February 5th 2010 – Day 57

Tets the way...I like it...aha...aha...

Danang airport is quite small and although it was leading up to Tet it wasn’t as busy as we had feared.  The flight was really good we even upgraded to seats with bigger legroom for £1 each so Waffle could stretch out.  We felt the heat hit us as we got off the plane at Ho Chi Minh City Airport.  It was about 7pm and it was 27’c...as we got a taxi to our hotel based in the backpackers area in District 1 we realised just how big Ho Chi Minh City actually is (population of about 6 million).  It was formally named Saigon which it is still referred to in places although we have heard it is best to call it HCMC so as not to offend anyone.  It seemed to take ages to get to our hotel and the streets were just as manic as in Hanoi except the roads were much wider and was definitely more built up.  When we arrived the hotel seemed to think we were already staying there and kept asking what our room number was.  It took quite a bit of explaining that we hadn’t even checked in yet!  We were on the 5^th floor in a basic hotel down a small side street filled with restaurants and bars, still got the street hawkers except they just sell some different wares such as dried squid snacks. 



'Coca Suki Restaurant' - well, it amused us anyway!



We freshened up and headed out into another chaotic city.  Even though the roads are big some scooters use the paths to avoid the stationary traffic on the roads so you have to have eyes everywhere when you are walking around. We ate at a restaurant in our street with a menu more extensive than we were used to, including Malaysian, Western and Thai meals spanning about 30 pages.  I went for a beef rendang (slow cooked beef in coconut curry) and Waffle had a roast pork noodle dish which came in a large bowl for just over £1.  As we sat outside eating our nosh we were accosted by loads of street hawkers selling books, bangles, sunglasses, rolex watches etc etc.  We also found there are more disabled people begging on the streets too.  We saw one young guy with no arms smoking holding the cigarette between  his toes...he then fetched some tickets and money out of his pocket and began to count what he had...it was amazing to watch how someone can adapt to their situation.  There is no sign of a curfew (in Hanoi there is a 10pm curfew where all but a couple of bars close up for the night) some night clubs and bars stay open 24 hours a day with the enticing happy hours...we saw a number of Vietnamese prostitutes sitting on scooters waiting for clients and one was suspiciously like a guy in drag so we may have entered ladyboy territory.

The next day we went to the War Remnants Museum which was previously named the War Crimes Museum but was changed so as not to offend the Americans.  Taking a look at the displays and photos inside, it is definitely a war crimes museum in my opinion...it focused on describing how the toxic chemicals released by the Americans have caused birth defects and severe injuries for civilians in Vietnam.  There is a room full of images of extreme deformities such as various conjoined twins, huge bulbous heads, and multi-limbed babies. Formaldehyde filled jars containing deformed foetuses lined one wall. 



Wire cages which held 5 or 6 prisoners at a time



Photos of various torture methods carried out by the US, Chinese and French and awful amputations was also really emotional to see.  Nail pulling, teeth smashing, water torture and barbed wire cages to name a few...horrific.   In the Western world we don’t really see the extent of damage inflicted by war and this museum really puts it in a clear and moving perspective.  There is even an admission from US Senator Kerry of his involvement as a marine in slaying a whole village incuding women and children. 

One of the other significant building in HCMC is the Reunification Palace.  It is an eerie place to visit as behind the very bland exterior lies a snapshot of 30^th April 1975.  This was the place famously known for the Southern Vietnamese waited cross legged on the floor inside as the Northern Vietnamese stormed it with tanks marking the end of the War.   The rooms inside have not changed since that date and if you go into the basement areas you can see the bunkers with desks still with the typewriters on them.

Our next stop was Ben Thanh Market.  We decided to get some t-shirts and a pair of flip-flops for me (as mine are ready to fall apart).  It appears that my feet at size 5 ½ UK are hideously large in Asian standards and I struggled to find shoes that fit me, even the stall vendors found it amusing. And, Waffle’s quest to find a couple of t-shirts was a bit of a struggle too!  On our way back from the market we passed Notre-Dame Cathedral,  not the same design as the one in Paris but was built using red tiles shipped in from France in the late 19^th century and stood out as a typical Western cathedral.

