A 30 day Chinese visa takes 6 days and cost $45 and so we had time to spend in and around Hanoi, if not money.
In Hanoi, each respectable tourist operator / hotel has a dozen copycat companies with the same name and logo and we learnt this the hard way. Three nights spent sleeping with several hundred ants later, and we had a face-off with the owners who were trying to charge us a massive $3 extra! We argued and pointed at things for 30 minutes until they gave it up as a bad job. In the last 6 weeks of bargaining I've been practising being indignant in a vaguely friendly way handing out peace-keeping cigarettes with careful timing.
After plenty of shopping around and bloody bargaining, we booked a 3 day, 2 night trip to Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for $40 (travel, accomodation, sight entry, activities and food all inclusive). I was a spectacular trip. We travelled and ate (rice and cabbage and some tofu, which nobody ate) on a junk, a rickety old ship with 4 levels. Our first stop was a gigantic cave which we explored with an wise guy guide. We then moved on to stay in a hotel on Cat Ba Island to be ready the next morning for a hike up a rocky hill in the national park. At the top of the hill was a rusty 30m tall tower with a sign posted at the bottom that said it could hold a maximum of 5 people without collapsing. Kae and I climbed it and shared a collective nervousness with the 3 other people at the top before getting the hell back down. Back at base camp we shared our 3rd consequetive meal of rice and cabbage and climbed back onto the junk where we stayed for the night. We had a comfortable room, but the Vietnamese, ever ready to scrape every penny, turned off the electricity at 10pm just as Kae and I were halfway through our smuggled stash of rum (they charge $10 for every bottle not bought aboard).
The next day we cruised between the awesome craggy islands of Halong Bay, stopping next to a floating fishing village and poked our noses in via sea kyak. This was great fun and I didn't even mind being sold a rotten pineapple for $1 by a sweet little devil child who did rub it in a bit by shouting, laughing and pointing throughout her getaway.
The crew took us back to the harbour, and herded us to a restaurant for our 5th and final consecutive rice and cabbage, and by now everyone was tired of the budget level Vietnamese tourist industry.
We were lucky to bump into a creative couple (Kris and Neko, not to forget Kris' bro, Joel) who (coincidentally for Kae) had friends in animation studios in Bristol and a bunch of other shared interests. We spent an evening with them and were grateful to be invited to tag along for a tasty meal in a private room with their family and friends in Hanoi before we left for China the next day.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Hoi An to Hanoi
Ahhah! Hahahah! I can add more to my blog! The Chinese thought they could keep me out, but they couldn't! The Great Firewall of China has crumbled! Rush in, comrades! The revolution has begun!
The last time I was able to add to this tally of tittilations, I boasted about my ability to beat anyone in Asia at necking a beer. Ever since then I've been cursed, probably deservedly, but definitely cursed. If I don't choke and splutter half a pint through my nose, then I put the glass down with beer left in it. I'm still up, money wise, but humbled.
This was in Hoi An, where I had a 3 piece cashmere suit tailor made, with a couple of shirts thrown in, for 100quid. I went for the expensive option, which means that if I don't get a decent job when I get back you'll probably see me wearing it down The Plough.
Kae had a coat tailor made, for a good price, which was very sensible as our next stop is the Yunnan Province, China, where the temperature drops to 0'C at night!
While in Hoi An we stayed in a great hotel called Green Fields for $23 a night, with free breakfast buffet and an hour of free cocktails in the evening! After some time, we worked out that due to the number of baguettes we smuggled out of the buffet room for later, and the number of free cocktails we drank, we were paying well below the $10 mark for our room. Job done! On our last night we met a couple of girls, Harriet and Megan, and went out for a meal (even though we'd had our baguettes) and then some drinks with some electricians from Leeds. The two groups had plenty of interesting stories and scars to tell/show us from their travels in China and Laos, which are our next 2 stops.
