Category: Vietnam

The flight from Da Nang is about 90 minutes. Ho Chi Minh airport is pretty chaotic. Waiting for our bags is a bit like collecting your luggage in Malaga 40 years ago. Too many people and too few carousels. Finally everyone has their belongings and we climb aboard our bus. Saigon is rather an assault on the senses after the comparative tranquility of Hoi An. Our hotel is opposite the park on a frenetic and dirty street. The hotel frontage is probably only 8 foot wide. If you blink you would miss it. However it is modern and newly refurbished with marble floors and friendly staff. Our room is fine though the view onto a wall is not! We have 30 minutes to freshen up then we are out on an orientation tour.

It is hot and humid here 34C – the traffic and assorted odours are less than pleasant. Crossing the road here is way worse than Hanoi as the roads are much wider. It requires nerves of steel. Every so often we pass stalls selling durian fruit. It is very smelly – like off chicken. Yuck! Puna takes us to a restaurant for lunch which is clean and with authentic Vietnamese food. Feeling refreshed we walk to the War Remnants Museum (formerly the American War Crimes Museum).

US planes and artillery are displayed outside the museum as is a mock up of the notorious cells and tiger cages in Con Dao prison. Nothing can prepare you for the gruesome horror of these. The treatment of prisoners by the French and Americans is truly brutal and barbaric. We are greeted by a guillotine and it just gets worse.

Tiger cages – read the description below…

Inside the museum we start on the 2nd floor where there are tributes to the journalists, many of whom lost their lives trying to let the world know of the atrocities of the war here. The photos are graphic, harrowing and very upsetting. A picture tells a thousand words. We cannot take any more and do not go down a floor to the napalm and agent orange display. We sit outside with a bottle of water and try to make sense of it all. So many questions….

We need some fresh air and a cyclo tour of the city does just that, although the air not that fresh! We set off down the busy roads. It is terrifying from a traffic perspective but also rather enjoyable.

We are taken to a house used as a bunker by the Viet Cong to store weapons. The iron shutters still show bullet marks from the raid here …

The premises were searched but the bunker remained undetected. A section of floor is lifted and we can enter the chamber below.

Next is a monument to the Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc. It is set at the spot where he burned himself to protest against the oppression of Buddhist monks.

Then the Post Office designed by Gustave Eiffel…

… and Notre Dame Cathedral, which we can’t really see as it is being renovated and is largely shrouded by scaffolding…

… and Independence Palace

The final stop is in a large open precinct with a big statue of Ho Chi Minh in the middle. The irony is that all the shops around the square are high end retail like Chanel and Versace. Quite the juxtaposition…

We have a group dinner in a Vietnamese restaurant. It looks nothing from outside and we climb up rather unpromising stairs to the third floor where there is a pretty room set out for us. As with every restaurant Puna has taken us to, the food is excellent.

After the horrors of the War Museum yesterday we are not sure about the wisdom of partaking in today’s excursion to the Cu Chi tunnels. These are just one of the many tunnel networks throughout Vietnam. This network originally extended to about 150 miles and 75 miles is now available to be visited. It turns out to be a very worthwhile trip. Our wonderful guide is Duc.

He has a great sense of humour and brings a little lightness to the grim story he needs to tell. He grew up during the war and paints a vivid picture of the wartime hardship and post war austerity. The war was very complicated with initially the Viet Minh rising to defeat the French. The photo of a plaque from the War Museum gives a very brief outline of events.

Ho Chi Minh wanted a unified Vietnam and it to be a communist state. He realised this would not happen and allegiances split between pro and anti communism. This led to the formation of the Viet Cong (who wanted a united communist Vietnam and different to the earlier Viet Minh who wanted to expel the French). Spies were everywhere and no-one knew who to trust. Families were split by differing views and feelings ran very high. Civil war is a terrible thing made so much worse by foreign interference. We find it quite remarkable that the Vietnamese people have been to hell and back and yet seem to have put the past firmly behind them. I do not think I could be that forgiving.

The tunnels were built on three levels and deliberately made very small to make it hard for foreigners would find them difficult to enter. They were cleverly designed to prevent flooding and had bamboo ventilation shafts. There were bunk rooms, living areas, storage, weapon making and hospitals. I try entering through the trapdoor. I climb halfway in but it is tight. Getting out would be a challenge and I sensibly decide to go no further.

We see various booby traps with vicious spikes that often would have snake venom or the like added to them.

The maximum number of people believed to live in this tunnel network at any one time was 12000 people. You would have to be very desperate indeed to live in such dire conditions. To the left below an original tunnel opening – very tiny and to the right below a tunnel enlarged for visitors but it narrows a lot after the initial section. I double back to the entrance as the next section is too claustrophobic for me.

