Go with Brian

Author: Grey Gap Year

  • Around Hoi An

    Skipped the buffet breakfast and headed out to get an early start as it was forecast for 32 degrees. As it was it was already 28 at 8am.

    Found Phi Banh Mi and had a sandwich there, It is all they do. Less than a pound for sandwich and a drink. Had the traditional vietnamese, it was awesome. Grilled pork, pork pate, veg, herbs and a chilli jam. The chilli is fiery but doesn’t linger long and adds an extra dimension. The baguettes are made from rice flour, really crisp on the outside. Light and fluffy on the inside. Most expensive is the special, just over a quid. The van ain’t ever going to be the same. It is a small traditional stall and shop house. Good food and cool music from the tv. Early so not many people around. Larue beer on the menu at less than 50p a bottle, had some last night and it is actually quite good. Had a Bud like flavour to me.

    Some more snaps from the walk.

    Fresh beer will be the local draught brew, 4000 is about 14 p. Expect that is for 1/2 pint, bit early in the day for me but will try and check what u get some other time.

    Went along the back streets, no tourists in sight. Not much to see other than locals going about their daily lives. Did pass a place set up for a local wedding, ideal for Manda I reckon. Expect could get the reception all in for £200. Was About 09:30; few guests already sat down drinking. Looked good inside, didn’t want to upset anybody so didn’t gatecrash.

    Hoi An is a preserved ancient town, very scenic. Lots of people come to see the old covered Japanese bridge.

    It was already crowded at 10 am so didn’t bother going inside.

    There was a couple having their wedding photos done.

    Hazarding a guess that this is a school.

    Iced black coffee for a boost to get me back to the hotel, 81p. Was nearly 3 pounds at Hollys place in Bangkok.

    The liquid in the small glass is weak green tea, it comes free with any order at some cafes. It is not really to my taste but Vietnamese Coffee is very strong and bitter, they usually load it with sugar. Sipping the tea helps clear the bitter aftertaste.

    The sign is from a restaurant near the hotel, they get glowing reviews on trip adviser etc. Ate there on the first night and thought it was only so so. I had squid with ginger and chilli and not that impressed. Beer was cheap, but so is everywhere else. I liked the sign though, get as a fart pissed indeed.

    Born to wear khaki. Once a soldier, always a soldier although I would probably get called out for the jaunty angle of my hat.

  • Emerald Waters hotel

    Was going to split a week between Danang and Hoi An but decided just to stay in Hoi An, not actually fully unpacked the backpack since I came on hols as only stayed a couple of days in each place.

    Picked up this place on Expedia for half price, paying about £23per night. Nice place with a pool.

    First place I have come across where earplugs are included.

    The reason being there is construction on both sides of the hotel, although the only time I have noticed noise is when I have been at the pool. Must be disappointing for those in the more expensive poolside rooms, ok in the cheap ones 😴

    Big balcony but nothing to view.

    Next door dry peanuts on the roof each day, at least I think they are peanuts. I could jump over the balcony to double check.

    The pool gets sun most of the day even with the building going up. This was taken about 8 am which is why it looks shady but by 10 am the sun is shining on the pool.

    A few pics of the flight from Hanoi to Danang.

  • Wish someone will pimp my ride

    Have to say goodbye to my wheels today, it has wobbly steering, no gears, dodgy brakes and rattles a lot. But I will miss it, it took me a lot of miles over the last few days.

    Few more snaps, this is the entrance to Linh Coc pagoda. I thought it was someone’s house and had just stopped for a swig of water. A couple of locals were coming out and told me there is a cave that I can visit. Went in and a nun there gave me a banana and then charged me 20000 dong to go and visit the cave. About 60 p or so.

    The entrance was up a steep flight of steps cut into the side of the mountain. The nun was tiny and raced up like a greyhound with me huffing and puffing behind. Inside the cave itself it was very slippy underfoot and on the walls from rain water seeping down. The nun was zipping about gabbling away in Vietnamese trying to explain what i was looking at. Meanwhile I had no idea what was going on and was continually banging my head and falling down.In a few places had to get on my hands and knees to get through while she was just bending over slightly. Every time i tried to take a photo she would shine her torch on the statue and the bounce back from my flash would obscure the features. So cannot actually describe what the pictures are !!

    Would like to say it was fun but it wasn’t, it was an experience though. Mainly a place for locals with very few western tourists visiting here.

    Spat me out at the other side of the mountain with a few bumps and grazes while the nun went back to the pagoda through the caves.

    At the airport now waiting my ride to the next stop, Hoi An.

