Vietnam Part 2: rocking the pointy hat

We had three nights in Hoi An at a hotel we chose because they brought the free breakfast up to the room where we could enjoy it on our balcony. It rained on and off the entire time we were there, including our motorbike taxi ride from the bus station to the hotel, but it provided a much needed break from the heat we have been getting everywhere else. It really doesn't feel like December since we are in shorts and T-shirts and still sweating constantly. Despite the rain, we did manage to make it to the beach.

beach in Hoi An - killer photo by Dave

breakfast on the balcony - photo by Dave

The streets of Hoi An were bustling with tailors lining the roads trying to lure you into their shops where you could have clothes, shoes, handbags, belts, ties, etc made specifically for you. The difficult part was choosing a tailor since every store looked exactly the same. We finally picked two at random who ended up being fantastic and offered us fair prices. We were really pleased with how everything turned out and were amazed at how fast they were able to make our garments and shoes.

at the tailor - photo by Dave

streets of Hoi An

The bus ride to Ho Chi Mihn City would have taken 18 hours and cost about $20. The flight would take 1.5 hours and would cost $40, so it was a really easy decision for us, especially since we are so burnt out from long bus rides. We flew. It was great. We spent one night in HCMC which reminded us of the massive city feel of Bangkok. We took the local bus to the backpackers area of town where the rooms are cheap and everyone is in your face trying to sell you something. We organized a 3-day trip down into the Mekong Delta, which included boat rides, bus transport, and 2-nights hotel accommodation all for a whopping $29.

Ho Chi Mihn City

We left the next morning at 8am on a bus with over 30 tourists and began our uber and over touristy trip (we knew what we were getting into though and read that this was the cheapest and easiest way to get around the Delta). It was a massive change of pace from the type of traveling we had been doing our entire trip. However, it wasn't anything like we expected as we ended up in smaller cities for the two nights when we thought we would be out in more rural areas. Some of the touristy stops included a coconut candy making operation, a honey bee "farm", a crocodile farm, a rice paper and noodle factory and fish "farm". We think the primary existence of all of these places was for tourist viewing as we were encouraged to purchase items at most of the stops at highly inflated rates.

rice paper factory

Tourists being paddled through the canals in Mekong Delta - photo by Dave

Our favorite part was the floating markets where farmers along the Mekong travel through the extensive canal system to exchange their produce. The larger boats displayed which items they had on board by hoisting one of them up on a flagpole. The smaller boats bring items from the land to trade with the bigger boats who don't have the opportunity to go on shore. This snapshot of such a different life was what was so incredibly intriguing.

smaller boats selling items to larger boat owners

floating market - photo by Dave

Pineapple on the pole shows what they sell on the boat

The markets dominate the trade amongst the locals in every town we have been to. The crowded streets don't deter people on bicycles or motorbikes from pushing their way through the narrow lanes in between stalls. Large pieces of very recognizable meat hang from hooks and the colorful produce stacks tall. There is a great energy in the markets which I absolutely love. In the Mekong land market we went to, there were all sorts of unusual things for sale including duck and pigs heads, chicken feet, live frogs, chick hearts, and live fish and eels, to name a few. No part of the animal seems to go to waste as the Vietnamese people eat every part of every animal, all of which are for sale.

hanging meat and dried seafood

mmm.. chicken feet

vendors plucking chickens and selling fish and eels

From Chau Doc, our final overnight on the tour, we took the fast boat across the Cambodian border into Phnom Phen. It was so much fun not to be on a bus and see the more rural countryside from the water. Crossing the border, although a little sketchy, went smoothly. Both Dave and I paid for e-visas which we were told was not accepted at this border crossing. This was frustrating as we felt we were being scammed and ended up paying the cost of the visa again.

on the boat to Cambodia

boating from Vietnam into Cambodia

We've been blown away by Cambodia so far. Extravagant temples line the water and appear around corners when you least expect them. The rice fields expand into the horizon in between small villages where the cows and chickens graze amongst the houses and the children run freely. After arriving into Phnom Phen we immediately caught the 6 hour bus into Siem Reap where we will be spending the next four days exploring the temples and the surrounding areas.

Cambodia

Vietnam Part 1: HONK! I'm here.

Dave and Gero get ambushed by some local Vietnamese children!

Well we arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam on the 1st, much earlier then we expected after cutting our time short in Thailand. We flew into Hanoi and immediately picked up the bus into Haiphong, about a 2 hour bus ride away.  Of course, after our bus driver from the airport dropped us off a 5 minute taxi ride away from the bus station where we needed to pick up the bus into Haiphong. The amount of scooters and lack of lanes makes driving here...or being a passenger, absolutely terrifying.  Drivers here also make sure that they let anyone they're passing know by honking their horn. Needless to say this makes for incredibly noisy streets.





After staying the night in Haiphong at a very upscale hotel for a whopping $25, which here is very steep, we found our way to the ferry to Cat Ba. We had read was less touristy and still just as beautiful as Halong Bay. We met two German travelers on the boat who we later met up with in Cat Ba where we had a very local meal of Pho and drank 20 cent beers. We were the only tourists in the whole place and it was a really good time.

