Our bus was heading for Vinh. During low season they run every other day, but not directly to Hanoi so we had no choice. Our friendly Loa bus driver was brilliant – we had no problems at all.

The border procedures went smoothly and we left the long trail of logging trucks behind. Seems trade is one way (Laos to Vietnam) because there were no trucks heading the opposite direction. No prizes for guessing which is the bigger economy. Shortly after the crossing we stopped for a lunch at a horrid looking little town with China standard toilets. V and I just waited for everyone to finish as we watched the people walk along the main street past dozens of Vietnamese flags. The rest of the trip went slowly but with only 7 people on board it was comfy. We dropped down out of the mountains and onto the rice covered plains (no more sticky rice though).

Eventually, 11 butt-breaking hours after setting off, we pulled into the main bus station in Vinh and were welcomed by touts trying to get us onto another 6 hour bus to Hanoi. No way ! A ‘helpful’ tout showed us where to find an ATM and walked us to his hostel to have a look. As we walked down some dingy alleys near the bus station we started to worry. 15 minutes in a Vietnamese city and it felt like we were about to be mugged 🙂 we needn’t have worried. The hostel was of poor standard and high price but it was close to the bus station and we were too knackered to care.

The streets of Vinh (around the station) were utter chaos and bustling with scooters, buses and cars – pedestrians are at the bottom of the food chain here. The roads, buildings and sheer volume of people creates a definate ‘China’ feeling. After a day of sweets and snacks we needed real food, but pickings were slim. One canteenish looking place was pumping so we grabbed a table and had a filing, if bland, meal. No prices on the menu left us with a bill that felt expensive and no way to question it. We handed over a bunch of plastic note (Yip. Notes are plastic and have a transparent window – cool) before heading off to bed. More of the same tomorrow – oh dear.

[Pictures: Welcome to Vietname – Rusted old government poster at the border. Packed Canteen – there are just so many more people here than in Laos]

– Posted from my iPhone

The hostel was fine – well at least quiet – and after faffing about for an hour we popped out to a bakery we had spotted last night for some excellent chocolate eclairs (thank you Frenchies). On the way back we stopped in at a ‘cafe’ for a local coffee. Thick and very strong with condensed milk and ice (optional) it was excellent. Even V enjoyed it. Then it was back to the buses !

We ended up on a sleeper bus – our tout pulled a bit of a bait and switch on us, claiming that the seat buses we had booked were sold out but he was good about it charging only 40 000 Dong extra (instead of 100 000. We checked later – it was a good deal).

As we settled in it became obvious that it was going to be an uncomfortable day. The Vietnamese pop was cranked up to ‘brainmelt’ as the driver utilized the sonic boom from his hooter to clear a path out of the city. We were stopping continuously for pee breaks and to collect passengers. The beds were packed within an hour and the isles filled up quickly after that. The day wore on as we wore out passing through plains of rice and the occasional distant clump of karst mountains. Traffic, pouring rain and half meter deep potholes made the going even slower. To our surprise each village (and there seemed to be one every 5kms) had a Christian church. Most looked like large Gothic cathedrals in immaculate condition. The town buildings also seemed odd. Brick and concrete but very (VERY) narrow fronts on the street. Tall and deep they seem as if a tiny earthquake could send them all toppling like a domino rally ! V read something about a tax way back that led to this.

Our six hour ride ended up being an eight hour test of our patience and eardrums. We arrived in Hanoi in the dark and at a bus station that was not on our map. A taxi driver approached us before we had collected our packs but we refused his attempt at a fixed fare to our destination. Eventually we got away from him and found an official metered taxi – good thing too, the other guy had wanted 2.8 times the real cost ! He drive through Hanoi was ‘educational’. This place is insane with scooters and hooters. After a 30 minute ride our driver announced our arrival but we could not see the hostel and were honestly scared to step out into what looked like a street in Joburg central ! V spotted our salvation – a bunch of honkies standing at an entrance. The building is another Vietnamese ‘skinny’ – 6m wide, around 20m deep and 8 stories high.

