River deep- mountain high

We arrived at Luang Prabang ('LP') on a plane that seemed to dwarf the  tiny airport. Getting visas was as expected, bureaucratic but reasonably efficient. It was hard to fathom out the difference in the cost of visas though. Visitors from England/USA/France for example pay $35, visitors from Luxembourg only pay $30 & Canadians pay $42. Not sure what Canada has done to offend Laos!

We headed straight to the night market where they have some great street food at v cheap prices - washed down with the obligatory bottle of Lao beer. LP is not  like any other place we have visited in SE Asia. Not wishing to offend its incredibly clean. The architecture is heavily influenced by the French & is a Unesco world heritage site so many of the original buildings have been beautifully preserved. We explored LP on bicycles-ambling along the banks of the Mekong River in the sunshine - a perfect way to enjoy this town. But we are not all about ambling – we had exploring to do so we booked ourselves on to a 2 dy trek. The night before we set off we had a great eve with a lovely couple A&S, which resulted in1 too many Lao beers but was all good fun.
Our jungle trek was shared with our guide & a Canadian couple. We set off on a boat down the Nam Khan River then began our hike in dense jungle, very quickly ascending into the hills/mountains. We stopped for lunch in what had been a  village but is now a small holding, where 2 small children appeared from nowhere & promptly set up market stalls with handmade goods. They drove a hard bargain, but we were a captive audience. After we had completed our purchases they promptly packed up ran back into the woods.Back on the trail  the sun was extremely hot & the track  uneven, slippery in places & dusty in others, but the stunning views more than compensated for the wear & tear to our knees. About 4.30pm we arrived at the village where we were to spend the night; home to 68 families, school, water buffalo & a menagerie of animals. We were all allocated to a different family so that the money we had paid for our stay could be shared. Accommodation was a bamboo hut. The sleeping area was 3 sided about 3 ft off the ground with a bamboo floor which served as the bed, a blanket for a mattress, bedding & all contained inside a mosquito net.  the toilet/shower facilities were bleak. Thankfully I had bought my trusty ‘she-pee’. We sat in the family courtyard  watching in amusement as the 3yr old  poked a long stick into the fire &  attempted to set fire to one of the puppies (without success I should say) , whilst the grandfather smoked from a bamboo bong & the grandmother carried the baby on her back whilst doing chores. To us observing it seemed a very simple lifestyle, unfettered by boundaries or rules & the family seemed content.
We shared our breakfast with a whole array of animals – a cat, several dogs, chickens – even 2 piglets all gathered around our feet, with 2 children (the fire starter & her sister)watching as we ate .
Back on the trail we walked for an hour or so until we arrived at a lovely waterfall where we went for a swim. It was bracing but refreshing & necessary -  we were starting to smell! A short walk away & we were in an elephant camp. These are our favourite animals & so we were both v excited. We went for an elephant ride in the jungle initially with us both on the back on a chair then Mr L moved onto sit on the elephant itself & then I did. It was so lovely as the elephant gorged her way through numerous branches & bushes as we went, even ripping a banana tree apart with ease. The  Mahood had v little control  & she only moved when she wanted. Eventually she took us to the river where she cooled off & we got off & said our goodbyes
The last part of our trip was a 2hr kayak on the Nam Khan River where there were quite a few rapids. we got through the first few okay & enjoyed ourselves. The last 2 sets were bigger & we nearly went over, but Mr L’s expert steering got us through them safely. Where we landed there was a loud group of people having quite a party. A man came over & gave Mr L a beer. He identified himself as a local police commador & told us this was their Christmas party!
Back in LP our guesthouse has a balcony that overlooks the river & is an ideal setting to spend Christmas Eve & Christmas Day before we move on. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and thank you for sharing our journey thus far. To our family & friends we send our all our love.

If you're a little off colour & out for the count ....

We landed in Yangon in the early evening & thankfully the traffic was just slow  as opposed to complete gridlock. This was to be our last night in Myanmar and We were staying the at the sort of hotel we would usually try to avoid – a huge hotel, very western & completely over the top but it was only for one night. The reception area was adorned with Christmas decorations, lights, several christmas trees - even santas sleigh with reindeer – all accompanied by piped Christmas music (one album played on a loop), something we had managed to avoid up to this moment. We decided to go out for a walk and some fresh air.

Later that evening we had a FaceTime link up to a gathering take ng place  at home with friends & family which was a pretty dire connection but at least we could see them, which was wonderful and they could see we were ok (& apparently looking well). 
The following morning we discovered that the hotels penchant for excess, spread to breakfast. You could have anything and everything including (rather randomly) beef wellington. And cheese. A whole lot of cheese. A while ago my friend A had asked me what food I was  missing; “nothing” was my reply. Until I saw the cheese. We realised how much we had missed it in the almost 12 weeks we have been travelling and It was delicious. We had a plateful,  a bit of everything & far too much but it was so nice.
Sadly it was time to head to get back on the road,  sit  in traffic and eventually get to the airport. The 8km journey took almost 1 ½ hrs. Our time in Myanmar had come to an end and we had loved it. If you have ever considered going – do it soon. 

We flew to Bangkok and spent 6 hours killing time until our connecting flight, which was pretty dull although they do have a Boots the chemist which was an absolute delight to me as I love Boots (Mr L is not a fan). We arrived at Siem reap in Cambodia at 9pm & got a tuk tuk to our hotel.

Our Plan was to stay in Siem Reap  for 3 days to give ourselves time to get laundry done, visit the local attractions particularly Angkor Wat & the temples before heading up the country.. However our plans had to be revised as  I  wasn’t v well – some sort of viral thing – which left me laid up for several days and meant  we had to keep extending our time until I was well enough. It was day 6 before we got to the temples but they were definitely worth the wait. We were a bit concerned we might be ‘templed out’  after Myanmar but these structures were quite different in size, design & feel. No glitzy gold topped pagodas just incredible ancient buildings that made you marvel at how, thousands of years ago,  it was possible to create such complex and huge structures. Our particular favourite was Ta Prohm where much of the temple has become over grown with huge trees and the roots have become entwined with the building. It's an incredible sight to see. With my energy levels restored, the following day we hired bicycles to explore & get off the beaten track a little. Mr L had been a great carer during my bout of illness but had a serious case of cabin fever & so we took a leisurely ride to explore some of the local villages and see some of the countryside.

There is still so much of this country yet to see but  we have decided we cannot do it justice on this trip and so exploring Cambodia will have to wait for another time and another trip.  Our next destination is Laos. 
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Float, float on.

We arrived at Inle Lake in the early evening- too late to enjoy the spectacular views of the lake but they were waiting for us the following morning – my birthday! We had breakfast & I opened my presents from Mr L and from our guide Khet, before heading out on one of the long wooden boats across the lake  to visit  the local market. We have visited a few markets on our travels but this was by far the best. So bright & vibrant & full of an amazing mixture of smells & of locals from different villages/ ethnic groups in their own traditional dress selling the sort of  produce that we had seen growing  in the fields the previous day,  as well as fish from the lake. 
The lake is 22km long & 10km at its widest & not particularly deep – max 12ft in the rainy season & is home to more than 40,000 people who reside in the 4 villages that are built on the lake; homes, huts, schools, shops, workshops - all built on stilts above the water & only accessible by boat. It was incredible going up & down the waterways in between these villages. More amazing are the crops of tomatoes & other vegetables/fruit they grow on the lake. They do this by adding soil and seaweed to the floating water hyacinth to create a floating piece of land & then anchor it to the bottom of the lake with long sticks of bamboo & plant the crop – vast quantities of it. Genius 

In the afternoon we headed back to the hotel & following a “discussion” with the tour company we were moved to a deluxe waterfront bungalow which afforded us amazing views of the beautiful lake. Perfect. Well it was my birthday! In the evening, on Khet’s recommendation we headed into downtown Nyaung Shwe 4km away but  30mins drive due to terrible roads, to a restaurant that had live music. When we arrived we were shown to a table with birthday balloons on each of the 6 chairs. For the two of us. It was v kind of them but looked like the saddest birthday ever. Everyone was so sweet though & after we had eaten the lights went out & they brought over a plate of fresh fruit with candles in it & all the staff, customers & the band Sang happy birthday – lovely but hugely embarrassing. After a delicious g&t & several Myanmar beers I decided it was time for me to sing with the band.
They were initially delighted & my rendition of ‘country roads’ went down well but after I slaughtered ‘wonderful tonight’ they wrestled the microphone off me & my short lived career with the band was over. Ah well their loss. 

