Category: South East Asia

Day 99, Thursday 12, April, Ho Chi Minh City

Up early again as we had to be at the airport for 8.30 for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City (HMC), Dan and a few others were still really unwell so it was a quiet trip out to the airport where Van’s family met us to say good bye to their daughter.

The flight to HMC was a wee bit bumpy and the landing was pretty bad, I am going to try Jetstar for any further flights I think, depending on cost of course ! I spent the whole flight head down in the Lonely Planet and have pretty much come up with a plan of what I want to do, so now all I need to do is join in all the dots and maybe book a couple of flights. I have decided to fly on some of the longer or more complex legs, one to save time, but more because I think after five months on the road I will be over long bus rides and hassles associated with land border crossings.

Van had organised a bus to pick us up from the airport, take us to our various hotels and then on to the bamboo bike factory and the Cu Chi tunnels. Such awesome organisation ! most of the group were staying at the highly expensive (and luxurious) Rex hotel, but I found the Luan Vu, a decently priced guest house about a ten minute walk away in the backpacker zone. Van said the area was very dangerous and was horrified we were staying there, but it appears to be safe as houses, loads of westerners around, I have stayed in much much worse… We all checked and dropped bags and then back on the bus for the fifty or so km ride out to the bamboo bike factory.

Dan and Malcolm want to build bicycles made from bamboo and have been working with a small meditation centre that has been making bamboo furniture. They are well on the way to design and have been testing out the manufacturing, the visit was for Malcolm to have a look and to discuss some design. However, Dan was still really crook and didn’t make it out with us.

The factory area is very rudimentary.

Malcolm testing out one of the hmmocks. I havent seen a lot of hammocks in SE Asia until we got to South Vietnam where they are everywhere.

The meditation centre made us a delicious vegetarian meal, lots of locally grown vegetables and a coconut to drink. that is tea by the way – not beer…

It was all a bit much for this lad.

We had a look around the gardens and the factory and then left to go to Cu Chi tunnels a couple of minutes up the road.

Cu Chi is district just outside of Saigon, (HMC) during the Vietnam (or American war, depending on where you come from) that was heavily it was a stronghold of the Viet Cong and was bombed by the US Airforce. The villages moved themselves underground and built a massive tunnel system – up to 200kms long, linking with other Viet Cong tunnels all over southern Vietnam. The tunnels were used to move troops and supplies around under the noses of the US military as well as being entire villages with hospitals, kitchens and living areas all built metres under the ground.

We arrived quite late so the tour was a wee bit rushed especially as there was an opportunity to fire weapons used in the war, and we really did not want to miss out on that ! Our guide through the site was really good, fantastic English and very funny, the best guide I have had in SE Asia by a long long way. He showed us a couple of the tunnels and they were tiny, I could not imagine living underground for years or moving around in things so small and so dark. The local woman were the guides for the tunnels, he called them ‘maps’ and each woman only knew a small section of the tunnels so that the whole system would not be compromised if one was captured or turned traitor. He led us into a clearing and asked us if we wanted to go down the tunnels, and then asked us to find the entrance, one of the guys was standing on the trap door, it was very well disguised. The entrance was tiny, and I am not sure i could have actually got myself into the tunnel at all once I was in the ground. Luckily these tunnels were not the ones us westerners got to experience, and we walked through a 30 metre section that had been enlarged to all us to move about. It was still pretty narrow, and quite dark at times…

We then had a look at some of the horrific man traps the Viet Cong used (and I am sure the southern Vietnamese and Americans had similar). This was my favourite – or worst, not sure which, a rolling trap that gets you all the way down.

A number of the traps were designed to only trap legs, but in some cases they would then put explosives underneath so that when someone tried to free you from the trap it exploded, this was not done often, but often enough to spread fear amongst the Americans, as they would never know.

We then went an spent a vast amount of money (I spent $40 USD on 2 rounds) and fired Ak47s, it was short, loud and a lot of fun. The barrel ends were strapped down, to reduce the recoil and to prevent anyone accidently shooting someone else…

Uncle Ho

Then it was day over and back on the bus and back to the hotel. I was sharing a room with Malcolm and after showers etc we met Mark and Hayley and went to a local vegetarian restaurant for food and a beer or two, followed by another earlyish night.

Day 98, Wednesday 11 April 2012, Da Nang.

I think this was the first day where nothing was planned to start at 7.30 am for days, though I was still up early and down for breakfast for 7.30. Quite a few people were sick with various ailments and I needed some time to start planning the next few weeks, so it was a slow day in the hotel for all.

As I have now committed to being in England for Mal’s run in mid-June I need to get around Vietnam, Laos and northern Thailand before heading to Sri Lanka. I will spend a few days there and then head to England around the first week of June to prepare.