Parked up on the roadside we saw a ‘Che Gevara’ slogan Vespa which looked really cool.  It had army camouflage, netting and small twigs across it like a jungle style army helmet.  Waffle is so keen to own a bike when we return to the UK he is now choosing the make and colour he wants! 

There are not many sights in the city, the biggest disappointment for us was a pagoda that was highlighted as a site to go to.  It took us quite a while to find the Jade Emperor Pagoda as the roads didn’t seem to match our map and when we did find it, it was small and not very impressive at all.  You could buy turtles at the entrance to be released into an overpopulated pond in front of the pagoda which was a bit pointless as they were scooped out of the same pond in the first place!  But that was probably the highlight to this pagoda to be honest.  We found that when we walked to the Chinese District, Cholon, there was a much better pagoda to visit which is not rated so highly – filled with intricate carvings and masses of incense burning away.  There were a lot of people praying for good fortunes in the forthcoming new year.  

With just a couple of days left before tet, the shops were preparing for the festivities as well and in Cholon we saw a few of the shops were filled with Chinese dragon costumes as well as the mandatory red and yellow lanterns and charms that are everywhere in Vietnam.  Outside one of these shops we watched our first dragon dance.  As the drummers beat a rhythm and the performers swirled the dragon the traffic came to a stop and watched. 

In the more upmarket part of the city there are large impressive colonial buildings and 5 star hotels.  These streets are lit up with huge lighting displays this time of year and sponsored spring/tet displays leading up to the big day.  In downtown, one park is filled and I mean filled with masses of flowers and bonsai trees.  Every night we passed the park leading up to Tet trucks continually unloaded more and more flowers!

In one week our meals at night were ranging from Asian, Mexican, Italian, Lebonese (including a go on apple flavoured shisha pipes in an authentic middle-eastern style chill-out room) and a 500g ‘The Big Cheese’ beefburger (that’s about 17 ozs  with 4 cheese slices, 6 slices of bacon and all the trimmings on a bap the size of your head - Waffle was determined to eat every morsel, and did but wasn’t hungry again until 24 hours later!) – by the way, only Waffle dared this monster, I had a normal size burger.

On the 31^st we changed hotels to a 5 star one on the other side of the city closer to the Chinese Quarter.  We decided to treat ourselves for the new year and it lived up to expectations and more...We upgraded on arrival to the corner junior executive suite on the 22^nd floor which has a large completely private balcony with views of most of the city (Waffle has been parading naked on it so it is a good job it’s not overlooked), living room, dressing room and separate bedroom.  We also get free laundry service, a huge buffet breakfast, afternoon snacks such as scallops on parsley risotto, pate on brioche, cheese board and small cakes, oh and all the drinks you want from 5-7pm so we are making full use of that!  There is also a swimming pool, sauna, gym and stream rooms so we can really live it up for a few days but I hope it ain't spoilt us too much.

On Tet New Years Eve we ate at the’ Top of the Town’ on the 25^th floor of our hotel which overlooks the city and then just before midnight we returned to our room so that we could watch the shows from our balcony.  Dead on 12 o’clock the fireworks started across the city.  We had the best views...We watched the two main displays for about 20 minutes of continuous streams of fireworks.  There were so many that the intense smoke from them started to obscure the display but it was still wonderful.  Every morning, the noise of drums echo around the streets below and we have seen more dragon dances in the streets as the days go by.

We have really enjoyed HCMC, probably because of the posh hotel room more than for the city although it is a great city in itself - International foods, all night entertainment, illuminated boulevards and festive atmosphere makes up for the lack of tourist sites. 

Next stop Cambodia...so in a couple of days we will be making our way out of Vietnam (our home for the last 2 months) to Phnom Penh in Cambodia hopefully seeing part of the Mekong River on the way. 

New country, new culture, new ventures...Waffle is already getting sentimental about good ole’ Nam, we are gonna miss ya, Vietnam!

(click here for more Saigon pictures)

January 24th 2011 – Day 45

Same same, but different!



marble mountains



We checked out and left Danang for Hoi An.  It is only 30km away to Hoi An so we took a taxi.  On the way we stopped off at the Marble Mountains, which legend says was formed when a dragon laid an egg there and when it hatched the broken shells grew into the mountains!  Today though, it has been heavily excavated and much of the marble used is bought in from China but the marble work is still impressive all the same.  There are a few pagodas including another multi-tiered tower and caves that can be explored but we did not go to them.

