Week 18 - Saigon & goodbye Jan

We did quite a bit of looking around in Saigon. There was lots to see...

The war museum

Really interesting and gave you a real insight in to what happened, but with the Vietnamese view. So all obviously anti USA. But was really sad to read about all the deaths and the fact that Vietnam is still affected by it today because of all the chemicals that were dropped etc.

Notre Dame

The Vietnam version obviously. We hadn't hopped over to Paris. Wow the humour just keeps rolling doesn't it. So I covered up my shoulders, and went in for a little word.

Cuchi Tunnels

So we booked on a day trip thing as it was cheap enough. Except the night before I was really ill. I did try to go along on the trip and was on my way on the bus but really wasn't up for it so I jumped off when they stopped for gas and made my way back to die a little in the hotel room. I know I should have re-booked. I'm gutted now. How can you go to Saigon and not go to see the tunnels. But Jan gave me a lo down when she returned, so i'll just have to wait until next time I visit!

Cinema

So one evening we decided to head on to the cinema and watch 'tropic thunder'. It's a film (obviously) with Ben Stiller and gang. They're actors who are in a film about Vietnam, but the director decides to put them in the real place to save his budget. It's funny. And it was apt as we were in Vietnam. Any excuse. Ha. I did see a rat in there as well (in the cinema) but he didn't have a ticket. Dirty rat. Oh actually we went to the cinema twice. Totally forgot that. We went to see 'Eagle eye' with Shia leboeuff, however you spell it. That was pretty good actually so if you get a chance.

Trip to Mekong

The Mekong is one of the is the 12th-longest river in the world, and 7th longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,350 km .

Ahhh yes the cool day to the Mekong. We got a bus to Vihn Long I think it was. Our tour guide really did talk alot but it was all pretty interesting. So he talked for most of the 2 hour journey there. We made a stop at some gardens. Then got to the boat and had a boat ride along the Mekong as he talked some more. And then a short tour around the village where they showed us them making toffee and also rice cakes. Then we were taken off back on the boat to somewhere else. (My memory is appauling. I realise it was only a month ago but my little brain can only keep a certain amount of information at one time) where we had to step on to a smaller boat and were rowed up the Mekong for half hour. It was really nice, and we got to wear hats as well. Our woman looked fairly young but some of the others who were rowing were well in to their 70's. This is by no means old. What I'm saying is they were working really hard. ANYWAY then we got to another bit of island and had lunch (rice) and then were allowed to take some bikes off and have a browse around for an hour or so. We managed to get two guys from Germany tagging along with us. Then back to the bus to be driven back to Saigon. It was a really cool day. Until the Germans asked to meet us in the evening. We're rubbish and too polite so we told them where we were heading and hoped they would find it.

Sax n' art bar

The germans found us. But we were a bit drunk by then so we didn't mind as much. They were just really dull, that was the problem. But funnily enough they seemed less dull in the evening amongst our cocktailed giggles. A guy called Tran Manh Tuan was playing the sax and was really good so I got his cd. Maybe I wouldn't have if I'd been on the tonics all night but never mind. Cool to have some different music anyway. Oh and I went to speak to him and he invited me to play with him. Yeh. But I wasn't drunk enough for that. Haha. Apart from a few toots on my now broken bamboo sax, i haven't played for about 5 months so didn't think it would do too well for his reputation. Either that or i'd totally show him up. Yeh that one. Show him up. Good fun though, we liked it in there.

Temples

We walked round some. Not much to report.

Go2 Bar

This was on the way back from our first visit to the cinema. We'd seen it and Jan remembered where it was so we headed that way. In the rain. Did I say rain? That sounds a bit tame. It was just like buckets of water being poured on our heads. Seriously. I'm not exaggerating. Hoses and buckets all in one go. But we figured we were already wet (we had our macs on) so may as well just carry on. It's always quite fun walking through a storm like that even if you can't see because you're glasses are completely covered in rain and you can barely walk because your shoes keep falling off and you feel like you're going to get killed every time you cross the road because no1 has lights on and generally were driving the same as if it wasn't monsooning... SO. We got there in the end. A nice little bar. We were playing pool and then a bloke was lurking around, and asked if he could play the winner. It was quite a funny question seeing as we'd already been playing for 50 minutes. It was just one of those games. Anyway he was called Tom. It turns out he lives about 30 seconds from Mirella's (for anyone who doesn't know who that is, although I can't imagine anyone who's reading this wouldn't know - Mel is my lovely sister) flat in Beckanham. Small world. So I got a bit excited that someone knew where I was from in sunny sidcup. But he was there teaching english so he's not back in Kent any time soon. Did I mention that I beat him at that game of pool? Yep. My first actual win and not by default coz the other person potted the black. Pure skill. Half way to pool shark status. So we had a night out the next night and Tom showed us a couple of good places to go. That's where we met Dave as well (in the picture with Tom). Remember him coz he crops up again.

