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Vietnam July 2017
  • Colin McIntosh
  • Colin McIntosh

Vietnam July 2017

A 23-day adventure by Colin Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 7, 2017
  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    HCMC (Saigon)

    July 8, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    Hustle and bustle ...
    First impression is of houses with bright silver water tanks on the roof.
    Watched the rugby at local bar
    Scooters everywhere ... Near death experiences every minute!
    Great night market .. great tastes except strange cake... Sponge topped with salty stuff and a quail egg!Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Cu Chi Tunnel

    July 9, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    From the American war ... 200km of tunnels.
    Fascinating history as to why American intervention happened. The Vietkong were followers of Ho Chi Minh ... Uncle Ho ... who took up communism partly because Russia was prepared to help get independence from France. US was on the campaign to rid the world of the Reds..Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Walking tour

    July 10, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Guided walk with 2 young students.
    Started at Bến Thành Market ... They still barter here.
    They also cut the heads off live frogs then cut their feet off ...
    Parliament buildings and the statue of Uncle Ho.
    Onto the Hotel Continental and Opera house
    Notre Dame
    The Post Office where the picture of Uncle Ho looks like it has stamps for background
    Upstairs to a replica Vietkong cafe
    Then to the War Remnants Museum ... Horrific stories and photos.
    After short rest onto the water puppets and an authentic hotpot meal...    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Mekong delta trip

    July 11, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    The further south the more sugar in food.
    Officially Colin is now old 😁
    Guide told us Catholics eat dog a lot. He stopped eating dog when his got stolen! His wife said it was karma!
    Stop 1 : the pagoda. It was fully operational even a "conference" going on. Very ornate dark and even though tourist somehow serene.
    Stop 2 : Mekong River. Cock fighting is illegal but prominent.
    Into a little boat for trip over the river.
    Stopped for fruit and some local music.
    The coconut candy factory ... Hand made and hand wrapped sweets from the coconut meat ... Various flavours.
    Also a stop at a honey factory/shop ... Tried a Viet version of hot toddy minus the whiskey.
    Then a short walk to catch little 4 person gondolas which took along a tributary to lunch at a fish restaurant. Baked fish on a stand rice prawns soup and a few unrecognisable things. Very nice.
    Back over the river to the bus. Most of us got some shut eye on the 2hour journey home.
    Interesting and knowledgeable guide who talked about life in Vietnam.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Around and up in HCMC

    July 12, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Equivalent of Uber to the Tan Dinh market which is less tourist focused. Found a terrific place for traditional Vietnamese pancake.
    Walked back across town seeing streets dedicated to selling shoes or sunglasses or aquariums.
    Boys went out to the heart of darkness brewery...very nice beers but most of them with very high alcohol content!
    Then up the Britex Tower to watch the sunset ... No much sun but to see the view change from daylight to nightlight was amazing.. especially helped by the cocktails.
    Finally of to a little backstreet restaurant..
    All the guys now have genuine imitation Mont Blanc man bags.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Onto Da Lat

    July 13, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Up and ready to go. We all arrive at the airport to find they have brought the flight forward by 50 mins ... We have 10mins to check in and board before takeoff. But wait there's more: we don't have tickets with check in luggage ... More time spend getting that sorted; but there is more Lawrie has his expensive penknife confiscated - check on eBay please!
    Having delayed the flight by 20mins we are all on board.
    Arrive safely bags included except of course the penknife.
    It's cooler, 24C and raining. First impressions are of green rolling hills and no traffic!
    BUT WAIT there's even more!! The hotel has no booking for us so we have to hunt around for another. All part of the rich experience .. no sweat really!
    Found hotel just to the road so no problem.
    The rain stopped and we walked around town ... Had a Chinese lunch then coffee in a really funky, retro cafe.
    Much quieter than HCMC in the hills so you walk around with Asian/Mediterranean mix of atmosphere.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Da Lat and around

    July 14, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Christine and Terry off to get wet down a canyon, Lawrie hiked up a mountain, Raymond did a run, Ros & Colin did the market, bought fresh and candied fruit.
    Coffee, local and roasted onsite with homemade cupcake. Called weecafe but could be called weed cafe....
    Walked around the town ...
    - market where they took live chickens and ended up chopping the carcass on the floor!
    - market full of good fruit and vegetables. We bought fresh lychee, Rambutans, and something else like that and just as delicious!
    - art deco railway station that is not art deco
    - the Da Lat Palace hotel for a wine
    - Street side yoghurt
    Saw a man on scooter carrying rice bring heard by burning wood fire 😀
    Da Lat is a tourist place; like Taupo or the Italian lakes.
    In the evening out into town for nice meal with wine from Da Lat    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Bike around Da Lat

    July 15, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Stop 1. Weasel coffee
    Robust and Aribica. Families often have 2hectacrs enough for 2000 trees Aribica is better money but more labour.
    One weasel can make 8-10 cups of weasel poo coffee per week.
    Stop 2. The cricket farm. Tasted cricket cooked in lemongrass ... Not as bad as it looks!
    Stop 3. Lunch overlooking the valley. Fish curry, chicken in lemongrass, spring roll, tofu
    Stop 4. The silk factory. One of oldest in Vietnam. 1945. Mulberry leaf is best. Need to harvest while worm still inside. Put cocoon into hot water to boil the worm and soften the silk. 105 days from egg to end of cycle. 1 cocoon can make 1 metre of silk. But they weave together for strength.
    In Vietnam they have been growing silk for 1000years.
    Then we ate a silk worm .. tasted like peanut butter.
    Stop 5. The elephant falls. After all the rain the falls we in full flow. Steep, slippery climb down to experience a behind the scenes waterfall view.
    Stop 6. Flower gardens .... Hundreds of blooms.
    Dirty and wet ... We come back to find no hot water 🤔    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh
    1

