Well this is it, my final blog entry from Vietnam, but I hope to have many more entries from travels in the future. We're already talking about next summer's adventure, perhaps a motorcycle ride to Alaska...we'll see. At any rate, this is our last night in Vietnam. We are back in Ho Chi Minh City after a whirlwind trip to Hanoi. I really did not care much for Hanoi especially after the bed bug incident but a two night trip through Halong Bay, one night on a Junk ship and one night on a private island called Monkey Island made the trip very much worth the trouble.
I did not know what to expect from our boat expedition, I had heard mixed reviews from those who had done it, but I was beyond pleasantly surprised, I was floored. The boat was beautiful, our room was comfortable, the food was amazing, and Halong Bay was mystical and gorgeous. We were taken out to the bay and then allowed to kayak around for an hour or so. We were then taken to an incredible and gigantic limestone cave where we explored for a while, and from there we went back to the boat for some swimming, diving, relaxing and eating. The food was almost the best part, these people fed us like royalty, bringing out dish after dish of delicious cusisine. We were only planning to do the one night trip, but we were enjoying ourselves so immensly that we decided to continue on for a second day on the Monkey Island for a whopping $40 more per person. Did I mention how cheap this place is? On our way to the island we stopped for a 2 hour uphill hike/climb into the jungle, where we topped off at a look-out point that included a giant iron tower to climb up on. I'm sure that the view from the tower was incredible, but I was not brave enough to climb up it after experiencing the rickety, corroding ladders that we got to climb on the way up to the look-out point. At the top we were not only met with an incredible view of the landscape but also of one of our fellow hikers. An extremely confident german man who I had failed to notice previously had somehow lost his pants and was hiking in a black speedo with his button up tee tucked in, a back pack, and combat boots. I am not kidding. Ray has pictures posted on his blog, you should definitely take a peek, we had to be pretty sly about getting the shots, but I'm so glad we did, proof was required. That excitement aside, the hike was exhilirating and the following day and night were spent relaxing on the island, sunbathing and swimming. Oh yeah, and we also looked at some demon monkeys. The island is aptly named because it is inhabited by some Langurs who live on the other side of the island, thank God. The troop of monkeys who live there are known for being incredibly aggressive. According to The Lonely Planet, "Many tourists have been bitten." We hiked over to see them, although I kept trying to talk Ray out of it, and once we got over there, I hung waaay back. Ray got right up close and got some great shots of them, but the human/monkey interaction was pretty appalling, I get why they bite. They were completely surrounded by a mass of people who were teasing them with food and making them jump up for it, as well as throwing it at them. I saw one monkey flinch several times as people chucked handfuls of fruit at his face. I was steaming and had a strong urge to start throwing food at these people's faces. Jerks. So it was not surprising when one monkey jumped at one of the worst teasers and took a chunk out of his leg. So, as I said, I understand why they are aggressive, I would be too. But with all of the sympathy I felt, I still had no desire to get close. Aside from that, the island was awesome.
We spent one last night in Hanoi and then flew back to Ho Chi Minh this morning. Strange how this crazy city has begun to feel like home. It's our third time back here and I think that the little bit of familiarity we have as a result of the time spent here has bred some comfort. I don't feel ready to leave. I feel as though I have just gotten my bearings in this country and I want to spend more time developing the little understanding I am beggining to have. I want to learn the language...at least enough to be able to read the giant propaganda billboards. And I want to try more food, there's so much I didn't eat. I miss home, I miss friends, animals,work, and Olympia so I am looking forward to coming home, but I also know that I could keep traveling for several more months if time, money, and opportunity allowed. I am not done with Vietnam, and I really want to see more of South East Asia, next time it will be Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and China as well.
Thanks to everyone who kept up with the blog, I loved reading your comments and knowing that you were with me on this journey. I look forward to seeing all of you soon.
Love,
Heather
I did not know what to expect from our boat expedition, I had heard mixed reviews from those who had done it, but I was beyond pleasantly surprised, I was floored. The boat was beautiful, our room was comfortable, the food was amazing, and Halong Bay was mystical and gorgeous. We were taken out to the bay and then allowed to kayak around for an hour or so. We were then taken to an incredible and gigantic limestone cave where we explored for a while, and from there we went back to the boat for some swimming, diving, relaxing and eating. The food was almost the best part, these people fed us like royalty, bringing out dish after dish of delicious cusisine. We were only planning to do the one night trip, but we were enjoying ourselves so immensly that we decided to continue on for a second day on the Monkey Island for a whopping $40 more per person. Did I mention how cheap this place is? On our way to the island we stopped for a 2 hour uphill hike/climb into the jungle, where we topped off at a look-out point that included a giant iron tower to climb up on. I'm sure that the view from the tower was incredible, but I was not brave enough to climb up it after experiencing the rickety, corroding ladders that we got to climb on the way up to the look-out point. At the top we were not only met with an incredible view of the landscape but also of one of our fellow hikers. An extremely confident german man who I had failed to notice previously had somehow lost his pants and was hiking in a black speedo with his button up tee tucked in, a back pack, and combat boots. I am not kidding. Ray has pictures posted on his blog, you should definitely take a peek, we had to be pretty sly about getting the shots, but I'm so glad we did, proof was required. That excitement aside, the hike was exhilirating and the following day and night were spent relaxing on the island, sunbathing and swimming. Oh yeah, and we also looked at some demon monkeys. The island is aptly named because it is inhabited by some Langurs who live on the other side of the island, thank God. The troop of monkeys who live there are known for being incredibly aggressive. According to The Lonely Planet, "Many tourists have been bitten." We hiked over to see them, although I kept trying to talk Ray out of it, and once we got over there, I hung waaay back. Ray got right up close and got some great shots of them, but the human/monkey interaction was pretty appalling, I get why they bite. They were completely surrounded by a mass of people who were teasing them with food and making them jump up for it, as well as throwing it at them. I saw one monkey flinch several times as people chucked handfuls of fruit at his face. I was steaming and had a strong urge to start throwing food at these people's faces. Jerks. So it was not surprising when one monkey jumped at one of the worst teasers and took a chunk out of his leg. So, as I said, I understand why they are aggressive, I would be too. But with all of the sympathy I felt, I still had no desire to get close. Aside from that, the island was awesome.
We spent one last night in Hanoi and then flew back to Ho Chi Minh this morning. Strange how this crazy city has begun to feel like home. It's our third time back here and I think that the little bit of familiarity we have as a result of the time spent here has bred some comfort. I don't feel ready to leave. I feel as though I have just gotten my bearings in this country and I want to spend more time developing the little understanding I am beggining to have. I want to learn the language...at least enough to be able to read the giant propaganda billboards. And I want to try more food, there's so much I didn't eat. I miss home, I miss friends, animals,work, and Olympia so I am looking forward to coming home, but I also know that I could keep traveling for several more months if time, money, and opportunity allowed. I am not done with Vietnam, and I really want to see more of South East Asia, next time it will be Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and China as well.
Thanks to everyone who kept up with the blog, I loved reading your comments and knowing that you were with me on this journey. I look forward to seeing all of you soon.
Love,
Heather
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI love picture #7 - you look so content and peaceful. :) It's beautiful there. The monkeys are so cute. I don't blame them for being aggressive, either. I can't wait to see you! Have a good and safe trip home!
~Krystal