October 29, 2018

So long Hue and hello HoiAn.  Peter was our driver today and what a sweet young man he turned out to be.  He is 27 and lives with his grandparents as his mom passed away and his father remarried and has two more sons.  Peter has been driving for 7 years and he makes the round trip to HoiAn about 20 times/month.  The other 10 days he has trips that are more local around Hue and occasionally further afield but not to HoiAn.  In fact, he told us about one trip that he had where his customers wanted him to drive them through Laos and into Thailand.  Vietnamese cars are only allowed to cross one border so they had to leave their Vietnamese car in Laos, pick up another one and continue their journey into Thailand.  Believe it or not...they didn’t go far into Thailand....just far enough to hit a store where they could buy rice cookers, electric fans, and shampoo!  Go figure...they travelled through three countries to do that!    LOL!  Must be some pretty good shampoo!  Peter said they had friends to visit in Laos too so the shopping was just an added bonus I suppose.  :-). He added that he loves his job as he gets to travel for free.  When we asked him how often he gets a day off...he replied that whenever he wants one he just has to tell his company.  When asked how often he asks for one he said maybe just one per month.  When asked what he does on his day off he replied, “spend time with my grandparents”.  Told you he was a nice young man!  For fun, he sometimes goes out for coffee with his friends if he is working in town and finished early enough.  After coffee they like to go to karaoke too.  In fact, I think it is safe to say that Peter loves music.  He had downloaded music for the car and interestingly....he had different tempos for different parts of the drive.  While we were driving through nature it was all instrumental and the styles ranged from baroque to golden oldies and country.  When in the city he switched to a more up tempo beat that also had vocals and that was modern.  Nothing too loud or wild though as he said that isn’t good for when you’re driving.  You have to be calm and patient when you’re driving and that kind of music isn’t conducive to staying calm.  LOL!  Yep...a really nice young man.  :-)

The road out of Hue is long and straight.  We had seen a long straight road that went all the way to the horizon from atop the SkyView Bar and we were certain this had to be it.  Eventually we made our way to a little town called Lang Co where we stopped at the lagoon long enough to enjoy the views of a massive oyster farm where there were fishermen and oyster farmers with long boats and others with little round basket boats hard at work.  We also stopped long enough to enjoy a cold drink and visit the “happy room” where the toilet was perched atop a platform in the bathroom.  Being on the platform made it extremely challenging as when you stood up from the toilet you’d hit your head on the ceiling unless you stayed bent over or stepped down which was also hard to do with your pants down around your knees!  Jeez...the stuff we’re learning out on the road!  LOL. Just around a couple of corners from the stop at this lagoon we came upon the LangCo Beach which was the first open ocean we’ve seen since our arrival in Vietnam.  Certainly we were in the ocean in Halong Bay but there are so many limestone pillars (and no rolling waves) that it seems like it isn’t the ocean at all.  This beach at LangCo is definitely the open ocean....big wild waves crashing in on the sandy shore!

A short distance further (the whole trip today was probably only about 200 km but as you have to drive so slowly it takes pretty much a whole day) we began our ascent up HaiVan Pass.  This road was only built 40 years ago and until 15 years ago it was just a single lane.  It is considered to be perhaps the most beautiful drive in all of Vietnam because of the vantage you have looking out over the ocean.  There were hairpin turns as we climbed to the summit where there were ruins from the wars that have been fought in this region.  This summit would have been a very strategic location during times of battle as they could see both land and sea in all directions.  This whole area around Hue, HaiVan Pass, Danang, and HoiAn is right in the middle of what was called the DMZ during the war with America.

As seems to be customary wherever people stop there was a “restaurant” and market and so there was one at the summit.  I was pleased with my purchase of a jade roller (for muscles) for 80,000 dong (about $5) until Darlene told me that another of the vendors offered the same thing to her for 50,000 ($3)!  Oh well, it always comes back to deciding how much you’re prepared to pay for anything and then being happy with that deal no matter what comes later.  While at the summit Lynda almost got sucked in to taking a puppy with her!  They were cute but.....no way could she talk me into having a dog at my house!  And....I’m guessing that there might be a few international borders that might have a thing or two to say about hauling a puppy across them too!  LOL

The descent down HaiVan Pass seemed to go much more quickly than the climb up.  Perhaps that is in part because every time we got behind a big truck or bus on the way up we had to slow to about 5 MPH until we got to a place we could pass.  Going down, everyone is able to go much more quickly.

Next stop after HaiVan was Marble Mountain in Danang.  Danang is a huge city and the only thing we were really interested in seeing there were some of the beaches (which we drove along for most of the way into the city), and Marble Mountain.  The beaches would be lovely but the weather is not beach weather in that it is windy and the waves were wild!  There was no one out on any beaches that we could see.  Another interesting fact about Danang is that the airport is right in the middle of the city!  That must be a nightmare for pilots and air traffic staff!  I guess the airport was there first and then the city just continued to build up around it. 

