SEA Trip: Hanoi and Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

CAUTIONS: This post does not contain any practical information. All is unimportant stuff filled with subjective judgment. Do not continue reading if you're currently doing research for your trip. Read this if you miss me ;)

Day 6: 05/08

Morning in Hanoi was too fast, too rushing. I arrived at about 5.30 about 6km from the city center. Unfortunately I met some crazy boys who preferred to go there on foot to spending money on taxi and get scammed; and so do I. We really walked 6km and separated, they took a train to Sapa and I continued by myself to Old Quarter. Here is the only good picture I got from Hanoi, and I still can remember the warmth it gave for seeing so many people enjoying time, frozen in time.

Hoan Kiem Lake, Old Quarter, Hanoi

By 8 am, I departed to Ha Long City. Ha Long Bay is definitely charming. I booked the ticket from any proper tourism office i saw in old quarter, but the price I got was reasonable ($50 for a 2D/1N tour) and it includes 4 times meals, a room (shared with one other person), an english speaking guide (not really good actually), and one stop at the cave also kayaking. The bus took about 4 hours from Hanoi to Ha Long City and we waited at the harbor about 1 hour, so we started at 1 pm. They didn’t give us any itinerary so we just followed the guide. The meals are pretty boring, not really delicious nor interesting, however I should thank God since that’s the only chance I eat properly. You can book exclude the meals for $40.

These are the Ha Long boats!

Ha Long Bay in bad luck, bad weather!

 I got an interesting group consisted of 16 people, all of them are French, Germany, US, and Denmark. There’s a fun (yet scary) accident while we did the kayak. The two French guys flipped their kayak far away from our boat. There was me and Evan (an USA stranger who share the kayak with me), and we offered some help, trying to flip the boat and emptying the water but it just didn’t work. So we decided to tie their boat and sway together until the boat. Two of the USA’s friends, Zach and Ben, went before us to tell to the boat that their tourist had an accident. After like 30 minutes of hardwork, we finally saw a fisherman boat going towards us. But it’s really surprising that right after they took us to the boat, they started hitting and punching the French guys, even almost do it with s wooden block. Evan was almost hit too, but fortunately it’s just a little. We came back to the boat and I don’t know how the French guys settled this. In the night, I fell asleep at the deck and suddenly it’s been 11 pm, so I went directly to the room. Actually it was nice to sleep outside since the moon was almost full, too bad we had storm that night.

the hilariously drowned French couple

 

oh please tell me this is hilariously fun!

Day 7: 06/08

The sunrise expectation was a big failure since we just had storm on the night, and it’s still cloudy and a little rain on that day. But Ha Long Bay is nice, really.

My total failed Ha Long Bay sunrise attempt

SEA Trip: Hoi An and Hue, Vietnam

CAUTIONS: This post does not contain any practical information. All is unimportant stuff filled with subjective judgment. Do not continue reading if you're currently doing research for your trip. Read this if you miss me ;)

Day 5: Hoi An & Hue

Hoi An and Hue are super nice for transit cities. I didn’t go around Hoi An, but the scenery of rice fields surrounded by mountains really was a great breakfast for my eyes. There are also many rivers and canals filled with traditional boat, and we rode around the mountain which made the view more beautiful.

the scenery along Hoi An to Hue

We arrived at Hue at 1, and I went straight to the Citadel. It was a huge complex of Vietnam Kingdom, consisted of some palaces, many pavilions and a forbidden city. I tried to explore the Imperial Palace but not even finished. It was all charming, and I’m pretty sure its maintenance costs a lot, a fair price for 80.000 D (for local only 27.000 D). You’ll feel like brought back to the era of the kingdom. Too bad, not much information can be gained regarding the palace and the other sites, neither proper direction board telling us the way to go. There’s only one map given in the beginning of the tour, which is really insufficient even to know where your direction is, since you are surrounded by giant walls and blocks of palaces. It made me feel kind-of lost right there, consequently I didn’t explore efficiently and only hit the places I saw. Anyway, near the gate of the inside Citadel (so the Imperial Palace is the Citadel inside Citadel), there are some sugar bit sellers, which only cost 10.000 D for one fresh glass; a good treat after exhausting walk. The bus left earlier, about 4.45. A little warning for those who take the bus in Vietnam, always remember to be on the bus counter 30 minutes before the written time in your ticket (or the changed time, for sometimes they change the time 30 min – 1 hour earlier on the spot where you arrive). It might be late, might be earlier. That’s all for today, let’s see how pretty are actually Hanoi and Ha Long Bay tomorrow.