For the Viet Cong, life in the tunnels was difficult. Air, food, and water were scarce, and the tunnels were infested with ants, venomous centipedes, snakes, scorpions, spiders, and rodents. Most of the time, soldiers would spend the day in the tunnels working or resting and come out only at night to scavenge for supplies, tend their crops, or engage the enemy in battle. Sometimes, during periods of heavy bombing or American troop movement, they would be forced to remain underground for many days at a time. Sickness was rampant among the people living in the tunnels, especially malaria, which was the second largest cause of death next to battle wounds. A captured Viet Cong report suggests that at any given time, half of a unit of the People’s Liberation Armed Forces (PLAF) unit had malaria and that “one-hundred percent had intestinal parasites of significance.”

Wikipedia

We award ourselves a special dinner after the days activities. Puna recommended a rooftop restaurant which proved to be an absolute gem. We arrive during Happy Hour so all drinks are 2 for 1. The staff are friendly and the service excellent.

Then there is the food. Western/Asian fusion and undoubtedly the best meal we have had here by a mile. Paul has scallops and I choose soft shell crab and we both have the duck which is incredible. Espresso martinis round the whole thing off. Yum!

Another early start sees us heading to the Mekong Delta just under a 2 hour drive away. We board a wooden boat which takes us across the delta to Unicorn Island. We are amused by a hugely over-laden rice barge.

This is a good time of year to visit. It is not too hot – though hot enough and everything is flowering. We are shown various fruit trees, amongst them papaya, mango and jack fruit which are similar to durian (but not smelly). A water coconut which has multiple-fruits and is quite different from a normal coconut.

Flowers abound.

After a short walk we arrive at a village. Various fruits are laid out for us to sample. Pineapple, dragon fruit, jack fruit, something similar to a lychee and a pear like fruit with a pithier texture.

We are then entertained with music played on Vietnamese string instruments and singing of local songs as well as the inevitable Vietnamese rendition of Happy New Year by ABBA, this has been played everywhere and is wearing thin!

We are shown how to make popped rice. A large pan is heated with sand and then the rice is added. It does not take long for it to start popping in exactly the same way as popcorn does. The contents are emptied into a sieve where the rice is separated from the sand. It is mixed with a green leaf paste, rolled out and cut into squares. It is delicious and we buy a big bag. Ideal low calorie snacks for our travels.

We return to the boat and head further down the estuary to Dragon Island. Here we step onto a small dock and then board rowing boats for a peaceful paddle along a coconut lined channel. Mudskippers sun themselves on the muddy banks and then hop back into the water as we approach.

Next we travel by 6 seater tuktuks which take us to our lunch venue. The island is pretty with lots of flowers everywhere and birds flitting through the trees.

After lunch we are shown how to make coconut candy. It seems quite a high labour process. There is chocolate and peanut flavour. It is OK but not as nice as fudge. Finally we are invited to sample some drinks. Rice wine with cobra…Just wrong and no, I did not sample it!

Then coconut rum. I was expecting Malibu but it was nothing like it. Tasted like a bad home brew. Finally we tried rice wine which was strong and a bit like retsina. Our final stop is to sample honey and see the bees making it. Everybody thought the honey was good. I tried the royal jelly with honey. It made me shudder. I must be the only person in the world who does not like honey! There was a pond with exquisite lotus flowers in full bloom.

We have a couple of hours downtime before heading out for an Italian. We are looking forward to a change of flavours. The service is terrible but when our food finally arrives it is good.

Today we cross the border into Cambodia. Puna says the border crossing is busy, all on foot and it can take anything between an hour or four hours. We are told to put a couple of dollars in our passport when we exit Vietnam, which should ensure we are processed quickly. (It’s not obligatory but necessary if you do not want to spend all day at the border. It is a moderately fast procedure, 40 minutes for the 16 of us, and would have been quicker if there were not queue jumpers who clearly have put more money in their passports than us. Corruption is a way of life in Vietnam….

We then have to walk 300 yards or so, with all of our bags, to the Cambodian border and it is hot.  I am glad we are with a guide and also that we have travelled light. It would not be at all obvious where to go without her. We appear to be walking across a lorry park. We fill out immigration cards, hand over our visas and are processed surprisingly quickly. This is not always the case and it can take hours. It was definitely worth getting up early to beat the crowds but we still have a long bus journey ahead before reaching Phnom Penh – the capital of Cambodia.

We alight from the train in Hue at 08.00 all a little bleary eyed. The beds were very hard so sleep was somewhat intermittent.

