The image of locals bicycling around Vietnam is a thing of the past – now they are on motor-scooters. Sometimes as many as 6 people, an entire family, are on one; mothers are bottle-feeding children, workers are making deliveries; lots of riders are hauling large plants for the New Year. Well-behaved children smile and wave, geese try to escape, riders don’t seem to worry about their often-precarious loads. Some look like students, many like average workers, and others are quite dressed-up, women even wearing high heels; almost everyone wears a mask against the dust and pollution, and helmets are now required, but not one had any sort of otherwise protective clothing.
As we journeyed out of Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City to and from the Mekong Delta, it became an obsession with us, and everyone in our group, to marvel at the massive tide of motor-scooter riders leaving the city for the holiday. They were in every direction, sometimes even in our lane of traffic, coming straight at us.
We loved getting out of the industrial city of Saigon, Vietnam’s largest city. The rural countryside was green, the sky blue and air fresh. From the Mekong River village of My Tho, we boarded a boat to visit a few local island family businesses and sample the locally produced honey, bee pollen, coconut candy and fruit. We also rode in a four-passenger sampan through a crowed canal back to the larger river. It was very entertaining and interesting. The young teen and older man who paddled our sampan worked hard.
The river is crowded with colorful fishing boats and all sorts of lively boat traffic. After leaving the river, we stopped for a traditional Vietnamese lunch that included “Elephant Ear” fish from the river and fish soup. Unlike some in our group, my husband and I were undaunted by having a whole quick-fried fish placed in front of us, and enjoyed the delicious rolls made with rice paper, the firm fish, noodles and very thin slices of mango (I think it was mango); we did ask our server to leave out the lettuce.
Then back to putting our lives in the hands of our bus driver for the mad-cap ride back to the port. Getting drenched running through a pop-up rainstorm to get on our ship, we barely made it back for the ship to depart on time and make it under the bridge before high tide. And then, as fast as it came, the rain was gone and we were enjoying the view, as the Azamara Journey sailed south on the Saigon River.
#LoveTravel, @Azamara Voyages, @AzamaraJourney
Today was a confluence of sights, sounds and impressions.
The highlight of the day was a bicycle ride through a rural area in the settlement of Cam Thanh. It was a lovely, lush area and actually seemed pretty affluent. Preparations for the New Year were evident as we saw people cleaning their property, special signs and traditional chrysanthemum and kumquat plants everywhere.
Some of the paths were paved, some were dirt and many were quite bumpy, but the only part that was a bit scary was the constant appearance of fast-moving motor-scooters. When they had large, overlapping loads, or were leading something like a water buffalo, it was intimidating. I just wish I could’ve taken my hands off the handlebars with more confidence to take some photos. The scenery was just as I imagined – rice paddies, water buffalo, and small fishing boats along the river. 
At one juncture along our path, there was commentary being loudly broadcast over a loudspeaker followed by music. When asked later, our guide explained this is how the government still communicates in many rural communities. For us, it was an eerily, MASH-like moment. On a less bizarre note, we stopped along our ride to visit a beautiful Buddhist Temple, complete with chanting monks.
All-in-all, the bike ride was a very memorable experience.
Incense coils in the Chinese Temple, Hoi An.
We also did a walking tour of historic Hoi An, another UNESCO site. Untouched during the war, Hoi An is 45 minutes from Da Nang, where the US had a large military presence during the war (we saw the air base). A trading crossroads for centuries, this mostly pedestrian-only zone has wonderful surviving elements of Chinese and Japanese cultures. I say mostly, because around 11AM, they let motor-scooters back in. Today, Hoi An continues its role as a trading crossroads – but basically to “trade” with tourists; taking both credit cards and US $. The city has been preserved well, with dozens of inviting restaurants and attractive shops featuring local artisans and handmade items. I loved all the colorful lanterns strung across the narrow streets.
The area is also known for silk, and is a huge center for custom-tailored goods. Because of the New Year, we saw the occasional shop-owner burning symbolic money for good luck. And OMG, the cooking smells emanating from the restaurants were incredibly good. We eventually did enjoy a wonderful Vietnamese lunch.
