Time to play catch up - Part 1 - My last days in Vietnam

So, where have I been?

The last time I wrote a decent blog was when I was heading to Hoi An, Vietnam. A lot has happened since then, and I’ll now attempt to recall all of the meaty details in the next few blogs.

I was treated to a unique Vietnamese culinary experience in Hoi An. It is in Hoi An I realized Vietnamese food is my favorite food, so far on my trip. I was hard line supporter of Thai food prior to arriving to Hoi An. And I was starting to think that Vietnamese food was much better in Vancouver than in Vietnam itself. I was horribly wrong! In the five days I spent in Hoi An, I treated myself to Saigon style spring rolls, pho, rice pancakes rolled in rice paper, Vietnamese deep-fried wontons, steamed fish cooked in banana leaves, and freshly barbecued pork cooked on bamboo skewers.

In retrospect, I loved visiting Hoi An. Along with the fabulous food, Hoi An had a beach was at least 20 kilometers long, which I biked to at least twice. I was also drawn into the fashion culture in Hoi An. Hoi An also hosts the highest concentration of tailors in SE Asia. There are hundreds, if not thousands of tailors in this town. It’s impossible not to leave with something custom made. I splurged before leaving, and bought a wardrobe consisting of custom-made shirts, trousers and shoes.

The next stop after Hoi An was Mue Ne Beach. Mue Ne is located approximately 700km south of Hoi An, and runs next to the South China Sea. My visit in Mue Ne was highlighted with a 20km motorcycle ride to the white, and red sand dunes. I was amazed by the vibrant color of the sand at the sand dunes. The scenery here made for some unbelievable photographs.

Saigon is a four hour bus ride from Mue Ne Beach. Saigon exceeded my expectations. The city was clean, and very western. Socialism in Saigon seemed it was giving way to capitalism. I didn’t feel I was in socialist communist country anymore. In Saigon, I visited the famous Chu Chi Tunnels where the Vietcong hid from the Southern Vietnamese and US Army during the Vietnam War. The war remnants museum in Saigon highlighted human tragedies of the Vietnam War. The photos of the ware were very graphic and depressing. The most memorable image I have is of two human fetuses in stored formaldehyde deformed from the use of a chemical weapon called Agent Orange.

After spending a few nights in Saigon, I was ready to catch the slow boat up through the Mekong Delta to Cambodia. The trip up the Mekong River took 3 days in total. Two days were spent in Vietnam, and the last day was spent in Cambodia. The boat trip through Mekong Delta was slow, and took longer than it really should. We stopped a few times in different cities visiting a coconut candy factory, listening to live traditional Vietnamese music, and rice paper plant. I also put a python around my neck, and held a screen full of bees at one of the stops to help curb my boredom.

Strung Trang and beyond

Today is my last day in Cambodia. In a few minutes, I'll be boarding the dreaded 1hr fast boat to Laos from Strung Trang. I plan to take a few days in "the land of 4000 islands" once the boat crosses the border, then start to head north to the capital Vientiane. The land of 4000 islands is renowned for its lush scenery, and peaceful atmosphere. The land of 4000 islands lacks infrasructure needed for electricity, and cars. I doubt I will be able to blog once I get there. In summary, my visit to Cambodia was short, and sweet. My top 3 favorite things about Cambodia were: playing volleyball on the beaches of Sianoukville, Beef Loc Lok (fried beef, stauteed onions, rice served with fried egg on top), and visiting Angkor Wat. My top 3 least favorite things about Cambodia were: the bus and moto rides on undeveloped pot hole ridden dirt roads, the constant haggling with locals, and the dirty stinky capital, Phnom Penh. Its time to board the boat to Laos. Bye.

Still alive and kicking

I've been terrible at updating my blog lately! My last blog was on Feb 18th, 15 days ago. I have travelled thousands of kilometres since, escaped the grasp of a python, and find myself blogging from a totally different country, Cambodia. I'm feeling a bit guilty cutting this blog so short. I'm supposed to be somewhere in a few minutes, and I'm fighting off mosquitos - a major annoyance in SE Asia. One bite could lead to a fatal disease like malaria. I promise to settle down and add a decent blog in a few days! Bye!!!!