Meanwhile in Vietnam...

We arrived in Hanoi exhausted after a 26-hour torturous sleeper bus journey from Lao but were instantly energised, as we stepped out of the taxi into the brightly lit night streets of the old quarter. A wall of sound, lights, people and aroma hit us. Scooter exhausts growling, horns beeping, street sellers and touts instantly produced their wares, a wave of people and an abundance of colour. Wow we had arrived! Michael was instantly overloaded and proceeded to shout at anyone in his path, while Jason and I just walked, mouth wide open in amazement, soaking in the amazing, welcoming vibe. This city just rocks!

We had heard just how bad the traffic was going to be, but nothing had prepared us for trying to cross a road. Realising that we were going to be stood a very long time, we just had to put the theory to the test and step out into the sea of scooters and taxis. One step slowly in front of the other, don’t panic, don’t change direction and don’t stop. I realised after our first successful crossing, I had closed my eyes and held my breath for the last couple of meters and sure enough the traffic had just funnelled its self around me. Wow not only had I survived, but now I’m feeling invincible!!

Halong Bay

After a much-needed sleep we were back on a bus and hustled out of the city for the more tranquil setting of Halong Bay.  There we boarded the Syrena Cruise ship and spent the next 24 hours being treated to four-star fine dining and breath-taking views of the magnificent bay. The cruise climbing rapidly to the top of my all-time favourite travel experience to date.

We explored natural caves, swam on a secluded beach, fished for squid and enjoyed a Vietnamese cooking demonstration while watching the sunset, drinking cocktails. Just perfect! Waking up early the next morning to Tai Chi on the deck while cruising to Luon Cave, where we were transferred to a bamboo boat and explored a natural lagoon and fed bananas to its very cute inhabitants. Our only regret was not booking two nights on board. Feeling relaxed and the bus from Lao now feeling like a distant memory, we headed back into the madness of Hanoi. Top tip: Book within 24hours of your intended journey and you will likely get a great price as they drop prices to fill cruises, especially in the low season.

Back in Hanoi, we explored every inch of the old quarter through its narrow congested streets, ate at delicious patisseries and tried the local cuisine. One of the best PHO restaurants in Hanoi according to Trip adviser certainly did not disappoint. Hanoi comes alive at night. We walked numerous times around Hoan Kiem lake, enjoying the walking street where locals come together to play. From dancing the tango, listening to live music, kids playing and large groups of locals playing shuttlecock soccer. Its an inviting fun place to talk to locals and join in with the various activities.

Located on the lake front is also the Water Puppets theatre which was a fun cultural experience although difficult to see, thanks to the barrage of selfie sticks protruding our view. A pet hate here in Asia!  After a few days of the madness of Hanoi, we were tiring of running the gauntlet of scooters and Michael's behaviour had escalated to shouting at every bike that tooted and abusing every trader that approached us, so we decided it was time to move on.

Ninh Binh - Halong bay on land.

Simply put, is just beautiful. We took a train from Hanoi in the pouring rain and arrived to sunshine which stayed with us for our entire stay. The city itself is nothing much to write about but we fortunately had booked a hotel on the edge of the Trang An World Heritage Reserve with stunning mountain views from our hotel window. A welcome relief after the bedlam of Hanoi. Here we reconnected with the beautiful Sofia who had stayed with us for a few months couch surfing in New Zealand.

Together we spent a stunning few days on scooters exploring the landscape, antique pagodas, Tam Coc- Bich Dong and Van Long wetland Reserve. We climbed 1000s of steps and explored endless caves. The highlight of the area for us was taking a traditional bamboo boat and floating through the spectacular towers and intricate system of caves and waterways. We visited Bai Dinh, Vietnam's largest Pagoda and strolled through Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. The whole area was just steeped in history and set in a breath-taking backdrop and well worth the visit.

Having Sofi was a great distraction for Michael, who just adores her, and we enjoyed a welcome break from his escalating bad behaviour which was starting to get us all down. We were fortunate enough to come across a local ceremony being held high on the mountainside with hundreds of locals all beautifully dressed in traditional costume ascending to a mountainside Pagoda to pray. We clearly stood out like a sore thumb, but were treated with lots of interest, invited to partake in local food and shook lots of hands. The noise, mass of people and thick incense aroma was too much for Michael who had enough of being touched by strangers, dissolved into tears unable to take much more. This of course attracted more attention from the locals who all wanted to pat him, touch and comfort him not understanding his distress. One local man the same size as Michael offering to help by carrying him down the mountain on his back. The idea only making him even more hysterical! Poor Michael has struggled here in Vietnam, we seem to be going backwards with him admitting that a lot of his escalating bad behaviour was his new strategy to keep the locals away from him. While sympathetic with how he feels, being rude and aggressive with locals is not OK, so we are back to reminding him again to communicate how he’s feeling before he loses the plot. Mum and Dad are resorting to alcohol to keep sane!