Marble Mountain was an interesting stop.  There are in fact 5 mountains and each one is named for an element.  There is one for earth, another for fire, one for wood, one for air, and the one we went up is for water.  We ascended it via the glass elevator!  Now that is the way to climb a mountain!  :-). Funny story here.....the four of us purchased our tickets to go up the mountain and to use the elevator (two tickets).  We waited our turn and got into the elevator.  There were 7 of us in the elevator in total.  At the top the elevator doors opened and four people got off....then bang the doors shut on the three of us who were still in there!  Gail, Lynda and I were still in the elevator!  We pushed the open door button to try to get out...nothing!  Lynda pounded on the doors but nothing!  (We found out later that Darlene who was standing right outside the doors couldn’t hear anything at all). After what seemed like several minutes but that was likely just one minute the elevator began to descend back to the base of the mountain.  It was soooo hot inside there!  There was no air movement and we’d been yelling and pounding on the door.  By the time the doors opened at the bottom I thought we’d have to tie Gail down to keep her in there so we could go back up.  But she was a trooper and once the man at the bottom got over the shock of finding us still in there....he just told us to push the button to go right back up which we did (before Gail could plan her escape). The area at the top of the elevator is beautiful and breezy and much cooler than the bottom.  We enjoyed our time up there and used the opportunity to have some quiet time among the pagodas and temples.  It really was beautiful.  Getting back down the elevator was funny too.  We had been under the impression that the elevator ticket was a two way ticket but no.....it was for up only!  So we had to buy another one at the top to get back down!  The tickets are just 15,000 dong (about $1) but still....really.....what if we didn’t have any more money?  Would we have to die up there?

After Marble Mountain (thusly named due to the fact that they’re made of marble) we stopped in at a factory to see some of the marble stuff they make for sale.  OMG!  What a lot of amazing stuff.  Can’t say that I’d like to have much of it in my house but there were a couple of pieces that I could imagine seeing in my yard!  Decided against spending any money here though....still too much travelling to do and so we gotta save our pennies!

From there it was a short drive into the city of HoiAn where Peter located the Acacia Heritage Hotel easily as he’s been here to drop guests many times before.  The hotel is beautiful but once again...there was some confusion about us wanting twin beds in the rooms!  Jeez...and I’d even sent them a message yesterday to clarify!  In the end we got what we wanted but our balcony doesn’t look over the pool....it looks out over the town side instead.  It’s okay though as the pool area might get a bit noisy I think.  I’m pretty sure we’re going to be noisy when we’re using it tomorrow!  LOL. We get complimentary buffet breakfast at this place too and having a pool will be nice as we’re here for 5 nights.  The cost of this hotel was so reasonable ...We figured it out to be about $16-$17/person/night and when you consider that breakfast is included....that takes it down to about $10/person/night!  :-)

After a little wander around the immediate area and a bite to eat we were all ready to call it a night so a game of cards was about all we had in us.  Tomorrow will be a new day.  Till then....

Darlorlyngai

October 28, 2018

What a fun evening we had tonight.  Michelle (our new friend) owns a little restaurant near our hotel in Hue.  She left Vietnam when she was 18 years old to marry a Chinese man from Hong Kong.  He has since passed away and now at 70 years of age she has returned to Hue where her two sisters also live.  What a character she is!  She is full of great advice and truth be told....she has every right to give it.  She may be 70 but she honestly looks 20 years younger.  Her prescription for a healthy life is 2 litres of water every day, walk one hour/day, and don’t eat too much meat!  I’m pretty sure that she is also pretty good at incorporating laughter into her days as well....we sure had plenty of it tonight as she dressed us up in Hallowe’en hats and masks.  She even was feeding Lynda her dinner at one point!  Yes....it was an evening filled with laughter.

We’d met Michelle earlier in the afternoon when Gail, Lynda and I had stopped in there for a little refreshment.  She was so sweet that we just had to go back for dinner!  In the afternoon she had gifted our table with a plate of dried sweet potatoes and tonight she gifted us with some pork loaf, some pomelo (similar to grapefruit only better), and some delicious little cookies.  Our meal was fried noodles with lots of veggies and they were done to perfection.  Just the right amount of spice and not greasy at all.  And....they cost just 25,000/plate ($1.50 CAD)

This morning we wandered over to the tallest building in the city...the VanTom building I think it is called.  It is home to a high end hotel and shopping centre and many many offices.  It is also home to a Vietnamese car manufacturer that will be bringing out their first car and SUV next year.  From the hotel lobby, We took the one elevator that goes all the way to the top...the 34th floor...where there is a SkyView bar.  We had planned on having coffee from that vantage point but the place was packed so we just checked it out, took a few pics, enjoyed the views, and caught the elevator back down.  

I still had a hankering for a coffee and so Darlene joined me at a little local restaurant while Gail and Lynda set off on another shopping spree.  I enjoyed one of the best iced coffee’s I’ve had and the cost of it was just 17,000 dong (about $1 CAD).  It was lucky that the SkyView bar was packed!  If I’d had my coffee up there it likely wouldn’t have been as delicious and the price would have been at least $6 USD. 

Once back at the hotel we all enjoyed some down time.  Perhaps we’re still a little overheated and tired from yesterday’s marathon of wandering around ruins and climbing stairs under hot hot hot sun!  I spent some of my down time in the hotel spa where I took advantage of the hot and cool jacuzzi as well as a session with a very skilled reflexologist.  I was able to book during their “happy hour” promotion so even got 20% off my bill.  :-)

Tonight we went back to the jacuzzi again as it is free to hotel guests between 4-7 pm.....and yes.....I had to put on a wet bathing suit!  But it was worth it.  :-). Those jets in the jacuzzi are pretty powerful and the minerals in the water are supposed to be good for pretty much anything that might be ailing you.  The water comes from 2000 meters below ground under a mountain near here.  It is heated by volcanic lava and you can tell it is filled with minerals because you can smell them.  Not to say that it smells bad....just that you can smell the minerals.

Speaking of smelling things....when I arrived at the spa for my treatment I was welcomed with a moist towel that was scented with lemon grass.  It smelled so good I almost refused to give it back to them!  They also greeted me with a cup of cinnamon tea that they’d made on site.  They explained that they steeped cinnamon sticks for a minimum of 1 hour and then added lemon grass and ginger to finish the tea.  It was strong but delicious and refreshing.  Yep...standing in that cool jacuzzi with the jets working their magic....sipping on my cinnamon tea.....I was pretty much in heaven.  :-)

So now here we are....finishing up our final day in Hue.  We’ve made arrangements for a private car and driver to take us to Hoi An tomorrow.  We’d considered the train but because there are 4 of us to split the cost, it is about the same price for us to take the car and it will be so much simpler than having to haul luggage and get taxis etc.  As well, our private car will be able to stop whenever we want a photo or to stretch our legs (about 200km of our journey tomorrow is said to be the most beautiful stretch of road in Vietnam). 

