It is quite a while since I have written here. Partly due to my own travels to Vietnam and Samoa. Three weeks in Vietnam was a wonderful experience in a beautiful country, rich in history and with an amazing culture. The pagodas and shrines were all different, and very beautiful. Much of the interest came from the Vietnamese people who revere these religious monuments.
Motorcycles fill the city streets, and there seems to be no limit to what one can carry on a motorcycle. I think the most impressive was the makings of a kitchen, from the cupboards, to the framing.The sheer numbers of motorcycles, is really impossible to imagine, until you are there.I had seen the traffic in Cambodia, but it is much more in Vietnam.Yet 8 years ago, most people rode bicycles.
Hanoi has so much of interest, you need to allow at least three or four days.Halong Bay was somehow much more touristy than I imagined, yet still very lovely, although the rubbish in the water was disappointing. The looming outlines of the 1964 islands dotting the Bay make a spectacular display.
We enjoyed a more off the beaten track stay at Lake Ba-be where we stayed in simple conditions in a Long House, took a boat out onto the lake and strolled the village.This was a look at rural Vietnam.
We loved our day trip to the Perfume Pagoda. A ride through rural countryside, a boat trip, and a gondola ride up to the pagodas.The Pagoda in the cave was an amazing place.
Hoi An was my favourite town, despite boats floating on the main street when we arrived! Being the wet season, it floods regularly, but the water had surprisngly dissapated by the next day.Made for walking, the character made this a truly fascinating travel destination!
Hue was another wonderful, yet totally different experience. The Citadel is a stunning example of early architecture. Our trip on a dragon boat down the Perfume River, was a great way of seeing several pagodas, mausoleums, or shrines, while saving the feet.It is also nice to support the street children by having a very nice, yet cheap meal at the Japanese training restaurant. Lac Thien restaurant run by deaf mutes is another Hue eating experience not to be missed.
You can read about the central and northern areas of Vietnam, with information on restaurants, accommodation, sightseeing and the different towns and cities at http://www.fascinating-travel-destinations.com/travel-to-vietnam.html I have given a good coverage of information, travel tips and suggestions here.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
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