Good evening from Bangkok,
Last time we posted we updated you on the last couple of weeks of the internship following New Year and the beginning of our time with Claire and Amy.
We explained that Becky, Claire and Amy had gone to Halong Bay - here are a few more pictures from that trip courtesy of Claire Levi - thanks Claire.
After Halong Bay, Amy and Claire had a night in Hanoi before heading to Ninh Binh for two nights where they were extremely active and enjoyed long bike rides on the same bikes we also used from the hotel! Very strange seeing all the places we had been with Claire and Amy there instead in photograph form. I believe there was also a wild night out in Ninh Binh... and then the girls returned to Hanoi where they got to see the Temple of Literature amongst other sites and Claire went to see Uncle Ho at the Mausoleum.
The travel plan was to begin on Saturday 13th Jan starting with a flight to Hue, then bus to Da Nang to transfer to Hoi An, then a bus back to Da Nang for a long 17 hour train journey to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where our trip would end with all of us flying to Bangkok... Becky and Rob to then venture around Thailand and Amy and Claire to go to Heathrow. Amy leaving on 20th Jan and Claire on 21st Jan.
Amy and Claire ventured out to our district - Ciau Giay - on Friday 12th Jan for a meal with Daniel at one of our favourite restaurants - Spices - and a few drinks in the Bia Hoi before we headed into Old Quarter for a cocktail at Lantern Lounge. We were joined by Lovely Livvy who came to meet the girls. The following morning Robert and Becky had some fun collecting bonuses and final payments before rushing off to the airport thinking we were late... for once the Hanoi traffic was non-existent and we were there super early. We had booked business class flights as it was only a few quid extra and gave us 30kg baggage allowance. It was an AMAZING experience - loved by all. We got to go down the priority queue at security and check in, use the business lounge which was lush (unlimited beer and food), a private bus to the plane (the doors of the economy bus only opened once we had arrived so we could get on first), lots of leg room, a meal, drinks, and a private bus once we arrived. It was absolute luxury and Becky is convinced it made her less scared of flying and could be a medical solution.
We were only a bit excited.... photo credits Claire Levi.
Once we arrived in Hoi An we transferred to our slightly dodgy, damp, dirty hotel... (but cheap!) and ventured out to explore the Imperial City of Hue. Amy opted to stay in a slightly nicer hotel. That evening we went for drinks and dinner and got an early night. Rob became very excited when he saw the range of boulangeries on offer in Hue and could not stop thinking about croissant and pain-au-chocolate after that.
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Photo credit Claire Levi
Wondering the streets of Hue
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The next morning we ventured around the Imperial City which was really impressive. Claire made friends with some fish and even got to feed them. It was a bit rainy and gloomy but this didn't dampen our mood and we think everyone enjoyed this bit of tourism. For lunch we went to Hong Mai (recommended in Lonely Planet and would certainly recommend). We tried two Hue specialities: Banh Khoai and Nem Lui which Becky and Claire threw quite a lot of chilli on..... The whole meal was super cheap (can't have been more than a fiver each) and even included a few beers for Becky, Claire and Rob. Following lunch we went to a military museum to learn about the American/Vietnam War. Quite biased but interesting nonetheless and lots of big tanks to look at. Rob's desire for croissant became too much after this and he left us three ladies to go and find a bakery whilst we went to find a boat to go down the river on.
The Imperial City
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| Photo credit Claire Levi |
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We eventually found a boat which Amy felt would not pass the Marine Safety standards in England. We have, however, lived to tell the tale. It was quite a rickety boat and awkward to get in and out of but such a blast and had fantastic views of the Perfume River. The boat trip took us to Thien Mu pagoda which was worth a visit. We ventured round and got to watch some Japanese tourists posing for photos next to anything but the Pagoda... Amy was fascinated. After we got off the boat we went shopping to find some fantastic fruit themed outfits for us all to wear. We knew this would be our only opportunity as Rob was not around! We opted for pineapples - pictures to follow. Rob then came and met us for a drink, snacks, and then dinner at the DMZ Bar. Later we were joined by Hannah and Ed - fellow teachers. Ed and Rob became involved in an extremely tense and competitive multi-round game of pool. It was a draw with the boys winning the last round. As a witness you would think they had just won an olympic medal after the excitement and love between the two of them that followed. We then parted ways before we grabbed another drink and headed to bed.
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The following morning we got a taxi to a luxury bus - HAV Limousine - where we felt like we were back in business class. This bus took us to Da Nang for the next leg of our adventure. Once we arrived in Da Nang we were all extremely happy to see the first sunshine we had seen since we left Hanoi and feel the first heat. It was glorious. We had a quick drink before grabbing another bus to our hotel in Hoi An.
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Suns Out, Guns Out, Shades On.
Photo credit Claire Levi |
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We arrived at the next hotel which was a pleasant surprise. It was almost as cheap as the last one but really nice - would recommend it highly - Hoa Binh Hotel (Lonely Planet). We booked ourselves onto a cooking class where we learned how to make Vietnamese spring rolls (Claire and Robin Bassom we hope you are reading this and are very proud of Amy) and then we went to rest whilst Amy and Claire headed off for an explore and did a bit of shopping. Later on Claire, Amy and Becky put on a synchronised swimming performance in the freezing cold hotel pool. That evening we headed to Green Mango for dinner and then headed to bed.