The trip is flying by!  It’s hard to believe it’s been 3 weeks since we left home.  Just 2 more weeks and we’ll have to say good bye to two of our group and that will also mean that Lynda and I have reached the 1/2 way mark of our time here too.  They say time flies when you’re having fun so we must be having a lot of it!

Till next time,

Darlorlyngai

October 27, 2018

Today was officially HOT!  Perhaps that is because we were out wandering around ancient sites in the heat of the day.  LOL. Our air conditioned hotel and air conditioned car were just fine but damn those ruins were smoking hot!

The day began with a breakfast buffet here at our hotel that was more than ample and beautifully laid out.  Once we’d all had our fill and since we’d all had the best sleep in days in the super comfortable beds that are here.  In fact, its not just the beds....it is the linens and the pillows and the temperature of the room and the quiet of the room and well.....our rooms are super nice.  :-)

Our driver for the day, Mr Tong (sp?), had a lot of English so we were able to learn a lot from him in addition to the sites we’d be touring.  First stop was the Imperial City.  This city within the city of Hue was built by the first king of the region and has been inhabited by all others after him.  It has been virtually destroyed twice (1947 wars with French and 1968 wars with America) and rebuilt and even enhanced to make it the tourist attraction it is today.  The grounds are massive!  Acres upon acres of lawns, gardens, ponds, and buildings.  All are beautifully kept and maintained and the ambiance of the place is quiet and rather regal.  We’d covered just the first section and already we felt ready to melt when Darlene spied some people in electric carts.  In no time we had a price for one for 45 minutes and we were off to explore more of the grounds.  Thank heaven for this cart!  Had we not had it...there is no way we would have seen even 1/2 of what we did.  There was a section of the city reserved just for the queen and queen mother that was really lovely and another really beautiful space that was for prayer and reflection.  There were rooms with heavy beam ceilings and glass walls and there were rooms that were ornately decorated in gold leaf and paint.  Yes, it was a very regal place!

Next stop was at the pagoda.  This was a really interesting stop because it was at this pagoda that the first king lit a stick of incense and said, “I will walk until this stick burns out and when it does, that is where I will build the Imperial City”.  The city he built when his stick burned out was the city we’d just come from!  We had to climb a lot of steep stairs to get to the pagoda and then behind it there was a beautiful buddhist temple that is still used by many today.  

This pagoda (like much of Hue) looks over the Perfume River.  Tourists ride up and down the river in dragon boats (the motorized kind).  We learned that the river got its name because it is a clean and fresh smelling river.  The Vietnamese word for incense is Hong and because the river is so sweet smelling (like incense) it was given the name Hong River.  The English word for Hong is Perfume....hence the Perfume River.  :-)

From the Pagoda we were off to the tomb of Minh Mang which sits on a 44 acre parcel of land.  It was constructed during his reign between 1820-1840.  Again there are soooo many buildings and there is water and pine trees on both sides of the areas you’re meant to walk along.  The place feels like there was a lot of thought and symbolism put into its design (which I’m sure there was) and today it also feels HOT HOT HOT!  According to Mr Tong, when the emperor died his wife had to come and live the rest of her days at this site so it was built with her living there in mind too.  

Darlene and I made it about 1/2 way to the actual tomb building before we decided the smart move was to turn around and return to some shade for a cool drink in front of a fan.  Gail and Lynda pushed on and eventually located the end goal where they also found a place to buy a cold drink and sit for a minute before beginning the long walk back.  We’re all drinking the Vietnamese version of Gatorade and hungry for the sugar spike we’ll get from a soft drink in this heat.  Our clothes are soaked right through with sweat and we look like we’ve just climbed out of a pool but we’re all loving the adventure nonetheless.

There was one more tomb that we had a ticket for but we all agreed that we were done for the day and so we asked Mr Tong to just take us back to the hotel instead and we’re glad we did!  There we found cool rooms and respite from the overheating we’d been doing all day.  The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in our rooms just chatting and resting and resting and chatting.  

By about 8 we were all feeling a little hungry and not one of us really wanted to go back out into the real world so....we decided on room service instead.  What an adventure that turned out to be!  Gail had phoned down to ask if it was possible to get a grilled cheese sandwich and fries.  No one understood her.  Shortly her phone rang with an English speaking staff on the other end.  This time there was total understanding (or so we thought).  “Absolutely”, we can make you a grilled cheese sandwich was the message Gail received loud and clear.  A few minutes later a knock at the door presented us with the Vietnamese version of grilled cheese.  They were three pieces of bread (none of which were toasted).  In between the bread was cucumber, tomato, lettuce, and onion.  On top of the top piece of bread there was some cheese that had obviously been “grilled” under the broiler to that piece of bread was toasted on one side and the cheese melted on top of the sandwich.  In truth, we were all hungry and so the sandwich was good but boy did we have to laugh.  Never had we ever seen a grilled cheese that looked anything like this!  The fries were good and plentiful and so by the time we were finished our meal we had a small mountain of dishes to return to the kitchen and none of us were hungry any longer.