Hue

OMG what a nightmare few days. We departed from Nimh Binh on an overnight sleeper train at 10.30pm. Already tired after a long day exploring we could have slept through anything. Or so we thought. We found ourselves room mates with an older gentleman who did nothing to change my views on old people.  He spent the entire night deep throat hacking and then spitting into a bottle. Well initially anyway. He resorted to spitting on the floor instead and I caught him twice standing up and trying to pee in the bottle rather than go to the toilet. The result was the floor around our shoes and bags was awash with in urine and Flem and we spent the night heaving. Mild mannered Jason lost the plot in the early hours and told him where to go, but to no avail we suffered exhausted, desperate for the journey to end.  Arriving at Hue, we ran the gauntlet of taxi drivers all trying to get our fare, to which Michael lost the plot entirely screaming, shouting and pushing people away. We just escaped the station and decided to walk the 2km to our hotel instead. No sleep, exhausted and soaring heat we arrived no longer talking to each other, miserable and talks of flights home being banded around. Falling exhausted into a hot shower and a bed, we then spent the rest of the day listening to a skill saw with renovations underway in the next room. Arghhhhhhhh!

A city tour was a cheap option to take in the city sites at only $12 USD each, fortunately as there wasn’t much to see. The highlight being just the Citadel and its Forbidden City. The Perfumed river an unadventurous river boat ride back into Hue city centre. Two nights was enough, so we decided to take a tour bus to Hoi An taking in some sites along the way, including the noted Hai Van Pass and Marble mountain on route.,

Oh dear, we are seriously in a bad way. The driver stopping for us to take photos, we looked at each other wondering what we were supposed to be capturing!! The view from the top of the Kaimai’s back home being just as spectacular! We politely took some pics and climbed back on the bus and proceeded to go back to sleep.  Realising we are hitting travel fatigue, with talk of just giving up and going home still being banded around, we found a last-minute deal on a 4-star hotel with a pool on booking.com and made the executive decision to just book it. We were clearly in need of a bit of luxury and time off from each other. Hopefully Hoi An would deliver.

Hoi An

Yep we have lost our mojo, tired of hauling our bags around and over each other we needed a rest.  The tour bus had been a good idea as we had taken in most of the out of town excursions from Hoi An leaving us with little to do for 5 days but relax.  For the first 36 hours we didn’t venture out of the hotel. Jason snoozed in our beautiful room, while I located a sunny spot poolside and delved into a book. Michael amused himself with a pool table and slowly we began to recharge.

We hired scooters and ventured out of Hoi An to explore the surrounding areas finding fishing villages and small communities, where we were greeted with curiosity, waves and lots of smiles. The ancient city of Hoi An is a quaint, atmospheric town, bejewelled in lanterns and lights and totally geared at tourism. Our hotel situated on Cam Nam Island was a 5-minute walk over a bridge, back into a bustling port market, restaurants and shops but ideally located so we could escape back into the more quiet and traditional way of life with the locals. 

The morning local market was an adventure worth getting up early for. Fresh fish, salads, fruits and meat adorned colourful stalls. The noise and aroma adding to its charm. Here I was persuaded to try a local sweet soup Che. A concoction of beans, jelly, fruit, rice and nut mixed with condensed sweet milk served in a glass with ice. Obviously, Vietnam's equivalent of Burger King given the line of giggling school kids laughing as I gagged on the sensory overload of textures invading my mouth! Another Culinary delight which was not for the faint hearted was Grass Jelly. We tried and survived, all adding to the travel experience.

We enjoyed meeting up with another kiwi traveller we had met in Lao and I managed to escape the boys for some much-needed girl time laying on An Bang Beach with a book and even undertook a cooking class. Yes, I said cooking class. Much to the amusement of the chef, who was quite surprised to meet a western woman who can’t cook. She gaped as I massacred vegetables on a chopping board. Never the less the product was delicious, and I have photographic instructions to repeat the process on our return to NZ.

Quy Nhom

The assured tourist bus to Quy Nhom was in fact a local bus, a hair raising 4 hours hurtling down the coast with regular stops to throw passengers on and off the bus, often as it was still moving!! Our arrival was a pleasant surprise as it seemed Western tourism hadn’t yet found this idyllic seaside town.  A gorgeous beach with green promenades reminiscent of an elegant British sea side resort of days long gone with accompanied fair ground and neon lights. Quiet by day and packed with Vietnamese tourists by night, we felt like royal visitors walking along the streets where we were greeted by smiles, waves and kids all wanting to say hello. Quy Nhom felt like a breath of fresh air after the rest of Vietnam. Had we in fact crossed a border? Where was everyone???

We were fortunate enough to stumble across the quon sports bar run a fabulous pair from Aussie, Docker and her mum Carol, who kindly provided us with a western breakfast each morning even though they opened later in the day. They hooked us up with scooters, a list of local attractions outside of the city to explore and even connected us with a local dentist, where two crowns a root canal and a whole mouth clean-up cost just $400 NZD a saving of thousands. If you ever have considered having dentist work overseas than I would total recommend visiting Quy Nhom. Not targeted at tourists, local rates with a seven-year guarantee, which we certainly don’t get at home in NZ.  Anyone interested in doing the same should contact Docker at the Quy Nhon Sports Bar who is happy to help organise a trip for you and connect you with local Dentist.

