Phan Thiet for a rest!

The last part of this holiday by the beach. It was another 5 hour journey to reach our destination located along the coast line a few kilometres outside Phan Thiet. Hotel and hotel mostly catering for the Russian and French. They all appear to be small places compared to other holiday resorts but this is a fairly new area and lots of building work is currently ongoing. It's not noisy and with the sun setting just after 5pm they knock off early - and they don't start early! We have 2 swimming pools, some bungalows and a few blocks of rooms only 2 storeys high. Colourful landscape and very friendly staff who are trying very hard with their English as they keep reminding us they do not get many English people staying here. It has already been noted as none of the tour books are in English and so the sites in the immediate area seem to be difficult for us to visit. As is getting postcards - we can buy the postcard, write it but then must give it to reception to post. All well and good if we had our address book with us!

We have done a lot of walking and visited the huge fishing port. Great atmosphere but oh the smell! We had it on our shoes and no matter how many times we tried to wash the soles the smell lingers. They have been banished to our balcony!

The 5 days here have been very relaxing and the weather has been kind to us - cloudy but warm. Today it was hot and sunny so after a morning by the pool we walked up the coast as far as a fishing village, had lunch then returned to a small cafe for drinks and another banana pancake with chocolate!

We have not decided where to have our farewell meal but at least we can have a lie in again as we do not leave for the airport until 11am. Another good holiday, apart from the early morningts, nearly over for 2009.

Back to Saigon

Our return journey by bus included another stop at the lovely garden restaurant for a late set lunch where we tried different foods again including a large inflated ball made out of rice. Some of liked it, some didn't finding it very sweet tasting. Back on the bus our journey was once again slow due to the heavy traffic and the low speed limit of buses in particular. It was late afternoon when we checked in to room 1001, a suite which impressed Sue and Audrey when they called to use our computer to check in for their flight home.

In the evening we went walk about with Ken and Liz and finally stopped at May's Cafe for our meal. None of us were very hungry and it wouldn't have hurt if we hadn't eaten anything!

Next morning it was another early start to visit Cu Chi and the tunnels built by the Viet Com in the war. Chao wanted to be early before all the tour buses arrived as the space is very confined. We hadn't known what to expect so we were somewhat surprised that most of the tour was through the forest. This was newly planted a year after the end of the war. The bombs had destroyed the soil and the only thing the local people could grow was peanut. This was unedible and the entire crop for the year had to be burnt. After that they began planting cashew, fruit and forest trees. We followed Chao around the paths stopping now and again as one of the security guards demonstrated booby traps and hidden hiding holes. When a volunteer was needed I was told my boobs would get in the way and so Wen, one of the Liverpool trio, was nominated. Those of us who didn't suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, claustrophobia, etc. were invited to go down some of the tunnels whilst the rest of us waited by another for the small group to emerge. They did but out of the hospital tent - someone took a wrong turning! We spent a while around each site whilst Chao gave us very interesting information whereas other tourists received no feed back from their tour guide other than the name of the site. There are 126 miles of tunneling but only a small section has been widened for the European tourist.

We had a free afternoon so Chao arranged for us to take the local bus, which amused the passengers, into the city centre. Some of us wanted to visit the war museum, some the Presidential Palace, whilst some wanted to do more shopping.

Keith and I chose the Palace on a day when the lift had broken down. We lost sight of the signs leading to the various floors and made our own way to the roof where a replica of the helicopter used by the President at the end of the war was on display. Trying to find our way down one staircase was blocked by the workmen carrying the lift engine down the narrow space.

The highlight for us was a visit to the basement where we walked along tunnels and various operational war rooms from the Vietnam War. We laughed at the mobile phone room when you look at today's mobile phones! It was now time to return to our hotel to get ready for 7pm when we were returning to the city for our farewell meal.

It was a very busy restaurant ande full but Chao had reserved 2 tables so we walked past the queues and up the stairs. Service was slow and once we had ordered our drinks we then ordered our food by which time we wanted more drinks. Kate had ordered a gin and tonic but it took 9 people, 5 staff and the 4 of us, for her to get the same again! It appeared they did not know what Gin was. Back at the hotel most of us piled into the small bar for yet more farewell drinks so it was well after midnight before we went to bed. We had to be up for 7 again!

Mekong Delta

Another early start with at least a 4 hour bus ride. We made a coffee stop at a delightful place with lovely gardens and brilliant sunshine. Tiger Lady had told us there would be long delays at the ferry to take us to our boat so she had arranged to have a small boat standing by that would ferry us directly to our boat moored in the river. Leaving the bus in the bus station we had to follow her over rough ground, along a narrow path by the riverside, standing to one side at times to allow the locals to ride by on their scooters. The Liverpool trio were on a different boat to us due to the lack of rooms as as we boarded our boat they continued to join their boat. One of our group recognised the boat as the one used in Rick Steins recent cookery programme on TV.

