Adorable Hoi An (via Hue) - love love love :) :)
After spending 13 hours on an overnight sleeper bus from Hanoi to Hue, I finally arrived. I had booked my accommodation in advance, and sadly made the mistake of being quite a walk from the backpacker area. This meant a "5 minute walk" as someone told me...however I quickly learnt that a 5 minute walk with a 23kg backpack, day pack and yoga mat is a very long and hot 5 minute walk. I was exhausted by the time I got settled, and after umming and ahhing how to spend my 24 hours in Hue decided that actually it was ok if I decided not to play tourist in every city I arrived in.
So instead, I decided to let Hue be a non cultural affair. I spent the day sitting in a cafe doing what I do best - drinking iced coffee, reading, writing my blog and journal, and totally chilling out whilst hiding from the sun. Hue is the hottest place I have been to in Vietnam so far. Absolutely nowhere had AC either which was hard work trying to regulate the body temperature!! Lots of people went cycling past me on rental bicycles which would have been a lovely way to see Hue had I the energy to do so. I did walk to the park which was very pretty along the waterfront, it is filled with beautiful statues, and has lovely view of the water and the Citadel. I quickly did my handstand and then retired to my cafe where I spent the entire day. Later in the evening I met the english couple I had met in Hanoi for happy hour drinks and some food, always nice to see familiar faces as you backpack along the well worn path of North to South Vietnam.
The next day I took a day bus to Hoi An - the place I have been most excited so far about getting to. Everyone who has been to Vietnam has always raved about Hoi An and told me how much I will love it :) Everything about being in Hoi An makes me want to be a flash packer, not a backpacker for a few days. I booked a hostel which was slightly above my budget but still amazingly lovely and what would be extremely cheap for the western world. My hostel had a swimming pool and I had a balcony room over looking the pool! I made good use of that swimming pool, it was so nice to spend the days exploring Hoi An and then retire to my beautiful AC filled room and take a dip in the pool when everyone else was out for dinner or had gone to bed. Pure luxury! Also managed to make my lazy body feel a bit like I was getting some exercise. The hostel was just lovely. The staff were fantastic, so kind and helpful.
I spent a very lazy evening in my room chilling out to Prison Break and unpacking initially. I decided at the very last moment to sign up for a cookery class, and it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made as I met some lovely people, had a fabulous day and made a very good friend as a result of it! They collected me nice and early the next morning and we all drove to the local market where we were handed a plastic shopping basket and told it was to carry all of the ingredients that we needed for our cooking class! So cool! We visited a huge local market and totally got the local experience as we wandered through the narrow aisles full of colourful fruit, vegetables, herbs and so much more! There were stalls selling fish, spices, eggs, various types of noodles, meat etc. Some tables had baskets filled with fresh chillies, fresh and live maggots - gross. There were also plenty of pig heads lying out on the tables also, just in case you were wondering which meat you were eating :( I swear I felt like I would be sick on the spot.
Anyway all of that aside, it was a fantastic experience. We were totally spoilt with the cooking class! After collecting our fresh ingredients we went by boat to the village where the class would be held, which in itself was a great way to see the local area. So peaceful and calming for my soul, I just love the water. Every time I am somewhere with water I smile :) Then we were transferred to a canoe style boat and were given Vietnamese style hats to wear while we slowly made our way to the venue. The room was fantastic, each of us had our own table with all the equipment and ingredients laid out, and we were constantly having our glass refilled with fresh pomegranate juice - delicious! The cooking class came highly recommended by Trip Advisor and I can totally see why. Two of the people in our group were vegetarian and myself and one other were meat eaters, and both were accommodated.
We made so many amazing dishes:
-Vietnamese salad rolls (goi cuon) with peanut sauce (nuoc Leo)
- Sizzling Vietnamese crepes (banh xeo)
- southern style beef vermicelli (bun bo nam bo)
- Noodle soup with beef (pho ba ha noi)
I was so proud of my artwork - because let's face it, that is what vietnamese food is after all - decoration! The food is out of this world amazing because of the freshness of the ingredients, and the attention to detail in preparing a plate for presentation impact.
