Hai Van Pass

 

Hue to Hoi An

Time to leave Hue. Our next journey was to Hoi A via the Hai Van Pass, which Top Gear declared as one of the worlds best coastal routes during their 2008 road tour through Vietnam. The coastal road runs along the South China Sea and rises to 500m above sea level, dividing Hue and De Nang. A tropical area which was covered in mist as we drove over it. The pass is a steep winding road which was scattered with rocks that had slid down the hillside. There appears to be a constant battle to keep the road clear and safe. Our journey took about 3 hours, with a stop at the highest point for coffee. 

De Nang and Hoi An are joined together and are growing beach resort towns. The largest luxury hotel chains are either present or under construction. Investment is flowing in. Change and development is underway. Our hotel for the next four nights is the Palm beach resort in Hoi An. A nice resort on the beach with golden sand.

  Congratulations to the England Cricket team for winning the T20 World Cup. Sad as it may seem we ignored the swimming pool and sat infront of an Ipad watching the game. We did try to find a television showing the game, but cricket has not made an impact in Vietnam yet. Football and the Premier League is very different. We are often asked where we are from, when we respond England, the first question is what team we support. No surpises that Man City and Liverpool are the two most supported teams over here. To be kind, they often declare West Ham to be their second team.  

Good night Vietnam.

Hanoi Vietnam

 

Our time in India is over. We took an over night flight via a very busy Vietjet flight from New Delhi to Hanoi, arriving at 5am. Before leaving Hanoi airport, we bought two pre paid SIM cards, only £11 each for 30days, offering local calls and 4 Gb data per day, which means we can stay in contact if we loose each other, 

We had a driver organised to meet us at the airport, which was about a 30 minute journey. Hanoi is a large developing city with a population of about 8.3 million. We have flown 3.5 hours east to a much more tropical country, but there are a number of similarities to Delhi. The first is the polution, a thin haze of smog sitting above the city and second is the dependence on motor bikes. Vietnam was controlled by the French from the mid 19th century until the 1950's, which ended after a long war with the French, then came the American Vietnam war. They now have their independence. It’s a communist country, but feels very relaxed. As we drove across Hanoi city at 6 am on a Sunday morning, it was busy with people exercising - Runninng, Cycling, Tai Chi and Badminton. We drove past the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, which was busy with parades and people looking to pay tribute to their great historical leader. It feels like a country which has embrassed communism and not a repressed communist state, which is how the west tends to view communism. Our first guided trip was organised for 9am, which was not the best organisation after a night without sleep. After a quick a snooze and breakfast we met our enthusiastic guide who marched us off around the city. You have to be confident and brave as a pedestrian. There is a constant flow of cars and motorbikes. Pelican type crossings are at all the major junctions, but these seem to be advisory only, so our guide demonstrated the tecnique of gently holding out your arm and then walking into the oncoming traffc. Walk with confidence, don't stop and the traffic will find its way around you. A bit like Moses crossing the Red Sea. A little dsconcerting, but oh well, when in Hanoi.

Our guide could see we were tired and stopped for coffee. At this point she attempted to give us our first lesson in Vietnamese. She soon realised that she would need patience with her new students, but she seemed to be up for the challenge, even though we were showing no enthusiasm and struggling with English through our tiredness. 

For those interested, a few words: Hello : xin chào, Good bye : Tạm biệt and if you need a motorbike : xe máy.

Once our Vietnamese lesson was over we identified a restaurant for the evening for traditional Vietnamese Noddles. Beef Noodles - 130,000 Vietnamese Dong (approx £5 for us both).

As we are in Hanoi - the drink of the day, Cheers

The journey ahead

The 5th September , which coincides with Danny’s 24th Birthday, is the 40th anniversary of my working life.  Absolutely no complaints, but it does not feel like 40 years. My 16year old self had no vision of my career ahead, but I think I overachieved my expectations. On that September morning I cycled down to Shell Haven Oil refinery, to start my apprenticeship as an Instrument mechanic, which was the start of my career in Technology and the path to working with some of Silicon Valleys fastest growing technology companies. The Internet was still unknown, but it would prove to have the greatest influence on my future career. 

Without Shell, I would not have met Janice and ultimately see our two boys grow and set out on their own life journey, 

So what next? It is time for some “us” time. Janice and I are going travelling; India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Bali. Not quite back packing, but there are similarities. 

We leave on the 30th October. All planned, well nearly. First stop New Delhi and the golden triangle (Jaipur, Agra and back to New Delhi) . Then head to Hanoi in Vietnam, travelling down to Ho Chi Minh, followed by travelling around Cambodia. From Cambodia to Singapore, to catch up with friends, finishing with some relaxation in Bali. Travelling back home via New Delhi for Christmas. 

This is our blog, to plot our journey and help us remember where we have been, plus share a little with family and friends. We hope you will enjoy reading it.