DA NANG IS DELIGHTFUL!

BACK IN HANOI ITS TIME TO SAY GOOD BYE TO JIMMY AT THE MOMENTS HOTEL and to thank him for his kindness and help during our stay as we head off to the station to catch our the 11pm overnight sleeper train to DA NANG (about half way between HANOI AND SAIGON). Whilst we were leaving Halong Bay Jimmy organises our train tickets to be delivered to the hotel and as a last gesture of service he sorts out a taxi for us too! Then he  sends one of the hotel bell boys with us to the station to make sure we get aboard the train ok and find the right compartment....unbelievable, can't imagine it happening anywhere in Europe!




IN THE STATION WAITING ROOM

THE CARRIAGES ARE BASIC ...a toilet (of sorts each end with a row of three not so gleaming stainless steel sinks next door...if anyone feels like having a wash). We decided to pass and stick to wet wipes and hand gels for the duration. The compartment sleeps 4, in a two up to down bunk formation...our AC soft sleeper has a clean sheet on the mattress but the pillow and duvet (blanket with a cover over it) don't appear to be the same.....oh well its an adventure and just for one night! we are joined by another English couple of a similar age to us, doing their own thing travel from Hanoi to Saigon....there is  quite  a buzz and the whole carriage seems to be full of British tourists on one sort of tour or another....lots of chatter and slamming of compartment doors before everyone seems to settle down for the night. ....SLEEPING FULLY CLOTHED.....We toss and turn for about 5 hours and wake (not quiet fully refreshed) to watch the dawn through the train windows.In the villages we pass...children on bicycles riding down country lanes to school and people doing there daily chores and its only 6am! The train attendants come round with refreshments at 6.30am....sweet Vietnamese coffee and a boiled egg each is all we dare chance....most of the passengers get off at 11am in Hue but we continue for another couple of hours to our destination....with the companionship of a mouse that suddenly scurries across the floor of our train compartment....we keep our cool. Despite the mouse we soon realise the last two hours are the best part of the whole journey....as the train goes over the HaiVan Pass we get some spectacular views of the country side and the coast line.

A £3 TAXI RIDE FROM THE STATION and we arrive in the centre of Da nang at the beautiful and newly built Orange Hotel....again such friendly and obliging staff to meet us...it has got to be the norm for Vietnam....our £23 per night room is fab with all the luxuries we need including a Jacuzzi bath....and a beautifully made bed!

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AFTER A MUCH NEEDED SHOWER,  we head out into the city and  start to contrast Da nang with Hanoi...it has a slightly slower pace, a little less traffic and much wider roads....it feels a lot more cosmopolitan and much less touristy.....the Hotel have recommended a seafood restaurant around the corner...typical Vietnamese....they advise us always to look for restaurants full with locals so that we know they are good....this one is packed! its open to the street and the arrangement and seating is basic, but its typical for the country. We can't believe the food they are bringing to the table before we have even ordered...Rice Crackers, Monkey Nuts, Quails Eggs, Salad and Chillis...apparently it is a sign of hospitality to offer many dishes...the grilled shrimps with Garlic we have ordered soon arrive...... they are enormous!

 

 

...and VERY DELICIOUS....as are the other dishes we have....

 

 

such a good recommendation by the hotel staff we find some of arriving to eat together at a table next to our....SAIGON BEER ARE HAVING A PROMOTON NIGHT AT THE RESTURANT AND THE PROMO GIRLS ARE BEAUTIFUL!

 

 

BRIGHT AND REFRESHED AFTER A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP .... we set off for the day on a discovery walk...visit the CHAM MUSEUM, full of  interesting sculptures and artefacts from between the 7th and 16th centuries sorry..no photos allowed) and cross the Yellow River on the Dragon Bridge.

HEADING FOR THE BEACH....on a random street corner we come across a man selling small birds as pets to the locals...he has them in cages on the back of his motorbike....a father pulls up on his motorbike with his small daughter and lets her pick one of the birds for a pet....it is promptly put in a small plastic bag (with some air blown in) money is exchanged and the happy little girl and her father ride off...