There is an opportunity to freshen up and deposit our bags at our hotel before setting off to explore Hue. There is no real down time as our rooms will not be available until this afternoon. The hotel entrance has been cheerfully decorated for the New Year.

We start the morning with a tour of the Imperial Citadel, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The citadel is vast and surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls.

We then approach the Ngo Mon Gate which has been well restored and is the main entrance to the Hue Imperial City. 90% of the Citadel was destroyed during the Vietnam War so there is a huge program of ongoing restoration work.

Just inside the gate is the Palace of Supreme Harmony, which dates from 1803 and has also been renovated. The approach to it is lined with flowers.

…and as it is New Year most people are wearing traditional dress…

… so it makes the experience very special and colourful.

Next are The Mandarin Halls which are two identical buildings on either side of a large courtyard.

There are lots of buildings to explore. We are particularly impressed by the recently restored Imperial Palace.

There is so much to see here. A couple of hours was not nearly long enough. You could easily spend a day exploring the many buildings and beautiful gardens.

We then visit the Tien Mu Pagoda, built more than 400 years ago on the shores of the Perfume River.

We also see the car that was driven by the Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc who in 1963 burnt himself to death to protest against the oppression of Buddhists.

Our final stop is at the tomb of one of Hue’s emperors. I cannot tell you much about this as by now I have reached information overload for the day.

We are all really looking forward to checking into the hotel. It is 15.00 and has been a very long morning with limited sleep on the train last night. Our room is great with the first soft bed of the trip. Bliss! We grab some much needed sleep before dinner in a small restaurant across the road.

Departure s not until 11.00 so we make the most of a lie in. Today we head south to the historic old town of Hoi An. The drive is scenic….

We make a lunch stop by a picturesque lake. Shame about the litter but that is a common theme so far on our trip.

The Hai Van Pass affords terrific views. To the north we can see the terrain we have just passed through.

Looking south we can see Da Nang. A city of 1.5 million people, which was a major base for the US during the Vietnam War.

Another 90 minute drive takes us through the outskirts of Da Nang, where we can see a cool bridge shaped like a dragon

…and on to Hoi An. Our hotel room is probably the best we have had with bifold doors to the balcony and overlooking the swimming pool. It’s also great for drying washing or sitting drinking wine.

We have little time to luxuriate. 30 minutes to freshen up and then we are off to the Old Town. It is still New Year and unbelievably busy. It is really hard to not lose sight of everyone in the group. Taking photos is not an option. You really need to pay attention especially as motorbikes and cyclos are also mingling with the hoards of people. The town looks like it would be worth investigating – but not with this volume of people. Even our guide says it is insane and unusually manic. Hoi An is famous for its lanterns which are lit and floated on the river. There are so many tourists and boats that the whole experience looks very unappealing. We head down a quieter backstreet where we are taken into a tailors to see if we would like to have any clothes made and then go across the road to have a cocktail before dinner. It is far more pleasant here and dinner is very good.

In the morning we decide to stroll back to the Old Town – about a 20 minute walk. On our way we discover a great French cafe. We order coffee and delicious pastries…

Them we walk around the Old Town and can enjoy it. It is early morning and The crowds have gone for now. It really is a very unique place with lots of character and ancient buildings.

Lunch is at Oodles of Noodles which is a charity run for street kids and orphans. They have a 14 month program to train in hospitality and catering so that they can get proper jobs. We are shown how to make rice noodles.

We then have a go at making them ourselves and sample them with three different sauces.

We are then provided with a tasty prawn and noodle soup before setting off on our afternoon excursion. Some of us opt to travel by bike and the majority by e-car, basically a large golf buggy made to look like a car. Far preferable in my opinion given the heat, the traffic and my lack of cycling skill.

Our first stop is at a private home where we are shown how to make tofu by Mr Tu. He is very welcoming and we are greeted with cups of tea. Soya beans are mashed up with water in a hand mill that has been in the family for many years.

The resulting liquid is collected and sieved through cheesecloth to separate the soya milk from the curds. The curds can be set in blocks but Mr Tu makes us a special dessert from the fresh curds. It is warm and akin to a soft crème brûlée served with a sweetened ginger sauce. It is delicious and only something that is served in people’s homes. You will not find it in a restaurant. A great honour for us.

Next stop is an organic farm where the local farmers each own their own plots and tend them beautifully. Manure is made from cow and buffalo dung plus dried river weed. Crops are watered by hand with water from a trough that contains fish, which add nutrients to the water and eat insect larvae. The crops look very healthy and immaculately tended.

We are given hats to wear…

… and shown how to water by one of the farmers.

