Things I have learned in Vietnam
Okay, so May was a crazy month. In a nutshell: Sleep 0, Writing 0, Turning thirty 2 (the actual day and then the party), Vietnam and Cambodia trip 1, Sweating like crazy +400.
They say turning thirty is supposed to be a life-changing experience. Strangely, I feel kinda the same, only slightly more sleep deprived. I think that has more to do with coming home from a two week trip and realising your to-do list has more tasks on it than you have years.
I keep getting asked how I feel about the big 3-0. Um, well each year has been better than the last, so bring it on! And considering this is the year my book baby is finally born, I’m so terribly excited for 2012.
Vietnam and Cambodia were amazing places filled with amazing people. Beta Hero and I met some fantastic locals, some crazy Germans we travelled with, heaps of British backpackers and a few expats who all shared great stories.
Highlights of the trip
#1 Ha Long Bay
The highlight of the trip was definitely Ha Long Bay, which is transformed after being named a World Heritage site. We booked a trip on a traditional wooden junk, only to discover a similar looking boat painted white in imitation-cruise ship style. Our guide informed us that the government has decided all boats must be painted white – to attract tourism to the area, and create that ‘cruise' style. Kinda disappointing, because they looked beautiful before.
The cruise took us to a part of Ha Long Bay where all the other boats don't go. This is a good thing, as we could see roughly six hundred other boats heading off in the opposite direction. Starting with an eight-course lunch (BH was in heaven, as it was all seafood), we traversed the numerous limestone islands that make up the bay.
The day of my birthday was the real treat, as we got to kayak around the islands and ended up having a dinner in a cave halfway up one of the islands. I was expecting a small cave and a bbq, but the staff put on a five course meal, complete with these amazing sculptures carved out of food and candles hidden all through the cave.
Highlight #2
We also took a day trip to Tam Coc from Hanoi, which is ‘Ha Long Bay on land'. A lovely Vietnamese woman rowed us up a river using her feet, beneath three enormous caves that spanned the river.
Highlight #3 Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Anyone planning to travel to South-East Asia should definitely check out Angkor Wat. One of the seven man-made wonders of the world, it's an ancient Hindu temple that was lost to the jungle for years until the early 1900's.
The surrounding area is home to many temples, which I recommend visiting. You may recognise the one below from the Tomb Raider movie.
Or Ta Prohm below which is home to three enormous temple systems. Pack your walking shoes, a hat, four litres of water and sunscreen.
#10ThingsIhavelearnedfromVietnam
1 – There is no limit to how many people can fit on a scooter. The scooter is the Vietnamese version of the family sedan.
*Note: This also applies to how many other things will fit on a scooter etc. a calf in a crate, two pigs, fourteen bags of fertiliser (yes, I counted), unlimited boxes, a cage crammed full of cats…
2- Don't try to out-barter a local. Beta Hero got conned by a three year old girl into buying postcards off her if she could beat him in noughts-and-crosses. She smashed him in three moves and held her hand out whilst I laughed. Pay up, sir.
3 – There is nothing that cannot be eaten. Nothing.
4 – I will never complain about heat again. Or sweating.
And no, I didn't try…
5 – Put enough chilli in a dish and even the air above it can make your throat close over.
6 – There only has to be one road rule – give way to everything else. Surprisingly it works.
7 – When crossing a road, don’t stop. Just close your eyes and walk slowly. See above rule.
8 – Those little old ladies with sticks across their shoulders and panniers hanging from them are amazingly strong. Those things are heavy!
9 – Happy Hour starts at 7am and finishes at 12am in some places.
10– Sometimes people with very little in the way of material belongings have much in the way of happiness.