 



 

 ROLL UP...CHOOSE A BIRD ANYONE YOU WANT!

 

 

WE MAKE IT TO THE BEACH....Stop for a drink and watch the waves roll in....Da nang Beach was a favourite R&R destination  for the American troops during the Vietnam conflict!

 

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WALKING ALONG HE BEACH WE COME ACROSS A SERIES OF DOVE COTES purposely position just of the sand to encourage the pigeons and doves to roost in one pace...pretty sensible idea we thought!

As we stroll away from the beach we decide have a drink at a local restaurant / bar....its Saturday afternoon and there is plenty of merriment and  celebration going on. On one side of the restaurant there seems to be a Hen Party of sorts and at the other side a Stag Party....Every few minutes one of the tables stands up...shouts a Vietnamese version of DOWN IN ONE and they all down their shots....who said binge drinking only happens in the UK!

 

See the Stag Party Guys behind Paul!

 

 

WALKING BACK TO THE HOTEL WE MEET NAM AND TRONG...WE HAVE A FEELING THEY ARE ABOUT TO ENSURE OUR EXPERIENCE OF VIETNAM GETS EVEN BETTER! They are Easyriders Vietnam and we take no persuading to sign up for a 4 day 3 night trip with them on the back of their motorbikes around the Central Highlands of the country. We are really excited now...day after tomorrow though they will pick us up at our hotel and take us by motorbike to Hoi An for a one night stop over before we set off on our adventure....what great fortune to bump into Nam!



 FOR DINNER ITS ANOTHER DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE....recommended again by the hotel we got to a barbeque restaurant...were we sit outside on the pavement on tiny stools and cook our own meat and fish on a small table top Barbie....a first for us and delicious...including the Frogs Legs!

 



 

 

SHRIMPS JUST READY FOR GOING ON THE BARBIE!

 

 AS WE LEFT THE RESTAURANT OUR TABLE ALREADY HAD NEW DINERS AT IT!

 

 

 

 

AFTER A LOT OF TRAVELLING, WALKING AND SIGHTSEEING WE OPT FOR A RELAXING DAY AT A BEACH RESORT.....just $8 each for the whole day to use all the facilities, sunbeds and towels thrown in....and a chance to do a little sunbathing!

 

DOING WHAT HE DOES BEST!

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALL ABOARD FOR HALONG BAY!

ANOTHER EARLY START FOR OUR TRIP NORTH FOR AN OVERNIGHT CRUISE ROUND HALONG BAY....Its a long ride in the mini bus and the roads are slow and under reconstruction in many areas we pass through...a 4 hour journey takes us 5, but it is worth the travelling time....the weather isn't bright sunshine but its warm and our boat the Carina is a nice surprise to us all.....spacious cabins, super king bed, en-SUITE shower (with red hot water to boot) and al acarte dinning....much plusher than we had expected.

 

 

WE SET SAIL EARLY AFTERNOON for a cruise around the many islands (Limestone rock formations) that are the predominant feature of the bay. A lovely 4 course lunch is followed by a visit to a floating fishing village where we are transported around in a traditional rowing boat. Its amazing to see how the people of the village live and survive on a day to day basis.......

 

 

 

 

 

 



 SOME STUNNING VIEWS OF THE ROCKS RISING FROM THE SEA......

 

 

AND A PEARL FISHERMAN IMPLANTING AN OYSTER TO CULTURE A PEARL....

 

 

 

AFTER ANOTHER FAB 4 COURSE MEAL, A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP (BEST SO FAR OF OUR TRIP) AND A BREAKFAST COOKED TO ORDER....we take to the tender boat and head off for the Surprise Cave....and that's just what we find!

 

WE EXIT THE CAVE T0 MORE FABULOUS VIEWS OF THE BAY AND LOCAL FISHERWOMEN SELLING THIER WARES.....

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THEN its off back to the boat for ....you guessed it ...more food....3 course brunch (we are going to be 20 stone by the time we arrive home) before disembarking and our journey back to Hanoi to catch the overnight sleeper train to Danang, A most memorable visit to this Unesco World Heritage site which could only have been made better by sunnier weather!

