Day 13 - Ho Chi Minh City & Mekong

Despite a terrible night's sleep (turns out Milla likes to sleep sideways), we were up bright and early today to join a tour to the Mekong Delta. We had booked the tour at the last minute through our hotel and were impressed with the price ($20US) but perhaps we should have heeded Frommer's words of warning about tours like these: "...for that low, low price, expect little in the way of good tour leading and explanation. One gets the sense of being on a cattle drive (as cattle, not cowboys)." And sadly, that's exactly how it felt. From the moment we got on the bus, the day was a comedy of errors, which of course, eventually stopped being funny, no matter how optimistic a face we painted on it.

After catching a bus to the touring company, we stood waiting on the street corner for almost an hour, unsure of what was happening, except for the realisation that our hotel had slapped on an almost 50% commission charge on top of the tour price. But on the upside, we were able to watch the world of Ho Chi Minh City roll by and buy some fresh mandarins from a lovely lady walking by.

Finally our bus tour arrived and we all piled into a tiny little "air-conditioned" van. Again, we chose to fall on the side of good humour, thinking of the van as "character-filled" (rather than the rusty broken down health hazard it actually was) but when it stopped to pick up the fifteenth passenger and our tour guide was forced to catch a coach bus down to the Mekong to meet us there, we began to wonder.

Once again knocked out by the motion-sickness pills/horse tranquilisers, I missed most of the ride but woke up in time for our arrival in Mekong City and the boat deck where we would climbe aboard our touring vehicle. Now this part of the tour I was excited about. Although it was a bit of a feat to make it safely into the questionable boat we were taking without falling into the Mekong, the water was creating a cool breeze and a whole different world of water culture awaited us. Fun!

Sadly, the breeze coming off the water was pretty much the highlight of the trip from here on in. Each of the sights - the coconut candy production, the bee farm, the small village, the traditional music and the Bonsai farm were really just shops disguised as cultural experiences and little was done to show us life on the Mekong Delta as it's really lived. I realise that perhaps this is impossible, by our very presence we're treating the residents' lives as a bit of a spectacle, but there was no exchange of any sort between the people and ourselves, so it felt very zoo-like and I just couldn't get comfortable with that.

Nevertheless, seeing the Mekong itself was pretty amazing, knowing what it means to the people of Vietnam (the centre of rice production), and as always, any mishaps along the way will all end up as fodder for the travel "war stories" collection. My falling in the boat for one - enough said. But after today's experiences we did decide to skip Day 2 of the tour and head back to Ho Chi Minh.

The boats running up and down the Mekong full of tourists

Bee farm (how could she hold that without shaking?!?) I actually took the photo from quite far away (hoorah for the zoom lens!)

Milla holding a huge snake (of her own freewill! Brave girl! You couldn't pay me enough...)

The two gorgeous children who sang traditional music during our lunch (the little boy definitely stole my heart!)

One of the tour guides rowing our long boat (by far my favourite picture I took in Vietnam)

Day 12 - Ho Chi Minh City

Once again the morning came bright and early, but this time I was happy to greet it even at 7am (I'm more of a 9 or 10am kind of girl myself) since it was our last day and we wanted to squeeze in just one more walk along the beach. As usual there was no end of interesting things to see, from little cockle shells closing up tight as we approached, to children sitting in the water fully clothed, playing in the sand.

We also took the opportunity to buy a few more strands of pearls from the lovely woman who I think had decided to permanently set up shop outside our bungalow in the hopes that we might pass by and once again be tempted. Already she knows us so well. *grin*

After a quick brekkie, swim in the pool and final pack up, it was time to go and though it was sad to say goodbye to the Mui Ne Sailing Club (the best place I've ever stayed in by far), we were excited to be heading to a new destination - Ho Chi Minh City! In a luxury van no less - worth every bit of the $90US we had to pay (sadly I missed a lot of the ride, thanks once again to those horse tranquilisers masquerading as motion sickness tablets).

