The Socialist Republic of Vietnam has little evidence of the war remaining. There are reminders every now and then as they may refer on loud speaker announcements about "American Imperialists" and the "American War". Quite different from what we hear about Vietnam in the classroom. Otherwise, Vietnam is developing rapidly and is weaning itself off the traditional Communist structure and looking more towards it's neighbor China to the North for inspiration in development.
HCMC to Nha Trang
Our bus from Phnom Phen dropped us off in the middle of a street in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) and we scrambled to gather our bags. We didn't really want to see HCMC and were heading straight to Nha Trang, a former US Military R&R hotspot. Without thinking, we hopped into a cab to take us to the bus terminal without realizing that we were without any local currency, the dong. We managed to tell the driver we needed an ATM and he dropped us off in front of one. Bobby ran in and pulled cash and we were off to the train terminal. Since we were in such a rush, Bobby didn't take note of the exchange rate before running in and didn't pull nearly enough cash, just barely enough for lunch and possibly our train tickets. He left Chantal and I at the terminal so I could figure out what was going on for the next train to Nha Trang while he ran around searching for an ATM. Everything was sorted out and we were off!
Nha Trang was mostly a tourist beach town so we didn't linger long. We were able to take a trip to Cam Ranh Bay where Bobby's stepfather Ange was during the war. It is hard to imagine the now quiet and pristine spot filled with American battleships and brimming with activity.
Hoi-An
Hoi-An is an enchanting old city located in the middle of Vietnam along the coast. It has narrow streets, traditional home, chinese temples and tailors galore! We all really enjoyed strolling the streets and water front taking in all of the sights, sounds, smells and also the shopping. Our hotel here was probably the most luxurious we stayed in. It had lovely rooms, pool and fantastic breakfast buffet and restaurant for a whopping $17 a night!
Hue
Still working our way futher North, we stopped in the former Imperial Capital of Vietnam, which was in use until the Emperor relinquished the throne in 1945 to the Communist Party who set up headquarters in Hanoi. The city has a rich culture of its own, unique food, music and handicrafts. We spent a day exploring the Imperial Palace and got heat stroke, the weather was literally like an oven. Our plans for the last leg of the journey was changed last minute as there was not a single seat, bed or space on the trains going to Hanoi. Apparently every else had the same idea as us and the country has far more tourists than any of us expected. We flew the last leg of our journey through Vietnam to the capital Hanoi.
Hanoi and Halong Bay
Hanoi is full of different sights and activities, we could have spent far more time there than we actually did. Traffic is probably the one thing that will stand out the most in my memory. There is a population of about 3 million people in Hanoi and every single one of them is riding a moped! The streets are so congested with people shoulder to shoulder on their mopeds. Interestingly enough, crossing the streets is quite easy, you just need to walk slowly across at any point in a road. It goes against instinct to head into this seething mass of vehicles at a slow pace but it gives them time to react and go around you. We took in a water puppet show while we were there which was a wonderful experience. They have the wooden puppets on stick so it gives them the illusion of floating on top of the water, which the puppeteers are hidden behind a backdrop.
The remainder of the time we spent relaxing on a junk ship in Halong Bay. The views were stunning and we had only one other couple on the boat at the same time as us so it was a very intimate experience. We were served fantastic food, had wonderful service, and stunning views. I think that was absolutely the most relaxed I have ever been in my whole life, I can't wait to go back to do it again!
We left Vietnam on my birthday to have my special dinner in one of my favorite eating spots.... SINGAPORE!