One of the Complex in Citadel; the Queen Pavilion if I'm not mistaken

Citadel, Hue (I can't remember which part it is, for it's HUGE)

One of the alley at the Forbidden City inside of Citadel, Hue

SEA Trip: Nha Trang, Vietnam

CAUTIONS: This post does not contain any practical information. All is unimportant stuff filled with subjective judgment. Do not continue reading if you're currently doing research for your trip. Read this if you miss me ;)
 

Day 3: August 2, 2012

I was really pissed off today. Now I’m violently happy. So, let me introduce you to Nha Trang.

This city is never been in my itinerary. It supposed to be only for a 12-hours transit before Hoi An and Hue. But, the ticket seller gave me an open ticket, causing me couldn’t get any seat to Hoi An while I arrived at Nha Trang in the morning, turned to be full booked already. I still insisted to wait until evening, and while waiting I found that this city is not really something, but ummm, you can make everything looks charming, aren’t you?

I have a really high standard for beach, so this charming beach surrounded with mountain, which is objectively not really beautiful, does not really make me turn wild with happiness. Nha Trang has four mountainous islands across the beach, making its sunrise magnificent with the mist around the silhouette of the islands. The city’s also a nice appeal, filled with noodle stalls, touristic café, dive centers, cheap yet clean guesthouses, all is sufficient. I rented a bike today and spent my days riding: it was a horrible ride considering the crazy drivers and chaotic traffic seems like to be anywhere in Vietnam, even in this charming little city. And since bicycle does not have mirror to watch your back, I was quite afraid that any barbaric driver would hit my back. Really, I swear it is scary yet tough experience, now I can argue that my driving ability has elevated at certain point. Haha.

Nha Trang Beach

You cross to the islands right from Nha Trang Beach

The only sightseeing I visited was National Oceanography Museum, about 6km ride from the center, but turned to be average, non-impressive museum. However I appreciate the work they do there, collecting and maintaining thousands of species definitely not an easy task. After that, I tried to see the pagoda, but the road was complicated and the riding was scary, so I just went back to the beach. I tried to find Lanterns restaurant too, a Lonely Planet pick, but unable to find it either. Finally, I bought a street sandwich filled with roasted pork (20.000 D, delicious!) and fresh mixed juice (20.000 D). In the morning I tried Pho 24, a noodle franchise which could be found in Vietnam’s big cities or touristic areas, a nice bowl of beef noodle with average price (39.000 D)

National Oceanographic Museum of Nha Trang. Err, to be honest, I prefer Sea World

Traveler's happy meal: Crocodile with Five Spice!

And, they have hedgehog, civet cat, snakes, etc. Nyam!

Today’s companion named Claudia, but I didn’t spend the whole day with her, just come and go anytime I want. She went sunbathing and I went riding, give me a nice place to rest when the midday sunheat became too strong.

And finally this is the thing that makes me happy tonight. The hotel! Nhat Thien hotel, located in a small alley near 24/40A Hung Vuong, $10 per night (you can share it for two), bright and clean, AC, wi-fi, hot shower, refrigerator, TV, fan (come on you actually have AC already), king-size bed, and bath equipment (incl’ towel). This is too much for me. And nearby this place, you can find a restaurant selling unique dishes, such as hedgehog and forest civet cat. Tomorrow I will do the sunrise, repack and use this internet facility until my time to check out, and then lie down under the sun until my bus departs. Oh life’s so good!

SEA Trip: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

CAUTIONS: This post does not contain any practical information. All is unimportant stuff filled with subjective judgment. Do not continue reading if you're currently doing research for your trip. Read this if you miss me ;)

Day 1: July 31, 2012 (HCMC)

Arrived at the Saigon Airport at 7.40 pm. The last bus 152 was at 6pm, so the option would be taking a taxi, which will cost 150.000 D plus guesthouse for sleeping, or sleep at the airport and cost nothing. I took the second option. Because it’s still early and I really had no idea of what to do, I decided to take dinner: a bottle of water which cost 15.000 D (normally 4.500 D) and a 30.000 D croissant. At first I slept outside the airport, but then a taxi driver annoyed me so I made attemp to find a better place to sleep. Lucky me to met the annoying driver, since it was because of him I finally discovered that the airport’s greeters hall is a really nice place to sleep. Go to the second floor and go straight, you will find some long-chairs which are originally restaurant sofas.