We arrived in Hoi An, a historic trading port in the 16^th & 17^th Century by the afternoon.  After we settled in we walked into the ancient area by the river and it was easy to see why it is loved by many.  The streets are very quaint, the buildings are mainly painted yellow with French colonial style mahogany balconies and Chinese style roofing.  The humidity and daily floods taint the walls with dark damp patches which adds to the old look. 

A Japanese covered bridge crosses a small waterway in the old quarter and there are loads of characteristic buildings, so many that our eyes were everywhere!  The river is lined with boats of different sizes but they all have eyes painted on the front to protect them from the evil water serpents. 

There are over 400 tailor shops which is quite a few considering it is a small town, and every one you pass try to get you in.  The favourite saying in Vietnam is 'Same, same, but different' which we have heard many times especially here in Hoi An.  Many of the buildings have silk lanterns hanging around (you can see them being made in some of the shops) and unfortunately for us, on the 14^th day of every lunar month the town shuts off the electricity and the whole town is lit up with even more lanterns, we missed this by one day!  Still, they have plenty of lanterns around and were getting ready for the Tet New Year Festival so it was still very pretty at night, we didn’t feel like we missed much...

The night time became a romantic place to stroll along the river (avoiding the parts where the river rises above its banks and floods the streets each night) and the people are extremely welcoming. 

We ate at the local food quarter at a place owned by a Mr Linh and his family where his sister, Yip and her aunt Bai (not sure if spelling is correct) were overjoyed to say the least that we chose to eat at their stand.  Bai gave me a few dabs of methol oil to try that she had (it was dark green in a very small bottle that smelled like it had eucalyptus in as well which I thought may be a good mozy repellent too).  The food as usual was great, we tried the local dishes called ‘White Rose’ (pork and shrimp balls surrounded by a large soft noodle in the shape of a rose!) and ‘Cao Lao’ (fat noodles with pork and crispy squares that tasted like pork scratching, yummy).  Local beer is just 16 pence a pint too and rounded off the night nicely.

With water comes mosquitos, and we were bitten in the night even though we sprayed ourselves to stop them.  We woke up to big, itchy lumps on our legs that drove us mad for hours at a time.   

We walked out of Hoi An’s main area and passed people working in paddy fields and homes with chicken coops and cattle tied to stakes in the ground.  Everyone waves and says hello as you pass their homes so you really feel comfortable wandering out of the main areas.  We came to an open road a guessed we had gone as far on foot as we wanted to and walked back down a dirt track along the river.

Back in the town we stopped off for a bite to eat, the lady who owned the restaurant we tried recommended the fish in banana leaf and we were glad she did because it was excellent.   We heard drums close by as we ate which turned out to be a Buddhist shrine that had monks in orange gear and other people decked out in white clothes and white headbands (looked like they all had bandages due to head injuries!).  We eventually caved in and were drawn in to a tailors that was recommended to us...We both ended up ordering some clothes which we had to go back the next day for a fitting (too good to miss - we got tailored outfits including for our forthcoming wedding, even though the date isn’t set yet!).  Our clothes were adjusted and was ready for collection after just 48 hours of picking the design and fabric!

Before we collected our outfits we went for a cooking lesson.  This was a lot of fun, we had the restaurant to ourselves and we chose what we wanted to cook.  A lady demonstrated what to do and then we copied.  We chopped, mixed, stuffed and cooked (jotting down notes along the way) – Vietnamese fried spring rolls with pork and shrimps, whole fish stuffed with chilli and lemongrass wrapped in a banana leaf cooked on charcoal, stir fried vegetables in garlic and beef noodle soup.  After we cooked it, we ate it...it was delicious even though I do say myself (Waffles spring rolls were better than mine though)! 

We collected our clothes and dropped them off at the hotel and had a rest for a while.  We ate at the local food quarter one more time at a stall next to the first one we went to.  Bai fromMr Linh's came up to me and gave me a hug and some more perfumed oil to put behind my ears! She kept shaking my hand, smiling and patting me on the back for ages...the folk here seem very affectionate.

