Vietnam

Hanoi (May 3rd - 8th )

Flew from luang prabang to Hanoi. Booked into Hanoi backpackers on Ma may street.
Shared a taxi from the airport with a few girls I met on the plane. First impressions of hanoi was a very energetic city with scooters flooding the streets. You want to be careful when your walking the streets!

The hostel was very modern. Good dorm rooms and showers. The bar downstairs was always kicking off in the evening time. The first night I was on my own as James and Katherine who I met on the gibbon experience were arriving the day after. I grabbed a bite to eat downstairs and chatted to a few backpackers. Held off going out. Very proud of myself!

Next day I decided to do the free walking tour with the hostel. Got to see the old town and learn about the history of Hanoi. I went off on my own then and searched for some local street food and bia hoi (their cheap fresh draught beer). I found one place full of locals where the beer only cost 9000 dong; result! After lunch I checked out the war history museum. Vietnam have alot of history in war, thanks to the French and the Americans... :-)

That night met up with the guys and headed out on the pub crawl with the hostel. Ended up that night in a cafe upstairs in a clothes shop that was converted into a bar just for farangs....  Was not a late night. Hanoi closes down at night time quite early.

The next day we strolled around the city and took some snaps.Checked out hanoi prison also. When Hannah arrived in (Canadian girl I met on gibbon experience also) we grabbed a taxi out to snake village. I wanted to try out some snake for dinner and drink some snake blood.....

The whole experience was quite surreal. At the side of the restaurant was a cage full of cobra and bamboo snakes. We got to choose our snake and then the killing commenced... He wripped out his teeth, then stabbed him in the back of his head. Then he drained its blood, mixed it with some rice wine and took the heart out!

After this eventful show, we were shown to our seats and served up 12 different dishes of snake food. In between this we took shots of blood and I ate the heart... I have to be honest. I lost my appetite after this! Still happy I went tho.

It was an early night after this as we were up early the next morning to head to halong bay on the castaway tour. This tour I booked through the hostel. It was recommended to me and known for its party atmosphere.

Monday morning we set out for halong bay. Was excited about this trip after seeing the photos of the numerous limestone islands and beaches online. The journey there was pretty long. It took nearly 8 hours by coach and boat to arrive to castaways island. The lunch on board was pretty good. I stocked up on snacks for the trip and spirits just in case....

We were greeted by the group that were already on the island the night before. They looked like they had being on the beer all day..... We were greeted by all the lads performing the haka on the beach.

CONTINUE...

Hue (9th May -10th May)

Overnight bus from Hanoi here. Just stayed for the day. Must people go here for day trips to the DMZ, tombs and the citadel. You can also get scenic motorbike bike tours onwards to hoi an. 

Hoi An (10th-12th May)

Stayed in sunflower hotel. Good rooms. Pool with free breakfast buffet. Found sensational restaurant we went for lunch twice and dinner once. Called cargo restaurant. Food is divine especially their desserts! Vietnamese guy opened this one and also the first Vietnamese restaurant in hoi an called mermaid restaurant in 1992. We went there for dinner also. Loved the markets. Picked up some singlets and north face bag. Best part is the bartering! :-)  rented mopeds for the day and headed to da bang beach. Also picked up a charcoal three piece tailored suit, shirt and tie for 203 dollars. They even sorted out the delivery for me to Australia. Only took a day in total!

Ho Chi Minh (13-14th may)

Stayed in long hostel in backpacking district. Flew in from danang. First day walked around the city. Seen presendential palace and the war museum. Museum was pretty morbid and quite harrowing. Obviously its very much anti American but still! Notre dame cathedral. Out for dinner on bar street, place called five oysters. Really good Vietnamese food. Found bia hoi up the street. Only 7000 a glass! Second day cu chi tunnels. Really liked this trip. Tunnels pretty claustrophobic. :-)

 

Mekong delta (15th-16th May)

Said farewell to Katherine and James in the morning.
Rice fields, floating market, Mekong restaurant in can tho, coconut sweets, making rice noodles, listening to traditional music. Bus to rach gia costs 100,000 dong. Stayed in a guesthouse near the wharf for 200,000 no air con, no warm water. The cheapest room. Found a popular spot across the bridge on the riverside for dinner and the coffee rooms near the kids entertainment area for breakfast. Good Vietnamese iced coffee!   Ferry to phu quoc with superdong cost 320,000 dong.

phu quoc island (17th - 20th may)

Alanis cafe, superb food and divine mocha frappe. Best passion fruit juice I've ever had!  The guys that run it are full of information. Recommended different places to go see and where to eat out at night time. Sao beach on the south east coast is amazing. White sand and the water is so warm. Many dirt roads to get here. Phu quoc island is under mass development. Glad I got here now before it becomes over run. Grabbed an assortment of seafood at hue huè stall in the night market. Was delicious. This island is home to pearl farms run by the Russians. It seems everywhere I go I hear about them. Sounds like they have a strong foothold here. Probably to the demise of the Vietnamese.

Conclusion

Some interesting observations. Men have very long finger nails. They love coughing up a lung on the street! Bia hoi is by far the cheapest and best beer I've had in south east asia. Vietnamese are very friendly people. Seafood is amazing. Never seen such massive prawns.