The following morning the promise of seeing a beautiful sunrise from our bed didn’t materialise as there was a thick fog but it still looked amazing. Back on the boat we visited a small village where, up until 10 yrs ago no-one was allowed to enter – even people from Myanmar. They still resist elements of the outside though & it's people are very poor and uneducated. The area attracts tourists because it has a hundreds of pagodas  clustered together; many in a poor state of repair, some even  have trees growing out of the middle of them & most have been robbed of any valuables by treasure hunters over the centuries. A few have been renovated. It was like Bagan but crammed into a small space. 

As our time in Inle Lake came to an end we headed to the tiny  Heho airport where we were given a sticker (not sure why) & our flight was announced by a lady carrying a board around like they do at the start of each round of a boxing match. Our flight with Nok Airways back to Yangon took a little over 1hr –plenty of time to enjoy our complimentary rice crackers. 

The hills are alive with the sound of music

We left Bagan at 8am, making a quick stop at a workshop which uses  palm to make a number of products including some v tasty coconut sweets &  palm wine, before heading  to Kalaw.  The 6 hr drive took us along some badly made/maintained roads, up through mountains with magnificent views &  passing through v rural villages . Which is wonderful if you don't have an upset tummy which I did! Every bump threatened danger. Thankfully, before Something quite embarrassing happened, our driver stopped at what looked like a motorway service area, which appeared randomly and offered timely & significant relief. 
We arrived at our hotel mid afternoon & explored downtown Kalaw, quite a wealthy town, which used to be a retreat for the English during the colonial period to get away from the hot city. 
The following day we met our guide – Khet  and headed out for fabulous day of trekking for 20km off the beaten track. The first stretch of our walk – about 2 1/2hrs -  took us through a thick forest area and alongside a quiet, secluded lake with the trees reflecting in the water. To cross it we had to remove our boots & socks & walk along the top of a dam which was a little hairy as it was quite slippery & nothing to hold onto. The track then led us up quite steep terrain which, once we got to the top,  gave great views of completely unspoilt countryside & just the sound of the birds. Then onto a local village where we were to have lunch. On arrival in the village, music was being played at ear bleeding volume. Khet told us that this was a traditional wedding song so we headed up the hill to the highest part of the village to investigate &  were warmly greeted by locals &  invited to join them for tea & fruit which we accepted. They were so kind & friendly. outside we met the bride and groom sitting in what I can only describe as a wooden pay booth similar to one you might see in a car park. The bride wore a turban made up of different coloured ribbons each edged with beads and an embroidered jacket and belt. The groom also had an embroidered jacket. Next to them squeezed into the booth were too young girls- bridesmaids- described as the prettiest girls in the village. Khet told us that it was only in the last 10yrs, since education was introduced to the village that couples stopped marrying at 14yrs – this couple were in their 20’s (older than Mr L & I were when we got married). They were both from the local tribe which meant they could remain in the village otherwise they would have had to leave.
The bride and groom were delighted when Mr. L made a contribution to their money pot and as a thank you we were given a sachet of shampoo! Nothing says thank you more.

We went on to the home of our hosts for lunch who had a cute 2yr old boy who took a shine to Mr L. & his beard. Lunch was delicious although I struggled with the etiquette of sitting on the floor cross legged - I'm not built for it! As we left the village the children, all dressed in traditional clothing, were heading back to school & came to say hello and see us off. 
Back on the trail our route took us down onto the railway line. No sooner had I  asked Khet if this was safe, when I heard a train coming & we leapt off the tracks as it rumbled around the corner & flew past us– one of only 3 per day so weren't we lucky.  As we walked Khet pointed out all the crops being grown; ginger, garlic, avocado, sesame seeds, oranges etc – all things I have only ever seen in the supermarket. We also walked past terraced fields with water buffalo- grazing- fast becoming our second favourite  animal – then up through a bamboo forest. Every so often we would pass a small hamlet with traditional bamboo buildings, one being used as a shop/coffee shop. It was all so peaceful & unspoilt. We finished our trek at about 3.30pm, hot & dusty & ready for a shower but we would have to wait several hours, as we were heading straight  off to our next destination-  Inle Lake. It was a wonderful  day & one we will both remember with fondness .

shifting sands

We were tired & weary when we arrived in Mandalay. Thankfully we were whisked swiftly across town to our hotel. We really perked up when we saw our room – a lovely bungalow with terrace overlooking a manicured garden – and inside a huge comfortable bed which we both just wanted to collapse on to after our 15 HR train journey. However Hoi wanted to show us Mandalay so after a quick shower & de-louse we were up and out. We spent an action packed day visiting workshops to see traditional crafts including gold leaf making (for people to put on the Buddha statues) , tapestries & wood carving. We also visited some temples, the newly restored Kings Palace surrounded by a 1 sq mile moat & saw the worlds largest book – the teachings of Buddha carved on over 700 tablets of stone, each placed in their own mini temple. An incredible sight & hard to comprehend how much time & effort went into each one. Later, we headed up into the hills to a temple overlooking the city to watch the sunset. There were quite a few gathered to see this spectacular, particularly when the sun hits the gold on the temples & pagodas below. 

Our time in Mandalay was brief & the following morning we were up before sunrise & heading to the Irrawaddy River on a boat to Bagan. We made two schoolboy errors here – 1. We didn't bring any food 2. We didn't put on enough clothing. The boat was open sided & as it set off at speed we huddled together in our windbreakers which didn’t do much breaking. There were about 25 others on the boat mostly French with their hotel provided breakfasts. we were starving . Eventually some food arrived & the sun warmed us up.  It took about 8 hrs to get to Bagan & it was quite relaxing to watch the local boats &  barges & see the villages that were dotted along the riverside whilst enjoying a Myanmar beer in the sun.  Arriving at Bagan was a bit of a frenzy. There is no Jetty, as much of the city is built on sand which erodes in monsoon season but the locals are great at improvising. A plank was placed between the land & the boat whilst 2 lads stood in the water each holding the end of a piece of bamboo to create a makeshift handrail. It was brilliant. Then we had to negotiate the steep climb up the sandbank to the road. We arrived at our hotel &  headed to the swimming pool to enjoy the last of the sun. We were delighted to read that there was a happy hour  but that was short lived when we saw the price -  $6 for a beer. We headed out to find where the locals drink! 
The following morning we met our guide. He was very knowledgeable about the area & the buildings but he was a sniffer & a snorter so every time he cleared his nasal passages or throat in between imparting information I felt myselF wince.

It's so difficult to sum up Bagan –an ancient city surrounded by temples & pagodas – lots of them. There were over 4000  now still over 1000 in various states of repair. Unesco has been advising on restoration particularly since the recent earthquake in August so some of the pagodas are embraced with bamboo scaffold. Please look on line at the place – it's incredible and still so untouched. We kept thinking if it was anywhere else there would be restrictions & fences etc but there is none of that.  you can walk in all of them or around them or climb some & when you do,  you are afforded views across  the vast area where the landscape is filled  with these magnificent structures that are many many hundreds of years old, some with original wall paintings  inside.  Quite breathtaking. We spent 2 full days here & it was enough to explore with a guide but it would have been nicer to have another day to look around ourselves on bikes but there was the rest of Myanmar still to see. 

shaking all over

Day two in Yangon & Bobo our guide took us on a tour of the city & markets, filling our heads with facts about Myanmar. On the street I noticed people buying leaves. Bobo explained this was a sort of stimulant that many people were hooked on. Of course we had to try some! It's a beetlenut dipped in various flavours & wrapped in a leaf. It tasted slightly liquorice- with leaf. It didn't do much for me & Bobo was clearly not a fan as it apparently causes mouth cancer. It went swiftly into the gutter. We wandered around the Indian quarter & the colonial area. As Myanmar has been a closed country over the years with no outside investment or influence, many of the original buildings remain but in a poor state although there are now plans to restore some. In someways it reminded us of Cuba- with architecture frozen in time. We learned about the student uprising in 1988 where many were killed & that the university in Yangon only  reopened 3 yrs ago with students being required to sign an agreement that they will not protest. Mobile phone shops are everywhere but again this is new - until a few years ago they were expensive &  totally unattainable- now a SIM card costs a few pence. The most bizarre thing is that all the cars are right hand drive but they drive on the right hand side of the road! Apparently the generals decided to change the law for no apparent reason & so most cars have a stick on the front left bumper to help them to see where they are driving. 

