Hoi An, Vietnam

Rolling into Hoi An on the back of a motorcycle was a pretty cool introduction to an amazingly beautiful old city. This little city is full of life, lanterns, expert tailors, cheap fresh beer, delicious food and photo ops. What it's refreshingly not full of is sky rises. The tallest building I saw was 3 stories. The low rise old buildings with peeling yellow paint promotes a timeless feel and a relaxing atmosphere. I could have definitely spent more time here. 

I settled into the Hideout Hostel which was in a great location across an old narrow bridge from the old city. The view from the point was great. I sat and watched the old ladies set out their fishing nets and the ferries roll up and down the river.

One of my roommates was an Australian named Jeremy who had also recently finished teaching in Korea. We hit it off and spent most of time together. He showed me the famous bahn mi restaurant, Bahn Mi Phuong, where Anthony Bourdain ate while filming an episode of No Reservations. Instant friendship. We ate here at least twice a day from there on out. Amazing Bahn Mi options and Cao Lao, a pork and doughy noodle dish. Tip: if you go, walk in and sit down and be vocal with someone about your order. Your food will come quickly. Don't wait outside for take out. It takes forever. I waited for 40 minutes in a line of 8 people my last day trying to get a quick bite for my bus.

We spent most of our time walking around the old city taking pictures, sipping coffee by the river, and drinking 4,000 VND draft beer. My second day we rented bikes and explored the city. Also, no trip to Hoi An is complete without seeing what the fuss is about with all the tailors. I had just got a suit made at my guy in Bangkok so I had no need for a suit. With all the fake North Face around it reminded me I've wanted a nice winter coat. So I started asking around to find the place. I ended up at Kimmys as it was recommended by two Brits in my room and had phenomenal reviews on trip advisor. After seeing another place that didn't seem to make many winter coats, Kimmys was the place. They had lots of fabrics, colors and expertise. They told me they could do a two layer thick 100% wool with an inner liner to make it warm enough for down to -10 Celsius (14 Fahrenheit). I had a specific idea in mind and they helped me develop it every step of the way. Diep was the lady's name who was my tailor and she even let me see their warehouse and factory where I saw a guy named Hong sew the inner liner into the jacket. It came out great and I couldn't be happier. We will have to wait and see if it can hold up to an NYC winter.

On the third day we rented a motorbike to share. Jeremy hopped on the back and we zipped up the coast to Danang where we saw the Marble Mountain, the beach, and the lady Buddha. Marble mountain hosted a massive temple grounds on the top full of intricate carvings and many caves with passages leading to massive Buddhas in alcoves. I was surprised at the scope and detail of the place and was very impressed. It's definitely worth a look. We continued to the beach where we could see the Lady Buddha calling out to us from the distance. She is apparently there to guard the city. We heard her call and continued the 15-20 minute ride to her. She is absolutely an absolutely stunning and massive, marble carved, 67 meter high structure. The view of Danang and the bay from up there was crazy as well. Afterwards, we downed a quick iced coffee at a very local spot and headed back before the sun set. We had to battle some serious traffic as there was a massive fireworks show in Danang that night to celebrate the 40th anniversary of America's departure and the reunification of Vietnam. 

That night I picked up my jacket (or shipped it home rather) and we grabbed one last beer by the river and yet another street bahn mi. The next morning I checked out and got ready for an epic 18 hour bus ride to Hanoi to meet back up with Alex.

Next stop, Hanoi, Vietnam.

The Central Highlands, Vietnam Easyrider Motorcycle Tour

I went outside my comfort zone on this one a little bit. Normally, I wouldn't volunteer to be behind a stranger on a motorcycle for days on end. Normally, I would book a tour like this through a reputable agency who would assign me a guide. I also would not normally spend more than my daily budget and have made very few exceptions so far on this trip. This was one of those well worth it exceptions.

As I mentioned in my previous post about Nha Trang, I had recently been considering a motorcycle tour as I wanted to see the central highlands while in Vietnam. My father was stationed there as an American communications specialist in the army during the war and I wanted to see where he was and learn more about the history. Within hours of giving this adventure any serious thought I was walking towards the beach and heard, "hello! Handsome man!" He had my attention.

