So clearly I was horrible at keeping up with updates along the way... we were very busy on our adventure! I am back in Salaya now, packing up and getting ready to embark on the journey home. I cannot believe how fast the past 5 weeks flew by!!! We have seen and done SO much I feel like the daily routine of teaching in Thailand was a lifetime ago.
Our journey from Hoi An to Nha Trang was not quite as enjoyable as our last overnight bus experience. This time around the bus was much older and Skye and I had seats "upstairs" in the back row which were very shaky and narrow. There was also no toilet on this overnight bus, so we had to stop in the middle night for a "dinner" stop and for everyone to use the restroom. I didn't sleep well at all and was looking forward to a nap upon our arrival in Nha Trang. We settled into a hostel recommended by Lonely Planet but since we were only staying for one night, we weren't too picky about the accommodations (although I could have done without the giant cockroaches and other questionable species that were hiding in our bureau). After a well needed nap, Ethan and Emily knocked on our door saying they found a snorkeling trip that was willing to take us that day (we thought we would have needed to book in advance so we had assumed that our day would be relaxing on the beach) I snapped into my "go" mode, threw on a bathing suit, and was ready for the day. The best part about backpacking is there are little to no expectations of appearance so getting ready was always an extremely quick process.
We grabbed breakfast from the street, a delicious egg sandwich with laughing cow cheese and veggies. Vietnamese street food is very different from Thai street food and not nearly as abundant. I was looking forward to our snorkeling trip- we were visiting 3 different snorkel locations with lunch included. The boat was relatively small but it had a roof for sun bathing, and what later became our group diving board. The coral we saw on the first snorkel spot was gorgeous- huge pieces of red and pink and very well preserved. The second spot was kind of cloudy so we decided to stay on the roof-deck and relax. The third spot we were all sweating to death so we decided to swim, but skipped out on the snorkeling. We took ridiculous group photos of us jumping from the boat but we soon realized there were tiny jellyfish everywhere nibbling at our skin so we didn't last very long in the water. Overall our snorkeling experience was really fun and it was interesting to snorkel somewhere other than Thailand to see the variety of fish and coral.
We only had one night in Nha Trang so we decided to explore the restaurant and bar scene. There were a good amount of backpackers in the area and everywhere had deals for "happy hour." Skye and Alexis were pretty tired from the bus ride and long day in the sun, so Ethan Emily and I found a dive bar with free pool and 2 for 1 drink specials. We also discovered a fun beach bar, but with a 10 dollar cover charge it was way out of our budget.
The next day was St. Patrick's Day, although if it hadn't been for the drunk backpackers we saw at 9 am it could have been just another Sunday... We were scheduled to take the overnight bus that night to Ho Chi Minh city so no Irish celebrations for us! We headed to the beach which was actually used by Americans during the war for vacation time. The beach was very nice with views of mountains in the distance. There were fun waves to play in and Ethan, Alexis and I enjoyed a St. Patty's Day beer on the beach. We bought some souvenirs from some beach vendors and sat chatting in the sun for hours. It was a really fun beach day and definitely the most relaxed St. Patrick's Day I've had in a while...
For our last overnight bus experience the 5 of us decided to take the back row of seats and snuggle up! We charged Skye's computer so we could watch "Wedding Crashers" and all had optimistic thoughts that the ride would be enjoyable. Being the shortest of the group, I was placed in the middle of the row which was rather difficult because I move around a lot to find that perfect sleepy position. Being in the back of the bus was a little nauseating and the 5 of us together made for a pretty warm sleep... Again there was no toilet on this bus so the ride wasn't nearly as enjoyable as we had hoped. Oh well, we survived and there were no more overnight bus rides to dampen our spirits! I was not sad to say goodbye to those experiences...
We arrived in Ho Chi Minh city a little cranky from the journey and a little overwhelmed by the city. Thank god for Ethan because he is very good at reading maps and orienting himself in a new city, every time we arrived in a new city after the overnight bus ride I followed him around like a zombie, but always trusted his judgement on directions and accommodations. When we arrived we passed through a park where all the local Vietnamese were getting their early morning workout routines in. Hilarious is an understatement- mass groups of Vietnamese people doing aerobics was one of the funniest things I have seen in my life. I was skeptical about the hostel we chose because the directions were leading us down a very random alleyway- but they had a room that accommodated our group of 5 and the owner seemed nice enough.