The next day we went on a trip to My Son which is a collection of about 70 Cham Towers built over 1,000 years ago.  The Cham structures were built by Hindus from India and include statues of gods  – Shiva, Vishnu & Apsara etc.  




relics with hole where bomb dropped in 1969

 Our guide (who was a really funny character - very loud, abrubtly spoken and told amusing tales) told us that in 1969, the Yanks bombed this area believing that the Viet Cong were hiding there so only a few structures remained intact.  His father was a VC and said that he was one too!  After he ridiculed the Americans at war for always getting it wrong he asked if  there were Americans on the tour (Not many put their hands up)!  

After we spent a couple of hours walking around (avoiding the mined areas) we took a boat back to Hoi An, stopping off at a village that specialised in carpentry – there they were making boats, huge mahogany statues and mother of pearl inlayed furniture.  The woodwork was very intricate and some used their feet to hold the wood as they worked.

Our last full day in Hoi An and yet another power cut for 12 hours this time (lost count how many now).  Luckily, the generators allow the internet to work in the reception so we went down and booked 2 hotels in Ho Chi Minh City (one cheap for a week and one for the Tet  New Year a bit more up market with a swimming pool - 4 1/2 star so we are hoping it is good).  

us with our new found friends Yip & Bai
(me wearing the shawl Bai gave me earlier)

Waffle fancied a beef hotpot (cooked at the table) at our favourite local food stall so we went there again and as we walked past the other stalls (about 25 of them) one lady asked us to eat at her stall.  We said we were eating at Mr Linh's at the other end and before we knew it the message was passed down the stalls to let everyone know we were going there!  (Even though they are all individual stalls, they all help each other and do not fight for competition, they even help each other with the food!).  As we got to Mr Linh's, Bai greeted us with open arms and gave us more presents to take away...I had already been given a pashmina shawl earlier in the day by her and Waffle now was given 2 silk ties.  It did not stop there either, as we ate our food she then pushed 2 small boxes into my hand which turned out to be bottles of the perfumed oil she had been dabbing on me everytime she saw me.  Then she bought some sugared peanuts from a street hawker and put some in a dish for us and at the end of our meal she gave us some fruit.  They made us feel very at home there and to see this hospitality was extremely humbling and very sweet. As we had chatted to them about their family we found out that Yip's husband works long hours as a chef in a local hotel for only about £46 per month! 

From today it’s going to be hot, hot, hot...yippee!!  We fly teatime with Jetstar Airways for just £15 each...just hope it isn’t like Ryanair but it is only for 1 1/4 hours.  We will be sad to leave this town, it is so beautiful and the people have been very friendly...we will have some great memories of our stay here...

(all our photos have moved to our 'Windows Live' account as we maxed out the flickr pictures on our free account!)

 so here is the link to the latest ones on Windows live - Hoi An pictures

January 10th 2011 – Day 31

Tribes to Imperials, A 1,000km Journey South



Our last look at the Tribal Villagers in Sapa



The last few days at Sapa the weather hadn’t changed all but the occasional lift in the clouds for a few minutes.  We just wandered the backstreets of Sapa and at night enjoyed the fantastic food in the cosy restaurants. Hidden away in the backstreets was the local market, geared more towards food and provisions for the local people.  It was possible to choose food from some stalls and they would cook it for you, various butchered meat (including the heads which helped identify them) lay on big tables and fish swam in small tanks ready for the chop.  Stalls were tightly packed with masses of edible stuff half of which we hadn’t got a clue what they was!  As we squeezed through the market different smells filled the air, incense, spices and fish sauce etc.  



Cute puppy guarding the door!



One of the backstreets led us down passed small homes on to a narrow muddy and rocky track, we ventured off to see where it led...the best path back had two big dogs who didn’t look too happy with us (not the one in the picture by the way, he was just cute) so we had to find another way back (muddier and steeper) but we managed! Not far from our hotel we ate at an Indian restaurant with some really tasty food, the only down side was the price (nearly double other restaurants!) but it was a nice change from our usual cuisine though. 