So a few good nights out, along with some nice walking around gardens and chilling out with iced coffees etc in the day. Writing poems. I like it.

It turns out I had quite a few bits to be sending home which I wanted to send on before going to Cambodia. Jan wasn't keen on staying the extra day so she went on. I'd beeing talking about going to the orphanage in Cambodia as well so we just said we'd keep in touch and maybe meet up in a few days. So I waved Jan goodbye then went to sort out Christmas. I've never been that organised before!

If you can't beat them, join them

Considering they drove me crazy at the start of Vietnam I was surprised at my decision to jump on a motorbike on my last day. I was in a hurry and the taxi driver had taken me to the wrong post office, so I got on one of those damn things. It was pretty awsome haha. Winding through traffic like a mentalist driver. I was slightly gutted that I hadn't hopped on one before. But there you go. He got me there and back in one piece (just) and I got everything posted and was back in time to get my bus to Cambodia.

So Vietnam started with a bit of a blip, but I went out on a high and loved it all :)

Week 17 - Sleeper bus 4 - Nha Trang to Saigon

Nha Trang to Saigon

- Driving through bumpyville again (seems to be a few of those towns)
- The toilet stop. In a queue. Got to the squat cubicle. Except there wasn't even a hole in there. Apparently we were meant to just pee on the floor and then the lady came away and mopped it up every hour. I couldn't quite bring myself to wee on the floor so waited for the one with a hole. I never thought I'd be so relieved to see a hole in the ground to pee in.
-The snooring man. He was from Manchester. Bloody northeners...

Week 17 - Vietnam - Nha Trang

Nha Trang was quite a torist-like resort. Lots of plush hotels surrounding the beaches. We spent just 2 days here getting some beach and sunshine, getting confused by the upside down moon, eating the world's nicest ice cream (I've never been THAT much of a fan but apparently now I am), more beach, a bit of swimming pool, playing pool, nearly winning a bloke at pool (so close) and a bit more rest before moving on...

Week 17 - Vietnam - Sleeper bus 3 - Hoian - Nha Trang

HoiAn - Nha Trang

- Bottom bunks
- Managed to sit on my bamboo sax and broke it in two. Not happy.
- Zonko for rest of journey. In a mood. I reckon Jan picked up on this :(

Week 16/17 - Vietnam - Hoian

We knew where we were heading so got a cab there. But it was fully booked. Of course it was. So we wandered around in the rain and managed to book in to a nice looking hotel with a pool and a tv! All for $10 a night but I managed to barter her down to $8, haha. Once you get in to the frame of mind of bartering you cannie stop. So. It was late and raining, so we just went to a place down our road for some dinner. That's 'tea' for any of you northerners who might be reading and confused. We tried out the local delight called 'white rose' which were tiny parcels of something or other. Really tasty. We ended up spending a couple more days than planned in HoiAn. That's the beauty of it. We liked it there as it was such a nice town. There was that reason and the fact that it rained non stop, quite literally. There were floods for a few days so we didn't fancy trying to drive through floods in a bus. There was that reason and the fact that we couldn't stop buying dresses. HoiAn is the place to have clothes made. So cheap. I ended up with 4 dresses in the end, and Jan escaped with about the same.

HoiAn is where we met Mia. On the first night. She was travelling on her own and was having dinner with another girl in the sam place we were eating in on the 2nd night. We enede up having drinks with them both and then saw her again the next day. Following us I would imagine. So it rained. And rained. And rained. We go fed up one day that we couldn't do much so we hired a dvd player and watched a bunch of films. Iron Man is wicked!!! Oh and I went for a swim in our tiny pool. I tried with the laps but once you'd done wo strokes it was time to turn round again.

