Nha Trang, Vietnam

01 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by in Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Oh how I hate to fly. Even more so on tiny prop engine planes. Our flight to Nha Trang was not a fun one for me. Way to turbulent for my liking. But we landed safe and sound and that was all that mattered!

The airport is about 30 minutes outside of the resort area so we grabbed a taxi and headed to town!

Nha Trang is your typical beach town. Beautiful sandy beaches lined with hotels. This was exactly what we needed at this point in our vacation. We didn’t waste much time in our hotel (Asia Paradise), We ate a quick breakfast, changed into our bathing suits and off we went to the beach. We wanted to get there early and get us a little beach cabana to chill out under all day. We chose the Sailing Club and paid 30,000 dong ($1.50) for the use of a cabana for the day. Just as we were settling in, we saw Caley and Kyle walk by.  We were not supposed to see them until that night but of course we would randomly run into eachother!! So they settled in beside us.

Before long the wind picked up. Apparently this wind hits the beach every day around 11am. It can really blow! But it did keep you cool on a very hot day!

We lounged until about 3. People watched and laughed at people in the ocean as they got thrown about. The waves were super big! By the time we got back to the hotel, I was feeling a bit red. And by the time it was time to get ready for dinner, I was a full on lobster! That wind, although cooling, also masked the fact that we were frying our asses off!

We had to deal with the peddlers trying to sell us stuff throughout the day but you just say no a couple times and they will leave you alone. Or you can just ignore them. That worked too.

There were a lot of kite surfers out on the water and I managed to get some cool shots!

 

And then there was this poor woman with her feet just a dangling. She doesn’t look comfortable at all!

We had a little nap before getting ready for dinner. Sue and I picked a mediteranean place to eat that night. Needed a good full stomach for our night of drinks with Caley and Kyle. We then walkled the block to the Guava Bar (Sports Bar) to meet up with them. I am sure it is a great place to watch sports but was kind of dead that night so we had a drink with them and then we made our way down the street to the other Guava Bar that was much more happening. They had a band playing and it was quite packed. We sat outside on the patio as it was a lovely evening. I was looking around for the owner who I was introduced to on facebook through a friend. I finally found him and he came over and had a drink with us. There were some shots. Lots of vodka. Lots of conversation. Good times.

When Sue and I got back to the hotel we were happy to see the security guard hard at work… actually the exact opposite. He was sleeping in his chair outside the hotel.

The next morning, I was in a little bit of a vodka fog. I definitely needed to eat and drink a lot of water! But we were still up early and wanted to get to the beach in good time. This day we decided to head down a bit from the Sailing Club and plunk down at Louisiane Brewhouse. The cabanas were slim pickins but we managed to find one eventually. Again, the day was about lounging. We had a bit to eat. We tried their beer. We swam in the pool. We people watched which meant having to watch the guy with the red banana hammock all day long. It was like a train wreck. We couldn’t stop staring.

Caley: “The guy with the banana hammock just turned over!”

Kyle: ” I will take your word for it!” 

And then it was time for Caley, Sue and I to go for our massages. We had booked at one place but when we went buy it, it looked suspect so we ended up at Crazy Kim’s Spa.

The massage was really quite good but it was so cold in the room. They had this fan blasting. By the time the massage was done I was shaking I was so cold. And spent the next 2 hours under 2 massive blankets trying to get warm. All the while googling symptoms and was convinced I had malaria! I eventually stopped shaking but still felt totally out of it. I think it must have been a combination of being dehydrated and some sun stroke.

We met Caley and Kyle for dinner at a restaurant on the main strip. Had a lovely meal. No booze for me. I just needed water, water and more water! And then it was time to say our goodbyes to our lovely Canadian friends! They were staying one more day in Nha Trang before continuing on their travels and Sue and I were heading to Ho Chi Minh City in the morning.

Besides the near malaria scare, Nha Trang was just what the doctor ordered! Total relaxation in a beautiful setting!

Hoi An, Vietnam

31 Thursday Mar 2011

Posted by in Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

In order to get to Hoi An, you have to fly into Da Nang. We arrived about 9:30am to a very small airport and immediately were outside looking for a cab. Now knowing the hassles with meter taxis we insisted on a flat rate and ended up catching a ride with a dude from the states. Really nice guy who was travelling post divorce. He had been to Vietnam some 15 years earlier and was amazed at how it had all changed. He was a very knowledgeable guy. Told us all sorts of facts about Vietnam. But maybe a little too chatty for a 30 min drive!

Sue and I were shocked when we got to our hotel. It was a lot nicer than we had anticipated! We got all checked in and walked by a fabulous looking pool to get to our hotel room. Our room looked right on to the pool.

 

Town was only about a 5 minute walk so we hoofed it along the main street and into the main town area. What struck me about Hoi An was how cute it was. Lanterns strung up everywhere. Old buildings. The streets not super busy.

