Monday 8/10/07
Becky and I went for breakfast across from hotel in a cafe, all seemed normal, we ordered mango with yoghurt and then the waitress put on some sexy music (you give me fever) and dimmed the lights - most bizarre! we were the only people in there too, dunno what she thought! Oh well, was amused. Hung took us on a walking tour of Saigon (it seems ok to call it that instead of Ho Chi Minh, most people do), saw some pretty French colonial buildings, the cathedral, the post office and left over wide boulevards. Huge contrast to the Cao Dai temple of the day before. On the walk we passed the usual street vendors, chaotic traffic etc, along with some gorgeous puppies and turtles tied up on the pavement which quite upset me cos i'm guessing they're not being sold as pets. :-(
In the afternoon we took a cyclo (like a bicycle rickshaw thing) to a swimming pool we tracked down. It was a very funny ride. Nothing could scare me like the motorbike ride had so i just enjoyed it, but Becky (halfway out of the thing since i took up most of the room - not made to fit 2 western people) was a lil bit petrified. The pool was nice too, good break from the city bustle. Went back to the Connect 4 restaurant for dinner then caught the overnight train to Nha Trang. We didn't manage to find the western stlye toilet so we had to brave the squat one, eeeeeeewww. Played cards with everyone which was nice. i didn't quite fit on the bed (cabin for 4, 2 bunk beds) but i could stick my feet off and sort of out the door, not too bad, didn't sleep much though.
Tuesday 9/10/07
Was pleased with hotel in Nha Trang, we got to check in when we got there - yay! Tho not as nice as the one in HCMC, was perfectly fine, nice double beds, aircon and fan and even a tele. After a very necessary wake-up shower and breakfast we went on a boat trip; Twas extremely hot and sunny, hats purchased all round, mine is quite boring, beige, not to be worn elsewhere, just fabric brimmed one that says Vietnam on it with the star. Becky, Alexandra and Hayley all bought conical hats, v.fun but again not something one can wear elsewhere. Matt got a Marlborough man one he's been wearing ever since. Our local guide for the trip was cool, didn't really understand what he said but i enjoyed his singing (Eternal Flame a favourite). First stop was a fishing village; saw the fish farms they put the catches into, some scary looking squid. In order to get to shore we transferred from the big boat into little bamboo boats - i was convinced i'd get in and sink it, didn't look too sturdy but they are of course. I even had to 'help' - i use the term loosely - row it. The village was interesting, your typical thing really, but with impressive schools (in the process of building a new high school) and post office and other amenities including (sooo random) an aquarium i didn't bother to enter (was wilting rather fast by then). Back on the boat it was time for a snorkel. I'm not really one for snorkelling, i prefer not to know what's down there, it all freaks me out and lately i struggle with the whole breathing thing, i gave it a go but packed it in when Alexandra spotted sea snakes, that was enough for her and me!! We went back in to swim though, just without the snorkel. We also jumped off the roof of the boat, fun! First time i swallowed far too much sea water but the second time was much improved. Got stung by a jellyfish, only a little one, didn't even see it, but it must've been cos other people got stung too. All chased back on board it was time for a seafood lunch. Impressive spread of delicious monkfish (i think), noodles, veg, octopus, calamari, prawns etc. Yum yums. Quite stuffed we went to another island where we just hung out in the shade of a lil hut thing digesting. Becky being intent on getting her fill of the sun ventured out onto the beach and had quality music time. They had a jetski there you could rent and Alexandra and Jennifer rented one together and i got one with Matt (i didn't wanna drive it so just along for the ride). Very fetching orange lifejackets. We had some issues with the jetski though, first one of the men was driving it over Matt's shoulder, sandwiching me in the process to test it out (cos the girls had had some problems with it, they had a man riding with them the whole time and only let them drive for a few minutes). Then he let us go alone, i managed to fall off - go me! He was turning very sharply i might add. But then he explained about leaning the opposite way when he turned it (for some reason that hadn't been obvious to me before) and i was fine....til we broke down. Heehee. Not entirely too far to swim but couldn't exactly leave it there. So had to be 'rescued' by a speed boat. It was weeeird though cos the bloke made Matt get into the boat but told me to stay on the jetski, and i was like nooo, i wanna go in the boat! But he made me stay on. He restarted it and rode til nearly the beach where he stopped for no apparent reason so i insisted on getting off (cos had no idea what on earth he was doing) and just swam in. Most odd. Anyway, it transpired it'd run out of gas, so we got another go on it. My first time on a jetski, looooads of fun, great stuff. Don't think my bottom appreciated it as much as the rest of me however. So that was my adrenaline fix. :-D
Becky didn't fancy the group dinner so we went earlier to a Spanish restaurant, had some delicious tapas (nice to take a break now and then from local food) and some even more delicious sangria. YUM. I did join the group for dinner as well while Becky went back to sleep - that was the more sensible option cos i don't think anyone had much energy and we were all back before 10.
Wednesday 10/10/07
Becky and i both woke up with horrible colds. Not good. But we wandered down to see the gorgeous beach and i managed to find a very cute bikini (it fit!!! i immediately asked, you have big size??), an achievement indeed. And wore said purchase to the mud baths. Everyone cept Becky, Hayley and Joe went. Was really fun! had a tub for the 6 of us, opted for the 'good mud' - who knows! Then we went into these boiling (well, they were 38C) baths, Alexandra and i got a biiig one for ourselves, score! But we didn't last the full recommended 45 minutes, we got far too hot and started to feel lightheaded so moved onto the equally hot pool - doh! Was really good though, worked wonders for my skin i think, good stuff. Another over-night train to Hoi An. This one was nicer, we found a western toilet - YAY - and cos i had no sense of smell it was the bees knees for me, haha! Only benefit of having a cold. Beds were more comfy too (i even just about fitted!!), was in a cabin with Jennifer, Alexandra and Valentina, we had a good ol sing along before bed, and played girly bonding games with Becky too. Much fun. We played the ABC game too, and came up with:
I went to Vietnam and I...
Ate food
Bought a hat
Caught a cold
Dug a hole
Exfoliated
Fought with the Gemini
Got a tan
Hopped in the hot sand
Indicated left
Jumped in the mud
Killed a mosquito
Licked a pole
Met some cool people
Nosed around on Facebook
Octopus i ate
Put mud in my mouth
Quit loving
Rucksacks i carried
Swam with the jellyfish
Trained it to Nha Trang
Understood life
Vietnamese sangria I like
Went on a bamboo boat
X-rated thoughts i thought
Yelled at a priest
Zebra crossings - they don't work