Our plan was to go back into dorm beds but two exhausting days of buses left us begging for a comfortable night at twice the price. What a great room – we have a third of the top floor to ourselves with glass all round offering > 270 degree views of the city. Well worth it. Perfectly appointed (for us). We slept like royalty.

[Pictures: The dodgy alley to our spot in Vinh. Paradise found: from the ‘city view’ room at Drift Hostel, Hanoi the next morning]

– Posted from my iPhone

Turns out we have arrived just at the start of the Hanoi’s 1000 year celebrations and the city is buzzing (I suspect it buzzes all the time though). As a city or tourist destination it has failed to impress. We visited some of the recommended sites:
Ho Chi Min Museum – dull… and we like museums, Ho Chi Min mausoleum – closed for October and November, The reconstructed One Pillar Pagoda – we’ve slept in better looking tree houses, Temple of literature – cool incense burner but that was it and Hoan Kiem lake – just another pond.

We also took long walks around the old quarter where some of the buildings have an unmistakable French flare but the area feels claustrophobic and noisy. It is full of tourists strolling around or being wheeled in cylcos through the contrived streets. Travel agents by the thousand, coffee shops of varying success and endless rows of the usual clothing and trinkets line the streets. Moving around is a choice between the road owned by plagues of wild scooters carrying up to four, or the pavements, blocked by parked scooters and crammed with frustrating hecklers at every step. Not our scene at all I’m afraid. To finish off the complaints… The food is very expensive and the things we could compare at the supermarket are marked up between 100% and 200% in restaurants and corner shops.

I think the problem is that Hanoi to us just seems like an extension of China. A noisy, crowded and smaller scale extension but with more bakeries. In China we were a minority in the tourism industry. Tourism was geared more for the domestic Chinese. We felt more anonymous. Here though, we make more of an impact, the touts look at us and immediately see dollar signs. It’s easier too, the hostels organize your bus, train ticket and whatever else you need. We will never need to fight our way to the front of a train station queue (a term used loosely in Asia) here, this makes traveling easier but it insulates us and makes it a little less exciting.

Having said all that, Hanoi is a vibrant city with all you would expect from a modern capital and it looks like Vietnam is doing well. The bikes are almost entirely Honda, Yamaha and Vespa – hardly any Chinese junk ! (a stark contrast to Laos). We could not believe the Vespa shops everywhere. We had to stick our heads in to get a price – around £2000 for an entry level cutie. Nobody walks anywhere since the pavements are congested with parked bikes and the locals would rather jump on a scooter than walk 50m down the street.

Crossing the street is a real adventure (but less difficult than advertised) and we did not feel that crime and scams were an issue. It was funny to observe the tourists in the old quarter hanging onto their bags for dear life and skulking about with eyes in the backs of their heads. We were also surprised that domestic tourism is growing rapidly here – two random people asked us to pose for photos with them which we had not been asked to do since way back in China.

Another plus for this place is their Internet. The telephone lines look like complete chaos and yet I was getting speeds faster than those in the UK and Hong Kong (when the crowds were out of the hostel). I internetted myself, almost to death, last night on one of the hostel’s pcs. ‘The Drift’ hostel has some of the best facilities we’ve seen (and not just the Internet).

Tomorrow marks 5 months on the road for us and we desperately needed a decent scotch to celebrate. Luckily we found a small bottle of one of our faves at a store on the way home today – really lucky – you never see the small ones ! So our flask is recharged with Glenmorangie for tomorrow’s boat trip out on Ha Long bay 🙂 I suspect Vietnam will start to impress is shortly.

[Pictures: Love the skinny buildings. Ho Chi Min’s mausoleum – from the outside !]