In the late afternoon we boarded the train to Mandalay. Bobo told us it would be a 10 hr journey. It was in fact nearly 15 hrs on the worst train we have ever been on. As we walked along the platform we passed the carriages with hard seats so were delighted when we stopped at a carriage which announced itself to be an ‘upper class sleeper’. Clearly we have a different understanding of what that means.. The cabin had 2 bunk beds & a metal shelf unit. The whole thing was filthy. I set about trying to clean the unit with hand gel & many many tissues. How I wished I had some bleach wipes & marigolds . There was a sheet on each of the beds & a pillow. Thankfully Mr L planned for just this type of occasion & ensured that we packed sleeping bag liners that keant no one part of us came into contact with anything. This train made the Trans Siberian seem like the orient express. Whilst we got settled in there was a continual stream of porters/hawkers opening our door offering us beer. We had decided to have a few days alcohol free so declined. After about the 15th time we locked the door only for one of the girls to swing round on the carriage door & poke her head through the window to ask if we wanted beer! 

As the train pulled off the sun was setting and once we were out of Yangon & the run down shanty towns we got our first glimpse of the countryside.  By 6.30pm it was pitch black so we settled down to read then to sleep. Wishful thinking. First, our carriage was right over the wheels so the noise was horrendous- even with earplugs in. Secondly the tracks are so uneven & badly maintained that the carriage shook so much our bodies jerked as if we were being bought back to life with defibrillator paddles. Continuously. I am not sure how but at some point we managed to sleep for An hour or so & from about 5 am we sat there waiting  to be back on terra firma. We were unsure if we had arrived in Mandalay due to the lack of signage, as we looked out the window the door swung open again & young faces appeared wanting  our plastic bottles. We exited the train & joined the crowds to who knew where when we were met by a welcome sight – a man holding a sign  – “welcome to Mandalay Mr & Mrs L”. We had made it.

we're on the road to nowhere....

We arrived at HCMC airport with our Myanmar visa's in hand. As a reader of previous blogs you will know that this part of a journey is always the most anxious for me. I was even more nervous this time as there were two things wrong with our visas. 1) I had entered the wrong passport expiry date for Mr L's visa and 2) we had stated our point of entry was Mandalay when in fact we were flying into Yangon. We had booked a tour for this leg of our trip and the company had advised that entering at a different aiport was ok provided it was an approved point of entry which it was. I played it cool at the check in desk but the eagle eyed lady (I thought of other names for her but she was just doing her job) was onto us immediately. After 20 minutes discussion & debate with the supervisors,  it was looking like we might not be able to fly then suddenly, with 5 mins left to check in,  they agreed we could. The flight there - about 2 hrs - was uneventful save for a man in the seats across the aisle from us decided to cut his finger and toe nails during the journey. in what world is that acceptable??

On arrival after we past through security without incident we were greeted by a man in a skirt. It was Bobo our guide for this part of the trip. The skirt is in fact a longyi,  traditional wear for men in Myanmar & worn by the vast majority of them. The ladies also wear long skirts & have their faces painted in a yellow liquid which comes from the bark of a tree & protects them from the sun as well as being fashionable. 

I should explain a few things. We decided to book a trip in Myanmar as we wanted to learn about its history, about the culture/political changes & to see all the key sights so it made sense to have a guided tour. We booked the trip a few weeks earlier but as we set off I couldn't find the itinerary so could only go by the highlights on the website. So we had no real idea of where we were going in any detail, no idea where/which hotels we were staying at, how we would get from place to place. However it was a tour so we were confident it would all be organised for us. We also thought we would be with other people but lucky for us it turned out to be  a private tour. 

Our journey from the aiport to the hotel was 16 km/10 miles so in normal circumstances should have taken 20-30mins.  It took us 1 3/4hrs & we had to walk the last 200m. The traffic was complete gridlock. It wins the award in my book for the worst traffic we have experienced so far. Motorbikes are not permitted in Yangon so everyone has a car. At one point we sat at traffic lights for 10 mins waiting for them to change. 

When we got to the hotel, we headed out to get some food from the street vendors. There was one at the end of the road but the sighting of a rat running along the gutter made us move on to the next street where we had the most delicious chicken in coconut with rice. We sat with some locals on some small tables and little stools who were quite pleased to see us and they handed us pots with chilli and coriander to add to our food. It cost us under a pound.Bobo met us and we drove across town to the Shwedagon Pagoda which sits on a hill in the centre of Yangon so where ever you are you can see it. It's an absolutely incredible sight. We walked around and then watched as the sun set and disappeared behind it. The colours were wonderful. Quite a special place. After we went to dinner on a ridiculously over the top boat where they have a show clearly aimed at the tourists of traditional dancing, puppets and, my favourite, a dancing elephant. Not real but pretty impressive. Tourism only started back up four years ago so the country is still finding its way but we both warmed to it & look forward to exploring more.

Going underground....

We did as we had planned to do for the five days we spent on Phu Quoc Island – precisely nothing. We sat by the pool, swam in the pool, looked at the pool and for a change in the late afternoon we walked to the beach, sat by the beach, walked along the beach and swam in the sea. We watched some amazing sunsets from the comfort of a bar seat with a Saigon Beer  in hand & we ate dinner on the beach under the stars. We ventured into  downtown Duong Dong  one evening and mooched about the market but it was too exciting for us so we headed back. All too soon it was time to pack our bags again and head to the airport-  back to Ho Chi Min City (HCMC).

We were staying just around the corner from where we had stayed previously and, can you believe it, we were allocated Room 101 again. Why? How? Is here some deep meaning to all of this? We headed straight out to visit the market, buy some crazy pantaloon shorts (Mr L announced ‘she's gone all ethnic on me’ ) then to the post office.  Now I know that back home the very thought of going to the post office fills you will dread especially this time of year but this post office is quite a sight. Left over from the French period,  it has a  huge arched ceiling, some great murals & original wooden phone booths which now house ATM’s. 

The following day we were up early & headed off to visit the Cu Chi tunnels. These were originally built for the war against France & expanded further during the Vietnam/ American war & allowed the Vietnamese to operate largely undetected by the Americans.   We watched a video on the bus on the way  to give a bit more background. Well actually Mr L & I watched it along with perhaps 2 other people. The rest of the bus promptly fell  asleep.

I was a little nervous about this visit I must confess- I'm not really a tunnel kind of gal. I became more nervous when we were told how narrow they get and some stretches are in complete darkness. Then a chance came for me  to bale out – anyone with asthma shouldn't go down.I'm not a quitter so went in. Mr L behind me. This level of tunnels were approximately 3 meters below ground. As soon as you enter you cannot stand up in fact you have to walk bent at the waist, with your sides brushing past the walls, back/head touching the ceiling  In this section there were a few lights intermittently along the tunnel.There is very little air , it's very hot and very claustrophobic. I managed just 20 meters – more than some. It was enough to get the experience. Mr L, braved a further section.  Nearby you are offered the opportunity to fire some guns including  AK47’s for the price of a couple of nights in a hotel. We declined. Then we were back on the bus & back to HCMC.

And so we have come to the end of our time in Vietnam. it's been more manic than we had expected and I think we under estimated the vastness of it. It's been fun to meet the locals. So many, especially out of the big cities want to talk to you and practice their English & they are delighted & at times bewildered that you are visiting their country. We have met some great fellow travellers too; many great tips on where to go & what to do shared & emails exchanged but we are ready to move on. Our next stop is Myanmar or Burma as it used to be known. 

Island in the sun....

We had decided it was time for a holiday. That may sound crazy but we have been travelling for more than 8 weeks now and we needed to put our feet up & relax so we decide to head to Phu Quoc Island, south West of Vietnam. As usual the journey there was not straight forward. I could devote a whole blog to our transit travel experiences but as Mr L says rather wisely we always get there in the end. He's right but I think my saying of ‘expect the unexpected’ is good advice to anyone travelling in Vietnam . 

We told the helpful manager at the hotel in Chau Doc of our plans and he advised that we could get a local bus at about 7-15am to Ha Tien & then the ferry to Phu Quoc. Great. Except when we appeared at reception at 7am he forgot that was where we were going and put us on a mini bus to the main bus terminus to Ho Chi Min City. I couldn't understand why when I told the lady at the bus station I wanted a ticket to Ha Tien she kept telling me to wait. Then she handed me her phone and I spoke to a man who said he could get us there but we were to wait. When he arrived we ended up paying more than we had been told it would cost on the local bus but we had no choice. We were bundled onto a mini bus made for 14 but with 18 on it & we picked up 2 more passengers 2 hours later from guess where – our hotel!! Mr L had strong words with the manager as we pulled up & I think he can expect a less than rave review on booking.com.