From the road, we could see the Marble Mountains in the distance, each named for the five elements-water, metal, wood, fire and earth, and we had a photo-op at the 20-mile Non Nuoc Beach, famous in the US as China Beach (where US servicemen went for R&R). Locals don’t like to call it China Beach, and although they say it’s because they don’t want to credit China, you have to wonder about the US/war affiliation.
Overall, I have to comment this part of Vietnam is being rapidly developed and construction is hi-end with obvious foreign investment. Four Seasons, Raffles, and Hyatt are there and several major resorts are currently under construction. It appears the entire beach-front has been optioned. There is even a casino for the Chinese visitors (locals are not allowed to gamble).
Someone needs to tell the Vietnamese guides they do not need to talk 100% of the time . . . .
Remembering Sacrifices of the War
This beach area in Vietnam (Nom O Beach) is where 3,500 US Marines landed on March 8, 1965, becoming the first American ground troops in Vietnam. And the rest is history. It was also in this area that the Tet Offensive in 1968 was launched by North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, essentially marking the beginning of the end of US involvement in the war. It was called “Tet” because it was planned for the Lunar New Year celebration (which is this very week in Asia). The North Vietnamese correctly guessed the opposition soldiers would think the initial assault was just firecrackers from the celebration and be caught off-guard. My husband was luckier than others and did not have to serve here; but he has nevertheless been soberly reflective during this visit.
For my trivia buddies, one fact I never knew til preparing for this trip: It’s bad form to stick chop sticks into a rice bowl vertically – it’s the Buddhist sign of death.
#LoveTravel, @AzamaraVoyages
A picture is worth a thousand words – this is Halong Bay.
Halong translates to “Descending Dragon” and you can see how this UNESCO site got that name. Many of the limestone formations have also been given names, such as “Heavenly Gate” pictured here. The Bay is located in the Gulf of Tonkin within the South China Sea. Fog and haze surrounded our morning trip on a re-imagined “junk,” as we journeyed around a few of the areas’ thousands of Karst islets.
Our visit to the Thien Cung “Heavenly Palace” Cave on Dau Go Island was magical and far exceeded my expectations; even a claustrophobic would not feel oppressed here. It was so amazing, I didn’t even think about the hundred steps up to enter or the few hundred more once inside. Locals have added some colored lights and while not at all necessary, it was a very pretty effect that photos don’t do justice. Nor do photos capture the enormity and grander of this unique underground system.
Generally, visitors here also see floating camps of fisherman, but with the pending New Year celebrations, they headed inland for vacation.
Our ship was anchored in the Bay and by the sail-away later in the day, the haze lifted and it proved to be a fabulous photo-op. I didn’t want it to end.
#LoveTravel @AzamaraVoyages @Azamara Journey
Preface: This is the first of my posts about our wonderful cruise on the Azamara Journey to Vietnam & Thailand, sailing from Hong Kong and ending in Singapore. Sailing with Azamara is a favorite of ours. We love the ship size (<694 passengers) which is small enough to get to great destinations and large enough to have first-rate entertainment, wonderful spa, and other amenities. Service has always been exceptional and was on this cruise as well. Dining options are varied and excellent, especially the two specialty restaurants (Aqualina & Prime C), Chefs Tables, and interesting specialty dinners. Azamara also stays more nights in ports, a feature that allows passengers lots of options including taking advantage of interesting alternatives offered by the cruise line. One of the reasons I chose this trip was the option to fly from Bangkok to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat; it was amazing. I love Azamara’s focus on culture, flexibility to offer wonderful value-added (sometimes impromptu) experiences, and casual yet high-end vibe. To read more about my reflections of the trip, just click to the next entry.
This morning we arrived in Halong Bay – long on my travel bucket list. For years I wondered where this beautiful landscape existed . . . . a favorite with movie directors (think James Bond). Eventually, I figured out it was Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. But, more on that with my next post.
Today, we decided to make the long three-plus hour trek into the interior lowland city of Hanoi. I mean, we are in Vietnam, we have to make the effort. So we boarded a cramped bus (Americans are much bigger than the locals, who I’m sure are very comfortable), that sped along passing every vehicle in sight, honking each and every time. It’s apparently the law here – with all the motorcycles, etc., drivers honk to let others know they are being passed. Read More