We are given a herbal tea which was refreshing but slightly strange as it appeared to have something like frog spawn on top of it. We were assured it was lemon balm seeds…..

Next is the coconut forest, which was super fun. We all had to get into coracles. They were paddled by really quite ancient looking people who were incredibly jolly and, it turns out, very fit. We are spun round and round at lightening speed. It’s like being on the teacup ride at the fair. Quite hilarious and dizzy making. We then paddle up the channel while the oarsmen and women sing and dance crazily. It was so much fun.

We sample more local foods before boarding a river boat lit by lanterns and head back towards the Old Town. The river is beautiful. Lots of prettily lit boats and lanterns floating on the water. The town is still decorated for New Year so everything is quite magical. Photos do not really capture it.

We find a fabulous restaurant for dinner. The manager is friendly and we talk to her for a while. She recommends a beach restaurant to us and as tomorrow is a free day we decide to go there for lunch. We have scallops, lobster and cold wine. It was a very welcome change of pace.

Tomorrow we leave at 06.30 in order to catch our flight to Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon which is the name most people still use apart from formal and business usage). Saigon is the biggest city in Vietnam – 10 million people and I am not particularly looking forward to it.

As we fly into Hanoi the scenery is very different from what I expected. I thought I would see a sprawling metropolis like Bangkok but this is quite different. The airport is modern and clean and as soon as we exit the terminal building it is clear that we are in a very different country from Laos. Everything feels sharper and better organised. Our hotel is in the old quarter of Hanoi and is probably the nicest accommodation we have experienced. Our room even has a soft bed. Hoorah! Our flight from Vientiane was slightly delayed so we only have a quick half hour turn around before heading out for dinner. We dine in a rustic restaurant situated in a little side street. Paper lanterns light the alley above us.

The menu is extensive and everybody has an exceptional meal. The ambience and structure of the restaurant is reminiscent of Cuba. There are worn stairs and bare bricks and yet the place has charm and exudes a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I think Vietnam is already working it’s magic. The whole group seems much more relaxed here. My comment at dinner was that I would compare my first taste of Vietnam with the opening of the first page of a book, where I am instantly drawn into the story, and cannot wait to turn the next page.

After the meal, Puna our guide orders the equivalent of an Uber for us. She guides us to our car, opens the doors for us and ushers us in. The driver appears with a face like thunder. It turns out this is not our vehicle. So very funny!

Breakfast is a pleasant surprise, with a good selection of food. I choose an omelette and can actually have various fillings in it. Amazing! Then it’s time for an orientation tour of the city on foot. We start in the old quarter where vendors display their wares on the pavement. It is particularly vibrant and bustling as everyone is preparing for the New Year in a couple of days time – 29 January. It is impressive how much people can transport on their bikes.

All the produce looks very fresh. The chickens particularly so. They are despatched and plucked for you while you wait. Slightly hard to watch but as I like to eat chicken, I really should not be too squeamish about seeing the actual process.

There are nearly 9 million people in Hanoi and most of them own a motorbike or scooter. The roads are busy and crossing them requires some nerve. We are told to stick together as a group and not stop no matter what. It’s surprising how quickly you get used to spotting a small gap in the traffic and then determinedly walking at a steady space and in a straight line to the far side. I would advise anyone to just look directly ahead. If you stop to look at the mayhem you are causing you would freeze like a frightened rabbit. There are traffic lights but they are regarded as advisory only and most drivers ignore them.

Our walk firstly takes us past The North Gate to the city, which was built in 1805 and is the only one of the five external gates in the Nguyen Dynasty citadel walls that survived the French military’s attack in the late 19th century. The impact of two cannonballs fired by French troops from the Red River can still be clearly seen.

We walk down a wide tree lined mall and past the presidential palace.

Our next stop is at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. It is a Monday so we can only view the outside and not enter to see his body. I am fine with that. The area around the mausoleum is extensive and well manicured.

We have to undergo strict airport security type checks before admission is granted, which involves walking the whole way around the complex to the far side. The entry point where we start will not accept groups.

We are lucky enough to catch the changing of the guards. I do not know much about Ho Chi Minh so have subsequently read quite a lot about him. Clearly a very intelligent and deep thinking man. He spoke 13 languages and travelled the world extensively before his leadership. His legacy is a country that has a warm and friendly population. They are forward looking and do not dwell on the past horrors inflicted upon them. There appears to be great personal freedom. People can own property and practice religion freely. People are industrious and can set up their own enterprises. Indeed in many ways it is hard to believe that this is a communist country.

Behind the Mausoleum we visit The One Pillar Pagoda which was built to resemble a lotus flower emerging from the water.

