Tuesday 16th December 2003

Having lunch at Sam Son Beach we headed towards the Cuc Phuong Forrest Reserve.  Along the journey we stopped by the road to take photos of the ranges, to our surprise a short walk from the side of the road revealed a lake of breathtaking beauty (see below - can't wait to see my medium format shots!).  Now we find ourselves in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam.

 

Wednesday 17th December 2003

Spending some time in the heart of Hanoi, revealed a city which runs with considerable order.  The government buildings and city streets are controlled under very tight security, with armed guards at nearly every street corner.  The parks are well groomed and the streets are clean, typical of a capital city.  The locals, although in physical appearance are similar to their southern countrymen, the accent in speech is considerably different, as well as some minor differences in dialect.  For example the word for spoon in the south is  muong, whereas in the north it is thia.  Being used to the southern accent all of my life, I find it extremely difficult to understand the Vietnamese language in the north.

After spending the morning in Hanoi, we visited Chua Huoung.  An hour river trip by row boat led us to a Buddhist pagoda, a popular tourist spot for westerners and Buddhists.

 

Chua Huong: (thought this photo might look better in black and white with sepia tone)
photo taken by Linh Doan

Thursday 18th December 2003

Visiting Lang Son, which is located near the China-Vietnam border.  Historically, it is the most famous northern province of Vietnam.  Many battles have been fought within this area between China and Vietnam, during many occasions over the course of four thousand years, with the most recent battle occurring in 1978.  The Vietnamese people have a great sense of nationalism, and historical victories are never forgotten, such as at Ai Chi Lang, a strategic pass between mountainous terrain, a monument that was erected to memorise past victories.  Lang Son is also famous for its shopping (my brother got a very cheap watch, for $6 from a top designer brand made in China!  If you know what I mean!!).

Friday 19th December 2003

The most important leg of our trip, Ha Long.  Hiring a private boat (at a very good price $80 Aus) we went for cruise in Halong Bay.  In all my experience of traveling, I am yet to see a more spectacular location (no wonder it is a world heritage listed area) - EVERYONE JUST STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND HEAD STRAIGHT FOR HA LONG.  The sea was calm (it is a bay after all) and the weather was fine.  However, in this part of the world, days with fog cover is common, hence the islands cannot be seen with full clarity at a distance, though this has its own special effect on film.  My digital camera however seized up mid trip, and I still don't know what is wrong with it  (perhaps the humidity of Vietnam has damaged some of the digital components??) - so sorry, no photos for the website today - Digital can be fun and convenient, but ALWAYS rely on film based cameras, !!!!! You also get better results!!!!!.

I did a lot of photography on boat and shots with boats moving, so be prepared with some fast film (such as Provia and or Velvia 100 for color slide, or use print film/or negative film of speeds greater than 400).  You may need to push process to obtain maximum flexibility from your film.

A tip for travelers to Vietnam: Always use government operated services, such as hotels, restaurants, tours and hiring facilities.  The services are professional, reliable, clean and at a very good price (you won't get ripped off!).

 

Saturday 20th December 2003

Had north Vietnamese Pho (beef noodle soup) for breakfast.  It tastes a bit different to the standard Pho in Australia and in south Vietnam.  The evolution of Pho diverged after 1954, when there was considerable migration between borders.  Originally a north Vietnamese dish, it became a favorite meal in the south and eventually world wide after 1975 (bet you all knew that though!).

We were on our way to Mong Cai, the most northern coastal town in Vietnam, when we had to abandoned the trip due to a shortage in time.  The drive to Mong Cai is along the beautiful coast line of Ha Long Bay.

We journeyed back to Hanoi to rest, in preparation for at trip to Cao Bang and Ban Gioc Falls (near the China border).

 

Monday 22th December 2003

The journey to Ban Gioc Falls was a difficult one.  Having to abandoned our bus, we had to hire a more smaller and much more nimble vehicle in order to complete the journey in two days.  The road that takes you to Cao Bang and eventually Ban Gioc Falls was currently under construction, as a result it was a very dusty road that weaved through mountainous terrain.  Of note, the mountainous terrain was spectacular in sight, particularly the rice paddies arranged in terraces.  Ban Gioc Falls itself was quite a sight, definitely the best waterfall in Vietnam, and the best that I have seen in my travels (well worth the journey).

Tomorrow we head back to Ho Chi Minh City to catch up with family and friends then head back home.  This is probably my last entry for a while, so I like to wish everyone a merry Christmas, especially to the friends and family members that I haven't seen for weeks.

Tuesday 23th December 2003

True story:
At Ha Tinh, there is a local product called "Cu Do", a sweet cake, resembling a peanut brittle between rice crackers.  The original founder of this sweet was "Cu Hai" or uncle two, but the French called him "Cu Deux", which phonetically sounds similar to "Cu Do", which incidentally means "floppy penis" in south Vietnam.  (I took a photo of a street full of signs advertising "floppy penises"- sorry only on film).

Friday 26th December 2003

Hope you all had a good Christmas.

Christmas day is well celebrated by the locals, even though Christianity is not a popular religion in Vietnam.  Churches were well lit and preoccupied, the youth were out late on Christmas eve, every so often you would see a  building decorated with Christmas lights (Christmas however is not a public holiday in Vietnam).

We now find ourselves back in Ho Chi Minh City.  Our last few days in Vietnam will be dedicated to shopping, visiting family and friends, and absorbing the atmosphere of the hustle and bustle of Vietnam's second largest city.

Loving it all, but must admit I am missing Australia quite a bit.  The other day I had a Pizza in Hanoi, and it tasted great! I am certainly missing the diversity of foods available in Australia (its mainly been seafood and exotic fruits -  I really shouldn't complain).

Sunday 28th December 2003

If you have a half a day to spare, spend it at Can Gio Forrest Reserve.  Just an hour and a half drive away from Ho Chi Minh City, it is a monkey reserve.  Literally hundreds of monkeys swamp you as you enter the reserve, and brave they are.  These monkeys won't hesitate to snatch your bags, food and whatever they can get their hands on.  As soon as we opened the van door, a monkey swooped through, snatching a bag from us, luckily it was only full of rubbish.  A monkey also tried to snatch a bag full of snacks from my hands, even though I was intending to feed it! Very fun.

Tuesday 30th December 2003

Homeward bound tomorrow, four weeks has certainly gone quickly.  Enjoyed the experience.

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