The Fat Lady Sang

Last but not least. The last blog of our travels through Asia. Where was I?...Ummm, Siem Reap. While in Siem Reap we decided to finally give in and try one of these 'fish massage' places we kept seeing. Its a tub of small-ish fish, and you stick your feet in and they 'massage' your feet by eating off all the dead skin. It is THE weirdest sensation ever. I kept having to yank my feet out because it would tickle and Matt only put his heels in. It was definitely an experience.

From Siem Reap we spent one full day in Battambang. There was nothing to see there and the city pretty much shuts down around 9p. Nobody is even outside walking the streets so its very eerie. After Battambang, we took a 10 hour bus ride to Sihanoukville. Sihanoukville is a nice little beach town with not much to do but sit on the beach...which was perfectly fine with us!

 

 While laying on the beach all day baking in the sun is awesome, there was no end to being hounded to buy fruit, bracelets and other souvenirs, massages or any other sell-able item. Nonetheless, it was a relaxing few days of topping up our tans. We also went to another beach down the road that was much quieter and relaxing than the main one in Sihanoukville. 

     After Sihanoukville we booked a minivan to Ha Tien, a town on the Vietnam side of the Vietnam/Cambodia border. The morning that the minivan showed up it was already filled with 10 people, of which about 8 were small children, for a 12 passenger vehicle. After we were picked up we stopped 3 more times for more people, and in the end there were 21 people crammed into the van. It was....interesting. Along the way, one of the kids threw up out the side window ALL OVER the side of the van, TWICE. On the way to the border with Vietnam, we stopped 10 times for locals getting in and out of the van, and when they were unloading their stuff from the back of the van, one of them pulled out a CHICKEN they had stored away for the trip! It's amazing the things they transport in a van or bus. Makes me laugh.

  Before the border we were put on another minivan with other backpackers going to Vietnam. At the border, on a dirt road, the driver collected our passports and left us with the van while he went to a shady-looking building. Then we were taken to a checkpoint where an official took our temperatures, for which we were subsequently charged a dollar, and then we filled out some paperwork, gave over our passports again and then were let go to show our passports AGAIN at another barrier and were finally let go.

When we got to Ha Tien we took one look around and decided to go to the island Phu Quoc. The plan was to stay in Ha Tien (as our Lonely Planet said it was a 'quaint little town') but there was not much there. So, we took a ferry to Phu Quoc and spent a few hours looking for accomodation. While we were checking in, M came across a massive, fake-looking, grub of some sort. After thinking it was fake, he poked it with a broom and it squirmed. It looked like an alien form.

 

Phu Quoc was okaaaaay. We didn't know that to enjoy the beach it was easier for you to stay at one of the beachside resort/bungalows. If you weren't staying at one, you had to trek a long way to find a path down to the beach. Matt and I rented a scooter instead and rode out to a beach on the opposite side of the island. The weather wasn't too great that day but it was a nice, quiet beach.

We only spent a few days on Phu Quoc and then left for mainland Vietnam, and the Mekong Delta, to see the floating markets. Getting to Can Tho was an ordeal, but once there we were approached by a gentleman who was looking to take tourists on a Delta tour to the floating markets. We haggled and agreed on a price and a morning departure of 530a the next day. That night while we were eating at an italian place recommended by Lonely Planet I could have sworn I saw something run across the floor but not having gotten a good look at it I assumed it was just a shadow or the tablecloth blowing in the fan's draft. Right before we were done with dinner I finally saw what I thought I'd seen. It was a massive rat running across the floor under a table on the wall across from where Matt and I were sitting. I pointed it out to him and we sat, not quite horrified as we'd seen rats at our eateries, but surprised because it was MASSIVE. One of the stray cats from outside saw it running and came in to check things out. It ended up chasing it back across the room towards us but the rat disappeared under a beverage fridge. I love Asia. 

     Next morning we got up and went to the morning markets on a small boat that went sooooo slow. Luckily it was just Matt and I and we got to enjoy the scenery alone. It took quite a while to get to the first market, but it was worth seeing. I'd read that each boat has a stick at the front of their boat with their products tied to the top to show others what they were selling. 

