Tuesday 30 April 2013 - Goodbye Vietnam
Well it has taken me 3 goes at getting this last post done on the blog, the bloody internet kept dropping out so I gave up. We managed to sleep in a little later today knowing this is our last day in Vietnam and had nothing planned. We went and had a quick breakfast at the local cafe we visited yesterday. Rick went back to the hotel to play on the internet and I went and had a desperately needed massage and have to say I am really glad I did. It took away all the aches and pains of the last few days and I finally got some energy back, a bit late being the last day, but better late than never. Spent the rest of the day just relaxing and sorting out our suitcases and packing. Our driver arrived at 4.45pm and we checked out of the hotel and set off for Saigon International airport. Not to be outdone, there was a burger king and of course we had to eat, we are a bit over Vietnamese food now and were happy to settle for a hamburger and fries. We checked in our luggage and went through immigration and then into the waiting area for our flight. The asian airport could certainly teach Australian airports a thing or two about how to set up their airports. Saigon Airport is great it has smoking rooms and good shops that don't charge the earth for things. My favourite airport though of all time would have to be Changi airport in Singapore which is where I am doing this blog. Its a holiday within itself. We had a good 2 hour flight from Saigon to Singapore and within the hour will be boarding our flight to Brisbane. Its been a great holiday with a few ups and downs but at the end of the day well worth the trip, just a shame I got ill the last couple of days. Anyway everyone, hope you all enjoyed the blog and photos. Will see you all and be in touch when we arrive back in Australia. Take care. This is Rick and Nic's Vietnam Adventures over and out.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Monday 29 April 2013 - Good bye Hoi An - Hello Ho Chi Minh
Hi everyone!
We were up early this morning to say goodbye to Hoi An and journey on to Saigon. Our driver picked us up at the hotel and after saying goodbye to the staff at Hai Au hotel we headed off to Da Nang airport for our Jetstar flight to Ho Chi Minh. The flight was only an hour and we arrived in Ho Chi Minh city no trouble. We had arranged with the hotel for a driver to pick us up to avoid being ripped off or shafted by the millions of taxi drivers. We got to the hotel about 30 minutes later and they were nice enough to let us check in straight away. Its a nice little guesthouse in a little lane way in District 1. Lots of cafes and close to everything. Of course Rick found a KFC as usual. Would have liked to have done the Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta and Ban Thin markets but I am still not feeling 100 per cent and we have just run out of time. We will have to leave it until our next trip to Vietnam.
We found a lovely café about 4 doors up from where we are staying so opted for a couple of Lattes before resting for the afternoon. Its humid and hot here and just no energy to go exploring. We went for a walk tonight to guess where? KFC for dinner, didn't taste that great, I can see what people say about HCMC and the traffic there are just millions of motorbikes, cars, taxis and people and it just doesn't seem to stop. Its a beautiful big city with lots of skyscrapers and tall buildings lit up like Christmas trees, lots of freakin touts too which really do my head in. The sooner they outlaw it here like they did in Singapore and Thailand I think the happier tourists will be. You can't even sit in a café and have a quiet coffee and they are in your face by the dozens. FMO!
Still feeling like shit and aching all over so headed back to the hotel to hang out in our room for the rest of the night. Some photos following of Ho Chi Minh City. Hope you like. This time tomorrow night will be on our way to Singapore and then home to Australia. Tomorrow will put a quick blog on before we leave and it will be the last one for our trip. See Ya!
Hi everyone!
We were up early this morning to say goodbye to Hoi An and journey on to Saigon. Our driver picked us up at the hotel and after saying goodbye to the staff at Hai Au hotel we headed off to Da Nang airport for our Jetstar flight to Ho Chi Minh. The flight was only an hour and we arrived in Ho Chi Minh city no trouble. We had arranged with the hotel for a driver to pick us up to avoid being ripped off or shafted by the millions of taxi drivers. We got to the hotel about 30 minutes later and they were nice enough to let us check in straight away. Its a nice little guesthouse in a little lane way in District 1. Lots of cafes and close to everything. Of course Rick found a KFC as usual. Would have liked to have done the Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta and Ban Thin markets but I am still not feeling 100 per cent and we have just run out of time. We will have to leave it until our next trip to Vietnam.