We took the sleeper train straight from Hoi An to Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, in order to arrange our visas in time. The train journey took about 19 hours, and we shared our carriage with a family of 4, but it was very comfortable, and there's far less last ditch swerving and furious horn beeping than the sleeper bus.
Hanoi is fantastic, with the main tourist areas surrounding the old quarter, which surrounds a lake, where an old king fought off the Chinese with a sword given to him by a god, which was nicked off him by a giant golden turtle. (My translation of this, from my own experience, goes as follows - the King travelled with a backpack through Vietnam and one day he packed his bags and before checking out of the palace he searched under the bed, in the cupboards, around the bathroom and in all the draws thoroughly. Twice. He then journeyed to another palace and checked in, where, upon unpacking his bag, he realised that he must have left his legendary sword back in the last palace. Along with his swimming shorts, his Union Jack boxer shorts and his copy of Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' that he was halfway through. The king then told everyone a giant golden turtle nicked it from him when he was out sailing.)
A couple of days spent in Hanoi so far, which celebrates it's 1000th anniversary with itself this year. We saw a 'water puppet show' last night, which was surreal, and accompanied by groovy old Vietnamese tunes, and we've found some more great coffee and cheap beer. We were ripped off for lunch today, though - making the mistake of not settling how much our beef and veg cost, resulting in the cost doubling to 80,000 Dong (4$) each, but the beers were still only 6000 Dong (35c / 20p) and I made some money back by swiping a load of their monkey nuts.
The last time I was able to add to this tally of tittilations, I boasted about my ability to beat anyone in Asia at necking a beer. Ever since then I've been cursed, probably deservedly, but definitely cursed. If I don't choke and splutter half a pint through my nose, then I put the glass down with beer left in it. I'm still up, money wise, but humbled.
This was in Hoi An, where I had a 3 piece cashmere suit tailor made, with a couple of shirts thrown in, for 100quid. I went for the expensive option, which means that if I don't get a decent job when I get back you'll probably see me wearing it down The Plough.
Kae had a coat tailor made, for a good price, which was very sensible as our next stop is the Yunnan Province, China, where the temperature drops to 0'C at night!
While in Hoi An we stayed in a great hotel called Green Fields for $23 a night, with free breakfast buffet and an hour of free cocktails in the evening! After some time, we worked out that due to the number of baguettes we smuggled out of the buffet room for later, and the number of free cocktails we drank, we were paying well below the $10 mark for our room. Job done! On our last night we met a couple of girls, Harriet and Megan, and went out for a meal (even though we'd had our baguettes) and then some drinks with some electricians from Leeds. The two groups had plenty of interesting stories and scars to tell/show us from their travels in China and Laos, which are our next 2 stops.
We took the sleeper train straight from Hoi An to Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, in order to arrange our visas in time. The train journey took about 19 hours, and we shared our carriage with a family of 4, but it was very comfortable, and there's far less last ditch swerving and furious horn beeping than the sleeper bus.
Hanoi is fantastic, with the main tourist areas surrounding the old quarter, which surrounds a lake, where an old king fought off the Chinese with a sword given to him by a god, which was nicked off him by a giant golden turtle. (My translation of this, from my own experience, goes as follows - the King travelled with a backpack through Vietnam and one day he packed his bags and before checking out of the palace he searched under the bed, in the cupboards, around the bathroom and in all the draws thoroughly. Twice. He then journeyed to another palace and checked in, where, upon unpacking his bag, he realised that he must have left his legendary sword back in the last palace. Along with his swimming shorts, his Union Jack boxer shorts and his copy of Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' that he was halfway through. The king then told everyone a giant golden turtle nicked it from him when he was out sailing.)
A couple of days spent in Hanoi so far, which celebrates it's 1000th anniversary with itself this year. We saw a 'water puppet show' last night, which was surreal, and accompanied by groovy old Vietnamese tunes, and we've found some more great coffee and cheap beer. We were ripped off for lunch today, though - making the mistake of not settling how much our beef and veg cost, resulting in the cost doubling to 80,000 Dong (4$) each, but the beers were still only 6000 Dong (35c / 20p) and I made some money back by swiping a load of their monkey nuts.
