After getting up from another sleeper bus we had arrived in Hoi An. We ended up finding a good hotel by the river which is always a plus. The town itself was really nice. The french colonial influence was very apparent. Most of the buildings used french style architecture. Many of them have seen better days but it still gave the town a really neat vibe. The majority of these buildings were filled with all sorts of shops. It felf very similar to Ubud, Indonesia. If you are in the market for custom shoes or anything made out of silk this should be your destination. Most of the sites to see were not big attractions. There is a Japanese style covered bridge that is neat but did not take a great deal of time to look at.
The two days we spent there were filled with checking out souvenir shops and trying food at this string of market type restaurants. The spring rolls at these stands were some of the best we have had so far. Also Hoi An is known for a special soup called Coa Lau. It was good but the spring rolls far superior. Our last night there we went out to a couple spots and played some pool.The next morning we were off to Hue.
The bus was left at 7:30 which was kind of a let down. It was supposed to only take four hours but it took a little longer and we ended up arriving around 1. The hotel we checked out first had a deal for us for free Internet and TV if we waited till five o'clock to check in. With very little hesitation we dropped our bags off and rented some bicycles. We road to check out the imperial citadel located in the middle of the city. It is under heavy restoration because it had been destroyed during the war. They have redone the citadel itself but the majority of the buildings are still under major construction. It was still pretty impressive though.After checking out the citadel we explored a market and biked around the city. By this time it was a little after 5 and we were able to check into our hotel. The room was sweet and had a computer inside (though it didn't work in the beginning). We chilled out in the room for a little while before getting ready to grab a bit to each. We found a pretty sweet spot on the river to have dinner. We were able to watch all these boats that you can rent in you want take people up and down the river. It would have been a sweet thing if you had big group a people to go with. Afterword we were pretty tired from the bus ride and biking around so we just went back to the room and slept.
Feeling inspired by our great biking performances the previous day we decided on not renting a motorbike to see the other cites and continue on bikes. Our goal for the day was to see a couple of the famous pagoda's and a tombs in the area. The first one we decided to check out was near the market we had looked at yesterday. So theoretically it should have been easy to find. However the map we had only had two roads while the actual intersection had three. This proved to be a little bit of problem and we ended up checking out all three of them before finding the pagoda. When we got their we realized why it was not that famous. It was pretty lame so we turned around and heading to one that was 4 km outside of town. We got there and it was much more impressive then the first one we saw. We walked around and saw the sites before deciding our next move. The map we had was a little sketchy but we figured we would be able to find our way to one of the tombs anyway. At first it was smooth sailing we easily found the bridge we were supposed to and even got to the roads leaving Hue. It was here that the map got a little weak. It just had two roads and symbols for the tombs. We asked for directions a couple of times and got different answers which was not very helpful. After biking a decent ways we found ourselves at a tombs. It was not the famous one we had set out looking for but it seemed to be worth checking out. The tomb was pretty cool and neat to see but nothing special. After walking around for a couple minutes we went to get a water.
It was here that the day took a dramatic turn. We had two options. One to continue to search for the famous tombs and pagodas in the area or head back. After some careful consideration we decided that going back and having a drink would be more beneficial then getting lost looking for tombs on the outskirts of Hue. After hanging out at the hotel for a bit we decided it was time to give the Hue night life another chance. We went to a couple bars and played some pool but there once again was not a whole lot going on. We got some food and headed back to the hotel. The next day was based around catching our night bus to Hanoi. During the day we hung out at the hotel and by the river. Then it was off to hopefully some colder temperature and Hanoi.
-WBM
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Ho Chi Minh and Nha Trang
After a sleepless night and a near wallet/bus disaster I was totally conked out for the duration of the bus ride into Vietnam. Will woke me up at the border and even helped me edit my departure card (I had put the date as 2010 among other mix ups). When it was time to get off the bus in HCMC we made our way to a guesthouse and I passed out while Will took advantage of cable TV we had in our room (have not had TV during this whole trip which for us is a big deal). That night we took a walk and found a great local spot to eat.
