMC needed to really impress us after the first meeting. We arrived at the bus station and got in a taxi who look us for a complete ride. Our hotel was 150m down the road and he drove around the block a couple of times and charged us about US$8. We met Carol’s friend Helen who was doing the two weeks in Vietnam with us at My My Arthouse, our home for the next two nights and went to a nice restaurant and had our first Vietnamese meal – pho bo, fresh noodles and beef and Vietnamese pancake. After we’d done the house keeping for the next few days (bus and accommodation booking) we set off to the night markets with a girl we met at the hotel. We often stay at family owned hotels which are hilarious. Their bathroom is your bathroom and then use the common area as their lounge and have their friends over for drinks! 

Flower market especially for Tet

First meal in HCMC and it was fantastic

In Cambodia we found out we’d be hitting HCMC during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) – it was absolutely crazy. All the locals travel to their family like we do for Christmas and many take one to two weeks off. So there was a contrast of scooter, beeping madness and many shops and restaurants being closed. To cross roads we adopted Hamish and Andy’s shadowing technique. We’d wait for a local or two (preferably three) and and stand very close to them. Once we figured out their approach we mastered it on our own. You just walk slowly and keep the same pace so the madness can pass around you. Soon we were looking for the busiest intersections to cross – quite exhilarating! An area between the two main streets was decked out with a special market for Tet selling flowers and lots of tree ensembles that is like their version of the Christmas tree. Children stay up late with their parents and play with bubble-making toys and things that light up and spiral into the air. People crowd the streets. It was so completely different to the HCMC we saw on our way to Cambodia. Everyone was so happy, it really lifted our spirits and gave us a new feeling about the place.

Fruit stall at the night markets 

All sorts of nuts and unidentifiable things in bags

Woman cooking up a storm of shell fish and snails at the night markets

Tuesday 1 February

We only had two days here so to get a feel for the area we took a day tour of the Mekong Delta area visiting four islands. To give you an idea of the traffic, it took three hours to travel 75km. We were picked up in a minibus and driven around the block to the tourism office. Then we drove around the block again and picked up other people. This is typical of how things roll here – nothing makes sense and nothing is what you expect. Spending hours picking up people within a two-block radius is pretty normal. Picking up random locals for short distances is also normal. We boarded a boat with about 20 other tourists and cruised the Mekong River before arriving at an island. On four-person long boats we traipsed through beautiful canals. The islands are inhabited with locals and for a lot of them these tours is how they make a living. We saw how Vietnam’s favourite sweet, coconut candy is produced and got samples. It was then time for the fruit party! It was a sampling of local fruits and a lovely music performance by several women accompanied by a small band. It was great to get a glimpse of life in the Mekong (where a large percentage of Vietnam’s population lives), but the tour wasn’t the best. But for US$9 what did we expect? 

Acting casual in our authentic conical hats

Long boats in a canal on the Mekong tour 

So much panda confectionary. This combines my love of pandas and ice-cream!

That night we walked through the city after being recommended a place to eat by our hotelier. Unfortunately it was closed because it was family run and they were shut down for Tet. We were really disappointed because it was a place were lots of locals go and we didn’t want to eat somewhere touristy again. After walking for what felt like hours we found somewhere to eat on the street. All they did was pho bo and they did it well. We were told that most street vendors specialise in one dish and there’s no menu. It was excellent. We had an endless supply of Vietnamese mint and fresh limes provided by a lovely old man who probably owned the joint. It’s often the older men who do this and the younger woman who cook and wait the tables. He just sat at the back and made sure everything went smoothly. This would have been US$1 for locals but we were charged triple. Goes with having a large nose apparently! On our way home we tried some coloured rice with sugar and a salty sauce and some delicious frozen natural yoghurt in a small triangular plastic tube.

