April 6 – 10, 2013 - Hanoi and Halong Bay

Before leaving for this trip many of our friends who had been to Vietnam encouraged us to take the 2-night cruise of Halong Bay. We went online to check it out.  There were so many beautiful junks, and so many varying packages to sort through that it was difficult to even get through them all to choose a junk. When we finally found the one we preferred and tried to book the cruise we quickly became overwhelmed. Frank managed to locate a travel service that booked the trip for us. It turns out everything is owned by the government and using an agent was seamless. Our agent's name was Hang Moon. What a great name. She arranged our hotel in Hanoi at the front and back end of our cruise, our airport transfer, and the accommodation on the 2-night cruise for just over $700 USD (for the both of us). We had chosen a suite onboard because the rooms on the ship are tiny.

Arriving in Hanoi was exciting. There is a buzz to this city that fascinated us. It reminded me of the feeling I got the first time I went to NYC. As in Saigon, after we got checked into the hotel (very nice room, by the way), we went for a stroll. We had many opportunities to practice our "Saigon shuffle" here as the traffic was much more congested, and again consisted of 90% mopeds and motorbikes. Immediately we regretted not booking more time here. What were we thinking? It is a vivacious and modern city but hugely old-world at the same time, which we realized, as from one street to another we seemed to morph into an altogether different era. It is indescribable for me. We only had the evening to enjoy so we set about stopping at various cafes along the lake for quick refreshment and then moving on until we had visited several different venues before settling on dinner at a popular local restaurant called The Green Tangerine. The food in Vietnam is just so darn good, fresh and inexpensive; all we want to do here is eat! We passed many, many shops selling everything from beautiful glassworks to large quantities of textiles and goods, a theme that we had begun to see repeated throughout Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, so we figure a lot of this stuff is probably made in China. The North Face is everywhere. Seemingly made in Vietnam, you can find everything North Face. We were warned, however, that much of it is Authentic Knockoff. There is an absolutely thriving tourist industry here. Tiring of the onslaught of humanity and sales people vying for our money, we headed off to our room for a good night's sleep before our early 4:00 AM departure for Halong Bay.

The hotel stored our bags for us so that we could take a combined small rolling carry-on and our backpacks on the trip. We were loaded into a minivan/bus that seemed rather comfortable at first.  Little did we realize the thinly cushioned seats would soon feel like torture boxes as we bounced away on the long and pot-holed road to the bay. At about the 2-hour halfway point our minibus made the obligatory stop at the massive souvenir shop that sold everything from hand carved items to glassworks to hand painted and silk sewn pictures. We considered loading up for a future garage sale but remembered we lived on a boat and didn't have a garage. We grabbed a coffee and waited at the café for the rest of the group. They dropped us off at the front door and then picked us up at the back of the store 30 minutes later. Back into the torture chamber, we bounced down the road to the tour company's office at the waterfront to await more passengers' arrivals. The first thing that struck me was that there were no beautiful wooden junks. There was a harbor full of large whitewashed monstrosities anchored all about the bay that claimed to be our lovely cruise boats. We understood that the communist government had ordered it so.  The reason is unclear even to those who claim to know. Apparently you just don't ask.

We finally boarded the tenders to take us out to our junk. The inside was beautifully appointed and our little suite had a balcony off the back of the ship. Our neighbors in the other suite were a Russian couple that claimed to speak no English and yet seemed to understand most everything. After stowing our gear, the ship took off through the stunningly picturesque Halong Bay. Disappointingly, the skies were overcast and we were shrouded in mist and low-hanging fog, so the gorgeous view was obscured. Nonetheless, the mist gave off a sense of mysticism and intrigue.

We were served a delicious lunch while the boat was heading to our designated cruising area. The vistas were so beautiful that we didn't want to be inside but the misty rain was chilly, even on the wraparound verandah.

Preceding dinner there was a happy hour and welcome drink on the top deck and then we attended a cooking class where we learned to make vegetarian and meat spring rolls. Everyone had a great time playing with the food, especially the children on board. Most of the spring rolls turned out nicely but some of them looked like Rorschach disasters. Of course I had to try to make mine perfect and was excited about getting to eat it because I put all of my favorite ingredients into it. But after we finished constructing them, the chef whisked them away to cook in the galley. We didn't get to see them again until they were served in the buffet at dinner.  Of course the people who made the crummiest ones got in line first and dove for the best looking ones. Ha! The joke was on us. The dinner was fantastic. The centerpiece of the table was an edible delight!