The next day was our exploring the city day. We did about 4 hours of walking around and checking out the major tourist attractions and markets which were all very overwhelming. Trying different food has quickly become our favorite pass time in Vietnam so far so we spend a lot of time at different restaurants and street vendors. In my opinion the food here is close to the best yet although I have a hard time saying it is better than Thai. The rest of the afternoon was uneventful but we were fine with this because we actually had plans for the evening which is something new and different. The previous night during our walk we passed a theatre which had large advertisements for Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." We had missed the times for that night but the following day was the final showing so we decided it was a must do. We didn't have high hopes going into it considering we were in Vietnam but we figured "how bad could it be?" As it turns out it was much worse than my lowest expectations. Let me put it this way...there is no way to put on a successful rendition of "A Christmas Carol" when Tiny Tim is played by a stuffed doll. On top of that all the music was different (we didn't recognize one song) and the cast was so small that cast members would play two characters during one scene (meaning they would have to run off stage during the scene and change a piece of their clothing and then run back out as the "new character"). The most exciting part of the whole production was watching the rats climb all over the set while the play was going on. However despite the blaring flaws of the show we had a good time and it was worth the small amount of money we payed for it.
After the show we went back to the our dinner spot (I call it our dinner spot only because we went there for lunch and dinner everyday because it had the best selection of local dishes for the best price) and then checked out a few other bars before retiring for the night.
Another fairly relaxed day because we had to wait around all day for our 8 PM bus to Nha Trang. We went to the War museum which was less than uplifting and then checked out a few other sites. Our bus ride was short, only about 5 hours. Because our stop in Nha Trang was not the final stop for the bus the bus attendant told us he would tell us when to get off. Naturally he forgot about the foreigners in the back and when we inquired about when we should get off he told us about 15 minutes ago. The bus wasn't about to turn around so we just got off in the middle of nowhere and started the walk back to civilization and guesthouses with all of our stuff. It was just after 1 AM when we started walking and luckily after about 45 minutes we came across a randomly placed hotel that was still a ways outside of the actual town. We were tired and didn't feel like carrying all of our bags anymore so we decided to try and stay there for the night (it was closed and dark). After knocking on the window and waking the sleeping guard we were able to get a room for the night.
In the morning we caught a ride to where we intended to stop the previous night. Nha Trang is a fairly quite fishing town right on the water but has become a popular kitesurfing and windsurfing destination as well. We were temped to partake in the kitesurfing but the cost of renting all of the gear was a bit beyond our budget. So instead we rented a motor bike and cruised along the coast just checking out the scenery which was very impressive. The main attraction of Nha Trang however are its sand dunes. After the heat of mid-afternoon we went to check these out of our motorbike. The first of the dunes, the red dunes, are just over 5km outside of town. Neither Will or I had experienced a sand dune before so we were instantly blown away with what we saw even at the "less impressive" (according to the Lonely Planet) of the two. Because it was getting a bit late and the White dunes were another 30 km away we moved on fairly quickly. We arrived at the White dunes about 30 minutes before sunset and we were both in awe with what we saw. We walked through the dunes for about 15 minutes until we were at a place where all you could see in any direction were large rolling hills of white sand. It was really like nothing we had experienced before and as the sun began to set the scene just kept getting more and more impressive. By the time we left it was just about dark and we were totally covered with sand. The 35km ride back was a bit sketchy because the headlight on our motorbike was broken as was our tail light so we were riding completely in the dark on roads that are a bit unpredictable. Thankfully we made it back safely and we showered before heading out for a nice seafood dinner overlooking the ocean (very romantic). The meal was a sensational end to an even more sensational day and we went to bed feeling very satisfied (especially considering the beers at the restaurant were only 25 cents).
