A mosey up the Mekong Delta

What a better way than to end my Vietnamese adventure with a mosey up the Mekong Delta (or the nine dragon delta). The delta lies in the south west corner of Vietnam and it is where the Mekong’s 1000s of tributaries empty into the sea. It also seemed like a pleasant way to cross the Cambodian border.

Vanessa and I booked a three day tour which included stops in My Tho and Can Tho before ending in Chau Dor. The programme was jam packed and included activities including visiting a coconut candy island, horse riding, pagodas, a home stay, orchards, rice paper making, tropical fruit tasting, fish farming, floating markets and a plethora of boat trips in various guises – yeh, in three days! I’m not sure what it is with the Vietnamese, but they certainly like you to keep moving on their tours and pack as much as possible into every minute. Needless to say, we weren’t bored; maybe a little bemused at some of the activities but certainly not bored!

My favourite part of the trip was the time we spent on the river, just chilling and watching the folk of the Delta go about their visit. However, my least favourite was the border crossing…

My visa expired 12 hours before I was due to leave Vietnam. Before committing to the trip I did my research, both online and checking with a couple of tour agents. ‘It’ll be fine, they don’t mind if you are a day or two late and if they do just say sorry and give them dollars; they like dollars!’ Despite their reassurances I was a bit jittery, especially when the guy who was doing the border crossing said I could be fined 1,000,000 dong. So, the moment of truth arrived and I was hurriedly escorted in to a room to see the border police – it felt like I was back at school and was off to see the headmaster! I was told my visa had expired, however if I paid 300,000 dong they’d stamp my visa and I’d be on my merry way. Phew… Was I glad once I was in Cambodia?

Necessity is the mother of invention

I was very disappointed with myself that I did not manage to finish my Vietnamese history book, although I endeavoured on several occasions, it was just to complicated; first the French, the English somehow got involved and then the Americans waded in… The best thing, I thought, was to get it from the horses mouth, so to speak. So, my days itinerary for Ho Chi Minh City involved a visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the War Remnants Museum. If this did not help me to understand the recent history of Vietnam then nothing would.

The Cu Chi Tunnels are located 40 north west of Ho Chi Minh City and are a vast network of underground tunnels and chambers stretching 250km under Vietnam. First constructed in the 1940s, they were extended in the 1960s and were used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

What first struck me about them was the sheer ingenuity of them! I’d imagine that people have used tunnels to hide in other places, at other times, but constructing 250 km of them (some stretched to the Cambodian border) using rudimentary implements and then living in them for years; coming up only on evening to find food, or to set traps… Pure genius. They say necessity is the mother of invention and hey were the Vietnamese ingenious?

In order to survive they used what materials they had at hand (utilising the debris from American warfare to create traps and bombs) and constantly adapted to evade capture.

Living and eating in the tunnels meant fire smoke had to escape somewhere. Once the Americans realised they were living underground they were obviously on the look out for any signs of life, so what did the Vietnamese do? Create separate tunnels to filter the smoke out far away from the kitchen areas, so if they were found and bombed, they were safe. To detect being found by sniffer dogs, they rubbed American clothes on the air holes (which were cunningly shaped like snake holes), so the dogs could not detect them. My own personal favourite piece of cunning was the ‘special sandals’ they made – the rubber sandals made from tires were specially designed backwards, so that if Americans found foot prints they looked as if they walking in the opposite direction.

We got to venture down a tunnel and although I’m quite tiny, it was still so claustrophobic to navigate and I was just went 100 metres.

During our visit there, in the background was the constant noise of gun shots which created a surreal atmosphere. The shots came from the firing ranges set up so tourists could shot from guns? WTF? Given that over 10,000 people lost their lives there it felt so distasteful that people could pay to fire a round from a AK57… Hey, who am I to question?

With that contradiction and sick feeling in my stomach we visited the War Remnants Museum. Not an easy visit. To be confronted by graphic images of war, victims and paraphernalia was tough. Then to find out about Agent Orange…

During 1962 – 71, 20,000,000 US gallons of Agent Orange was sprayed across Vietnam (as well as Laos and Cambodia). This was part of the American’s military strategy to defoliate rural areas so that guerrillas had no cover or food. It was also contributed to their forced draft urbanisation strategy whereby the contamination of the countryside destroyed the peasants way of life and forced them to flee to the cities which were under US control.

As a result over 3 million people have been affected and 150,000 kids born with birth defects. It was heart breaking to read that today, three generations on from the war, that children are still suffering from the side effects of Agent Orange. I can totally understand the sentiments of this poster.

Feeling totally emotional, I reluctantly visited the final exhibition. It was a drawing competition held in association with a local school which showcased the kids hopes for the future. Sometimes a picture tells a thousand words; this is one of these cases…

A pleasant surprise in Hoi An

Sorry, it’s been awhile since my last update. As my trip comes to a close I’m trying desperately to fit
in as much as possible, hence no time for updates. However, I know fine well that I’ll not update this when I return home (well it is Christmas) so I’ll endeavour to write afew quick posts so to share my last couple of weeks with you.