The 2 hr journey was pretty awful. Crammed in, with our knees up under our chins as all the luggage was under our feet, it was hot and a few of the locals were smoking. However we were in good spirits & somehow I managed to zone out, with the help of ear plugs (travellers essentials) and read my book. When we arrived at the bus station the usual pandemonium of lots of people pointing, shouting instructions & then we were on the back of scooters again, whisked across town to a ticket office to pick up the tickets for the ferry, back on the scooters which took us to the ferry port (why aren't the ticket office and ferry port next to each other you might ask – so did I!)  where we were told we had to wait 2 ½ hrs! It wasn't quite 12noon but it was definitely beer time! 

The ferry arrived & we got onboard and promptly fell asleep. Which was Impressive given that there was music being pumped out at ear bleeding volume. An hour later and we disembarked to the usual chaos as taxi drivers, bike riders, mini bus drivers all pushed to offer Lifts at the best price. We decided on a group approach and, along with a few Germans & Czechs we had met we grabbed a mini bus, cut a deal and we were off across the island. With a few locals picked up along the way of course.

We arrived at our accommodation just before 4pm; Little Garden Bungalows- a very small group of brick built bungalows clustered around a pool surrounded by lush & well tended gardens and a small bar. Our bungalow – at the end of the block and with the terrace still in the bright sun was lovely: big double bed, huge shower room with (rather randomly) an indoor garden  & most importantly no Geckos!!! We changed and got straight in the pool. Fabulous. Five days of nothing planned, apart from reassess the contents of our bags and discard anything unnecessary, getting clothes laundered &  kicking back. Maybe. 

Ain't no mountain high enough...

Day two at the 'hostage’ homestay. At 6am we were up & off on a boat for a 6hr trip to the floating market and who knew where else – we didn't,  we just went. It was lovely to watch the sunrise over the river as we headed off to the unknown. 

First stop a honey farm where we declined the offer to purchase honey/tea/things made of coconut. We met another couple from the uk doing the same trip.  Next the very disappointing floating market, then to a very tranquil stretch of water, spoilt only by the floating discarded rubbish. Our next stop – a business making/selling pop rice (like popcorn but made of rice obviously). We met the English couple again,  as we were talked through the production process & sampled the goods! We were also shown how they make snake rice wine, which is as you imagine it to be - dead snake in alcohol- left to ferment for 7mths. If you drink it before it's poisonous but after 7mths it's fine. Obviously we tried some – it tasted a bit like sherry! We chatted to the other couple before being put back on our boats & taken back to our homestay. When we got back we collapsed in a couple of hammocks, got the guidebook out to plan our escape! At dinner in the evening we talked with fellow guests,  all from France,  who told us that this homestay was recommended in their guidebook. We felt relieved. Maybe we will be able to check out & leave after all!

The following day we left - transported to the ferry on the back on a scooter along the narrow pathways with our packs on our back. It was an experience I hoped not to repeat however on the mainland we were back on scooters again for a 15min sprint across town to the bus station with our backpacks almost  pulling us off at times. Before we were even off the scooters our packs were being removed from our backs and loaded onto a local bus & we followed. 

The journey to Chau Doc took about 3 ½ hrs with stops along the way to let people off & on, deliver & collect packages, let on street vendors, even a man with a microphone got on at one point to do a loud/hard pitch to sell something. I was looking forward to a shower and a good nights sleep so imagine how I felt when We arrived in our hotel room to find 3 geckos just hanging around on the ceiling waiting for us! 
Day 2 in Chau Doc we decided to hire men on bikes again to visit the bird sanctuary and Sam mountain. I didn't find out the name of my driver but he was very sweet & encouraged me to sit closer to him!!

Tra Su Bird Sanctuary was incredible. I'm not sure what I expected but it was really special. We took boats – initially one with an outboard motor which  cut through the vegetation on the water & weaved in between the forest of sunken gnarled trees growing there. We spotted several birds – I have no idea which ones – save for 2 random moorhens that could have come from the lake in St.Albans! We changed onto a smaller, bamboo boat which navigated quietly through the trees narrowly missing them, with bird sounds and occasional sightings all around us. When we got off the boat we headed up many flights of steps to an observation tower where we got to see just how big the area is - 800,000 hectares apparently & (unusually) very unspoilt. In the afternoon we headed up Sam Mountain – a sacred place for Buddhists - built into the mountain with several caves & then took a very hairy ride to the top where we were treated to the most incredible views across the plains below – much still covered in water which is normal for this time of year – just as the sun was setting. You could see for miles – it was mesmerising.

We had a fabulous day and couldn't understand why there were so few tourists but it was lovely for us we only had to share it with a few people. 

welcome to the Hotel California...

We arrived in Ho Chi Min City (HCMC) about 10am and getting into the centre was relatively easy via the 109 Bus. We were staying in the backpackers area down a labyrinth of alleyways which we would never have navigated without the assistance of a local. Along the way we met a couple from Dublin (David and Suzi)  also looking for the same hostel. We were booked into room 101 so I opened the door with some trepidation. Would it be full of badly hung bunting, or worse still – Fiona Bruce! Thankfully it was a clean, fresh modern room and no signs of Fiona!. When we went back to reception we met up with David & Suzi & ended up spending the rest of the day & evening with them which was very pleasant. It's been really nice spending quality time with Mr L but it's also nice to talk to other people particularly a fellow lover of the pina colada!

The next day we visited the oddly named War remnants museum. I have been keen to learn a bit more about the American/Vietnam war and hoped this would assist. As we left the rains arrived, So we waited until it subsided before heading back to eat. We had both been craving a change from noodles so decided to go to an Indian restaurant that had rave reviews. The food was fabulous but in  our excitement we ordered far too much and could barely walk afterwards. This visit to HCMC was just a  stop off so we could head south to the Mekong Delta, a place called Vinh Long, so the following morning we were up and packed, exchanged emails & said our goodbyes to D & S and headed to the bus station in our ‘grab’ – the Vietnamese version of uber! 

We were expecting to be ‘dumped’ outside of town  but something very strange happened – this bus company actually looks after their passengers! we were dropped off right at the ferry terminal.    We had decided to live dangerously on this trip by not booking any accommodation in advance. It was making me (the lover of plans) quite twitchy but I was trying my best to be calm about it. Plus I had read the book so had a fair idea of what options there were. We wanted to stay to An Bhinh island rather than in the town. 

At the ferry ‘terminal’ (a set of steps) we met a lady offering her homestay. I asked her the name of it & she wrote it down. It was the name of one of the homestays I had looked at in the book. What a coincidence! We got the boat across she had arranged for us & even purchased a celebratory beer for the journey. The location didn't quite match the description I had read in the book & I began to wonder if this coincidence wasn't one at all. Perhaps we had been kidnapped. When we arrived at the homestay – down a series of paths that sit between rivers & ditches which serve as the main road we arrived at the homestay – not the name of the one in the book. When I asked I was told it was the same family. Hmm. I beginning to feel a little uncomfortable but when she showed me the room I moved from uncomfortable into a heightened state of anxiety. Why? Let me explain. I believe that geckos are out to kill me. All perfectly rational thinking. So when I am presented with a room that is open to the elements from about 5ft up the wall to the roof at the top  & a gap around the bottom of about four inches big enough for most animals to enter  let along geckos I froze. I tried so hard to be rational when I explained to the woman I couldn't possibly stay in that room as I might be killed. Thankfully she offered us a bungalow with solid walls from top to bottom – not much to ask for. Not what I would consider a luxury but this is the Mekong Delta. This is an island. And this is a homestay. These are all things Mr L said when he was trying to assist.I Couldn't argue. Probably not the homestay we had seen in the book but It was very pretty, pleasant and quite idyllic. We put aside our fear of kidnap & relaxed.
Dinner  was included in the price and it was really rather good although I was on high alert with geckos everywhere. When we went to bed Mr L was very patient when I requested the bed be moved into the centre of the room and spent most of the night in the centre of the bed shrouded in all of the sheet. 

It's oh so quiet......

