Arriving in Hue arround 10 am by train. In the train someone came to us with a proposal for a new hotel, and we arranged for a pickup from the station. It was the Thai Bihn Hotel. Quite luxureus, 12 dollar per room, two rooms. But we took it because it was very nice: HBO movie channel, internet, elevator, nice view from 5th floor, and we had a shared balcony. We had lunch on the river side of Hue, in The Tropical Garden Restaurant, and went for a round thru town, and had dinner in the Stop & Go cafe. A nice restaurant/cafe, run by an old man, that arranges tours aswel.

Hue is an old historical important town, one of Vietnams main cultural, religious and educational centre’s. For a long time the Nguyen dynasty ruled rom the Emperial enclosure in the old cittadel. Hue was also the site of the bloodiest battle of the 1968 Tet offensive during the American/Vietnam war. In 3 1/2 weeks 3000 civilians (monks, merchants, priests and intellectuals) were killed by the north vietnamese army. After that there was a 10 day bitter combat, during wich whole neighbourhoods were levelled by VC Rockets and US bombs. Therefore, there is not much left within the emperial enclosure.

The second day we went on a tour to the old DMZ (Demilitarised Zone), a zone 5 km asouth and north of the Ben Hai river, that served as e demarcation between north and south vietnam during the American war. There has been severe fighting there, as the VC was trying to get weapons to the south citys for the Tet offensife by using the Ho Chi Minh trail, that was therefore heavilly bombed by Americans using Agent Orange, a deforrestation bomb. We visited Khe Sanh base, where a famous and most controversial siege took place. The Americans where decived by the VC because they tought the VC was planning to take Khe Sanh base, while they were using it as a diversion for the Tet offensive, wich began a week after the Khe Sanh siege.
We also visited the Vinh Moc tunnels, a 2,8 km long complex, reaching up to 26m below ground. After 18 months of work, whole families lived here for three years, and 17 babies were born in the underground delivery room. After visiting some more sites (not much left of it, on one only one tank, and ‘Rockpile Mountain was no more..) we went back to Hue.
We had dinner again in The Tropical Garden Restaurant.

The next day, 7th of november, we rented a moto, and drove off to visit some of the surrounding Royal Tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty Rulers. We visited Thien Mu pagoda. It was from here that the monk Tich Quang Duc travelled to Saigon for his self-immolation and burned himself to death to protest to the policies of president Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963. A famous photograph was on the front page of news papers arround the world.
After visiting a few other tombs and pagodas we passed a incense making stall, and tried to make some ourself, to some succes. At sunset, 6 o’clock, we drove back to Hue (had i mentioned that driving a moto is like buying a lot in the lottery, they drive like crazy! But if you get the pace, it goes all very well). We had dinner in a fine restaurant, Mandarin Cafe, with personal service. The owner showed us some nice photographs he had shot himself, and we bought some postcards from him. After dinner we had a drink in a belgian run bar, and had a talk about Vietnam rules for bar owners, and some strange things in Vietnam. At midnight we went back to the hotel, the next morning our bus would leave at 14.00 to Hoi An!

The last day in Hue we went to the postoffice to look at some news on the internet, had lunch a then our bus left to take us to Hoi An.

On the 3th we arrived early in the morning in Hanoi, arround 6 am. We watched a wghole lot of people excersise in the morning arround Hoam Kiem Lake, very funny. Then a cup of coffee, and off to the trainstation to buy train tickets to Hue for the 4th. Then took a bus to Hai Phong were we arrived 12 am. There we took a ferry to Cat Ba island, in the Halong Bay.

Halong Bay is a beautifull bay, with islands of lime stone. We stayed on Cat Ba island one night. First day a round trip on a moto. Then we booked a trip for the next day thru Halong Bay. We had dinner on a restaurant in the middle of the harbour, we had to go there with a boat. The meal was still swimming in the nets under the boat, you can pick what you want to eat, right out of the sea! Had a beer later in a bar owned by a new zealander, The Flightless Bird. The next day we left on a private boat, thru Halong Bay, visited a stupid monkey island, snorkeled in the coral, visited a cave and boated to Halong City were we took a bus back to Hanoi. This was the most craziest busride in my life. The bus was completely full so we had to keep the bags on our lap. The driver drove like crazy (the other road users as well) and we saw one accident, and were this close to being in one. Then, half way we stopped somewere, and everybody had to get out of the bus. The driver and two men started to unload a HUGE ammount of plastic bags with clothes or something. This was a normal mass transit bus! Imagine having this in Holland…. We arrived arround 19.00 in Hanoi, had dinner and went back to the station to take the night train leaving at 23.00 to Hue, a 11 hour trip.

