Destination: Vietnam

Up, up and Hue we go!

Sat, 20 May 2006 | By smelt_and_gizzard | Views [960] | Comments [4]

Sailing down narrow tree-lined streets on the back of a Honda Dream Motorcycle. Through small villages, high-fiving the local kids, we made our way from the city of Hue out into the unvanquishable Vietnamese countryside. A kingdom of rice fields and ancestor ... Read more >

Tags: Culture

Hoi An: full moon festival

Sat, 13 May 2006 | By smelt_and_gizzard | Views [2357] | Comments [1]

We're now on day 4 in the lovely town of Hoi An. We plan to stay for another 6 nights so our pace has slowed down accordingly. We have weaned ourselves from the A/C to save 2$ a night, and of course, so that we can adapt in preperation for the humidity ... Read more >

Tags: Beaches & sunshine

Gallery: Vietnam

Fri, 12 May 2006 | By smelt_and_gizzard | Photo Gallery

Hanoi: pain au chocolate mornings

Mon, 8 May 2006 | By smelt_and_gizzard | Views [2406] | Comments [1]

Hanoi. A city drenched in sweat like a french cake marinated in a lusty liquour. It's hot and the change from the dry mountainous climate of northern Yunnan has given our bodies much to complain about. We are trying to use the AC as little as possible ... Read more >

Tags: Scams & Robberies

Crossing the border

Tue, 2 May 2006 | By smelt_and_gizzard | Views [641]

After bus mix-ups and the dreaded 10 hour sleeper bus from Kunming, we are now settled in at a hotel with a view in Sapa, a hillside resort town 35 km from the Chinese/Vietnamese border. For $5 a night we have a gorgeous view of a valley of rice paddies ... Read more >

Tags: Mountains

Gallery: Vung Tau

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Photo Gallery

Gallery: Cu Chi tunnels

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Photo Gallery

Gallery: Mu Nie

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Photo Gallery

Gallery: Saigon

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Photo Gallery

My big belly

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Views [1210] | Comments [4]

The Vietnamese people are very forward when it comes to discussing my beer belly. For the past 4 days I have been at a resort on the coast where there are few westerners. On a number of occassions people, especially women, have stroked my stomach and ... Read more >

Tags: People

Vung Tau

Sun, 9 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Views [790]

This is a coastal resort. I have spotted a few westerners but we are very rare here. Some of the locals and other holiday makers will smile and say hello and little children stare at me. I was on the back of a motor bike taxi yesterday when a couple ... Read more >

Tags: People

The English excell themselves

Fri, 7 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Views [1204] | Comments [6]

I met an English guy in a bar yesterday. Think of the pretentious English who think they are sophisticates because they have managed to settle in Spain and then multiply it by 20. He avoided my gaze like I was carrying bird flu and then spoke to the ... Read more >

Tags: Culture

Cu Chi tunnels

Fri, 7 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Views [911]

The Cu Chi tunnels is the network of tunnels near Saigon in which the Viet Cong fought against the US army. As well as the tunnels there were sniper pits, only a very slim western girl could fit into a sniper pit. The tunnels are on 3 levels, the top ... Read more >

Tags: Sightseeing

Mue Ni

Tue, 4 Apr 2006 | By doherty1957 | Views [1528]

Or something similar. This was a very quiet resort but it was off season. I did enjoy lazing by the pool but I decided that I should do something so I took a half day tour. First we visited white sand dunes, and area next to a lake which is like a very ... Read more >

Tags: Sightseeing

Vietnam

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 | By doherty1957 | Views [663]

I've never been in a communist country before. I was expecting them to march me to a Gulag because they had been tipped off by a British agent that I had stolen a library book when I was 14. I've only been here a day but it doesn't feel Commie. The hotel ... Read more >

Tags: Sightseeing