Our last day in Hoi An spent on An Bang beach was very relaxed & about 4pm we cycled back into the old town had a relaxing beer by the river & watched the sun go down before finding somewhere to eat. After dinner we were just getting ready to head back When I got a call from Ni at the homestay in a panic; Our bus to our next destination Quy Nhon was due to leave in 15mins. How could this be we asked – we thought it left at 10pm but apparently that was wrong – it left 7pm. We parked up the bikes as Ni appeared in a taxi with all our bags and we handed her the keys as the driver weaved around people/scooters/cars at breakneck speed to the bus station. We arrived at 7.01pm, thankfully the bus was still there. We threw our bags on jumped in the only 2 sleeping seats available on the upper level as the the driver pulled off. It was then we realised we still had our beachwear on, were covered in sand and didn't even have any water for the trip. Thankfully we stopped for some along the way.  The drama didn't stop there. As those that have been following this blog will know the bus arrival times and stops are not as we are led to believe and this one didn't break with  that tradition. Ni had told us we would arrive at 6.30am. In fact we were dropped off at 1.48am – and of course it was the other side of town! Thankfully an opportunistic taxi driver who clearly  had nothing better to do was parked up & we opted to be ripped off rather than walk (it was fine as it turned out 15 min taxi trip cost about £1 thus breaking our taxi paranoia). The next challenge was getting into the hotel as all the shutters were down. We managed to raise the night receptionist we were not actually supposed to check in until 2pm – some 11 hrs away! Thankfully the place was pretty empty and we got a room.

The guide book description of Quy Nhon is a sleepy town – the sort of place affluent Vietnamese retire to – a bit like Eastbourne. No one else on our bus had got off here & I guess that was why. Nha Thang, another 5 hrs further down the coast is the real tourist hotspot but it really didn't appeal to us.  

Now I know that up t’north friends B&J confirm  they have already had their first snow fall and down south some areas have experienced the wrath of ‘storm Angus’ but we had rain. Torrential rain. Admittedly it was warm but it was wet all the same. I know I won't have your sympathy but after Sapa we hoped not to see the rain again. Instead our venture into town to explore the highlights was curtailed as we took shelter in a little café for nearly an hour until it subsided. We headed back to the hotel to plan our escape. Plans sorted and settled, the next day the sun came out and it was a different place altogether. Beautiful beaches, friendly locals (we were the only western people in town it seems) all practising their English on us.

In the evening as we sat having street food we were serenaded by a number of men with disabilities – one  who pulled up on his scooter and out of no where produced a speaker and microphone and started to sing and another who was sat on top of a giant speaker and wheeled around the different street cafes. Both had great voices but I struggled with how I felt about it all. We moved on and found a little café with a group of young lads with guitars. We got chatting and discovered they were from the local University and were playing the next night. The treated us to the song they were rehearsing- it was really good and when I clapped at the end they were genuinely delighted. 

We wished them luck and said our goodbyes to them and to the town. If you are passing this way and the sun is shining you should give it a try, if it's raining though you may want to keep driving.

Another early start the next day to get a bus to the airport and  to Ho Chi Min City (HCMC) or Saigon as it was called. Hopefully it's sunny.

The long and winding road.....

After an early breakfast of omelette (me) and banana pancakes (Mr L ) we were ready for the day ahead – hitting the open road on motorbikes! 
Before our kids have a melt down I should say that the bikes came with riders – Long and Hue. Our bike riding experience is as follows: I once went on the back of a bike and was terrified; Mr L owned a Yamaha 50 and a Honda 90,  30 yrs ago. Neither of which  qualifies  us to actually ride bikes. Long,  a 25yr old entrepreneur who organises such trips, had saved for 3yrs to buy his Suzuki 125 & I’m not sure he was too pleased to have me on the back but he was incredibly patient. Hue,  an older man & good friend of Long, seemed very content to have Mr L as his passenger. 

We had hired bikes/riders because we wanted to ride along the Hai Van pass, a road that cuts through the mountain region and was a key control point for both the French occupation of Vietnam and the Americans during the war. Also because the views promised to be spectacular and best savoured from a motor bike. Round trip our journey covered 160km over 10hrs and, despite my constant fear that I was going to fall off the back, was exhilarating and brilliant!

Our first stop was Marble Mountain near Da Nang which looks very  like Halong Bay but inland with monuments and temples inside caves. Worth a visit. Next stop was a roadside café for a drink and get some circulation back in the bum. I never realised how hard bike riding  is on the bottom! In the field opposite were some Water buffalo and as I went to photograph them they all came up out of the field and strolled off down the road! You see a lot of animals just strolling by the side of the road in Vietnam – cows, goats,chickens etc. All very normal. You just learn to move around them.

Then we headed to the pass. The traffic these days is mainly tourists but the hairpin bends and steep climbs,  along with road signs showing cars falling off the side, remind you it's not for the novice rider – in fact we passed a bike that had crashed off the road into a gully –thankfully he was fine. I held onto Long so tightly at times I must have left him with bruises. The views across the mountains and below across the bays were incredible particularly in the bright sunlight with clear blue skies. We stopped at the top and Long told us about the French occupation and  the look out towers that still remain & about how the Vietnamese moved into the mountains to evade the Americans. Back on the bikes we headed down the other side of the pass where the switch backs were even tighter, as was my grip. At the end of the pass we turned off the main road to a large lake. We rode alongside it until we came to a ramshackle looking restaurant astride a  wooden jetty that served the most delicious fresh seafood and provided idyllic views across the lake.

After lunch we rode further off the main track to a secluded waterfall and water pool where Mr L and I were left alone to swim and have our own time. It wasn't quite like the film (‘The Beach’) but it was pretty cool. 

On  the bikes again, we went back up and over the pass, along the coast road and back to Hoi An. A fabulous day and a great experience even though my bum was really sore. 

Our last two days in Hoi An were spent on the beach in the sun,  a gentle 50min bicycle ride away from the homestay and a chance for us to kick back.   Then it was time to say our goodbyes and move on. 

Here comes the sun.......

The night bus from Sapa was due to drop us off “near” to Hanoi Airport about 4am, So we were a little surprised to be woken at 2.48am and told this was the stop for the airport. The driver pointed up the road and drove off (we are becoming familiar with this style of customer service!). What was described as 1-1 ½ km walk to the airport, turned out to be 4.5km!  So there we were, in the middle of the night, an odd group consisting of 2 middle aged Brits (us), 2 Germans, 2 locals, 1 man of unknown origin pulling a giant pink suitcase, led by a Vietnamese lad who didn't know where he was going, but was able to ask, walking up the side of a 6 lane carriageway in the middle of the night. Still,  at least if was hot!

When we arrived an hour later we tried to sleep in the chairs designed specifically to discourage people from sleeping on them without success, so when we boarded the plane we fell asleep and did not wake until we landed an hour or so later at Da Nang Aiport.

We had organised a pick up through the accommodation  so our journey there was relaxed. We had booked into a homestay on the outskirts of Hoi An which had been recommended to us and we were not disappointed. The owner Ni greeted us like old friends and as we sat in the beautiful garden under the wooden gazebo in the sunshine she made us breakfast & told us she had upgraded us to a garden room – perfect! We showered and slept in the most comfortable bed/pillow combo so far.

Later on we borrowed bicycles and headed in to Hoi An to have our first glimpse of the place so many had told us about and we fell in love with it. The sun was just setting as we sat at a table for dinner overlooking the river. After dinner we walked around and discovered some of the unspoilt chinese/japanese style original buildings  with bright lanterns lighting the streets to great effect. Hoi An was deemed to be a no-go zone during the American war and so remained undamaged. It is now a UNESCO world heritage site.

The following day we took the bikes out again to see and explore Hoi An in the bright sunshine and were returned  again in the evening as we were lucky enough for our visit to coincide with the full moon festival held on 14th day of each lunar month. It also happened to be the largest moon for many years. We did the tourist thing and went out onto the river on a bamboo boat and we placed paper lanterns with candles in them out on the river.. Sounds corny but it was really lovely with all the lights floating and reflecting on the water and there was a real festival  atmosphere in the town.  We had dinner on a balcony overlooking the river which was lovely until I spotted a rat strolling along the balcony roof in front of us. I downed my piña colada (classy) in one and we were out of there before it had time to twitch its nose!  

We headed back as we had an early start and a long day ahead. We had decided it was time to be adventurous!

rain rain go away........

We had booked our bus tickets for Sapa a few days before in downtown Hanoi. I had been very careful as I know there are a lot of tour operators who aren’t genuine. I did my research, found one recommended, wrote down the address, found it,checked it before I went in that it was the right one and then booked our bus tickets. When We came out I realised there were four tour operators on the same street all with the same name, same shopfront and all number 62!  So when the driver arrived we were very relieved. 