I am so hopeless at planning, I spent the morning on the internet, reading my guide book and not making any useful decisions at all. I did download some music and write a few emails – avoidance, one of my specialities… I did email Chris and Trish who I met in Borneo, as they said to come visit them when I am in Vietnam, they live in Vung Tau a beach town an hour and a half from Saigon by ferry and they have now invited me to come and stay on the 19th which is very cool of them.

By this time it was mid-afternoon so I decided to go and procrastinate further over pizza and beer at Temple bar for a couple of hours, I made some progress in planning, but still have nothing concrete. The hard part is trying to fit all the things I want to see into a logical, and cost effective order to best make use of the 6 or 7 weeks I have left in SE Asia, it seems like a lot of time but there a lot of places to go.

That evening we were all invited around to Van’s parents house for a meal as this was to be Van’s last night in Vietnam for three months as her and Dan go to Australia. It was a lovely meal and a nice time with the two families. After a couple of hours we left Dan and Van to say there farewells and went back to the hotel.

Day 98, Wednesday 11 April, Da Nang

Today was a rest day, really tired after a few bad nights sleep, some busy days and far too many nights spent over a glass or three – not that I have had any huge nights, just many small ones in a row. I was also still a bit sore from playing football – amazing how the fitness goes so quickly. A number of the others have been suffering from minor head colds and travellers belly so there was not a lot happening in the group either.

I also need to plan what I am going to do when everyone goes home and I am back on my own, as well as plan my medium term travel as I have made a decision to get to the UK for early June and support my running buddy Mal Law on his 1000km 14 day charity run along England’s south coast.

So, after breakfast with the crew in the hotel restaurant I wandered back up to my room and spent a few hours trying to conjure up a travel plan from thin air, reply to a bunch of overdue emails, edit photos and do blog posts. None of which were done successfully  I had so much trouble focusing – too many days away from work I think, and to be honest, focusing was never a strong point (Jana – if you read this  – please ignore, I have been drinking, I will make a wonderful employee should you place me in a role !).

After a few hours of dedicated procrastination I went down to the lobby to say goodbye to Dan’s sister Leonie, who was heading off to Hanoi and I finally moved myself and my laptop to Temple Bar and had a cheese feast pizza (I so miss cheese) and a few beers for lunch, and continued my online procrastination until my laptop battery ran out.

Tonight was the last day in Da Nang for all of us, including Dan and Van, with Van leaving her family to go to Australia with Dan for a few months. Van’s family had invited us all around for dinner and some went in a taxi and I got to ride for the last time with Dan on the back of the bike as it was also being returned to Van’s house.

I will miss the bike riding – I do not have the confidence to ride in the insanity of a Vietnamese city myself but being on the back is a blast. It is such a great way to travel, though highly dangerous – one of Dan’s friends, Debs, spent some time in the orthopaedic ward of one of the Da Nang hospitals as part of a work program – a huge number of their patients are the result of motorbike accidents – we saw a (probably fatal) accident on the wedding day between a small truck and a bike.

On the way to Van’s we stopped at a pharmacy so Dan could grab some throat lozenges and i wanted to see if they could supply some sleeping pills, I have been using Zopiclone off and on  for years for insomnia – (more off than on – I have used 25 since November…) or some Tamazapan, but they didn’t have any of those, but they did sell me 10 valium for $4 NZ, so I at least have something to help sleep.

Dinner with Van’s family was wonderful, the food was just outstanding and Van’s family were very welcoming and lovely and obviously distraught that they are losing a daughter overseas – though I am sure not for ever as Vietnam is a wonderful place and Dan and Van  will be back here to live sooner rather than later.

It was a good night!

I will be back to Da Nang soon enough, a few kick around with Vans Bro Luc and some snooker and beer with her bro-in-law Win. Cannot wait.

Day 94, Saturday 07 April 2012, Da Nang / Hoi An

Got up far too early considering the amount of whisky I drank, was eating breakfast at 8.00 and got asked if I wanted to go to Hoi An, like right now…. so very quick scoff, very quick shower and off in a cab to Hoi An for a few hours.

It was wickedly hot and I was wickedly dehydrated and maybe not in the mood, but I was disappointed by Hoi An. It is just too touristy, all the nice buildings in the old town house tourist shops or restaurants, there is nothing authentic left.

My Other big issue with Hoi An, and I am going to have an issue with this in Vietnam, unless today I was just overly sensitive – but I am over motorbikes, the constant honking of horns, the riding everywhere in all directions, sometimes it is fun, and I know it is the way, but Hoi An is largely a pedestrian town and being honked at every 10 seconds was just a big pain in the ass…

Of course I took a bunch of photos, but of the bits I liked…. so some alley ways, I did like the alleys, out of the sun and a little bit cooler than the streets.