Another delightful boat with a much better layout that the one in Halong Bay. Again the staff were very attentive and made us feel like VIPs, and of course the food just as delicious and plentiful. Will we ever stop eating!

We began our journey with lunch al fresco but with so much taking place along the river I found it hard to concentrate on eating. So many different kinds of boats and houses along the riverbank the scenery was forever changing. As the afternoon wore on we transferred to small boats carried on the back of ours and went up a tributary to visit a house where many of the local fruit trees were growing. Ducks and chickens were everywhere, the ducks being a little frightened at the site of so many people. As dusk began to fall we sat at large tables to sample the fruits and eat poppadoms with a coconut flavour and speckled with dragon fruit seeds. They were gorgeous. Our boatman was patiently waiting nearby for us so I took him a small sample to keep him going until it was time for us to leave. Back on board it was time for drinks and bowls of potato crisps and half an hour later dinner! Very relaxed atmosphere and so many courses it was well after 10pm before we finished. We all sat around noticing that the sister ship nearby was in complete darkness apart from its mooring lights. Keith and I had wandered to the front of the ship returning down the centre passageway where we saw a movement on the floor. As we got nearer we thought it was a gecko, no a small frog, no it was a baby bat that couldn't fly so I called it 'Orville'. Gardener Kate came to its rescue and put it on one of the sun beds which was now covered in insects. As we stood round it kept looking at us - such a cute little face with big ears. We left it to its own devises and retired for the night. We were departing our mooring at 5.30am and our cabin is next to the chain locker!

The chief engineer must have overslept as he didn't raise the anchor until 6.20. I was in the shower as we sailed past a large floating market which was a disappointment. However not long after breakfast we reached another and the point of our departure. Another smaller boat came to take us off and steer us through the many boats selling fruit and vegetables. We wondered how the people knew where to go but bamboo poles with the sellers particular produce helped the locals find the right boats. Children were pleased to shout hello and wave frantically to us. We laughed at the karoake and dancing by bored sailors on another large boat at 8 in the morning!

Time now to head back to rejoin our bus and return to Saigon for 2 more nights.

HO CHI MINH

THURSDAY 19th

5am call for a 5.50am leave to Da Nang Airport for our 8am flight to Ho Chi Minh. Here we were met by another guide, Chao (known to everyone as Tiger Lady). As our rooms would not be available until after 2pm we began a tour of the city starting with another Temple dedicated to seafarers.

Next into the heart of the city along with thousands of scooters and the odd car. We stopped by Notre Dame

Cathedral, a rather ordinary looking church by English standards but a sight all tourists must see say the guide books! The most interesting part was the wedding shoots taking place. We were not allowed inside the Cathedral so moved across the road to visit a large building now used as the Post Office.

It was very hot in Saigon, the old name that the local people would rather have us use, and so we were back in the bus and off for lunch. A very nice place but service was slow for some and when it came to paying it was chaotic. We only received a bill for drinks and despite asking several times and finally having a word with Chao she just shrugged her shoulders and said we had to go as nearly everyone else was back on the bus. The presentation of food was very different. One of us ordered spring roll in pineapple which it was - a t light illuminated hollowed out pineapple with small spring rolls on skewers stuck into the pineapple. Avril, sat next to us, had beef in coconut. Yes, the coconut was the container and the beef in a sauce was inside it. It stood on a plate with a pink fire burning to keep it warm. Amazing. Complaints from Trish about when would she get her prawn dish? Shrieks as this giant of a beast arrived on a bed of lettuce the size of a small lobster!

Final stop was the market which was hot and in one part very smelly from the durian fruit being prepared into small portions and covered in cling film. Kate accompanied Keith and I as her husband Jack was no shopper! We bargained for a snake skin belt and a kilo of blackpeppercorns and after paying daft prices the stall holders walked off in a huff. We did not do so well for Kate and failed to reach an agreement for a set of coasters. The traffic was much worse than in Hanoi and so our journey back to the hotel was very slow but it gave us change to people watch.

Checking in we were allocated room 701 but had trouble getting to our floor as no-one had told us we had to insert our room card in the slot before pressing the floor button. No point unpacking as we were leaving in the morning so we had a walk around the immediate area before returning to the hotel for a fairly light dinner. Up in our room Keith discovered the razor socket didn't work so it took 2 electrians to fix it. Then the safe refused to open so it was another job for one of them.