We found a lovely café about 4 doors up from where we are staying so opted for a couple of Lattes before resting for the afternoon. Its humid and hot here and just no energy to go exploring. We went for a walk tonight to guess where? KFC for dinner, didn't taste that great, I can see what people say about HCMC and the traffic there are just millions of motorbikes, cars, taxis and people and it just doesn't seem to stop. Its a beautiful big city with lots of skyscrapers and tall buildings lit up like Christmas trees, lots of freakin touts too which really do my head in. The sooner they outlaw it here like they did in Singapore and Thailand I think the happier tourists will be. You can't even sit in a café and have a quiet coffee and they are in your face by the dozens. FMO!
Still feeling like shit and aching all over so headed back to the hotel to hang out in our room for the rest of the night. Some photos following of Ho Chi Minh City. Hope you like. This time tomorrow night will be on our way to Singapore and then home to Australia. Tomorrow will put a quick blog on before we leave and it will be the last one for our trip. See Ya!
Monday, 29 April 2013
Sunday 28 April 2013 - Last Day in Hoi An
Well today is our last day in Hoi An and then on to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) tomorrow early in the morning. Still feeling a bit under the weather but have to make the last day here count. We actually slept in this morning, had breakfast then our morning walk down to the Ancient Town to finish our shopping for the family so we can get it posted off today. That done to the best of our ability, we hired a motor bike from our laundry lady Minh so we could go to Cai Dai beach and An Bang beach. It was a nice ride and we had Vietnamese donuts while sitting on Cai Dai beach and they were pretty good. Nice beaches but as with everywhere where there are lots of tourists there are lots of 'touts' and they are just in your face and won't leave you alone to enjoy the peace and quiet.
Tonight we headed off back down to the ancient town to a good restaurant we have eaten at couple of times and to pick up a few last minute nic nacs for me. Walked back to our hotel and finished our packing to move on tomorrow. We are flying out of Da Nang airport to Saigon at 8am in the morning and have to be up early as our driver picks us up at 7am to drive to Da Nang which is about 45 minutes from Hoi An. We have loved every day in Hoi An and can't wait until we can come back. The people here at the hotel and our laundry lady, Minh have been so warm and friendly. We are really going to miss it. Some photos of last day in Hoi An. Until tomorrow when we are in Saigon.
Well today is our last day in Hoi An and then on to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) tomorrow early in the morning. Still feeling a bit under the weather but have to make the last day here count. We actually slept in this morning, had breakfast then our morning walk down to the Ancient Town to finish our shopping for the family so we can get it posted off today. That done to the best of our ability, we hired a motor bike from our laundry lady Minh so we could go to Cai Dai beach and An Bang beach. It was a nice ride and we had Vietnamese donuts while sitting on Cai Dai beach and they were pretty good. Nice beaches but as with everywhere where there are lots of tourists there are lots of 'touts' and they are just in your face and won't leave you alone to enjoy the peace and quiet.
Tonight we headed off back down to the ancient town to a good restaurant we have eaten at couple of times and to pick up a few last minute nic nacs for me. Walked back to our hotel and finished our packing to move on tomorrow. We are flying out of Da Nang airport to Saigon at 8am in the morning and have to be up early as our driver picks us up at 7am to drive to Da Nang which is about 45 minutes from Hoi An. We have loved every day in Hoi An and can't wait until we can come back. The people here at the hotel and our laundry lady, Minh have been so warm and friendly. We are really going to miss it. Some photos of last day in Hoi An. Until tomorrow when we are in Saigon.