Pho at local restaraunt

ferry into Cat Ba

Coming into Cat Ba, we were expecting a very small, remote, beach town, however, we were met with towering hotels lining the bay, which itself was completely filled with rundown boats... Oh... and no beach. We soon found a whole new appreciation for the area when we rented scooters the next day (for $3 for the day... Did I mention how ridiculously cheap everything is here?) and we bombed around the island. Once we got away from the downtown itself, things were more as we had hoped and expected. We saw locals farming in the fields, fishermen off the deserted beaches, and gorgeous overlooks of the ocean as we motored up the winding roads. It was truly a blast.

Cat Ba - coming into town on the ferry

The next day we hopped onto our private yacht (it was only private because no one else signed up... But shhhhh... Details, details!) and headed out into the Ma Hong Bay. It was stunning. The limestone cliffs jut out of the water and you can tell where the water has pounded away at the base of the cliffs from the deep undercuts. Amongst some of the cliffs, in more protected inlets were mass communities of fish farms surrounding the fisherman's floating dwelling. The boat took us out for a daylong cruise and stopped in two different places for us to kayak. We explored a few caves which led to completely isolated, and breathtaking  lagoons. We spent the night on the boat and were shown by the crew their fishing techniques. They caught a number of small squid which they cooked two of them up for us to eat. I got majorly inked when biting into mine, which was at the quite the surprise!

looking intense - photo by Dave

Dave fishing for squid

meditating on the beanbag fortress on our private yacht

Around 3:30am, I was awoken by loud gnawing and chewing noises that went on for a good 10 minutes. It sounded as though a dog was directly next to the bed. It didn't take too long before I remembered that a. The door was locked and b. There was no dog on the boat. The strange thing also was as soon as I flashed my clock light across the room, the noises stopped immediately and did not continue for the remainder of the night. After surveying literally the entire room, nothing out of the ordinary was to be found. Now, I'm not a believer in ghosts, but there truly is no other explanation.

the room in question

sunrise the next morning - photo by Dave

The following day we left Cat Ba and after taking 5 different buses, including a overnight bus and a ferry, somehow, we have made it to Hoi An. We are spending the next few days here relaxing on the beach and having some clothes made for us by two of the thousands of tailors. 

Dave on a floating fishing farm

Thailand: 7 lanes on a 3-laned highway

I suppose in my mind, I pictured Thailand as the mountains and muddied rivers with elephants frolicking about, but we found it as a much more urban country, with large sprawling cities, insane drivers through jammed streets, and indivduals selling just about anything and everything you can imagine. We visited the Grand Palace which is a huge contrast from the rest of the city with it's incredibly elaborate temples and intricate details throughout.

Bangkok

Grand Palace in Bangkok

enormous statue in Grand Palace

photo by Dave

 We were kindly hosted in Bangkok by my cousins, Charlie and Shannon and their family. We stayed with them for the first two nights before heading out on an overnight bus to Chiang Rai, where we got our shopping fix in at the local night bazaar. Chiang Rai had a very similar feel to Bangkok, but on a smaller scale. So, in hopes of finding this idealistic and rustic image of Thailand, we decided to take a boat the next day up the river to Thaton. Barely making the boat due to my love of sleeping and a faulty snooze button, we spent the next five hours speeding up rapids in a glorified Ventian gondola. It was exhilarating. We made a stop at an elephant camp where some took rides, and we fed a few gorgeous elephants. This mini trip was by far a highlight. We were surprised that Thaton was not in the Lonely Planet guide except for a small excerpt in the Chiang Rai section about the boat ride, because it was a great little town. We hiked up to the enormous Buddha statue overlooking the town and got a fantastic view of the countryside.

boat trip from Chaing Rai to Thaton

boat we took to Thaton





photo by Dave

 We decided to continue the in the next day to Pai, which on the map looked very close. So, language barriers and all, we got on the correct bus, got off at the correct transfer spot, found the right "bus stop", and proceeded to wait five hours for a bus that was too full when it finally arrived. So, after some debate, we decided to get on the next bus to Chiang Mai, and then catch the overnight into Bangkok... A full day of bus travel. To add to the excitement, our bus also broke down at 3am and we were pretty impressed when it only took an hour to get a replacement.

Buddah in Thaton

waiting for another bus

We spent the day today in Bangkok and went down to Kaoh San Road where all the backpackers congregate and stay. Because of this, there are also a number of vendors selling their goods, but not without a good barter first. Dave got refit for his new suit! We are off to Hanoi, Vietnam tomorrow.

at the tailor in Bangkok

I have to mention the food here... It is incredible, both in taste, and in the fact that you can have a bowl of chicken Pad Thai or the most delicious noodle soup for $1.33... If that. We have also gotten a number of massages, averaging $6.66 for an hour. My lifelong dream of having a personal masseuse is partially coming true here. Incredible.