Following dinner, we were invited to fish for squid off the back of the boat but Frank and I chose to relax in the salon for movie time.  Early the next morning, we were taken to a floating village and transferred into local boats in groups of four that were piloted by local floating villagers. Each home displayed their goods for sale. Everywhere you go in Viet Nam, someone has something to sell. We chose to just relax and enjoy the tour. It's fascinating that people can live like this. Afterward, the rest of the group was put back on the big junk while Frank and I along with the Russian couple were transferred to a beautiful smaller junk for the day. Apparently we were the only couples staying for two nights, and had a special itinerary with a separate guide.

By now the misting had turned into a light, chilly rain.  Our first stop was an absolutely beautiful beach area with hiking trails leading up to a high peak. Our guide led us up the trail. Did I mention that we had no idea what our itinerary was for the day, and that we were not wearing appropriate shoes and that Frank was in flip-flops?  We sucked it up and followed our guide up the muddy slippery path. At first it appeared that we would just stop at what we thought was the peak but that was deceiving from the ground. It actually seemed to go on forever and at times was a straight up climb using our hands and feet. I was fine going up but was getting worried about the return trip down. At the summit, we should have seen a breathtaking panoramic view of the bay and its myriad islands but were socked in by fog and mist. It was still lovely but the only breathtaking part for me was going back down the steep hill. I performed several not so ladylike butt-slides on the way. Some involuntary! Returning to the little junk we were wet and cold but met with hot tea and some kind of sweet snacks. Then came lunch. Wow! An artful bounty followed the most beautiful sculpted food arrangements. One comprised two doves carved from cucumbers and carrots served on top of a pineapple half, perched between grilled prawns. The presentations were so beautiful that we tried to take some photos before the food disappeared. The Russian couple had brought along a bottle of vodka and insisted on pouring shots for us. Frank kindly helped me with mine. During the meal we learned through hand signals and body language that the man had been associated with the Russian equivalent of the USA's FBI. He demonstrated on our little guide some ways to take a man down with one hand by hitting pressure points on his opponent. We were blown away and realized there was more to this guy than he appeared to be.

After our feast we were taken to a beautiful cave and given kayaks. Our guide led us into what in Thailand would be called a "Hong". We entered through a low hanging rock formation into an absolutely beautiful fairyland where the water was so clear we could see abundant sea life beneath us. It simply felt magical.  Back on board the little junk we were returned to the big boat, The Paloma, where the new group of arrivals were just starting their happy hour and cooking lesson.  We enjoyed yet another unbelievable feast and hit the sack early. We'd had a full day.

Next morning the Paloma took us over to a massive underground cave, larger than the Mammoth Cave that I'd seen in America. We toured inside for over an hour and then were sent back to the junk to pack for our return to Hanoi. I so dreaded the backbreaking ride in that minibus.

April 3 – 6, 2013 Hue, Vietnam

Hue, situated along the Perfume River, is an amazing city with a rich cultural as well as violent history. It was the royal city, the capital city, and the spiritual center; ruled by emperors under the Nguyen Dynasty for many, many years resisting French involvement until 1945, when communist rule took over and the capital was moved to Hanoi.  (This information was given to us by a local so don't quote me on it but it seems to be accurate.) There are many lovely and historic sites here including ancient tombs, pagodas and, of course the Citadel.

Evening views from our hotel room

Daytime views














Our hotel was situated just a couple of blocks back from the river, giving us a view that was breathtaking.
We were overwhelmed from studying the travel guide, so on our first evening we decided to just take off walking. Although we normally avoid these kinds of places we stopped at a popular western-style restaurant/bar. We were tired from traveling and just wanted a brainless evening. We managed to grab a table on a corner of the upstairs balcony that provided the perfect vantage point for people watching. There was a lot to watch. Local hustlers were at work among the throng of tacky, rude and drunken tourists on the streets below us.

We spent most of the first full day at the Citadel that houses the Imperial City, which again encloses the Forbidden (or Purple) City where the Royal family had resided. The Citadel was contained within a 2.5-kilometer wall and moat. Sadly it was all but destroyed during the 1968 Tet Offensive. What remains, however, has been preserved in a way that we could still sense a flavor of the magnificence of the former palace, surrounding grounds and outbuildings. Some of the remaining statues and structures are stunning in the detail of craftsmanship.