Mr. Bang approached me with well-played small talk and we got to chatting. He told me he was a tour guide via motorcycle and asked if I was interested in seeing more of Vietnam. He wasn't pushy and we ended up sitting on the sidewalk and talking for an hour about the American War, his experiences, and potential itineraries. I ended up taking a risk and changing my plans around so I could go with Mr. Bang from Nha Trang through the central highlands to Hoi An. I had an open bus ticket to Hoi An I ended up ditching. Within two days we set out for a 4 day 3 night trip. The risk totally paid off.

Mr. Bang is an energetic, eager to laugh and learn, and knowledgeable Easyrider. These are guys that offer tours of rural Vietnam, which are growing increasingly popular with backpackers and tourists. Mr. Bang is very flexible and he basically created an itinerary for me to try and track down some of the places my father may have been or may remember. He would make sure to point out battlefields, victory monuments, and memorials as well as any structures or locations at were crucial during the war. He also knew I was interested in photographing the rural Vietnamese and he would slow down next to people he thought I would want a picture of. He even got them to wave and laugh to make for better pictures. He would ask if I got the shot I wanted and If I missed it, he would happily turn around and try again. He is a fantastic biker, safe and focused and I was really never worried. I taught him all the English phrases and expressions I could and he soaked it all up.

I taught him what frugal meant and said I wanted to eat where he eats: good and cheap. He took me to some incredible local spots. Some of the pho we had was the best I've had in Vietnam and everything was 15,000-25,000 VND. I was spending $3 a day with him and eating well.

Each day we covered between 170 and 220 kilometers. It was a lot of riding through beautiful landscapes, small towns with kids waving and yelling "hello" (or just staring and pointing). We rode along rivers, through winding mountain roads and misting jungle. I was afraid the people wouldn't welcome me but my fears couldn't have been more misguided. I was greeted with smiles everywhere.

The first day we rode to Buen Mi Thuot. This region is known for its coffee and chocolate (and coffee that's infused and roasted with chocolate). We stopped by fields of coffee beans and cacao. 

That night we arrived at a nice guesthouse and went out for street pho (beef noodle soup). The next morning we went out for breakfast and coffee. The coffee is incredibly strong, like espresso, drip coffee usually served win sweetened condensed milk. Coffee here cost 8,000 VND. It was so good I bought a half kilo to bring home. This was a commitment as I still had 6 weeks left of traveling left and have to lug it around. I think it's worth it.

That day was the longest ride of 220 kilometers. We rode through Pleiku which was where my father was stationed. We tried finding landmarks that may still be standing from that time so I could take pictures. While taking pictures of what they call Dragon Hill where a lot of fighting went down, a guy came up to us on motorbike and told us to be quick about it because the police were near. There is still paranoia and fear with the police and government (for those who supported the South) about certain places and topics relating to a divided country. We then went to Sea Lake and kept moving toward Kon Tum where we spent the night. We ended up eating at a delicious dry noodle place with another Easyrider and his client, Thomas from Germany. We would end up playing leap frog with them the rest of the way. Each time we saw them the guide would yell at me, "good morning America!"

The following day, day 3, we climbed up into the mountains where the air was cool and fresh. I was cold but it felt nice after 2 months of heat. We stopped at a famous old US airstrip at the base of the even more famous Charlie Hill. This hill was a hotspot for fighting and many died in both sides here. Mr. Bang told me there is a famous song about a South Vietnamese officer who died here. The airstrip was apparently used for U.S. Bombers. Its now used to dry tapioca in the hot sun.

That night we stayed at a beautiful hotel in a tiny town of which I can't recall the name. It was up in the hills, cool and quiet. We went out for a noodle dish that Mr. Bang loves and he said was a specialty. Afterwards, I was still a little hungry after the long day of riding so Mr. Bang was helping me search for something else. He asked some girls where to go. They walked with us to show us a place. They spoke a little English and said they were in the 8th grade. I said "oh my god, me too!" They thought that was hilarious. My beard is getting intense. They ended up bringing us to a BBQ rice paper omelette place and it was delicious.

The next day we headed out in the misting rain for our last and shortest trip to Hoi An on the coast. We descended the mountains, rode through the wet jungle and stopped off for coffee a few times along the way. At our last stop, we stumbled into a family's house with 5 kids. There was a 4 year old boy I was playing peekaboo with and 9 year old twin girls who I helped with their English homework. There was also an aunt who was obsessed with taking pictures with me. Next door was also a pineapple farm and truck loads of pineapples. Overall, it was a pleasant pit stop to end on. We said goodbye and finished out our journey.

