We travelled from Cambodia to Vietnam by way of two flights. One was from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Pakse, Laos. The other was from Vientiane, Laos to Hanoi, Vietnam.
Our 1st clue that this was not going to be a normal voyage . . . we boarded the plane in Laos on-time. As people were still trying to locate their seats and/or stowing their carry-ons, the plane pushed back and we started taxing down the runway. The fasten seat-belt spiel was going on as the plane lifted off. Better yet, we actually departed 20 minutes AHEAD of schedule!
We touched down in Pakse and had to get off the plane and enter customs. There was confusion about whether we would need a VISA for Laos as we were only going to be in transit through the airport. Yes. No. Yes. No. No one had a clue. Finally customs decided that we did not need a VISA; we passed through two check points and were cleared to go. We flew to Vientiane, Laos to wait 5 hours until our flight to Vietnam. We proceeded to the check-in counter 2 hours in advance. Customs asked us why we had no VISA. We told them that THEIR OWN DEPARTMENT had reassured us that it was unnecessary. Oh God! Much confusion ensued. They said Pakse personnel had made a mistake. Consultations with everyone on the planet transpired. Customs officials made frantic calls. No one had a clue.
We were escorted to the immigration office where we sat surrounded by more customs guards. The next thing you know, they gave us the song and dance that "their boss" said we were in the country illegally so would need to pay them $500-$1000 USD each. We told them we would NOT pay, and to call their boss to come to the office to talk to us. Next they told us that we would have to fly back to Pakse to get a VISA, then again fly back to Vientiane before proceeding on to Vietnam. Again, we said NO. Then they said the rules allowed connecting passengers to be in the airport for only 2 hours maximum without having to obtain a VISA. We asked to see that ruling "in writing". We told them that this was their fault, not ours and that we wanted to hear no more about the issue.
HANOI: Our first destination in Vietnam was The capital city. We re-named Hanoi --- ANNOY. What an incredibly chaotic city! There are 4 millions citizens and (likely) 4 million motorcycles competing for space. In fact, there are approximately 12 million motorcycles in Vietnam --- yet only 2-3 million drivers' licenses. The horns blare 24 hours per day. We think that motorists routinely blast their horns to warn others of their presence and that they are within 1mm of crashing into each other. Luckily our hotel room was located at the rear of the hotel so the horns became 'background' noise.
We were fortunate to have a private guide 'Ha' for our 2 day visit.This guide was unique! She began the tour by saying "I would like to begin by singing a song". She turned to us and sang a beautiful love story / song. Again, we were in the midst a service representative who takes customer service seriously! She took us to the Musuem and Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, National Museum of Vietnamese History and Temple of Literature. We also did a walking tour of the Old Quarter and enjoyed / endured a cyclo (or should we say psycho) ride (like a rickshaw) in rush hour traffic. Again, we are thankful for our extensive healthcare and life insurance policies. Later that day, we attended a Vietnamese 'water puppet' show --- where puppetiers stood behind screens (in waist-high water) and animated puppets to perform funny and dramatic scenarios! Vietnam is reknowned for its water puppet shows. It was a hoot.
Our hotel was located in the Old Quarter. This district comprises 36 streets --- each specializing in selling a given theme of products: paper street, shoe street, candy street, silk street, toy street, silver street, clothing street etc. The French influence is strong and the architecture and restaurants (food) reflect that history.
The weather was extremely 'wet' while we were in Hanoi. The flooding affected local people just as it has been affecting much of the Northern Vietnamese population. Ha explained that in her neighbourhood for instance, families were having difficulty obtaining fresh vegetables. Typically, each day local farmers sell their produce on neighbour sidewalks. In view that many of the roads are impassable though, the produce has been lacking. Families are suffering. Over 90 people died as a result of the floods.
SAPA: Sapa was great. We took the overnight train from Hanoi. At 0300am, the train came to a stop and remained there for 5 hours. Apparently, there had been a landslide related to the severe rain fall. We arrived in Sapa 9 hours late. Thank goodness we were in a first class sleeper car. We slept, slept and slept as much as possible waiting for movement. Needless to say, we spent the first day recovering at the hotel. We were treated to a traditional 6 dish Vietnamese meal of spring rolls, fish, vegetables and rice. The next day, our tour guide "Huong" took us on a visit to a village of one of 54 minority peoples in Vietnam. We saw the crafts, traditonal costumes and a variety show performance. We returned to Sapa for free time to explore the town and its markets. We dined on Italian food and Chilean wine. YUMMY.
The next day, we did a 10km trek through the rolling hills and deep green fields to visit more villages. The weather was terrible (constant downpour, mud galore, landslides, slippery terrain, muddy hillsides, and ankle-deep water! Needless to say, we COULD NOT walk the next day due to the severe leg muscle contractures!
Some villages were very basic and rudimentary (3 room thatch roofed huts housing up to 15 family members). Others were more affluent. According to Huong, minority villages prosper where community elders believe in education. In those villages, children often attend university and return to the village to assist with improving the quality of life and living standards. We took our last (of 5) overnight train back to Hanoi.
Our tour company arranged to take us to Halong Bay (another UNESCO World Heritage site) in a comfortable SUV. It was a pleasant 3.5 hour ride through the country side. When we arrived, we boarded our boat "Ginger Cruise". It was LUXURIOUS. We were treated like royalty and enjoyed the accommodations, gourmet food, company of friendly passengers and the magnificent scenery. The limestone outcrops and teal coloured water were breathtaking! We took the tender to a local floating village (more affluent than in Cambodia --- complete with a pool hall, disco-tech and "pre-fab" huts similar to large garden sheds) and then rafted back (on a bamboo boat) through a cave.