The Imperial City

One of the Gates at the Citadel

dragon at top of gate archway

the moat

main entrance to Citadel

Forbidden city

Royal Theater

By mid afternoon we were roasting in the sweltering heat, and so sought the cool comfort of our hotel for an air-conditioned break and since it was such a highly rated hotel, decided to just grab a late lunch there. Big mistake. The food was extremely average to poor and the prices were out of site but at least we were out of the heat! We decided to have a dip in the pool until the heat of the day passed, only to find that the pool was closed for repairs. In the height of tourist season!?!

Back out on the street we meandered, following the most shaded areas using that as our master sightseeing plan. There are so many Vietnam War relics scattered about the town; American and Russian tanks, aircraft and heavy artillery were found in clusters of fenced off areas.
 Little museums housing Royal and religious artifacts were abundant.

MIG

All along the streets (as in Cambodia) we found hundreds and hundreds of military artifacts for sale: ammo, medals, hashish pipes, opium pots and personal effects that had been owned by locals and soldiers. Anything and everything was for sale. We ended our day with a massage before freshening up for dinner.

Friday we headed out for more sizzling hot touring of the famous pagodas and sightseeing. The heat and humidity really did detract from our ability to truly enjoy the sights.

 By 10:00 AM you could feel yourself boiling from the inside out and all we wanted to really do was to get into the pool that was of course closed. The most impressive and famous pagoda is the Thien Mu Pagoda that remains a working monastery today.

It houses the car in which a monk named Thic Quang Duc drove himself to Saigon in 1963, where he disembarked, sat down in the lotus position on a busy intersection then poured a can of gasoline over his head and burned himself to death in protest of the Nao Dinh Diem regime's policies against religious freedom, particularly persecution of Buddhists.

That night we treated ourselves to a 5-star dinner at the Les Jardins de La Carambole.

Early Saturday we boarded a train to the Danang airport to catch our flight to Hanoi.

March 31 – April 3, 2013 - Hoi An, Vietnam

As we were heading to the airport I realized that today is Easter. It is very strange spending Easter in a communist country. There's no sign of Christ (or the holiday) at all although I didn't expect any, yet we think there must be Christians here somewhere. We didn't see a bunny or an egg to even signify the commercial aspect. I can't imagine living in a world where Christianity has been obliterated. It was disorienting with no buildup or advertising to realize Easter had slipped in and out so inconspicuously.

Our flight experience was a pleasant surprise. Air Vietnam does a very nice job, from which United Airlines could use some tips! The service was courteous and very efficient, and although we had no seat choice and I was placed in a middle seat, I didn't mind at all because mine was extra large. In fact all of the middle seats were much wider in order to compensate for the two outside seats having the extra side room.  On arrival in Da Nang, we went through the ritual of finding a taxi to drive us to our hotel in Hoi An. We had a serious language barrier here, and in spite of giving him a copy of our booking, which included a map and the phone #, he drove us all over God's half acre before Frank spotted a sign off the main road that eventually led us to the hotel. It was well after dark and yet in spite of the late hour, the restaurant stayed open just for us.

In a nutshell; we loved Hoi An and wished we had planned to spend much more time here The highlights…

The Hoi An Chic hotel was the perfect luxury getaway set just outside of the town amidst the farmland and rice fields. We booked the grand chic suite, an absolutely fabulous accommodation with a massive luxury bathroom and very large balcony where we enjoyed lounging on the comfy sofa and hanging lounge chair. We were provided canvas shopping bags, hats, lovely slippers and robes, although Frank couldn't get his toes into the slippers, nor get his robe even halfway around him. We got a kick out of realizing that their mindset is not on large Americans. The little spa was lovely and so inexpensive that we used it every day. The hotel had a sister spa that would provide any service that couldn't be provided onsite. The restaurant's food was absolute gourmet and out of this world.

Herb wrapped prawns with "5-s's" dipping sauce

We had a difficult time not staying there for every meal but we did want to enjoy and experience Hoi An. I cannot say enough about this exquisite boutique resort and did in fact leave a glowing review on Trip Advisor. The hotel had a small fleet of US military jeeps that they used to shuttle guests into town on a daily schedule, otherwise we had the option of using the complimentary bicycles that were on hand.

controls beside me in the back seat

We chose both depending on our agenda for the day.

riding from town to hotel through farmland

The Morning Glory restaurant and cooking school owned by Ms. Vy were highly recommended to us by friends, and were at the top of our list.  We did have a sublime meal at the restaurant on our second night.  Every place you eat in Hoi An, however, is said to be just as sublime. We never had a less than splendid meal here.