I liked the bicycles, many of which were found in alleys.

Some of the buildings were pretty cool

The Japanese bridge was OK in daylight.

and I liked some of the detail – especially the incense holders.

But most of the people were trying to sell you something and the constant call of “you wanna boat, one hour, cheap price” or “you wanna motorbike” or “you wanna trishaw” and “come into my shop, buy something” – just did my head in.

I did like this woman rowing her canoe, but she was ferrying a tourist over the river – so I culled him…

So Hoi An – ya let me down, you are cute, but you sell yourself like a cheap hooker – disappointed.

After Hoi An I slobbed for a while in the hotel and then went and ate a pizza at the bar up the road on my own as I had no idea what everyone else was up to, which wasn’t much at all apparently. Later on a bunch of us sat in the hotel lobby over a G and T and watched some of the wedding video.

Day 93, Friday 06 April 2012, Da Nang

Today was Dan and Van’s wedding day, wahoo !

I dragged my sorry butt out of bed as late as possible but still leaving time for a quick breakfast, shower and shave and downstairs in time to be picked up at 8.00 for the wedding.

Dan getting the final touches, tie by Tea and the corsage by his brother Russell.

There was a few car loads that left the hotel and went to Dan’s friend Phuoc’s (I think is the spelling) house to collect the dowry.

The dowry has a roasted pig, fruit, betel nuts and a few other things that I cannot remember. A number of photos were taken with the dowry and I was privileged to be one of the party that carried the gifts to the car and from the car into Van’s parents house where the ceremony took place. Naturally I got to carry the pig with Russell. (I am a vege – or maybe just fussy as Alex called me).

The arrival at both houses and the carrying of the gifts roused lots of local interest with neighbours coming out to look at us and our offerings. The ladies in the hairdressers over the road from Phuoc’s house were very interested. As well as a photographer there was also a video guy who was filming the wedding car procession from the back of a scooter, a la tour de France. It was quite a laugh !
On arriving at Vans we lined up in the correct order and carried the dowry into their house through a clapping gauntlet of Vans family and friends. Once inside Dan and his mum offered the dowry to Vans parents, thankfully they accepted !

Once the dowry was dealt with Dan and family went upstairs to meet Van and bring her down to the ceremony, she looked stunning in traditional Vietnamese wedding dress.

Is that not the biggest grin !

I am a wee bit unsure of the detail of the ceremony but there was an introduction of all family and friends by Dan and Van to each others family and friends, some exchanging of words between parents, Dans mum got to put some gold jewellery on Van.

and there was an exchange of rings.

Van and Dan and family went upstairs to seek a blessing from Vans ancestors and it was all done ! Congratulations Mr and Mrs Coe 🙂

Dan’s mum and Van’s father

We all piled back into the cars and went on a slow drive through Da Nang to the reception at a large venue that obviously specialises on receptions. There were three floors all hosting receptions a t the same time so there was a lot of people arriving all at once, there were two hundred guests at Dan and Vans.

At the reception I sat at the vegetarian table with Malcolm, Mark and Hayley and Phuoc, there was about seven courses and the food was great, very fresh and not all fried, such a change. Ii particularly enjoyed the salads and a lovely seaweed soup, this was all consumed over a few Tiger beers. Once everyone was seated (except for bride and groom) the show started on a small stage at the front, dragon dance and some singing and dancing, I am assuming some story was being told in the music and dance as dowry props were used.

Once the show was over the music volume picked up, the floor lights dimmed, the floods and stobes came on and a screen on a glass box at the back of the stage rose to reveal a lift in which Dan and Van descended : ) just awesome, nothing you would see at a traditional NZ wedding ! they walked down the stage to the cheers (of us NZers and Aussies) and the claps of the rest of the reception.

There was a very short formal part and then the karaoke began, most of which was not too bad, Phuoc and Van’s brother Luc took part. Phuoc giving it all..

A cheeky Xuxu, Dan’s neice.

While this went on we were all still eating and Dan and Van had to visit every table and have a photo taken with all the guests, they didn’t get to eat, poor buggers. The reception was over after two hours and all the guests filed out and the cleaners were in tidying up and readying the place for the next one.

The mass of wedding guests heading off to collect their motor bikes.

We all went back to the hotel to change into shorts and t-shirts and slob around for a while before heading out to a villa in one of the big resorts that Dan and Van (and family) stayed in overnight. We had a second reception for close friends and family, some more delicious food and a few drinks – quite a few in my case! It was a great time out at the villa, lovely atmosphere and cool to be able to spend some time with the happy couple.

It wasn’t a late night and I was so glad to have had lots of coke with my whisky, staved off what could have been a vile hangover the next day.

It was an awesome day, so nice to see Dan and Van get married and so nice to have been invited.