We were pretty hungry so we grabbed an early lunch by the river and planned our attack. The most amazing thing about Hoi An is the amount of tailors that work here. There are more than 500 tailors that work here so getting clothes made for you is the thing to do. We had a few places that had been recommended to us so we started there. At Yaly Couture. So we might have gone a little crazy here. Over the next hour, I worked with one person who helped me choose fabrics and designs for all the items I wanted. Once we had our list all finalized, we were measured.

We were told to come back the next day for our first fitting. That easy. And that quick of a turn around? Amazing!

We walked all around town that until later afternoon. Went to a few different tailors and ordered a few more things. It was starting to be hard to keep track of all of the different ones and what time we had to be at each the next day. Thank goodness for their business cards with maps on them!

So many great things to see in Hoi An. The Japanese Bridge as pictured below was built in the 1600’s as a way for the Japanese community to connect with the Chinese community.

Some other sites as we walked about town. Love all the colours!

We went back to the hotel for a little nap but decided on a swim instead! The pool was freezing but the weather was warm so we laid out for a bit after our dip and had an afternoon cocktail before getting ready for dinner.

We chose Mermaid Restaurant for our first nights meal. A little restaurant in the old town that had been recommended to us. We had to try the Hoi An specialty “White Rose” and was not disappointed. The food was incredible and probably the best meal we had to date at this point. If you ever go to Hoi An, you must try this restaurant!

As we were walking around the town at night we ran into Caley and Kyle, our friends from Halong Bay. Just happened to walk by them so we all went for a drink together. We exchanged email addresses so we could meet up with them in Nha Trang our next destination. It was an early night. I know, again. Seriously, we are not much parties when we travel. I would rather get up early and maximize the day than be hung over all day. But we did manage to party it up a couple times during our travels. The funniest part about staying out a little late that night was that by the time we got back to the hotel, the gate was up and there was noone to be found. It must have been 11pm or something. We did see a security guard inside but didn’t want to scream at him so we ended up climbing over the gate. When we asked the next day what we should do, they said we should call them and they would open it up. Um… with what phone?

The next day we took the hotel bikes out for a spin. Big mistake. They were so old and broken down that mine broke half way through the morning and I literally almost fell off the bike. A scary moment. We ditched the bikes then and just walked around. Ended up walking them back later. Some sites along our travels.

We then on a bit of a wild goose chase for this lunch place called Bale Well. We knew it was in an alley way between two streets but couldn’t find it. After we asked about 5 people and after walking for about 30 minutes we finally found it. This place was supposed to be the “safe” version of street food. It is a set meal and so they immediately started bringing over all the fixings. We had no idea how to eat any of it, so we asked. They showed us the various steps on how to put it all together. Best. Meal. Ever. Seriously amazing. But so much food. We stuffed ourselves! Not to be missed if you are ever in Hoi An.

The afternoon was spent in fittings for all our clothes. They were definitely shaping up. I couldn’t get over how well everything was made in such a short time. I found some more things that I wanted to get made as well so set up some fittings for the next day and booked a private tour to My Son. We took the crappy bikes back to the hotel and got some new ones. We had heard all about fresh beer so we had to go try it.

One glass of fresh beer was 4000 dong which is the equivalent of 20 cents. Totally ridiculous. And good beer too!  We sat on the patio and just enjoyed the view!

After a couple glasses of fresh beer on a patio overlooking the river, we made our way back to the old town for dinner. Our choice for that night was unoriginal. We went back to Mermaid Restaurant. It was too good to pass up another meal there. After dinner was a donut at a street vendor and walking around town. I loved Hoi An at night when all the lanterns were lit up!

As we were heading back to the hotel, the bikes broke down again. We tried to explain to the staff at the hotel the danger of letting people use these dangerous old bikes but they didn’t seem to understand us. So if you stay at Hoi An Pacific Hotel, I highly recommend you rent bikes elsewhere!

Our My Son adventure started at 8am the next morning when our private tour guide and driver picked us up. We drove about an hour outside of Hoi An to My Son. For those that don’t know, My Son is the site of Hindu ruins that worship the god Shiva. A lot of the ruins were destroyed by the US during the Vietnam war. Restoration has taken place however what is amazing is that the construction techniques used to create the temples in the first place, can’t be duplicated. You can tell what has been restored vs what is original and let me tell you the difference is incredible. The restored parts look like they were done by amateurs!

We were excited to get out and see the ruins so but we begun our tour with music and dance of some of the locals.

 Our guide was so informative and I was so grateful for having him. Walking around on our own without the histroy would not have been as impactful.

The location of My Son is in between two valleys and is so lush and green. It was wonderful walking around even though it was quite humid out.

We finished our tour and got back into the car to make our way back to Hoi An for lunch. As we were driving we saw this…

I am not sure if it was a good thing or bad thing that they were still alive. All squished up like that. Our guide said, she most likely was taking them to the market to sell. Poor piggies.

We ended up on the river for lunch which was all a part of the tour. A 4 course meal for $7. Love Vietnam for the cheap meals that you can get!