But I was wide awake for our arrival in Ho Chi Minh - an amazing place from the moment we drove in. Apparently Sunday is 'Wedding Day' here as we passed all manner of wedding parties with brides decked out in every color of the rainbow. Even more entertaining though was seeing very dressed up guests on their way to weddings on the back of motorcycles - some even carrying gifts and cakes! I wish I could have gotten a photo, it's amazing the balance and poise these people posess!

After checking in to the Spring Hotel, which is very nice, but really does live up to Frommer's description as "an unsettling Greco-Roman motif" (think huge marble pillars, sweeping staircases and giant plants everywhere). Still, the tackiness is kind of fun and the place is roomy and clean so it gets a big, big thumbs up in my book. The only problem of course, was the one bed in our room. Although large enough to immediately recall memories of the song "There were 10 in the bed and the little one said 'Roll over, roll over'...", sharing one bed between the three of us was not ideal (I took quite a few thumps in the back from Milla) and we're really hoping there'll be two beds when we come back from the Mekong.

So after droping everything off, we decided to hit the town. Ho Chi Minh immediately seems a lot faster than Hanoi, with more vehicles on the road (especially cars), more high rises, more Western-style shops, and more Westerners period. For me, it certainly doesn't have that same charm I found so enchanting in Hanoi, but there is a magic here, an excitement that seems to buzz all around you to constantly remind you that you're not in Kansas anymore.

The first major site to take in was the Ben Thanh Market, a must-see according to all the guidebooks. And it certainly was an amazing sight - hundreds of stalls selling all manner of wares stuffed into this tiny little street with hundreds, maybe thousands of people milling around. But perhaps we've been spoiled by the Old Quarter, because this market seemed like nothing more than a flea market for tourists (picture knock-off clothes, bags, jewellery, etc) with highly aggressive sellers who practically pull you into their shop and physically force their wares into your arms. All in all, not the most pleasant experience, but I'm glad we went and I did manage to find a bag I love (if you can't beat 'em, join 'em right?)

Day 11 - Mui Ne

Happy birthday Milla! Today began bright and early with a present hunt around our bungalow. Although not very well hidden, finding the presents did prove a bit of a trick since they were wrapped in only plastic bags, newspaper and air sickness bags, which although handy since they were readily available, were not particularly obvious like wrapping paper usually is.

After finding all the presents, we headed off for a breakfast and then to the pool for yet another swim. You'd think after a few days we might get tired of this routine but apparently relaxing never gets dull - I LOVE this place! I could certainly get used to the resort life -another cocktail madame?



After a few laps in the pool we decided to brave the ocean, rented boogie boards in hand. No question, the waves of Mui Ne are the roughest I've ever been in, hands down. Seriously, go in up to your ankles and you're being knocked over! But for one glorious moment I successfully rode a wave to shore and it was fantastic!! Admittedly, I had to fall of my board, hit the sand and bend the board practically in half about thirty times before my moment of victory, but I had my moment and it was glorious!! Sadly, there's no photographic evidence so you'll just have to take my word for it, but trust me, I was a graceful gazelle of the waves.

Finally, we emerged from the ocean, exhausted and beraggled but happy. Then it was time for another afternoon of indulgence, this time with manicures and pedicures - something I'd never had before. I was a bit concerned that there might not be enough to work with since I tend to bite my fingernails down to nubs (lovely image hmm?) but somehow those ladies pulled of a miracle and my hands look amazing (as do my feet!). Tracey and Milla are also looking gorgeous of course!



After such a wonderful relax, we decided to get gussied up for dinner, which tonight was a buffet by the pool. How amazing is this place?!? The surroundings are so beautiful - I feel like I could happily stay here forever - and we're leaving tomorrow *sigh*

Day 10 - Mui Ne

Once again we were up bright and early to head out for a beachwalk. This time we headed down towards the other shore, once again passing early morning fishermen (we've yet to be there for the catch but judging by the crowds that gather around as the buoy comes closer to shore, it's certainly a site worth seeing...maybe tomorrow).