After the delightful time in Sapa and Halong Bay, I was not expecting too much of Hoi An, but it’s mid point between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (aka Siagon) so it’d break up my journey, and it’s down south so I thought I would be able to get some rays and relaxation before my last leg.

After 22 hours on a night bus, I arrived and went searching for food. The restaurant next door (Vina Ngon) was supposed to be good, so I tried its five course meal!

What a taste sensation! It’s Cao Lau (a Hoi An specialty) was so good that I booked a cookery lesson there for the following morning.

I now have no excuse, whatsoever, to cook an Asian banquet when I return home. The food continued to tantalise my taste buds, every meal in Hoi An was delightful. However, not only was the food darn tasty, it was a charming and picturesque city.

And, on an evening it was illuminating, literally! lanterns filled each and every corner…

So, good food in a beautiful setting, what more could a gal possibly ask for? Shopping! I was spoilt so much with the shops in Hoi An. Alongside buying up so many presents that they completely filled my day pack (and a lantern that I somehow managed to fit into my rucksack), Hoi An is famous for its tailoring. So, yes, two made to measure frocks please (thanks Mam and Dad).

I was a happy bunny and was so pleased I’d decided to spend a few days in Hoi An. But, the icing on the cake was meeting up with Vanessa again. I’d first met her in Luang Prabang, then in Halong Bay, and then Sapa, by the time we met up again in Hoi An we thought it must have been fate and decided to continue our journey together. Say hi to Vanessa, you might be seeing her a lot in the next few posts.

Next stop Ho Chi Minh City!

Scenic Sapa

Hello North Vietnam! After a somewhat delayed over night train we arrive at our destination and are whisked into a mini bus for an hour journey into the mountains. The palm trees of Ha Noi are replaced by fir trees, if it wasn’t for the padi fields stretching up the mountain sides, you could be in the alps – all that is missing is the snow.

At the hotel we are greeted by ladies and girls in traditional clothes; colourful checked head scarfs, layers of black tops and skirts with intricate embroidery with silver chain mail necklaces and black leg warmers which were held up with patterned ribbons; several had baby’s strapped to their back.

They are keen to chat and friendly, with enough English to ask your name, where you’re from, your age and whether you have any brothers and sisters. We begin our afternoon trek and they happily follow us along the mountain paths in the hope that we will buy some of their wares. After half an hour, they leave us and we head to the first of two mountain villages that are on today’s itinerary.

Built on the mountain slopes, little wooden houses with shop fronts selling anything and everything greet us. As we amble along the paths we dodge the pigs, chickens and geese, stopping only to take quick snaps.

Out of the villages we are surrounded by lush green draped mountains and layered padi fields. The rice has been harvested, so all that remains is the stubs submerged in pools of water. It seems almost manufactured in so far as it’s so neat and uniformed, yet it effortlessly blends into the landscape looking like its been there forever.

Day two continues on a similar theme, but the local ladies (our entourage) accompany us for three hours as we are visiting their village. The sun is shining and the walk I really enjoyed, there’s hope for me yet! The scenes just totally stunning. Enough of my words, take a look for yourself.

In case you are wondering, of course I bought a headscarf!

A mountain, some monkeys and a beach hut

The sun was shining when we reached Cat Ba island and the morning was to be spent in the National Park; nice and relaxing, or so I thought. What is it with tour companies who think tourists like to trek? Or is it only me who prefers the slower side of life?

This mornings mission to get to the top of this mountain…

So, up some steps, up some more steps, up even more steps… By this time the rest of the group who were somewhat younger than me and in the proper foot attire (at least this time I had sandals on, a wee bit better than flip flops), bypassed me, but I soldered on. I met a group coming down, ‘you’re nearly there’, I think I looked like i needed the encouragement! The final push I thought, I can do more steps… Alas not, the steps dissolved to be replaced by rocks! When does a wander up a mountain turn into rock climbing? Not to worry, the rocks were surmounted and I reached the top 🙂 ‘so, was it worth the effort Wendy?’ I was asked

‘no!’ I really am not an outdoor kind of gal, am I?

After lunch I headed from Cat Ba to Monkey island to stay in a beach hut. How cute?

Given the mornings exertions I declined on the kayaking to see the monkeys, but chilled on the beach watching the sunset.

Good morning Vietnam

I have dying to use this title for a blog post and today is the day. Day two, on a three day trip to Ha Long Bay. I’m sat on the top deck, just cruising through the karst islands (on the Fantasea boat cruiser). To say its beautiful is an understatement, I just don’t know what direction to look, each view is mouth watering. I sincerely hope my pix do it justice.