  On our Delta tour our boat driver took us to see how rice noodles are made. It was really interesting to watch them work together and turn out so many rice circles to dry and eventually make rice noodles.

Our Mekong Delta tour boat :)

After the rice noodle 'factory', we went down the side canals to another morning market, and then were home by 1p. We left that day on a bus to Ho Chi Minh City.

 In Ho Chi Minh City we did a bit of sight-seeing. The first stop was the Reunification Palace. The building was once the symbol of the South Vietnamese government, which hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and thousands of Americans died trying to save. On the morning of 30 April 1975, the government of South Vietnam sat quietly on the second floor of this grand building waiting to transfer power to the Northern forces who were crashing through the wrought iron gates below. The building took its current form in 1966 after it had been partially destroyed in an attack by South Vietnam leader Diem's own air force. The building is still used for official functions. The most interesting section is the basement - a network of tunnels and rooms, including a war room and a telecommunications room.

 One of the tanks that crashed through the front gates of the Reunification Palace in April of 1975.

 Some of the telecommunications equipment in the basement rooms.

 View of the front gates from the top floor of the Palace.

 Another day we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. This is where the Viet Cong would live and hide from the South Vietnamese and American troops during the war. They created a series of tunnels that stretched over 250km.

 We got the opportunity to go into the Cu Chi tunnels and walk to the end. I had a bit of a claustrophobia panic and climbed out of the second stairway we came to, but a few people went all the way.

 One thing that never seized to amaze Matt and I were the sheer number of scooters in HCMC. As you can see, they drive anywhere. This guy in the foreground didn't want to wait at the light with the other hundred scooters so he took to the sidewalk and skipped the light. This is the norm there. You are never safe from getting run over by a scooter anywhere. They ride through busy markets, on the sidewalk, backwards on the wrong side of the street, anywhere. It's ridiculous and hilarious.

After a night bus to Nha Trang we spent more time relaxing on the beach. Nha Trang is another nice little beach town. We found a great, cheap Italian restaurant that served Matt a great cup of tea and a good breakfast. On a day with bad weather, we rented a scooter again and went looking for a spa that was rumored to have a really good mineral mud bath. After asking directions 3 times, getting lost a few times and following random signs that seemed to not lead where we needed to go, we found it.

 Da Lat was our next stop. Its a small town up in the mountain and a definitely temperature change. We had to drag out the trousers, jumpers and hats. But one exciting experience was the great find of Da Lat wine. So delish.
While in Da Lat we did a day tour of a couple of waterfalls, the Valley of Love and a silk embroidery shop.

 Like any city in Vietnam (or anywhere in South East Asia) there was a market.

      We found a most delicious restaurant in Da Lat as well. We tried the fresh spring rolls (which means they aren't fried; but fried is great too!) and some good traditional Vietnamese food. The service was amazing and the two men running the place spoke really good english.
     Mui Ne was the next beach town stop. They have some awesome must-see sand dunes and have Vietnam's signature blue fishing boats. Renting another scooter we went to see the dunes.

 

 Back in HCMC for the last few days of our trip. :(  

 Everything in HCMC was decorated for Vietnamese New Year on February 2nd. The colors for the new year celebrations was red and yellow.

 One of our last days was spent at the indoor market getting the last of our souvenirs. We haggled HARD and came out happy with our souvenirs and the savings.

 After shopping, we were flagged down crossing the street by an asian lady wanting us to sit out and have a beverage at her stand. She was overly accommodating and made sure we had 'coolers' for our beers. It was a much-needed refreshment after sweating like pigs in the indoor market.

 Some of the decorations being sold for the new year were these dragon fruit dragon plants.

 This is the main road we stayed on in HCMC. It's amazing the amount of wires they have running across the roads. This is a mild showing in the snap below. Note the really tall building in the background......

 ....we spent a few extra dong to take an elevator to the viewing deck of this building to see the views of HCMC.

 The 30th of January was apparently a pre-party for the new year celebration as EVERYONE seemed to be out and on their scooter. I've never seen so many scooters with anywhere from 1 to 5 people on them.

Homeward bound on 1st Feb, 2011. Sad days. Back to the real world and Matt being able to see what its like to stay in bed all day while I go to work. Hope you all enjoy it! xx M&B