When we got back from our walk we found some unexpected guests enjoying the final dregs of last night's cocktails we'd left out on the front porch - apparently Toblerones aren't just irresistible to humans!

After setting these poor creatures free (one did quite a little sideways stumble into the bushes) we headed off for some brekkie and then, where else? to the pool! Although continued afternoons of relaxing by the pool do not make for very exciting travel journal writing, the joy of having to do absolutely nothing but swim and soak up the sun is superb!

Later today we did find some excitement as the kite surfers took to the water, their kites many, many feet in the air as they rode the waves at amazing speeds and lifted 10 and 20 feet up in the air.

Then, at 3pm, we headed off for our facials, a treat I'm very rarely able to give myself but one that I absolutely adored. This facial was even better than expected as it came with a shoulder and foot massage (thankfully I was able to resist the urge to kick even when she touched my foot - bodes well for the pedicure tomorrow). After so much relaxing, the only thing to do was sit at the beach bar and drink a cocktail and watch the world go by...ahh, this is the life!

Tonight the girls worked up some energy before dinner, dancing around the room to Madonna (they both put on quite a show! who knew Tracey could be such an amazing back up singer/dancer even though she was fired by Milla for upstaging the main singer). Now, time for a movie, maybe another cocktail, and then wrapping presents for Milla - it's her 7th birthday tomorrow!)

Day 9 - Mui Ne

Today was a hard one - we were forced to lay on the beach in the sun, drinking cocktails, playing by the pool, eating copious amounts of delicious food, watching the gorgeous sunset from our beachfront bungalow, and shopping in the sand (apparently we can find ways to shop anywhere!). I love it here!



The first order of business today was to go for a walk along the beach, running through the waves far out to shore. While we were lucky enough to be playing, many Vietnamese people had started their work day, including a line of fishermen pulling a net in far from shore. It was an amazing process - the guy at the back acted as an anchor, pulling backwards until he reached a certain point. Then he headed to the front of the line and everyone else moved one back. I'm guessing this is so the poor person at the back doesn't get stuck doing all the hard work. We waited a little while to see what they're catch might be but eventually the pull of playing in the waves was too strong and we had to keep walking.



Heading back to our bungalow after the long beach walk, we then came across something completely unexpected - a salesman on the beach! He was selling all sorts of pearls in an array of colours and styles for unbelievable prices and despite our best efforts and recent promises to hold off on the shopping for a few days, we simply could not resist! I'd be interested to see where the pearls were farmed, I'm guessing it's nearby and it'd be great to know we're supporting local industry.



The rest of the day was a study in relaxation - swimming in the pool, enjoying local delicacies (that's more Tracey than Milla and I but still...) and generally enjoying life - did I mention I LOVE it here? But the evening was not to be outdone - after Milla had gone off to bed, Tracey and I decided to lay out on the cushioned sofas on our front porch, listen to the waves, watch the sunset, and enjoy Toblerones (a wonderful mix of Kaluha, chocolate syrup, Bailey's and cream - yum!). No place has ever been so relaxing.

Pursuing that PhD...

Isn't it great when you find that picture that just says it all?

Day 8 - Mui Ne

Travel day today! After staying up until 2am to pack, repack, repack and then repack again in order to stick to the 20kg limit for each bag, we had to get up bright and early to make our way to the airport. The journey out was just as entertaining as the journey in, with people passing by loaded to the gills on motorcycles, colorful houses, and questionable lane changes (surely those lane markers are there for a reason right?)



