Home and Hue

We had a day in Hue (pronounced Hway). The ancient Imperial City for the Emperors of Vietnam. The last Emperor resigned in protest [encouraged by Ho Chi Minh] in 1945 as Vietnam attempted to take back control, following the Japanese invasion during the Second World War and a move by the French to reimpose its colonialism when the war ended. Our first stop was the walled Citadel, where the last Emperors resided. This was the scene of one of the most bloodiest battles during the Vietnam War [ The Vietnamese refer to it as the American War]. In 1967 Ho Chi Minh wanted to bring the war to a conclusion before he died. The Tet offensive was a series of coordinated attacks on the South controlled Vietnamese cities (100 cities), which started during the Luna New Year in 1968 when many of the South Vietnamese troops were celebrating. The attack on Hue was one of the most intensive and bloody. As we walked around this ancient city, it seemed difficult to comprehend what had happened. Our guide Ling was born after the war and very philosophical about what had happened. He explained later that his grandfather had fought in the war. He was only 5ft tall, most likely due to his poor diet, and struggled to lift his AK47 which had be designed for larger Russian soldiers. But in their view it was a war of liberation. This was clearly all in the past and Vietnam has a incredibly bright future. This is a country which will only grow stronger and I suspect a great a place to invest over the next 50 years.

From the Citadel we explored a number of the temples, Joss Stick and traditional hat makers, followed by a trip down the Perfume River. 

Khai Dinh Mausoleum 

Our evening re-enforced how much has changed in Vietnam. Whether change is all for the good is hard to say, but this is a country which is developing fast. In the centre of Hue they pedestrianise the roads in the evening. Heineken were launching their new beer in Vietnam, Larue Smooth. A full stage was set up to promote it and some of the biggest regional pop stars were hired to perform. We had no idea who they were, but they were great fun. All the time the rain fell, while everyone danced in shorts and tee shirts. Asian night life was in full swing.

 

We have to thank Heineken for an evening of fun, They handed out beer and merchandise while we watched the evenings entertainment. There were many europeans enjoying the party and we even bumped even into a dutch couple who were on our cruise in Bai Tu Long Bay. We really felt like backpackers 😀

Overnight train to Hue

 

Our overnight train from Hanoi to Hue, was just under 13 hours. Having our own cabin with beds gave us our own space. The beds were comfortable and long enough to stretch out straight. The biggest challenge, the toilets. Two foot pads and a hole, a true knee trembler, this was far from ideal for Janice. Fortunately we did find a more conventional toilet later that night. 

Our attendant recommended we keep the cabin door locked to avoid other passenger’s looking for spare beds, so we locked ourselves in and attempted to sleep. It was not the quietest train and you could hear and feel every joint and bump on the rails, so sleeping was difficult. The train also stopped at various points throughout the night to bring on more passengers. But, we managed to survive the night, waking around 7:30 for coffee and watch Vietnams beautiful scenery go by. We finally arrived in Hue at 11:00 AM, with our next guide ready to drive us to our hotel.

After this a relaxing afternoon, we set off for dinner in the streets of Hue, which are buzzing at night. Packed with what appeared to be local Vietnamese partying. We like Hue and looking for to exploring more tomorrow. 

Back to Hanoi

 

Our last day in the beautiful area of Ninh Binh before heading back to Hanoi for our overnight train to Hue. Before we leave, a Sampan boat down one of the local rivers in Tam Coc. Local women row the Sampans. They are normally farmers, but use this as an opportunity for additional income. They make the most of it by selling their home made gifts at the furthest point of our journey. They are incredibly strong and skilled. The oars women nonchalantly use their feet to row, with ours making the occasional phone call while rowing. The river took us through natural waterway tunnels carved over millions of years into the rocky landscape.

A two hour car drive back to Hanoi for a chance to eat before our overnight train journey to Hue. 