Hoi An

It was late when we arrived at the Hoi An Trails hotel. Our room was in Block 4, 'Bamboo' on the third floor (room 410) which meant quite a walk from the main reception and dining area passing the bar and swimming pool. Once again we had a nice room even though we had to climb many stairs to reach it. No lifts at all. Outside the complex to our left was a small restaurant and although it was late we went to try their food. Excellent. Across the road were two ladies advertising 'laundry' which I will check out tomorrow.

Our guide for this trip is Long and once again he had us up early to travel about 55km south east to the World Cultural Site at My Song (prounounced Me Song which suits my Yorkshire accent!).We were due to watch a cultural dancing show and then look around the sites at this ancient temple. The show was cancelled for the next few days. It had been raining heavily most of the night and this morning, but now the sun was attempting to come out and the rain turning finer. We learnt that this area was heavily bombed during the Vietnamese War as the Americans suspected there was a large contingent of the enemy here. Some of the temple ruins were under scrutiny from French archaelogists and so we could not visit them, whilst others had to be supported by scaffolding to prevent them falling down. These buildings were built of red clay bricks many centuries ago and the plants growing on them did not help matters. I could not help but think a lot of the carved friezes resembled the statues at Abu Simbel in Egypt.

Back in the bus we passed through villages where the children were just leaving school. Because of the shortage of teachers the schools run two sessions a day. The village children must attend until they are 12 but can go on with further education if they are bright enough and their parents don't require them to work the fields. At 18 the boys must do 20 months in the army unless they have passed the entrance exam for the University. Checks are made and there is no escaping this period of their life. However, because there is such a large number of boys today some may fail their medical and the entrance examination as they require a certain standard of soldier in today's army.

We stopped for lunch on a 'floating restaurant'. It would go nowhere as it was made of concrete!

For convenience Long suggested we had the set lunch but with so much pork, which we do not eat, we chose from the a la carte menu and were served much quicker that the rest of our party. The place was very busy with lots of tour buses stopping off here and it was very expensive.

Back in Hoi An we had a sort of guided tour around the old town after visiting a handicraft factory first. In the old part we crossed 'Japanese Bridge' which in times past separated the Chinese section from the Japanese section. Wanting to do business the Japanese agreed to have a bridge built. This was one of the 850 buildings, temples, bridges etc recorded by UNESCO. With the crowded streets and everyone wanting to look at different things we soon lost sight of each other. One couple returned to the hotel before we had reached the market area. We lost Keith too but I told Long not to worry he would find us eventually. We paid a visit to a Chinese Temple dedicated to women, which Keith and I found unusual, before returning to our bus that would take us back to the hotel.

I went to check out the laundry prices at Miss Lan which Liz went to Miss Van. I was told the price of 1$ for 1 kilo. Good deal I thought. Miss Van was by price list but still very cheap. Where is this hot weather as it is still very cool and breezy!

No one wanted to take the long trip to Hue and the Perfume River north of Hoi An. No one wanted to do the cookery class at a restaurant about 2km away. We all wanted a lie in and do our own thing. Keith had checked the weather and said it was going to be 81F and sunny. Wrong more rain and still cold! We waited until late morning when the rain had stopped and walked into the old town again. The streets were still crowded but we found one or two less crowded. Some lovely old buildings and shops which we were not pestered to "come have look." We came across a building housing 'The Department for collecting Swallows Nests!' We crossed a river to a section of restaurants and newer buildings with older places fronting another river where tourist boats were touring up and down. With the wet weather the ground was very muddy in places so we had to tread carefully exploring the area. Here small fishing boats were tied to rickety jetties and dogs and chickens wandered around aimlessly. We did get some lovely views of the larger fishing boats and buildings of the old town as we returned to cross the large bridge with a marble surface that was not slippery despite the drizzle.

We needed an early night as we depart early for our 8am flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Once again we chose to eat in the small restaurant. It was very busy and after waiting 2 hours for our grilled fish Keith was loosing patience. They had brought one in a sweet and sour sauce which was for another table. When it did arrive it was not grilled and it was very tough and dry. By now it was late - so much for our early night.

THE WEEKEND

At last we have caught up with Ken and Liz who had a good time in Bangkok. We departed the hotel at 8.30am and travelled the next 2 hours through the city and out into the countryside before having a coffee stop at an ABC store. Outside were some lovely pieces of marble sculpture with shipping prices displayed above the bicycle shelter. 110$ to Hull. Having picked out a modern piece we were informed the total cost would be 1,000$. Thank you but no and walked inside the store to see the young people embroidering the pictures of local scenes. Some of the village people were disabled and worked an 8 hour day, 7 days a week. As we looked at the numerous crafts for sale the manager approached us and said he would do a good deal for us, 1,200$!

