Andy's birthday – a day in the van and at the airport - 25th Jan

Happy Birthday Andy

Happy Birthday Andy

We woke at 8am and Andy opened his birthday cards. Then we got up and had a coffee on deck with the others. I'd mentioned to Dai about Top Gear coming to Halong Bay and he seemed to know the floating bar they'd gone to and asked the driver of the boat to take us back to port via there. When we passed it neither Andy nor I were convinced it was the same place but we went along with it anyway.

Top Gear Bar ????

We had brunch at 10.30am which again was a 10 course feast. They served a mix of breakfast and lunch together but yum yum – delicious. We docked about 11.30am and were transferred straight onto the minibus. The itinerary for today was quite disappointing as the only thing left to do was take us to the airport – 4 hours away – for an 8.00pm flight.

On route we required a 'not in the itinerary' toilet break and Dai was forced to take us to a pottery show house which had western toilets. It was still touristy with girls painting pottery and tourists leaning right over them taking photos. However the show house had some beautiful items and I could have easily bought a whole dinner set there.

Ten minutes later we had to stop at the scheduled 'on the itinerary' toilet stop which was back at the Tapestry Centre we'd passed on the way to Halong Bay. This was met with frustration but we were told the driver needed his lunch. I didn't like it here at all as again we were followed round by an assistant and the whole place felt more like a complete tourist trap rather than a charity supporting the disabled.

After we set off again it was only early afternoon and too early to get to the airport so Dai offered to take us on a walk through a village. This was nice to do - it was a quiet village but good to stretch our legs. We kept seeing some children peering round corners and watching us then hiding quickly when we waved at them. We also saw a big Catholic church which was unusual as the population is predominantly Buddhist.

 

Houses only ever decorated at the front

A light load ???

Chickens

We got to the airport four hours before our flight. We wasted some time in a bar with some drinks, chatted and read our books. When we checked our bags in there was still a good hour and a half before the flight was due to take off and so rather than go through to the lounge Andy and I went back to the restaurant for a bowl of noodle soup. It was really tasty and nice to have a bit of time to ourselves on Andy's birthday.

Airport Restaurant

The plane took off on time and we flew to Hue for stage 2 of our Vietnamese tour.

Saigon to the Mekong Delta - 30th Jan

This morning we went to Cholon, the Chinese district of Saigon to have a look around the ornate Thien Hau Temple, dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea. It was beautifully decorated with lots of ornate carvings. As it was so near Chinese New Year there were lots of people coming in to burn incense to clear the air of evil spirits. The smell was quite powerful. There were several incense spirals hanging from the ceilings with people's personal messages to the Gods attached.

Child seat on the bike

Thien Hau Temple

Spiral Incense burners hanging from the roof

Next we visited the Binh Tay wholesale market. This was a bustling place made up of lots of small stalls where sellers demonstrated the products they had to sell on a wholesale basis. As well as fish, meat and vegetables there were some unusual delicacies such as pots of seahorses, bags of dried prawns and stacks of sparrow's nests. There were also stalls selling ornaments, table decorations and lanterns. The stalls were family owned and had been passed through generation after generation. It was funny seeing the youngsters there and knowing their careers were already dictated as they'd be taking over the running of the stalls. Within the market there was also a big kitchen where people could buy their food – it looked really good but we were advised that our stomachs probably wouldn't cope with the hygiene. Washing up involved dipping the bowls in a bucket of water. Outside we could see all the motorbikes stacked full of boxes and packages, they speed pretty unbalanced as people drove off.

After this we boarded the mini bus for the 2 hour drive to the Mekong Delta. Unfortunately it was the last Saturday before Chinese New Year and the roads were packed with people leaving the city to drive to their family homes in the country. Leaving Saigon was quite busy but things cleared up when we hit the motorway as bikes weren't allowed which freed up the traffic congestion considerably. After an hour we stopped at the most beautiful service station I have ever been to. It had little thatched restaurants and shops and a large lily pond in the middle.

Beautiful Service Station

We boarded the bus again for the final hour however as the motorway had ended we had to go on the normal roads which were heavily congested. Fortunately our driver was in mobile contact with other drivers and was able to detour to getting us around queues (his ring tune was Abba 'Dancing Queen' which was quite amusing). However everyone needed to cross a large river and there were a limited number of bridges so queuing became inevitable at points. The police were out having to control the traffic and once we were over the bridge the rest of the journey was fine.