I made such a lovely friend that day - Amarjeet! I haven't met many people my own age while traveling, which hasn't been a problem at all but reminded me just how lovely it can be to spend quality time with someone lovely who is on the same wave length as you! We clicked easily, and made plans to go to Cham Island the next day together on a snorkeling and beach and hammock adventure! Something that had also been on my Hoi An Bucket List lol! I was particularly excited about the hammock part ;) Sadly I woke up the next morning to the news that the dive shop had cancelled the trip due to high winds :(
Funny really because the night before I had kind of deep inside hoped for a rainy day soon so that I would be forced again to sit still and appreciate the moment, and not feel the need to always fit quite so much into my day! My backpacker adventure has been non stop so far :) Which is totally fantastic but bizarrely exhausting at times. I guess the message here is to be careful what you wish for ;) After speaking to Amarjeet we decided we would meet up anyway, find a fabulous coffee shop and hang out for a while. You can see why I clicked with this girl right?! ;) COFFEE and CAFE addicitions!!
Amarjeet told me about a cafe where they had illy coffee, and just the most amazing little deli counter with real life fresh olives, fresh bread, fresh salamis, fresh cheeses. I should add all western imported specialty items which the average backpacker who is away from home for a while just misses like crazy. I fell in love with this cafe from the moment I walked in! The owner came up and introduced me as I must have looked a little dazed as I slowly walked along each small aisle smiling and touching the products and saying wow... They even had my favorite flavour kettle chips! Ok so they were nearly $7 a packet but honestly it didn't matter in that very moment. I gave her a hug and told her she was wonderful and how the cafe had totally made my day, my week in fact and she told me they had opened it 8 years previously for that very reason - for people just like me! LOVE :)
We ended up spending the best part of the day there really. I ordered a salad with fresh leaves, chicken, mango, avocado and fresh tomatoes in it. I also had a BIG glass of wine to celebrate my new find. Things got even better though when we took a quick walk around to the back garden and found a trampoline!! I used to have trampolining lessons when I was younger and when I was fearless. I used to be able to throw myself around like a gymnast in series after series of somersaults, back and front drops and spins galore. Instead I found myself at 34 years old jumping up and down with a 5 year old called Mary who introduced me to her best friend, and her school friends who also joined us. Later she introduced me to her teacher also! Hilarious way to spend an afternoon in Vietnam ;) Such fun memories. It was also Amarjeet's first time on a trampoline and that girl had a big smile on her face by the end of our little playtime. The teacher probably thought we were crazy as we joined the girls playing on the climbing frame and swings too haha! After an hour or so we realised for our reputation sake we should maybe go and do some grown up stuff, so we went shopping!
We shopped well, I found a store who was willing to make me a beautiful dress for MP and Bevis' wedding in South Africa later this year. This dress is very special, because my wonderful life saving friend Danielle who I met in India designed it for me! She is a New Yorker and a fashion designer by background, and fellow yogi. We spent many a coffee date together in Rishikesh going over our design ideas!! Discussing every small minute detail about the beautiful dress. I originally stopped in Hue and asked a tailor there to make the dress for me, and despite having heaps of enthusiasm as a dress maker and about our design I was disappointed with the quality of the dress itself. So I was besides myself with excitement when I found a tailor who totally understood what I wanted, and was as equally in love with the fabric that I chose for the various parts of the dress. I would post a photo here but it is a surprise for the wedding so I promise to post one later in the year from the wedding itself :) She did an out of this world amazing job and I just love, love, love it!!
I spent a lot of time in tailor shops during my time with Amarjeet lol! We went a bit crazy and ended up buying me practically a new wardrobe for my backpack! Dresses, shorts, tee shirts, tank tops, skirts...even two pairs of sandals all personally made for me. Very exciting after 5 months of living in the same clothes, it felt so nice to have new clothes to choose between.
I was very sad to see my friend leave ahead of me to Cambodia :( But we have agreed to meet in Singapore later in the year, so I am confident that we will keep in touch and our paths will cross again.
