Our last day in Nha Trang included renting a motorbike and riding out 25 km north to Ba Ho Waterfall. The ride along the coastline was spectacular, especially at sunset.

Whee!

That evening upon returning the motorbike and grabbing dinner, we packed our sweaty, stinky bodies and gear into a cramped sleeper bus en route to Hoi An, about 510 km north. It was a very long, bumpy 12 hour ride. Imagine riding and trying to sleep in a large bus driving down undeveloped double lane roads shared with trucks and scooters. In Vietnam, it is normal for vehicles to cross over into the opposing lane to pass up a slow moving vehicle, and swerve back while simultaneously blaring the horn just in time to dodge an upcoming truck or another bus. It was constant acceleration, brake-slams, deafening honks, wild swerves, and jolting bumps. Woot.

When my heavy eyelids opened after dozing in and out of poor slumber, the blood-shot sun was just rising above the muggy horizon. It was 5:30am. We arrived in Hoi An at 6:30am, grabbed a taxi (the driver of course tried to rip us off but we didn’t let him), and dropped our gear off at our hotel. Fortunately, we were able to check in at 8am, so we took showers, napped, and ventured out to explore Hoi An.

Hoi An was the ancient river city of international trade, where Indians, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesians would come together for months at a time to trade goods. Its old buildings are actually well-preserved despite the war, and, when viewed at dusk lined up along the river with brightly lit lanterns, it is not uncommon to hear, “This is such a beautiful city!” Hoi An, with its charming architecture and rich history, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. No longer an international port, most of Hoi An’s original homes along the river have been sold to become commercial spaces (restaurants and souvenir shops), and is now a major tourist destination in Vietnam.

Our first morning strolling through a local market:

A stroll through central downtown:

Some evening photos:

Ho An radiates with beauty once the sun sets. We were fortunate that our first night in Hoi An was a full moon night; thus, a full moon festival was celebrated that night by locals and their children.

Every night in Hoi An (especially during the full moon festival), children, their mothers, and their grandmothers light up dozens of candles, set them in paper cut out trays, and sell them to tourists to float down the river. While Chris and I were not fans of littering the river, we thoroughly enjoyed watching families take part in this tourist attraction.

And finally, I’ve discovered my new favorite local dessert –  bánh chuối chiên (crispy fried banana pancake with sesame) with vanilla ice cream:

Many Americans I know who have been to Vietnam often exhale a sigh of disdain when mentioning Nha Trang. “It’s too touristy,” they say. “It’s overrun with Russians,” they say. Although true facts, there is still more to Nha Trang (at least for me!). Over the past several years Nha Trang to Vietnam has become what Waikiki is to the U.S. Real estate has skyrocketed, the number of high-rise hotels have doubled since I was here 2 years ago, and there are even more hotels under construction. So why have we spent the majority of our time in Nha Trang so far? First of all, Nha Trang holds a special place in my heart. Both my parents grew up here! My mom’s old house is just a few minutes away from the beach, and all the “touristy stuff” has developed just a block away from her house. And second of all, since Nha Trang is now a tourist destination, there are many things to do, whether it’s simply relaxing on the beach, scoping out the many food carts/street food vendors (chè, corn, sữa đậu nành, sữa ngô, lots of bánh bao, mango carts, plenty of nước mía and sinh tố, etc.), riding a xích lô along the coast, getting a cheap 1 hour $8 massage, amongst other things. A lovely dinner of bò né (steak and eggs) over a sizzling plate, with french fries. 42,000 dong, or $2 USD each. Sữa đậu nành (soy bean milk), to go, in little pouches. 5,000 dong, or 25 cents USD. In addition to relaxing on the beaches and eating, there is plenty of DIVING! And I don’t mean skydiving…I mean SCUBA DIVING! Skydiving is difficult to come by in Southeast Asia, as the only drop zone in Southeast Asia is in Thailand. However, scuba diving is plentiful and top notch! Chris and I decided before the trip that we would complete our PADI certification in Nha Trang, and the next thing we knew, we ended up enrolling in the Advanced Open Water course (in preparation for our diving in Borneo next month)! Pictures from our PADI certification dives are below: We needed a break between the PADI Open Water certification and the Advanced Open Water course, so we took a day off to visit Vinpearl Land, a beach resort, amusement park, aquarium, and water park, all rolled into one on an island off of Nha Trang.  To get there, you either take a ferry (if you’re lame) or you ride the longest over-water gondola in the world (3.3 km)! The first attraction I wanted to see was their famous aquarium which far exceeded my expectations since their exhibit had an underwater walkway similar to the one in the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Immediately after the aquarium, we excitedly scurried over to Vinpearl’s Water World. I must say the water slides were A HUGE BLAST – they probably would never exist in the U.S. because of how steep and fast they were. We spent the rest of the day at the beautiful, calm, clear water beach (steps away from the water park), the indoor arcade, and the amusement park. All that and the aquarium and world’s longest over-water gondola ride for $25 USD each? Worth it! Today we began the Advanced Open Water course. Three things we worked on were Peak Performance Buoyancy, Navigation (under water compass work), and Fish Identification. Tomorrow we will work on Deep Diving (up to 30m!) and Search & Recovery (looking for items on the ocean bottom and lifting them up to the surface). We are super excited to complete the course! To finish this post, I end with some photos from today’s dive. Enjoy!