  • You have got to be Kidding

    Sorry, just could not resist. A few snaps of the days wander.

    Goat is popular around here and tends to be the most expensive item on the menu. They have varied and interesting ways to spell goat, seen it as goad, goar and roat like this one. 80,000 is about £2.58. Most dishes go for between 97p and £1.29. Bottle of Hanoi beer for 65p.

    Had some fresh spring rolls at lunch, these are so good. Noodles, lettuce, cucumber, mixed herbs, peppers and prawns. This is actually a starter portion and was too filling but only a quid.

    Baby sitter has got it together.

    Boat ride goes along the river and then through the caves in the mountains. Takes 2-3 hours but didn’t fancy being stuck on the boat that long so gave it a miss. They row the boat with their feet to save energy.

    Finally got a new hat.

    Mango and passion fruit smoothie to cool down.

  • Another day, another room

    Got the bus a couple of hours south to place called Tam Coc, think it is a public holiday in Vietnam as there are tons of people about. Hotel is a few km from the main part of Tam Coc so will need to hire a bike to get further afield. Room is cheap but food prices in the hotel are expensive by Vietnamese standards. Hotel itself is quiet and has views of the mountains. No tv either..

    Had a quick walk around the local area. Bich Dong Pagoda is only 200 m away, the film Indochine was filmed here. It is on 3 levels up the mountain and was busy so will try when it is quieter. It is a tour group hotspot. Many coach trips from Hanoi go here and to Tam Coc for a boat ride. Very scenic place and expect very tranquil when all the tour buses depart. King Kong Skull Island was filmed not far away. Also lots of scruffy backpackers around as it is on the must do list.

  • Egg Coffee and donut lady scammed me

    Had a walk around but didn’t go too far. Took a few snaps along the way. The temperature is a few degrees cooler than Bangkok but still humid, overcast all day.

    The cathedral seems a popular spot for people to come for photos, these seems to be college students celebrating graduation I think. They are all in traditional costumes, there were also a some young couples having their wedding photos here. Looks like my camera lens has some mist spots, probably condensation from walking around in the humidity of Bangkok.

    To prove i was actually here and because I know all the team miss my face.

    Stopped off at a little cafe for a drink, there doesn’t seem to be an allowance made for non smokers. At least it is open air. A couple of guys in orange turned up and started laying cable in the road. No health and safety and the traffic just flowed around them, expect in the UK all roads for miles around would be closed making people late for work.

    This lady accosted me to buy some donuts, which I was happy to do. Nice smile but she is deadly, avoid.

    Although i am wise to scams in Asia she still managed to swindle a couple of quid out of me 🙂 with the old have no change trick. You can teach old dogs new tricks, she wouldn’t take the donuts back as already sold !! No consumer rights, so ended up with more donuts than I needed and paid way too much….

    Few more snaps along the way.

    Primary use of pavements is to park motorbikes it seems.

    The Vietnamese love their coffee and there are lots of small coffee shops selling all different types of coffee beans, including weasel. Though may not be genuine. How do they get coffee from Weasels ? Google it.

    Ended up at the Note cafe for an Egg Coffee and Banh Mi sandwich with spicy pork. Didn’t take a photo of the sandwich as it didn’t look like the ones on google and i have seen better at street stalls. Tasted ok though… Egg Coffee sounds weird but is really good, it is made with whipped egg yolk as a substitute for milk. Kind of a liquid dessert. Not sure of the full story of how it came about but seems to have originated in the 40s when there was a shortage of milk.

    The Note cafe has 3 or 4 floors all with small rooms covered in post it notes from visitors. Strange but unique concept. There are small cubby hole balconys looking over the lake but didn’t try them out. Looks like i might fit in but may get stuck getting out.

    Few more pics from walking around, they close the roads around the lake from Friday evening to Monday morning so it gets full of familys and tourists enjoying a traffic free environment. At night there are bands, singers, groups of dancers, entertainers, food stalls and thousands of people.

    Early start tomorrow so going to find a pub to watch the F1 and then early night.

  • Hanoi

    Started raining as I left the hotel on Saturday and didn’t let up until I got to Hanoi. The motorway to the airport was jam packed so thinking the rain had been the cause of an accident or two. The driver eventually left the motorway and went through the suburbs for the last 5km. Take well over an hour in total. Way too long for 9am on Saturday morning. Check in system was down at the airport so that added to the delays.