We were ushered into a mini bus which hurried through the streets of Hanoi before we were unceremoniously ‘dumped’ near to some parked buses which the driver pointed to before driving off.  So much for customer service! We worked out which was ours and boarded. These buses are called sleepers. They are slightly higher than normal coaches but have three single rows of ‘lay down’  seats one above and one below. We headed for the back (on school trips the naughty kids always went to the back). it was odd at first laying down but we slept for most of  the 6hr journey.

We arrived in Sapa to rain. Torrential rain. The 15 min walk to our accommodation took 30 mins as we could not find it and only then with the assistance of a local barman (we repaid his kindness by having a drink in his bar). We were soaked. Our bags, despite having rain covers were soaked. Whilst having our Arrival cup of tea we got chatting to young couple who gave us some great information on places to go in Vietnam and beyond and we ended up going for  dinner & drinks together and playing blackjack. That saved the day from being a total washout (pun intended).

Next day we had a strategy – buy giant umbrella’s &  have foot massage. Umbrella’s worked massage experience not as successful as it was marred by a sniffing masseuse. Sniffing is in my top five most hated things, along with white socks, swishing ponytails, badly hung bunting and people riding horses on the road. This was our only venture out. If was too wet and cold so we went back to the hotel – to our cold room. 

On day 3 the rain stopped long enough to have a view from our “room with a view” &  to venture out for a walk/trek to Cat-Cat village. Although now set up for tourists, it's still very pretty and gave us a real feel for local life.  occasionally the clouds would part & let us glimpse the views but not for long. However we managed to clock up 14k on our steps so we felt like we had done something. Apparently the rain usually comes in blocks of 3 days then sunshine. So weren't we the lucky ones that day 4 was worse not better. 

We had a new strategy. Hire a driver to take us up to see the hills,waterfalls & views - & every so often we saw a view. It was as good as it was going to get so we were grateful. Ordinarily Sapa is a beautiful town surrounded by hills and mountains including the highest – the comedically named Fanispan which is Vietnams highest peak. I know this because I read it and I also saw it for a nano-second.

It was time to leave Sapa before our skin rotted off us. At 10pm we boarded the night bus to Hanoi Airport. We assumed the laying back position and dreamt of sunshine. 

we are sailing, we are sailing.....

We booked a cruise to Halong Bay for 3 days 2 nights. We weren't sure what to expect but we were very pleased we went. It was stunning. Day one was pretty full on starting with a 4 ½ hr bus journey from Hanoi to the bay where we were transferred to our cruiser, given lunch and straight back out to visit a floating fishing village. We went out on a bamboo boat around the  village, with the imposing rocks all around us – incredible. Next we visited a small beach and  went swimming – our first opportunity on our trip – before returning  to the cruiser for a drinks reception followed by  dinner. We spoke to some interesting people from USA –  Wendel & Marie who, in her 70’s still worked, currently the  for the Obama administration so plenty of discussion around the US elections. We ended up being the last to bed!

Most of the people on our cruiser were only staying 1 night so as we waved them off the the following morning, the 5 of us remaining joined up with 7 others from other boats and taken off for the day. The weather in the morning was lovely as we cruised peacefully around the rocks/islands with no other boats in sight. Then we put down anchor and climbed into kayaks and paddled for about ½ mile to a small bay.  The views around us were stunning. It was so tranquil. At this point I should describe the people. From the other boats 2 Koreans who seemed to have no sense of direction and kept rowing off the wrong way; 3 Brits – our age – nice, middle class; a young brit couple on honeymoon; and from our cruiser us, Adam a twenty-something easy going Aussie and Bill and Pha. Bill – a larger than life and large 59yr old straight Aussie and his travelling companion Pha, a gay 40yr old Thai man who wore quite a bit of make up & spent the whole time taking selfies. An odd combo but they entertained us. As we neared the beach  Bill & Pha’s kayak capsized leaving Bill scrambling for air and for the three beer cans he had brought along for the journey that were floating off. Comedy.

Back on the boat we had lunch on deck and relaxed. Unfortunately Mr L picked up a stomach bug slept for most of the afternoon. We returned to the main cruiser later for dinner when Bill opened the first of three bottles of vodka. Pha took a real shine to me and insisted my shot glass was kept full of vodka at all times.. Meanwhile poor Mr L was sipping water and eating small portions of plain rice. After many vodkas and with the help of a poorly Mr L we managed to escape. By the sounds of things the partying continued until late. The following morning with Mr L still unwell,  we passed on the trip to the caves so he could rest. After a while we heard a lot of noise & went to investigate. Bill & Pha were back on the vodka, singing along to the Stylistics 'you make me feel brand new'  and had roped in a couple of the staff as well as Adam. On seeing me Pha insisted I had one – it was 9.15am! Of course I had one – but purely out of politeness!!

Unfortunately the weather was quite overcast but the grey haze conjured up new views of the rocks which I'm sure our pictures will not do justice to.

The trip back on the bus was subdued as people slept. Thankfully the guide had some little yellow pills to aide Mr L’s recovery and they worked. Back at our hotel we were greeted with the same warmth and friendliness and another upgrade this time with a balcony! Sadly we had very little time to enjoy it as the next morning we were up at 5.45 ready to get the bus to Sapa in the north – a complete contrast to Hanoi.

scooters, scooters and more scooters

Flying time from HK to Hanoi takes about 2 1/2 hrs and our plan was to sleep. As we queued at the departure gate the American man/boy in front of us was joined by a lady/girl (from Finland I think) who he had met on his travels. We know this because from that point on and for the entire flight they talked about their travels and themselves  with continual reference to everything being ‘awesome’ and ‘cool’ very loudly. As we boarded the plane we'd had enough of them and  couldn't believe it  when they sat right behind us. Earplugs didn't help. They talked incessantly. Even before we had taken off  the man in front of us asked to be moved because of the ‘loud American boy’, but they still carried on. After an hour of high speed talking he got  out his Ukulele (no that's not a euphemism) & started teaching her to play – on the plane!! Next he started to read  to her-  out loud – a short story - for all the plane to hear. For a good 15 minutes. Everyone around was looking at each other in disbelief!  He was oblivious. When he finished even she was embarrassed. He announced that he used to be an actor – of course he did! As we landed they discussed where they were staying & we were mightily relieved it was not our hotel!! 

We were greeted at our hotel (our best so far) by friendly staff, an upgraded room & petals on the bed. Our first task was to get our clothes laundered, then out onto the crazy streets of Hanoi where the scooter is king & pavements are taken up by parked bikes & street vendors. There seems to be no rules on giving way so scooter, cars, people - they all move around everything else & it seems to work . A little nervous at first we soon got the hang of it. We stayed in the old quarter so were well placed to see the highlights.We visited Hanoi prison also known  as the Hanoi Hilton  – worth a visit although the Vietnam slant on how US troops were treated may not be fully accurate.We also visited the women’s museum which I found really interesting. 

I am not a fan of puppets but I enjoyed the visit to the water puppet show. Mr L was less keen and referred to it as ‘water torture’. We walked plenty and took in many of the other sights – the lakes, Ho Chi Min Mausoleum, Hanoi’s highest Building – we even came across a statue of our good ‘friend’  Lenin.

On  one occasion a man stopped his bike and offered Mr L some guidebooks which Mr L declined saying he wanted one on Laos. We carried on walking & Within minutes the man returned with a guidebook on Laos! It was obviously copied but at £4 after some haggling,  we were happy & so was he. 

We ate some wonderful food on the streets and in restaurants/cafes and met some nice people. We also sampled a few glasses of the locally brewed beer – Bia Hoi – without preservatives and has to be drunk straight away. V tasty. One evening we found a small street full of bars, people, music & lights – great for people watching but, pricey. The following evening we found a quieter bar where we got talking to couple of dutch lads (I mentioned the rain in Amsterdam – I had to!) & somehow ended up in a ‘lock in’. Before we knew it,  it was 1.45am! Our bar bill for the evening? Less than £6! As we left the streets were a complete contrast from what the day. They were silent, dark, still & clean - almost. When we got back to the hotel we were locked out & had to wake the staff who were all settled in for the night on make shift beds in the reception. We felt awful but they were still so lovely and friendly.

We had had enough of the city so decided to book a cruise around Halong Bay. Hanoi is full on, noisy and intense. Not a place to go to relax and if you have never been to Asia it may be too much for a first experience. We cannot decide if we liked it or not but we enjoyed our stay.