And another night Mia decided to sit in the flood. Mia behave yourself. And stop copying the dresses I get made.

Did I mention it rained?

So after all the dress making, scrabble playing (is 'goon' a word?) eating at Tam Tam and the Cargo, shopping for Christmas pressies (i've never been so organised it was only October!), and wading through the floods with swimming cockroaches, we decided to leave. Oh and I did make the effort to go find the church but it was shut. But I still went! And I saw the war memorial which was, well, it was flooded. As were many of the poor shops around town. Oh yeh and the boats. They got boats out to cart people around. Charging such high rates. We didn't have a go. That's what crocs are for isn't it??

Bye bye Mia.

Week 16 - Vietnam - Sleeper bus 2 - Hue to Hoian

Hue to Hoi an

- Eventually we get back on a new bus which we waited for outside the office as told. It then drove back to where we'd been originally picked up so we could have just stayed ther really. And then back to the office just to arse about a bit more and then it stopped at some other building for about an hour.
- After this delightful hour it only took about 30 mins to get to our desired destination.

HOIAN.

WOOP WOOP.

Week 16 - Vietnam - Sleeper bus 1

Hanoi to Hoi An

- A slow start. We were told to be ready for 6pm but didn't end up actually going until 8pm

- beds on bus allowed you to lay down but in a rather cramped stlye

- We managed to get comfy, had a read, wrote a poem, took my trusty travel sick tablets which made me nice and sleepy ready for the journey. Just drifting off when BAM. We stop for a 30 mintue toilet stop.

- 6am we stop at a place called Hue. We get chucked off and told the next bus we need is at 1pm. They failed to tell us about this when we booked the ticket. Oh and that we should go book ourselves on to it down at the ticket office as there might not even be space. But luckily there was. We just spent our sleepy time in Hue having lunch and chilling. Makes a change to other days we have haha.

- One girl got her phone and ipod stolen on the bus. She had left it out but there were some ructions there, and it made us more aware of our stuff

Week 16 - Vietnam - Sapa

So we booked ourselves on to a 3 day tour and headed off to the station. We showed our tiket and was passed to about 3 different people before being taken to the right train. Bit worrying at one point when they said we only had a receipt which wasn't valid but we got there in the end! The train was so much better than I imagined it to be. 4 beds in a cabin which were bunk bed. When we arrived there were 3 Vietnemese people in there all squashed on to one bed but one of them ended up being booted out somewhere else so there was just 4 of us. Me and Jan ate a load of cookies and then went to sleep, waking up at 5,30am when we'd arrived. We go picked up and taken off to the mountains. More winding roads upwards which wasn't bad at all because the views were fantastic.

We got dropped at a hotel and used the shower facilities and had breakfast. We were then allocated a tour leader and began our trek for the day. The hilltribe women joined us as they were walking back to their villages. I walked with 2 young girls who were telling me all about their lives in the mountains. They go to school in the mornings and then help their mum's with the housework and weaving etc for the rest of the day. One other lady (who didn't look 32) told me al about her wedding. They wear the sam as wat they had on except it's made out of a satin material instead. And they kill a pig and have a party with lots of rice wine. After a few hours of walking amongst stunning scenery we stopped for lunch. The usual rice etc. And then continued on to the cillage where we would be staying for the night. I got handed some sugar cane which I had a good old gnaw on. It was nice enough but couldn't get used to the fact that you chewed it then had to spit out the wood. Weird. I felt really rude just spitting it out on the road in front of me. Or on my shoes which most of it went on. When we got to the village where the hilltribe girls lived they whacked out all thei stuff and went in to sales mode. Although I only then realised that they'd started sales mode right from the start as they expected me to buy from them seeing as they'd been walking with me. "You buy from meeeee" they kept saying. And so I did. And once I got out my purse I was surrounded by about another 20 girls. "YOU BUY FROM MEEEE. You buy from her so you should buy from me...". Ahhhhh. So I bought a few bits of tut and then managed to escape.

On to the home stay. We got there (we, being a couple of Ozzy girls and a couple of spanish woman), settled to rest our feet and then went for a nap. I was expecting to be actually in a village home but it turns out it was purpose built for tourists. It was still just a hut but wasnt quite as authentic as any of us expected it to be! After our nap we were made dinner (more rice etc, but all really tasty), poured some rice wine, had some chats with the group and then it was time for bed to rest weary heads.