Day one involved a four hour bus journey which was really interesting. As we left Ha Noi we headed east, greeted along the way by hawkers selling bread on what seemed like seven foot totem pools. We bypassed perfectly manicured patchwork rice and vegetable fields, some submerged under water. At work were a smattering of Vietnamese folks wearing the obligatory bamboo cone hats – it seems that they aren’t just for tourists to purchase, but part of the working uniform. Troops of water Buffalo were grazing, joined by a sprinkling of hens, now this was more like the vision of Vietnam I had in my head. However, I was amused to see that although we were out of the city, the obligatory Vietnamese mode of travel, motorbikes, were scurrying along the fields.

A quick transfer onto the boat and before we knew it, we were sailing through some of the 1,969 islands. Ha Long bay used to the trading centre of Vietnam and there was irony that the cargo ships of years ago have now been replaced by tourist boats. Apparently, annually, 6.8 million people head here and I can see why.

Following a few stop offs, including an exploration of Hang Sung Sot cave (it reminded me of Zion out of the Matrix films) and a meander up Ti Top island, the day was ended with twilight kayaking. Luckily I was paired up with an American gal who was more of an kayaking aficionado than I and we successfully navigated into the cave. A trip highlight!

We are now headed to Cat Ba island, where a wander in the National Park and a beach bungalow awaits. Bring it on Ha Long.

Don’t do Ha Noi on a hangover

Ouch, my head hurts and I don’t even have a hangover. In fact, not one drop of alcohol passed my lips yesterday; ok that could have had something to do with an excessive evening the night prior, yet I arrived on my jet plan super sonically excited about visiting Vietnam.

Across the last year of travelling there’s certain signs or vibes you pick up when you arrive in a country – call it my 11 second rule. Generally, ease of entering and a quick and stress free transfer to your accommodation generally equates to a happy and harmonious stay.

I had booked a hostel in the Old Quarter of Ha Noi and the lovely people from the hostel emailed me to say they could arrange a transfer (obviously for a price) if I told them arrival time and date. Superb, email sent a couple of days before, sorted! I did get a bit jittery when they did not confirm it, so being ever so cautious I emailed again and asked them to confirm – nothing.

However, on arrival I was still hopeful and scanned the welcome boards at the airport. Nope, not a Wendy to be seen. Ok, tourist info beckoned and options assessed; get a metered taxi and it’ll take about an hour.

Off I trotted and inevitably found a man who’d take me to Hanoi, he, at this point did not know the address, but 350,000 dong. He took my bag and then wandered off up the road. Eh? All the taxis were right outside. Off he trooped up some stairs with my rucksack, WTF? I had no choice but to follow. Luckily, the taxi was there and it all looked kosher and he agreed to put the meter on. Now this was a bad idea, why? Well my 350,000 journey turned to 450,000 and I have since found out that we must have spent 15 mins circling the roads around my hostel. Grrrr, not a good start.

Not to worry, an early night, productive first morning sorting out the next leg of my trip, some city research conducted and off I went avec map in hand.

So, what did Ha Noi have in store for me? Noise, noise and more noise! Now I’ve been to Beijing and have experienced bikes, lots and lots of bikes. However, I’m not sure whether it’s because the roads here are so much narrower that the volume of bikes seemed to increased three fold? It is literally like taking your life into your own hands crossing a road. In the end, it’s best not to look both ways, but just walk out into the chaos or you’d be stood forever waiting to cross a road.

What’s more, aside from the buzz of bikes screeching (and beeping) down the lanes, you are unable to walk on the pavement as they are chock-a-block with parked bikes (at least china had paths!). So, as if negotiating cross the road is not enough, you have to skirt along the side of the road dodging not only the traffic, but hawkers with their goods pooled up across their shoulders and baskets swaying too and fro.

When there is a break in the parked bikes, the pavements are littered with small tables and those plastic stools that kids usually play with. These are restaurants, or pubs, in Hanoi. It doesn’t matter what time it is, there always seems to a constant flow of locals sat there, drinking beer and smoking from long bamboo pipes.

The Old Quarter, where this madness seems to be concentrated is a wynd of narrow lanes, with tall skinny buildings perched on top. Remnants of French rule is obvious, as once beautiful colonial buildings sit crumbling, hidden by a maze of dubious looking wiring.

The shopping streets are themed. So if you want shoes, you visit the shoe street, fabrics are found in silk lane, etc… etc… I wandered down; bamboo street, antique street, DIY street, souvenir street and even Christmas street! Small frontages hide long narrow caves of goodies, with vendors sat outside; yes, on the pavement on small chairs.

To escape the chaos I headed out of the old quarter, to the lake and the Woman’s museum. At least at that end of town there were pedestrian crossings, not that the traffic took any notice of the green man! Hey ho.

After an exhausting day I returned to the hostel, got myself a juice and perched on a seat in the street, just hoping that the city would seep into my veins. Just as I became accustomed to the beep, beep, beeping and the throttle of traffic the PA system kicked in telling everyone’s today’s news… There’s just no escape.

So, if you are after a relaxing city break, Ha Noi is not the place and it’s certainly not the place to visit with a hangover.