For $15 each, we hired a private jeep and driver for 5 hours to take us 34 km out of Mui Ne to watch the sun rise over the white sand dunes. Off we went at 4:30am, and we arrived at the white sand dunes at 5:30am, which gave us about 16 minutes to hike to the sand dune of our choice. Here are some photos below. We even released some of Walden’s ashes here: After we watched the sun rise, we checked out the fishing village and  “fairy stream.” The fairy stream was quite small, but the rock and sand formations it carved after thousands if not millions of years were definitely stunning. So there you have it. If you ever find yourself in Vietnam, definitely check out the sleepy beach town of Mui Ne, and visit the red sand dunes at sunset, the white sand dunes at sunrise, and the fairy stream. Mui Ne is a 5 hour bus ride for $7 from Ho Chi Minh City. Worth it!!

Mui Ne is a little touristy beach resort in Southern Vietnam, known for its sand dunes pushed up against the ocean. In my opinion, the main tourist attractions are the red sand dunes at sunset, the white sand dunes at sunrise, the fairy stream, and the fishing village.

I name this post “The Textures of Mui Ne,” and you’ll see why in the pictures below.

Wind-blown sand in the red dunes:

Sand and water flowing through the fairy stream:

A mixture of wind-blown yellow and red sand along rock formations:

A water-flow mixture of red and black sand:

Sand and rock formations:

Wind-blown sand in the white dunes with tracks left behind by a small bird:

Hopefully you’ll find more zoomed-out photos of these in the photos to come below and in the next post about the white sand dunes.

During our 2nd day in Mui Ne we rented a motorbike to cruise around.

We made sure to check out the red sand dunes at sunset. They were definitely worth checking out!

Aaaand check out the sunrise in the white sand dunes, fairy stream, and fishing village in the next post! =D

We briefly returned to Hanoi after Sapa for just 1 night before heading out again…this time to Saigon. The plan was to stay in Saigon just for 1 night, and then leave on Sunday, March 30 to Mui Ne.

Our time in Hanoi and Saigon was brief, but there are still pictures worth posting here. We arrived in Hanoi early on Saturday morning, at about 6:30am. After killing some time at Hoan Kiem Lake, we were fortunate to be able to do a super early check-in into our hotel at around 8.  We then ventured out into the streets in search for food and some local weekend fun.

You can get fresh meat and seafood ANYWHERE:

One amazing thing about Vietnam – you can find your favorite Vietnamese food from a street vendor. No joke. I even saw a bánh khọt cart today! I somehow spotted a woman pushing a cart with bánh chưng rán (sticky rice with pork and mung bean wrapped in banana leaf, steamed, and then fried)! I eagerly flagged her down and satisfied my taste buds with this classic Vietnamese comfort dish.

For dinner, we met up with Bao and friends again for some “Korean” hot pot.

Then I had an authentic Vietnamese evening by getting a scooter ride (with useless helmets that don’t even fit) through town for some drinks.

Most of the next day was spent traveling to Saigon. This was my 3rd visit to Saigon. The first was in 2006, the second was in 2012, and now in 2014. I swear, every time I return, it gets crazier. There are more and more tourists, more hustle and bustle. Here is a photo from our hotel room window. You’ll find a surplus of late night-goers spilling out onto the sidewalks and enjoying their Saturday night:

And the following day, Sunday, we were up bright and early again, on a bus ride to Mui Ne. More on Mui Ne in the next post! =)

The picture below pretty much sums up our entire experience at Sapa, especially after the trek we did from March 25-26:

Mao showed up in front of our hotel at 9:30am, as promised. She told us that we would trek a total of 15 km to Lao Chai and Tan Van, sleep overnight in a H’mong home, and then trek back the next day. Photos below show the beginning of our trek:

After lunch, Mao pointed out her house to us when we walked through the village of Lao Chai. She was born and raised in this village, and now lives in this hut with her husband and 3 children. Here is a photo of Mao and her house on the hill:

While passing through a village, Chris was able to speak to a deaf H’mong woman via sign language:

More photos of our trek after lunch:

By afternoon, we arrived at our homestay. The H’mong family who hosted us (along with many other foreigners) were a husband, wife, a handful of children, some pigs and chickens, and this awesome dog named Pao (pronounced Paw).