KyCo is a stunning beach about 23kmsnnorth of Quy Nhom easily assessable as a tour or by a scooter ride across Vietnam's largest bridge.  A treacherous ride to the top of mountain where we left our bikes and were bused down to the tranquil beach. The water here is crystal clear, ideal for snorkeling although not too much to see other than golden sands. We had the beach to ourselves with the locals all taking shelter from the searing heat in the restaurant overlooking the beach.  I’m sure looking down on us western tourists baking ourselves in the sun with as much bewilderment!  A learning for us in Vietnam has been the difference in how skin colour is perceived. The whiter the skin the more status a Vietnamese woman has and the more attractive they are to men. A heavily tanned skin suggesting a farm or outside manual worker. The result is that Vietnamese women cover every part of their skin to protect them from the sun.  Jacket gloves socks and face masks despite of the temperature. A local salon tout explained why I am unattractive to local men and have ugly nails which would benefit from having a manicure! – Brutal

We were invited to Bai Xep for a meal at the fabulous Life’s a Beach. Here we met many local’s expats and even connected with another travelling family from Holland. This was a perfect opportunity to let the kids relax and play for a few days together. Michael seems much more relaxed in the calmer environment and really enjoyed playing, exploring rock pools and building sandcastles with his new friends.  A picturesque, sleepy fishing village situated about 12 kms from Quy Nhom, we just fell in love with the Bay and after visiting all the local attractions, decided to move out there for a few more days to relax beach side before heading south for Ho chi Min City

Ho Chi Min City 

HCMC was a shock after the tranquil setting of Bai Xep. Hanoi magnified by ten, without its charm. Mum was overloaded as well as Michael and we took advantage of a tour to escape the city to visit the Chi Chu tunnels, a network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City. The tunnels were the base for the Viet Cong, North Vietnamese fighters who up held resistance to the American forces. An incredible insight into how they lived often underground by day and tend to crop by night. The maze of tunnels provided shelter but also strategic advantage to move munitions and supplies as well as a series of macabre traps designed to trap and kill unsuspecting enemies. Michael was particularly impressed with the trap mechanisms although gutted that he was too young to fire a MK47 at the adjoining firing range. Access to some of the surviving tunnels was an interesting experience. Even though the tunnels have been enlarged and lit for tourism, they still make for an uncomfortable scramble through. Watching an embarrassed tourist literally having to be plucked out after becoming ‘stuck’ was somewhat awkward to watch. Especially after Michael announced out loud “too many KFCs!!”

Another must see if visiting HCMC is the War Remnants museum . A carefully compiled history of the Vietnam War, the worldwide condemnation and the horrific effect that it had on the civilian population including detailed accounts of the numerous war crimes committed by the American soldiers. This included the infamous My Lai Massacre where 504 civilians, men, women (some pregnant), children and infants were mutilated and massacred by US troops. The exhibition also contained graphic depictions of the effects of Napalm bombings and the use of Agent Orange on the environment as well as the long-term consequences for later generations. After visiting Laos and now Vietnam, we are continually shocked at the impact that other countries have had on South East Asia, especially the USA.  The use of chemical weapons, the blanket bombing of neutral countries that still impact the region to this day. We have struggled to comprehend just how forgiving, warm and welcoming Asians are towards Westerners, especially as it seems no one has been held to account for the atrocities’. 

Ho Chi Minh City is a ‘love it or hate it kind of place and I personally was content to retire to our hotel room and do school work with Michael while Jason explored more of the city alone. Interestingly he found The World of Heineken tour situated on the 60^th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower. A fortunate encounter apparently as he had paid 200,000 VND to visit the sky deck on the 49^th floor and for only 50,000 more could also do the Beer tour. A real bargain! The tour was a good hour and included beers, virtual Formula 1 and soccer games a 4D virtual movie on the brewing process. Did I mention free beer and a complimentary bottle of Heineken with his name printed on it to take away! Possibly under the influence, Jason also managed to get hit by a scooter while trying to cross the road by failing to look both ways on a one-way street!! No damage other than his pride but another example of the insane road conditions here in HCMC.

Vietnam has been an incredible month. Spectacular scenery, history, beaches and people. Some of its magic lost by capitalising on tourism, but there are still plenty of beautiful unspoilt areas to Vietnam where you can really see how the Vietnamese live, work and play. Cost wise we were blown away with just how cheap the cost of living and travel is here. Unfortunately, all my weight loss in Asia has probably been regained again here, as we have enjoyed amazing food and beer to excess at ridiculously low prices. This is a must do for the back packer on a tight budget.  Sad to leave Vietnam but eager to leave Ho Chi Minh city, we boarded a 6-hour Ibis bus to take the trip over the border to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. For all travel planning in Asia Check out 123goasia site. Here booking trains, buses, ferries and flights is a one stop shop offering lots of options as well as reviews from other users to get an informed idea before booking.  Cambodia here we come!!