We continued our journey passing through the mountainous region where open cast mining takes place so the villages were all covered in coal dust. The road leading up to the mine was very thick in coal dust that the main road in the immediate area was being washed down. Hao told us the rich mine owners were now investing in Junks and that when we reached Halong Bay City port we would see hundreds of them.

We reached our destination just before lunchtime and with a group of 25 we needed 2 boats, one with 5 bedrooms the other with 8. We would eat on the 5 bedroomed, which meant a lot of coming and going between the boats when they tied up together for the night. The standard of accommodation was far more than we expected. It was a little cramped with our two large suitcases and no where to store them, and with dark stained wood it was rather hard to read our books at night. We also had en suite facilities, although the bathroom was a wet room and the water did not flow away easily. 2 pairs of flip flops had been provided and I found these came in very happy for pushing the water in the direction of the drainage hole! The food was excellent at least 4 star in quality and presentation especially as it was prepared in such a small kitchen, and the crew very attentive and friendly.

We transferred to small boats to be rowed around the area passing through holes in the rock and visiting a large cave. 6 of the group even went kayaking which we later wished we had done. The weather deteriorated with fine rain for the entire trip but it didn't dampen our spirits. Dai, one of the stewards kept asking Keith questions when he discovered he had been to sea. He too had got his seagoing certificate but did not want to leave his family for such long periods. We said he had a wonderful job sailing round the 3,000 islands of Halong Bay anyway.

We paid a visit to a fishing village where the houses were built on large blocks of polythene covered polystyrene. Hao had said we should give the woman a little money as we left her one roomed building. It was noted she had no kitchen and we were told she did the cooking next door at her mother's home. Her husband was out drinking! We had split into 2 groups and already the lady was concerned we were sinking her home so the others were directed to another house further along. Young children in small boats tried to sell us mother of pearl shells, snacks, beer and cigarettes whilst the older women laden down with fresh produce ignored us. We were entertained by a flying display of large black kites and rooks swooping into the sea around us at times.

Back on the boat we observed 2 fishing families having an argument. The women were screeching across to each other, and when we thought it was all over it flared up again. We suspected it was to do with the money we had given to the house owner but Hao said it was not - he did not say what it was about.

On Monday we had another trip into a lagoon where we had hoped to see some monkeys. We could hear lots of noises but with the dense greenery there was very little chance of seeing smaller birds or any wildlife. After our last lunch we said goodbye to our Captains and crew and boarded the bus for Hanoi airport and our evening flight to Da Nang to begin the next stage of our tour.

HANOI

FRIDAY 13th

5.15am check out and a fairly quick drive to the airport with our Liverpudlian friends leaving Ken and Liz to spend the day in Bangkok. Through security etc. we found it was a long walk to our departure gate E2A and so there would have been no way we would have caught our connecting flight even if the pilot had made up some of the time.

On our arrival in Hanoi we made our way to the visa application desk, being one of the first in the queue. After handing over the paperwork and our passports we were asked to walk to the other end of the building and pay the cashier 25$ each and await the return of our passports. We had great fun in helping the official identify the owners of the passports from the photos! Next we wanted to change some of our US dollars into the local currency, namely the dong. I am now married to a millionaire!

In the concourse representatives from Kuoni were waiting but on checking their lists found we did not exist. "Could this be because we were supposed to arrive yesterday?" Hurray they found us. We joined the group staying at 'The Sheraton Hotel' and were told we would be taken on to 'The Horrison'. As their rep gave the usual briefing and informed them that their tour would begain at 3pm this afternoon she asked "What would we be doing?" "You tell me" was my reply. After a while she informed us that our group was at a museum and would we like to join them. "Yes please" and on arrival at The Museum of History we joined our group for the last 15 minutes at noon. They had had 2 hours and told us we had not missed anything as the first place they visited was closed. (I already knew that from the guide book as it stated that Ho Chi Minh House closed in October and November for cleaning).

The next destination was the 'Temple of Literature' and dedicated to Confuscious. Built in the Chinese style we wandered around the complex jast as the warm sun came out.

Lunch was taken across the road in a small restaurant where for 600$ a month we could sponsor a cookery student. The food was excellent in presentation and taste. I saw the students even ran the bar on the second floor.