Carol and I in front of the amazing Happy New Year sign

Best pho bo to date

Scooters as far as the eye can see

Delicious rice dessert

Carol and Helen at a bar all decorated for New Year

Wednesday 2 February

In the afternoon we were going to Mui Ne, a beach town, but before boarding the bus we visited the War Remnants Museum. The Museum hopes that through its exhibitions the public will leave saying no to war and yes to world peace. The Museum is some four storeys high and separated into eight galleries exploring themes like historical truths, imprisonment conditions during the war, and aggressive war crimes. The most memorable space for me was the collection of documentary photos from Japanese photographers Bunyo Ishikawa and Nakamura Goro. Photos, magazine covers and articles were displayed from the time of the Vietnam War. Because it was the first war to be so comprehensively photographed and in colour, the photos were harrowing and the stories of the photojournalists, some who died, equally as upsetting. On the third floor a colourful room called Dove is used for education groups and for children to play in while being supervised. The last gallery is called ‘The World People in support of Vietnam’s resistance’ and documents photographs and quotes from world leaders in support of anti-war.

War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City

The audio visual room looks like a magician is about to take the stage 

One of the galleries

After the museum visit we managed to scoff a bowl of pho bo before getting on the bus to Mui Ne. The bus was hot and I kept sticking to the vinyl seats and the air conditioning wasn’t very gutsy. After a stop and some fresh air we all felt much better and like we could stand the next couple of hours. Mui Ne is a resort town lining a gorgeous white sand beach. It seemed to take forever to get to our resort (that’s right, resort!). Because of Vietnamese New Year and our habit of booking late the few places I called were full or rooms were more expensive. Even though our accommodation was a fear way from the main part of town it was worth it for some serious beach/pool action and some R & R after the chaos that is Ho Chi Minh City.

Thursday 3 February 

We spent a glorious full day at the resort and beach. I managed to get a bit sun burnt and also had to start on the good old Imodium. Helen and I both got massages on the beach and they were terrible. Thankd God I only had half an hour. We experienced terrible meal after terrible meal. They think because we’re tourists we don’t want to taste good Vietnamese food – it’s actually half the reason we’re here. Finally we found a place that looked pretty busy and had fresh seafood and a BBQ out the front. That and the smell was enough to entice us in.  It would have been rude not to dig in to some seafood so we had crab which was lacking in meat but tender and delicious. To fill up we stopped at a dessert place and had some delicious pancakes and a game of checkers.  

A concoction of rice goodness and pickled vegetables eaten on the first morning of the New Year

Mmmm

Double the fun - trying out a new Vietnamese beer

Beach outside the resort at Mui Ne

Friday 4 February

Today Carol and I hired a scooter from the resort and headed for the sand dunes that Mui Ne is most known for. We cruised up the coast and it felt like we could have been anywhere in the world. Pine trees lined the coast and apart from a few fishing boats there wasn’t much else in sight. When we arrived at the sand dunes there were several people yelling and waving us into their shops. We went into the first one because we had no idea what they were doing and thought we couldn’t go any further. Turns out they’re at many tourist attractions. They look after your scooter or bike for a fee and then they try to get you to buy souvenirs, water or food. We hired plastic mats for sliding down the dunes and started our ascent to the top. Well, we certainly felt the burn – from the sun and in our legs after almost three weeks without much exercise. At first we couldn’t get the technique right and an Australian guy came over and told us he’d filmed us – rather embarrassing! 

Performance for New Year outside a restaurant in Mui Ne

Carol happy to be at the top of the dunes

Scooter action!

There were lots of woman wearing hats and masks all over the dunes hiring mats. We asked one of them to show us how it was done knowing we’d have to pay her because nothing here is for free. She piled some sand onto the mat and then sprinkled it down the dune on the path we’d slide down. It worked well and we had a few good runs. I gave the woman a tip for helping (US$1) and then she pulled out a random mat and accused me of bending it even though we used our own ones we’d hired previously. She wanted more money to replace the mat. Either she pretended we used one of hers to get more money or she set a slide up for me with her mat not mine. Either way it was sneaky and typical of the scams here. In the end there’s no point arguing about a dollar and you’re more aware next time. That afternoon we headed to Nga Trang – the main beach destination in Vietnam. 

Sleeper bus to Nha Trang