We chatted a while longer until Gail said, “time for you guys to leave now”....and that was it....we were done for this day.  LOL. It was almost 10 pm after all and it had been a long day!  Tomorrow will be here before we know it so I’d better sign off now too.  Till next time,

Darlorlyngai

October 26, 2018

It was an emotional good bye to our new friends at the Paradise Boutique Hotel in Hanoi this morning.  During our week here they’ve become like family.  The care and attention they’ve all provided has left us feeling very special and fortunate to have found this little gem in the heart of the city.  Last night Linda (reception) gave us all a hug good bye as she knew she would not see us this morning.  This morning even the front manager was out on the street taking photos of us in front of the hotel.  Yen (reception) was so sweet that he even got the name of our hotel in Hue and flight number so he could make arrangements with them to have a large car and driver waiting for us at the airport!  And sure enough....as we walked through the arrival gates there he was with my name on his card.  We are truly so fortunate to meet so many wonderful people along the path our adventure is taking us.  :-)

The drive to the airport took us past the 4 km long mosaic wall for one last time (it really is something to see) and the traffic coming out of the city this morning wasn’t too bad at all so we made good time.  Only about 40 minutes and we were there.  We also got to go across that memorable Nhat Tan Bridge....the one that was all lit up the night we arrived here from Luang Prabang.  It is beautiful both by day or night!  We silently waved our final farewell to the hustle and bustle of this rapidly growing city as we passed by scenes that just a few days ago had seemed so foreign but that today looked almost familiar.  We passed by the flower market that on the night we arrived was jam packed with buyers preparing for the special event that turned out to be Women’s Day in all of Vietnam.  Today the flower market had only a few vendors and there was no traffic jam for us to contend with.

We flew Vietjet and once in the airport boarding gate (it seemed to take forever to get through security) we had time for an iced coffee.  Gotta tell a funny story on myself here.....I thought I had lots of time before they called our gate....well I did have 20 minutes.  But, they called it early (must be a common Southeast Asia thing to do!) and I was in the washroom when I heard the call.  Not to worry though, I knew I’d left my bag with the others and that they would bring it for me so I walked straight from the washroom to the line up for boarding.  Sure enough, my bag was there.  It was after we were through the gate and on the bus headed toward our plane that it dawned on me that I’d neglected to pay for my iced coffee!  OH NO!  I felt so bad till I learned that Darlene had covered for me.  Whew!  I breathed a sigh of relief through my embarrassment as I felt confident I wasn’t going to have the police waiting for me at the other end of this flight!  I have no desire to check out any cells while in Vietnam!!!

The flight to Hue was great.  Only about 45 -50 minutes and the cost was not much more than the minutes it took to get us here!  I think the plane tix were $15.47 plus taxes and then we had to pay an additional baggage fee of about $15/person (as our cases are more than 7 kg).  Yep, in country travel of all type is very affordable here in Vietnam!

Our first look at Hue was impressive.  It seems cleaner and more organized somehow.  It is the royal city after all so I guess there is some responsibility to keep things nice and tidy.  :-). When we drove up to our Alba Spa Hotel all four of us heaved a common sigh.  The grand entrance and massive spa photo looked awfully good even though we’d only been in transit for 1/2 day.  Once inside the lobby we were further impressed and then our rooms turned out to be huge and really really comfortable.  As well, the fact that we’re staying here enables us to make use of the natural spring mineral spa jacuzzi (hot and cold) between 4-7 pm each day.  Interestingly, and perhaps on the downside....they definitely don’t speak as much English here.  In fact, when Lynda called the front desk to see if we could change into swim suits in the spa vs coming through the lobby in robes....she was met with total confusion and in the end just gave up.  A few minutes later though our phone rang and someone with English was on the other end to answer her questions so if that is any indication, the service is going to be great here too.  :-)

Before we did much of anything else we decided to check out that jacuzzi spa and are we ever glad we did!  It is perfect.  Nothing massive but the perfect temperature and very zen and loads of minerals (based on the aroma) and well....it just feels like it must be good for whatever ails you.  We spent at least an hour in there before we were ready to head back to the rooms to shower and clean up a little.

Tonight we set out in search of some dinner and a little action as there are a couple of main tourist streets here that get shut to traffic on the weekend and since today is Friday...we’re in luck!  We found a great little place right on a busy corner and were able to sit outside to people watch while we enjoyed a great dinner.  Afterward it was a little more wandering and shopping (for Gail) and iced coffee with cheesecake for the rest of us.  :-)

We’re really liking Hue and the slow pace that seems to be the norm here.  It feels so much more laid back and touristy....perhaps because there are so many tourists here.  LOL!  Tomorrow we will figure out what we’d like to see and do but for tonight these nice soft beds are calling to all 4 of us so till next time.....

Darlorlyngai

October 25, 2018

It was a pretty leisurely morning as we prepared ourselves to go into battle.  LOL....well....not really battle but we were going to be spending the day on the back of old military motorcycles wearing army helmets so it was kind of like going into battle.  In fact, there is one photo that our new friend Lelde took of us walking down off the Long Bien Bridge wearing our helmets with the sun behind us so we are silhouetted in the photo.  It seriously looks like we could have been in a war time!  It really is an amazing picture!  Lelde was the third guest on our Hanoi Backstreet Adventures Bike Tour today.  It was a 5 hour tour that took us off the typical tourist path and into some really interesting areas of the city and surrounding countryside.  Since all three of us have names that start with the letter L we dubbed ours the “Triple L Tour”.

Darlene and Gail opted to stay closer to the hotel to do a little shopping and so Gail could make a trip to the hair salon.  Yes friends.....Gail is a brave girl and she got her hair coloured in Vietnam where the stylist really couldn’t speak any English!  LOL....she might have come out with something quite colourful but in truth...it looks great and she is super happy with it.