I was quite surprised while in Hoi An to learn that facebook is banned, or certainly restricted access, in Vietnam. A lovely yogi friend sent me a link to a URL which would help me to temporarily access my account while traveling through the country. You all know how much I use facebook for keeping in touch so that was a huge relief to me :)
While I was in Hoi An the Tokio Triathlon took place in Bermuda, once again taking me back to happy memories and good times! This time last year I woke up the morning after a wedding in St George's and got onto my bicycle, which had only been ridden 4 times previously, and cycled along Harbour Road to town. I signed up for my first "try a tri" and met the wonderful Nathalie! I recognised the fear in Nat's eyes and instantly felt a connection to this lovely energetic girl as we shared how incredibly nervous we both were! I really didn't want to drown or make a fool of myself lol.
SO glad that I did that triathlon, and was brave enough to not care what anyone on the street thought of me that day. It led me to the most incredible summer of experiences, training sessions and new friendships for my final summer in Bermuda during 2012. It really shaped the direction of my year and helped me through some incredibly testing personal times. So much fun, I wasn't the last out of the water, or the last off the bicycle and definitely wasn't last across the finish line after my run!I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to try a tri's and had I had more time in Bermuda I would have definitely found myself more involved in this sport! I achieved fitness records that I really didn't expect to ever achieve that summer, and my coach was eternally grateful to my taking time out of marathon training and trying out new sports! It motivated me to try new race events and find my speed in short races!! If only I had listened to him earlier in my training days in Bermuda... I will just have to go back and train again one year and show him what I am capable of! Everyone did so well this year, very proud of everyone :)
After spending 13 hours on an overnight sleeper bus from Hanoi to Hue, I finally arrived. I had booked my accommodation in advance, and sadly made the mistake of being quite a walk from the backpacker area. This meant a "5 minute walk" as someone told me...however I quickly learnt that a 5 minute walk with a 23kg backpack, day pack and yoga mat is a very long and hot 5 minute walk. I was exhausted by the time I got settled, and after umming and ahhing how to spend my 24 hours in Hue decided that actually it was ok if I decided not to play tourist in every city I arrived in.
The next day I took a day bus to Hoi An - the place I have been most excited so far about getting to. Everyone who has been to Vietnam has always raved about Hoi An and told me how much I will love it :) Everything about being in Hoi An makes me want to be a flash packer, not a backpacker for a few days. I booked a hostel which was slightly above my budget but still amazingly lovely and what would be extremely cheap for the western world. My hostel had a swimming pool and I had a balcony room over looking the pool! I made good use of that swimming pool, it was so nice to spend the days exploring Hoi An and then retire to my beautiful AC filled room and take a dip in the pool when everyone else was out for dinner or had gone to bed. Pure luxury! Also managed to make my lazy body feel a bit like I was getting some exercise. The hostel was just lovely. The staff were fantastic, so kind and helpful.
I spent a very lazy evening in my room chilling out to Prison Break and unpacking initially. I decided at the very last moment to sign up for a cookery class, and it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made as I met some lovely people, had a fabulous day and made a very good friend as a result of it! They collected me nice and early the next morning and we all drove to the local market where we were handed a plastic shopping basket and told it was to carry all of the ingredients that we needed for our cooking class! So cool! We visited a huge local market and totally got the local experience as we wandered through the narrow aisles full of colourful fruit, vegetables, herbs and so much more! There were stalls selling fish, spices, eggs, various types of noodles, meat etc. Some tables had baskets filled with fresh chillies, fresh and live maggots - gross. There were also plenty of pig heads lying out on the tables also, just in case you were wondering which meat you were eating :( I swear I felt like I would be sick on the spot.
