Hoi An was a lovely little town. We stayed at a pretty nice place with free fruit cocktails for "Happy Hour". It was raining so we weren't able to use the pool, though. Bummer. Not much to do here unless you want to get a tailor made suit or pretty much anything you want you can have made for you. We opted not to considering how full our packs are already. We did however get a chance to take a culinary class. Not as tasty as the Thai class, but I learned how to make rice noodles!!! And the market tour was very informative this time around.
Dalat is supposed to be a romantic city, but the whole time I was there I never found the romance in it. We missed out on staying at the hotel we intended so we went to one down the street. Who would've thought we'd be woken up by loud techno music at the crack of dawn. We immediately checked out and scored on the hotel we originally wanted. It was a lovely place to stay. The best hospitality we've had on our trip so far. They served us a fantastic breakfast, even at 1 pm when we finally rolled out of bed and into the downstairs kitchen. A very cozy room, soft beds and nice shower with special jets. We also got to use their jacuzzi and sauna. That's pretty much all we did here so we didn't stay for very long. We checked out this "Crazy House" a woman built. It originally had 100 roofs, but the government tore it down because she didn't have a permit to build on the land. It was an interesting piece of work. Still in the process of being rebuilt, though.
Heading on down to Nha Trang we got to soke up some sun. But nobody was swimming in the water. It wasn't the cleanest water I've seen. And the tide was too hide. You could hardly stand in it without getting pummeled to the ground. We feasted on fresh seafood and we even managed to score a lounge on the beach that had everything from a pool to beach chairs. They even brewed their own beer. One day we rented some bicylces to take to this pagoda. Yes, another pagoda. It had a picturesque view of the entire city so it was worth the climb. We decided to not go with the "Easy Riders" motorbike tours because it was not only expensive, but we figured we were just going to see things we already saw somewhere else.
Next stop, the beaches of Mui Ne, except for one thing...when they say they have a hotel on the beach they don't actually mean you can lay on the beach. The tide was too hide. Water too filthy. We made sure we had a hotel with a pool, then we were content. We woke up early one morning to hop on a Jeep to watch the sunrise over the sand dunes. For a brief moment I thought I was in the desert. The views were stunning. We missed out on the Red Canyon because it was "under construction". Of course they don't mention that when you are booking the tour. I'm sure it's nothing like the Grand Canyon so it's all gravy. Then we had three cute little Vietnamese boys accompany us on our "Fairy Spring" tour. It was nothing more than a stream on sand through canyons. They were so darn cute, though. We let them listen to our Ipods and it was hilarious just watching their reaction to the music. I wish I could've let them keep it, but my music is something I can't easily part with. Plus, the battery would've died an hour later and they would've been up shit's creek. We gave them a nice little tip for their entertainment.
Oh, but before that we stopped somewhere to grab a bite to eat. We both ordered Pho. Once I start to eat it I notice there is a bug. Okay, a bug no big deal. Then I see another one. And another one. Another. After another. After the tenth bug, I had to complain. The lady had the nerve to still ask us for money. We kindly smiled and said no and just walked away. I couldn't eat Pho for at least a week after that incident. Gross!
Now we are in Saigon also known as Ho Chi Minh City. I find this place to be a lot nicer than Hanoi. I don't know why I just like it more. The people. The atmosphere. Everything about it is hip to be square. We took a tour to the Cu Chi tunnels. It's where the VietCong built these tunnels during the Vietnam War. I must say that they were very clever people. The way they made boobie traps and just how they managed to survive in these tiny tunnels. It must have taken a lot of hard work and dedication. I can't believe they had a shooting range where people could fire guns, though. That made me sick to my stomach. I mean doesn't that beat the whole purpose of this place?
This was probably the best tour we've taken because not only did our guide speak exceptional English, but he was very informative.
After that tour we stopped by the War Remembrance Museum. You guys wouldn't believe the photos we got to see. Graphic. Gory. I was almost brought to tears by the things I saw. It opened my eyes, though. And I just can't believe the damage Agent Orange has done to the people of this country. They say that there are parts of Vietnam that will still be affected by it's dioxins for another 400 years.
I just kept asking myself why? I think if people could see what really goes on during war times that they would reconsider who they vote for and what's worth fighting for. How anyone could not oppose death and destruction will always be a mystery to me. I guess we will never learn will we? As the saying goes, "History repeats itself." And I'll be damned if we aren't in the same situation now. I could go on and on about this subject, but this silly blog won't do me any justice. But if you really want to know how I feel just ask me the next time you see me.
Other than that we've been watching a lot of good movies, eat good food, drinking ice cold cheap beer, people watching and climbing 5 flights of stairs just to get to our room. It's so bloody hot here! We went to a water park yesterday and had the time of our lives. It was definitely the place to be to beat the heat. On the ride to and from on the motorbike taxi was intense, though. I don't know how they do it without crashing, but they are darn good at it.
We decided not to spend Tet in Vietnam so tomorrow we will embark on a two day/one night cruise around the Mekong Delta to visit the floating markets and the surrounding areas, making are way up to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We should be arriving there by Monday evening.
The moment of truth...
(Sorry if the blogs are getting mundane, but I'm losing all ambition to write them so now it's more like a "Hey, we are alive and okay!" type thing. Yes, I feel obligated. Besides, I don't think anyone is even reading them anymore!)