Monday, 15 February 2010
Miscellaneous
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Picture from top of the 'Fairy Stream' waterfall
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Snorkelling in Nha Trang
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Chinese New Year fireworks on Nha Trang beach
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Dancing Dragon, Chinese New Year
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Snorkelling in Nha Trang.JPG)
Chinese New Year fireworks on Nha Trang beach.JPG)
Dancing Dragon, Chinese New Year
Locals fishing in Mui Ne
Year of the Tiger
The new year celebration in Nha Trang was bigger and shorter than I expected. After meeting up with Scuba diver Andy again we watched a dragon dancing show at about 10, and then watched the impressive firework display at midnight. I couldn't count the amount of people that were on the roads and on the long beach for this, but being there reminded me of the London marathon the way everyone was packed in shoulder to shoulder (albeit most sat on their scooters), ready to move as soon as the last firework explodes!
We met some great characters that night, including an old school Aussie punk rocker couple and a group of Swedish guys. We played 'cham den cham' or 'bottoms up'. It was my idea, but the Swedes were telling me me I was up against "The Fastest Beer Drinker In Scandanavia" and the punk rocker was, well - a punk rocker. No match for a Witney-ite though! I've been playing locals all up the coast from Saigon and Si, Paul, if you're reading, out here you'd make some easy money!
The next night was Feb 14th, and Kae and I bought a couple of 5 course set menus at a nearby restaurant for about $10 each. The highlight of the menu was big chunks of raw grouper fish with dill dressing and salad.
We've been lazing around the beach town of Nha Trang since, and have got into the cheap red wine they grow nearby in the hilly town of Dalat. There is little to do around Nha Trang at the moment as the locals are on holiday. The cheap meat baguettes are causing some plumbing problems so I'm taking it easy myself.
Lunch at a top little restaurant/bakery that hires the disadvantaged, the Vietnamese beef stew with baguette was delicious and only a quid, now we're sitting in a bar waiting for the sleeper bus to take us to Hoi An.
We met some great characters that night, including an old school Aussie punk rocker couple and a group of Swedish guys. We played 'cham den cham' or 'bottoms up'. It was my idea, but the Swedes were telling me me I was up against "The Fastest Beer Drinker In Scandanavia" and the punk rocker was, well - a punk rocker. No match for a Witney-ite though! I've been playing locals all up the coast from Saigon and Si, Paul, if you're reading, out here you'd make some easy money!
The next night was Feb 14th, and Kae and I bought a couple of 5 course set menus at a nearby restaurant for about $10 each. The highlight of the menu was big chunks of raw grouper fish with dill dressing and salad.
We've been lazing around the beach town of Nha Trang since, and have got into the cheap red wine they grow nearby in the hilly town of Dalat. There is little to do around Nha Trang at the moment as the locals are on holiday. The cheap meat baguettes are causing some plumbing problems so I'm taking it easy myself.
Lunch at a top little restaurant/bakery that hires the disadvantaged, the Vietnamese beef stew with baguette was delicious and only a quid, now we're sitting in a bar waiting for the sleeper bus to take us to Hoi An.
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Nha Trang
Second full day in Nha Trang, and it's Chinese New Year's Eve 4708, or 2010. Whenever it is, the Vietnamese has closed up shop for the next week, and there's people setting up stages, fireworks and decorations all over town.
As a kind of tester to see if I'm going to do a scuba diving course, yesterday Kae and I slpurged $15 to go on a snorkelling trip alongside scuba divers. A fun trip, with a surprisingly large and tasty smorgasbord for lunch. The reef was unbelievable - huge and pristine. We snorkelled around and the divers were 5-10 metres below us, seeing much the same thing, so decision made - no scuba course for now.
