Mekong River - Vietnam to Cambodia Slowboat TourHue - Hoi An - Nha Trang - Saigon, Vietnam
September 22-October 1, 2010
Mopeds with families of five (seriously), beers for .20 cents, $13 hotel w/pool, sandy beaches close by, cheap food, and friendly requests (many) of “you buy something from me- it happy hour” --this was Hoi An. A truly charming and artsy little town located a mile from the infamous China Beach where we enjoyed a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of some of the larger cities in Vietnam.
Hoi An is located on the east coast of Vietnam between the northern city of Hanoi and the southern city of Ho Chi Min or Saigon. Known as a former international trading port, Hoi An features unique architecture, local art and plenty of affordable custom-made clothing shops. We enjoyed relaxing mornings frequenting our favorite cafes for coffee shakes and banana pancakes while heading to the beach in the afternoon to enjoy a noodle bowl, a few beers and our favorite books.
One afternoon Adam and I decided to check out the custom-made clothing and visited a few local tailors. We picked out the clothing style, fabric and color and then got measured; 24-hours later we had our new clothes! Adam got a nice blue button-down shirt, a pair of khaki shorts and a pair of unique Thai-style linen shorts while I had a colorful skirt, orange top, green cotton skirt, and a more formal gray-silver dress all custom-made and all very affordable. For instance, the skirt I had made cost $10 while Ad’s blue button-down was $8.
After three days in Hoi An, we (Adam, myself, Eddie and Lucia) headed to the beach capital of Vietnam called Nha Trang. Located further south on the east coast, Nha Trang offers an endless beach with views of mountains looming in background. We enjoyed our first sushi visit since traveling (which was amazing and a 1/3 of the cost), some Indian food, $5 one hour massages on the beach and then decided to head to Ho Chi Min City-Saigon.
To travel the length of Vietnam from Hanoi to Saigon we purchased ‘open-ended bus tickets’. The best price ($40 each) does not necessarily mean the most comfortable ride. We endured four, 10-hour overnight bus rides that were bumpy, loud, and crowded, with Vietnamese videos and music playing most of the bus TV. To save our sanity we relied on I-Pods, ear plugs and valium--our saviors. Buses were double-decker style, but with beds (made for little people) instead of seats. Once on the road for a few hours the driver would pull into a bus stop and give everyone a chance to eat; food usually consisted of fried noodles, fried rice or Pho (noodle soups).
Our last 10-hour bus ride brought us to Ho Chi Min City (or Saigon) at 5:30 am. As we departed the bus in “central park”, we were surrounded by people walking, running and a large group of women (100-150) doing a rhythmic-jazzercise type of class to the sound of music over a loud speaker. Women (and some men) were shuffling their feet, pumping their arms up and down and back and forth, twisting and thrusting their hips…it was a lot to take in on at 5:30 am in the Saigon.
Instead of sightseeing in Saigon, we decided to leave on the 8:30 am local bus headed to Chau Doc to start our Mekong River trip, a slow-boat floating us from Vietnam up to Cambodia. Our local bus was filled with all Vietnamese with the exception of us four. As we headed out for our 7-hour non-AC bus that stopped often, too often. Every time it stopped, a small group of locals would climb on the bus selling cold jasmine tea, salted fish rolled in a banana leaves, herbs, boiled quail eggs, etc. It was crazy! And we can’t forget the occasional cigarette a local would enjoy as the ashes made our way back to our faces sitting in the back of the bus. I felt like The Dude on the Big Lebowski when Danny passed away and Donny decided to throw his ashes out of a Folger’s can out on a windy day – and there was no hope of dodging the ashes either.
As we rolled on down the bumpy, degraded highway, we had the opportunity to mingle with the locals. They seemed interested in us: our IPods, what we ate, what we were reading, our sunglasses…. while neither understood one another’s language it was fun trying to communicate. They shared their salted fish, we played with their kids, explained where they lived – all by pointing, smiling and laughing at one another. While the travel day was long, it was truly a unique, humbling and an unforgettable experience.
October 2, 2010 – Arrival in Cambodia via the Mekong River
After our local bus ride, we arrived in the small town of Chau Doc located by the border of Cambodia on the Mekong River, one of the world’s longest rivers reaching areas such as China, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia and Vietnam. After a night of enjoying “hawker-style” food, open-air stalls serving inexpensive local food, we got up the next morning for a 8-hour slow-boat along the river taking us from Vietnam up to Cambodian.
As we slowly made our way up the river, we observed locals working on their boats or in rice paddies, cruising down the river, kids laughing and playing in the water, water buffaloes enjoying a break from the heat… it was relaxing yet a bit too long when your butt and feet fall asleep from sitting in the same position for more than an hour.
Once arriving to our destination in Cambodia, we took a bus for another 1.5 hours to the town of Phnom Penh (or “Hill of Penh”). Phnom Penh is Cambodia’s capital and largest city and is filled with temples, pagodas, surrounded by small villages and is rich in culture and history. As we venture out to learn more, we will share our pictures, what we learn and experiences.
Thanks for following our journey.
Miss you and much love,
Cathy and Adam
