Xin Chào Vietnam – English

The Thursday, 25th of October, 8am, I arrive (finally) in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Vietnam has to be earned after almost 24 hours of flight and stopover! I came from the airport, my visa in my pocket, first, a climatic shock; second: demographic. I was in New Zealand (+ 4 millions people) to Vietnam, HCMC (+ 13 millions people). I discover HCMC through the bus’ window that picks me up to my backpacker. I have two days to visit this city – it will be enough for me. The first day was testing. I walk in the streets, trying to avoid the motorbikes when I cross the road (you have to be confident and go there at once). And there is the first scam. It must be said I am still not comfortable with the Dong. 1US$ = 23.221VND. Si I don’t have the same 0 in my head than my interlocutor. I am learning. Some tours, museum about American War, the Ben Thanh Market, my first Vietnamese dishes. And I am going to see a spectacle in the Opera House Ao show, awesome.

The next day, with the website Hotspot which connects students with tourists, I visit the Chinatown. The tour is in English, little bit hard for me with the vocabulary of architecture and religion. More tours in the afternoon and this bustling city wore me out.

I decide to move the next day to Can Tho. It’s still the night when I try to find a city bus to the bus station, outside of the city. As soon as I got on board in a crowded city bus – where I find a place with difficulty for my backpack and me (I trapped in the door) – they are screaming on me (it’s how they speak) “Money, money”. After that I catch a bus to Can Tho, 4 hours in a minivan, full, there were more people than seats. Barely down of the bus, have some guys followed me to book a motorcycle taxi. I try to bargain and go to my next hotel. I love motorbike taxi. Beside to be cheap, it’s fun!

I sleep two nights in a piece of paradise along the Mekong River. It’s a perfect place to be relax and riding along the Mekong. And now, I say to myself, the travel can start. People give me smiles, “Hello”; I am crossing some kids on pushbike coming back from school. They are going to refresh in the River – when I see the colour of the water, I refresh with a Saigon, a lager beer. The next day, we ship on a boat before the sunrise to go to the famous floating market – awesome!

In the afternoon, I discover the surrounding with other French by bike. Little bit hard to understand our guide, butI will have learned a lot here, about Vietnamese and their culture.

I take a seeping bus to HCMC in the evening – the first of a long series. I also learn they put the air conditioning thoroughly; you have to think of your sweater! I stay the night in HCMC, sleeping in a wood box (funny backpacker) before to take the plane the next day to Da Nang then Hoi An. I found a charming hostel (for $5 per night, very cheap) to stay two nights, it’s the minimum in Hoi An. Famous for its old city, a trading port dating from the 15^th to the 19^th century and preserve the Chinese and French influences. With a bicycle, I ride in the surroundings: Cam Kim Island, where there are more buffalos than tourists, through rice fields, schools and temples. I digress of the tourist’s crowd.

But in the evening, I can’t escape it. Because Hoi An is amazing when is dark. The lanterns along the streets and yellow walls of the ancient city make this place magical – and even if there are lot of people. I finish my evening in a bar, far away of the agitation, I am alone in the terrace. When I start to write in my dairy, a waiter, curious and come to speak to me and ask me to try one of their cold teas. He wants I give a (good) feedback on tripadvisor. During this travel, lots of hostels, shops, activities ask me the same. I don’t like this. First I don’t have time. Second, we can wonder if their kindnesses are spontaneous or calculated.

Getting back to Hoi An. My second day, there will be also nice. Always in bicycle, around the rice fields, I am going to Tra Que, a little island, famous for its gardens and the technique of the two watering cans. I feel good here, peaceful, at 7am, a lot are in the fields. I take a Vietnamese breakfast, a Mi quang. Nobody around me speak English, they laugh of me when they see me writing in my dairy and also when I am eating with sticks. I practice, they coach me. A beautiful moment. I continue my way to An Bang beach. I discover their fishing round boat. After New Caledonia, the beaches here do me appear not exceptional, especially with the dozens of deckchairs who waiting the tourists (yes, I become exigent in travelling). I am not tired of Hoi An and go back for the evening. I buy shoes because Hoi An is famous for custom-made, shoes and clothes. I eat for diner one of its specialities the Cao lầu – delicious noodles/meat/vegetables.

The next day, before to leave this character city, I visit the ancient town early in the morning. Nobody. It has even more charming.

Then, I’m going to Hué by motorbike, the old capital from 1802 to 1945. No, I didn’t set about riding (not yet). Some “easy rider” liaise between Hoi An and Hué – an beautiful road. Long Bale will be my driver. We stay the day together, almost 150 km between these two cities. Many stops: a cave, a lunch along the sea on a beach, a break in Elephant Waterfall and a Vietnamese coffee in a fishing village.

At 5pm I arrive in my hostel. It was the worst of my trip. I sleep in a wooden plank and the impression to sleep in the morning, so many noises; in addition I was sick… The next morning, still sick, I find the motivation to visit the citadel. 2h30 inside, I didn’t see everything but I have enough. I need something to stay dynamic. I have the idea: trying to ride a scooter in “the country of two wheels”. I never drive something with two wheels; it’s a real good challenge. The young Vietnamese who rent me the scooter laugh nervously when I ask how it works and when she sees me starting to ride… Once on the road, I don’t be crafty and start to be stressful between all the other scooters and motorbikes. First, I visit a pagoda and after I go outside of the city, visiting an abandoned attraction park. Here, I met Mr Dung. At the beginning, I was worry, he invite me to drink a coffee in his house. I accept, at worst, I escape with my scooter, fast. Very kind, I have a good moment. After coming back in the city, to celebrate this first time, I go to the restaurant ($2, I can afford it). I try a Hué’s speciality Banh khoai (Vietnamese crepe with prawn).

And before to go to Hanoi to meet my friend Morgane, I stop two days in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. I visit several caves which Phong Nha and Paradise Cave which doing 31.4km – two impressive caves. No pictures, you have to believe me. After that, I’m leaving by sleeping bus to Hanoi where I arrive early in the morning. Pending Morgane – Momo – I based of these ten days, rather busy … and it’s not finish.