The next day we spent exploring the Ancient City after a bit of a sleep in. We saw a number of the temples and houses that you can see with the entrance ticket to the Ancient City. During the afternoon we headed to the beach in Hoi An where Claire and Becky had great fun exploring the red flag waters - it was quite rough. Amy was amused at watching Claire and Becky just fall over every time a wave came. It was really good fun and Amy and Rob got to relax and read. We all had a sex on the beach and enjoyed a bit of sunshine. After heading back we ventured a bit away from our hotel for dinner at a well-reviewed restaurant - Claire was impressed with her red snapper. It must be said for a place that prides itself on food none of us really felt the food was any better in Hoi An. If anything we both felt the Hue specialities were more interesting. Many of our friends who have visited would disagree with this statement and perhaps we were just unlucky. The lanterns in Hoi An, however, are undoubtedly stunning and help create a wonderful atmosphere.
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The next day was our last day in Hoi An before heading on the train to Ho Chi Minh City. Rob chose to find a cafe where he could eat more French pastries whilst us three girls went to My Son - Hindu temples (partially destroyed during the Vietnam War) which date back to the 4th Century AD. This was an enjoyable trip although we ran away from the tour group when we became fed up with hearing about bricks and mud. On the way back we got a boat to Hoi An which turned out to be quite a rush - rather than being back by 2pm for our 3:30pm bus to Da Nang we were back at 3:25pm!!! Luckily Rob checked us out and our transfer was booked from the hotel. This is a classic issue you will find with timings in Vietnam... always add on at LEAST an hour.
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Make of this what you will...
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The extremely relieved group of us then got into our bus for the transfer to Da Nang via the Marble Mountains. The Marble Mountains were in a word... bizarre. Definitely worth a visit for the spectacular views. We went up to Heaven's Gate and went into a cave which involved quite a bit of crawling and complete darkness. All good fun. Once we were finished there we headed back down to get on our way to Da Nang. In Da Nang in true Vietnamese style we grabbed a Pizza Hut and sat in a cafe near the station which we had enjoyed the day we arrived in the sunshine. This was all going quite well until a couple of incidents led to us being a mix of bemused and a bit scared. The first incident was a boy who looked young enough to be our son (probably not actually but he was young!) letting off a firecracker with no warning. It scared the shit out of everyone around including the tough lady who ran the bar. She then proceeded to scream at him and kick him out much to our amusement. The atmosphere gradually calmed down and Claire, Amy and Becky ran across to get Dalat wine and train snacks before the shop shut up. In the meantime a man... potentially the local drunk... had clearly drunk way too much. He started to piss in a tree near us before getting told off by the tough cafe lady again and was eventually escorted away by police. We saw him wondering past again.... all wondering how on earth he had not been hit by a crazy Vietnamese driver or motorcyclist.
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After several hours of waiting we boarded the 22:47 train to Ho Chi Minh City. The train was due to be around 17 hours long. We headed into our cabin which was quite a squeeze with Rob and Becky's two huge bags, but we managed, and settled down for the long journey. Claire, Becky and Amy watched Bridget Jones whilst Rob read and slept. Claire and Becky also cracked open the bottle of Red Chilean Livvy and Aaron got Rob and Becky for Christmas - thanks guys. Rob wasn't up for drinking it but we throughly enjoyed. Becky had been unwell since the beginning of the journey but this put her out to bed early one night in Hoi An and began to show even more on the train. Claire and Amy also had colds from the Hanoi smog. Unfortunately as a result Becky didn't sleep too well on the train but Rob and Amy slept like babies and indeed Amy spent a large chunk of the day time enjoying her train bunk. In the early hours of the morning whilst the others were sleeping Becky got spectacular views as the sun rose of the coast of Vietnam. It was worth not sleeping well for. The views in general were absolutely beautiful. During the day we watched Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason (very fitting given Becky and Rob were headed to Thailand) and Bridget Jones' Baby. We had such a laugh and even cracked open a bottle of Dalat wine. The train staff brought round a cheap and cheerful lunch and Claire and Becky even managed to track down coffee. All in all the 17 hours were well-enjoyed and went fast.
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Thanks Livvy and Aaron
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Before we knew it we were in the busy busy city of Ho Chi Minh. We got into a taxi and headed to our apartment where we checked in. Becky did a bit of pupillage writing whilst everyone relaxed and then we headed to a recommended restaurant which was a BBQ restaurant. The area we were in was lovely, lots of little cafes and restaurants and it seemed really safe. It was also walking distance to the river where this restaurant was situated. By this point Becky was feeling really rough and not herself at all. Apologies to Claire, Rob and Amy for the complete lack of personality the whole time we were in HCMC. We headed to bed and the next morning we all slept for AGES, except Becky who was doing pupillage applications. After getting ready we headed out to explore HCMC heading to the Post Office, Notre Dame, and War Remnant Museum. An interesting Museum, but much like the museum in Hue you take it with a pinch of salt. It is, however, devastating the impact this awful war had on the ordinary people of Vietnam. There were some pretty shocking photographs of the impacts of many of the chemical weapons used. We whizzed past the Reunification Palace - Claire saw this properly on her last day - and grabbed lunch which was a sort of Pho-like beef noodle soup. At this point Becky tasted nothing so took the opportunity to throw a ridiculous amount of spice in.