– Posted from my iPhone via Wifi

The day dawned heavily overcast after a rainy night. Not ideal conditions for a tour on Ha Long bay but we were hoping it would clear. We boarded a 30 seater full of westerners and headed out of town. Over three hours later we arrived in Ha Long city. Only four of us on the bus had opted for the el-cheap-o trip (2 days, 1 night) and we were immediately demoted to another tour group. The bay at Ha Long was surprising – packed with tourists being led about in groups while junks jostled for position on the piers. Our new group made my ears itch instantly as the loud affected twang of SAFA accents bellowed forth. On board we were provided lunch as we drifted out into the bay.

Even in the heavily overcast conditions the bay is still stunning. Over 3000 karst islands of varying sizes fill this UNESCO world heritage site. Unfortunately without the sun the water wasn’t close to the deep turquoise you see on postcards. Our first stop was the recently (1994) discovered Hang Sung Sot cave. Beautifully set out and lit for tourists even V enjoyed the space (not at all claustrophobic). Our guide led us through a bit of the history and pointed out the well known formations – more dragons, lions, frogs, turtles and bits of anatomy. All required little imagination.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent cruising around the amazing waterways and formations before dropping some people off at Cat Ba Island and continuing to a floating fishing village and the promise of kayaks. By the time we got to the kayaks the wind had come up, the temperature had dropped and night had fallen. Pity – I was looking forward to a swim.

We anchored for the night surrounded by dozens of similar boats all being swirled around by the strong wind. Dinner was acceptable (although the ‘fresh’ seafood looked decidedly not) and we enjoyed the evening with an English/Irish couple before retiring to our cabin. A large celebratory scotch and a pile of M&M’s had me unconscious before we could get through two eps of The West Wing ! Tough life we have 🙂

[Pictures: Views of Ha Long bay ]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

With our cabin next to the diesel powered engine room we had no need for an alarm clock – we were already awake in any event. The weather was mostly unchanged from yesterday – the wind had calmed a little. After breakfast we set out to retrace some of the route from yesterday to be back at Ha Long by 11 followed by a quick lunch and another bus ride back to our hostel. Amazing how tired we get doing nothing at all – we both fell asleep on the bus, but only I woke to a pool of drool on my shirt 🙂 

The experience as a whole was good and at fair price ($45 exclusive of drinks). The food was average. Real pity about the weather as our photos will attest (compared to what you can see online).

Back in Hanoi we ended up in dorm bunks, our first since Russia, but they were perfect and the 8 bed room wasn’t full. Just a sweet 70+ little old lady and a quiet Irish couple. On a recommendation from the Australian hostel owner we popped out for a bite on the street just around the corner and enjoyed our best meal in Vietnam so far. Tasty, different and most importantly without consequences. Tomorrow we have a day to kill before catching the night bus to Hue and I suspect the vacuum of high speed Internet will suck us in for most of it.

On a sad note. We just watched the last ep of ‘The West Wing’. Finishing it always makes me sad, very sad 🙁 155 eps in 155 days on the road. Cool thing is we can always start it again but now that the new House is out we’ll be busy with that. Never a dull moment for my little iPhone !

[Pictures: heading home] 

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

We successfully managed to do absolutely nothing at all today. Up late, late breakfast, goofing around on the net, a little shopping for supplies and sampling of Vietnam KFC (cheaper and tastier than China, but the portions are smaller). Tonight is a 14 hour bus to Hue that we are not looking forward to and we are not really interested in doing anything else in Hanoi. We are hoping that Vietnam gets more interesting – so far it is an English speaking, traveler filled version of China without big attractions. 

We can highly recommend ‘The Drift Backpackers Hostel’ in Hanoi, but not the city itself. We have bought an ‘Open Tour’ bus ticket which will get us to Ho Chi Min city in four long sections. The price seems good (780 000 Dong) and was really simple to arrange. Our bus left on time and packed with honkies. We almost miss being the only English speakers around. We definitely miss our friends from Laos.