By now it was mid afternoon and we were to see a 'Water Puppet Show.' Outside the theatre Hao, our guide, introduced us to a high ranking member of Asian Trails who wanted full details of our overnight stay in Bangkok. No on had realised there was still 2 more people to join the group and so there was even more concern as to why they had not been on our flight. It was full, that was why. So we entered the theatre, after Keith had paid 60,000 dong to use his video, just as the show started. To the left of the stage was the orchestra and 2 female singers. Directly in front was a square lake with a low bamboo screen falling to the level of the water. From behind the bamboo panels puppets on long poles represented people and dragons enacting out several scenes of Vietnamese country life. Luckily the music was loud because I kept nodding off along with our Liverpudlion trio sitting next to us. It wasn't that we were bored - we were just tired.

The last item on the agenda was an hour's ride in a cyclo. Sitting in a single seater rickshaw we were pedaled round the French and old part of the city of Hanoi - in rush hour. I bet the drivers of the hundreds of scooters and cars blessed the 23 carriages following each other in single file. We had started out from the Opera House in daylight and finished in the dark, the city becoming illuminated. Fun, but the fumes got to all of us and we wondered how these men could do this job day in and day out without affecting their health. Hao had told us the amount we should tip (30,000 dong) but Keith's man wanted 10$ and mine was not too happy either.

At last we reached our hotel, which was lovely, and after a good meal in their restaurant it was time for bed. We were departing at 8.15am tomorrow for Halong Bay.

We have landed but in the wrong place!

THURSDAY 12^th

^{Once we airborne the Captain came over the tannoy informing us that he hoped to make up the 2 hours. After an excellent meal we settled down to watch a film from our own entertainment system. We have seating that can be converted into a flat bed which sounds great. But I discovered a problem with the window seats. When the person in the aisle seat converts their seating to flat bed those by the window have to climb over them. The aged gentleman in front informed me he would be making his bed and hoped I would remember in the night. I told him if I fell on him don’t think all his Birthdays and Christmas’ had come at once! He was quick to respond that I would have done it on purpose. Bless him but we had quite a bit of banter throughout our journey. I slept a lot of the time, which is quite unusual for me as I am afraid of missing something. We never did make the time up so when we landed in Bangkok we were met by an airport representative and told we had been booked on flights tomorrow and would be spending the night in an hotel. Again we assumed it would be an airport hotel so it was a pleasant surprise that we were actually in the city. Where we would end up we were not sure as our driver knew the back streets which made us all wonder just where we were going. The hotel ‘Kantary House’ was very nice and we were given a room on the top floor. I say room it was an apartment complete with washing machine. There was no time to use it as we had to be up at 4.45am to leave at 5.30 for the airport. Ken and Liz who we have befriended will not be joining us until the evening flight as this morning flight is full. As it was so early we had been asked if we would have breakfast boxes. We said one would be sufficient at that time of the morning, but management insisted we had two – one for us and one for Reception!}

Getting airborne

WEDNESDAY 11^th

Just before 10am we left for Heathrow on a lovely warm sunny morning. As we approached the far side of Driffield we saw a very unusual cloud formation. From ground level a large cloud ‘mushroomed’ out into the atmosphere cutting through horizontal cloud. Hoping to get a better picture as we approached the Market Weighton roundabout down towards Howden we encountered thick fog and a temperature in places of only 4c! We didn’t have it for very long thank goodness, but no photo. Joining the A1 as planned we were greatly surprised to find a change in the system with many of the roundabouts being replaced by slip roads. (We saw our first wagon full of Christmas trees heading south.) So we were down in the London area before 2pm. A little panic attack as we encountered signs regarding ‘Entering Green Zone’. We had not given a thought about the congestion charge when planning our route to the ‘Purple Parking’ depot where we have arranged to leave our car. This part of the journey was a mistake as the ‘A’ roads took us through a busy built up area. We saw no sign of cameras so hope there will not be a ticket waiting for us on our return. Still we smiled at the ‘Smart Car’, with ‘Metropolitan Police’ plastered all over it being driven by a rather large policeman who appeared to fill the inside. One can only wonder if this is the new mode of transport for the Met Office’s current chief of police.

We duly arrived at the Airport far too early for check in so spent the next 3 hours in the bar! At least the atmosphere is better than Manchester, but the same old problem about lack of seating if you don’t use the refreshment areas. When we checked our luggage in and passed through all the security and passport controls we continued on our way to the BA lounge to have a light snack. We were joined by the West Indies Cricket Team who are on their way to Australia and were travelling with us looking very smart in the maroon blazers. Boarding was delayed for 25 minutes as the car towing the plane from the hangar had broken down and a replacement had to be found. As the lounge emptied and the cleaning staff arrived we were still waiting to go to our departure gate. One we were on board a fault in the air conditioning meant engineers being called out. They did their best but iIt was not good enough for us as the delay lasted 2 hours – just the amount of time we had to change planes in Bangkok.