Whilst it was sad to be leaving Hanoi, the Old Quarter, and the staff at the Salute Hotel, we were excited to be heading to Mui Ne...roll on beach fun!!! The flight down to Nha Trang was pretty non-eventful (always happy with that) and Vietnam Airlines gave us more leg room than most airlines which was great. They also didn't raise an eyebrow at our multitudes of hand luggage (even though the sign said strictly one per person) - all in all, a top class airline.

Finding a ride down to Mui Ne (a quiet stretch of coastline three hours from the much busier beaches of Nha Trang) was a bit of a trick as a group of rather unsavoury taxi drivers (excited to see that's world-over...) immediately surrounded us with offers to take us here, there and everywhere, but eventually we settled into a mini-van and were off! As always, the journey proved half the fun and three hours went by pretty quickly as we sailed past beautiful mountains and villages (admittedly, I slept for half the trip - seriously, those motion sickness tablets are like horse tranquilisers). The best bit was when we drove through Phan Thiet and attracted stares like I've never seen. Apparently not too many westerners make the journey from Nha Trang so we were a bit of an oddity.



Then...we arrived! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Mui Ne Sailing Club, it's the most amazing place I've ever stayed in - I feel like a millionaire!!






We are staying in a beach front bungalow, simply open the door and you're practically in the waves! And much to Milla's extreme happiness, there's a pool!



The beach is absolutely gorgeous as well, with huge waves and luxiouriously soft sand, and the restaurant serves delicious food - what could be better than this place?? So, for now it's off to bed and then, tomorrow, waking up for a nice long walk on the beach....ahhh, heaven!

Day 7 - Hanoi

Today was "culture day" - the kind you have to stand in line to experience. Our official itinerary (thank you Lonely Planet) listed the one pillar pagoda, the house on stilts and the Ho Chi Minh Museum as sites worth a look. To get to the area that housed these wonders however, we had to leave the Old Quarter, so we decided to 'rickshaw' it, called a cyclo here in Vietnam. Having been pestered by a million and one drivers of these vehicles for the last week, it was great to finally nod back and say 'yes, we would like a ride'. With a little bit of haggling (only 50,000 dong), we were off, settled into the rickety cyclo whose brakes sounded extremely questionable but seemed to work well enough at most red lights (the ones we sailed through were definitely a bit harrowing). Within the Old Quarter, the cyclo was great, weaving in and out between the motorbikes, watching the sites roll by. But once we headed further afield, I wasn't so sure, packed in between cars and large rolling trucks, breathing in all the tasty fumes and worrying at any moment we might be taken out. Still, all in all not a bad way to get about.


The drivers were hilarious!

After being dropped off at Ba Dinh Square, we headed to the most obvious site, the huge masoleum dominating the place, draped in the words 'Ho Chi Minh' and surrounded by guards. There was definitely a sense of what communist Vietnam in its glory days must have been like. Sadly, we weren't able to go inside to see Ho Chi Minh's body, as it apparently goes to Russia every year in October for "undisclosed repairs" - can't imagine what exactly, sounds interesting though.

After walking around the square for awhile, we decided to head off to the One pillar pagoda, supposedly "near" Ba Dinh Square, but near must be a subjective term because nowhere could we see the elusive pagoda. So, what does any good tourist do when in doubt? Simply follow the other tourists right? Wrong! Mistakenly adopting this policy, we were herded into the Ho Chi Minh museum, to see the glory that was his house, his lake, his fish, his cars, his plants, his bridge and so on. The people here really love him! Sadly, we weren't so excited by this man and seeing all these things was less than fascinating for us. On the upside, Tracey got to experience the joys of a real Vietnamese toilet, standing in a queue with a rolled up bunch of toilet paper given to her by the directing attendant. The line to the trough-like toilet where you squat over an open urinal was shorter but Tracey decided to hold out for the Western style (and I use that word loosely) toilet behind a door which for some reason had a big circle cut out of it, rendering the door somewhat obsolete. Lucky girl hmm?