Watches, handbags and hash

How do you sum up Hong Kong? Fast pace, in your face,crowded, hot, humid, bright, noisy,multicultural, high end, low end and everything in between.   And you know what? We loved it. The contrast between Mongolia and Hong Kong could not have been more extreme and the realisation of that really hit us when we walked down to the waterfront at Kowloon on our first evening.   The ‘full on’  experience of all the towering buildings, lights everywhere, the brazenness of it all  took our breath away. It's like London on something and I would love to have the chance to work/live here even for couple months to fully embrace the madness of it all.

Even though we used many forms of transport (taxi, bus metro, ferry) we still managed to clock up nearly 45miles walking around over  3 ½ days  and we crammed as many sights in as we could but didn't really scratch the surface.

The first experience was the hostel. Looking at the reviews again I wondered why I had picked it. Budget was obviously a key factor – at less than £40 per night anyone who has ever been to HK will know that's very cheap. The entrance was through an indoor market which was very busy, loud, a lot of hassle and bustle  and could feel a little intimidating. Every time you entered the building there were offers of “watches, copy handbags (at least they were honest) and hash”. To be fair they only offered hash in  the evening – obviously not considered  a daytime pursuit.We were on the 16th floor in a room that I can only describe as compact in the extreme and bizarrely fully tiled.  But it was clean, safe and probably the most comfortable bed we had slept in so far. Little challenges like sitting on the loo side saddle were tolerable.

HK however is not a place to come if you hate queuing.  with the Chinese visiting en masse, every hot spot we went to had what felt like 20,000 people ahead of us.  Worth persevering though as the views from the peak and the cable car to Lantau Island were stunning.
We found some peaceful spots too- the bonsai gardens and Kowloon Park offered respite care and a chance to recharge.

The street markets were great. Friday  we headed to the night market and bagged a table on the street and had some fabulous food, plenty of beer and lots of people watching. Some nervous Americans on the table next to us said they couldn't believe they were eating on the street, but it's the best place to be.

On Sunday we stumbled upon a food and wine festival – how fortunate! It cost us about £13 each to get in including drink tokens but as it was the last day, people were just giving drink away. I always advocate to others that you shouldn't mix your drinks. Sadly I broke my own rules with wine (various including fizz and kosher ) vodka, sake, beer and of course baileys. We had FaceTime later that eve with H&M and GR- hopefully they didn't notice!

Our last night in HK was hallowe'en and it seems the good people of HK love to dress up. As we walked down to the waterfront,with  a couple of beers to hand the whole area was alive with street dancing zombies,  bands, including a Ukelele band – all in costume & with lots of audience appreciation. A great atmosphere & a great way to say goodbye to HK.

Next stop Vietnam. This was actually where we originally planned to start our journey. We have for a long time wanted to visit Vietnam and knew that 2weeks would not do it the justice it deserved. It was only once we started to make plans that we decided to add other things on to our wish list like the tran-Siberian railway. So, technically this is really where our adventures begin.

leaving on a jet plane....

Have you ever wondered if you could survive in temperatures of -17degrees? Well you can – provided you are wearing all your clothes, including scarf and hat, and are buried in two sleeping bags and a throw. All because Mr L fell asleep and let the fire go out!. The only part of my body exposed – my nose – was so cold I thought it would drop off. Thankfully at 6am the man came and restarted the stove and heat and body temperatures were restored. 

Sleep had been fitful not least because one of pesky dogs kept barking and spoiling the otherwise soundless environment we were in. We discovered later that there were wolves in the area and an ox had been killed. Good doggie!

After breakfast of eggs, some indiscernible meat and Mongolian  tea –warm milk with sugar and salt - the horses were saddled up for us. Now it may surprise you to know I'm not a natural horse rider, or particularly horsey, so you may wonder what an earth we were up to. But this setting was so beautiful it was the most natural & traditional  way to explore our surroundings. My athleticism was quickly challenged when I was required to put my foot into the stirrup which was set at a height my leg had not achieved  in sometime. However with some helpful hands, I was unceremoniously dumped into the saddle. Mr L got up without too much trouble although that was an achievement considering he was at this point wearing 7 layers of clothing!

We set off through the valley in the glorious sunshine (still well below freezing) occasionally passing other nomad homesteads with cattle, goats and horses roaming freely and the dogs running alongside us. Ama singing the occasional song as we rode. After about 1hr we stopped for a walk up a ‘little’ hill. I declined. The air was so cold that I was sounding like a 60 per day smoker every time I started to walk up any incline. Mr L managed it with ease and saw the remains of the ox killed by the wolves, as well as the circling vultures, Eagles and other birds. The dogs too got stuck into the ‘treat’. 

When they came back down we saddled up and continued our trek before heading back to the homestead where Ama prepared a hearty lunch of noodles, meat and vegetables- very tasty (once I separated the fat out) then we were invited into the family home to watch them make the vodka and of course sample the goods! Even more delicious hot! A couple of cupfuls  and our body temperatures were bubbling nicely. We also sampled some dried milk which tasted similar to parmesan cheese with less flavour. Nice though.  Then it was time to load up and head out.

Out  of the valley the more exposed areas had plenty of snow and ice which made the cross country part of the journey more of a challenge but Dando took it in his stride – even taking a phone call as he crossed the wide river. Mr L has a video I am sure he will share with you.

On the journey back to UB we stared out the window enjoying the scenery, when Ama asked if I would sing. To put in context the Mongolian’s like to sing. I scanned my repertoire. What should/could I sing; no place I'd rather be’?‘ reach for the stars’? I settled for ‘leaving on a jet plane’ . It was a surreal experience, singing in a car to strangers but Mr L smiled encouragingly and I got a round of applause at the end. 


So tomorrow we say goodbye to Mongolia and hopefully to the cold as we head to Hong Kong. 

Take a walk on the wild side...

Ulaanbaatar (UB as it's known) is a young city where the first apartment block only went up about 40 years ago and with new shopping malls,  stands alongside the traditional nomadic tents known as gers. The vast majority of Mongolians live here and the roads are so busy they try to control it by restricting access to certain cars on certain days of the week. There is nothing of any specific note other than the rather random discovery of a Beatles monument. So we decided to get out of town and see some real Mongolia.

We booked a guide and driver for a few days. We were hoping to get one of the swanky BMW’s parked outside the hostel. What we go was a beaten up a Russian jeep where the design of the interior was clearly not considered a priority.. Our driver – a 70 something man called Dando was fearless on the road and our guide 27yr old Ama, was out of season, a dentist.  

We took in a few sights then broke free of the city. Our first stop was  the giant stainless steel monument of Chinggis Khaan. Located about 50km out of UB in the middle of nowhere, it's worth  a visit for the views alone and, set against a brilliant blue sky it was a stunning sight.  We took an elevator up inside the statue. We exited from what is essentially his ‘private’ area to views across the vast empty plains and distant hills.

Back on the road and after another 100km,as the flat plains were consumed by the mountains so the tarmac disappeared and became dirt road. Then the dirt road became a track and then disappeared as we drove through  wooded areas, several streams  and rivers – one  about 30 meters wide. Now I understood why we had not gone in the fancy BMW. Eventually after a very bumpy journey the truck navigated a  steep hill, where we were met with the most spectacular sight – mountains, trees, land, all around us,  golden and lit by the sun. At the bottom of the hill was where we were staying; a small homestead of a nomadic family and nothing else. For miles. Its hard to describe or do justice to this area and the views, but to say Mr and L and I were both really moved by it. 

There were 5 gers – 3 for the family, 1 for us and 1 for the driver & guide. Inside what is essentially a padded tent with a wooden structure were four beds and the centre  piece a wood burning stove. The ‘facilities’ were 40m from our ger- a hole in the ground with a ‘modesty’fence. I had no intention of exposing any body parts in temperatures well below freezing, so I am extremely grateful to F&M for the ‘she-pee’. I won't go into detail but can assure you that all my parts remained safely protected from the elements and prying eyes!

As night fell we moved into Ama’s tent where he cooked a Mongolian BBQ of mutton, potatoes and vegetables. Dando said Mr L ate like a Mongolian- wrestling meat from the bone, whilst I did my best to avoid the fat that they love. 

Someone commented that there has not been enough talk of Vodka on this trip. Well that was put right after dinner when the man of the family  introduced us to his home brewed milk vodka. It's softer tasting than other vodka but still as strong and apparently aids digestion. All good reasons to sample one or three. It certainly warmed us up!