Cooking school began very early in the morning with a trip to the local fresh market. We were taken through the market by Ms. Vy's own head shopper, who pointed out various fresh meats, seafoods, herbs, seasonings, fruits and vegetables and were given tastings by many of the vendors. Our guide pointed out to us which ingredients we would be using in School and how to prepare them. What makes Hoi An unique in the food arena are the products that are locally made and available only in Hoi An. For instance there is a delicious special noodle called the Hoi An noodle that is best when used fresh. 

so many wonderful fresh noodles!

one of the strange things we tasted

After the trip to the market, our class was taken to the school where we were shown how certain Vietnamese staple foods are made and again were given samples to taste. We learned the secret of the 5 S's that are the primary factors in Vietnamese cooking: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Spicy, Savory. We had a great time making banana blossom salad, Hoi An pancakes, wedding soup, spring rolls and more. Following our class we were led into the dining room where we got to eat our own creations for lunch. It was difficult not to snarf it all down as we prepared it!

Ms. Vy

our shared cooking station

After school, we roamed the beautiful village and took in the sights of the old town, the waterfront and the beautiful shops,

paper lanters

 coming to an interesting street where a lady beckoned us to her tiny shop, offering facial threading for $1.  I happily sat down to have her remove my middle-age, upper lip hair that I seem to have developed in recent years. She was brilliant and so quick! She then turned her attention on Frank, who was shuffling around in the background looking very uncomfortable, motioning for him to sit down. He tried backing away but I convinced him to get his eyebrows trimmed up.

She was thrilled, and while she had him in her clutches she next turned to his nose and ears. As he winced and teared-up he shot me a look that needed no words. I smiled back knowing that he would be pleased with the end result. When handed the mirror he actually sat up a bit straighter and smiled. She was so pleased that she had made him happy. Because she had done a little extra work on him, she charged him $2. We gave her $10, just to see her big smile spread even wider, as she bowed and thanked us over and over.

Hoi An is also known for tailor-made clothing and shoes. We didn't have shoes made but I did order some hiking pants with zip off legs that convert to shorts, and several pair of shorts. My mistake was in not knowing how to choose the shop. There are dozens upon dozens of storefronts offering tailoring. I chose mine by what I saw on display at the front of the shop. Little did I know the storefront only took measurements and then sent them out to someone else, somewhere else to be made. It never occurred to me to ask if they were actually made onsite, nor to refuse to pay for them up front before I received the finished product. This caused me no small amount of grief because all 4 garments were sent back and forth countless times, and I had to keep coming back for re-fitting appointments over the course of our 3 days there. We were both pretty upset that our precious time here was being taken up by this. They laughed when Frank told me to request a refund and to just cancel the order. At the end of the ordeal, I told the shop owner on our final evening that we were leaving Hoi An at 6 AM the next morning, and I would really appreciate having my garments before we left. She assured me they would be delivered to me at the hotel prior to our departure. We went to bed thinking we'd seen the last of that shop, our money and the clothes. On checkout at 6 AM the next morning I was presented a bag from the concierge, explaining it had just arrived from the shop. By the hair of my chinny chin chin! I didn't have time to try them on, so I put them in the suitcase with a prayer on my lips.

After hearing that the journey between Hoi An to Hue was very pleasant and scenic we had arranged a driver to take us instead of flying. It was by far the most expensive option but one that we treasured. This would bring our Vietnam experience thus far to trains, planes and automobiles.

The drive was all that we had been promised, passing through lush countryside, up into the mountains and over a pass that revealed terrific panoramas.

Passing fishing villages, we stopped for lunch at a rickety looking structure out over the water that proved to serve excellent fresh fish.

 Continuing our journey, we arrived at our hotel in Hue at dusk, and got checked in just in time to watch a beautiful sunset from the roof bar.

March 28 – 31, 2013 Nha Trang

 We took an early train out of Saigon to Nha Trang, an absolutely beautiful seaside resort with pristine white beaches.  Because quiet beaches are hard to come by in Phuket where Destiny is based at present, we planned to just kick back, relax and enjoy the peace and solitude away from the hustle and bustle of traffic and city noise.