England had a 3pm start time in their T20 World Cup semi final against India. We found a local sports bar to watch England unexpectedly cruise to the final next Sunday. Then a quick trip to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before heading to the station. Leo met us at the station to ensure we made the right train. He has been amazing and a great contact if anyone wants to travel around Vietnam, He has his own travel company and is working with overseas customers to build tailor made holidays. 

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum 

                                      

We arrive in Hue at 11:30 tomorrow morning, good night all. 

Tam Coc Ninh Binh

 

We woke early in our bungalow (Tam Coc Horizon) in Tam Coc Ninh Binh. We had arranged to meet our guide, Leo, for a 06:30 cycle ride to view the local sites. A beautifully warm morning, with the Sun rising. It seems that the day starts early in Vietnam, the local children were already outside with their school bags and the farmers already tending their Rice fields. 

 

The scenery and wildlife is stunning. A Kingfisher sat on a power line and we cycled past many flowering lilies in the lakes and rivers, The area is beautiful and rugged. Vietnam is a country which has been involved in many invasions and conflicts over the last 1000 years. The Chinese, Moors, French Japanese and then most recently the Vietnam war involving the Russian, Chinese and Americas from the 55 to 75. We passed an area which was used to train their soldiers when they fought the Moors. They were trained in how to fight in the woods, water and the hills, both night and day. An environment very different for overseas soldiers. While beautiful, its a landscape which the people of Vietnam have used to their advantage for the last thousand years. A beautiful country, but one which needs ingenuity to survive. But given all their conflicts, what comes across when you spend time with them is how positive they are. Their culture is half glass full. They are also incredibly hardworking. Their country is changing fast as they modernise and become a manufacturing world power. It’s clear that this is not without its challenges. They only opened their borders to the west in 1995. Talking to our guide Leo, he has seen massive changes in this time, which gives him concern. Tourist resorts are springing up as money comes in from the cities. It will be interesting to see how this area changes over the next 20 years. 

Our cycle took us to various places including one of their many temples;  Bich Dong Pagoda built in 1428. 

Bich Dong Pagoda

After our morning ride, it was back for breakfast and a few hours relaxation around the swimming pool, before our next cycle ride to the Han Mua Peak, which is a 500 step climb to look over the Ninh Binh region. The idea was to sit at the top while the sunset, but unfortunately the weather was overcast, so we we needed to look at the views without the sun, but still stunning. 

                                            

After our 500 steps climb, there was only one way to finish the day, dinner. A cycle back to Tam Coc to eat in the recommendation of the day from Leo. Father Cooking, serving amazing local food for an amazing price.

Bai Tu Long Bay Islands

Bai Tu Long  Il

Our journey took us 3 hours drive from Hanio to the port of Ha Long to join our overnight cruise to the area of Bai Tu Long Bay, which is a coastal area made up of hundreds of islands and islets. It is part of the Ha Long Bay islands which is an UNESCO world heritage site and has a total of 1969 islands. An amazing and beautiful place, which is a perfect setting for a James Bond closing scene. It’s difficult to describe in words, so leaving to pictures rather than words: 

Our lead for the journey was the very energetic Sunday (his Nickname), whose objective was to keep us busy and entertained. Our fist adventure was Kayaking, paddling out among the islands to find a secluded beach. Once there we could swim freely in remarkably warm water.

After a good nights sleep, we had another early morning. Our guide, Sunday, offered a 6am Tai Chi for beginners lesson on the top deck as the sun rose. This was followed by breakfast and a tour of an island with a hidden cave called Thiem Cohn Son Cave.

                                                  Our Guide Sunday - who wanted to make it a funday.. 

 

The cruise finished around midday, just in time for us to say goodbye to our new friends and meet our new guide called Leo for the journey to Ninh Binh, which is an inland area of beauty, with Paddy Fields surrounded by amazing scenery. 

Water buffalo enjoying their bath

So ends an an amazing, but whirlwind 24rs. A little sleep is needed as we have a 6am cycle ride in the morning 😏

 

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