Saturday 27 April 2013 - Hoi An
Hi one and all! Another beautiful day in Hoi An, what a place. Got up feeling a bit under the weather this morning, a fever and a severe sinus, that my fault. We wanted Duck for dinner last night and asked Ruby on reception where we could find a restaurant that had duck on the menu. She said not to eat duck when it was raining (and it was bucketing down) because its not a good time and can cause fever, and of course we didn't take note and found a restaurant that had duck and I wake up feeling like shit with a fever and the shakes. We had to get up early as we had our tour booked for My Son (Me Son). We were picked up by the bus at 8am and off we go with me feeling like absolute shit. My Son is like a mini Angkor Wat, lots of old ruins from the Cham tribes, it was stinking hot and lots of walking, it was good to do though, from there we did the boat trip on some river back to the Ancient Town of Hoi An and then to a restaurant for late lunch. The tour ended there and we walked back to our hotel from there. Good day out but stinking hot. We got back to the hotel and then Nanny nap time. No energy to do anything tonight still feeling like crap. Some photos of todays adventure.
Our guide telling us the history of the Cham people and the temples
Temple ruin
Inside the ruin with our guide
Our boat for the trip down the river back to Hoi An
Another tour boat we passed on the way down the river
Our boat coming in to Hoi An Ancient Town
Hi one and all! Another beautiful day in Hoi An, what a place. Got up feeling a bit under the weather this morning, a fever and a severe sinus, that my fault. We wanted Duck for dinner last night and asked Ruby on reception where we could find a restaurant that had duck on the menu. She said not to eat duck when it was raining (and it was bucketing down) because its not a good time and can cause fever, and of course we didn't take note and found a restaurant that had duck and I wake up feeling like shit with a fever and the shakes. We had to get up early as we had our tour booked for My Son (Me Son). We were picked up by the bus at 8am and off we go with me feeling like absolute shit. My Son is like a mini Angkor Wat, lots of old ruins from the Cham tribes, it was stinking hot and lots of walking, it was good to do though, from there we did the boat trip on some river back to the Ancient Town of Hoi An and then to a restaurant for late lunch. The tour ended there and we walked back to our hotel from there. Good day out but stinking hot. We got back to the hotel and then Nanny nap time. No energy to do anything tonight still feeling like crap. Some photos of todays adventure.
Our guide telling us the history of the Cham people and the temples
Temple ruin
Inside the ruin with our guide
Our boat for the trip down the river back to Hoi An
Another tour boat we passed on the way down the river
Our boat coming in to Hoi An Ancient TownFriday, 26 April 2013
Thursday - 26 April 2013
Hi everyone! Well today first up I would like to pay tribute to my mum, it has been a year today that our mum passed away and it is a sad day for us as a family spread far and wide that she is no longer here as our matriarch. We love and miss mum dearly and know she is in a better place and today we need to celebrate how important she was and still is to us. Our mother will always live in our hearts and minds forever and ever. Love and miss you mum. xoxoxoxo
Today was another awesome day in Hoi An, I don't know how in 2 days time we are going to manage tearing ourselves away from this place to move on to Saigon and then back to Australia. Shopping, shopping, shopping was the order of the morning. First up was breakfast at the hotel and a nice breakfast it was. Next door to the barber shop where Rick had his hair cut, shave and ears cleaned all for $6, the guy did a great job too, now Rick can hear everything I am saying, don't know if he is happy about that. Then hit the pavement. We got most of our shopping in the one place and managed to bargain it all down to a good price. Then we went walking along the river through the fruit, veg and meat market, it was the typical hustle and bustle that you come across in most Asian food street markets. We visited the Japanese bridge, walked around the streets of the Ancient Town and then shopping for some clothes for me. I love the hippy clothes here they are so bright and colourful and cheap too! It was a hot humid day and the sweat was just pouring off us, I ended up buying myself a cone hat (the ones the ladies working in the markets and rice paddy fields wear), it worked a treat at keeping the sun off my head.
Headed back to the hotel and ordered room service pizza, the heat and humidity gets worse in the afternoon which is the best time for an afternoon nap in the cool air conditioning. Collected our washing from Minh, the laundry lady who lives in the house 2 doors up, she knows our names off by heart and speaks to us everyday either when we are on our balcony or in the street.
A couple of hours nap and we had planned to go out shopping again this evening but it decided to storm and rain as is the case each afternoon. Not to be outdone we just headed of to a restaurant a couple of doors down from the hotel, had dinner and headed back indoors. Will have to finish the shopping either tomorrow or day after.