We finally arrived at Cai Be and boarded our boat for the journey up the Delta. The Mekong River is one of the world's greatest rivers and originates in China passing through Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before getting to Vietnam. It is known as the 'rice bowl' and provides the country's main source of rice and tropical fruit.

Homes along the Delta

First we passed by a floating market where boats were selling fruit and vegetables. We then docked at a small village and saw people making sweets, rice paper for spring rolls and popping rice – all to be sold in the markets. We were given some tea and were able to try the sweets.

A failed attempt at making rice paper

After this we boarded the boat again and sailed through the Delta to our destination for lunch. We should have been here at 12pm but because of all the traffic delays we finally got there for 4pm. Our host had made us a lovely meal including the regional speciality 'Elephant Ear Fish' which looked horrible but tasted great. We ate it as part of a spring roll.

Surprisingly tasty

After our late lunch we travelled on to the village of Vinh Long. We got some lovely photos of some Vietnamese paddling their boats and they were all friendly and waved to us. The driver of the boat offered us a coconut to drink and I tried it but didn't really like it.

Not that keen !

Our boat

At Vinh Long we boarded our minibus again and were driven to Can Tho for the night. The sunset on route was amazing and probably the most beautiful setting sun I've ever seen.

At the hotel we freshened up before going to the bar at the top of the hotel for our complimentary cocktail. Andy and I then headed out for a look round the town. There was a night market right outside the hotel which was full of people milling around. There were some tourists about but not many and it was the first time I felt some people staring at us. One little boy tugged my coat and shouted 'hello' but everyone was very friendly. After a walk around we went to a restaurant for some cheap beers and spring rolls before heading back to the hotel to bed.

View from our hotel

Dinner

 

Cu Chi Tunnels and Reunification Palace - 29th Jan

Today we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels 40km from Ho Chi Minh. Bonnie and Carolyn didn't come today so it was a private guided trip for me and Andy.

See the dog on the bike 

The tunnel network of Cu Chi became legendary during the 1960s for its role in facilitating the Viet Cong communists to control a large rural area kilometres away from Ho Chi Minh. When built there was 250km of tunnels over 3 levels where the Viet Cong would live, sleep, make weapons and fight from.

Demonstrating the size of the tunnels

Tunnel Entrance

The ingenuity of the Vietnamese was impressive. There were numerous nasty trap doors, booby traps with nails which were intended to injure rather than kill. Air vents to the tunnels were disguised as termite mounds and vents for cooking were dug a long distance from the actual kitchens and disguised under leaves. The tunnels were so thin that Americans couldn't squeeze through them and instead they had to bring in smaller Mexican soldiers to push through the tunnels. Any tunnels which were slightly larger led to underground traps. Sniffer dogs were used by the Americans to detect entrances but the Vietnamese would use pepper to make the dogs sneeze or they'd put American uniforms at the entrances so the dogs wouldn't detect any unusual smells.

Demonstrating the traps

Andy crawling through an enlarged tunnel

Andy and his guide through the tunnels - note how much smaller he is

As a result of the Americans being unable to find the tunnels the Cu Chi area became one of the most bombed, shelled, gassed, defoliated and generally devastated areas in the history of warfare. To this day vegetation in the area still doesn't grow well due to all the chemicals remaining in the ground.

On the way back we stopped at a field of gum trees which produce latex. Each day a small section of the bark is removed from the tree and the latex collected in a small pot. It was sad seeing the workers in the field with no protective hand gear or face masks handling this nasty chemical everyday.

Neer collecting latex

As always it was fun seeing all the different things people carried on their bikes

Spot the newly purchased fridge and freezer

Power cabling in the city

On the way back Neer offered to take us to the Reunification Palace where in April 1975 the republic of Vietnam ceased to exist. The Viet Cong tanks broke through the steel gates, unfurled the VC flag from the balcony of the palace and arrested General Minh (who'd only been head of State for 43 hours).

Reunification Palace

The palace is still preserved as it was then and we saw the upper floors with the presidential receiving room where the South Vietnamese president received foreign delegates. We also saw the Vice President's room and the basement which was used as the telecommunications centre and war rooms. There is also a secret tunnel which runs from the palace into the Chinese quarter of town but sadly it wasn't open to the public.

Afterwards Andy and I went to Quan An Ngon – a traditional Vietnamese restaurant which was recommended in the Lonely Planet. Fortunately we ordered the right thing as the couple next to us ordered a strange medley of dishes which they sent back for something else.

