Motorbikes, clothing, and market food

It's been a bit since I've been able to write. Traveling through the land of slow to no internet access will do that. Since my last update in Hanoi, I've covered quite a bit of ground. Vietnam is loooonnngggg, meaning too many uncomfortable 12 hour overnight bus trips. Thankfully, as I am now in Nha Trang and closer to Saigon, there will be no more of those.

After leaving Hanoi I stopped for just one day in the little town of Ninh Binh. Just after arriving I met two lovely girls, Jenny and Petra, who planned to see the same sights as I the next day. We hired two motorbikes for the trip. After my adventure on Koh Tao and having just come from Hanoi traffic, I wasn't sure if Ninh Binh was the right place for me to make another attempt at driving, so I hired a driver along with my bike. Although it turned out that I could have handled the drive, I really didn't mind having the driver. Not only did he take us through a bunch of local towns that we would never have found on our own, his driving allowed me to snap pictures from the back of the bike. In my opinion, seeing Vietnam from the back of a motorbike is definitely the way to go.

Limestone cliffs over rice paddies, shot from the bike.

Sweet old man who took me on a tour of a temple

Gateway in the ancient capital city of Hoa Lu

The three of us left Ninh Binh that night, after a bit of hassle with the bus company, and arrived in Hue the next morning. Sadly, bad weather struck at that point. Hue was cold, grey, and soggy with rain. We made one good hearted attempt to see the city, since Hue has a buffet of ancient attractions to take in, but turned back before long due to the miserable weather. We hunkered down in our hostel and were back on the bus by the next morning.

Awesome main gateway to the citadel, the ancient royal city (as seen through rain).

Petra and I trying to stay dry in our awesome polka dot ponchos

That bus took us to Hoi An, wonderful land of tailors and clothing made to measure. Most people can't help but do some shopping in Hoi An, despite best intentions not to. It's just too tempting, seeing beautiful dresses and coats on display, all custom made for you to your specifications, all at much better prices than you'd pay in the States. Men get suits and dress shirts, women pick up nice dresses and winter coats. I myself walked away with some new heft in my backpack. It couldn't be helped.

Beyond clothes, Hoi An is simply a lovely city. We stayed there for 4 and a half days, which was a well needed respite from constant movement. When you've been living out of a backpack for quite some time, it is amazingly nice to really spread your belongings out for a bit.

Anyway, back to Hoi An. The streets are lined with French colonial architecture, bright yellow paint, cobblestone side walks, and leafy green arbors. Although motorbikes are ever present, many more people choose the good old fashioned bicycle, adding a calm air to the streets. At night the river front restaurants emit a gentle glow from their many red and gold lanterns. There is a big central market, where you can buy anything from fish to fruit to home goods. Then there are the market food ladies. Oh, how they tempt me with their nameless, sometimes unidentifiable food! Yummy Vietnamese rice pancakes and sweet, sweet goo that can not be described (trust me, that's a good thing). To top it off, the sun came out on our last day, leading us directly to the most beautiful beach I've seen in a long time. Warm waves, seashelled sands, and good company.

Can you tell I really enjoyed that city?

 One of the many dress shops

Store front display of coats

Typical building, with a lovely green awning

The market

Colorful lanterns. I love, love lanterns and they were everywhere.

Jenny and I at the beach

We left Hoi An Tuesday night and arrived here in Nha Trang Wednesday morning. Nha Trang is a much larger city, but still very calm at the moment, since it is low season. Mainly a beach resort town, the city itself leaves much to be desired. If the sun comes out, as it is desperately trying to do, we'll be spending some well wanted time on the beach. Heck, we'll be on the beach, sun or no sun.

Yesterday included a rather fun trip to a mud bath and mineral spa. I've never done a mud bath before, but it was cool. It also helps when you've got good company. Tomorrow, on to Da Lat.

My muddy group, sans me, since I took the picture

Happy Thanksgiving all!