We took the train from Hue to Danang and then a taxi for 30 km to the coast. The stretch of coast we passed on the rickety train is said to the be the most beautiful in Vietnam. Indeed it was gorgeous with the sea and the Marble and Monkey mountains surrounding us. It was a great trip south.
Arriving in Hoi An, we were discouraged to find that the hotel did not meet our standards. We have had a lot of success with hostelworld.com and the hostels have been like mini-hotels. Totally acceptable: quaint and comfortable. While our "ocean view family suite" was clean, it had the feeling and appearance of a war time prison camp. (booked through agoda.com) Discouraged, we all felt like cutting our losses and moving on the next day to Quang Nai. And what a mistake that would have been because Hoi An is so beautiful and we would have missed it!
After one night in the camp, we moved to the very beautiful Victoria Hoi An Hotel on a nice beach and joined our new friends whom we met on the Halong Bay cruise, Heather and Sanjay, the "newlyweds"! They told us they were staying at the Victoria which was a stone's throw from our hovel. We received a welcome package which included free massages/mini bar/cocktails and transfer from our old place, Cua Dai Hotel. They threw in free laundry service...perfect timing!
Gramma enjoyed a good rest in the morning of our arrival at Victoria while Grampa, the boys and I headed out across the road to a river where we took a boat to do some fishing with the locals and visited an eco home where the husband and wife make all their furniture etc. in bamboo. There were supposed to be thunderstorms later on but that did not come to pass so it meant that we could explore the very beautiful, old center of Hoi An (which fortunately was not destroyed by the war). We stopped at a tailor/seamstress to pick up Heather's jacket and I could not resist having something made for myself for Christmas and then the 6 of us headed to Cargo, a wonderful, little restaurant overlooking the river, where Sanjay had reserved the best table in the place. With all the lanterns shining around this very pretty, UNESCO town, I was so grateful that we did not throw in the towel when the going got tough but instead, made a new plan!
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Pictures of Hue: once an Imperial City
We spent the day on motorbikes and on the Perfume 
River, exploring the sites of Hue in the sunshine. It was quite an adventure!
Monday, 13 December 2010
Hue and the Perfume River
Grampa did a great job yesterday organizing a Perfume River adventure! We were picked up at our hotel, Waterland, near the river in Hue and taken to a really neat boat for a trip to some pagodas, temples and the citadel. A Vietnamese couple with a small boy and a baby girl were our driver and cook for the day. When we got off the boat, we were taken on the back of motorbikes to several temples. I was pretty proud of everyone for taking another motorbike trip because it can be pretty scary at times. Some huge trucks were coming towards us on some sandy, narrow roads and our expert drivers didn't even bat an eyelash. Personally I think I am pretty much finished with Vietnamese motorbike adventures!!
We treated ourselves to a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant called Little Italy near our hotel in Hue after visiting an incredible market inside a building on the other side of the river. Everything was for sale. We were looking for a few tshirts in particular but it was so overwhelming that we ran out of that place as fast as we could to find somewhere calmer, cooler and less chaotic. I think living in Asia for me is a constant challenge (struggle?) to find an oasis! As I type this, some young women are sitting near me, listening to their music on their phones and talking at the top of their voices. I gotta skidaddle.
Tomorrow we will check into the Victoria Hotel down the road where some friends we met in Halong Bay are staying...we went for dinner tonight and realized we had to move over. Most nights we have been very happy with our hostelworld.com bookings but this time, the surroundings of the hotel are so run down and derelict, dangerous with construction and dead animals, that we have to move! Sayonara Cua Dai Beach Hotel. Xin Ciao to the Victoria! (thanks for your support, Papa, as usual! And hope your ankle gets better soon!)
We treated ourselves to a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant called Little Italy near our hotel in Hue after visiting an incredible market inside a building on the other side of the river. Everything was for sale. We were looking for a few tshirts in particular but it was so overwhelming that we ran out of that place as fast as we could to find somewhere calmer, cooler and less chaotic. I think living in Asia for me is a constant challenge (struggle?) to find an oasis! As I type this, some young women are sitting near me, listening to their music on their phones and talking at the top of their voices. I gotta skidaddle.
Tomorrow we will check into the Victoria Hotel down the road where some friends we met in Halong Bay are staying...we went for dinner tonight and realized we had to move over. Most nights we have been very happy with our hostelworld.com bookings but this time, the surroundings of the hotel are so run down and derelict, dangerous with construction and dead animals, that we have to move! Sayonara Cua Dai Beach Hotel. Xin Ciao to the Victoria! (thanks for your support, Papa, as usual! And hope your ankle gets better soon!)
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Photos of Vinh Moc
Our guide, 55-year old Quang, spreads the message of anti-war to us on our day trip of the Vinh Moc tunnels and the DMZ.
Children's laughter and the sound of waves are now heard on this beautiful, peaceful beach near the tunnels.
Vinh Moc Tunnels
Imagine living in tunnels 23 metres below sea level for up to 5 years and only leaving at night to go to the bathroom? Such was the fate of many Vietnamese throughout this country during the war. We visited one such rabbit warren where we found 2 kilometres of tunnels where many lived and worked. 17 babies were born under ground too with only candles to brighten up their lives, so we thought. Later we saw photos of some of the people in a museum: young men and women singing and playing musical instruments, small children studying their books, doctors and nurses operating, elderly people making crafts etc. How the earth must have shaken when the bombs were dropped overhead. Imagine how scarey it must have been and yet the triumph of the spirit was clearly seen in the photos.
As in Belgium when we visited the trenches, the children were enthralled by these tunnels. Trying to give as little, graphic information as possible, Frunty and Pit understood, I think, that the people lived underground to keep safe. Pit was a little reticent about going underground but after we left one tunnel and came up for fresh air, he wanted to go back under again. I liked it down there too...dark, cool and so quiet. It was great for 20 minutes and with the knowledge that we could ascend any time we wanted. But to stay under there day after day, night after night for months and then years...it is hardly imaginable.
We were the only visitors in the tunnels although it is clearly set up to welcome tourists. I think many stick to a prescribed, tourist trail here in Vietnam. We were happy to have gotten off the beaten track and visited a quiet place away from the crowds. In Asia, I feel that this is one of my biggest goals...to find peace and quiet. Do I actually have to go underground though to find it?!!
As in Belgium when we visited the trenches, the children were enthralled by these tunnels. Trying to give as little, graphic information as possible, Frunty and Pit understood, I think, that the people lived underground to keep safe. Pit was a little reticent about going underground but after we left one tunnel and came up for fresh air, he wanted to go back under again. I liked it down there too...dark, cool and so quiet. It was great for 20 minutes and with the knowledge that we could ascend any time we wanted. But to stay under there day after day, night after night for months and then years...it is hardly imaginable.
We were the only visitors in the tunnels although it is clearly set up to welcome tourists. I think many stick to a prescribed, tourist trail here in Vietnam. We were happy to have gotten off the beaten track and visited a quiet place away from the crowds. In Asia, I feel that this is one of my biggest goals...to find peace and quiet. Do I actually have to go underground though to find it?!!
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Train to Hanoi to Dong Ha (north of Hue)
Photos from Halong Bay!
Fun on the different decks:
wrap and roll! How to make fried, rice
wrap and roll! How to make fried, rice
paper spring rolls! Listening to Grampa's fun stories, squid fishing at night...well done, Frunty, for catching the biggest squid the crew has ever seen...(photo not included because of all the ink excreted by the squid made it hidden in bucket!) Playing pirates was exciting too!
