Mar 2007

Up very early this morning as Jackie insisted the family visit yet another World Heritage Site- the Champa Ruins at 'My Son' or "my boy" as Matt kept calling them. They are basically a collection of tumble down ruins from the 4th century. Matthew said they were boring and Emma reckoned they were a waste of time. The children all had more fun making funny statue heads, watching the marching ants and trying to catch one of the beautiful and huge butterflys. My Son (not Matthew; My Son, the place, silly - Ed.) is up in the sub tropical jungle with great noises all around and very steamy.

We spent the afternoon trying on funny hats in the market - and finally succumbing to the ultimate tourist cliche of buying a conical hat.

Once again the highlight of the day was the interaction with the Vietnamese themselves. We had a lovely lunch overlooking the river and one by one each of the waitresses came upstairs, collected a bundle of cushions and lay down in the middle of the restaurant and fell aleep!! David and I would have liked to have done the same but no chance!

They were all admiring the childrens pale skin and told me that when they are pregnant, they drink lots of coconut milk to try and have a pale skin baby.

We are now trying to work out what the Vietnamese tooth fairy would consider a fair exchange rate as Matts tooth has just fallen out. The lady over the road tried to tell me something about putting the tooth on the roof- but I am not sure I qute understood her! David's up there now and I am a bit worried about him as it is dark and we are in a 4-storey building

We love it in Hoi An. It is very relaxed and laid back. The buildings are old, the streets are atmospheric and the people are kind and helpful. We have really slowed down and started to get into the Vietnamese way of life (lots of hanging around!). Any minute you expect Clint Eastwood to ride down the street on horseback. We went to the bank today and it was just like something out of a Western - a man sitting in a room behind some iron bars, with all the money in a wooden box in a drawer by his side. Jackie got very nervous because there was a man behaving suspiciously behind us as we cashed in twice his average annual earnings.

(Lots more pics of your daughter this time, as requested, John and Sue)

Yesterday we got up early to avoid the heat and set off on our bikes to Cua Dai Beach about 3 miles away. This is where all the European sun-worshippers go - a strip of white, palm-fringed beach stretching as far as the eye can see. 'Banana boats' chugged slowly by and a man tried (and failed) to singlehandedly catch some fish only yards from the beach. We messed around here for a while and then cycled back for breakfast.

We stopped on the way to drink from a fresh coconut...

Today Matt, Jackie and David all got up early (the girls didn't fancy it!) and went to the market. Fantastic. Suddenly us tourists played second fiddle for a change. Women pushed past us to get the best fish and shellfish coming off the boat, vegetables were arriving from the fields - people were huddled around their pots and having breakfast - it was an amazing hubub!

Matt was intrigued by the small shark on one of the stands and in awe of the huge knives for sale (and in use). Health and Safety is certainly not an issue here. We also found out why so many of the old women we have seen have disgusting black teeth - they chew beetle juice, with a bit of banana leaf and some clam shell paste - all for sale at one of the stalls in the market, but we declined to try it!

Laura, I tried to lose Jackie to make this blog a bit more exciting but she managed to find her way back to the hotel!

We stopped at a market stall and sampled some delicious 'Banh Khoai' (egg and rice flour crepes stuffed with shrimp, pork and beansprouts - a local speciality) straight from the the frying pan. Even Matt liked it.

Later this morning we went to our Vietnamese Master Chef class - just the five of us in a waterfront restaurant, cooking a classic Hoi An three course meal of Hoi An Spring Rolls, Sweet and Sour Fried Wanton, Barbequed Fish in Banana leaves and Stir- Fried Squid.

We all did everything - from cutting up the vegetables to slicing open the fresh Mackerel and stuffing it. Matt and Livvy had to bash up garlic, lemon grass and ginger in a pestle and mortar on the floor and Emma had to squeeze Kumquats. It was a great hands- on experience preparing and cooking it.

Then we ate it all in the front of the restaurant, overlooking the river. Olivia said it was the best meal she has ever tasted - and everyone had some squid! We are at last ALL starting to eat Vietnamese.

Then after a busy afternoon doing absolutely nothing, we popped out for a pre dinner drink!

We all rose early this morning, hired bicycles (1 GBP for all three, no insurance, no deposits) and cycled out into the countryside to try and find the 'real Vietnam'. We discovered lovely friendly people, serene countryside, some wildlife... and black teeth!

Then back home for a late breakfast and a swim in the Hotel pool (good move to get a hotel with a pool, it keeps the kids occupied for hours!).

Emma in heaven when the three 'girls' went for a pedicure at a local Nail Bar - a stark contrast to this morning.

On our 'contrast' theme which is constantly popping up during our travels, here is a photo of the view behind Jackie as she sits at the pool...

...and here is the view in front of Jackie as David orders a book off Amazon for Matthew to be delivered to Whale Island, our next stop, 12 hrs south of here.

I was up early the other day, because I wanted to catch a bit more of Hue before we left on the bus at 8 that morning. Jackie wanted me to get some fresh fruit for the journey.

So I obediently set off on a pushbike borrowed from the Guest House where we were staying. In Great Bedwyn, I would do the same but pop to the village shop or to Waitrose. In Vietnam, things are a bit different.

6am. Down the lane on my yellow pushbike (with an attractive basket on the front). Most of the town already seems awake (many are up at 5 here). Past the old lady on the side of the road who had already put on breakfast for the family (there was a pot on the boil for the rice or noodles and she was cutting up some fresh herbs and vegetables).