Chris bonded with Lien, a super hyper-active boy. Selfie time!

Here are some photos of the H’mong guest house. This is the kitchen:

This is the stove/cooking area:

This is one of the side rooms, where the men constructed bed frames and dining tables:

This is the outdoor lounging area/dining area:

We mingled with a couple from Paris, Australia, and the US (Los Angeles). The Parisian couple helped prepare dinner by cutting some vegetables with the family:

For dinner, we ate a ton of homemade H’mong food, which was practically like Vietnamese food (spring rolls, rice, steamed/fried vegetables, pork and chicken, tofu, etc).

Not long after dinner, we all went to bed. Our beds were super comfy foam pads set up on the floor, with extremely fluffy blankets and mosquito nets that draped over. I was worried it would be cold at night, but the blanket actually made us too hot!

On Tuesday morning, Mao dressed me up in her traditional H’mong clothing because we were roughly the same size. Everyone got a kick out of this, especially when other H’mong girls arrived at the hut, stared at me for a few seconds, and exclaimed, “You not H’mong!!”

We waited for the morning rain to cease, and soon after we departed from our homestay. Mao asked us if we wanted to do the easy route or the hard route. Hard route, duh. =) To be honest, at least half of the route we took was pretty sketchy. In addition to the weather being slightly muggy and the route being super steep uphill and downhill, it had stormed that morning, so everything was wet and muddy. Our trek consisted of the following:

Hiking through steep bamboo groves:

Playing the balance beam by crossing through rice paddy terraces:

Following narrow paths along mountains to rocky paths and streams:

Steep paths into the rolling clouds:

And of course, breathtaking panoramic views:

Had a close encounter with some gentle water buffalo:

By the end of our trek, we were pooped. The “hard” way truly was strenuous! All us foreigners were amazed at how these little ladies are able to do this muddy, steep, and slippery trek in their cotton and hemp layers, rain boots and/or plastic slippers, and heavy jewelry. Our shoes looked pretty awesome…so thankful for Gore-tex!

The next day, March 27, we took the bus to the Lao Cai train station to catch the sleeper train going back to Hanoi. At the train station, we got our first bánh mì with rotisserie pork. It was seriously the best bánh mì ever! <3 street food!

And finally, an awesome way to end our trip in Sapa: We got the whole car (4 soft sleeper beds) to ourselves! =D

Our first full day in Sapa was spent exploring Ham Rong (Dragon Jaw) Mountain and nearby Cat Cat Village. Ham Rong Mountain was part of a larger park and included a steep, rocky climb to the top with views that made the trek worthwhile.

Below are pictures of our hike to the top of Ham Rong Mountain. From the top were spectacular views of the town of Sapa, the mountains, and rolling fog.

On our way to Ham Rong, H’mong girls were already lined up on sidewalks, stitching away:

Ham Rong Mountain:

There were some super tacky statues on the way up. Here is the ugliest Mickey ever. Screw you, Disney!

I got a kick out of this Scooby Doo. What is he doing with his finger? Hm…

Upon returning to the town of Sapa, Chris and I each had a snack of 2 hột vịt lộn (duck fetus eggs). It was super yummy served with rau ram, ginger, hot sauce, black pepper, salt, and lime.

Then we ventured into Cat Cat Village, the nearest village to Sapa, only 2 km away. This was one of the most beautiful villages I’ve ever seen.

And that concludes our first full day of Sapa!

After our lovely dinner with Bao and his family, Chris and I got dropped off at the Ha Noi Train Station via scooter, thanks to Bao and his dad. Despite it being dark and drizzly, we made it safely. We took the overnight sleeper train to Lao Cai, located in the far north-western region of Vietnam just about a mile south of the Chinese border, which took about 10.5 hours. The time table said it should have taken 8 hours (10pm-6am), but it arrived closer to 8:30am local time. It wasn’t surprising to learn later that the trains here run on “Vietnamese time” as well. Trains here are typically 2-3 hours late…and this is considered normal!

From Lao Cai, we took a bus to Sapa, a stunningly breathtaking route into the mountains (34 km, ~1 hour).  As we traversed the narrow, winding road shared with other motorists, slow-moving trucks, and pedestrians up 1000m into Sapa, a group of 3 Australian women asked us how much we paid for our tickets. Chris told them 50,000 Dong each, which is roughly $2.50 USD. Apparently they each paid 300,000 Dong each ($14 USD)!!!! o__o  My advice to anyone traveling to Vietnam is to do all your research before going to tourist spots so you know exactly how much you should be paying to avoid overpaying!