Tomorrow we have booked for a half day bus and boat tour to My Son Temple and a few other places so should have some good photos to put on the blog tomorrow night.
Anyway for those of you who haven't seen today's photos on Facebook am putting them on this blog. Time for bed as we need to be up early for our tour tomorrow. Have a great day everyone. Until tomorrow!
Rick having his haircut at the local barber, it only cost him $6 bucks for the works and jerks, he didn't mind pulling out his wallet for this one.
The Temple near the Japanese Bridge in Ancient Town
The Japanese Bridge - Ancient Town
The other side of the Japanese Bridge when you have walked through, its a street of shops, shops and more shops and heaps of lanterns hanging everywhere. Awesome!
Lots of Lanterns everywhere - beautiful
Another Temple - being a Buddhist country they are everywhere.
The hire boats along the River in Ancient Town
Museum of Folklore
I couldn't believe this when I saw it, it was that packed with motorbikes, pushbikes and people you couldn't have fitted a flea on it and it was tipping to one side as it was crossing the river.
Hi everyone! Well today first up I would like to pay tribute to my mum, it has been a year today that our mum passed away and it is a sad day for us as a family spread far and wide that she is no longer here as our matriarch. We love and miss mum dearly and know she is in a better place and today we need to celebrate how important she was and still is to us. Our mother will always live in our hearts and minds forever and ever. Love and miss you mum. xoxoxoxo
Today was another awesome day in Hoi An, I don't know how in 2 days time we are going to manage tearing ourselves away from this place to move on to Saigon and then back to Australia. Shopping, shopping, shopping was the order of the morning. First up was breakfast at the hotel and a nice breakfast it was. Next door to the barber shop where Rick had his hair cut, shave and ears cleaned all for $6, the guy did a great job too, now Rick can hear everything I am saying, don't know if he is happy about that. Then hit the pavement. We got most of our shopping in the one place and managed to bargain it all down to a good price. Then we went walking along the river through the fruit, veg and meat market, it was the typical hustle and bustle that you come across in most Asian food street markets. We visited the Japanese bridge, walked around the streets of the Ancient Town and then shopping for some clothes for me. I love the hippy clothes here they are so bright and colourful and cheap too! It was a hot humid day and the sweat was just pouring off us, I ended up buying myself a cone hat (the ones the ladies working in the markets and rice paddy fields wear), it worked a treat at keeping the sun off my head.
Headed back to the hotel and ordered room service pizza, the heat and humidity gets worse in the afternoon which is the best time for an afternoon nap in the cool air conditioning. Collected our washing from Minh, the laundry lady who lives in the house 2 doors up, she knows our names off by heart and speaks to us everyday either when we are on our balcony or in the street.
A couple of hours nap and we had planned to go out shopping again this evening but it decided to storm and rain as is the case each afternoon. Not to be outdone we just headed of to a restaurant a couple of doors down from the hotel, had dinner and headed back indoors. Will have to finish the shopping either tomorrow or day after.
Tomorrow we have booked for a half day bus and boat tour to My Son Temple and a few other places so should have some good photos to put on the blog tomorrow night.
Anyway for those of you who haven't seen today's photos on Facebook am putting them on this blog. Time for bed as we need to be up early for our tour tomorrow. Have a great day everyone. Until tomorrow!
Rick having his haircut at the local barber, it only cost him $6 bucks for the works and jerks, he didn't mind pulling out his wallet for this one.
The Temple near the Japanese Bridge in Ancient Town
The Japanese Bridge - Ancient Town
The other side of the Japanese Bridge when you have walked through, its a street of shops, shops and more shops and heaps of lanterns hanging everywhere. Awesome!
Lots of Lanterns everywhere - beautiful
Another Temple - being a Buddhist country they are everywhere.
The hire boats along the River in Ancient Town
Museum of Folklore
I couldn't believe this when I saw it, it was that packed with motorbikes, pushbikes and people you couldn't have fitted a flea on it and it was tipping to one side as it was crossing the river.
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