I'm now in Hoi An, half way up the Vietnamese coast, and it is pouring down. I got here early after an overnight bus ride and managed to sort a few things out early doors before the rain came. For the last couple of hours I've been stuck in my room watching Die Hard 2! Anyway, Hoi An is a very cute little town. It has more of a Chinese influence than French, in the old town all the buildings are faded yellow, many with lanterns hanging up outside. The Vietnamese, it seems, love to shop and there's no end of stores here - fashion, furnishings, gifts, etc - but I'm trying to save cash.
In Siagon I did the tourist thing - bit of a mission - in one day I went to the market, the fine art gallery, Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum.
The bus journey was almost 24 hours in total - two buses with an hour change in Nha Trang, where I probably would have spent some time if I had more of it before I am due in Hong Kong.
I almost didn't make it that far. South-East Asians love to eat and every bus journey is peppered with seemingly needless lunch, brunch, dinner, afternoon tea, midnight supper, etc, breaks. We stopped for a lunch in a two horse town and the bus took off while I was in the toilet! I came out to see it rounding a corner out of view and had to chase after it (and both my bags) on the back of some guy's bike.
While in the Nha Trang tourist office waiting for the second bus I shared around some biscuits. Most people politely declined but one Vietnamese woman took a handful then told me I could take her to Nha Trang for $10. In truth it wouldn't have been tempting even if she was free and I suggested she pay me $10 and I'd think about it. We all laughed though I'm not sure she understood.
Hopefully the rain will stop as I've got a two day trip to Halong Bay, which looks absolutely stunning, the day after next. Then it's the pretty crucial moment of truth regarding a Chinese visa. Hopefully I'll get to go as my blagging for Hong Kong has gone into overdrive and I have five free nights in top hotels and three tours all booked up. I can go to Hong Kong without a visa but would need to get a flight rather than go by land, which would cost much more, then I would have to sort out another additional flight to Tokyo, eek. I can't load photos at the moment as the CD with the hardware doesn't seem to be working, but as soon as I sort it I'll update the posts.
In Siagon I did the tourist thing - bit of a mission - in one day I went to the market, the fine art gallery, Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum.
The bus journey was almost 24 hours in total - two buses with an hour change in Nha Trang, where I probably would have spent some time if I had more of it before I am due in Hong Kong.
I almost didn't make it that far. South-East Asians love to eat and every bus journey is peppered with seemingly needless lunch, brunch, dinner, afternoon tea, midnight supper, etc, breaks. We stopped for a lunch in a two horse town and the bus took off while I was in the toilet! I came out to see it rounding a corner out of view and had to chase after it (and both my bags) on the back of some guy's bike.
While in the Nha Trang tourist office waiting for the second bus I shared around some biscuits. Most people politely declined but one Vietnamese woman took a handful then told me I could take her to Nha Trang for $10. In truth it wouldn't have been tempting even if she was free and I suggested she pay me $10 and I'd think about it. We all laughed though I'm not sure she understood.
Hopefully the rain will stop as I've got a two day trip to Halong Bay, which looks absolutely stunning, the day after next. Then it's the pretty crucial moment of truth regarding a Chinese visa. Hopefully I'll get to go as my blagging for Hong Kong has gone into overdrive and I have five free nights in top hotels and three tours all booked up. I can go to Hong Kong without a visa but would need to get a flight rather than go by land, which would cost much more, then I would have to sort out another additional flight to Tokyo, eek. I can't load photos at the moment as the CD with the hardware doesn't seem to be working, but as soon as I sort it I'll update the posts.
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