Ann and I felt very well after this much needed R&R! The Tai Chi lessons on the boat helped with both the leg cramps and our psyches. Ann is surfing the net to find Tai Chi classes in Ottawa! The sun finally began to shine so this too helped lift our spirits. All in all, the cruise was amazing; we now wish we had booked a longer excursion. We returned to Hanoi and awaited our flight to Hue.
HUE: Hue was the beginning of some tranquility. We enjoyed a hotel close to one of the core streets: Le Loi. We explored, took a day trip to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and heard the Vietnamese perspective of the War (they refer to it as the "American" not the "Vietnam' War). The Vinh Moc tunnels were fascinating. It took 20 months to construct the three levels of tunnels. Each level served a specific function: living quarters, equipment and supply corridor, community 'function' (i.e. Health Center). We had the opportunity to spend 30 minutes in the crammed quarters where over 300 Vietnamese spent years of their lives. There was a maternity case room (the size of a closet), family gathering and sleeping rooms --- and only one toilet for all 300 to share.
Hoi An: Ah. Peace and quiet at last! We treated ourselves to a 4 star resort along the river. The resort comprises small cottages joined together by small patios. We had a unit directly across from the pool! Each evening from 5-6pm happy hour, the hotel staff serve samples of local Hoi An delicacies. Guests gather around small tables on the lawn and we enjoy Vietnamese pancakes, spring rolls, bean dishes, noodle soup and various teas and rice wine etc. YUMMY!
As well, we took a cooking class offered by one of the local cafe restaurants. It was a lovely day. We started with a tour of the local market. This was followed by a 25 minute boat trip to the cooking school. We toured its herb gardens and learned how to use the plants to make many of the items we had already sampled at our hotel. Then, lunch was served in a cozy open-aired restaurant along the riverside. It was a sunny day and the company of Australians, French and Canadians added to the bright mood.
Nha Trang: This resort town situated along the South China Sea has spectacular beaches. Unfortunately our timing was a bit off ! While here, we experienced the tail-end of a typhoon resulting in high winds, some rain, and huge, crashing waves. The force of the waves were so strong that they scouped up the sand resulting in brown water for several hundred metres off shore. In all our past travels we have never seen sea water this colour. Tragically, a few days after we left Nha Trang, three tourists drowned while swimming in the 'red' flagged waters
We spent our time walking the beach, sipping drinks at oceanside cafes, reading novels and relaxing. We also had the pleasure of meeting Charles, a Californian proprietor of Texas-style Steak House. We asked him what he missed from home, and told him of our cravings. Charles then offered to have his chef create any type of food we wanted. The following day, after stumbling upon a box of Kraft Dinner (KD) at a local corner store (the first we have seen since leaving Canada) we returned to the Restaurant; when Charles asked for our order, Debbie whipped out the box of KD and gave it to him. Not fazed, Charles said it would his pleasure to have the Chef make it for us. What a laugh! In the end, Debbie decided to keep the KD (comfort food) for her upcoming trip to Nepal.
Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) - And we thought "Annoy" City was bad! This place is BEYOND INSANE! Population 11 million. 6 million motorcycles too! More people, more traffic, more honking! We have come to believe that for many Vietnamese, traffic lights, lane markers, road signage (ie., one-way street) etc. are just "art"! No one obeys their meaning. Crossing the street is a challenge. You basically have to just step out and go while cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, carts etc. whiz past you. It is a free-for-all with each man, women and vehicle out for themselves. We remain astounded at the number of people we see on motorbikes with babies and small children sitting on their laps. And of course, no helmets! Surprisingly, there are only 30 traffic related deaths per day in Vietnam. Specifically, there are 14.4 deaths / 10 000 vehicles (while in the USA, there are only 2 deaths / 10 000 vehicles).
We stayed at a very pleasant hotel, the Sao Nam Hotel (http://www.southernstarhotel.com/) owned by Hiep, the brother-in-law of one of Debbie's colleagues at the Ottawa Health Research Institute. Great location! Great staff! We really felt welcomed, particularly since Hiep personally greeted us up at the airport and because everyone has been so accommodating regarding our very fluid travel plans!
We visited the Reunification Hall (former Palace) and the War Remnants Museum (a very much slanted view of the War) reminding us that we are in a Communist country. We had a drink at the famous "Rex" Hotel, a focus of US military strategic planning personnel (it is from this hotel that the 5pm daily "military briefs" were issued). We also saw more temples, Notre Dame Cathedral, etc.
Mekong Delta - We took a 3 day bus/boat tour along the waterways where life has remained unchanged for decades. We visited floating markets, ancient towns and a village famous for making coconut candy. DELICIOUS but fairly labour intensive; each piece of candy was hand cut and wrapped.
Nov 30th, the plan was to go to Krabi, Thailand for more beach R&R before Ann headed back to Canada mid-Dec. Alas, the gods weren't aligned for this!
To get to Krabi, we were scheduled to fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok, and from there on to Krabi. A few days before the flight, Thai militants shut down the international airport, and all flights were cancelled. Having no choice (and no desire either to put ourselves in the midst of their political issues), we decided to spend our last few days back in Hong Kong, which is Ann's departure point for returning home.
Debbie will be heading to Kathmandu, to volunteer at the Shechen Clinic Hospice from Dec 15 until Jan 16.
le are so kind and soft spoken. Staff at the hotel were CONSTANTLY at our sides asking how they could assist. We often had 3-4 waiters hovering which we found imposing especially while trying to eat. Cambodian people take "customer service" to a new level! After day #1, we resorted to ordering "room service" at dinner time. This request seemed disconcerting to the staff. The first time the waiter came up with the food he said "I'll be back in 20 minutes to collect the dishes". We re-negotiated a 30 minute eating time.