Doing our research ahead of time, Alexis, Emily, and I knew there was a Starbucks in Ho Chi Minh so we planned on beasting through the day with a caffeine boost. After nearly 2 weeks of disgusting Vietnamese coffee I was very much looking forward to a good cup of Starbucks. We had a lot to cram into our time in Ho Chi Minh City- we only had 2 full days in the city and there was lots to do!
Our first stop was the War Museum. It was very interesting to go to the museum as an American and read all of the stories and perspectives from the Vietnamese. Some of the exhibits were really difficult to walk through- particularly the Agent Orange exhibit with photos of victims of all ages. The chemical affected up to 3 generations from the bomb sites and there were even preserved fetuses to show the damaging effects. Many of the propaganda posters were interesting to read and the aggressive adjectives used against the Americans left me blushing in embarrassment. It was definitely an eye opening experience and I enjoyed learning about history from an alternate perspective.
Our next stop, the most important stop of the day, was a lunch stop. We enjoyed Pho and Spring Rolls, the only food we really discovered in Vietnam. Vietnamese food definitely lacked the flavor and spices that Thai food is so well known for and meals were often a difficult decision for the 5 of us to agree upon in Vietnam.
After lunch we briefly visited the market and then headed to the palace. It was the weirdest palace I have ever visited and was used as more of a conference center than a home of royalty. The exhibits inside were very strange and we didn't spend much time there. The heat and the history lessons were starting to take a toll on us so we headed back to the hostel for an afternoon nap. We were resting up for the night market which was supposed to be the biggest market in Vietnam. When we got there we were certainly surprised to see the market only lasted for 3 short streets. After a very strange noodle dish from a street vendor, we explored some of the market stalls but they were not comparable to the souvenirs in Thailand. We headed back to the hostel where I anxiously awaited the arrival of midnight- which would be Tuesday- was the best day ever- MY BIRTHDAY! Ethan had snuck off at the market to buy me a hand made Disney card and I was very happy to be surrounded by friends for my birthday. I was feeling weird about turning 23 but to be able to celebrate any birthday in Ho Chi Minh city is a pretty cool experience so I remained optimistic about the day. We headed to bed- we had an early wake up call for the Cu Chi Tunnels the next day!
The Cu Chi Tunnels were the tunnels created by the Vietcong in the Vietnamese War. It was a pretty touristy experience, but our hilarious tour guide, John Wayne, made the day interesting. As part of the tour we got to see some of the trap doors and booby traps that the Vietcong placed around the tunnels to prevent enemies from discovery their hideaway. The tunnels primary use was for the soldiers to seek shelter during a bombing. They could spend up 2 hours in the tunnels at a time. There are 3 sets of tunnels, the first level is 3 meters below the ground, the second level is 6 meters below the ground, and the third level is 12 meters below the ground. Overall the tunnels stretch over 75 miles long- insane to think that they were hand made !! Only the first level of the tunnels is open to tourists, and you can crawl through 200 meters of the tunnels, with different exit points along the way. The 5 of us started out the journey, but it was dark, narrow, and very hot underground so Skye and Emily left about halfway through. Alexis, Ethan, and I crawled the full 200 meters, and some parts were scarier than others. I couldn't imagine being under there for an extended period of time but I am really glad I got to see a glimpse of what it was like. Another part of the tour was eating the root of a Tapeoka plant, which was the primary food source for the Vietcong. It was actually pretty delicious and tasted like a baked potato.
The tunnels were a very fascinating experience and it was interesting to have such a cultural experience on my birthday. It is definitely an unforgettable memory! After the tour, we headed back to Ho Chi Minh city for our last night in Vietnam. We had an early wake up call for the bus to Pnomh Penh, Cambodia the next day but that didn't halt the birthday celebrations! We started the night at a Mexican restaurant where I enjoyed quesadillas and margaritas. From there we found a bar/night club with good drink deals, an empty dance floor, and free pool. The 5 of us had the place to ourselves and had a blast dancing to random songs, playing pool, and some make shift karaoke sessions. It was a great birthday and a great way to end our trip in Vietnam.
Overall Vietnam was a very interesting place. I loved the mix of history and natural beauty that we experienced on our trip. We had a lot of very memorable moments during our 2 week stay in Vietnam and I am very happy I got to learn more about their history and culture. I never thought Vietnam would be a location I would visit in my lifetime but I am very happy with our trip and would definitely return to learn more. Vietnam is a very beautiful country and there is a wide variety of things to learn, see, and do.
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