-RBC
The next day was our exploring the city day. We did about 4 hours of walking around and checking out the major tourist attractions and markets which were all very overwhelming. Trying different food has quickly become our favorite pass time in Vietnam so far so we spend a lot of time at different restaurants and street vendors. In my opinion the food here is close to the best yet although I have a hard time saying it is better than Thai. The rest of the afternoon was uneventful but we were fine with this because we actually had plans for the evening which is something new and different. The previous night during our walk we passed a theatre which had large advertisements for Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." We had missed the times for that night but the following day was the final showing so we decided it was a must do. We didn't have high hopes going into it considering we were in Vietnam but we figured "how bad could it be?" As it turns out it was much worse than my lowest expectations. Let me put it this way...there is no way to put on a successful rendition of "A Christmas Carol" when Tiny Tim is played by a stuffed doll. On top of that all the music was different (we didn't recognize one song) and the cast was so small that cast members would play two characters during one scene (meaning they would have to run off stage during the scene and change a piece of their clothing and then run back out as the "new character"). The most exciting part of the whole production was watching the rats climb all over the set while the play was going on. However despite the blaring flaws of the show we had a good time and it was worth the small amount of money we payed for it.
After the show we went back to the our dinner spot (I call it our dinner spot only because we went there for lunch and dinner everyday because it had the best selection of local dishes for the best price) and then checked out a few other bars before retiring for the night.
Another fairly relaxed day because we had to wait around all day for our 8 PM bus to Nha Trang. We went to the War museum which was less than uplifting and then checked out a few other sites. Our bus ride was short, only about 5 hours. Because our stop in Nha Trang was not the final stop for the bus the bus attendant told us he would tell us when to get off. Naturally he forgot about the foreigners in the back and when we inquired about when we should get off he told us about 15 minutes ago. The bus wasn't about to turn around so we just got off in the middle of nowhere and started the walk back to civilization and guesthouses with all of our stuff. It was just after 1 AM when we started walking and luckily after about 45 minutes we came across a randomly placed hotel that was still a ways outside of the actual town. We were tired and didn't feel like carrying all of our bags anymore so we decided to try and stay there for the night (it was closed and dark). After knocking on the window and waking the sleeping guard we were able to get a room for the night.
In the morning we caught a ride to where we intended to stop the previous night. Nha Trang is a fairly quite fishing town right on the water but has become a popular kitesurfing and windsurfing destination as well. We were temped to partake in the kitesurfing but the cost of renting all of the gear was a bit beyond our budget. So instead we rented a motor bike and cruised along the coast just checking out the scenery which was very impressive. The main attraction of Nha Trang however are its sand dunes. After the heat of mid-afternoon we went to check these out of our motorbike. The first of the dunes, the red dunes, are just over 5km outside of town. Neither Will or I had experienced a sand dune before so we were instantly blown away with what we saw even at the "less impressive" (according to the Lonely Planet) of the two. Because it was getting a bit late and the White dunes were another 30 km away we moved on fairly quickly. We arrived at the White dunes about 30 minutes before sunset and we were both in awe with what we saw. We walked through the dunes for about 15 minutes until we were at a place where all you could see in any direction were large rolling hills of white sand. It was really like nothing we had experienced before and as the sun began to set the scene just kept getting more and more impressive. By the time we left it was just about dark and we were totally covered with sand. The 35km ride back was a bit sketchy because the headlight on our motorbike was broken as was our tail light so we were riding completely in the dark on roads that are a bit unpredictable. Thankfully we made it back safely and we showered before heading out for a nice seafood dinner overlooking the ocean (very romantic). The meal was a sensational end to an even more sensational day and we went to bed feeling very satisfied (especially considering the beers at the restaurant were only 25 cents).
-RBC
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Phnom Penh
Needless to say by the time we had meet back up we were pretty tired. That night consisted of grabbing a bit to eat and then going right to sleep. The next morning we decided to move hostels because our room from the night before did not smell the best. We got to our new guest house in the morning in order to seize the day. We tried to rent a motorbike in order to go and see a documentary on the killing fields. However by the time we would have had the motorbike the 10 am showing had already started.