Note: the gps pin was taken on the bus trip – otherwise it will look like we were on a boat. 

[Pictures: Nothing to show for the day !] 

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

We have done so many long bus trips they have become something we just deal with. Last nights was no different. We pulled into a restaurant in Dong Ha around 7am (11 hours after leaving) and were greeted by a polite tour guide offering services. The bus was continuing on to Hue but we, along with five other tourists, were sold on the tour. It turned out to be a good move although initially we were nervous to make another sleep deprived mistake. Mr Hoa (Tel: 0905425701) and the group piled into a car for a 3 hour tour around the DMZ, a cemetery, a museum and the Vinh Moc Tunnels.

Mr Hoa was a brilliant guide and the entire excursion cost us only $15 each. First stop was a military cemetery where North Vietnamese soldiers have been reburied. There were new flower wreaths in place marking the location of future graves for bodies found recently in the jungles around Dong Ha (this is ongoing). Most of the headstones state ‘Unknown Soldier’ as the North Vietnamese used paper ID in stead of dog-tags. Mr Hoa enthusiastically explained everything in great detail bouncing from one interesting point to the next. Some of the headstones marked as ‘unknown’ have information painted the back. Apparently distraught families occasionally turn to ‘psychics’ that, for a fee, will locate the burial place of a lost family member. The families then take it upon themselves to fill in the details on the headstones. Interesting, but I find the abuse of grieving families in this manner to be utterly disgusting (Mr Hoa agrees). 

Heading further North we slowed to take some snaps of the terrain and monuments as we crossed the Ben Hai River that runs the width of the country. This marked the border between North and South during the conflict. The entire area (the DMZ) was leveled by bombs, artillery, napalm and chemical agents. Thriving rice paddies, rubber plantations and townships have replaced almost all evidence of the destruction.

Our next stop was the Vinh Moc tunnel complex and it’s little
museum. The museum was tiny (one hall) but did offer a decent model of the tunnels and some interesting before and after photographs of the DMZ. We headed into entrance number 3 – the entrances have been reinforced but otherwise they are in their original state unlike the popular tunnels near Ho Chi Min city. The tunnels were an excellent excursion. Three levels at depths of 13m, 18m and 23m all linked  by a confusing network. The walls are all the original soft clay from which they were skillfully excavated in 18 months – so soft that you can scrape them with a fingernail. Mr Hoa guided us around the various areas – living quarters where 400+ people lived complete with maternity ‘room’ and meeting/cinema corridor for screening propaganda. Walking through the massive labyrinth was inspiring. These guys must have been very tough (and a little shorter than average westerners). After about 40 minutes underground our little troupe of 7 emerged. It was a brilliant tour and the ride back to town had everyone snoozing except for Udie (an Israeli guy), V and me (we were excited and high on red bull). Mr Hoa continued the commentary – he had joined the South Vietnamese Army when he he was 18 and fought alongside his father, brother and the yanks. After the war he was held for 3 years in a ‘re-education’ camp. He still has issues with the northerners today (his boss is one of them) but loves his job and it shows !       

Back in town Mr Hoa, true to his word, arranged a minibus to take us the rest of the way to Hue and find us reasonable accommodation. V and I chatted the trip away with the two Israeli guys (Guy and Udie). Still early we decided to make the most of the day and headed out into the old walled city of the emperor. Impressive city walls and dragon decorations along with the tallest flag pole in Vietnam and the remains of the palace made it an interesting and enjoyable afternoon. This is the kind of stuff we were looking for in Vietnam. What a great day!

[Pictures: V heading down inside the tunnels. A dragon in to old walled city of Hue]
    

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

Not much else to do in Hue besides the old palace and citidel so we spent the morning strolling around looking for entertainment. The amount of stuff that the locals can attach to a scooter (with or without rope) would impress even in Africa. The French flare can be seen in some of the buildings here and definitely in some of the restaurants – we found a good one for breakfast. Our 5 hour bus ride to Hoi An left on time at 1pm – again a sleeper full of faces that we have seen on and off for the past week (including the couple from the Ha Long bay trip). It feels like we are on an organized tour ! The scenery was more of the same (could have been Natal South Coast), the roads were bumpy and busy but at least they were straight. We passed well know spots like Danang and China beach in comfort. It was not an unpleasant trip. 