 I think it was all for the best that Darlene and Gail opted out of our ‘back of the bike’ tour as some of the street crossings and many of the lanes we travelled were kind of like threading a needle.  Neither of them were keen on even going on a bike without any other traffic or under the best  road conditions so.....as I said.....it may have been for the best.  But, we did miss having them along for the great adventure that it was!

So....to expand on the adventure.  It all began right here in front of our hotel on Hang Bac road where Shaun and Bob (the names we gave them) picked us up.  We were so excited to get going that we might have even scared them just a little.  We took off down the busy street, just another one (or two) of the 5 million bikes that call these streets home every day.  First stop was at the Opera House where we were to meet our tour guide, Nimh and Lelde.

From there it was a street tour of the old quarter where the chaos of the streets somehow made sense when you saw it from the perspective of a bike in motion.  It truly is like a dance and they all know the steps.  We’ve all heard the instruction to maintain your pace when crossing the street here as a pedestrian and that seems kind of scary until you see it all from the back of a bike.  You can see your path and it is only when someone changes their pace or direction that your path is affected in a bad way.

The old quarter was beautiful from the angle of the bike.  In this part of the city a house (maybe 500 meters square) will sell for approximately $1 million USD.  As a result, many locals are choosing to sell their home in the city in favour of a home in the east quarter where the same place sells for about $200,000 USD.  This change has come about in just the past decade and our guide believes it will only escalate.  

Once our tour moved into the east quarter of the city it was like being in another world!  The streets were tiny narrow lanes designed to be a maze that would keep anyone who wasn’t local from leaving as they would be lost within seconds of their arrival.  None of the lanes runs in a straight line and all of them look identical.  The homes have as small a footprint as possible (reduced taxes) and then they go up from there.  As soon as you get to the second floor of the buildings the square footage goes up as they “hang” over the alleys.  An added advantage to this fact is that when it is raining no one in the alley gets wet!  

This section of the city is also home to the black market which was originally created to accommodate the ever present need for more food than the food stamps provided by the government of the day could garner.  Currently this market is no longer underground and about 75% of it is home to parts for motor vehicles (cars and bikes) and small electrical appliances etc.  The other 25% is still home to food.  The black market ceased to be necessary around 1986 when the country began to open up from it’s communist controls.

After winding our way through several lanes in this section of the city we moved on to the famous train street where the residents are considered to be super brave.  The train comes through this street between 5-9 times each day and everyone must flatten themselves against the fronts of their homes if they’re outside because the sides of the train are simply that close!  Motor bikes parked in front MUST be tight up against the home or they will be lost forever.  We would have loved to be able to see this during one of those train times but alas...today that was not meant to be.  Perhaps it is just one of the safety measures Hanoi Backstreet Adventures takes to ensure their guests all come home in one piece.  LOL

Next stop was for some local food where the chairs were soooo small I actually might have either ruined my knee or fixed it....I’m not certain just yet but something in there sure made a tearing noise when I went into that deep of a knee bend!  As well, I suspect that tiny chair might have gotten lost up my butt had I stayed there.  Luckily the restaurant had slightly taller stools that they brought in for us.  Whew!  Much better!  We had some kind of flat rice noodle that was about 2 inches wide and 6 inches long.  They tasted just like other rice noodles but were a different shape and in some ways easier to eat as there is more of them to hold onto with your chop sticks.  There was the ever present fresh herbs (mint and coriander) to add to the delicious broth that you dipped these noodles into before eating along with the fresh herbs.  The broth also had pieces of pork sausage in it and they too were delicious.  Actually, everything here is delicious!  This local restaurant (very local) has been here for more than 60 years and it continues to be very popular with area residents.

After a little more time on the back of the bikes we made our way to a beer stop.  Here we piled into a tiny room...just large enough for 5 or 6 at most.  The beer here is very fresh and must be drunk within 3 weeks of making it.  It is in a large metal drum that is tapped for the beer to flow into mugs.  Our guide explained that Vietnamese love their beer and that they don’t drink to get drunk but rather that it is a social activity where they gather for a party and to talk about their respective day with friends and neighbours.  And actually....this beer was very very good!

It was now time to head out of the city so across Long Bien Bridge we went.  This bridge is considered to be one of the most beautiful and special bridges in Hanoi because it was repaired so many times and survived the Vietnam/American war.  The Americans would bomb it every day and every night as if by magic the Vietnamese would make the necessary repairs by morning.  Apparently there was even a live bomb left under the bridge long after the war was over.  Locals used to come just to see the bomb until finally the government took it away.  Thank heaven it wasn’t still there today or we would have had to make our drivers take us to see that too!  This bridge is still used by trains and motor bikes and pedestrians but no cars.  There is another new bridge across the Red River which is the one that our bus took when we travelled to and from Halong Bay a few days ago.

Once across the bridge we got off our bikes long enough for them to descend the “stairs” leading down under the bridge.  We had to walk (this is when Lelde got the photo of us).  Down below we were into another world entirely.  This was a world of banana trees and field after field of vegetable gardens.  We learned that all of this land is not owned by anyone and so the people who live and farm here are squatters.  They get what land they get on a first come basis and they all know the government could kick them off the land at any time.  The people who live here are considered to be very very poor.  Many of them earn no more than $100 USD/month/family.  Some of the homes are on barrels that enable them to float atop the river but most of them are on land and each year during the rainy season (and whenever China chooses to open the dams and flood the area) the whole place is underwater.  This is good for the soil but all the homes are lost except the ones that are floating....they just rise with the water.  Nimh explained to us that conversations he’s had with locals here lead him to believe that they are happy in their very simple lives.  They have no bills to pay and there is food available to those who are willing to work for it.

It was lovely and cool as we rode through the planted areas.  Some of the trails were a bit slippery with mud but for the most part it was just beautiful.  It reminded both Lynda and I of another time not that long ago when we were on the back of bikes going through the rice fields of Ubud in Bali.  

