Vietnam: Hoi An, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh

So continuing on from the previous blog entry, we'd left off at Hue, about to embark on another bus journey down to Hoi An. It took six hours to get from Hue to Hoi An and when we finally arrived we basically spent the entire evening being unsociable on our phones. A couple of people in our room had asked us to come and join them on a night out but we just couldn't face it. We hadn't been out in quite a while and neither of us were craving alcohol or a night out in any form. We'd drank quite a bit over the past weeks and just wanted to detox and chill out for a while. We couldn't even really be bothered to go out for dinner, we were just feeling particularly lazy that evening and just wanted to mong out in our room. One of the guys, already wasted at this point starts going on about his 5am bus the next morning and decides he's 'going to go out and get smashed till 4am and catch the bus at 5, cos that's the best way man!' Rolling our eyes and expecting a rude, drunken awakening later, we carried on with our evening and had an early night. Low and behold he rolls in drunk, passes out and doesn't hear his alarm. His alarm continues to bleat, everyone else in the room is becoming increasingly irate and the guy snores sweetly, oblivious. It doesn't take long before a very angry Stef practically jumps down from her bunk, shakes the snoring offender and hisses, 'ALARM!' And finally releases him from his drunken stupor. We were all a little irritated to say the least. We do hope he missed his bus. Now we both realise you can't get annoyed at people when sharing a dorm, it's all part of the package, but when they can't even turn their alarm off because they're so wasted, it gets a bit annoying! Of course, Stef and I have no problem getting back to sleep, so we had a few more hours kip and decided to hire bikes to explore the ancient, quaint little town of Hoi An. We cycled quite a distance to the beach from our hostel but once we got there, it wasn't really particularly sunny so we had a look around and then cycled back in the direction we'd come from. We stopped off for lunch (of course) in a cute little cafe. A little ginger kitten became quite attached to Stef whilst we were sitting in there, was very adorable, sitting on her lap whilst she was eating. Think she absolutely loved it! After our lunch had gone down and we'd torn ourselves away from the kitten, we cycled towards the ancient quarter of Hoi An, which was just so cute and quaint. It was such a small little place, but so pretty. The town basically consisted of tailor shop after tailor shop. Every shop was offering tailor made clothes with their own unique style. I'm not sure how any of these shops stayed in business being in competition with every other shop around. With there being so many of these shops, we agreed we couldn't come to Hoi An and not get a dress or something made. We didn't have to wait too long until a lady practically forced us into her shop, got us picking out styles and fabrics and took down our measurements. Stef and I ended up getting a little carried away and we ended up buying rather a lot of clothes and shoes each. It was extremely fun picking and choosing how you want your dresses to be made and them being tailored exactly to your shape. It makes normal shopping seem very dull in comparison. Going shopping in retail shops now just isn't the same as having dresses and shoes designed uniquely for you. It's quite nice to know no one else has the exact same thing, but now we feel a little spoiled and normal shopping just doesn't cut it for us anymore. I think one day I'm going to have to go back to Hoi An with an empty suitcase and lots of money! Hoi An was very cute but apart from the tailor shops there wasn't a great deal to do there to be honest. After a couple of days of trying on our new dresses, having the alterations made and collecting the items we'd pretty much done everything there we wanted to do. Oh, that and eating lots of 'cake in a cabinet' and drinking copious amounts of tea.

