The trip was too short and Jen cried when we left because she loved it so much. In one word, it's the people. If they call Thailand the land of the smile, then Vietnam should be called the land of the happy smile. So, we started out Saturday from Seoul and were surprised with our first ever Business Class upgrade. We still have no idea why, but wow what an awesome way to fly. It's going to be tough to go back to Coach. Oh well.
First, we spent some time in Hanoi, which was very cool and charming. Then, we took a 3 day cruise on Ha Long Bay on a junk boat. There were 14 of us. One very cool family from Tasmania, 2 couples from Australia, and a couple from Malaysia and Spain. The best seafood of the trip was had on the boat. The second day we kayaked through caves and islands dotting the coast of Ha Long. That night, the Malaysian and Spanish couple taught us how to Salsa dance. If you know me, I am a terrible dancer, but this was pretty fun and I am happy to say I can dance the Salsa (sort of). Jen is ecstatic that there is a dance where I don't step on her feet.
After Ha Long Bay, we spent one more night in Hanoi. We walked the old quarter and found some great, very cheap food. The next morning, we hired a car for half the day and went to see Hoh Chi Minh's mausoleum. Unfortunately, he wasn't there because of his yearly freshen-up. However, we did get to visit his presidential palace and a museum dedicated to him. He lived a fascinating life and is a national hero for the Vietnamese.
That afternoon, we flew down to Danang and then drove down to Hoi An. This town retains its colonial charm. We stayed at a very nice hotel called Ha An. The first night we just cruised the old streets on foot. The next morning, we hopped on some bikes and rode about 5 km to the beach for lunch. Wow, the beach was fantastic. I didn't expect such a nice one. After spending most of the day lounging, we rode back to town for the evening. The next morning, we took a boat ride down the river to a cooking school. We learned a bit but it was more of a show than a class. They had a nice pool that we swam in after the class. The next day was our last, and we were already starting to feel sad. Jen had some clothes made and we picked up lots of Christmas presents. Then, we flew back home to Korea.
Cool archetecture in Hanoi
Spring rolls and a beer (or two!)
Ho Chi Minh's Museum. Fascinating.
One Pillar Pagoda
In front of his mausoleum.
Cool looking stairway.
Dinner on the second night.
Vietnams' flag
Our first meal on the junk boat. The food was first class.
A view point in Ha Long Bay.
Kayak trip through the islands
Goofing around on the kayak
Enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning. Vietnamese coffee is incredibly good. The best!
Our junk through the cave
Our last dinner on the boat
Ahoy land lubbers!
Our bed on the boat
Pablo the Spaniard teaching Jen a few more salsa moves
In Hoi An, our beautiful room.
Flower petals all over the place.
The courtyard of our hotel at night.
The Japanese Bridge in Hoi An.
Lightening storm on the river
Chillin' at the beach.
Back in Hoi An at the market
The groovy Here and Now bar. Jen pretended she was a writer for the Lonely Planet and pretend interviewed people in the bar. Pretty funny prank. The review is that the patrons are happy!
Stud. All muscle.
At the cooking school.
Fresh Spring Rolls
We kept running into the Aussie family from Tasmania everywhere we went. This is Henry.
Jen had a few clothes made. She had the dress made.
Jen is so proud! The ladies were really fun and nice.
A parting shot! If you ever get the chance to go to Vietnam........GO!!!
