Arrived Hue about 3pm waited for luggage and negotiated a taxi for 200,000VND, the first one wanted 250,000VND, then 225,000VND but I was only prepared to pay 200,000VND as the 2012 guide had said 175,000VND. Arrived at Queens hotel 2 which is really the Alba hotel...
Big room with kingsize bed, sofa and for the first time a bath! WiFi reasonable so sync time again.
Out for a walk and dinner, no an easy place to navigate...
Dinner on Hung Vuong in the Hung Vuong Inn. Fried rice with chicken, I can see this be my stable diet... and two local (450ml) beers Huda chail - 12,000VND each. The final bill was 69,000VND plus I left 7,000VND tip about £2.20 - and that is so cheap!
Back to the hotel and a night cap from the minibar a can of Huda Beer for 15,000 VND or 44p....
Wednesday 12th Feb
Would have been married 37 years but only managed 31 years, still a good stint and lots of good memories, naturally a few not so good.
Up for breakfast, I asked for scrambled eggs but got an omelette was OK though. Back to synching tech but Photo Stream is just takes too long! So I have now turned it off, it only has the last 30 days (technically) but the photos are on the HD so I have it in at least two places. I might sync with my iPod and see if that could be a could backup. Eventually out for a walk and then back to the Mandarin Cafe run by Mr Cu an enthusiastic photographer, his pictures grace the walls. Vietnamese spring rolls (shrimps) and a couple of Huda beers, 81,000VND and 420,000 change from a 500,000VND note.
 |
| Fresh Fruit |
 |
| Start of their rush hour, well it's a constant stream all day... |
 |
| The house that Ho Chi Minh was raised up in |
 |
| He lived here for the first 6 years of his life |
 |
| Leftover reminder of the War... |
Out for dinner back to the Mandarine Cafe for Chicken Pho and a couple of beers. The thing I now realise is that the Vietnamese like the Chinese use all bits of the chicken and that's not necessary nice for us Westerners. I ate as much as I could, although there were a lot of noodles. I was last to leave just before 9pm. Mr Cu came over and spoke to me, pointing out his photographic hobby. Final bill was 70,000VND about £2!! I certainly pushed the boat out there.
Thursday 13th Feb
Breakfast about 8:15 but this morning it was like an A La Carte option with 6 set menus. I chose the one with a mixed vegetable omelette and it also had Chicken Pho and again like last night not the nicest part of the chicken.
On my way back I organised the bus for my trip to Hoi An tomorrow, it will pick me up from the hotel at 8am! So an early start is required.
As it was raining, I took the opportunity to update my blog, etc. Time flew and it was already 1pm and still raining, so I booked up my hotel in Hoi An, my flight from De Nang to HoChiMinh, my hotel in HoChiMinh my flight and hotel in Siem Reap and my flight back to Bangkok and that took another 2/3 hours. Them I was trying to organise my Photography tour in Cambodia but they wanted paying up front and that cost more money as they wanted a bank transfer using SWIFT. Hence in the end I booked my hotel separate and will meet and pay when I arrive, I can get $USD out of the ATMs in Cambodia, so I will try both cahoot and Nationwide when I'm there!
Out for dinner, still it was raining but I headed back to the Hung Vuong Inn and had the fried rice with chicken, the good bits, and a couple of Huda beers for 69,000VND just under £2.
In terms of inclement weather, I believe that March may be a better time to visit Vietnam! but what happens happens…
Friday 14th Feb
Its Valentines Day! Up early for breakfast, back to a buffet as I'm not the only one staying here anymore.
Packed, checked out and waited for the Bus. The girl on reception said it would be the big bus, but what came was a minivan to take me to where the big bus picks up people!
On the bus at 8:30am and off to Hoi An. The bus sleeps 41 people and has an upper and lower deck, weird looking seats, I will update the photo as it's a little dark.
 |
| The Sleeper Bus |
Another hour and a bit and we arrived in Hoi An, where all these guys wanted to take you to your hotel on motorbikes/scooters ŵbut I wanted some food and drink and headed off much to their dismay!
Shrimp spring rolls, a lot smaller than I'm used to and a couple of beers for 85,000VND.
Walked to hotel only 5 mins away, they make you very welcome. Room a little smaller than the last one but the bed was decorated for Valentines Day. It reminded me of Thailand!
I was bushed so had forty winks. Then out to the old city where it all seems to happen. Street market, street food, arty galleries, cafés, bars and restaurants, etc. I changed up $100SGD that I had from my last trip to Singapore, they'd been burning a hole in my pocket. I got 1,645,000 VND that should keep me going for a while.
After an hours plus walk I was feeling hungry so I found a little local cafe/restaurant and had a local beer and stir fried chicken and cashew nuts for 90,000VND.
Back to hotel, on the way bought a big box of chocolate cookies for 25,000VND - they just love to rip you off!!
Saturday 15th Feb
Wow! What a bloody commotion from 5am the local info blaring out for the next hour! And the bloody cockerel's doing their cock a doodle f**king do non stop.
So awake from 6am had a coffee and then showered and breakfast. Weather not good today, typical!
Went for a walk, as it looked like all the bikes were gone, must check for tomorrow.
 |
| A rather bust Saturday morning in town! |
Back to hotel but room hadn't been done, so I went and sat by the pool for an hour or so. Then back to town Can Cafe for a spring roll snack (shrimps) this portion was 6! They didn't last long... And maybe a few beers, need you ask.
To Before and Now as recommended by LP but it's not as busy as you'd think, especially if you're eating (upstairs). Quite weird really as it was Saturday night!! But hey, guess it might get better later. Had Chicken fried rice Vietnamese style, I like this, and a beer 100,000VND. Went downstairs for 30/45 mins for one beer. Back to hotel, bought a couple of cans of beer for 30,000VND.
Sunday 16th Feb.
The cockerel started at 5:30am on the dot, had a domino effect on the others but seem to shut up after that. No local news so I was awoken by my 8:00am alarm.
Breakfast, then out in search of a cycle to go to the beach 4km. It cost 20,000VND for the day, no deposit just my name, hotel and room number. Got to the beach but as I'm not really a beach person I turned right and went down to Cua Bai the fishing village cycled down the backstreets, if you can call then streets, took some photos and stopped in a local bar for just one beer!
 |
| The view while drinking a well earned Beer! |
Then had a little cycle around the island on the other side of the river and then out to the paddy fields before returning the bike and having a beer.
 |
| The local river bus service, they do pack them on... |
 |
| Dinner at the Bees Knees |
Tomorrow I'm off to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon until 1976!)
More news and pictures as and when...
Phileas
No comments:
Post a Comment