Anyway all of that aside, it was a fantastic experience. We were totally spoilt with the cooking class! After collecting our fresh ingredients we went by boat to the village where the class would be held, which in itself was a great way to see the local area. So peaceful and calming for my soul, I just love the water. Every time I am somewhere with water I smile :) Then we were transferred to a canoe style boat and were given Vietnamese style hats to wear while we slowly made our way to the venue. The room was fantastic, each of us had our own table with all the equipment and ingredients laid out, and we were constantly having our glass refilled with fresh pomegranate juice - delicious! The cooking class came highly recommended by Trip Advisor and I can totally see why. Two of the people in our group were vegetarian and myself and one other were meat eaters, and both were accommodated.
We made so many amazing dishes:
-Vietnamese salad rolls (goi cuon) with peanut sauce (nuoc Leo)
- Sizzling Vietnamese crepes (banh xeo)
- southern style beef vermicelli (bun bo nam bo)
- Noodle soup with beef (pho ba ha noi)
I was so proud of my artwork - because let's face it, that is what vietnamese food is after all - decoration! The food is out of this world amazing because of the freshness of the ingredients, and the attention to detail in preparing a plate for presentation impact.
I made such a lovely friend that day - Amarjeet! I haven't met many people my own age while traveling, which hasn't been a problem at all but reminded me just how lovely it can be to spend quality time with someone lovely who is on the same wave length as you! We clicked easily, and made plans to go to Cham Island the next day together on a snorkeling and beach and hammock adventure! Something that had also been on my Hoi An Bucket List lol! I was particularly excited about the hammock part ;) Sadly I woke up the next morning to the news that the dive shop had cancelled the trip due to high winds :(
Funny really because the night before I had kind of deep inside hoped for a rainy day soon so that I would be forced again to sit still and appreciate the moment, and not feel the need to always fit quite so much into my day! My backpacker adventure has been non stop so far :) Which is totally fantastic but bizarrely exhausting at times. I guess the message here is to be careful what you wish for ;) After speaking to Amarjeet we decided we would meet up anyway, find a fabulous coffee shop and hang out for a while. You can see why I clicked with this girl right?! ;) COFFEE and CAFE addicitions!!
Amarjeet told me about a cafe where they had illy coffee, and just the most amazing little deli counter with real life fresh olives, fresh bread, fresh salamis, fresh cheeses. I should add all western imported specialty items which the average backpacker who is away from home for a while just misses like crazy. I fell in love with this cafe from the moment I walked in! The owner came up and introduced me as I must have looked a little dazed as I slowly walked along each small aisle smiling and touching the products and saying wow... They even had my favorite flavour kettle chips! Ok so they were nearly $7 a packet but honestly it didn't matter in that very moment. I gave her a hug and told her she was wonderful and how the cafe had totally made my day, my week in fact and she told me they had opened it 8 years previously for that very reason - for people just like me! LOVE :)
We ended up spending the best part of the day there really. I ordered a salad with fresh leaves, chicken, mango, avocado and fresh tomatoes in it. I also had a BIG glass of wine to celebrate my new find. Things got even better though when we took a quick walk around to the back garden and found a trampoline!! I used to have trampolining lessons when I was younger and when I was fearless. I used to be able to throw myself around like a gymnast in series after series of somersaults, back and front drops and spins galore. Instead I found myself at 34 years old jumping up and down with a 5 year old called Mary who introduced me to her best friend, and her school friends who also joined us. Later she introduced me to her teacher also! Hilarious way to spend an afternoon in Vietnam ;) Such fun memories. It was also Amarjeet's first time on a trampoline and that girl had a big smile on her face by the end of our little playtime. The teacher probably thought we were crazy as we joined the girls playing on the climbing frame and swings too haha! After an hour or so we realised for our reputation sake we should maybe go and do some grown up stuff, so we went shopping!
We shopped well, I found a store who was willing to make me a beautiful dress for MP and Bevis' wedding in South Africa later this year. This dress is very special, because my wonderful life saving friend Danielle who I met in India designed it for me! She is a New Yorker and a fashion designer by background, and fellow yogi. We spent many a coffee date together in Rishikesh going over our design ideas!! Discussing every small minute detail about the beautiful dress. I originally stopped in Hue and asked a tailor there to make the dress for me, and despite having heaps of enthusiasm as a dress maker and about our design I was disappointed with the quality of the dress itself. So I was besides myself with excitement when I found a tailor who totally understood what I wanted, and was as equally in love with the fabric that I chose for the various parts of the dress. I would post a photo here but it is a surprise for the wedding so I promise to post one later in the year from the wedding itself :) She did an out of this world amazing job and I just love, love, love it!!