From Hanoi we left on the train to Lao Cai. This was a 10 hour trip. From there we were picked up by a transferbus to Sa Pa. This is a really adorable city. The people here are so friendly, and there are a lot of people selling there wares on the street. The area is foggy, but this is caracteristic for Sa Pa. We bought a lot of souvenirs here, all is very cheap. Say 20.000 dong for a bag, wich is 1 euro. You realy want to help the people so we bought so much! My bag is not getting any lighter on it, but it is all realy nice. It is all handmade.

The first day we spent on a trip to a waterfall in Cat Cat. The walk is nice, about one hour to it. Then an hour at the waterfall were some of us went for a swim, and a shower in the waterfall. Then an hour walk back, we walked thru the fields! In the evening a nice dinner(cheap, 100.000 dong for 4 people = 5 euro). Later in the hotel we chatted with two guys from Canada, who were here to film ethical travel or something.

The second day Carolien and me spent on the market, and Rob and Mark went for an trip in the jungle. I bought a lot here, for about 500.000 dong (=25 euro). We ate pizza as lunch (it was good!) and we had dinner with the Canadian guys.

Third day we left on a three day trekking trip thru the Sa Pa surroundings to meet the poeple here. First day a light trip of 2 hours, and we spent the night at the house lovely family of the Mhuong tribe, in an small village in the rice fields.

The second day of the trip was hard! Wake up at 6, have breakfast (pancakes with banana and chocolate sauce) the 20 km thru the rice fields and the jungle. After a few stops (it was hot, and going up and down, thru water etc.) we arrived aroound 17.00 in a village to stay for the night. This time the house was bigger, and more nice. Had dinner, drank some beer and played a few card games, and chatted with the guide. 21.30 was bed time again, and we all slept like roses!

8 in the morning wake up again, and we cut the trip a little short, rested some more and went back to Sa Pa were we had a great long awaited shower. Now i’m in an internet cafe in Sa Pa, we gonna have dinner and the leave to the train station again for an other 10 hour trip back to Hanoi, and the leave from there directly to Halong Bay. That should be great. Ok, c u later, the internet connections are not that quick, so i only uploaded a few photo’s hope to write in more detail later too.

Greetings from Sa Pa, Frank

The second day, the 27th, we went on a tour to the Perfume Pagoda. Wake up at 7.00, picked up by a guide, small walk to the bus, and off we went. A three hour busride thru vietnam. The roads are amazing, and the traffic handling even more. Arriving at the Perfume river a boat ride followed, 4 persons per boat, for an hour or so. The on a island a hour walk uphill followed. The stairs were put ther in the 17th century by monks. Viewing varoius pagodas on the way we arrived a the main pagoda that was situated in a cave, with the ceiling covered with stalagtites. Its an impressive sight. Then a the way back by walking, boating and bus. Arrived back in Hanoi arround 19.00, picked up our packs from the hotel, had a quick dinner and went off to the train station to take a 10(!) hour train ride to Lao Cai, leaving at 22.00. We slept during the ride, arriving arround 6.00. There was a transfer waiting to bring us to Sa Pa.

First impression: very busy indeed. The roades are cluttered with moto’s, and they are driving like crazy. Crossing a road means just walking into the mass of moto’s, walking slowly to the other side. The moto’s will then find there way arround you, its amazing. Next day breakfast in the hotel room, bread, coffee and juice. Then a walk thru the Old Quarter. Thats amazing to. All the streets have some theme. So there is a street with silk shops, a street with metal workers, one with sweets, decorations, grave stones, buddha’s, food and so on. All that in small shops, and mainly on the street. Food and fruit stalls everywhere. There are also females who sell food from baskets hanging from their shoulders. Later in the day we went for a lunch in a typicla Hanoi restaurant, we were the only tourists there. Then to the famous Water Puppet Theatre. That was a nice experience, see the photo section later. After that an other dinner, in a verry nice restaurant, Box It. This was very modern and with a loungy style. Good food, and the service was perfect, we talked a little bit with the waiter and learned a few words vietnamese. Cam on = thank you, Xin cao = hello. Then back to the hotel (it was 01.00) and decided to to take a tour to the Perfume Pagode the next morning.