    Immigration at Hanoi was a breeze , no forms to fill in as visa exempt for 15 days. At first glance Vietnam is very different to Thailand, even the trees look different. Lots of traffic but not as dense as Bangkok. Biggest difference is that everybody in Vietnam seems to have their own set of road rules !! There were people cutting across three lanes of traffic to do u turns, motor bikes going the wrong way and using the pavement and lots of horn blowing. Manic but seems to work.

    Didn’t do much on Saturday as feeling drained from walking in the Bangkok heat. Staying at the Hanoi Pearl hotel, nice place, staff all very friendly and polite and keen to practice English.

    Beer is very cheap, even in the mini bar at the hotel. Can of local beer is half the cost of a bottle of Evian. 25000 is about 80 pence.In local bars beer is anywhere from between 20 pence to 50 pence.

    This is 3 million viet dong, about £96. Should last a few days.

    Room is nice and supposed to have a balcony but it is not a balcony !! It is actually an internal space between walls, weird, but as it is the back of the hotel it is very quiet.

    The bathroom is one of those with a window to the bed space…. not really understanding that.

  • Lumpini Park and Hollys expensive tea

    Quite a good choice at the breakfast buffet, something for everyone. Asian, Western, Middle Eastern and Indian.

    Had pork and shrimp congee and a freshly cooked omelet. The green stuff is Guava juice. Black stuff is coffee.

    Had a swim after breakfast and then headed out for a walk to Lumpini Park, about 2 miles away but ended up walking around for about 6 miles. Which is ok in UK, but in 28 degrees and humid Bangkok it is a bit draining. Big red face and buckets of sweat,,, nice. The park is surrounded on all sides by really busy roads but once inside there is no traffic noise and is a good place to spend some time. Lots of people exercise here in the mornings and evenings, and there are always bike clubs racing around the perimeter tracks. There is an outdoor food court for cheap eats, although not sure what time it starts. Was closed at mid day except for places to get a drink and snacks.

    Not many big lizards around today, saw this one and one in the bushes I got a vid of which was a bit bigger, waited a while but it wouldn’t come out. Can’t transfer video from the camera to the tablet though. The park was getting a bit overrun with lizards, so a few years ago the authorities set out to thin them out by catching some and taking to a lizard rest home somewhere. Or to get eaten, whichever ending you like best. Plenty of little turtles about.

    Can’t argue with that.

    It was hitting 30 degrees when I decided to head back so got the underground to get back to the hotel area. Cost 23 baht which is about 55 pence. There are always plenty of taxis about and they are cheap compared to UK but the metro , sky train and the river/canal boats are the best way to get around Bangkok, they are cheaper, quick and you don’t get stuck in traffic.

    10 minute walk at the other end so stopped off at Hollys Coffee shop to cool down. Peppermint iced tea and coconut cake. Bit expensive for what it is, £6 with tax and service charge. I know it is the city centre but Holly you need to adjust the prices.

  • Bangkok baby

    Arrived 30 mins early, off the plane, through immigration and into a taxi within 30 mins.. bingo. Until Bangkok traffic ground to a halt, got caught in a tailback so lost all the time the plane had made up.

    Didn’t need the van today, had some fried rice at a pub up the road from the hotel.

    Grabbed a bit of melon on the way back to the hotel.

    Got to love Bangkok, you can eat for 24 hours a day, never eat the same thing twice and never get bored.

  • All Change

    After much reading, viewing videos, jotting down itineraries, crossing out itineraries and starting again I have decided against the initial trip route and am now looking at something totally different. Problem with a place like Vietnam is that every time you come across a place name and research it, it always looks even better than what you looked at previously.

    So what have I come up with ? A flight into Hanoi and two nights in a hotel so far.

    Sapa looks tempting for me, hiking being my preferred leisure pursuit, but the time it takes to get there and back will probably weigh against it in my final plan. I need longer in country to make that feasible really given that I intend to bed down at a beach resort for 6 or 7 days to chill and generally rest up. A longer trip to Vietnam looks like it will be on the cards for sometime in the future.

    So now it is a North/Central trip rather than a South trip.

    Probably along the lines of

    Cat Ba

    Ninh Binh

    Hue

    Danang/Hoi An.

    Did look briefly at Halong Bay but get the impression it is likely to be over run with tours so Cat Ba Island probably suits me better and to do trip from there from the south of the bay rather than the crowded north bay. Or miss that part entirely and just head to Ninh Binh which has same type of scenery but on land rather that at sea. Being an ex soldier rather than an ex sailor, keeping my feet on dry land seems better to me.

    Perhaps I will overnight on a train but to save a bit of time may just go back to Hanoi from Ninh Binh area and fly to Danang.

    Hue being doable as a day trip/overnight from Danang.

    We will see.