Ho Chi Minh

Our final journey through Vietnam on a sleeper bus. After our last bug-filled experience, we decided that we'd take the day sleeper option. We'd not got very far before the bus turns down a very winding, small, pot-holed road and turns into a bus depot. Visions of bus trips through Malaysia returned, thinking we were going to have to change buses again, but thankfully not. Instead, the driver gets out and there's much gesticulating by around four or five guys and a table and a few chairs appear. Although the bus isn't full at this stage, we have seen individual chairs placed in the aisles of these buses before - but the table! So, these guys seriously consider and attempt to get the table on through the side door, we kid you not, but before David can grab his camera, they do decide that after a couple of minutes that it won't squeeze on without some serious reconstruction to either the table, or the bus. Plan B comes into action and they attempt, and are eventually successful at putting the table in the luggage hold below. Gladly, this wasn't at the expense of our suit cases.
The journey is fairly uneventful, the scenery stunning, but the coach does stall once on a very steep ascent up a very winding mountain climb. The bus driver tries to move forward four or five times, the engine stalling and the bus lurching backwards rather than in the right direction, but eventually we are back on our way.
Whilst in HCM, we did a good amount of sightseeing, visiting some local galleries and museums. Unsurprisingly, there was a fair amount of both art and history relating to the conflicts of the twentieth century. Some of the images in the gallery and exhibits in the museum were stark, direct, immensely powerful and harrowing.

We also visited Notre Dame Cathedral and saw one of a number of illuminated Mary's witnessed across the city.

We even visited the Post Office!

There was also a trip out of the city where we visited the site of much of the fighting between the Viet Cong and the Americans. We saw examples of some of the traps set by the Viet Cong, including this swinging floor, with a spiked man trap awaiting in the bottom, that would swing completely shut again when it had taken it's victim.

We also saw the tunnels carved out by the Viet Cong and some of the trap doors like the one below where the VC could hide in an instant below ground.

But enough has been written about the historical war in Vietnam and no doubt more will be written from many view points.
Today's battles seem to be those of wits on the roads (and pavements) as the traffic in HCM in particular has to be witnessed to be believed with vehicles, but particularly mopeds coming at you from all directions, but thankfully we managed to survive.

Even the guy below survived! He's replacing some cabling going across a busy line of traffic and is holding onto the cables whilst the bloke at the bottom of the ladder calmly moves it across the seething lanes of traffic.

After Vietnam, we have returned to Malaysia and preparing for our flight home. We hope you've enjoyed some of our missives and we may have made you chuckle, or just smile on the odd occasion.
Whist this wont be our final posting to the blog, they will be less regular than previous, so keep checking from time to time.
There's a trip to Ireland for us we'll cover on the blog in June where we'll be completing a 48km sponsored walkathon to support a local Community Radio Station, so we'll be asking you all for your kind donations. All contributions big or small are welcome.
David is also walking from Carlisle on the East Coast to the West Coast in July, but no specific sponsorship for that, but probably a blog entry or two along the way.
Hope you've enjoyed it nearly a small bit as much as we have living it and we look forward to seeing you personally soon (get you wallets and purses at the ready, ha, ha)

Ne Trang (and a picture)

Our journey to Ne Trang was once again by the night sleeper bus. When it arrived Helen was elbows out and onto the bus straight away to try and get two bed seats next to each other whilst David dealt with getting the cases securely in the luggage hold. We hadn't been on-board too long before David noticed a bug crawling along the floor and then disappearing under one of the beds, then another, then another. After the first pee stop and we got back on board, Helen also noticed the bug situation - in fact the bus looked pretty much infested with them and when people were getting back on board after the 2nd pee stop you could hear the sound of lots of swiping and thwacking of bugs going on in several parts of the bus. We wrapped blankets around our exposed feet and legs, closed our eyes and tried to sleep the best we could. You can imagine it wasn't easy - particularly as the coach driver was bonkers with erratic overtaking, plenty of use of the horn and severe braking. At least it momentarily took your mind off the bugs and every time we went over pot holes and bridge expansion joints there was always the hope that a few of the critters were being shaken off the bus.
Eventually we got some sleep, only to be woken by the sound of water. There was a toilet half way down the bus that constantly said it was occupied and could only be shut with a lock mechanism on the outside of the door - this had already confused a couple of passengers, but was no excuse for the bloke who was standing in the bus peeing up the outside of the loo door and the exit door midway along the coach.
When we arrived therefore, we alighted via the front door of the coach. We were then pleased when we finally shook off all the hotel touts (although one was persistent to within 100 metres of the hotel we had booked). At the hotel we were told that our room was ready even though it was only 0715 hrs. However, when we got to the room, the manager opened the door to find somebody was already inside it. We were then offered another room and were finally able to wash the thought of those bugs out of our system.
Ne Trang itself is a beach destination, so we spent a couple of days relaxing down at the sea front looking over to the island pictured above, connected to the mainland by one of the longest looking cable cars we've seen.
On one evening we spent a night down at the Sailing Club on what appeared to be chillout night by the music they were playing, and a bonfire was lit on the beach to add to the ambiance. Unfortunately, Helen was ill on our second night, so David went out on his own the following evenings and was concerned he looked like a bit of a saddo in the restaurant and bar he visited. He was accosted by one of the waitresses in the restaurant and thoroughly cross examined as to whether he was there on his own, how long he'd been in Vietnam, whether he was married and why he didn't have any children. In the bar, he ended up sitting at a table next to an old guy who clearly had an identity crisis and thought he was an American Indian. David then cursed himself that he was off duty from taking pictures for a few days so that he couldn't share this image with you all.