 

 

 

 

 

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!...Hanoi here we come

An overnight flight from Delhi with a transfer in Singapore and we arrive early morning 19th November 2013 in Hanoi......we purchase an in country sim card a the airport and immediately lock up one of our phones...manage to get millions of Dhong out of the ATM machie and we are off in a Taxi to the Mecarus Hotel right in the middle of the old quarter which we booked the night before on Aagdo.....SUCH A LOVELY WELCOMING HOTEL..... which has managed to double book us and doesn't have a room.....NEVER MIND.....Its all sorted within a few minutes...they offer to move us to an associate hotel nearby that in their own words (is the same standard as ours) In case we don't like it the manager takes us in a taxi to the Hanoi Moments 2 hotel (at his cost) checks us in and doesn't leave until he is certain we are happy.....and WE ARE....its fabulous....with everything we need and more. Jimmy the Manager is adorable and falling over himself to make sure we are happy and our every need is attended to.....we aren't used to service like this and we are sure we wouldn't get it anywhere in Europe (that we have ever been)......its the beginning of our Vietnam leg and we are already experiencing the absolute attention to detail and service that the Vietnam people provide as standard.

THE OLD QUARTER of Hanoi where we are is bustling, narrow streets criss crossing each other with people (and whole families) whizzing around on motorbikes and mopeds, trying to avoid crashing into each other. There are street food stalls and street restaurants everywhere and we soon come across one that persuades us take the plunge!

 

 

THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS AND SO CHEAP.....AROUND £7 FOR 4 DISHES AND 2 BEERS!

 

There are Christmas Decoration shops everywhere not to mention stall clothes, jewellery, electrical and phone covers galore!

 

 

DAY 2 IN HANOI...includes a stroll around the Old Quarter and the French Quarter and a visit to The Hanoi Hilton....the old prison Maison Centrale which housed revolutionary political prisoners and the captured American Pilots during the Vietnamese war....we learned it was in fact the Americans who gave it the name the Hanoi Hilton by virtue of the fact they were treated very well by the Vietnamese and certainly far better than the native prisoners. We also see a prison van pulling up to court and prisoners going in and back out to the van with relatives shouting messages to them through the grids in the prison van! It's all happening!

 

 

 

 

 

 

AU REVOIR ALSISAR ...HELLO DELHI AGAIN!

WAKE UP from a great nights sleep in a four poster bed and to fantastic breakfast prepared by the hotel. Before checking out there's a tour of the village again in day light and lots of smiles, hellos and request for 'Chocolate' from the children we meet.

 

 

We can't resist giving some sweets to some of the kids we meet along the way!

 

 Its a school holiday week in India and we are disappointed because we had hope to visit the village school and distribute gifts to the children....simple things like pens, pencils, crayons and note books along with biscuits and sweets.....NO PROBLEM.... our amazing  tour guide Satish sends a message via the village grapevine that we are around...heading up to the school we are delighted to find the children assembled with their parents and teachers waiting for us all with the biggest smiles ofanticipation on their faces! They greet us with a loud HELLO and look expectantly for what we are going to say and do.....soon we are distributing our gifts .....its such a humbling time to for many of us to see the children so happy to be receiving things like pens and coloured pencils and to be so delighted with them....we did encounter a couple of Artful Dodgers....two street wise boys who kept putting things down the front of their pants and claiming they had not received anything...many times....

 

 



THE LONG ROAD BACK TO DELHI....is slow and bumpy....it takes us over 6 hours to reach the capital and we arrive just as rush hour has started....it makes all UK cities and Towns look positively tame....good job we are going into Delhi and not out...the traffic queues are unbelievable! Arriving back at a new hotel (to us) we say GOODBYE to our fellow travellers on the trip (swapping email addresses with our newest friends) and to Satish who has guided and looked after us all so fantastically on our journey through the Golden Triangle of India and made for us...

                                                    .............memories  that we will treasure forever.