Canberra to Hoian

Canberra to Hoian

 

Well, here we are in Vietnam after a very long trip from Canberra.  We met up with Kirsti & Sheep at Sydney airport after leaving Canberra at 3.45am, and we left the tarmac at 10.45am (half an hour late), but still got to Ho Chi Minh City on time.  Service on Vietnam Airlines was pretty good, but I have to say that we were travelling in a very old, shabby plane with the most uncomfortable seats I have come across – leg room was almost non-existent. 

 

We arrived at Ho Chi Minh airport and had to pick up our luggage, go through customs, walk over to the domestic airport and check in again for our ongoing flight to Da Nang.  Got all that organised, then hit a bit of a snag with our duty-free grog…… we weren't allowed to carry it on to the next plane as hand luggage!  We had a bit of a discussion with the young lady at customs, who insisted that we either had to leave it or go back to the check-in counter and check it in with the rest of our luggage.  We lost that argument, and we were running out of time before our next flight departed, so Bill ended up putting all of our alcohol into his and Lorraine's little cabin bag, took it downstairs and checked it  in.  Then he had to line up again to get back through to the departure lounge.  We were getting a bit worried that he wouldn't make it in time and we might miss our plane, but he made it.   Then…… they announced that our flight had been delayed, and we had to wait another hour before departure.  So, we were very tired people by the time we got to Da Nang, then endured another 40minute trip to our hotel in Hoian.

 

We finally arrived at our hotel, the Hoian Trails Resort, at around 9.00pm Vietnam time, midnight our time.  Staff were lovely, check-in was very smooth and efficient, and we were in our rooms really quickly.  The resort is Sino-Portuguese style, with beautiful gardens and ponds.  And the rooms are excellent – they're huge, with a lovely sitting area and a small porch with lounges leading into the gardens.  We had a couple of drinks in the floating bar (cocktails around $4.50) then turned in for the evening.  By the time we got to bed, we'd been on the go for nearly 24hours – very tired.

 

We had an early start next day, (jet lag is a bitch), and made the decision (not necessarily a wise one) to walk into Hoian town.  It was only about 5km, but with a temperature of 28C and humidity around 99%, it wasn't long before we were dripping with sweat – not a good look.  Kirsti & Sheep had to find a dentist, cos one of Sheep's teeth had come off his plate, (that's what happens when you eat Rocky Road on the plane!) and he needed to get it fixed.  So they took off to find a dentist while Trev, Lorraine, Bill & I had a look around the markets in Hoian.  Do you know how many types of eggs there are?  Well, I think it must be hundreds, cos I took photos of white, brown, large, tiny, speckled, sesame-coated eggs, and that was just at one stall.  Markets were interesting, similar to Thailand, and not quite as aggressive. We had a snack and a drink or two, (middy of local beer 24c) at a little restaurant overlooking the river. 

 

We had our photos taken with little old ladies carrying huge loads of goods on those double ended carrier thingies (don't know what they're called), then had to buy some pineapple ($2.40) for the privilege.  I expected to have to pay for a photo, so it wasn't a big deal, and at least we got something to eat for it!  Such is the cost of tourism.   The town of Hoian is really pretty and quaint, with very wide streets and lots of bicycles and motorbikes.  Not so many cars, except for taxis.  And after walking all that way in the stifling heat, we decided to get a taxi back to our hotel at a grand cost of about $2.40.  First thing on the agenda was a swim and cocktails in our lovely pool – magic.  Very relaxing after our walk.  Trev and I booked in for a massage (as well as a facial for me) at our hotel spa, and it was very pleasant.  It cost 20USD per person (probably double what we would pay outside the resort), but it was worth it for the convenience.

 

Kirst & Sheep arrived back from their adventures and we had a drink on our porch before dinner.  Next door to the hotel is a little restaurant called 'John' which had been recommended by many of the Aussie tourists here, so we popped in there for dinner.  It was very tasty, but small portions.  The boys tried the local brew, Biere Larue, and gave it the thumbs up for taste.  The girls continued on their cocktail quest, which was a bit of hit and miss, but we'll get it right eventually.  The evening, including quite a number of drinks, cost the six of us around $60 – pretty good!

 

So, we finished off the first day of our holiday with drinks on our porch, yet again.  Looking forward to a busy day at the beach and Hoian town tomorrow, where we plan to book some tours.  Chiao.