I mentioned the good value of these ‘open tour’ bus tickets before. It seems impossible that they can make money from the system since competition has driven the price down. We were aware of the catches (linked restaurants and hotels where the buses stop) but have not felt forced into anything. Today was the same. The bus pulled up outside a pleasant hotel a 20 minute walk from Hoi An town centre. Perfect rooms and facilities for $15 per night – we took it without question and then looked the place up online (probably the wrong way to do it). Shocking reviews all over the net (oops) but we had an absolutely wonderful stay at The Grassland Hotel. In the evening we took a walk into town – those that complain it is too far to walk should get on a treadmill sometime! The old section looks interesting (another UNESCO site) and should be even better in the daylight tomorrow. Hoi An is known for its tailors, cobblers, jewelers and other handicrafts. Stores line all the streets advertising shoes and suits custom made in less than a day. Maybe I should get a tux and V a ball-gown to add to our travel gear – wonder if they do them in Gore-Tex ? 🙂 

[Pictures: Hoi An at night]
    

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

Another late some start (We are getting good at those). After our free hotel breakfast we walked our packs into town for safekeeping at the open tour offices. V’s mission for the day was shopping ! I have to admit that V is never really keen on shopping but when she’s in the mood, she’s a force to be reckoned with. We spent the morning trawling up and down the streets of the historical centre along the river. It is a beautiful little area – very quaint and full of French touches. The cyclos, taxis, shop owners, hawkers and touts don’t miss an opportunity to stop you but they were generally polite and gave up after at few attempts at persuasion. 

Along with dozens of clothing stores we popped into a model ship shop. Some beautifully detailed wooden models up to 2m long. We considered buying one ($ 150 incl shipping to SA) but we were not convinced on their accuracy – 3 models of the Cutty Sark looked nothing like each other. V found a stunning shell and silver pendant in the ‘Fair Trade’ shop along with a couple more T shirts. She now has 9. Remember we started with 3 🙂     

The sights are limited (like the Japanese Covered Bridge) but the ambiance is in the streets, the cafes and watching the world zoot by on motorcycles and bicycles. It didn’t take long for the heat to wear us out (me first). By the time we got on the 12 hour bus to Nha Trang we were sweaty and exhausted. The bus was almost empty so we were surprised that it left on time. I was lucky to get the bunk above the back door and toilet – it is very long and flat. Thankful for the aircon we settled in for another rough night ! Tomorrow we hit the beaches.  

[Pictures: Ship model and more old buildings]
    

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

It was a very long bus ride. The driver insisted on turning the lights on at every stop, even in the middle of the night. In the wee hours of the morning we stopped – a fair amount of hammering coincided with the replacement of a flat tire. The bus finally ground to a halt near the ‘backpacker’ area of Nha Trang in the drizzle. The first time in ages we didn’t think to put our pack covers on in the bus meant V’s pack was soaked through – oops. Having been warned (many times) about taxi scams and nonsense we immediately hopped on the back of a couple of motorbikes for the 5km ride out of town to our hotel. Turns out the bus passed by it on the way in but we were barely conscious and didn’t notice. Hadn’t planned on a free shower but at least we arrived at ‘The Tide Hotel’ partially refreshed. Within half an hour we had checked in, showered and were slumbering soundly.