After all this excitement, we FINALLY stumbled across the One Pillar Pagoda, which the travel book describes as "interesting" and while it does slightly resemble a lotus flower emerging from the water and was built in 1049, it was a sad let down after so much searching, especially since many Westerners were rudely elbowing their way up to the shrine at the top of the pagoda and taking pictures of people worshiping (sometimes our consumerism is just too ugly to watch). So, we decided it was time to cyclo back towards home.

Tracey and Milla in front of the pagoda

Getting back to the Old Quarter, we went on a mission - to get Tracey some pearls! (There had been a lot of "my precious" moments with the beautiful pearls I had bought in Halong Bay so we definitely needed to get her some of her own). Thankfully, we were successful, finding some beautiful dark pearls, a pendant for me, and even getting Milla's nails painted. So not the best day, but it ended on a good note...

Day 6 - Hanoi

Well, today, to make up for not going to Hoi An due to airline difficulties (apparently Vietnam Airlines do not have reserved seats under the names of Tracey and Milla Jane and Jodie George at all times to all Vietnamese destinations on the off chance we might feel like flying *sigh*) we decided to head off to the tailor's to get some clothes made up. Both Tracey and I felt very unsure about the whole thing, wondering whether we'd be able to communicate what we wanted, if we'd be decisive enough, what materials they would have, etc. But we were wonderfully surprised - somehow, even with all our "helpful" explanations, they understood everything! We get to pick everything up tomorrow at 8pm - I can't wait!


Milla at the tailor's (love the guy in the background)

By the time we finished at the tailor's it was well past lunch so we quickly started scoping for a restaurant. Usually this is a fairly ardious process, trying to find somewhere we can all eat happily but today, luck was with us. About two minutes into our search Tracey stumbled upon a tucked away French cafe right in the middle of Hanoi; a beautiful little bistro plucked seemingly from the heart of Paris itself. It was absolutely charming and the food was fantastic as well, all the better!



After such a beautiful lunch, sadly we headed off to do more shopping, an activity that becomes exponetially less exciting when you're forced to follow a list. Still, after far too many hours, the job was almost done, just a few more bits and pieces left to get for all the loved ones.

On the way home we added a little last bit of excitement to the day by getting caught in a flash rainstorm, thunder and lightning suddenly tearing the sky open. Luckily we were close to the hotel, but even 30 metres is a dangerously long distance when you're under attack by raindrops the size of golfballs. But good news: we have our new kimonos to dry off in. Til tomorrow then when we're off to see some culture!


Milla in her kimono

Service Interruption

Sorry everyone, I know we're in the middle of a Vietnamese holiday but suspend your imagination for just a moment if you will, so we can return back to the here and now while I sing the praises of Katie Noonan, the female singer from George who has now started a solo career. I'm pretty sure George is an Australian band so she may be new to some of you in the Nortern Hemisphere, but she's well worth a look...her voice is amazing! Her new single 'Time to Begin' is great - have a look for yourself.

http://www.myspace.com/katienoonan or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uve4qaByVJc

Also, belated Happy Canada Day to everyone! Although there's not much in the way of celebration on this side of the planet, I did my best to keep the day in the manner I was accustomed... a good friend and I had pancakes for lunch (sadly, in a very dingy restaurant with not one thing going for it - bad service, bad atmosphere, bad pricing and bad food but still...it was sort of Canadian...well, we tried...). Then we headed off to the local hockey game which is always a blast...cold toes, cold noses and yelling at the top of our lungs (it's nice to know hockey fans are just as loud and obnoxious here as they are back home *smile*) and in true Canadian fashion, we complained about the weather at least ten different times. Ahh, feels like home... And just for the record, our team won 7-3! Go Adelaide Avalanche!