Past the Charles Bronson lookalike (who always seems to be there, day or night doing very little, just sitting there, watching the world go by) and straight into the stream of traffic which was already starting to build.

90% of traffic in Vietnam is on 2 wheels and it is amazing how no one seems to get hurt, because when it is busy, the whole road is filled with bikes or motorbikes and you just get swept along. But what is really amazing is the junctions. Because no one is travelling particularly fast, and there are no particular rules like there are in England, everyone is alert, so if you make to turn across oncoming traffic, as long as you are consistent in your movements, the oncoming traffic moves around you like a river.

Over the bridge over the Perfume River; Find the big market, but too early. Lots of activity but no one set up yet. Spotted a few bags of green mangoes but no bananas.

Decide to look in the old part of town, near the Citadel. The great thing about cycling is that you don't get pestered by anyone trying to sell you a ride on a Cyclo or something to eat or something to visit.

Down numerous little streets, past schoolkids heading for school, people heading for work, cyclos laden down with fresh produce being taken to the markets or with building materials or household goods (the ubiquitous Cyclo is not just used to carry tourists, it is used instead of a small van in Vietnam - I have even seen a large heavy mahogany dresser being transported by a Cyclo!)

Lots of people having breakfast, families sitting on tiny plastic chairs or boxes (or just crouching) and lots of people selling breakfast from in front of their houses. Breakfast comprises noodle soup and bread and vegetables, mostly, and some juice or tea or coffee. (There seems to be lots of hanging around in Vietnam too!).

Even the school children eat their breakfast by the side of the road - many outside their schools, where food stations are already set up and groups of kids are already tucking in.

I stop outside a house where a woman has put down her baskets of fruit a) for a rest and b) to sell.

She has ripe mangoes, which is great, because the only mangoes we seem to have found up to now have been hard and green. I buy 3 and rather embarrassingly barter her down from 30p to 20p (bartering is a way of life in Vietnam - they seem to respect you for it, but sometimes it seems a bit pointless).

Then further down the road the landscape opens out into a water-filled area, where women are already at work in their little banana-shaped boats, cutting what looks like watercress. It is a beautiful, serene scene (they probably rose before 5am and have done half a day's work already and will earn the equivalent of about 2 GBP for a long, hard day).

I cycle on. No bananas yet and it's 6.30 already.

Then I spot a lady with a little stall outside her house and she has some little baguettes, so I stop and haggle with her - I buy 3 for 20p.

Time is running out so I turn back. The traffic is really building now, so I get swept along as I move from small tracks to bigger roads - by the time I get to the main bridge, there must be 10 bikes abreast on my side of the road.

Still no bananas.

7am Back to the Guest House. Get directions to a "small local market". Get permission from the missus to have one last try. Sprint round to the small market selling fresh fruit and veg but still no bananas.

Back to base with conclusion that there are no ripe bananas in Hue today for some obscure reason.

Then, after breakfast, as we are leaving to catch the bus, our landlady's brother (or cousin or uncle?) says he'll get some for us for 10,000 Dong (about 30p) and scoots off on his little Honda motorbike.

He arrives back 5 mins later, grinning - and produces a hand of delicious ripe bananas (about 15 of them)

Mission accomplished. Simple really.

There must be a moral to this story, but I enjoyed the trip and the mangoes and bread were delicious!

Our last day in Hue and despite phenomenal heat, I dragged the family off to the Ancient Citadel. After all, isn't that the point of visiting Hue? Its all ancient buildings and pagodas and so far the family had managed to avoid any historical buildings. Sweating and moaning I managed to get them in the ancient palace whereby Matt and Olivia lay flat out on the tiled floor. There were loads of tourists there on guided trips who looked on enviously!!

We didn't really like Hue very much. It was essentially flattened in the war apart from the Citadel. The rest was rebuilt in the 60's and it feels a bit like a Milton keynes! Also I think the heat really hit us and it has taken a couple of days to adjust.

Everywhere you turn in Hue someone is hot on your heels trying to get you to go on a cyclo. They are like bees round a honey pot. Emma has got a very cross vietnamese 'NO' off pat now and seems to be able to frighten them off!

We arrived in Hoi An at lunch time today (34'c) and found a nice hotel with a pool where the chldren have spent most of the day.

Hoi An is completely different to both Hue and Hanoi. The guide books say its 'living history' and I guess you can imagine an old port in times gone by. Its another world heritage site. Crumpled old fading buildings strung along the coast. Its full of tourists and silk shops and I have promised to take the girls shopping. Its much smaller and quieter and cleaner than Hanoi!

David has finally plucked up courage to try the dog kebabs!! while Matt is living on banana juice. The fruit juice drinks here are amazing and only 30p a glass for fresh pineaple, banana or mango.

Some factoids I have found interesting:

The vietnamese go out of their way to avoid the sun - they love pale skin so they wear these face masks (also against pollution) and even in this heat they wear long polyester gloves to cover their arms.

They are only allowed to have 2 children - hence the constant comments I get:'3 children - 2 girl, 1 boy , very lucky'

The high school uniform are these long white trouser/dress things.

They wear white and have white flowers for funerals and red flowers for weddings.

The average national wage is GBP 500 yet they have to pay to send their children to school!

Open heart surgery at Hue Hospital would cost you GBP 700!!!

When they die they can bury their dead anywhere!!There are tombs all over the fields!!!