There is a temple adjacent to this which seemed to be a memorial house. Photos of loved ones were displayed with offerings of fruit and flowers. Poignant music plays and the whole place is very spiritual, calm and beautiful and brings a tear to my eyes as I think about lost loved ones.

We wend our way back to the hotel and pass the street where dog meat is sold. Whole cooked dogs are displayed and for westerners it is pretty hard to stomach. I move on swiftly. I took photos, but once seen it is not an easy sight to forget so I will not share them with you. Every street we walk along is different but all houses have very narrow frontages and go back a long way. This is because houses used to be taxed on their frontage.

Our final morning’s destination is Railway Alley. Restaurants press as close to the train track as possible. We order coffees and wait for the train to arrive.

As the train approaches, tables are moved and we are all squeezed back as close to the walls as possible. I had no idea that this would be a full-size train and that it would be so close. It was quite intimidating but also kind of cool!

We have a leisurely lunch before heading off at 17.00 for a Water Puppet Show. It is a twenty minute walk from our hotel and the volume of traffic and people is insane.

It is the day before New Year’s Eve here and it seems like the whole of Hanoi is out and making last minute purchases. It is like Oxford Street pre Xmas but with mopeds and bikes driving on the pavement in both directions. Bonkers! One of our group suggests that the Vietnamese are missing a trick. They should make a T-shirt that says “I survived the traffic in Hanoi”

The puppet show is held in a theatre and is quite unique. The music is magical, with very accomplished musicians playing Vietnamese instruments. The show lasts about 45 minutes and depicts the Vietnamese culture and beliefs with the appearance of dragons, phoenixes and a turtle. I would thoroughly recommend it if you are ever in Hanoi.

Another early start for us. We have a 3.5 hour bus trip to Halong Bay which I am really looking forward to. We stop at an artisan centre which was instigated to create jobs for those disabled during the Vietnam War. We buy a silk embroidered picture. The skill of the workers is incredible and from a distance it is hard to realise that the pictures have not been painted.

We arrive at Halong Bay. It is busy. So many boats. It is also very cold and I make a very rapid purchase of a thick Patagonia hoodie. It is wonderfully warm! The boat is better than I had expected…

… and our cabin is comfortable. The salon is decorated for New Year with a peach tree and lanterns.

The food on board is excellent and after lunch we opt for the rowing boat excursion to take us through a limestone arch and into a lagoon. There are far too many people.

People kayaking are literally getting caught between the big rowing boats. Pretty scary I would think. In the lagoon, we have a brief glimpse of a macaque monkey…

… and see dozens of baskets along the shoreline which are used to culture mussels.

We return to the boat, re-locate and go ashore to climb to the top of Ti Top. Yet again there are far too many people. I battle the visitors and climb up the 200+ steps to the first viewing point.

The geology is spectacular and pretty unique. Huge limestone pinnacles rise out of the water. Quite something. There is a small sand beach and on a warmer day a swim might have been pleasant.

It is quite hazy. I have brought my old camera and neither it or the iPhone are taking particularly good photos. People watching is fun though and the camera does a better job of that.

We return to the boat for sundowners and we are fortunate as the sun finally puts in an appearance.

Dinner is a real treat. We work our way through 10 courses ranging from soup, oysters, prawns, squid, rice, vegetables and more. All cooked in different styles and with different spices, but nothing with chilli and beautifully presented.

It is New Year’s Eve and at midnight all the boats in the bay sound their horns and the metal boats let off fireworks. From our cabin, I can see an impressive firework display in Halong in the distance. We sleep well, are up for coffee, toast and egg before going to visit Sung Sot Caves.

The ascent up the steps to the caves was busy but once inside people spaced out as the caves are enormous. At 10,000sq metres they are very impressive and definitely worth visiting.

Then it’s back to the boat for brunch which turns out to be another feast. We disembark, re-board our bus and drive back to Hanoi where we shall catch the overnight train to Hue. This will be another 12 hour journey but the train is an improvement on the previous one. There are cabins shared by four people and we have complementary snacks and drinks in the cabin. As we are settling in a lady comes round and hands us all red envelopes. The envelopes contain 20000 dong (about 60p). It is a New Year tradition – to bring us luck. We are told to keep it safe and not spend it. How nice!

We share our cabin with Alex and Liv. They are the youngest in our group by at least a couple of decades! The top bunks are hard to get into. There is no ladder – just a single flap on the wall. The men are tall and we decide they should have the top beds. The train jolts and then we are off. Looking out of the window we pass through the streets of Hanoi and indeed pass through Railway Alley again.