As if by magic we popped out of that idyllic green space and into the hustle and bustle of the city!  I actually don’t know how that happened.  One second we were on a dirt path and the next we were in the middle of traffic where apparently red lights are just a suggestion.  Here we had yet another meal  to stop for so it was off the bikes again and this time the chairs were full size BUT we had to climb 2 flights of stairs to get to them!  Once again, the food was all delicious!  One of the dishes was rice noodles/paper that had been deep fried and that had puffed into a kind of Yorkshire pudding that you then dipped into the different sauces on the plates of food.  There was too much food for us to eat but we were happy to know that this tour company pre-plans by over ordering with the arrangement that the left overs will be packaged up by the restaurant and given to homeless people in the neighbourhood.

It was beginning to get dark and traffic was plentiful as people made their way home from work.  We settled our bill of $54 USD for the 5 hour tour (including food and drink) and said good bye to Nimh and Lelde.  Our drivers returned us safe and sound to the Paradise Hotel where we were met by the smiling faces of Yan and Linda (our reception staff). Yan is also a part time driver for this bike company and so it was nice for him to see his colleagues who’d taken such good care of us this day.  

Gail came down a few minutes after our arrival to say that she and Darlene were hungry.  Oh No!  But heh...why not....so after a quick face wash and bathroom break we were off in search of dinner for those two and coffee for us.  We located a great place (the same one I had egg coffee at yesterday) and everyone found something on the menu that tickled their fancy.  Lynda and I opted for desserts.  :-)

Till next time,

Darlorlyngai

October 24, 2018

I started my day off with a trip to the spa.  That foot massage in the airport in Luang Prabang whet my appetite and so today was the day to scratch that itch!  Thanks to Linda (front desk reception at our hotel) I was directed to a great little spa not too far around the corner where I enjoyed one of the best foot massages I think it‘ ever ever had!  It was a full hour long, included a delicious cup of tea, a foot soak in a wonderfully fragrant bath that had lemon and cinnamon as it’s scent, a coffee and salt scrub, the razor blade treatment that always leaves my feet feeling like they’re brand new, and then a massage that actually put me into a state of almost sleep.  It was heaven on earth!  Between the medley of wonderful fragrances, the relaxing music, the comfortable chair, the delicious tea, and the best massage ever....yep.....this girl might never come home!

Afterward I literally floated across the street to a restaurant that had full sized chairs (this is an important asset when so many only come up to your ankles!). Here I enjoyed the BEST egg coffee ever!  I got the recipe from my server and I will be attempting this once home for sure!

Wahoo....cooking class at ERA today.  We’ve been looking forward to this ever since we had lunch there about a week ago.  ERA is a brand new (slightly upscale) restaurant and we will be their very first cooking class students.  It’s a bit more expensive than we’d planned on spending but....heh....what the heck....the food here is REALLY good.....lets just do it.  :-)

Our class began with a 90 minute tour of the markets.  We learned about some fruits and vegetables that we’d never seen before and even got to taste a few of them.  My favourite section of the markets is the spice section....it smells soooo good when you walk in there.  It is a blend of all those wonderful sweet and spicy scents mixed together...super exotic and yummy!

There are other parts of the market that aren’t for everyone though.  For example, there is the seafood and the meat sections...neither of those really landed well with Gail.  In fact, by the time we got to our cooking class she’d become a vegetarian!  LOL. She says it won’t last but for today at least she is off all meats!

One interesting veg they picked up for us in the market was a lotus root.  Once we got back to the restaurant they coated and fried it up for us and it was delicious!  It is also really attractive.  It is sliced into rounds and those rounds each have evenly spaced holes all the way around.  It looks like someone spent a lot of time making it look very pretty....kind of like a round snowflake you cut out of paper.

We also made fresh salad rolls with the best dipping sauce ever and I now have the recipe for it so can replicate it at home.  :-). There was another type of spring roll that we made out of minced pork mixed with spices that was rolled in a betel leaf and then pan fried.  When it was frying the leaf kind of shrunk onto the pork roll inside of it....very cool to see and delicious too!  We made shredded banana flower salad and thinly sliced beef in a savoury broth that we dipped fresh herbs and rice noodles into. And then for dessert there was my absolutely favourite.....Jicima Ruby Sweet Coconut Soup.  I got the recipe for this one too and am going to give it my best shot when I get home.  

Our cooking class was on the third floor (steep stairs!) of the restaurant and after the 90 minute walking market tour we had had enough walking so it was back to the hotel to put our feet up and play a few hands of cards in the dining room.

By the time we were finished with cards Darlene and Gail were done for the night but Lynda and I had just enough energy to walk out the front door, turn right to the corner, turn right again (no need to cross any traffic this way) and walk until we found a place for a nightcap.....which we did....and they were delicious!

Another great day in Hanoi....so till next time,

Darlorlyngai

October 23, 2018

Back in Hanoi tonight after a great morning at the coast.  

We were up bright and early to catch the 7:20 tender that would take us to a local fishing village.  From there we hopped into the basket boats that are used by the locals and a fisherman paddled us around their beautiful “yard” for about an hour.  The man (or woman) with the oars stand for the entire time and they paddle backwards to my way to thinking.  When we’re rowing we pull the oars toward us but this style pushes the oars away using their whole body as leverage.  It was really interesting to experience.  Another interesting aspect was that it was raining...and I don’t mean just a light mist....I mean real rain!  It wasn’t monsoon like but it was sure enough to get us plenty wet.  I had an umbrella and the rest of the group had rain slickers so we were protected enough but even so when we got back to the big boat we all had to change into some drier clothes.  It was actually a treat to be able to see this little area of Bai Tu Long Bay in the rain...it looks quite different than it does under sunny skies and it really gave us a taste of what it might feel like to be one of the locals living on the water - even if just for an hour.

