We have seen such extremes in our journey moving northward in Vietnam, from the beautiful mountains we visited in Dalat to the stunning beaches at Nha Trang, a city dedicated mainly to tourism. From there, we decided to take a very short flight to Danang, another lovely city located on the coast of the South China Sea with the Han River winding through it and interesting bridges like this one situated at various intervals.
Danang is also the location in which most people stop if they are travelling North by train on their way to the ancient cities of Hoi An and Hue. We originally planned to take the train, but considering our experience going to Phan Rang (see Pierre's blog of March 9), we decided to investigate taking an overnight bus. However, after researching and reading several comments on Trip Advisor (many people described the overnight bus as "hell on wheels" or a "moving prison", and these buses lock the on-board bathroom so it doesn't "stink up the bus") we wisely chose to fly. For the bargain price of $98 each, we arrived in about an hour, rested and ready to continue on our journey.
Danang is also the location in which most people stop if they are travelling North by train on their way to the ancient cities of Hoi An and Hue. We originally planned to take the train, but considering our experience going to Phan Rang (see Pierre's blog of March 9), we decided to investigate taking an overnight bus. However, after researching and reading several comments on Trip Advisor (many people described the overnight bus as "hell on wheels" or a "moving prison", and these buses lock the on-board bathroom so it doesn't "stink up the bus") we wisely chose to fly. For the bargain price of $98 each, we arrived in about an hour, rested and ready to continue on our journey.
The next morning, we boarded a taxi with a very chatty driver, and made the quick trip to the UNESCO designated ancient town of Hoi An. The well-preserved architecture of the town dates from the 15th to the 19th century, and it was an important trading port for many centuries. Walking along the many lovely streets in the Old Town is very comfortable due to the fact that for most of the day it is designated as a pedestrian zone. Precisely at 5:00 p.m., the streets are open to cars and motorcycles and the best thing you can do is get out of the way!
There are many artisans who sell their crafts in the small shops, and unlike many touristy destinations, these items are quite lovely and well made. Multi-colored lanterns are in abundance and it makes for a lovely scene at night when they are all lit up. Tailors are on every street touting their ability to make any item of clothing to order out of any material including delicate silk, and usually these pieces of clothing can be made in 24 hours.
Our time in Hoi An included a half-day bicycle tour to the Chuc Thanh pagoda (dating from the 1450s), a countryside garden area where I got the chance to water the plants, a stop at the beach for a cold beverage, the chance for both of us to ride a water buffalo, a quick ride on a boat down the Thu Bon River, and a stop for a delicious Vietnamese lunch. Our guide (another university graduate) was lovely and provided a lot of information about the history, practices, and natural resources of Hoi An.
There are many artisans who sell their crafts in the small shops, and unlike many touristy destinations, these items are quite lovely and well made. Multi-colored lanterns are in abundance and it makes for a lovely scene at night when they are all lit up. Tailors are on every street touting their ability to make any item of clothing to order out of any material including delicate silk, and usually these pieces of clothing can be made in 24 hours.
Our time in Hoi An included a half-day bicycle tour to the Chuc Thanh pagoda (dating from the 1450s), a countryside garden area where I got the chance to water the plants, a stop at the beach for a cold beverage, the chance for both of us to ride a water buffalo, a quick ride on a boat down the Thu Bon River, and a stop for a delicious Vietnamese lunch. Our guide (another university graduate) was lovely and provided a lot of information about the history, practices, and natural resources of Hoi An.
Another fascinating tour that we did (and one I would highly recommend) was to the ancient ruins of My Son (about 40 km away) and another UNESCO world heritage site. The area was discovered by French archaeologists in the 1890s, and the Hindu temple complex built by the Cham people dates from the 4th to the 13th century. Originally, there were at least 70 structures, but a lot of bombing occurred during the Vietnam War, and only about 20 structures escaped damage. The setting is stunning with the dense vegetation of the valley and the mountains all around, and to walk around this ancient religious site with all of its symbolism was incredible.