Spent the evening with the scuba divers, Andy and Mark, at a couple of bars, and had a couple more of those deadly cocktails!
We're set up for the New Year celebrations now, and have bedded down in Nha Trang, with a ticket out ona sleeper bus to the more unique town of Hoi An.
As a kind of tester to see if I'm going to do a scuba diving course, yesterday Kae and I slpurged $15 to go on a snorkelling trip alongside scuba divers. A fun trip, with a surprisingly large and tasty smorgasbord for lunch. The reef was unbelievable - huge and pristine. We snorkelled around and the divers were 5-10 metres below us, seeing much the same thing, so decision made - no scuba course for now.
Spent the evening with the scuba divers, Andy and Mark, at a couple of bars, and had a couple more of those deadly cocktails!
We're set up for the New Year celebrations now, and have bedded down in Nha Trang, with a ticket out ona sleeper bus to the more unique town of Hoi An.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Moving up Vietnam, Mui Ne and Nha Trang
Met another English couple while out for beer with Lawrence. Watched the Man U game and spoke to an expat who had set up a cafe in Dalat. Spoke to him about living in Vietnam, deciding on the spot that I'm going to set up a Backpackers somewhere. Not in Vietnam, apparently - but it will be called "sofasogood backpackers" - also he assured us the tourist industry will be running over TET. And so Kae and I confidently got the extortionate 'open tour bus' the next morning to the kite surfing mecca Mui Ne.
Mui Ne - not much to say about it apart from meeting a charismatic couple, Steve and Harmen, who have been travelling the world for we guess just over 20 years. They invited us to join them on a day trip to the 'Fairy Stream', and some large sand dunes in an old American army jeep. Walking down the Fairy Stream was the highlight; a shallow sandy river banked by colourful, earthy cliffs and foliage that led to a waterfall, which we cooled off in before being splashed by local hoodlums.
We hired a plastic sheet to slide down the sand dunes on, which was good fun, but I don't think it'll catch on!
We found some great places to eat along the shore, and had scallops with garlic and spring onions at a bargain $1. One lunchtime we were given some free sweets and nuts by the owner for TET, and then offered some duck, the same duck that Steve was told not to take photos of, it being part of a religious offering (we think). Anyway, the duck looked very old, dry and grey and so we made our apologies and escaped quickly.
We left Mui Ne after 2 nights. I would have loved to go kite surfing, but was shooed away by the cost - $350 for a day! On our last evening meal we found out that a little flirting will reduce the price to about $40, which I will remember for next time.
Next stop, Nha Trang - Vietnam's dive centre. I've found a reasonably priced PADI course for $220, which is run by 70 year old French diver 'Seawolf'. Might go and sign up now.
Mui Ne - not much to say about it apart from meeting a charismatic couple, Steve and Harmen, who have been travelling the world for we guess just over 20 years. They invited us to join them on a day trip to the 'Fairy Stream', and some large sand dunes in an old American army jeep. Walking down the Fairy Stream was the highlight; a shallow sandy river banked by colourful, earthy cliffs and foliage that led to a waterfall, which we cooled off in before being splashed by local hoodlums.
We hired a plastic sheet to slide down the sand dunes on, which was good fun, but I don't think it'll catch on!
We found some great places to eat along the shore, and had scallops with garlic and spring onions at a bargain $1. One lunchtime we were given some free sweets and nuts by the owner for TET, and then offered some duck, the same duck that Steve was told not to take photos of, it being part of a religious offering (we think). Anyway, the duck looked very old, dry and grey and so we made our apologies and escaped quickly.
We left Mui Ne after 2 nights. I would have loved to go kite surfing, but was shooed away by the cost - $350 for a day! On our last evening meal we found out that a little flirting will reduce the price to about $40, which I will remember for next time.
Next stop, Nha Trang - Vietnam's dive centre. I've found a reasonably priced PADI course for $220, which is run by 70 year old French diver 'Seawolf'. Might go and sign up now.
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