Last Days of Vietnam

We had thought that 2 weeks in Vietnam would be sufficient, but it's required us to spend a LOT of time physically traveling from one place to another. Despite the sore muscles (particularly in the behind area), it's been a good trip.

From HCMC/Saigon, we went to Mui Ne, a little beach town.

From Mui Ne, we went to Da Lat, a beautiful mountain town (a nightmare to get to with winding roads and crazy bumps) where we saw a lake and waterfall (after an alpine slide ride down) and DELICIOUS food.

From Da Lat, we went to Nha Trang, a large beach town with a beautiful ocean view. We did some some sea kayaking there. Kayaking in the South China Sea in the rain was rather fun...especially when kayaking to an island!

From Nha Trang, we took a train to Da Nang and then a bus to Hoi An. Hoi An is a small place that's famous for it's tailor-made clothing and a couple of good dishes (loved "White Rose", meat in rice paper that's twirled to look like flowers and then dipped in fish sauce). We did a day trip to some ruins at My Son ("me-son" meaning beautiful mountain). Most of it was literally in ruin after the Vietnam war bombings though.

From Hoi An, we took a bus to Da Nang and then a train to Hanoi (where we currently are). The train ride, while long, had some pretty scenery. The stretch from Da Nang to Hue has the most beautiful train scenery I've ever seen. It has almost everything: mountains, rivers, jungle, the sea, HUGE boulders, stretches of beach, hills of uninhibited land.

Currently, we're in Hanoi. We're planning on taking a boat trip to Halong Bay tomorrow and the next day. After that: CHINA!

This is a rushed entry; and again, an entry without pictures (boo). But, it's time to head toward the nearby lake in Hanoi and do what M & I do best: walk aimlessly about, discovering delicious places to eat :)