We decided to go by private car to make the 3 1/2 hour journey to our next destination, Hue, and the views as we drove through the Hai Van Pass and then back down along the coastline passing through Lang Co Beach were amazing. This was a surprisingly inexpensive way to travel and much more comfortable than a bus or train.
Hue is located along the Perfume River and lies about half-way between Saigon and Hanoi. It is considered an important cultural and historic center, and includes the UNESCO site of the ancient Citadel, a huge fortress built by Emperor Gia Long in 1805 that included a forbidden city. There is also a majestic Pagoda to visit and seven imperial tombs (of which we visited three).
Hue is located along the Perfume River and lies about half-way between Saigon and Hanoi. It is considered an important cultural and historic center, and includes the UNESCO site of the ancient Citadel, a huge fortress built by Emperor Gia Long in 1805 that included a forbidden city. There is also a majestic Pagoda to visit and seven imperial tombs (of which we visited three).
The people of Hue and Hoi An are extremely friendly and helpful for the most part, although we have noticed that some vendors tend to be more aggressive, especially the Cyclo drivers and sellers of hand-made pictures or sunglasses. This may be in part due to the increase in tourists in this area, and it has taken us a while to figure out how to firmly and politely say no. However, we did have a Cyclo driver follow us around for a while insisting that we needed a ride (we finally lost him by ducking into a post office).
Resourcefulness is a necessity here, and a great example of this occurred when I decided to get my hair colored at a little salon across the street from our hotel. For $20, two young girls colored my hair (not sure why they needed two of them), and then I sat and waited for what seemed an eternity to get the dye washed off. At one point, another tourist came in to see if she could get her hair cut, and the owner stated "no" without any explanation.
I was beginning to think they had forgotten me, but eventually I was ushered to the back to get my hair washed. I realized that they were using a pail of water when they poured the first pot of ice-cold water on my head, and then they decided to boil some water in a kettle to warm it up. Finally, a girl tapped on my arm to show me something on her iPad. It said, "the owner is very sorry for the inconvenience, but the plumbing is broken and there is no running water". In the end, I got the best head massage ever (along with a little shoulder massage) and my hair turned out just fine.
Our time in Hue also included a great boat trip on the Perfume river to visit the Pagoda and the tombs. Resourcefulness came into play once again when we realized on the morning of our tour that they may have forgotten to pick us up. We had the hotel call the tour company, and the next thing we knew, two people rode up on motorbikes and motioned for us to get on. Without helmets and holding on for dear life, we raced through traffic to reach the boat where everyone was waiting for us. Needless to say, we were quite happy to arrive safely and proceeded to thoroughly enjoyed our day. It was a great week in Hue, and now we are off to our final destination in Vietnam, the capital city of Hanoi.
Resourcefulness is a necessity here, and a great example of this occurred when I decided to get my hair colored at a little salon across the street from our hotel. For $20, two young girls colored my hair (not sure why they needed two of them), and then I sat and waited for what seemed an eternity to get the dye washed off. At one point, another tourist came in to see if she could get her hair cut, and the owner stated "no" without any explanation.
I was beginning to think they had forgotten me, but eventually I was ushered to the back to get my hair washed. I realized that they were using a pail of water when they poured the first pot of ice-cold water on my head, and then they decided to boil some water in a kettle to warm it up. Finally, a girl tapped on my arm to show me something on her iPad. It said, "the owner is very sorry for the inconvenience, but the plumbing is broken and there is no running water". In the end, I got the best head massage ever (along with a little shoulder massage) and my hair turned out just fine.
Our time in Hue also included a great boat trip on the Perfume river to visit the Pagoda and the tombs. Resourcefulness came into play once again when we realized on the morning of our tour that they may have forgotten to pick us up. We had the hotel call the tour company, and the next thing we knew, two people rode up on motorbikes and motioned for us to get on. Without helmets and holding on for dear life, we raced through traffic to reach the boat where everyone was waiting for us. Needless to say, we were quite happy to arrive safely and proceeded to thoroughly enjoyed our day. It was a great week in Hue, and now we are off to our final destination in Vietnam, the capital city of Hanoi.