Mr. Bang dropped me off at my hostel in Hoi An and we said our goodbyes. It was a bit sad to see him go since we got along so well and he showed me such a unique and genuine Vietnam experience. If you are ever approached by Mr. Bang on the street, be flattered, say yes and hop on.

Nha Trang, Vietnam

If the low key beach of Mui Ne was too boring for you, the urban sprawl of Nha Trang may better suit your energy. It's easier to find hostels and street food so there are some upsides. The downside is it's a much more common beach destination, especially with Russians, with massive, tall resorts. There are many places that have menus in Russian but not English. This was a strange experience, however, there are plenty of places for everyone to eat. 

I arrived at 6:30 PM and Alex had enough time before her bus to Hoi An to get dinner. We went to a vegetarian place and said our goodbyes. We'd be traveling solo for the next two weeks until we meet up in Hanoi. 

I checked into iHome hostel in a great location. No one was around so I walked down to the beach to explore. While sitting and admiring the view I met a Vietnamese college student, Thout, who wanted to practice his English. I obliged. After talking a while I asked if I could buy him a beer. He politely declined. I was very thirsty and didn't want to be rude so I offered to buy him a fruit smoothie. He accepted and brought me to an outdoor stand across the street where his sister made us two delicious smoothies from what looked like a a basketball sized mango. Afterwards, Thout took me around on his motorbike in search of food. He ended up dropping me off right at a dumpling stand a block from my hostel. Good things can happen when you open up and give people a chance.

A walk to the beach in Nha Trang, Vietnam

The Beach at Nha Trang, Vietnam

The following morning, while eating breakfast, I met a Finnish girl, Anna, who was trying to pawn off her white bread toast. We got to talking about being open to new experiences, opportunities and people while traveling. We get so accustomed to saying "no thank you" to anyone holding a flyer or saying "excuse me, sir." I told her about Thout and Anna told me about how she hired a motorbike tour guide who took her and her friend around Southern Vietnam for three days. She said it exceeded any and all expectations. I had heard people did this and I was intrigued. 

We made plans to meet up after I switched hostels. I had a booking at Mojzo Inn which was rated by hostelworld as the best hostel in Asia this year. I had to see what it was all about. They were all booked the night before for my last minute early arrival to Nha Trang. 

The staff at Mojzo is like nothing else. They are pros. The girls remember everyone's name and what their plans were that day. So when you return they ask you "how was_____ today?" It's a big and always packed place so it was impressive. The rooms were also super clean and well set up, leaving everyone staying there in good moods. It was this environment where I met Ray and Alice whom I shared a room with. They were super cool, laid back and down for whatever.

I secured my valuables and headed to the beach. However, on the way I was distracted by a Vietnamese man on the corner who said "hello, handsome man!" He got my vain and delusional attention. He approached me and said he was a motorbike tour guide and asked if I wanted to see rural Vietnam. In fact I did but I told him I think it's out of my budget so I don't want to waste his time. His name was Mr. Bang and he was a character and a great salesman. He said he didn't mind just talking. We ended up talking for over an hour about how I feel in Vietnam as an American and about how my father was here during the war and I want learn more about it. He told me how he had two uncles who fought for the South and how he sees Americans as friends. He also told me that the ideal tour to Hoi An (my next destination) would go trough the central highlands full of battlefields and Pleiku, were my father was stationed. Mr. Bang was very knowledgeable, funny and understanding. We negotiated a good price and that night I emailed him to confirm after changing a couple hostel reservations and selling my bus ticket.

Then there's this guy 

The best sunscreen there is

After my new plans were set up, I went with Ray to iHome to meet Anna and her friend for a beer on the roof. The next day we met up on the beach. Ray tried being modest about his frisbee game but that guy can chuck. I've been carrying around that frisbee for seven weeks and finally, someone who wants to throw. That night Alice and I walked around eating street food and then we all just chilled in our six person dorm room talking while I anxiously packed for my motorbike tour beginning the next morning. 

Next stop, the Central Highlands via motorcycle with Mr. Bang. 