During the drive, we saw Vietnamese ethnic minority groups mingling and roaming about. There are 8 different ethnic groups in Sapa: H’mong, Zao, Tay, Giay, Muong, Thai, Hoa, and Xa Pho, which make up an estimated 31,652 people. About 3,300 live in Sapa, and the rest live in villages and farms throughout the mountainous region.

Literally, and I mean LITERALLY, as soon as we stepped off the bus, we were greeted by a large, smiling group of H’mong women. “HELLO! Where you from?!” asked one cheerful, round-faced young woman, Mao (pronounced Ma), who later ended up being our guide and friend.

Below is the group of women who bombarded us. Mao is the second girl from the left, in the red coat. Her English was phenomenal- slightly broken, but fluent enough to get around the U.S. if she wanted to.

Chris and I were immediately charmed by Mao and agreed to do a 2 day, 1 night home-stay tour with her on Tuesday. She would guide us through local villages, including her home town, and take us to a H’mong home where we would spend the night with other travelers. We agreed to meet her in front of our hotel on Tuesday at 9:30am, and then we explored Sapa on our own on Sunday and Monday.

Pictures below showcase Sapa market, the locals, the food, and some scenery.

Below is the adorable young woman who guilt-tripped me into buying one of her hand-made purses. She is 20 years old, with 2 children. Most young women carry their infants on their backs so they can work by sewing or working in the rice fields.

Random shots from the streets and markets:

This is where they bombarded me to make a sale:

After the guilt-trip sale, we got some hot Vietnamese coffee and ate our first bowl of phở in Vietnam, northern style, which was SO FREAKIN DELICIOUS!!! It was a cold day, and the savory, warm broth was soothing to my stomach and soul.

And for dessert, we got one of my favorite snacks, bánh rán, from a woman frying them in the streets! They were fresh and HOT!

Day 1 of Sapa: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!

Our first week in Hanoi was spent settling in, getting accustomed to the time zone, hanging out with friends, and most importantly, eating the best Vietnamese food in the world. Below is a quick summary.

Wednesday, March 19: The next morning, Chris had his first bún riêu thịt heo, complimentary of our hostel. Chris really enjoyed it, especially with a bit of ớt cay (chili peppers)!

After breakfast, we ventured out into early morning Hanoi to stroll the streets of the old quarter and Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

For dinner, Bao took us to get some Hue food. I LOVE Hue food!! We enjoyed bánh bột lọc, bánh bèo, gỏi cuốn thịt nướng and thịt ba chỉ.

Thursday, March 20: Bao set us up with his friend Hiep, who took us to the Temple of Literature, which was originally the first university of Hanoi. To be honest, it was kind of boring, but we managed to take some fun pictures.

Epic Mortal Kombat/Street Fighter scene to be edited…some day:

Various pics:

For lunch, we chowed down one of our favorite dishes- bún chả nem chien (grilled pork, rice noodles and egg rolls with fish sauce and other garnishes). 

Some random street photos:

Another awesome thing about being in Hanoi at this time was that I had 3 friends from the bay area who were also visiting Hanoi! We met up for dinner and drinks.

We walked into a random restaurant, where I discovered my new favorite snack, bánh khoái (“happy pancake” or Hue pancake). It was similar to bánh xèo, but smaller with a crispier rice flour shell. 

Friday, March 21: We spent our entire morning at the Museum of Ethnology. If you ever go to Hanoi, this place is a must-see! This museum is considered the finest modern museum in Hanoi and exhibits 54 of the recognized ethnic groups in Vietnam. The indoor museum exhibits artifacts such as old rice hats, bicycles, woven goods, art, clothing, weapons, farming tools, etc., and the outdoor museum displays homes and huts that you can explore.

A bicycle used in the 80s by a fish trap seller:

A history of rice hat making: 

Some of the huts outside: 

Oooohh yeaaahhh!!! 

DO NOT read the following below if you cannot stand to see/read about our first taste of dog.

Saturday, March 22: Part of traveling and learning about new cultures is trying out foreign foods, no matter how strange they sound. I thought I would be able to eat dog without feeling terrible, but it turned out that I could not. I actually felt awful and queasy with each bite, especially since there were cooked dog carcasses directly across from me. Eventually I just stopped eating it. During our meal, we learned that the dogs served are not random mutts found on the street; a specific breed is raised and then killed after a year for consumption.

Chris and I met with Bao at Nhà Hàng Thịt Chó (Dog Meat Restaurant). Their front facade displayed cooked dog parts and heads. 

They served a variety of cuts: grilled dog (which actually was quite tasty), dog liver, dog sausage, and cold cut dog. It was served with rice wine to drink and two dipping sauces of shrimp paste and a mix of lime, salt, and peppers

Eating dog is something I will most likely never do again.

Fortunately that evening, we enjoyed a lovely homemade dinner with Bao’s family for our last night in Hanoi before our departure for Sapa.