The train journey back to Hanoi was not as good as the first, the air-conditioning was a bit erratic blurting out hot air for a few minutes then freezing cold the next for 11 hours.  As we were in the top bunks the air blew right at us so we did not sleep so well.  Feeling very tired we returned to our hotel in Hanoi (Asia Palace) by 5am.  We were greeted by a man who was kipping on the floor of the reception, he let us in and went back to 'bed'!  Later, the Director, Quinn, let us freshen up in a room before the check in time and gave us a free breakfast while we waited for our room to be cleaned.  Every time we met Quinn he always offered us good advice, he was very friendly and even bought Waffle 5 packets of cigarettes as a gift when we left. This hotel and the staff are excellent! 

 

war memorabilia
 for sale along river



The train to Hue was about US$48 each so we opted for the sleeper bus instead at a third of the price...it was a 14 ½ hour drive from 7pm through the night.  After reading some bad reviews about some companies who do this run we opted for Hoang Long buses.  It turned out to be a good choice.  The bus had 3 rows of small bunk beds that can be adjusted so you sit up in bed and there were some LCD TV’s as well (with a Jackie Chan film on...surprise, surprise!).  The bus stopped a couple of times and changed drivers so Waffle had chance to smoke.  The roads were bumpy at times but we managed to sleep for most of it.  The driver turned on Vietnamese pop music at 6.15am which bewildered us for 15 minutes until we realised was our alarm call to get up for breakfast shortly after at a road side cafe (we didn’t know this was included in the price).  Another 3 hours later we arrived at Hue bus terminal. 



Dragon boat to take tourists up the Perfume River in Hue

Still trying to save more money we walked to our hotel with our rucksacks so when we got there we were glad of a welcome cup of tea and a sit down in the reception while they checked us in.  Our room was big (a refreshing change from Hanoi’s small rooms) and had a balcony.  At £10 a night with buffet breakfast, we were very happy.  We were in the new part of the city to the south of the river where the streets were wide and the traffic less busy but most of the attractions were on the other side.

The first day we were there we rested then stayed on the south side of the river for a typical Hue menu on a restaurant/art gallery!  Similar to Hanoi dishes but there were some new dishes to try like tasty Banh khoai (beansprouts and prawns wrapped in crepe and fried served with peanut sauce) and a ‘Hue soup’ for dessert.  This the waiter told me, had potatoes in...yummy? No, not one of their best dishes as a Westerner.  It was a gloop that tasted like sweetened mashed potato.  It possible had red kidney beans in which made it a deep red colour.
  

Entrance to Imperial Citadel



The next day we crossed one of the bridges to the north of the City, where we were confronted by the Ancient Citadel. We paid to enter the Citadel and spent hours walking through the war and fire damaged complex which was once home to the Imperial Emperors.   A lot of the buildings have been destroyed and although they have rebuilt some of them you could clearly see bullet holes in the walls that remained and relics of buildings not restored.  It was drizzly midday (as Hue is one of the wettest Cities in Asia we expected it) but we carried on through the Citadel and it’s gardens/courtyards. 



It is apparently similar to the Forbidden Palace in Beijing (we will find out later on this trip) and was the Vietnam’s administrative centre. Entry to the Citadel was through secured gates depending on status as to which one they would use such as the  Senior mandarins, court officers and civil servants would have entered by the ‘Ngo Mon’ (noon gate) the main gate.  We strolled through the courtyards and saw the Thai Hoa Palace (throne hall) where the Emperor would meet foreign rulers and and other dignitaries. 

Imperial headdresses

Centrally is the ‘Tu Cam Thanh’ (Forbidden Purple City now just a grassy area destroyed by fire) where only members of the royal family, the Emperor’s concubines, senior mandarins and officers were allowed. Inside was various palaces and the Emperor’s private apartments but you would have to use your imagination.  






Inside the Imperial Citadel



We were shattered!  Our legs were aching as we made our way back to the hotel.  Thinking we had covered the Citadel we wondered where else other than the tombs just outside of Hue we could explore, until we reviewed the map and realised that we had only walked the Imperial Citadel!  Basically, there is a huge walled citadel where most of Hue’s residents live and work and in that is the Imperial Citadel and within that is the Forbidden Purple City (only the latter two we had explored so far)...A citadel within a citadel within a citadel!  So, tomorrow we are off to see more...



Bullet holes?

  

One of the damaged internal gateways



(see more pictures on our flickr pages)