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We had booked onto a dinner cruise so after lunch Rob, Becky and Amy headed back whilst Claire went to explore the zoo. Becky worked on some pupillage stuff in Cheese cafe with Amy and Rob went for a nap. Once Claire joined us we headed back and got ready for the dinner cruise. In our pineapples! The evening started with a Water Puppet Show - Rob and Becky had seen the one in Hanoi - but nonetheless it was great fun. After this we were taken on a city tour by cyclo. At first we were all a little nervous of this and not sure about the whole idea but it was a really good laugh and a great way to see the city by night. The cyclos took us to a boat where we boarded and had dinner. There was a ridiculous amount of food and the views were lovely. We would definitely recommend doing a city tour by boat - we did ours via Get Your Guide - it was really good value for money. After dinner we headed to Bui Vien Walking Street - walking in the Vietnamese sense... ie. bikes and taxis everywhere. The following night it actually was properly pedestrianised. We had a few drinks and met up with another fellow teacher - Maria. Becky was beginning to feel even worse so we had to call it a night earlier than planned. But we got to witness the mayhem of the HCMC night-life and even saw a man wondering up and down with a snake. We also saw one of the sadder things we have probably witnessed in Vietnam, and something we did not see so much of in Hanoi, which was young children pushing sales at you. A number of these seemed to be being coerced by some sort of minder - presumably a parent. One little girl in particular looked dazed as she tried to sell chewing gum to us and every time her minder wanted her to go off to sell again she gave her a few big swigs of a sweet looking drink. It was really upsetting but did not detract from an otherwise wonderful evening.
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Photo credit Claire Levi
PINEAPPLES |
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Photo credit Claire Levi
PINEAPPLES |
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Photo credit Claire Levi
PINEAPPLES |
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The following day we headed on a trip to the Chu Chi tunnels which was fantastic. Claire, Becky and Rob all tried out an AK47 and we all crawled through the tunnel. Claire even went in the tiny narrow tunnel to pose for a picture. It was a really worthwhile trip and we all caught the sun a bit to top it off. It is incredible the work the Vietnamese put into these tunnels and the small, yet clever, tricks they played on the Americans such as wearing sandals the opposite way round so it looked like they had gone the other way. It was yet another reminder, however, of how recent this terrible (for both sides) war was.
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After heading back it was time to grab a bite to eat before saying Goodbye to Amy. Becky waved her off in the taxi and then went back to continue with pupillage applications. We then went out for drinks at a rooftop bar and dinner in Bui Vien Walking Street before getting an early night. We also got the witness huge success for Vietnam in the U23 football. All the local people were driving around on their bikes and in their cars waving the flag around. These were extraordinary scenes.
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| BYE AMY |
The following morning we woke up early and said our goodbyes to Claire before heading off to HCMC Airport to transfer to Bangkok. It was Goodbye to Claire for us and also goodbye to the country (for now) that we have been living in for 6 months.
Many thanks for Claire and Amy for making the extraordinary effort to come such a long way. We hope you enjoyed it and thanks to Claire for a series of fantastic pictures. See you in a few weeks and hope to see you in China/Hong Kong next year.
We promised you a few weeks ago we would give you an idea of our plans - we will try to keep you updated as we moved around depending on wifi access.
Currently we are in Bangkok and have been here since Sunday 21st Jan. We leave on Thursday 25th Jan. On Thursday we get an overnight bus to Phuket where we have one night on Friday 26th Jan. The day after we get a ferry to Phi Phi which we call home for 4 nights. An overnight bus on 31st Jan takes us back to Bangkok from Phuket and we hope to do more sightseeing in Bangkok then. A large chunk of our time in Bangkok so far has been spent working on getting Becky fit and well. On the 1st February we get the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and have 3 nights there and then 1 night in the nearby Chiang Rai. After this we plan to get the long boat journey into Laos which begins with a whole day on the Mekong and then a night in Pakbeng. The second destination for us in Laos is Luang Prabang on 7th Feb, moving onto Vang Vieng on the 10th Feb and finishing our Laos journey in Vientiane on 13th Feb. We then have our longest overnight bus, at 24 hours, transferring us from Vientiane to Hanoi, Vietnam. We will spend Tet holiday in Vietnam to celebrate with some old yet new friends. We have 5 nights there before flying to Phu Quoc island for a final beach holiday on 19th Feb and finally we finish with one night in Bangkok, Thailand on 24th February before heading home to Heathrow on 25th February. It will fly by and we will endeavour to keep you all updated.
Until next time! Much love.