Mui Ne

Mui Ne is a sleepy beach town along 10 kilometers of picturesque beach. It is more laid back and far less urban than it's popular northern counterpart, Nha Trang. In fact, all that seems to exist, are low rise resorts, guesthouses, and restaurants along the highway by the beach. Beyond that it's mostly sand dunes that you can book day trips to, go sandboarding, or just explore. 

We arrived in Mui Ne around 1 PM after a five hour bus from Saigon. Our guest house was a few kilometers north around the 17-18 kilometer mark where places are cheaper. Further south is more high-end resorts. We booked one night at a new and nice guesthouse across the street from the beach for $10. The owner didn't speak a word of English and was trying to get us to book a tour with him which was awkward, but he was very nice. He brought us complimentary tea and dragon fruit.

Our cozy guest house, Hoang Nga

The highway right outside our guest house. This ran all the way up the coast of Vietnam. 

After getting ready for the sun we headed to the beach. I hadn't eaten lunch and as soon as we got the beach we saw a stand that was selling fresh bbq seafood. I ordered a bucket of scallops for 80,000 VND ($4) and feasted.

The path to the beach

The Fresh Seafood Lady

Back to the guest house

One advantage of staying on the North side is it allows for a slightly better angle at the sunset. We hadn't seen a good sunset since Boracay, Philippines because of all of the haze, but Alex noticed hues of pink and blue and we rushed to the beach to catch it.

I had planned to stay in Mui Ne for a second night but decided to leave the following afternoon on the bus with Alex as she was heading to Hoi An. We shared a 6 hour bus ride, stretched out in back by the toilets before we arrived at Nha Trang. 

Next stop Nha Trang. 

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

We arrived in Saigon from Phnom Penh soon after 9 PM and were not entirely sure where we were dropped off. We saw a tour agency across the street and went in and asked if we could use their wifi. It turns out we were dropped off at the park that is one block parallel to the backpacking street (where we were staying). While we were there we asked about travel options up the coast. The nice man recommended the hop on and off bus that stops at all the locations we were interested in. I booked tickets as far as Hoi An and Alex booked a ticket all the way up to Hanoi as we would be parting ways and she would go faster up the coast to volunteer for a week in Hanoi. All we had to do was contact the bus company the day before we wanted to leave and they would arrange for us to be picked up at where we were staying. The pricing was surprisingly cheap and around 1/3 the cost of the train from what I recall. 

Feeling prepared for Vietnam, we headed out in search of our guest house. It appeared it was down an alley on the map but it was quite difficult for us to find. We spent about an hour walking around when it turned out to be three minutes from the tour agency (ugh). We finally found the place and to our delight, there were two twelve week old puppies at the family run place we were staying.

Cutest puppies ever greeted us once we finally found our hostel. 

The first thing anyone notices about Saigon is the motorbikes. The city is infested with them and they are completely out of control. The drivers swarm around you like a school of fish as you cross the street. There are hardly any walk signals and the cars don't stop or even alter direction if you are in a crosswalk. This is by far the worst city I have ever been in as a pedestrian. All of this quickly became apparent as our first day was spent doing the walking tour of the old city as suggested by our guidebook and we crossed a lot of streets. On our route we saw a lot of famous building, ate durian for the first time, went to the museum of modern art and met some adorable seemingly abandoned kittens.

There's a family of 4 on the orange and black bike on the right. This is pretty a common sight in Vietnam.

Alex's first experience with Durian face. 

My first and last experience with Durian 

American War Propaganda at the Museum of Modern Art in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Museum of Modern Art in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

We stopped by the local post office so Alex could mail some postcards.

Alex discovered kittens

Baby kitten in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Swarming kittens

We ended at the reunification palace which was previously the presidential palace of south Vietnam. Once the North took over, it was renamed. The palace was a beautiful open floor plan, filled with beautiful furniture and history. We learned that the palace was attacked by a rogue North Vietnamese fighter pilot. After this time, the South Vietnamese president Nguyen Van Thieu, requested increased air support from the US. That was when President Ford realized it was a lost cause and refused this request. Within days, the president resigned. Within weeks, Saigon had fallen.

We were exhausted after that full day of walking. Unfortunately, that night, there was kareoke blasting next door that sounded like it was originating in our bathroom. This went on until 1:30am on a Wednesday night. Oy. 