We had booked a junior suite at the Sheraton Nha Trang, but then on arrival were led up to the club floor to check in. We smiled as we realized we had obviously been upgraded but didn't quite know to what extent until we were led to the penthouse suite with sweeping views of the stunning bay. We decided we might just stay in the room the whole time! The privileges that came with our suite completely spoiled us. I immediately booked some spa treatments for us both. We enjoyed evenings at the club where we met some interesting people and enjoyed free-flowing drinks and hors d'oeuvres, not to mention the night views of lights along the bay.

views from our room

taken thru the window but the colors are still quite pretty

There isn't much exciting to say about our visit here other than spoiling ourselves and enjoying the amazing hotel pool, spa, restaurants and the beach. When we headed out to the beach our first morning, we asked the attendant for a spot with a chair, towels and umbrella. He said to us; "The Russians all come out at around 6:00 a.m. and grab them all!" We then asked if we could get our name on a waiting list for the next available spot but his response was: "They don't leave! They stay until they are very red". That made us laugh. Well, we have no intention of coming out at 6 in the morning just to get a place on the beach, so we set our bags on the sand and went swimming. The water was blissful! After swimming, we walked the beach and then returned to the hotel pool instead. Our morning routine was breakfast, walk on the beach and then hit the town for a local fresh lunch before heading to the pool, followed by a visit to the gym and spa.

Although the hotel's restaurants were excellent, we ventured out one night in search of a pizza joint that was recommended in the Lonely Planet guide. Our search yielded no favorable result, although we did discover streets teeming with Russian discos, bars and restaurants. This resort town has become a holiday favorite for the Eastern European set leaving us among the few non Russian-speaking visitors.

We visited the market one day just to see what they may have of interest to find that it was much the same as most Asian markets but also offered some dried delicacies hanging in clear plastic bags that we'd not yet seen. I'm not sure what some of them were, but they appeared to be rats, small snakes or worms, bugs and sea creatures. A nice appetizer, perhaps?

On Sunday afternoon we headed to the airport to catch a flight to Da Nang.

March 25 - 27, 2013 – Saigon and Mekong Delta (Part 2)

 Mekong Delta

On Monday we hopped the tour bus headed for the Mekong Delta.

At the boat landing, we boarded a long wooden boat and were seated on folding bamboo chairs. 

As we headed down the river, our guide described life on the delta. For the most part, these folks are nearly completely self-sufficient. Most live either on the river or in stilt houses and do their trading by barge. Barges selling goods will hang a sample from the top of a tall pole to show what is available that day. 

This boat is selling yams

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Stilt Houses

 After cruising the river villages for a while we stopped at a rice processing plant (well, more of an exhibit area to show the process).  

puffing the rice

We observed them shucking the rice, making puffed rice (like rice crispies), making rice paper and candies and so on. The puffed rice is made by putting heavy black sand and the raw into a large wok and then tossed and stirred very hot fire. The sand helps to distribute the rice evenly while "popping it" out and over the edge of the wok onto a table, while the black sand settles to the bottom of the wok. It is a fascinating process. Everything about this factory was fascinating. We were given tasting samples throughout which of course encouraged us to purchase the products at the end of the tour.

making the rice paper

bamboo drying rack

Afterward we lunched at a quaint café where everything is locally sourced. There was even a beehive dripping with honey.

Next was a trip to the local market where we saw some VERY fresh items, including duck, hens, roosters and geese tied down to a pallet, squawking clucking happily away not knowing their fate would be the ax very soon. 

There was a tank full of live snakes that utterly gave me the creeps! It is quite unbelievable.

Our next stop was to a small tributary where the boat stopped and tied off to a pole. We were then gingerly dropped, two by two, down into little dugout canoes that were manned by a standing paddler. They were quite tippy!

Frank in the dugout

We had to very carefully maneuver ourselves to center. The paddlers took us on up the small tributary where the people live to so that we could see their homes and gardens.  I'm guessing these little dugouts are the local taxis.

We enjoyed this tour very much and were quite happy that we chose the one-day, rather than the multi-day visit in the delta. I don't think I could have stood the mosquitoes more than that one day!

Back to Saigon

Back in the city for our last day, we began with a stroll and continued to just wander throughout the city wherever we felt like meandering. We took a break at the local Baskin Robbins (which was our favorite stop), and then lunched at our favorite Pho café. We were already developing favorites and could have stayed just to eat here, especially after locating The Sandwich wagon that our friends Andy and Melissa (from s/v Spectacle) had rated as the best. Unfortunately it had taken us all these days to finally locate it, as she is not at her spot every day. It really is the best sandwich we have eaten to date, made on fresh baby baguettes with some sort of tiny meat patties and lots of fresh vegetables.  We lived the street experience and had a great time doing it, finally getting into the rhythm of life in this city.