We crawled downstairs around noon looking for food and were greeted by the hotel owner and his wife (Owen and Mai). Owen, the Canadian owner who is admittedly in charge of PR, was fantastic. Providing us with plenty of information and even accompanying us to a local lunch spot down the street. The Tide is opposite a tranquil beach used only by locals in the morning and evening. Being this far out of the tourist area means cheaper prices, less westerners and a more ‘real’ Vietnamese experience – but if you have had enough of rice, you will have a problem 🙂

After lunch (which was ok-ish, but cheap) we strolled around the local area stopping in at the market and for me to get a haircut. We dawdled along the beach and generally just relaxed the afternoon away. Nha Trang is really just a beach resort so there is not a lot to do.

On another recommendation from Owen we had dinner just down the road at another local joint. Most of the local restaurant/canteens have pre-school sized tables and chairs on the pavement – you feel like you’ve been ostracized to the children’s table 🙂 As we sat we were surrounded by at least 5 waitresses and both of the tarted up hostesses. The food was good but as usual we ordered too much (and too much rice…. and too much beer !) The ice waitress kept coming around to whip small ice-cubes out of our beer and replace them with much larger ones – that was really funny. Owen told us about a real American steakhouse in the tourist part of town with massive imported steaks at massive ‘imported’ prices. I don’t care. That’s what I’m having for dinner tomorrow !

[Pictures: The local beach. Sitting at the naughty kids table]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

[Nha Trang, Vietnam] We didn’t have much planned for today. The idea was to take it easy and relax in preparation for a big dinner. We hopped a local bus into town from just outside our hotel and after strolling around for a couple hours found a lite bite at a French restaurant (complete with large obnoxious French owner). V finally got her drink out of a coconut – but she still prefers the one with sugar added just as nature intended. Nha Trang’s beach front is somewhat like Durban’s. The manicured beaches are lined by a picturesque promenade and across the road are the usual internationally branded hotels and resorts. We love the way the fir trees have been groomed into geometric shapes but when the weather changes there are not many options for killing time.

We arranged our bus ticket for Ho Chi Min City (HCMC) then headed to the beach to relax. Five minutes after finding a suitable palm tree to sit under on a mostly deserted beach the rain started. At first it came in little waves and we persisted under our umbrellas. After an hour and the thud of a coconut hitting the sand nearby we gave up and went looking for ice-cream. Sitting in an Italian ice-cream shop (yip, life is hard) the rain started bucketing down and refused to stop. By the time we were getting hungry for dinner it was still pouring down – no option but to get a little wet.

The streets leading to the Texas BBQ and our imported steak dinners were, in some places, waist deep in floodwater. Buses ploughing their way trough had to open their doors a to drain water once reaching shallower sections. Shops flooding, motorcycles engulfed, and us wading through in search of steak – it was hilarious. It was however worth the soggy discomfort as our American host (the city seems full of American and French Restaurateurs) presented me with a perfect rib-eye. We both gouged ourselves and still managed to put away some home made apple pie. A bill of more than 800 000 Dong was a lot (for us) but well worth it in the end.

[Pictures: Cool strop tan. Could use a kayak !]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

[Nha Trang, Vietnam]

After yesterday’s rain we really needed a break in the weather for the ‘Amazing Snorkeling Tour’ organized by our hotel. By the time we had finished in the shower the morning drizzle had stopped and the sun was coming out to play. We piled into a minivan with a couple of others and a wonderful Aussie couple (who were on honeymoon) for the ride across town to the docks. Our boat filled with around 20 tourists as our guide explained the changes in the plan. The heavy rain yesterday had clouded some of the dive sites but we were assured that the backup spots were acceptable. An hour long cruise got us out to the first spot passing under a massive cable car linking the mainland to a very expensive hotel and theme park on one of the larger islands (apparently Donald Trump has a spot around here). Today was V’s first time out snorkeling and my first time in 10 years, the last time being in Thailand!

Water is not really V’s element and I think she was dreading bailing off the site of the boat. A big (rather silly looking) rubber flotation ring and warm blue water made it easier for her to get over her apprehension. The first site was okay. Hard corals and possibly 7m visibility with loads of brightly coloured small fish. Beautiful silver lined translucent jellies floated around us – it was great. Unfortunately Peter, the Aussie guy, lost his brand new wedding band when he dived in. 30 minutes of scanning and a few dives to the bottom turned up nothing but shells. V and I felt terrible for him.