At one point our little boat took us under a rock “bridge”.  We sat under there alongside a local fisherman who was also seeking shelter from the rain for a few minutes.  It was amazing to be able to look up and see formations hanging down from under the “bridge” and to just sit there in the silence of this beautiful place long enough to be able to breathe it all in.  I think silence is a really good word to describe where we were this morning.  Other than a couple of dogs barking when we passed by their floating home there was no sound other than our boat cutting through the water.  

The people who live in this floating village are born here....live here their whole lives.....and die here.  They don’t even consider anything other than that.  It is hard for us to fathom but for them it is their norm and according to our guide....they are happy in their lives.  They live simply, want for little, and work at a pace that fits with their surroundings.  Their homes are tiny wooden buildings.  Some of them have solar panels on the roof.  Each of them is set in the middle of a raft like bunch of logs and all of the “rafts” are linked beside one another.  Some of the homes have a dog.  Many of the homes have some laundry hanging outside under a lean to type roof.  Often there is a table and chair(s) sitting out in front of the home as well.  Most of the homes were empty of people as we were there during their work day.

At the end of our time in the basket boats our rower took us right through the middle of an oyster farm.  Lines and baskets hang down under large round buoys and in those baskets there are one of three different type of oysters. The oysters here are harvested for their pearls, their meat and their shell.  If I remember the stats correctly.....Only about 10% of oysters have a pearl that is of a high enough quality to be used for jewellery.  In fact only 50% of oysters are able to even make a pearl!  As well, 20% of them die and the other 20% make pearls that are of substandard quality.  All in all...this morning was both educational and an opportunity to gain some cultural awareness of the people who call this region home.  The additional bonus we enjoyed was that we got to float around a magnificent part of the Pacific Ocean where limestone pillars thrust themselves toward the heavens with random abandon and where the water is a colour somewhere between green and blue.

Back at the big boat we had another amazing brunch and once again....we left our table full full full!  The food on this floating hotel has been delicious and plentiful.  We’d already checked out of our staterooms so all that was left to do was settle up our bar bill (oops!) and say thank you to the crew for a wonderful 3 days.  By the time all of this was done we’d made our way back into Halong Bay and for one last time we donned our life jackets so the tender could take us the short hop over to land where we climbed aboard the bus that was waiting for us.  That bus brought us the 4 hour journey back to Hanoi where we checked back into the Paradise Boutique Hotel.  They’d kept our bags here for us during our time away in Halong Bay so the bellman had our bags up to our rooms within minutes of our arrival.  As much as we will miss the boat...it felt kind of like we’d come home as we were greeted at the front counter by one of the reception staff, Linda.

After getting settled back in we were off as Gail was hungry AGAIN!  She’d agreed to go for Pho tonight and so we asked Linda for a recommendation that was not too far away.  Linda told us that there was a little place just around the corner that serves really great Pho and so we were off.  However....perhaps Gail wasn’t as hungry as she’d led us to believe because as soon as she saw the place she wrinkled her nose and said, “no way!”  And that was that!  We talked her into continuing down that little lane which took us deeper into a land that left her feeling more and more uncomfortable.  There were raw chickens with the heads still attached (including the comb and wattle) laying on tables along the lane and of course a few flies which didn’t help with her comfort level!  A little further along and around another corner we popped back out onto a busy street and there we located a cute little restaurant where every single patron was not a local!  Definitely not the pho we were looking for but the service from three young men was something to remember for sure.  Initially our only server was Jack and I’m pretty sure he didn’t know what to think!  We’d arrived at Happy Hour and so we simply ordered a double round.  I can’t believe he’’’s never had that happen before but honestly...he was so thrown by it that perhaps it was his first time.  LOL.  In the end we had some dinner too and so all was good in Gail’s world once again.

Back at the hotel tonight there is time to blog and maybe even catch a movie.

Until next time,

Darlorlyngai

October 22, 2018

Whatever you do DON’T bother going fishing in the Pacific Ocean for the next couple months!  We have pretty much eaten all the seafood that lives in it in the past two days on this boat!!!  Seriously, I’m not kidding....I love shrimp but honestly if you offered me the perfect bite of shrimp right now I’d 100% guaranteed say “not a chance!”

Our time aboard the Treasure Junk has been outstanding.  We’ve been treated like queens and fed like kings.  Our little cabins are super cute and comfortable.  Each has two twin size beds, two large windows (that open), air con, and a full bathroom.  We have access to all the fresh water we want right outside our rooms and on deck 3 (there are just 3 decks) we have sun loungers aplenty.  Deck 2 is the dining room/bar and the front outdoor deck which is where I’m sitting tonight to type this post.  It is 8:30 pm now and we just finished dinner.  Being aboard has definitely been an eatfest!  Today the four of us skipped out of the activity as we all agreed we’d much rather spend a little time lounging on our “private” upper deck (everyone else was off doing the activity) as the boat made its way back to Halong Bay to restock and to pick up and drop off passengers.  Some folks are just on here for one night....we are sooo glad we opted for the two night package!  The temperature outside right now is warm....maybe about 25 degrees with a fairly high humidity so it feels a tiny bit warmer than that.  But it is comfortable, there is the gentlest of breezes coming off the water as we sit anchored here for the night.  There are just 10 of us on the boat tonight with our staff of 22!  Yes, you read that right...there are more than 2 staff per guest at the moment!  Last night there were 29 guests but tonight it feels like we are on our private yacht.  :-).   A couple of the folks are down on the main deck squid fishing off the tender.  Last night they caught a couple so there was much excitement in the air.  Tonight everyone is much quieter though....whether that is because there are fewer of us or because we are just too full to move any faster than a snails pace I’m not sure.