Day 4 & 5 - Halong Bay

Today we went to beautiful Halong Bay! A UNESCO World Heritage site, its 3000 islands of limestone sit peacefully in the emerald green water of the Gulf of Tonkin (pretty good tour-guide speak hmm?) To get to these beautiful islands we first had to board a bus that made the three hour journey without incident (although I'm never sure how with all the traffic and arbitrary approach to directions, lanes and any sort of road rules whatsoever). Interestingly, I spent the journey sitting next to an Irish gentleman who knew the words to "Farewell to Nova Scotia" so we had a little sing-along (much to the pleasure of our busmates I'm sure). Apparently it really is a small world after all. =] And as always, the scenery was fascinating, with 3 and 4 riders piled onto one motorcycle, driving alongside water buffalo and donkeys being dragged to market. The pace of life here always amazes me - people seemingly sitting for hours, just chatting. But when your business plan consists of rolling out a tarp by the side of the road, (and as long as you have enough to eat) I guess life is pretty peaceful.

Once we arrived in Halong Bay, we loaded our junk (the very misleading name of the boats here - it was absolutely gorgeous!) and settled into our rooms below deck. I'm generally not one for a cruise-type holiday but if they're anything like our overnight trip, I'm definitely the newest candidate for shuffleboard! On the top deck were deck chairs to lay out on and soak up the sun; the main deck a wicker-world dining room and viewing platform at the back of the boat (you could dangle your legs off the back!) and the lower deck a row of cabins with large beds and air conditioning - luxury in the midst of natural beauty - all was right with the world!

The row of tour junks lined up against the shore

Tracey in the dining room

Me enjoying a rest at the back of the boat

Our journey began with a navigation out of the boat choked harbour and into the wild green yonder, islands looming large all around us.

Then we were soon called to lunch, a feast of seafood where even I found something to enjoy and then off to the beach for a swim! Could life get any better?

After drying off upstairs on the sundeck, we then headed off to Sung Sat cave, a beautiful hollowed out shell of an island, full of staglamites and staligtites, reaching from floor to ceiling. As with most things in Vietnam, no words can do justice to the beauty.

After trekking through the cave (great exercise - a good 400 stairs at least!) we headed back ot the boat to settle in for the night. Amazingly, even in the peaceful setting of Halong Bay, shopping managed to find us; women rowing up to the large junk in tiny rowboats selling oreos, pringles, and all other manner of Western foods your heart might desire. Although hanging off the back of the junk doing grocery shopping seemed quite entertaining at first, as more and more of those floating stores surrounded us with women desperately calling how "You buy? You buy?" it became clear how much they were relying on people like us for their livelihood and the reality of their poverty became too much for me...

After such a busy day of beautiful sites and laying in the sun, it was early to bed, for what turned out to be the most peaceful sleep of the journey so far. It's amazing what fresh air and quiet surroundings will do for you! The next day came bright and early, but sadly with none of the sun of the previous day. Still, even in the midst of rain and cloud, the looming islands remained simply breathtaking.

After a hearty breakfast (where once again bananas flowed freely - I LOVE this place!) we headed off to Cat Bay island to drop off some passengers. Here resides the largest floating village in Vietnam, a raggedy-ann collection of shacks ambling along the water in bright colors of blue and green. Again, seeing the peacefulness of this community and its residents made me wonder at the sanity of our fast paced lives.

Then, sadly, it was time to make our way back to the Halong harbour but picking up some new passengers on the way, Milla was lucky enough to make a new friend.

Milla and Julie

Saying goodbye to the beautiful Bay, we climbed aboard our bus and headed back to Hanoi for another great evening in a city I've absolutely fallen in love with. By the time we'd dropped our bags back to our room, we decided some dinner was definitely in order and off we went again. Holidays have never felt so carefree!

But of course, all the mundane things of life don't just disappear with the holidays and we realised a clothes wash was very much in order. Now, sensible people would just suck up the $20 it would have cost to get our clothes washed by the hotel, but not us, no sir. Instead, Tracey and I decided to tackle the wash ourselves using shampoo and the spa bath. Result: questionably clean clothes but a whole lot of unexpected soapy fun!