For some reason passing understanding some people were hungry and wanting lunch at 11am – our guide obliged. The bottom deck was decked out beautifully with a feast of fresh (I can only assume) and good looking seafood. Luckily they had also prepared an excellent chicken dish for me. The tour company had also decided to waive the cost of drinks (normally excluded) – free beers, cool drinks and excellent food – what a win !

The second dive spot was the most beautiful (we thought). V had found her gills and was loving it. Colourful hard and soft corals and loads of fish in shallow clear water. We really miss having V’s waterproof camera! My favourites were the long thin yellow tube fish and the angelfish always make me smile (and when you smile with a snorkel you get a mouth full of seawater). By the 3rd site V was the first one in the water and the last one out – she was thoroughly enjoying it. I managed to convince her to have a go without her rubber ring and try diving under the water. Well that was the end of that fear, she didn’t look back and I suspect we will be doing a lot more of this. It was great to see my V so excited. Awesome day out but it did have consequences (my own fault) – I’ve got a nasty sunburn on my back and an 11 hour bus ride tomorrow !

[Pictures: Us loving the water]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

[Nha Trang to Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam] Ten hours on a bus with radioactive sunburn is just not fun. The day passed slowly even with the aid of some podcasts and the changing scenery. We stopped for lunch in the quaint looking beach town of Mui Ne – may have been a cool spot to spend a night. The bus was again empty and by the time we got to HCMC (named after ‘Uncle Ho’ as he is know) there were less than ten passengers on board – I really don’t know how they can afford to run in low season.

HCMC is a massive modern (in parts) metropolis with a population of around 8 million (4 times that of Hanoi) complete with it’s ‘Kao San road’ type backpacker ghetto. It’s a crazy place with 6 million motorbikes buzzing the noisy and hectic streets. Luckily our bus stopped in the main backpacker area and our GPS confirmed a short 300m stroll to the hotel we were interested in (not that there was a shortage of options). The Hong Han Hotel, although slightly more expensive than we wanted, was perfect.

We ditched our gear and headed out for dinner. The street is lined with every type of food you can imagine. We picked a fancy looking Italian place because it had aircon and looked quiet. Delicious four cheese gnocchi. Exquisite ! Though V thinks they need to work on their pizza. Tomorrow we’ll check out some of the city sites – or we could just hang around the hotel and eat a plate of everything we’ve be craving for the past five months.

[Pictures: Finally made it – we were knackered. Our hotel’s terrace – boring I know]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

[Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam] We had a bit of a lazy start to the morning and were only out of the hotel by mid morning. By the time we had walked all the way to the reunification palace (via the insane central market) it was closed for lunch. So we killed a bit of time at a coffee shop opposite the Notre Dame Cathedral and the central post office, then some more time people watching in the park outside the palace.

Finally we were able to get in after they had finished their 2 hour lunch break. It was mildly interesting and we suspect all the decor is original (from the 60’s) but Sim thinks they should park a couple of tanks in the front – you know like the famous picture? The palace also has a full sized model of a Huey on the roof to mark from where the last Americans were airlifted at the end of the war (and another famous photo).

Next up was the War Remnants Museum. Formerly known as the museum of American war crimes. It was pretty harrowing stuff. Mostly one sided pictures and details of what the Americans did to the VC. It was incredibly depressing but educational. It was a horrific war. [Sim: to quote the West Wing “All wars are crimes”]

We were too bumbed and exhausted to walk anymore so we grabbed two motorcycle taxis and headed home.  We had walked quite some distance so the 2 dollars it cost us was worth it. Sim took some video of the ride to give people an idea of what it’s like. Motorcycles are the only way you can really get around easily in this congested town. With a motorbike even the pedestrian pavements get used and driving on the wrong side of the road is ok if it gets you where you are going. At one point  I squealed when a car tried to cut in front of us, but my driver patted me on the leg and reassured me that he was a safe driver.

