Part TWO - Vietnam & a Peak into China | Older Travellers - Lonely Planet Forum

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Sun, 20 May 2007 09:09:58 +0000

I forgot to add this interesting security experience. I thought it more than superb and am going to write to Vancouver Airport Security on the matter with c.c. to Saigon Airport. With various airlines, every time I check in baggage to cargo, I have numbered stickers applied to my tickets, which correspond to numbered stickers stuck to my baggage. So often, I have had to wait – and wait ….. trying to get through Customs, while my baggage was sitting - waiting to be claimed – or I have heard PA announcements demanding I pick up my luggage – for safety’s sake no less - yet I could not get out of Customs. I have travelled about the world, using at least 60 different flights since 2001 – and when I trundled with my baggage to the exit gate, not once have I been checked. But Saigon checked me. And I very much appreciated that – good for them !!

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Sun, 20 May 2007 09:26:53 +0000

Travelling on the bus from Saigon to Mui Ne, was an interesting experience. With an abrupt movement back, from the seat in front of him, I could see that the passenger across the isle from me no longer had room left for his knees. Squeeeezed he was. I am sure he was most thankful that the seat to his right was vacant. However, he had quite a time of it trying to move into that seat. He had found that he could move his squished knees a little to the left, with his hips now slightly bent to the left. It was hard work to pry out his right leg – he actually used both hands. He finally was able to lift up and out one knee bent toward and directed toward his midriff, sorta to the left. He next had to pull his knee as close as possible toward his head - - at which he then flung that leg into the air in the direction of the right seat – while his hips were still in a position of somewhat facing to the left. Ouch !! Once he got his right leg into the next seat, there was still quite some shovelling to be done. We were inadvertently entertained by a contortionist. LOL

About 1.5 hours into the trip, the bus had a 10-minute pit stop – and of course everyone exited to find the toilettes. Before entering the large building itself (nothing but toilets) everyone had to take off their shoes which were immediately replaced with plastic slip ons. Very neat and orderly - and a guard was there to make sure we DID take off our shoes. The bathrooms were very classy - fully tiled floors and walls - long counter tops - sparkling clean - and all the while we were entertained with Vietnamese music. What a surprise.

For this bus trip, I had the crazy idea that if I kept watching all this mayhem on the road, that my mind would develop an understanding with the pattern and I could then relax. Well forget it ! 3-rows from the front of our bus sat two men from Germany, and I am well familiar with traffic in that country being it can be quite adventurous. As I was on the opposite side of the bus and down another 3, I had a good view of their reactions. For them it was a continual show of appearing to have their eyes frozen to the scene before them, or turning to each other to share their shock and pleasure that they made it through alive – again.

On driving south to Mui Ne, we drive in the right hand lane – well sometimes we do. And other times we travel either straddling the centre line or clearly we are in the oncoming lane. We travelled down the highway with our horn blaring loudly at everything we passed or came close to. There were numerous people on motorcycles riding to the right of our bus and we are all skinnied together using one small lane – read VERY small lane.

Coming toward us in the opposite lane are two large tour buses, one following the other with numerous motorcycles on their right riding on the shoulder. As school was just let out - in front of the buses and motorcycles, there were a number of children sharing small pedal bikes and in front of that group, there was a packed group of young girls riding bicycles - - back straight – wearing their lovely white áo dais – looking immensely elegant.

The bus behind the 1st, pulled out into OUR lane, as we were less than ½ a block away. We had no where to go – and the bus kept coming straight at us. Within a hair’s breath left for manoeuvring, they nipped back into their lane directly in front of all the pretty young ladies … who … pedalled on indifferently - carrying on their exuberant chattering – as we flew by in our bus. Ah well. Situations like this repeatedly happened all the way to Mui Ne. I was a nervous wreck by the time I got off that bus and so appeared other tourists – wide eyed – shocked expressions – ah well – in Vietnam this is the way --- so I’d best adapt --- some how ! I spent too much time gaping or frozen in shock, and because of this missed so darned many photos.

Four hours later we arrived in Mui Ne. It is more than lovely seaside town – more than laid back - laced with palm trees, sand and sea – and I just cannot see this quiet and super lovely spot lasting much longer. It has the lowest rainfall of all Vietnam. A huge variance in accommodation is offered in Mui Ne from glorious resorts of endless luxury to simple by cozy bungalows to excessively basic accommodation. And they have VietcomBank here for western ATM use.

The beaches are beautiful – can walk for kilometres on end with few people about. Rang Beach was our beach and shown in this clip. Click Here There is a fishing village taking up the beach a small distance north Click Here of which the individual fishermen use unusual round woven boats Click Here and next comes Ganh Beach, and so on. Here is my pic of a view of the beach when I was hiking about Red Canyon – located north of Mui Ne. Click Here All beaches were gorgeous.

Here is a pic of H travelling on a moto taxi. We needed to hire 3 of them to take us together with baggage - from bus drop off, to our Mui Ne Bungalow. Was very inexpensive tho. This is the actual width of the highway in Mui Ne. Click Here

We had decided to spoil ourselves and chose to stay at Bao Quynh Bungalows. Click Here Unfortunately, when in Canada, I took too long to make up my mind and reserving a desired Standard Room was not available - so we booked an identical room (ensuite, separate beds, TV, fridge, desk) but with queen and a single bed, in other words for 3 people, and this included 3 breakfasts. The cost for all was $26.00. We couldn’t have been more delighted with the accommodation, the atmosphere, the grounds, the food and the service. It was wonderful. Lovely roofed open air dining area. Click Here A small pool next to a small roofed dining area el fresco, which we used for breakfast. All bungalows opening to lovely gardens and a walk meandering down to the beach Click Here with the very last bungalow, opening out to the ocean. Every plant and shrub here was meticulously attended to with the entire property fully laced in beautifully groomed plants and a small fresh water creek running through to the ocean.