In the earlier afternoon we decided to walk to S-21 and see the movie at 3. S-21 (security 21) was one of the prisons set up by Pol Pot while the Khmer rouge was in power. Before it was turned into a prison it was a local school. The buildings have been untouched sense Pol Pot was overtaken and several bed frames still remain in the rooms. This made the grounds and rooms (cells) very eerie to see and walk through. Many of the rooms just have faded photographs of the cell and a rusty bed frame. Other rooms had prisoner’s stories and photographs depicting life at the prison. While Rooney and I walked around we had a hard time thinking that this was all taking place during the second half of the 1970's. The whole area seemed like it belonged much further in the past. After walking around the buildings we watched a documentary on the prison. As we had been reading and seeing the treatment and torture of the people occupied the cells was beyond brutal.
We did not really feel up to much after the leaving the museum and just hung out at our hostel. For dinner we decided to treat ourselves (seeming how it was thanksgiving). We looked around and not to surprisingly there were no restaurants offering a typical thanksgiving meal. We settled on a pub type restaurant that had mash potatoes (figured at least get one item). Our meal was really good and a great change up compared to our regular meals. A special thank you to Aunt Laura for providing us funds to take each other out for the meal.
After dinner we were feeling great and decided to see what the night life was like in Phnom Penh. We found our way to a club called the Heart of Darkness.......well just leave it at that. The next morning we were feeling very lively. So lively in fact that we almost didn’t get out of bed to see the killing fields at 4 pm. Commonsense soon kicked in and we got a taxi to the killing fields. The monument and the fields themselves were very intense to see the least. It was one of those things that I don’t think we will forget. After some time we headed back to the hostel. A little bit to our surprise our taxi driver decided that on the way back he was going to do his grocery shopping. So while we were waiting we grabbed some sandwich stuff at the supermarket.
That night we booked our bus ticket to Ho Chi Minh City for the next morning. By the time night rolled around we decided to go out and play some pool with some Cambodians we meet the night before. One thing led to another and Rooney was running around the city looking for his wallet at the time we were supposed to be getting picked up. Luckily the much older and responsible of the two of us got our stuff together and found our way to the bus station (the wallet was found and we made it on our bus with all of our stuff).
-WBM
In the earlier afternoon we decided to walk to S-21 and see the movie at 3. S-21 (security 21) was one of the prisons set up by Pol Pot while the Khmer rouge was in power. Before it was turned into a prison it was a local school. The buildings have been untouched sense Pol Pot was overtaken and several bed frames still remain in the rooms. This made the grounds and rooms (cells) very eerie to see and walk through. Many of the rooms just have faded photographs of the cell and a rusty bed frame. Other rooms had prisoner’s stories and photographs depicting life at the prison. While Rooney and I walked around we had a hard time thinking that this was all taking place during the second half of the 1970's. The whole area seemed like it belonged much further in the past. After walking around the buildings we watched a documentary on the prison. As we had been reading and seeing the treatment and torture of the people occupied the cells was beyond brutal.
We did not really feel up to much after the leaving the museum and just hung out at our hostel. For dinner we decided to treat ourselves (seeming how it was thanksgiving). We looked around and not to surprisingly there were no restaurants offering a typical thanksgiving meal. We settled on a pub type restaurant that had mash potatoes (figured at least get one item). Our meal was really good and a great change up compared to our regular meals. A special thank you to Aunt Laura for providing us funds to take each other out for the meal.
After dinner we were feeling great and decided to see what the night life was like in Phnom Penh. We found our way to a club called the Heart of Darkness.......well just leave it at that. The next morning we were feeling very lively. So lively in fact that we almost didn’t get out of bed to see the killing fields at 4 pm. Commonsense soon kicked in and we got a taxi to the killing fields. The monument and the fields themselves were very intense to see the least. It was one of those things that I don’t think we will forget. After some time we headed back to the hostel. A little bit to our surprise our taxi driver decided that on the way back he was going to do his grocery shopping. So while we were waiting we grabbed some sandwich stuff at the supermarket.
That night we booked our bus ticket to Ho Chi Minh City for the next morning. By the time night rolled around we decided to go out and play some pool with some Cambodians we meet the night before. One thing led to another and Rooney was running around the city looking for his wallet at the time we were supposed to be getting picked up. Luckily the much older and responsible of the two of us got our stuff together and found our way to the bus station (the wallet was found and we made it on our bus with all of our stuff).
-WBM
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