    Off to Hoi An

    July 16, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Up earlier with egg Banh Mi at 7am then off to the airport.
    Arrive in Da Nang warmer at 25C but raining ... 40mins or so later we arrive at Hoi An, a riverside town South of Da Nang.
    We have to wait for our rooms to be prepared so we where down the riverbank for 2mins to a lovely restaurant ... The rain eases as we head back to the hotel. Time to relax in the pool or a little shut eye before exploring further.
    To the bikes into town to find out about getting dressed made. Started to rain so wandered in the wet around the town before finding a pub to watch the tennis.
    The town is very beautiful; old with shops lit by lanterns.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Around Hoi An

    July 17, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    The day awoke with high cloud and sunshine. Nice breakfast sitting outside overlooking the river.
    Had a nice bike ride around the rural countryside - the herb gardens were quite stunning. Saw a number of water buffalo, herons even Pukeko among the rice fields.
    Back for a swim then a late lunch by the river before heading into town to finalize the clothes being made. Into the markets and over the bridge for a cocktail.
    Finish the day off with a swim in the pool.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Visit to My Son

    July 18, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    My Son ... Beautiful Mountain .... Hindu place of worship.
    The Cham tribes follow Hindu and Muslim.
    Religions brought in via the trading port of Hoi An
    The old capital of Cham was 7km from temple.
    Native Vietnamese are Kingh tribe (80%) 53 other tribes make up the rest.
    China invaded Vietnam in 1st century for 1000years.

    Our van pulled over by traffic police ... Cost driver USD$10 in "black money" as is known here.

    The ruins are quite spectacular available real gem. Never heard of this Cham dynasty yet they have been around for over 2 centuries.

    They clay bricks were held together with honey and tree sap and baked by fire. The inside was filled with soil to provide stability during the build then dig out once completed.

    Many of the temples were destroyed by Amercian bombs attempting to kill Vietcong ... bomb craters still visible.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Diving Cham Island

    July 19, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Up an away by 8.15am on a full breakfast we head of to Cham island on an ancient boat with about 30 other intrepid divers from around the world.
    An hour on the boat takes us to the the first dive spot.
    Wonderful dive in beautiful clear warm water. Lovely coral and bright fish. 45 mins later we're back on the boat eating muffins as we head to the next spot.
    This time we are down for 55 mind in 29C water.
    Fantastic.
    Onto the island for a lovely lunch with the best ever squid, and time on the beach and in for a swim before we're back on the boat and home by 5.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Scooter from Hoi An to Hue

    July 20, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Such a fabulous packed day ... Setting off just before 9am the scooters and our guardians the Le Family headed out of Hoi An enroute to Hue.
    Colin and Ros on one scooter, Lawrie and Christine on another, Raymond and Terry had one each. Along with 2 young girls from Nottingham we hit the road...Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Scooters: Stop 3 - The bunkers, lunch

    July 20, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    At the pass between the 2 provinces is a peninsular and the place you can both see and defend ... The Cham, the French and the Americans all but bunkers here. Bullet holes clearly visible.
    Lovely lady and her bride came for wedding photos.
    Then down the hill and along a side road to a seafood restaurant built over the inlet.
    The food was sooo good and so much of it. Colin even ate a mussel!    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Hue ... The citadel

    July 21, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Found a nice spot for breakfast called xxxx where the owner is a well known photographer (and it turns out, tourism guru). Booked a tour for tomorrow.
    Today we walk over the bridge to the citadel ... The old city was encompassed by a 10km most and defensive wall which still stands impressive today.
    Within this wall lies the citadel.
    It is a magnificent series of temples, pagodas, gardens and other buildings. To be fair it is big task to repair and upgrade the buildings but some fascinating architecture.
    Later in the evening we popped around the corner to Nina's fit for tea. Wonderful again.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Hue - boating and biking pt1

    July 22, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Start the day with breakfast at a French boulangerie...
    The famous Mr Cu met us kitted us up with bicycles and of we ride to the river, loaded the bikes on the little ferry boat which was part of our charter and headed up stream. We are onboard for about an hour which included in board gift shop 😁
    First stop: Ming Mang Tomb. Absolutely amazing structure, architecture and gardens. Dates from early 1800's.
    Then back on the boat to get to the other side of the river.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    Hue: boating ang biking pt2

    July 22, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Leaving the boat behind, we set off to the tomb of Tu Duc. We only get a far as a cafe when we are delayed by the best coffee so far on the holiday.
    Finally to the tomb in the heat of the day. So we have lunch first🍴
    The tomb is truely memorable, a must do. Colours, shapes design. Lots of mosaics with broken pottery.
    From there we head home ... Not a long or difficult ride except it was hot and sticky.    Read more

  • Colin McIntoshVietnam July 2017Colin McIntosh

    And on to Hanoi

    July 23, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Breakfast in the French boulangerie then taxi to the airport and an hour to Hanoi.
    Picked up by taxi and on to the hotel ... Ummm which hotel 😀 eventually to the right one.
    We lunch at a small vegetarian restaurant - the best yellow curry ever!
    We walk to the women's museum ... on the way we see the big Hotel Metropolitan where Jane Fonda, Graeme Greene and Charlie Chaplin have stayed.
    Women's museum has lots about the women's role in the wars. Tough ladies!
    A walk around the lake and up to the Skyline rooftop bar to watch the sunset.
    A walk around the night market a little nibble to eat and the then back to the hotel ... no sleep to start as the sounds of the night market boom around!    Read more

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