So often people arrived to ask about vacancy, but they were full. We found that the highly recommended establishments, should be booked ahead – for obvious reason. And yes, one can easily stay at whatever hotel is offered at the end of your bus ride – but we found it far more gratifying, less strenuous and often time saving, to search about for a few strategic places at which I might prefer to stay, before I left – reserve them over the net – and balance my trip around these special places – for we reserved them for relaxation points or just because it was so HIGHLY recommended. For us, this worked really well.

We took two of the basic day tours offered in Mui Ne, and travelled in a jeep with our guide and no others. Sitting behind our guide, I was startled to see him with a 2-hand grip on the bar above his head. Considering the traffic and my slow adjustment, I felt a little better LOL. Hanging On

One tour started off by visiting the Red Sand Dunes. Red Sand Dunes And I decided to have a go at sledding down the sand dunes, and ended up rather bruised and battered - BUT, I really enjoyed myself. I also inadvertently entertained the local children, as they stared in shock at this granny doing her wild thing LOL. For I whizzed down that mountain like a crazeee person, and suddenly my sled, took a turn to the right .... and as I was travelling at a fierce pace DOWN that bloody hill - - with hefty momentum I fell off - and bounced - and whummmped, ... bounced and whummmped .... again ... (read solidly for each entry) ... all the while still heading for the bottom ---- oooof !! Click Here

H was no help at all, as he just stared at me holding his camera managing to take only two pictures - and get this - he complained that I went too fast. Well for Pete's sake !! Mind you - in truth I didn't see him until I came to a dead stop and was buried in the sand. By then I was wondering if I was going to be able to move all my limbs and I discovered that I had received a solid bath in sand - my hair was thoroughly drenched with it – down my shirt - inside my underwear - my poor ears were laced with it - ugh ugh ugh - - not a comfortable feeling !!! I thought I could just shake out the stuff - but no go - this stuff sticks.

We next visited the White Dunes and had fun with the children about. White Sand Dunes

Then Red Canyon, which consisted of stunning rock formations which on climbing near the top, a fantastic view was provided of the beach and sea below. View from Top Here is a pic of me, stuck near the top, as I could no longer find purchase. Rock Formations

We ended the tour with a lengthy and pleasant walk in the middle of the Fairy Spring which consisted of a fresh water stream surrounded by high and interesting rock formations – actually more of clay.
Fairy Stream And later we were returned to our bungalow, where it took me two long showers to get out all the sand. And another two showers after that.

Our next trip was a drive in the opposite direction to visit TaCu Mountain Pagoda. Click Here and Scroll Down We obtained our tours from Ocean Tours in Mui Ne, and we paid $26.00 each which included driver and guide plus 3-toll road fees and a cable car ticket. Often we were picked up at our bungalow around 7 am, in order to be out of the sun in the worst part of the day. For it was HOT there – people were sporting serious sunburns and others were sprawled on the beach trying to compete - and this was only February. On arriving, we met up with a motorized open trolley that the visitors were to take. The fee was included in the cable car ticket, but we preferred to walk up to the entrance as we would then be able to have access to take some good pics. However, the driver of the trolley was adamant that we were NOT going to walk – in fact, he was so annoyed with us, I thought for a minute that he was going to vault off that wagon, and drag us on. Well - it wasn’t my property so I thought I’d best be respectful. Top Access to Cable Car The cable car was an excellent operation from Austria. At the time we were not permitted to hike up due to rains making the ground too dangerous. I thought that was a pity – however, when on the cable car itself, I could see that yes, it was a very steep and long climb – but it went much further than I had thought and once we reached the top – and disembarked - we next had a hefty amount of stairs and trails to trod before reaching the reclining Buddha. View from Top Our guide mentioned that a lot of tourists make the mistake of thinking they’ll enjoy the hike up, and end up in distress due to the distance, which one cannot see when at the bottom.

After paying our respects to the reclining Buddha – which to me wasn’t at all that interesting, but the flora and fauna, the trip there, the views and other bits of relics and tombs about, made it a good experience. Our guide next clambered off midst a tumble of large boulders on the hillside. A bit dicey in manoeuvring but we followed him into a well camouflaged hideho – well I thought it was, but it turned out to previously have been a home used for many years by a hermit - and there was also a tunnel running underground for many kilometres from this home but I wasn’t at all keen on squishing myself through that.

We spent the rest of our time on the beach – walking, swimming, simply lazing about, reading or working on the net. When we were hungry we would get up and walk down the highway checking out the various restaurants to see what they offered. There were endless restaurants but they are not always so ‘visible’ for as happened often during out trip, we found a lovely one at top of a tour office – and another behind a squat and uninteresting building - another down a dark and tiny alley and so on. You just have to look at everything. Often it proved for us the tastiest dinner when squatting down with the locals at a corner gathering. As long as it doesn’t wiggle – just put it on my plate. The net cafes were also good – lots with full usage of SKYPE which was a treat. Once I was surprised when already sitting down in one … as I was asked to vacate. The area has so many Russian tourists, that many net cafes have dedicated specific computers to users of that language. Good for them. This so called Communist country is getting there.

Really – I am not going to drag you through all that I did or investigated … just mention bits and pieces to hopefully encourage those who are perhaps not certain.

We next travelled to the Lang Bian plateau to visit Da Lat.

Continued….