Day 2: August 1, 2012 (HCMC & on the way to Na Thrang)

They say Ho Chi Minch City is a restless busy city, with crowds and traffic, travellers and business. And that’s all just right. The first thing I discover was it was really chaotic in the road, even in the crossroads with traffic lights, you can see motorcycles just abandon the red lights. The result is: it is necessary to possess certain skill to cross HCMC roads. Even if it’s one way street, you still can find bikers go to opposite direction. Crossing the road require you to look carefully on both directions at the same time, because you never know what’s coming.

After purchasing ticket to Hanoi from TM’s Brother Cafe (cost 35 USD), I walk to Reunification Palace (30.000 D), which turn to be a dissapointment because both the architecture and the collection is just as ordinary as any old hotels. There’s one interesting point about the bunker, but nothing more.

Reunification Palace

 The next destination, War Remrants Museum, was a real surprise. Lonely planet descibes it as “a unique, brutal, and essential stop” and I would be lying if I disagreed. Most people came with full spirit, and finish the tour in exhaustion. Exhausted physically, morally, spiritually. What happened to Vietnam during the Vietnam War is the reason behind this torture towards the museum visitor. All the photographs, words, and installations show us the hostility of the war, and the continuing pain caused by it. I started the tour by looking at the tiger cage section, which explain how the prisoners were tortured. I almost shouted for seeing a mannequin, really skinny and naked with hopelessly sorrow face inside one of the dark chamber. And when I read the explanation regarding torture methods of the prisoners, I feel like I could throw up. Even when I’m writing this I still can feel the bad feeling inside my stomach creeping to my throat. I continued to the touching collection of campaign for peace in Vietnam, also some photographs and explanation about Vietnam diplomation history. One gift from a US troop attracted me: a collection of honour medals given to army personnels for their ‘achievement’ in the war, with a sentence attached to it “To Vietnam people, I was wrong. I am sorry”. Other collections are also touching, but the best is yet to come when you reach the second and third floor. Collection in second floor shows you photographs of the war victims: the most heart-breaking is the “Agent Orange” section, showing innocent children who are disabled because of the genetic harm of the US biological weapon which contains dioxine. I hardly able to swallow my saliva on seeing those pictures, yet hardly able to stop myself from reading the explanations of each pictures, which only causing more heartbreak. Third floor represents the dedication, and also strong emotions, of war photographers of Vietnam War, making them more aesthetic than the second floor. Good technique combined with emotional events, resulted in well-organized sections of touching photos, yet exhaust your emotion and burdening your heart with anger and pain of the Vietnam War. You must visit it yourself to really feel the thrill brought by this museum.

War Remnants Museum; tough from the outside, heartbreaking inside.

Dead body of babies resulted from Agent Orange biological weapon during the Vietnam War.

Photos of 3rd generation of Agent Orange Victims. Thousands of Vietnamnese became disable because of this biological weapon.

 It was rain when I went out of the museum, so I just came into the closest noodle stall near the museum. I was actually really really thirsty combined with some feeling like “I don’t want to eat” but finally I ate a bowl of noodle soup, which turns into a great satisfaction: 25.000 D with free flow free ice tea. In the morning I already tried dry noodle with grilled pork satay (20.000 D) and some bubble tea (20.000 D, also with free flow free tea), all was great. There, I met a Czech guy who gave me some words of wisdom for traveling, from whom I finally decided to go on foot to the Emperor Jade Pagoda.

The walk was quite far, a 25 minutes walk, but a fun journey although the pagoda itself wasn’t charming at all, at least in my opinion. I was getting used to read the map and know the streets, besides I can enjoy the city charm and taste the Vietnamnese-seasoned snails (32.000 D) which coincidently seen when I was walking. And finally, heading back to Pham Ngu Lao, I took a taxi to catch my bus which departs at 8: first (and maybe the last) trial of Mai Linh taxi which bring me to a conclusion that this taxi (as other travellers say so) is reliable. However it cost me 52.000 D so I’d rather walk through a different route next time, maybe.

The dissapointing Jade Emperor Pagoda. If you go to HCMC, don't do Pagodas!

The 1-hour waiting at the bus office was really worth, since I could charge this laptop and my cellphone and took a bath (a really improper bath, but well it’s a happiness though). The bad thing is: I left my water, and haven’t fold my dirty clothes properly. Ah, well, doesn’t matter. And anyway I have to change my itinerary since the night bus cannot go straight to Hue, so I should adjust another one night in Na Thrang and delete the other item. Ah, well, just good night. So long, HCMC!