Cambodia | Thailand | Malaysia | Singapore | China | Hong Kong | Mexico | Photo Gallery | Site Map
Places Visited: Hanoi, Perfume Pagoda, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Saigon, Mekong Delta, Chau Doc
SE Asia Highlights
SE Asian Countries Visited:
Philippines
Vietnam
Cambodia
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore
China
Hong Kong
The moment we set foot in the Old Quarter it all seemed so foreign. The language, the narrow winding streets that seemed to converge in one place, the disregard for garbage cans as people would simply throw the trash onto the street, the food stalls where you would sit on a little chair and eat, and let us not foget the traffic. One thing we will never forget about Vietnam is the traffic. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of motorbikes, bicycles and cyclos with vert little regard to the rules of the road, i.e. Dar's organized chaos. Our first attempt at crossing the street was frightening however by the end we were used to it. The trick was to just walk at a normal pace and the bikes will go around you. If they honk that means they are not stopping - and it's best to steer clear of cars, trucks and buses. What an experience!
With not a whole lot to see in Hanoi itself besides the Ho Chi Minh Museum, temples and pagodas, we ventured out to the Perfume Pagoda. We sat on a sampan (row boat) for an hour while this local woman paddled us and our guide through a flooded valley before we reached the base of the mountain. The trek was about one and a half hours long and 3.5 km uphill. Trekking uphill, we have never sweated so much in our entire lives! It was all worth it however because the cave which held the Perfume Pagoda was exquisite. The name is derived from the flowers grown in the mountain that give off the scent of "perfume".
We took a two day drip to Ha Long Bay and stayed overnight on a "junk" (boat). Ha Long Bay was a truly magnificent site with about 3000+ limestone rocks poking out of the waters. We were amazed to learn that only 1200 of the islands actually have names. During our stay we went kayaking through a tunnel that lead to a small lagoon however we didn't go into the water as it was quite murky. Our night on the junk was spent conversing with our local guide and other travellers. The cabin, although small and humid inside, made for a quiet night's sleep.
On an overnight soft sleeper berth we shared with an elderly Vietnamese couple, the train made its slow pace through the northern Vietnam countryside to the quaint town of Hue. We grew fond of Hue as it was a less busy and quieter version of Hanoi. We spent a few days in Hue exploring the city namely the Imperial City and eating at places such as Lac Thien which is run by a deaf-mute family. Hue was indeed a charming city. Dar even shaved his head for 20,000 dong (CAD 1.50).
Unbelievable but true, the moment we arrived via bus in Hoi An, about 140 km south of Hue, there were tailor cloth shops on practically every corner. Each merchant raving they have the best deal and will produce ANY tailor made clothes in 24 hours. The easiest part was flipping through the fashion magazines searching for that designer outfit for a fraction of the price back home. The difficult part was rummaging through the many fabrics on display and finding the quality ones. In the end, we did it more for the experience and not necessarily the tailored-to-our-body garments. There wasn't much else to see or do in Hoi An. The streams of tourists were essentially there to have clothes made.
Hoi An
Having seen and fallen in love with the Broadway production of Miss Saigon, I was overjoyed to be heading to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. Although when we arrived it was another huge metropolitan city - much more advanced than the nation's capitol Hanoi. It was much more commercialized and double if not triple the amount of motorbikes (8 million people in Saigon and 3 million motorbikes). It was yet another feat trying to traverse the wider streets of Saigon. We even witnessed a local woman carrying a basket in one hand and a table in the other and walk diagonally through a 4-point intersection without breaking her stride or looking in either direction. It was quite comical!
The Vietnam-American War...
A side trip we took from Saigon was to the Cu Chi Tunnels where there are oveer 200 km of underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong Army from 1954 to 1975. It was such an amazing experience to have crawled through only 30 metres of a tunnel that has actually been widened for the passage of Western tourists. Nevertheless, it was still a dark, claustrophobic, sweaty, and dirty experience. So claustrophobic that there was only space enough to crawl on our hands and knees and in one direction (unless you crawled backwards, you could not turn around) and so dark that there was only a small light bulb every couple of metres. We felt energized and relieved when we exited the tunnel. To think that the VC Army used to stay in even smaller quarters for months or years at a time. Our trip to the the Cu Chi Tunnels also gave us the opportunity to try our hand in the shooting range. By no means are we pro-gun or supporters of the NRA, however it was an exhilarating first-time experience firing bullets from a real AK-47 used by the VC Army.
It all came full circle upon our visit to the War Remnants Museum back in Saigon. We saw much of the devastation the war caused in Vietnam - it was so appalling yet so educational at the same time. There were hundreds of photographs, literary accounts and artworks depicting the horrifying reality of war. But what made my heart break were the children's colourful drawings and paintings and their hopes of a world without war but one of peace on earth.
Making our way southwest through the Mekong Delta towards Cambodia, we saw floating markets and ethnic minority villages. We had one night stopover in the small town of Chau Doc, deep in the Mekong Delta which is crisscrossed by nine rivers.
After 12 days in Vietnam we were living the backpacker's life - finally. This is what we prepared for and this is what we wanted to experience. By the 12th day I had longed to feel clean again, take a shower where the shower wasn't part of the entire bathroom (i.e. no shower stall or curtain) and have a comfortable bed to sleep on. We also knew
We truly fell in love with Vietnam - the people, the country, the food! Although we were melancholy about leaving such a beautiful country we were eager to see what was next in our path.
Next stop...Cambodia!
back to top