Vietnam

Vietnam

An hour about from Bun Lung to Vietnam border, crossed on foot and suddenly I felt the difference of people. Some buses were there to get to town near by, but they don't tell us about where they taking us or how long and how much. They pushed us in to their van and hustled, well I guess I was being bit harsh about money as well. There were two German in the same van, one having stomachache for a week. They wanted to go to a hospital. I heard this story after but I met them randomly in other town and they said about the hospital they have been. Apparently, he had to sleep on the shittiest hospital that you can imagine. Rats, bags and mold, of course there is no English speaking doctor, bed has mold and the steeling was rusted. He said he had worst two nights in that hospital but the treatment has worked. At least he was a doctor.

Arrived in a Pleik and found a bus to go to Saigon. There comes the one of the worst bus ride. I had to wait for it for eight hours, I walked around the town to kill some time and I was tired. Bus was packed as usual. And this old woman came behind me. She was maybe about 80 or so and paralyzed. I had to carry her just to let her sit there. That's ok. Three hours later, when a night fall, she starts to cough just behind me. She was quite suffered from coughing but no one did care. Her seats was bit higher than mine so I could feel her cough on back of my head sometimes. Aw, then she started to vomit. Not on my head but I could hear the sound of puke so clearly. Then the smell came and filled the bus. There was no window that can open. The smell was awful. The road was awfully rough and driving was terrible as usual but this time was unacceptable. The smell filled the bus and everyone started to sick. I felt shit. And a local girl next me got puke. Then, a man next her. Then a old men in front of him. There was a puke bag but I can smell shit, SHIT. I was trying to breathe as less as I can but the suffer was irresistible. In my memory, everyone was puking. It was the puke party bus. Hours later, the old woman, she suddenly moan, something must have stuck in her throat, she made some noise and passed out. I thought she is dead. But no one didn't do anything and bus kept on going. Then the bus drove five more hours to Saigon. Of course, she was paralyzed so she puked not in the puke bag but all over her body. She survived the bus trip though.

Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

Checked in the pretty much first place I found, I was tired. Slept four hours about and head to the city center. I just wanted to visit war museum in Saigon. I met a Japanese guy on the way, we visited the war museum together. The Vietnamese war is a horrible history. The images in the museum was still framed in my mind.

The other impression of the town is the amounts of traffic jam with motor. There were about 8 to 10 on the side way, lined up about couple of hundred meters with no gaps. And people are crossing the streets and the drivers are passing the pedestrians like a snakes. It was not my favorite city. It was big and ugly. Visited the market, the most aggressive stuff ever. Even a restaurant, they grabbed me and forced me to eat. I decided to leave the town next day.

Nha Trang

The town is next to a nice beach but it is bit too touristy. I didn't do anything much. Drunk at a bar, swam at the night and cycled around a market.

Hue

Meet Mal. She is from States and we have met in Koh Tao. She was working in Hue and she let me stay her place for couple of days. And she was with her dad and her brother, we hanged out together. First day we walked around the town and a market and ate some food which we have no idea. Her dad and brother were not travelers so they were surprised about her daughter's life style. And we went to karaoke at the night. That was funny. We all love singing songs and got heated. Next day, we hired some bikes visited some temples. In the night we went some clubs. It was so funny to see American tourist visiting Asia.

Hanoi

On the way to Hanoi, I took a night train. There were five Vietnamese passenger in my cabin, we chat a bit and played some tune. That was the first and last time that I met Vietnamese local people who has good impression. They gave me some food, chicken was good but they gave a boiled egg, the EGG with half grown chicken in it. I have been eating so many weird shit but that was just unacceptable. When I saw it, I could see face and blood, when I ate it, I could feel bones and heads, then some feather scratched my throat. Oww...

I went to a museum during the day. I didn't like much of Vietnam but this Halong bay tour was awesome. I met Cam in a hostel that I was staying. It was funny coincidence and we booked the same tour together. We went to water puppet show in the afternoon. It was quite freaky and funny, music and lighting and the reflection of the puppets on the water give the audience kind of tripping out.

Halong bay tour is one of the best tour I have joined. Cruising around the unique Halong bay with big old wooden ship, with some young backpackers. Feeling like a pirate, sailing through other tour ships and mountains standing though from the ocean. There are hundreds of massive ships cruising around the bay, gave me the idea of living on a ship as a pirates. Relaxation of calm ocean and comfort of the warm breathe they are the true luxury for my life. The crew of the battle ship were from all around the world. Tikta, Sam, Julie, Paul, Ken, Cheney and Me and some more.

First day, we visited a massive cave, and did kayaking. Ken and I shared one thinking about taking our camera with us or not. Glad that we decided not to bring with us. As soon as we left a port, we had an accident with a boat, crushed down into the water. Jumping off from our ship and swimming around. As the sunset goes down we sat down on the deck, had some chilled beer together. And the dinner was great. Actually all the meal we had on the ship were great. At the night time we had lots of beer and made some tune together. Some were hocked up back of the ship. We stayed over night on the ship. I have slept on the deck for a while and enjoyed the dark sky.

Next day, we steered to an island. We had cycling to a cave where used to be a hospital during the Vietnamese war. The size was huge and I am amazed by the how they fight against enemies. Then we headed to an island to stay over night. It was a pretty island with a luxury guest houses. Monkey beach was disappointing because of wild monkeys around the restaurant eating junks from rubbish. After the dinner we were hanging around the beach and swimming around. Paul wear a life jacket like a pants and told us its the fashion. Actually that was much more comfortable and fun. We looked like big babies. And as the company promised the floating bar has came. We were told that the bar was on water and free. BUT, a guy came up with cooler box and a float on the beach called us up “let's do floating bar”. I just laughed but some got upset. The drink was weak cocktail with cheap vodka it's ok but we were disappointed. I borrow the box after the argue and filled up with beer and we did our own floating bar. That was great. Got drunk and swimming around. Then I realized that we could see phosphorescence but no one believed me for ages and they said they were nothing but reflection from restaurant. I was just so excited and persuade them to look carefully the water. I found a scuba mask that proved I was right. None of them have seen anything like that. After that, everyone got high with the color of the nature and passing around the only one mask. We chilled out on the beach and looked upon the sky with thousands of stars and absorbed in counting shooting stars.

Next day, we went back to Hanoi and chilled for a night together.

Sapa

It was a pretty little town of French influences and huge rice field spread over the sloped mountain. Walked around the town and I liked the garden on top of the mountain. Next day, we had a hiking down to the rice field. Then some local woman were just followed around me. I walked down about four hours the slope rice field and some times were slippery and had big up and down. But they followed me from begin till the end and showed me the way. Of cause they asked money later and I pain couple of dollars reluctantly. I had beautiful photo opportunity in the town after the sunsets. The town was swallowed by thick cloud and the colored by all streets light in red and yellow.