As we stepped outside to go to our ger the clear black night gave us a view of the stars we had rarely seen. The log burning stove was maximum  as we entered the ger and Mr L resolved to keep a night  vigil  to ensure it didn't go out. Needless to say he would not make a good cowboy. ………
To be continued 

On the border....

For this the last leg of our train journey we were on the trans-Mongolian railway. This meant a different train –  much grander than the previous ones -  or it would have been about 20 years go. Wooden panelled cabins with a shower room (actually it was a sink with a hose attachment that we shared with the cabin next door) with carpeted cabins and corridors. There were only four cabins occupied including us – all travellers. An Australian couple and an Icelandic man  going from St Petersburg to Beijing, a Belgium couple travelling from St.Petersburg to Mongolia and us. It was nice to talk to other people about their adventures and what they were doing next, but for the most part we kept ourselves to ourselves. 

At 8.45pm local time we reached the Border town of Naushki which marked the end of our journey across Russia. 5902 km from Moscow. A good time to reflect on our experiences. 
 Sergei who we met on one of our train journeys asked us, “why do the English and Americans not like us – we are nice people”. He is right. The people we encountered were nice, friendly and helpful.  Apart from the odd lad in the bar in Tyumen there were no ‘shifty’ or ‘shady’ characters and we never felt in danger.  Many of the cities are too polluted and many of the places we visited have destroyed older parts of the city in their haste to develop. The countryside we saw still retains the old wood houses and unspoilt landscapes. Definitely worth further exploration. Lake Baikal is definitely worth a visit and in better weather it deserves longer time than we gave it.

Things that I could have done without – musical lampposts – several places had music piped out of them – completely unnecessary. Mr L disagrees. He particularly enjoyed ‘strangers on the shore’! Also, an irritation for me – stairs, or more specifically steps. They are never the same size – randomly varying in depth and catching you out every time. 

At the border, The guidebook had warned us to be prepared for a long wait. What we weren't prepared for was the explosion of activity that commenced when the  guards boarded the train. Everything was opened and subjected to inspection –bags, panels, heating ducts – even our en suite shower room! Then it was our turn. We were required to stand, in turn and be inspected by the guard who shone her torch into our faces and examined them in great detail before walking off and returning with our passports stamped. Then they moved to the other cabins whilst we sat perfectly still, just in case. When the guards finally left the train we pulled off into the night and into Mongolia, so decided to settle down and get some sleep. How foolish we were as about 20 mins later the train stopped and we went through the whole process again this time with the Mongolian border guards.  I was so tempted to advise them that if they stopped working in silos and  were more collaborative they could make better/more efficient  use of their resources but I felt it was perhaps not the time. Maybe I will drop the appropriate departments an email.

As the sun rose over the mountains our train pulled into Ulaanbaatar. 

Lake, liver and Lenin...

The stretch of the trans-Siberian railway between Irkutsk and Ulan Ude is said to be the most scenic and we have to agree. A substantial part of  the 7hr journey, in which we had the cabin to ourselves, runs alongside the clear blue waters of Lake Baikal and, with the snow along its shores and the occasional fir tree capped with snow, it was hard to take your eyes off it. 

So why did we chose to stop in Ulan Ude? Well originally we  thought it was in Mongolia and so it would be our first taste of Mongolia, when in fact it will be our last taste of Siberian Russia.  We also  thought it would give us another opportunity to explore Lake Baikal. The reality is visiting Lakes is a summer pursuit and our visit/adventure with Jack was enough to satisfy us for this journey at least. 

We arrived in Ulan Ude to bright sunshine, little snow but plenty of ice and below zero temperatures. Our accommodation – the prestigiously named ‘Clean Hostel’ -  a stones throw from the train station and a 10 min walk from the centre. These are probably its best assets.  After we checked in we took a stroll around town to visit the Lenin memorial. As this will be our last Lenin it was great to go out on a high. This town didn't waste valuable stone on legs, arms or even a body. This statue is just a giant Lenin head. It's the sort of thing you can probably see from space.

So, then we did something I have been trying to do since we arrived in Russia – we went to the theatre. We actually tried to buy tickets for a one hour ballet production the following day but ended up with  tickets for a two and a half hour opera & ballet ‘extravaganza’ event that evening. I really enjoyed it & Mr L only nodded off twice which is quite impressive. 

The following day we visited a few churches and museums – the staff got very excited to have tourists from London and wanted to show us everything which was sweet but exhausting – once you have seen one rock/stuffed animal/bone etc they start to look a bit samey. We also made two food faux-pas. We stopped for a cuppa and ordered what we thought was a cake. It turned out to be a liver and onion pie/ cake in white sauce. I can't tell you what that did to my taste buds. The second was we bought what we thought were seeded bread rolls to have with cheese and they turned out to be jam filled sweet bread. We should have used  Mr L’s latest discovery – a Google translate app that works off line. You hold the phone to the words and press the camera on the app and it reads  and translates them into English. It's brilliant and is highly recommended.

Today we ventured out of town to a Buddhist Temple on a local mini  bus (no.130) which seats 14 but there were at least 22 on our outward journey. The temple was interesting as was the canteen we took  shelter in from the cold and had tea, stew & mash which was delicious.

When we returned to Ulan Ude we found a bar on the 12th floor of a hotel with 270 degree views of the city and decided it was a more civilised way to explore the rest of the city  on a cold day. 

We have enjoyed Ulan Ude. It's where East meets Far East. The buildings, food and people are influenced by so many different cultures but they integrate well and make it a richer more diverse city than we have experienced so far on our trip.

Tomorrow we get back on the train and head for Mongolia. 

Where the wind goes right through you it's no place for the old.

Irkutsk is known as the Paris of Siberia. I am not sure why and the only evidence we saw was a pink plastic effigy of the Eiffel Tower dangling  at a jaunty angle from the ceiling of the shopping mall in the town centre. Anyway it matters not because we like Irkutsk. It's got character and not too many fumes . 

It's a university town and tourism is something they are very keen to encourage. They have a green painted line around town that tourists can follow which takes you to all the historic buildings and places of interest without having to get your guide book out. Lazy tourism some might say but a great idea nonetheless. 

No snow here yet but the thing about Siberia is the wind. It's cold. Very very cold. it laughs at your base layers and Uniqlo down-filled jackets and when you breathe in it freezes your lungs. Even when the sun is out as it was for most of the time we were here.

This time we are staying in a hotel (2 star) in the town with mod cons such as your own toilet/shower, two chairs - one each - and slippers. We even had towel swans on the bed when we arrived. You know you are in a great place when that sight greets you. 
For the first few days we decided to kick back, get the travel washing line out and do a 'big wash'. We read and watched some films (YouTube). We ventured out on Sunday to visit the obligatory Lenin Statue and visit an area called District 130th which is a collection of wooden buildings they have either preserved or recreated to house shops and restaurants. We found some great bars - one called the Library that did excellent DIY gin and tonics and a few beer cellars some with more character than others.

We decided it was time to get out of town so we booked a trip to Lake Baikal. I know from things friends had told us that it was a fabulous place to visit and they weren't wrong. We were joined on our tour by the first English speaking people we have met in 3 weeks - Cynthia and Tony from San Francisco.  In their mid seventies but extremely well travelled and great company. Our guide Jack was great too (sorry - spending time with Amercians makes me over enthusiastic).

 Our tour started on the outskirts of Irkustsk where we visited a monastery and church that has been beautifully restored and then onto the lake. We hiked up a trail for about 30 mins where we had a great view of the lake and then later after we had eaten lunch at a local restaurant we walked along another trail at the side of the Lake itself.

 It was at this point I wondered if Jack's mission was to dispense with us, as on several occasions I came near to death. The trail was at points as wide as the balance beam with a sharp drop down to the sea and took us to a viewing point - a jutting out piece of rock balanced precariously above the sea. It was a good  view. A very good view. However Jack wanted us to see an even better one 'just up the hill' a bit further. The 'hill'  was an almost sheer rock face. Mr L says I'm exaggerating here but it was very steep and rocky. The only thing that kept me from bottling it was the fact that there were two seventy something's wearing inappropriate footwear not far behind me. Thankfully we all made it up to the next level and Jack was right it was an amazing view.  Jack told us that the Lake freezes every year and the ice gets to approx 80cm thick. Then they open up an ice road to the island and in March they hold a Marathon event when the temperature is still around -20. Anyone interested?

We got down from the trail in one piece & back to Irskutsk to pack. Tomorrow we are back on the train.