I’m talking a lot about the food because really that has been a highlight.  The day we arrived (yesterday) we started with a lunch that consisted of 7 courses!  That night we enjoyed a dinner outside on the front deck that was served buffet style.  This morning there was an early morning small bite at 6:30 and then there was the full brunch buffet at 9:30.  At 1 pm there was another 7 course served lunch and tonight there was a served dinner that seemed to be never ending.  At one point I assured Lynda that dinner must be finished as they’d just cleared our final plate.  But I was wrong!  They brought another plate that had an entire meal on it....and then of course there was dessert after that.  All four of us literally rolled away from the table tonight.  Gail and Darlene have already gone to bed and I’m pretty sure neither Lynda nor I will be far behind!

Yesterday was a full day which was part of the reason we opted to stay on board today.  We left our hotel in Hanoi by 7:30 in the morning.  From there we walked the couple of blocks to the Handspan office where we waited for the bus that would take us the four hour journey to Halong Bay.  There would be one rest stop along the way at a place where people with a disability are creating handicrafts and art to sell.  Some of their handwork was stunning!  As well, they had such great bathrooms there I can see why the buses all choose to stop.  LOL...

OMG!  It is now happy hour (2 for 1) on the boat and so Lynda has just ordered she and I a couple of brandy Alexander’s.  She had one earlier and said it was so delicious that I had to try one too.  As full as I am I’m looking forward to it.....the one she had earlier looked so pretty and she said it was super yummy.  :-). OMG again!  The drinks just arrived and she was right...they are toooo delicious!  The perfect blend of brandy, creme de cacao, and cream.  I commented that we should have watched them make it to see what the ratios are that they used and Lynda’s response was....well.....I guess we’ll just have to have another one.  I think her comment was, “anything to help out my friend”....LOL.... :-)

Speaking of LOL....yesterday’s activities were full of laughter.  Everyone was to go kayaking but neither Darlene, Gail, nor I wanted to (or maybe its  more accurate to say...none of us were interested in getting in and out of those skinny little boats).  Lynda said she was game and so she climbed into the front of a kayak with Dung (pronounced Zoong), our guide.  She was sooo happy to be there.  She was at the front of the group and as she was in the front of the boat she had nothing but open ocean and limestone pillars as her view.  Dung had made arrangements for the tender to take Gail, Darlene and myself to the beach where the kayaks were headed so we could meet them there.  We really loved our little boat ride through the limestone pillars and when the tender dropped us on our private beach we really were excited.  That is until the tender pulled away as soon as we were off the boat!  It left the stairs we’d used to get off the boat but it pulled a long ways out and just left us on the beach!  None of the three staff on the tender could speak any English and so we really had no idea what was going on.  In fact, at that point we didn’t even know that the kayakers would be coming there.  For the first half hour or so it was great on our little private beach.  We had a few laughs about being stranded there and what would we do... etc etc.  Gail found a piece of coral that looked a lot like a skull and so we laughed that perhaps this was the remains of the last people the tender dropped off here.  Then we laughed some more as Darlene fashioned a fish hook out of some coral and I located a fishing pole.  Gail found a bit of discarded fish net on the beach and then she spied a couple of ghost crabs!  It is getting close to Hallowe’en after all...perhaps they’re dressed up for it already.  :-). As Gail tried to point out these nearly invisible little creatures to us she tossed Little Rock’s in their direction.  Interestingly, we discovered that Gail is a pro at rock tossing!  She must have had a misspent youth where rock tossing was a part of it!

After another full hour had passed, one of the staff hand paddled in from the tender on a kayak.  We honestly thought he was coming to rescue us as we were long ready to leave this little beach but no...he was just coming in to go pee so off he went in search of a private place to do his business!  Once we’d realized that he wasn’t going to be of any help Gail decided that she’d had enough!  She got up and made an SOS in the sand on the beach, then she washed her shoes and put them on the stairs ready to go.  Then she gathered up her water bottles (she had 2 “just in case”) and put them on the stairs with her shoes.  Then she donned her life jacket and shook out her towel.  Darlene and I were beginning to think we were going to have to knock her out to keep her from trying to swim to the tender!  It wasn’t too long after this that Darlene and Gail spied the first of the kayaks coming around the corner.  They’d been out there for more than two hours which meant that we’d been stranded on that beach for the same amount of time!  I guess if we’d have wanted to go swimming or something it might have been okay but none of us wanted to and so that is a long time to be there not knowing what’s going on!

Lynda’s kayak was still in the lead.  She was dubbed the queen and Dung the king of the kayaks.  Today Lynda is still able to lift her arms...tomorrow may be a different story!  It turns out that the kayakers ran into some problems with low tide and so had to backtrack a long way round to get to us which is why their one hour paddle turned into something more like 2 1/2 hours.  Once all the kayakers had a chance to swim on our little beach the tender came back in and picked us all up for the long ride back to the big boat.  We were all pretty glad to see that big boat - perhaps Gail most of all!

So I’ve been sitting out here typing for about an hour now and I’ve finished my brandy Alexander and morning is going to come early.....we have to be ready to go back into the tender by 7:20 as we’re headed to a little fishing village where we’ll climb into another little boat that will be paddled around by a local fisherman.  Could be good for another laugh!  After that we’ll return to this boat in time for a 9:45 brunch and an opportunity to pack up, pay our bar bills, and get ready to head back to the bus for our return journey to Hanoi (another 4 hours).

Treasure Junk has been a great adventure - one that we’ll long remember and one that we highly recommend to anyone planning a trip this way.

Till next time....when we’re back in Hanoi.....

Darlorlyngai