I spent a lot of time in tailor shops during my time with Amarjeet lol! We went a bit crazy and ended up buying me practically a new wardrobe for my backpack! Dresses, shorts, tee shirts, tank tops, skirts...even two pairs of sandals all personally made for me. Very exciting after 5 months of living in the same clothes, it felt so nice to have new clothes to choose between.
I was very sad to see my friend leave ahead of me to Cambodia :( But we have agreed to meet in Singapore later in the year, so I am confident that we will keep in touch and our paths will cross again.
I was quite surprised while in Hoi An to learn that facebook is banned, or certainly restricted access, in Vietnam. A lovely yogi friend sent me a link to a URL which would help me to temporarily access my account while traveling through the country. You all know how much I use facebook for keeping in touch so that was a huge relief to me :)
While I was in Hoi An the Tokio Triathlon took place in Bermuda, once again taking me back to happy memories and good times! This time last year I woke up the morning after a wedding in St George's and got onto my bicycle, which had only been ridden 4 times previously, and cycled along Harbour Road to town. I signed up for my first "try a tri" and met the wonderful Nathalie! I recognised the fear in Nat's eyes and instantly felt a connection to this lovely energetic girl as we shared how incredibly nervous we both were! I really didn't want to drown or make a fool of myself lol.
I spent a lot of time eating out in nice places in Hoi An. I found through my Lonely Planet the most amazing little restaurant called "Morning Glory" lol! I found the most amazing food there, some of which came highly recommended to me by Hilda who is a big fan of Vietnamese food. Such a luxury eating here, such a lovely setting and delicious food. I tried many evenings to get a seat but it was always so full! It wasn't until the day I decided to eat at 6pm that I managed to get a seat. My favourite dishes were:
- White Rose Dumplings
- Roll It - barbecued pork with rice paper
- White Rose Dumplings
- Roll It - barbecued pork with rice paper
I even ate in one restaurant where I really didn't enjoy the meal as it was chewy pieces of meat and just tasted disgusting. They were so concerned that I handed back a nearly full plate that they gave me my cheesecake and wine for free to make sure that I left the restaurant having had a great experience. So nice!
On my last few days I spent a lot of time pottering wandering around the Old Town streets, the parts where no traffic is allowed. It is such a nice idea to restrict access to certain areas for pedestrians only. The old town is just as it sounds, beautiful and oldy worldy and just so calm and peaceful. It is recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999. Hoi An ancient town is an expectionally well preserved example of a South East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to 19th century. Its buildings and streets reflect the influences both local and foreign that have combined to produce this unique heritage site. It's beautiful and an extremely calming place.
On my final morning I went for a discovery walk with my Nikon and found some amazing places, once again through getting lost as always in true Caroline fashion ;) I went looking for a small temple, and opposite what I presume was the small temple I found the most amazingly beautiful temple! It would have been the perfect handstand opportunity had I had a photographer or my self timer canon with me. I took so many photos, and then continued my journey. A lady pointed at an alley way to me so of course being inquisitive I went down there and found a bustling street market full of locals buying their fruit and vegetables, and at the very end of the alley a stunning buddhist temple with a number of monks in there working. They invited me in to explore and take photos. Just lovely. I took the long way back to the hostel and found a different entrance into the Old Town and walked for an hour through the streets just taking everything in around me and feeling enormous amounts of gratitude for being lucky enough to have found Hoi An. Such a special place for me on my travels. The lanterns, the colours, the friendliness of the people. Just wonderful. I stopped at a temple called Cam Pho Temple and a local man showed me around. He offered to take a photo of me in front of the temple, so of course I made him laugh by jumping onto my hands into handstand for the photo. He quickly got into it and made me take several attempts at it in order to have the perfect photo! Such a kind man :)
Later on my final day I booked a series of treatments at the spa just around the corner called ****. Such a good find, it was beyond western standards in cleanliness and such good prices. The first thing that they make you do is remove you shoes and soak your feet in a bucket of water with limes, and flower petals in. The smell is wonderful. Then they get to work :) Over the course of 4 hours I had a massage, a pedicure, and something which I forget strangely enough, all for the small price of $40 including tip. Incredible. I felt like a million dollars by the end of my pampering session.