The following day we woke up early to take a bus to Bien Hoa to spend a night visiting our friend (and TEFL teacher from Arequipa, Peru) John and his fionce Phuong. Bien Hoa is 20 miles northeast of Saigon but with the traffic it took over an hour. We arrived earlier than expected but John was ready for us. He had a fridge fully stocked, a smile on his face and a room ready with the AC on. What a host, what a guy! We went out for our first Vietnamese coffee at a nice place by the river. The coffee here is strong! It hit me right in the face. I hadn't drank coffee in over a year and this is like a 3 shot espresso slowly dripping into your cup of sweet condensed milk. It made my head spin. Once settled, and after a nap, we headed to the courts for an hour of tennis. John and I used to play together in Arequipa so it was a fun reunion. That night we were completely spoiled with Phuong's home cooing. She cooked up 3 delicious dishes of chicken, beef and pork. John, you are a lucky man. It was truly so great catching up with you and thanks for everything! See you in NYC!

Beef, chicken and pork

The next morning, we said our goodbyes to our incredible hosts and jumped in a taxi back to Saigon. We moved guesthouses as they were booked, settled in and then walked to the War Remnants Museum (wasn't far from our place and took about 20 minutes). This museum was previously named the War Crimes of America and China. They changed the name but the bias was still very much there. Whenever the South Vietnamese president was mentioned, "president" was always put in quotes as if to belittle the fact. There was also a mention of American initiated concentration camps in Vietnam. However, it wasn't always far from the truth and we spent a good amount of time learning of the atrocities committed by the US during the war. The room dedicated to the victims of agent orange was particularly difficult to stomach. It was also interesting to see the exhibit that shined a light on the worldwide protests of the war. There were incredibly few countries in favor of the US being in Vietnam and rightfully so. It was not all anti-American, however, as there were pictures of American soldiers helping the Vietnamese children and it did sometimes seem to depict the true enemy as war itself. 

After feeling sufficiently depressed, we decided to grab a cab home as we were tired of walking. The guy didn't reset the meter and it started at 160,000 VND ($8). Alex soon noticed this and told him and he freaked out. He tried saying that it was 60,000 but the meter wasn't working correctly but he definitely would've charged us what the meter said if we didn't say anything. Apparently this is a common scam. When we told him "no, thats not correct, you're meter is broken," he lost it. He started screaming at us. Alex demanded that he pull over and I tried paying him 20,000 VND (the rate for 1 kilometer, which is what we traveled) and he screamed at me and threw it in my face. We left it on his console and got out of the cab. Alex said she read about this scam and that when you call them out they get really angry to try and intimidate you into thinking they were correct. It didn't work, Alex was all over it. Some advice, don't try and scam that girl.

That night we met up with Alex's friend Elise who recently moved to Saigon for work. We went out for dinner and walked around the night market (where I got a sweet Saigon t-shirt). Elise was just getting settled and we had a good time talking about the exciting chaos that is Saigon.

What the city lacks in pedestrian safety it more than makes up for in cheap and delicious food. The next day Alex and I had an epic day of amazing food. We started the day by walking around the day market and eating some street snacks. We then met up with Elise again to go to the emerald Buddha together. Afterwards, we went to a famous Pho restaurant called Pho Lee 2 (there are more than one) and it was spectacular. It costs 60,000 as opposed to a more standard 40,000-50,000 in HCMC but it's worth it. The broth was just out of this world and the noodles were cooked just right. 

Emerald Buddha in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Pho Le 2 in HCMC. Some of the pho we had in Vietnam. 

Later that night we also managed to track down a place that I researched as "the best street food in the world." It is a bahn mi street stand that makes a bbq pork sandwich. Bahn mi basically means baguette sandwich and this particular place was the first I saw with freshly cooked meat. It took us a while to find it because it was slightly down an alley instead of on the main street as I was led to believe. However, as we peered down the alley we saw a guide showing a foreign couple the bahn mi stand and I knew we were in the right place. It was so fresh with the right amount of spice, all for 17,000 VND (less than $1). 

I don't know how they do it. 

A man naps on his motorbike while Alex roams the streets of HCMC

Bahn Mi 37 ("The best street food in the world") in HCMC, Vietnam

 

We went back to our room to pack and get ready for an early bus the next morning to Mui Ne.

Next stop, Mui Ne.