You did get harassed quite a bit by the locals wanting you to come into their shops and buy something. You can't walk down the street without being asked if you want to buy something, or if you want a boat trip across the river, or if you want pineapple or a tuk tuk. It's quite funny how much you get asked and nagged, and it does get a little irritating but you have to remind yourself it's their way of making a livelihood. You learn just to firmly say, 'no thank you,' and move swiftly on. When all of our dresses and shoes had been finished and altered to our satisfaction, we cycled back to the hostel and got our next bus down to Nha Trang. We were very excited to get to Nha Trang as we just wanted to lay around on the beach. The further south we were going, the warmer it was becoming as it was winter in the north of Vietnam and summer in the south. And so we'd not really been on a hot beach since Phi Phi, Thailand. It was very much needed and we were desperate to strip off to our bikinis and soak up some rays! After an afternoon of serious sunbathing and cake eating, we went back to the hostel to get ready for the beach party that we'd seen advertised. We were very excited for this as again we'd not danced on a beach since Phi Phi and were greatly missing it. We were also very excited to go out wearing one of our new outfits from Hoi An. Bearing in mind as well we were so up for a night out at last, after a few weeks of not really feeling it. We were finally ready to have some drinks and dance in the sand. We first went for dinner in a posh beach restaurant called The Sailing Club, where we felt we were really indulging ourselves, in lovely rosé and gorgeous food. It felt like it had been a long time since we'd really treated ourselves to a luxurious evening. The beach party turned out to be a huge disappointment. Maybe we were spoiled and had high standards since the full moon party in Koh Phangan and of course Phi Phi, but it just was not the same. The atmosphere wasn't the same and the music was a bit of a letdown. Feeling incredibly disappointed and deflated, we decided to call it a night as we just weren't in the mood. We'd heard Nha Trang was party central in Vietnam, and although a few places looked a little bit lively, most places were like a ghost town. We wondered if we were even in the right place! We just couldn't understand where the party was, if there even was one. We certainly didn't feel that Nha Trang was 'happening' as everyone else seemed to think. The next day we treated ourselves to a luxurious spa day at That Ba Spa for some much needed swimming, sunbathing and relaxation. The pools there were filled with natural mineral water, which is meant to be amazing for your skin. We swam in the hot pool, which was just like a bath, it was so amazing. We relaxed by the pool, sat underneath waterfalls and ate ice creams. It was all very blissful and relaxing. The best part was the mud bath where we literally covered every inch of our skin and hair in liquid mud. It was a weird but delicious sensation. After washing all the mud from my body, my skin felt so amazingly soft. We had a lovely dinner out that evening where we got chatting to the Vietnamese waiter, whose English was incredible. It was so nice to talk to him about his culture and background, and at the same time knowing we were helping him practise his English. All in all Nha Trang felt more like a holiday destination than a 'backpackers' destination. I felt like I'd indulged in some luxury over the past couple of days, eating lovely food, going to a spa etc. It felt amazing to feel like I was treating myself and relaxing for a few days, rather than constantly feeling rushed. It also felt like more of a resort with all the hotels lined up on the beach front. The next day we got yet another bus, even further south, to Mui Ne. We arrived in the afternoon to a view of the gorgeous beach and scorching heat. We didn't have any accommodation booked and the backpackers hostel we tried was full. However the owners agreed we could stay in some of their apartments for quite a cheap rate. Stef and I had a two bedroom apartment with a kitchenette and bathroom. It was pretty weird having a whole room to myself I have to say, after two months of sharing with at least Stef, if not more. After checking in, we wasted no time in heading straight down to the beach. The beach of course was beautiful as always. There were loads of windsurfers and people having lessons, it all looked amazing. Must have been a good place to windsurf! I would love to try it out one day, I just wasn't feeling doing any crazy activities on that day, I just wanted to lay on the beach. We had dinner in a beach bar and watched the sun go down over the ocean, which was the prettiest sunset I'd seen in a long time. The bar looked pretty cool, so after returning home and getting changed we went back there for some drinks later in the evening. The music was good, but there was just nobody else around, which was a bit of a shame once again. The next day we had a morning of lazing around on the beach, followed by a sand dunes tour in the afternoon. Even driving past the scenery on the bus, the sand dunes looked amazing so I was very excited to get a closer look at them. We were picked up in an American style jeep and taken to see a few of the sights of Mui Ne. We first went to the Fairy Stream, where we walked barefoot up the little stream surrounded by beautiful rock formations. It was very pretty and relaxing just walking up the stream, where the water was lovely and warm. On the way up the stream we randomly saw people riding on ostriches, which looked absolutely terrifying and hilarious. The things you see in Vietnam! The 4x4 then took us to get a beautiful view of the fishing village, where hundreds and hundreds of boats floated around selling fish and other goods, whilst the ocean sparkled around them. It was such a beautiful sight.

