Nepal, Singapore, Vietnam

Last few days in Nepal, Singapore, Hanoi & Halong Bay-Vietnam

September 13-21, 2010

Hello from the other side of the world! Adam and I are currently in Hue (pronounced “whey”), Vietnam and enjoying a restful and relaxing day to catch up on both sleep and update our blog in this quiet town located south of Hanoi and off the east coast of Vietnam.

Nepal – Our last few days

On one of our last days in Nepal we headed to the Swayambhunath Temple located atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley. The temple is filled with painted images of deities, prayer wheels, shrines, prayer flags and many other religious objects. It is also known as the ‘Monkey Temple’ and filled with monkeys who roam freely and are considered holy according to ancient traditions. As you can see from our pictures, we were able to feed a few of them with a cucumber--Ad was much more comfortable than I was.

Our next stop was Durbar Square, a plaza opposite of the old royal palace in a bustling section of Kathmandu. Considered a Unesco World Heritage site, Durbar is filled with temples and surrounded by spectacular historic architecture designed by artists and craftsmen over the centuries. Due to an earthquake in the 1930’s, the buildings reflect only those that are still standing and some are severely damaged.

If there is one thing that I have learned about traveling is that you never travel alone. You are constantly meeting amazing and interesting people along the way that enrich your travel experience. During our last few days in Nepal, we enjoyed a some beers with a local Nepalese guide, Ang Tseching, (a friend of Krammy’s) his two friends, a woman from Malaysia, a man from Bhutan, and a couple from Minnesota staying at the hotel. It is fun to share stories, travel experiences, see other cultures, and most importantly, make new friends.

Regarding our new friends from Minnesota (Eddie and Lucia), we are lucky to have had a chance to meet them. Less than a few weeks before our arrival into Kathmandu, a plane went down by the Lukla Airport (airport servicing Mt. Everest treks) sadly killing all 14 passengers aboard; ironically, the pilot's name was 'Lucky'. Eddie and Lucia were scheduled to be on that flight to trek Everest Base Camp yet due to inclement weather they decided to postpone it a few days instead; angels must have been watching over them that day.

Singapore – September 15

After Nepal, we flew through Mumbai and onto Singapore. Singapore, officially called the Republic of Singapore, is an island country located on the tip of Malaysia in the very southeast part of Asia. The city is cultured, clean, outdoor-oriented, cosmopolitan and one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We learned that Singapore is the world's fourth leading financial center and its port is amongst the top five busiest in the world. One of the reasons it is unique is that you cannot chew gum, graffiti or litter in this country or you get a big fine and possibly jail time, as signs are posted everywhere; if you bring drugs into the country, the penalty is death – which was clearly written on the visa paperwork we filled out upon arrival at the airport.

Hanoi, Vietnam – September 16-19

We arrived in Hanoi on September 16 and had a car pick us up at the airport. We heard that you get mobbed by taxi drivers, as well as potentially scammed by some that purposely take you to a hotel in which they receive a commission. Yet, we were grateful to arrive to a surprisingly peaceful airport and didn't have any problems.

Hanoi, translation, "Ascending Dragon," is the capital of Vietnam and located along the bank of the Red River. We stayed in the Old Quarter which is described as where the old meets the new. The streets are swarming with motorbikes, “hawkers” (vendors cooking meals on the side of the road for locals as well as tourists) fill the streets, and the sound of horns honking are in the air. If you plan to get anywhere, you must maneuver both motorbikes and cars in the street. It is pedestrian survival--you must cross the streets slowly to give the motorbikes sufficient time to judge their position and pass you on either side. It’s crazy and unlike anything we have experienced.

We spent a few days walking around the Old Quarter enjoying the lake (Hoan Kiem) in the middle of the city, delicious local food specialties like Pho, fried rice with seafood, things you didn’t know but tried anyway, looking at temples and enjoying the outdoor market at night. After a few days in the city, we decided to head to Halong Bay, one of Vietnam’s unique treasures.

Halong Bay – September 19-21

Halong Bay is best described as both majestic and mysterious and comprised of over 3000+ islands among emerald green waters. Also a Unesco World Heritage site, the unique bay is filled with vegetation-covered limestone cliffs that create breathing taking views; it's one of the best sites of Vietnam!

Ad and I decided to book 2-night, 3-day tour of Halong Bay through a travel agent recommended by Lonely Planet (Ocean Tours-and for the record they suck! Don't use them). The package included one-night on a boat, or a “junk” as they refer to it (and it's name deinitely represented the boat, it was a piece of junk), and one night in a bungalow located on Monkey Island. After we arrived in Halong City, jumped on a small boat to take us to our “junk”, we were bummed to arrive to a less than glamorous boat (it was really a junk boat) compared to most others out in the bay. Regardless, we made the best of it and enjoyed the company of the other 11 people on the boat.

We cruised out on our “junk” heading to tour a cave, then kayaked and ending with a slow ride toward Cat Ba Island (a national park where we would spend the night in our bungalow) while enjoying a beautiful sunset and conversation with new friends. We woke up on the boat the next morning and disembarked to Cat Ba Island. At this point we had the choice of either a hike or biking around the park; due to the 90+ degree weather (and 85% humidity) Ad and I opted for the bike.  Sidenote: we called our bike a 'geared single speed, as it had gears, but only one worked.  I (Adam) felt like Chris Farley in the movie Tommy Boy, but instead of 'Big man in a little suit', it was 'Big man on a little bike' VERY LITTLE BIKE. (Still crushed our 2 pack a day smoking guide-KAW)

After the bike, we were taken by another small boat to Monkey Island where we enjoyed a private bungalow (which was great!) on a sandy beach in a small cove. As the sun was starting to go down, we all enjoyed a few cocktails out in the water and slowly watch the beautiful sunset.

The next day, we took the boat back to Halong City and then the 4 hour bus ride back to Hanoi.  Once in Hanoi we caught an overnight bus to Hue (15 hours south) which would be our next stop on our travels down the coast of Vietnam.  

We hope you are all healthy, happy and enjoying your life.

We miss and love you dearly,

Cathy and Adam