Lunch

After lunch we took a nice walk back through town to the hotel. It was a lovely sunny day and it was nice seeing all the preparations taking place for Chinese New Year. Back at the hotel we had a bit of a rest then Andy 'trigger' Chalmers decided to go off and take some 'more' photos. I stayed in the room as I was still pretty tired.

Anyone want a Pepsi?

Children had come to see the Chinese New Year decorations

In the evening we met up with Bonnie and Carolyn again and went to Huong Lai – another Lonely Planet recommended restaurant where the kitchen and waitstaff are disadvantaged or former street children who are given training, education and a place to live. The food was fantastic.

After dinner we went up to the bar at the top of the Rex Hotel in the centre of town. This wasn't Carolyn or Bonnie's scene and they decided to go for ice cream but Andy and I stayed enjoying a nice beer and good views.

Cheers

View from the bar

Halong Bay - 24th Jan

Today we were leaving Hanoi to travel to Halong Bay.This was a place I'd been particularly looking forward to as the boys on Top Gear had gone to Halong Bay as part of their Vietnamese road trip and it had looked amazing.

It was going to take us 4 hours to get there but it was great just people watching out of the minibus. Vietnam is so different to anywhere I've ever been to before. There are motorbikes everywhere, loads of little stalls and shops along the road and thin, tall houses because land tax is based on the size of land the house is on. The house fascias were all beautifully decorated but the sides and back were all plain concrete.

Travelling Gardening  Centre

Typical tall houses

After 2 hours driving we stopped for a toilet break at a designated rest stop, along with every other tourist bus on route to Halong Bay. The rest stop was at a centre which had been set up to support teenagers who'd been disabled through the hereditary effects of Agent Orange, a toxic herbicidewhich had been dropped by the Americans during the Vietnam war. When we walked in you could see all the teenagers sat at tables stitching tapestries. There was little interaction between themselves and not one of them looked at us. The centre was quite cold and they were all sat in coats. It was a strange place. As well as tapestries the centre sold clothes, ornaments, really expensive jewellery and some rather odd books. We were followed everywhere by a salesperson which got rather annoying.

New Zealanders - horse back carrying a surf board??

Two hours later we reached Halong Bay and were transferred onto a small boat to take us to the main boat which we'd be touring and stopping the night on. As soon as we got on board our companions complained that the main boat was too cold. Andy and I agreed it was cold but appreciated it was a cold day, we were on an old boat and Vietnam is not a rich country. The conversation between our companions and Dai got quite heated and so we went outside to take some pictures. In the end the boat had to phone head office to get special permission to have the heating on during the day but only in the cabins not in the main deck where the heater had been removed.

Our cabin

We were served a lavish lunch of 10 courses on board the boat. I particularly enjoyed being made to taste local dishes I wouldn't ordinarily have ordered and every course was delicious. We then spent some time cruising around some of the 3,000 islands on the way to some caves. Sadly the weather was quite overcast and so we didn't see Halong Bay for all it's glory but apparently clear days are very very rare and we were lucky it wasn't foggy.

Fishing Village

As we approached the caves there was a massive tanoy belting out a voice in Vietnamese telling the boats to look after the bay and not leave litter. Right by this was a small floating fishing village and I wondered how the residents coped living in the middle of nowhere yet having to listen to this same message being belted out over and over every day. I was however quite impressed with the ingenuity of the locals who rowed their small boats alongside ours offering drinks, food and souvenirs.

The caves were amazing – probably the biggest caves I've ever been to – but there were so many people there. We couldn't get over the number of tourists filing through the one way system of the caves and ended up taking more pictures of them than the cave itself. We were a little disappointed with Dai as we could see other tour leaders pointing out different features of the cave but Dai just told us what a stalactite and stalagmite were....and we'd already guessed that for ourselves.

After the cave we were taken to a beach which this time only had a small hand full of people on it. It was far too cold for a swim but Andy and I climbed a hill to get some great views of the bay.

Our boat

Dinner wasn't till 7pm so we enjoyed a beer on board and did some reading. Dinner was equally as good as lunch – 10 courses – all delicious. It was amazing to think the food had been prepared in such a tiny kitchen below deck.

After dinner there wasn't a great deal to do and it was a bit chilly on deck so we had an early night in our warm cabin.