In the words of Peter Kay 'take in that fresh air. Ooo you'll sleep well tonight'

And we did.

It was the best night's sleep I'd had so far on my travels.

Up the next day and we were made a gzillion pancakes for breakfast. That's a lotta pancakes. But was needed for the trek ahead. We walked over rice fields upon rice fields. Great views. I found some a bit tricky as it was up so high and we had to do balancing acts with huge mountains on one side and even bigger drops down the other. But the hill trib woman were there to help. Although I was well aware that this time they would be expecting something. I didn't care, I needed the extra hand. Yeh that's right i'm still a wuss even after all the bloody treks i've done! We stopped for lunch after walking down the steepest mountain side where I threw a mini paddy at myself. I know I can do these things, physically, but meanwhile my head is spinning. So I shouted at myself to get on with it and stop being stupid. Kind of worked.

Lunch, with the tribe woman surrounding us again. I managed to get away with purchasing just one thing this time. It was some sort of instrument. It's pretty cool actually. I'll video you a tune and put it on here sometime!

Then just one final hill to climb and there was our van to take us back to the hotel. We had a few hours to kill so went to a cafe called... wait for it... "baguette and chocolate". I had the BEST cup of tea here. You know how good it tastes after such a long walk. Well it was a build up of 2 days f walking so imagine just how good it was. So good I had another one. Mmmmm. Then back to the hotel for some dinner (I swear our days are pretty much set around meals). We sat with Sophie and Jessica, two of the Ozzy girls from Newcastle (Oz Newcastle). And then driven back to the station and back on the train to get back to Hanoi. Think we drove through bumpyville this time.

In my blurry eyed sleepy state when we were thrown off in the morning, I left my half read book on the train. DOH. It was only 5am and raining. We got a cab back to our original hotel which was closed. Eventually they opened. We'd been told we could just have a shower and leave our bags there for the day as we were leaving in the evening. But it turned out we'd be charged for the day. After some chats they said we could go to their other hotel for a cheaper option. Fine. We carted our stuff over and then proceded to climb hundreds of steps to get to the roof room. Fine.

The rest of the day we just chilled doing our own thing and then met up again for lunch. Another place where we could draw on the tables. We relaxed with a pizza and wine, it was really nice before heading back to be picked up by our bus to take us south.

Email of the week comes from an anonymous fan after I emailed you all explaining Sapa as 'I have never been gobsmacked by such natural beauty' ...

"'Never been so gobsmacked by such natural beauty' ?

think you've been away too long...let me remind you of the lush plains of Eltham Park South, the syringe littered bexley woods, the rolling hills of swanley, & the views of the urine puddled Avery Hill estate from the peak of one of their towers... "

You Pizza Hut all you can eat vouchers are winging their way to you in the post...

Week 16 - Vietnam - Halong Bay

"Ha Long Bay is in northeastern Vietnam and has a 120 kilometre long coastline and is approximately 1,553 square kilometres in size with 1969 islets. Local legend says that long ago when the Vietnamese were fighting Chinese invaders, the gods sent a family of dragons to help defend the land. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. The people kept their land safe and formed what later became the country of Vietnam. After that, dragons were interested in peaceful sightseeing of the Earth and decided to live here then. The place where Mother Dragon flew down was named Hạ Long".

It's the place to go when you're up in north Vietnam. We chose just to do a day tour although I wish we'd done a 2 or 3 day one now, but nevermind. Just a reason to go back there, haha. We got a minibus there and then got on to our boat. And enjoyed every bit of scenery as we went along. Pictures or descriptions don't really do it much justice but it was really beautiful. We got chatting to a lovely couple called Neil and Sally who were really nice. Had some lunch on the boat, then went off to some caves which were great except they were riddled with tourists. And not only that but they'd put loads of illuminated lights in the caves so you couldn't really appreciate the naturalness I don't think. Blackpool illuminations came to mind. Then back on boat, round a bit more and then back to be taken back to Hanoi. Really nice day though.

That evening we just chilled out in a jazz club who were clueless about their drinks. And the night after that we met up with Neil and Sally again for a fun night out in Hanoi.