Vietnam

Since I will be teaching courses for teachers during the summer, I was able to take my break a bit early.  This time I set out for Vietnam.  It was absolutely amazing and was a great vacation to end on!

My first day was spent on a city tour of  Hanoi.   Before lunch,   I  made it to the Temple of Literature (Vietnam's first university) and the Ethnology Museum.  After my traditional Vietnamese lunch, I visited the Ho Chi Minh complex which included the Mausoleum, his house, and a replica of his house on stilts.  Nearby, there was also a pagoda to visit.  I then had time to take a cyclo-tour of the city and see a traditional water puppet show.  After dinner, I got on a night train to Lao Cai then went to Sapa.

I was most amazed by the traffic in Hanoi.  Zillions of motorbikes buzzing through the streets.  It appears as though there are very few traffic laws.  As a pedestrian, they don't stop for you.  Instead, you literally step out into the traffic and they all go around you.  It's the strangest feeling.  Also interesting was the cyclo-tour...intersections have never looked so frightening.

Days 2 & 3 were spent in Sapa.  This is  a traditional farming area in the northernmost part of Vietnam...very close to China.  There are many villages with different tribes.  My tour guide took me to see 4of these villages while we trekked through the rice paddies. 

This was a pretty amazing place.  The people plow their fields with the help of buffalo, they plant their crops and harvest by hand, they make their own clothes, and they live in very simple homes.  It's like taking a step back in time.  Many of the ladies make hand crafts and try to sell them to you on the streets.  I wish they hadn't been so pushy, but it still added to the overall experience.

Days 3 & 4 were at Halong Bay.  Here, I boarded a junk boat and we sailed through the limestone monoliths and karst topography.  I had an opportunity to explore a cave, kayak, hike and swim.  In the evening, the crew on the boat gave us a short Vietnamese cooking demonstration.  The cabins on the boat were extremely nice and it had the best bed that I've slept on in months!  The next morning, we cruised through more of the bay, then had lunch before heading back to Hanoi.

Day 6 took me to the Ninh Binh Province, about 2 hours from Hanoi.  My first stop was Hoa Lu, the first capital of Vietnam, and we visited 2 temples.  (In Vietnam, temples are dedicated to certain people, whereas pagodas are dedicated to Buddha.)  These temples were for the kings that ruled in the 10th century and chose Hoa Lu as the capital...King Dinh and King Le.  After seeing the temples, I went to Tam Coc where I took a boat ride down the Ngo Dong River.  Tam Coc means "three caves" and I was able to go through all 3 of them during the 2 hour boat ride in the rain.  This was my favorite part of the trip.  The last stop was the Bich Dong Pagoda.  There was a wonderful view from the top.

Here's a video from the river ride.  So awesome!

Days 7 & 8 were spent in Hanoi and  I used the time to wander around the city and relax.  After 6 full days of tours, I needed a little R&R before heading back to Korea.   Great trip!  ...and the free upgrade to 1st class on the flight home was the icing on the cake!