[Pictures: Enemies at the gate – okay, maybe it’s just us.]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

[Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam] To satisfy our curiosity we decided to do a a half day tour of the well know Cu Chi tunnels about an hour and a half out of town. Booking through a hotel or agency has become so easy for us. We are getting lazy. No finding a local bus, guessing where to get off and then battling with taxis to get to an attraction. Now we just wait in the hotel reception.

On the way out to the site our guide entertained a bus load of tourists with his non-stop stories and jokes. Some seemed too good to be true, but you never know. One thing is certain, he has been doing the same talk in the same enthusiastic style for quiet some time. Just Google ‘Mr Bean +Cu Chi tunnel tour’ and you’ll find what we experienced. We stopped by a handcraft market run by disabled war veterans and people affected by the war (UXO victims etc). V and I liked some of the shell artwork but it was all too big for us to carry.

The tunnels have been turned into a major theme park but it was well worth the time. After an introductory ‘documentary’ (more like anti-American propaganda) we toured around the complex looking at some seriously viscous traps and bunkers. A tiny covered hole in the ground was explained as a sniper post. Mr Bean offered us to have a go but nobody was interested until I stepped up. It was a tight fit but fun. If i were working there I would have strategically placed a few rubber snakes in the hole 🙂 Next stop was the shooting range where you can choose to shoot with an M-16, AK-47, M-60 or some others. The bullet prices were a little too rich for our blood so we just sat with a cool-drink while the gunfire reigned.

Finally we got to the actual tunnel part of the tour. Only 150m long and with ‘panic’ exits every 30m (V used the first one) they were not nearly as expansive and deep as the Vinh Moc tunnels. They were however much smaller and very cramped making it a lot of fun for me. I always wanted tunnels as a kid. Pity we didn’t have nice clay to work with.

In the end our half day tour grew by a few hours – I think due to the length of Mr. Bean’s presentations – and we arrived back in town after 15h00. Not motivated to see any more pagodas we spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel. Well by ‘relaxing’ I mean I spent 3 hours removing viruses and junk, and re-installing software on the hotel’s shared Internet PC (even got Facebook working for them by bypassing their ISP’s DNS server). Unfortunately I couldn’t wangle a discount on the room rate for all the ‘work’ but I had a ball in any event 🙂

[Pictures: a bit of a squeeze. Too many twinkies]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi

[Ho Chi Min City to Chau Doc] Yet another ‘tour’ for us today, but this one will get us out of Vietnam and into Cambodia (country number 11 I think). We are both very tired today – it was a very early start and my sunburn is still not allowing me to sleep. A long bus ride interrupted by a short break at a coffee shop (complete with hammocks – the traffic is so bad sometimes that people stop to snooze) got us out onto the Mekong Delta. Next, a boat tour past a dismal floating market and a ‘product manufacturing center’ where our guide explained and showed the processes involved in the production of various local specialties (puffed rice, coconut toffee sweets, rice paper and rice wine). The remainder of the day was taken up with boat, bicycle and bus rides to eventually get us to a ‘floating hotel’ at Chau Doc.

It was a long day of travel not made any easier by the group of people we were with. I miss our gibbon group friends. We paid bottom dollar for the tour, accommodation and to get out of the country but some of the travelers were expecting 5 (okay maybe 3) star treatment. It was embarrassing to watch them whinge and complain. The Mekong delta was, well, a big delta – nothing special. The tour stops were definitely secondary to the transit and the accommodation was probably the worst we’ve had in Vietnam. Anyway we’re excited to be moving to a new country tomorrow. Tomb Raider country (Cambodia) awaits !

[Pictures: Crossing the Mekong on a huge rusting ferry.]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi