TravelBlog 3.3: The End

I'll admit it, I got lazy. Sentences are over-rated sometimes.

Tour day 3: started peacefully, anchored too close and got stuck in the morning low tide. Waited it out. Cruised around all day, playing cards and reading. Learned that there is no difference between river and channel in Vietnamese. Dad got to drive the boat for a while, and he didn’t even hit any buoys! Ben and Chris dangled feet over the front for a long time. I took a million bazillion pictures of the small islands, boats, clouds, caves, and whatever else I could get my lens on (I will probably toss ¾ of them in the end).

Anchored, decided to go for a swim. Ben Chris and dad and our “English speaking tour guide” jumped right in, after a few minutes I decide to go to. I got changed, but wussed out on the first jump. So glad I did, Ben and Dad got stung by a jelly fish, on their arm, chest and back. Chris missed it, as did the tour guide, though he clung to the anchor line and waited a few minutes for the jellyfish to float away. Once back on the boat the guys were rubbed down with ice and limes, the acid in limes breaks down the acid from the jellyfish. Dad got it the worst.



Dinner was seafood yet again; we were eating a farmyard of animals at every meal. Think someone accidentally checked the Atkin’s Diet box on our reservation form.

Back to Hanoi the next morning. Much better hotel this time around. But our room had broken AC. Changed rooms. Flight time was changed without notice, thanks Jetstar.



Last day in HCMC, Mom and I ran errands, collected trinkets, and drank so much coffee I don't even want to think about it. Stayed up till 4am waiting for the morning. Put the parents safely in a cab and sent them on their way.

TravelBlog 3.2: The Middle

The bus to Mui Ne was good, and we “got “ the whole back row. Chez Nina as good as ever. Ate so many shrimp, so many shrimp. Built a sand turtle, sampled Mojitos up and down the beach. Rented a motorbike and explored the new highway, and found the sand dunes at the end. Ate more shrimp.



Bus from Mui Ne to Dalat was small, crowded, no AC, bumpy roads, and left everyone with a hurting tailbone. But going up and over the mountains gave some fantastic views. Dreams Hotel was nice, the nicest of all things but they seemed to have forgotten all the finishing touches (wiring, caulking in the sink). Breakfast was awesome. We all ate tons: tomatoes, eggs, cheese, avocado, perfect mango, and of course coffee. Toured for the day with a driver, took us to all the places we wanted and all without annoying tour-guide chatter.

Flew to Hanoi. Hotel questionable, family changed, we stayed, it wasn’t too bad. Walked around, found KFC! Next day, went to visit uncle Ho and his stilt house, one pillar pagoda, museum (bizarre). Walking tour through the Old Quarter, no luck on Mojitos. Next morning picked up by tour company for Halong Bay tour.

We made a requisite stop at a factory/rest-stop. Mom nearly bought a star ruby ring, but got some silk shorts instead. Arrived in Halong Bay and got directly on the boat. There is room for eight, but its just the five of us, and six crew.



Day 1: motored over and toured a very large cave, hiked up to the top of a small but steep island. And went kayaking to a cut-off area of water in an island (no pics too wet).

Day2: we quickly left sight of any other boats. Sailed all morning, ran aground about 11, which made a good stop for lunch. Biking in the afternoon, around an island, 30Km. Broken bikes, wrong turns, water buffaloes. It was wonderful.

TravelBlog 3.1: The Beginning

The parents arrived on June 23, way late at night. Many gifts were brought, not the least of which was nearly two pounds of beef jerky. Ben got some birthday cards from home, and I got a batch of choco-PB no bake cookies! Mom and Dad were in a hotel just around the corner and Chris crashed on our couch. On their first day in town we hit up the tailor for some climate friendly clothes for the new arrivals. They did some backpack shopping to replace the tattered bags they brought over. Around lunchtime we wandered over to the Lotteria on Tran Hung Dao for some awesome traffic watching. The next dya we did the downtown circuit, the palace, the post office, the cathedral, and of course diamond plaza. Friday was wonderful.

On Friday we caught a city bus to Soui Tien, a newish amusement park on the edges of the city. After visiting many attractions and sweating so much we wondered if becoming human jerky was an option, we took some time out in the water park area. Ben had to sit that one out, as his toe was still wrapped up. And after three days in HCMC we didn’t get rained on. The parents were starting to think we had lied about all that rainy season stuff. But later that night we got rained on, something fierce, it was so bad we ordered in and made someone else brave the weather so we could eat delicious pizza.



Bus to Siem Reap, long and bumpy. Seam Reap, hot sunny, good, mom killed a big flying bug with her hat. Found a temple we had missed last time. Kids at lunch stayed an talked for a long time. Great Khmer dinner and a nice guesthouse. The beginning of the quest to find the best Mojito in Vietnam (and Siem Reap).
Phnom Penh, not so good. Sketchy town, sketchy area, not a minimart to be found, Good food though. We were turned away at the palace comlplex, and got rained on on the way to the National Museum, and waded through the flooding in time to buy tickets 30 minutes before the museum closed. Great museum by SE Asia standards.
“Chicken Burger” = hamburger grilled with chicken skin on one side.

Room: small, dark, smelled of smoke. Chris’s was much the same, not as smelly. Parent’s was much nicer, window, balcony, functional aircon, bigger. They were all reasonably clean though.

Next, we go to HCMC and refuel/do laundry before heading out to Mui Ne and other Vietnamese destinations.