Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City)- The two of us spent just over two weeks in the biggest city in Vietnam. Day trips took us to Phan Thiet, Mui Ne, Can Tho, and O Mon. We were able to live like the locals do with the help of Liya's relatives in all of these cities. The day trips were very special experiences because we were able to visit the hometowns of Liya's parents. Our time in and around Saigon was a wonderful way to begin our tour through Vietnam!
Dalat- Home to the large university that Liya's father attended. This town serves as a vacation destination for large numbers of Vietnamese and French. The higher elevation brings a cooler climate and lovely scenery. Our big highlight of Dalat was enjoying a countryside tour with a local man named Rot. We covered 75 miles on a scooter to take in all of the sights and sounds, including: silk worm factory, beautiful waterfall, minority people villages, vietnamese farmland, and local life. Not only was the tour incredible, but this is where we met our future friends and travel companions, Erin and Amy!
Nha Trang- Down from the mountains of Dalat we welcomed the beautiful blue beaches of Nha Trang. This is a town where resort meets local Vietnamese living. Highlights included renting scooters and finding unoccupied prestine beaches, eating at the same local-filled restaurant for fried noodles with fresh squid, 30 cent draught beers (bia hoi), and pure relaxation with Amy and Erin. We did enjoy a boat trip that took us to various islands just off of the coast of the city. This city ranked #1 with Ben.
Hoi An- An overnight bus ride took us to Hoi An, a town infamous for custom made clothing. Just the right thing for two shop-aholics, over 300 shops that are eager to make you anything and everything that is desired. After the damage was done we were able to enjoy the beautiful beach outside of the city, and stroll the markets and old town within the city limits. We again found a great local resturant that made a good and cheap version of the local specialty, cao lau. 60 cent tasty noodle heaven! To put a cheery on top, Amy and Erin joined us for a few days in the city of shopping.
Hue- The old capital of Vietnam was a quick stop that, in our opinion, offically placed us in north Vietnam. A big city with a old, old, old city center filled with markets, parks, moats, and motorbikes. In Hue we enjoyed cheap accomadation with all of the amenities ($6), a great local specialy dish (bahn beo), and becoming acclimated to the personalities of north Vietnam. Our conclusion, people in the south are much, much happier to see you. Nontheless, Hue was a good experience in many ways.
Hanoi- One more overnight bus took us all the way up to the capital city where we currently sit. Like the capital of the south, this big city moves fast with anything, everything and in every direction. The pollution and personalities are difficult at times, but the food is amazing! Street stands, markets, cafes, restaurants galor! We truly think it is the one thing keeping us sane in this crazy city.
More to come soon!
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