Central Vietnam

It's been awhile since my last post... No reason to worry, I've been having fun and meeting new friends. :)

I think that sums it up... :)

PHONG NHA

After Da Nang I took a 'sleeper bus' to Phong Nha and decided once was enough. I knew the basics but they were far more cramped than I expected. They're mostly geared towards Vietnamese travelers who are generally much shorter than I am, so I couldn't straighten my legs or actually sit upright. One of the other passengers likened it to a coffin ... It would have been tolerable a bit more tolerable if the staff had given us any information whatsoever (I need to change buses in Hue?) and been hadn't been so incredibly rude!

Phong Nha is a tiny outpost of a town, with the main focus being on nature adventure in the nearby Nha-Ke Bang National park (UNESCO) surrounded by forested karst peaks and including extensive cave systems.

Paradise cave is HUGE . The full length is approximately 31 km but the portion that's open for the general public is about 1 km.

I did a kayak tour into the Phong Nga cave, going further in than the boats holding 20 people, mooring up at a swimming hole, then 'hiking' (more like scrambling) a mile deeper into the cave to where a river runs through and we all took a swim.

Going back to Da Nang, en route to Hoi An, this time I took the train. I could only get a spot in a four berth compartment, which I wound up sharing with part of a local family. Neither of us spoke a word of the others' language but everything we needed to communicate was easy enough with smiles and hand signals. It seemed very poignant when we rolled past the area where the American marines first landed in Vietnam (and we're warmly welcomed by the south Vietnamese) and I sat looking out at the scene along with the man from the family who was likely 65 or so and therefore would have been a young boy at the end of the war.

My moment of zen...

In a few conversations I've had with local people, they point out that Vietnamese try to look forward and not back. Considering the past history with the US and earlier with the French, I have not heard any comments directed at either Americans or French (aside from factual telling about events). They seem genuinely welcoming and happy to have us here, likely bc tourism is such a large part of their economy, along with manufacturing for US and European countries.

This is called a shy fern. :)

HOI AN

Hoi An

Considering how close Da Nang and Hoi An are, they're very different. At first I was comforted by the presence of other travelers (aka tourists) when I arrived here but I quickly grew tired of the crowds. I liked the location I chose - close to the famed old quarter but not right in it- but realized that the main access to the island was via pedestrian bridge, which was also a photo hotspot so between 5pm and 7 pm especially, it was gridlock and very difficult to cross, especially if you were in a hurry. I think I'll appear in several people's photos as it was nearly impossible to avoid.

The river lights up at night with lanterns on boats, lanterns floating on the river and all along the riverfront. There is an historic Japanese bridge from when it was a trading port, and many old buildings. The old city is an(other) UNESCO site (<3). Most of the old city is focused on shopping and eating and can get quite crowded in the afternoon and evening. If you have the patience for bargaining you can strike some good deals.

The Memories show was more interesting than I'd expected! There was only a small amount of introduction to each scene but, similar to watching opera, you could still generally understand what was happening.

An Bang beach is close enough to bicycle to for a few hours. You cross through some rice paddies complete with farmers and buffalo (who I've witnessed will pose for photos and also let you get your photo taken on the buffalo. No, I didn't do it, but I watched people pull up and negotiate).

Biking to the beach...

The My Son sanctuary dates back to the 4th to 13th century Champa Kingdom and was a Hindu temple site. The text is similar to Sanskrit but different enough that it can't be fully translated. There were more structures before the war, but several were destroyed by bombs and there are still several bomb craters still visible.

I took a lantern making class, and one on making Vietnamese coffee.

Hoi An was a nice place to slow down a bit and not be constantly in transit.

And now, onto

Cambodia!