I went to visit the Japanese bridge, and although it was very striking I wasn't overwhelmed by it. I had assumed it would be much larger than it was but given how quaint Hoi An really is I shouldn't have shouldn't have been surprised.
Sadly iPhoto decided to delete all of the photos I had taken with my Nikon of Hoi An, so I am limited in photos to show people. Such a shame as I really had collected some beautiful photos of the windy streets, the lanterns, the temples, artwork and people :( I will just have to make sure I go back again :)
I also received some sad news during my days in Hoi An. Mum received a call from Bermuda to say that my kitty cat Ellen had been hit by a car in the UK, and that a lovely man had picked her up and helped her. Upon taking her to the vet they discovered she had broken her pelvis, poor baby :( So brave to cry for help like she did. The man is an absolute angel and has offered to keep her at his house until she makes a full recovery so that she can rest properly away from the puppy at Helen's and the young boys! Makes me feel so far away when one of my kitties get sick :( Sending her get well kisses and hugs from Vietnam xox
Hoi An makes you imagine having been transported back many centuries as you wander through the narrow streets and along the river. It is the perfect blend of old and new and I just adore it. Ah Hoi An is it yet another love affair. Everything about being here makes me calm and happy.
In a good friends words - "Peace & Smiles"
On my last few days I spent a lot of time pottering wandering around the Old Town streets, the parts where no traffic is allowed. It is such a nice idea to restrict access to certain areas for pedestrians only. The old town is just as it sounds, beautiful and oldy worldy and just so calm and peaceful. It is recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999. Hoi An ancient town is an expectionally well preserved example of a South East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to 19th century. Its buildings and streets reflect the influences both local and foreign that have combined to produce this unique heritage site. It's beautiful and an extremely calming place.
Later on my final day I booked a series of treatments at the spa just around the corner called ****. Such a good find, it was beyond western standards in cleanliness and such good prices. The first thing that they make you do is remove you shoes and soak your feet in a bucket of water with limes, and flower petals in. The smell is wonderful. Then they get to work :) Over the course of 4 hours I had a massage, a pedicure, and something which I forget strangely enough, all for the small price of $40 including tip. Incredible. I felt like a million dollars by the end of my pampering session.
I went to visit the Japanese bridge, and although it was very striking I wasn't overwhelmed by it. I had assumed it would be much larger than it was but given how quaint Hoi An really is I shouldn't have shouldn't have been surprised.
Sadly iPhoto decided to delete all of the photos I had taken with my Nikon of Hoi An, so I am limited in photos to show people. Such a shame as I really had collected some beautiful photos of the windy streets, the lanterns, the temples, artwork and people :( I will just have to make sure I go back again :)
I also received some sad news during my days in Hoi An. Mum received a call from Bermuda to say that my kitty cat Ellen had been hit by a car in the UK, and that a lovely man had picked her up and helped her. Upon taking her to the vet they discovered she had broken her pelvis, poor baby :( So brave to cry for help like she did. The man is an absolute angel and has offered to keep her at his house until she makes a full recovery so that she can rest properly away from the puppy at Helen's and the young boys! Makes me feel so far away when one of my kitties get sick :( Sending her get well kisses and hugs from Vietnam xox
Hoi An makes you imagine having been transported back many centuries as you wander through the narrow streets and along the river. It is the perfect blend of old and new and I just adore it. Ah Hoi An is it yet another love affair. Everything about being here makes me calm and happy.
In a good friends words - "Peace & Smiles"
