Today we decided to go for a short boat ride down the river to get a glimpse from the water. On the way we could witness some fishers showing off their fishing techniques – although they were certainly not after fish – but after the tourist money …
Category Archives: 2015: Vietnam
Hoi An Impressions
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This gallery contains 12 photos.
We finally made it to Hoi An and as we were staying for three days and nights, there was plenty of opportunity to explore the town and its surroundings. Hoi An was at its heights back in the 15th to … Continue reading
My Lai Memorial
Today was a long driving day, as we had to cover more than 300km to Hoi An. On the way we had a stop at My Lai Memorial.
It was here, where US troops committed one of the most horrific crimes of the Vietnam war in March 1968 – the massacre of My Lai, during which more than 500 civilians were murdered.
We had a guided tour around the museum and were then shown a documentary of the massacre. After that we had time for a walk around the premises – for the most part done in silence. This was probably the most intense part of the trip.
Quy Nhon
We continued North along the coast, covering the 220km to Quy Nhon – our over-night stop on the way to Hoi An a further approx. 300km North.
There were some nice beaches and views on the way – and also in Quy Nhon, though attraction-wise Quy Nhon has not too much to offer.
Nha Trang & around
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This gallery contains 10 photos.
We left Dalat and made it back to the coast – to Nha Trang. The weather forecast was not in our favor, predicting heavy and fairly constant rain. Indeed the closer we got to Nha Trang the darker and wetter … Continue reading
In and around Dalat
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This gallery contains 11 photos.
Dalat has been one of the drivers for me to actually go to Vietnam. During my trip to India a year back, one of my fellow travelers was constantly comparing Ooty with Dalat (“it is so Dalat”) – so I … Continue reading
To Dalat
Today was a driving day; we left Saigon in the morning to make our way to Da Lat – a journey of around 300km or a good six hours of driving. Add in breaks and a stop in Lang Dinh An – also known at Chicken Village – to get a glimpse of rural life in this village, home to the Koho minority.
Back to Saigon
We made it back from Mekong Delta in the early afternoon. I decided for a walk up to the Jade Emperor Pagoda (around 3.5km one way), which turned out to be a nice and quiet temple, far enough away from the tourist part of town to preserve its tranquility.
I made it back to the hotel just in time to meet up for a cyclo ride to and around the Chinese quarter. A cyclo ride here translates to being lazy and being pedaled around. We were first on the cyclos for some time (simply to make it to the Chinese quarter), before we had a first stop at the flower market. From here – after a good look around – we continued further, our next stop being at the Buddhist Quan Am Pagoda, giving us the opportunity to explore this colorful temple and the little pond on the other side of the street. We did continue to Binh Tay Market, a vast market – mainly wholesale – catering for almost everything (a bit like ebay … if they don’t have it, it does not exist). After half an hour of checking out the market, we made it back to the bikes for our ride back to the hotel.
Mekong Delta
Today we left Saigon behind and made our way South towards the massive delta of the Mekong river. On arrival at the pier (and after a quick visit to the happy room) we jumped on a boat for a trip through big and small waterways.
During a number of stops we could get a glimpse of local life – from a fruit garden (next to the restaurant, where we had lunch – obviously full of exotic fruit … rambutans, longans and the like) to a rice paper / puff rice producer and a brick maker.
Shortly before sunset we made it to our homestay in the delta; here we got a first introduction to the preparation of Vietnamese cuisine – making spring rolls and stir fries. Oh – of course dinner was the food we just helped to prepare.
Wednesday morning saw us boarding the boat again and making our way back to the pier – though not without a short stop around the local floating market and a glimpse (or should I say nose-full) of the smelly production of soy and fish sauce.
Cu Chi Tunnels
From the War Remnants Museum we continued to the Cu Chi Tunnels – about two hours outside of Saigon. These tunnels – built and used by the Vietcong – played an important role in the Vietnam war and were one of the bases for the Vietcong’s Tet Offense in 1968.
After an introduction, we had a walk around the premises, seeing some of the techniques employed around the tunnels – from booby traps, windows in the floor to chimney systems . There was even a chance to crawl through one of the tunnels or to (at a cost obviously) try an AK47 (and other weapons used during the war).