Our next stop was finally the infamous sand dunes. They were like nothing I'd ever seen before. Perfect smooth sandy hills undulating in the scorching sun. I could not even begin to try and describe the sheer size of some of these dunes. It was just amazing to know they're all there naturally. They were seriously beautiful. The absolute best part about visiting the dunes, apart from their obvious beauty, was riding quad bikes through them. Stef and I have never ridden quad bikes before and so were a little nervous and excited. We both had a go at being in the driving seat and enjoyed it thoroughly. The best part of the experience was when a fifteen year old Vietnamese boy said he would take each of us in turn over the dunes. It was seriously the best amount of fun I'd had, albeit a little terrifying. He seemed to have no fear as he took me speeding over the biggest dunes at a breathtaking pace. The adrenaline was sure pumping after that! Our final destination on the sand dunes tour was to yet more gorgeous dunes. This time we got our adrenaline pumping in a very different way. Vietnamese children were hiring sand boards. Without any hesitation we immediately paid them and wanted to give it a go. The boys beckoned us to follow them so they could show us the biggest and best dunes. Without those boys, the experience would have been nowhere near as exciting. They literally did pull us to the highest dune, helped us with the correct technique and practically pushed us down the slope. Stef and I were screaming and laughing with terror and delight, when all of a sudden we landed in a crumpled laughing heap on the floor, sand all on my face and in my mouth. It was the funniest thing and so much fun. The boys had to drag us up the steep hill and we did it all over again. After getting our breath back, we sat down on one of the dunes and watched the sun set. It was such an amazing day, having so much fun in a beautiful setting. Feeling completely exhausted, we had dinner and went home to bed. The following day, after two breakfasts and another long bus journey, we were in our final stop in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon as it was once previously known. The first thing we did when we arrived was stuff down a much needed Burger King. As much as I love Asian food, I was getting to a point where I was desperate for something western, familiar and calorific. Burger King did the job quite nicely I have to say. The second thing was to get completely ripped off by the taxi driver taking us to our hostel. He'd obviously rigged his metre, but we couldn't say anything as we had to pay what the metre said. We were getting to a point where we were sick of being ripped off and being hassled etc. I think we'd both got to a point where we were still loving Asia but we craving somewhere more western again and were looking forward to our up and coming flight to Sydney. In the morning of our first day in Ho Chi Minh we just went round and took in some of the main tourist attractions. We didn't go into any of the buildings or anything, we literally just had a leisurely stroll around the city. After some lunch, we went to the War Remnants Museum, which had been recommended to us from various different people. The museum was very interesting and it helped us learn a lot more about the war, but we still felt we didn't know enough about it to fully understand. The photography in the museum was amazing though and learning about the effects the war had on so many people was truly heartbreaking. The museum was informative but in a visual sense and there was no real factual information whilst walking around, other than a lot of propaganda. It was interesting and eye opening to learn of the effects of Agent Orange, a deadly herbicide used on trees and plants in the war. The US army sprayed hundreds and hundreds of gallons of this lethal chemical across Vietnam, unknowing of the devastating effects it would have on civilians. Even today many generations are still suffering due to the evil effects this chemical has on the human body. Many babies were born with deformities and innocent people at the time lost their sight, limbs and lives. It was heartbreaking to read about and to see the photographs of some of the victims. Having finished in the museum and still feeling a little confused as to why the war started in the first place, we went and had a lovely cheesecake and googled the Vietnam War. Yes it may seem silly that we didn't know what it was all about and we had to resort to googling it, but I'd rather we did that and learn the facts than continue to be oblivious to it all. We learned the facts and felt a lot better for it, feeling finally it had all fallen into place. As we were walking back to the hostel that evening, some absolute idiot on a moped snatched Stef's bag from around her shoulder, which she was gripping tightly and rode off with it. Before leaving our hostel that morning we'd seen signs to warn you to beware of your personal belongings as theft was rife in the city. Stef and I were of course vigilant anyway but after seeing this we were both on full alert. But still this guy, who must have practised it down to an art, tore Stef's bag from around her, leaving her with nothing but the bag strap and a face full of shock and tears. It all happened so quickly I didn't even know what happened. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see that happen to my best friend and to see her in so much shock. I didn't know what to do or say and we both couldn't believe it had happened. Stef's iPhone, money, bank cards and loads of other bits were taken from her, and of course she was incredibly angry and upset. The worst part was knowing the guy would get away with it and that he'd be sitting there all smug! We filed a police report and went back to the hostel. When we told them Stef had had her back stolen, their response was, 'already?!' They expected it to happen.. Just not so early on. We were already feeling like we wanted to leave Asia and now this was the cherry on the cake. We just couldn't wait any longer for that flight to Australia. The next day we went on a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, guided by a guy who had actually fought in the war, which made it all the more interesting. He showed us the village in which he fought. It was weird trying to picture this peaceful forest area surrounded by gunfire, screams of pain, and ultimately death. It must have been hard for him to return and talk about it every day to tourists. We saw and went in the tunnels, which I couldn't stay in too long as I felt too claustrophobic. They were seriously narrow, dark and low down. You had to walk bent over in there and hundreds of people in the war did this very thing for many years, living in a life of secrecy. I wondered how on earth they lived down there but of course they had to! A war was going on above them and the underground tunnel system was their only sanctuary. It was amazing really and so clever. There was a hospital and a kitchen and everything down there. A whole secret life. And so here I come to the end of all things Vietnam! It was truly an amazing country. My favourite so far. I just loved everything about it; the food, the people, the culture, the history. But if someone asks me my favourite place in the country I actually don't know. I loved all the places I visited for many different reasons but I couldn't pick a favourite. I can't even explain why Vietnam captured me in the way that it did. There was just something about it that now has a place in my heart. Vietnam is one of the countries I know I'd have to go back to. I feel my love affair with this amazing country is in no way over.

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