After lunch it was all about picking up our clothes. We were so impressed with the service we got at Yaly. You pay more for getting your clothes made but they are made so well and look fantastic. My overall haul in Vietnam: 4 pairs of pants, 1 skirt, 1 dress, 2 winter coats, 1 top for around $400. All tailor made to fit me. Of and I forgot one other thing I bought… One bag to fit everything I bought into. 🙂

Our last dinner in Hoi An was at this cute little family run restaurant. I can’t remember the name of it but the food was amazing (as usual). We strolled through the streets of Hoi An one last time before heading to our hotel for an early night. We had an early flight to Nha Trang the next morning.

Final thoughts on Hoi An. One word. Amazing.

Hanoi, Vietnam Part 2

29 Tuesday Mar 2011

Posted by in Travel

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

We got back from Halong Bay late and had no idea if there was going to be room in the hotel we stayed at before. Thankfully they found room for us! Seriously, it you are in Hanoi, stay at the Serenity Hotel. You will not be disappointed!!

We left almost immediately to get some dinner. The hotel recommended a place close by called Highway 4. Amazing! Another Lonely Planet recommendation as well. They even have a line of  liquors that you can buy. I kind of wish I had now. Not a late night. After 8 hours round trip in a car, it was time for bed.

We had no real plans for the next morning. In the afternoon we had booked a massage and then it was dinner and apres dinner for Susan’s birthday. We came down for breakfast and our favourite guy who worked at the hotel said “Happy Birthday!”. I guess he had looked at Sue’s passport when we checked in! So we had our usual breakfasts and then we decided to just walk around and check out parts of Hanoi that we hadn’t seen yet. Before we knew it, it was time for lunch. We decided on the Green Tangerine. We were the only ones on the patio and ordered a feast! Holy moly did we eat a lot! After a few birthday/lunch cocktails it seemed appropriate to go find a place for another beer. We walked towards a location that was suggested in the LP but that place ended up being closed. So we backtracked to a place we had seen earlier. EZ Rider. I loved this place! And more so loved the manager. He was playing Backstreet Boys so I asked him about the band and if he liked them. He said he did and went on to tell us how much tickets were etc. He was totally cute! He told us that it was also a club and they have a backroom with a dance floor. We told him we might come back later to check it out! Most bars in Vietnam close at midnight but EZ Rider club stayed open late.

Off for our massage appointment. The funny thing about the place we booked at is that it was actually the place we wanted to go to a couple days prior but couldn’t find (SF Spa).  It was way better! Your typical spa with serene music and everyone quiet and respectful. Damn! We wasted money at that other place! The massage was fantastic. I fell asleep a couple times. We walked out of there totally out of it from being so relaxed. Until Susan says “Wow, I have never had my boobs massaged before”. Gutteral laughter ensued. Um what? I said to her that it must have been a birthday special because I certainly did not get that!

When we got into our hotel room, we saw red roses and a birthday cake. How nice is it that the hotel did that? Susan was so moved!

We decided on a place for dinner. It was packed when we got there but we managed to squeeze into the bar while we waited for our table. Good thing we got a table right away as we were getting no service at the bar. The food was fantastic. I know I sound like a broken record but I mean it when i have said that we didn’t eat a bad meal in Vietnam.

On to Le Pub! We settled in with some large beers and a jager bomb to get the night going!

After buying a t-shirt, taking a bunch of pictures and talking with the manager, we walked back to EZ Rider. The manager was still there! We chatted with him some more. He actually is brought into various bars to start them up. I talked with him about what he was doing advertising wise. Oh come on…. it is what I do!!! I always have the marketing hat on!

After some more drinks, we ventured to the back “club”. Such a vast different from the bar out front.

 We stayed maybe half hour or so but knew that one more drink would put us over the edge so we made our walk back to the hotel. Of course getting lost in the process. Thanks goodness for Jason and his iphone. GPS!! The crazy thing about our walk is that there is really no one on the streets. The busy Hanoi streets of the day are long gone and a quiet takes over. Kind of strange!

When we got back we dug into the cake! Did we ever. I would say when I woke up there was only 1/3rd of the cake left. Yummy!

Sue wasn’t feeling very well the next morning, so Jason and I wandered down to the Vietnam History Museum. They had some really cool artifacts. But really we just walked around Hanoi. Nothing on the agenda. Just taking it all in.

We met up with Susan later and went to the Water Puppets show! It was fun! Although I am not sure I would see it again but I do I think everyone should experience it!

Since this was our last night in Hanoi and our last night with Jason, we wanted to go out for a nice dinner. We chose Five Restaurant. We did it up right! Appies. Entrees. Desserts and of course wine. A bottle or two. Just really took our time. The craziest thing happened at the restaurant. I has just tweeted about our meal when someone at another table asked me if I had just tweeted?? She must have been following a Hanoi feed and saw my Tweet. It was so strange! We now follow each other on Twitter!

We wanted to check out Ho Kiem Lake at night so after dinner we headed there. Very cool when it is all lit up.

 

We then strolled through the night market. Didn’t see anything worth buying mind you but it was fun regardless! Loved all the colours that we saw as we walked though. So vibrant!

So with that, we made our way one last time through the streets of Hanoi and back to the hotel. An early morning to the airport to say goodbye to Jason and make our way via Vietnam Airlines to Hoi An.