Hoi An (in pictures)

Hoi An

The weather was on-side when we reached Hoi An. Well, that is to say it wasn't raining when we first arrived and within a few days we actually saw a chink of blue in the sky. This was good, as apart from the stunning architecture in and around the port, we were able to hire push bikes and cycle to the beach some 3 miles or so away a couple of times.
We also hired another moped and went a bit further into the countryside.

In fact we went to My Son, a site of temples in the same style as those in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, although on a far, far, far reduced scale and, it has to be said, a tad disappointing. In fact, they were in a pretty ruinous state due to destruction from twentieth century conflicts.

We did seem some rather interesting sculptures though.

Helen also found this rather stupid looking tool!

Whilst in Hoi An we also took a cookery class, but it will probably take a few attempts when we finally have a home of our own again before we get anywhere near making decent enough veggie spring rolls, pumpkin mash and the most deliciously moist roasted aubergine or eggplant as some of our Antipodean friends and relatives prefer to name them.

Afterwards, it was all washed down with some lovely cheap fresh beer, and as you can see there was more than enough to go round for one evening!

Talking of cheap beer, the food wasn't that expensive either.

Helen also managed to take advantage of the low cost boot making and found some footwear that could be tailor made.

In the evening, the buildings and bridges were lit up to make them even more picturesque, but there were some strange creatures lurking in the water.

On our last night there was also a strange little cheeky creature who entertained us in the street until it was his bedtime. He was quite happy doing funny little walks, pulling faces and cheekily stealing David's seat when he went for a waz.

Hue (in pictures)

Hue

Whilst we were in Hanoi, we decided to try out the overnight sleeper bus to take us down to Ho Chi Minh City via several stops. We'd seen some of these parked empty when we were up in SaPa - Helen had a special name for them.

Initially the bus didn't turn up on time, although a guide did and she hailed down a couple of taxi's that we all had to squeeze into and then transfer our luggage between the two vehicles - it was all chaotic. The cabs then took us about half a mile to where the sleeper bus was waiting. Our luggage was then loaded onto the bus and as we got on, it seemed to be pretty full already. We were then told this wasn't our bus but we were to stay on it to be ferried to the next transfer stop. More people got on along the way, so we were standing, packed in the two aisles between the beds. This lasted for about half an hour until those of us without bunks were herded off the bus, our suitcases ceremoniously taken out of the luggage hold and we were left standing on the side of the road in the dark. We were waiting for some time, chatting and nervously laughing with Blighty spirit with our fellow passengers until another coach finally arrived. Then, what we'd not already noticed was a significant number of locals, who had been standing in the shadows of some local buildings were all of a sudden elbows out and pushing and shoving to get on the sleeper. We did manage to finally get on, and soon were able to laugh about it. The journey itself wasn't as bad as we'd prepared ourselves for with a couple of loo breaks, but even though we were able to lie down, the poor suspension on poor road surfaces made for a fitful nights sleep.

Sadly, when we arrived it was damp and cold, but our room was ready which meant we could shower and get out and about straight away.

As the weather was poor we decided to book on a trip but unfortunately part of it was one of those tourist shopping opportunities, although we did get to see some conical hat making.

We also got to see josticks being made all in the same shop!

The trip really centred around visiting tombs though and there were plenty of those - Tu Duc, Minh Mang, Khai Din, and Thien Mu Pagoda.



At the end of the trip we caught a dragon boat back down the Perfume River before trudging home in the damp.


As ever, the rain can make such a difference to a visit, but Hue is famous for The Citadel and it's an impressive place regardless of the weather.

Sadly, with all the wet, damp and cold together with no heater in the room (but lashings of blankets), Helen caught a cold, so we decided to move further South in the hope of better weather.

Hanoi (in pictures)