Back in Ho Chi Mihn...last day in Vietnam

We had just half a day to play around Ho Chi Minh. We had places to see and shop! We enjoyed running around the city but I feel we did not see anything...guess I have to go back!

The day started with us watching some Vietnamese TV in the hotel room. There was this strange kids program on. We laughed and then left. However, on the stage outside was the same program live. The park was full of families. We pulled up a seat and watched for a while!


Government buildings....they are pretty but that is about all...


We also wanted to go to the museum...but it was closed. It was lovely from the outside!


We then went shopping at all the right places...like Samuel and Kevin's! Courtney and I wanted a picture here because we both have little brothers named Kevin!!


I also really wanted a discount on a hair cut...I was just a little too tall!


Never at at Lotteria...I think we have them in Japan but you can park
your motorbike right inside the store!


The numbers must have been luck that Sunday because there were weddings everywhere! At this one hotel there were 3 weddings happening simultaneously! The bridesmaids were lined up at three different doors!

Then we are off to the airport to head to Thailand! The halls were so crowded as everyone who was taking a flight and worked at the airport was focused on these two televisions! At first we couldn't understand why there was such a long line for security but then we learned...the soccer match between Vietnam and Thailand was on! Much more important than work!


We enjoyed some Vietnamese M&Ms.
They were a little different but we couldn't figure out why...


Duty free but not guilt free...

Central Highlands of Vietnam...on the back of my hog! (Day 2)

Day 2 was half the time as day one but just as much fun!

There is no better way to wake up than a relaxing ride around the area on the back of an elephant! I was so excited to get to ride an elephant. It was slow and not very exciting but I loved every minute of it!


Our elephant had a mind of his own. He would stop for snacks constantly! We area we saw was beautiful and peaceful.


Maybe these are the "long house people." I think they are...I am getting my minority groups mixed up. Sorry. Either way. This is another ethnic minority group. They live with one family in each house, sometimes including extended family. Every house is built on stilts and all the animals live under the house.

Here is a little kid sitting at the back entrance. We were told that only the men get to use the front entrance and that woman and children entered the home from the back.


There is no sex education (maybe in the schools) and no birth control. Our guide told us the people believe in big families...and by big he meant around 12-15 children. He said this is the reason people are so poor and that they cycle of poverty is never broken.


Here is another "factory." Where bricks are made. This is the firing house.

Here is "one stop" creation shop. There is the clay and the machine that forms the bricks. There were thousands of bricks stacked around the house drying out. They must dry for 3 days before going into the firing house.


Another business is creating cement pots. This young boy is only 16 year old. His job was to form the pots. it was interesting to watch. He just moved that piece around and around until the clay had the perfect shape. (there is sand underneath to form the inside of the pot). He was able to make each pot in about 10 minutes.


This was once a beautiful church. It was bombed and ruined during the Vietnam War. Our guides did not have the greatest things to say about Americans (as they thought we were from Canada). It was an eerie sight.



Our day ended with another wonderful hike to see more waterfalls. These falls were not tall like Elephant falls but wide.

The hike was beautiful. We were the only people on trail most of the time which was wonderful.


First of many falls:


I loved it!


To get to the second set of falls we had to cross two bridges. We felt they were from a movie. The first one was ok but the second one would sway back and forth as we walked. I thought of the movie Shrek while walking and was saying things like "I want to turn back...I know that half the bridge is safe!" (no one found me funny but I laughed!)



But the view at the other side was beautiful!



On the hike back, Courtney made a friend. This is a Vietnamese High School kid. His English was pretty good. We exchanged emails and I still get emails from him every once in a while!

When we got back, our drivers were playing Chinese Chess. We were trying to learn but never totally figured it out. I would still like to learn!


One last farm before we catch the bus! This is a black pepper farm! This was the best pepper I have ever tasted! You can tell by the house that pepper is where the money is! However it is a hard business to start because you cannot sell your crop for 5 years!

Saying good-byes!


Having some Vietnamese coffee while waiting for the bus!


This is how you brew Vietnamese coffee:

The little cup at the bottom has condensed milk in it. The coffee is like syrup and so strong. It was like drinking cough syrup!

Central Highlands of Vietnam...on the back of my hog! (Day 1)

There are a lot of pictures and well....let's be honest...I don't actually enjoy writing. I like sharing my story with you all but I am not a writer. So you are about to get the short version...aka...a picture journey of my 2 day motorcycle tour threw the central highlands of Vietnam.


We met up with this tour group called the "Easy Riders." Here is my guide Loi getting our bike ready.


Woohoo!!! Let's go! (Courtney and I)


Don't I look like a natural on the back of a motorcycle? This picture was taken while we were moving...Joe took this when he was passing us!


We started our tour with a visit to one of the famous shrines in Da Lat area. There were many dragons. Here I am under one...


and next to another...

there is some importance to the dragon. Something to do with life...wish I would have paid a better attention...


As we were leaving Da La we went on a short hike by a large water fall. The fall was called Elephant Falls. It was a dangerous hike but beautiful!


Me with one of the little falls:

I wish I could show/explain the series of rocks we climbed down just to stand at this spot....and then the series of rocks ahead just to see the falls...


But after the slippery, scary hike...we made it to Elephant Falls:


And it was beautiful...(and bright!)


Right next to the falls was a large shrine. The shrine itself was beautiful. It was famous for the Giant Laughing Buddha and for the Buddha with 100 hands and 1000 eyes. At the entrance was another dragon...


Here is one of the Buddhas. This type of Buddha is from India. The fat, laughing Buddha is from China. Both are used everywhere but have different origins. In this temple, the Indian Buddha is inside and the laughing Buddha was outside.

and here are the 100 hands and 1000 eyes...


Outside was the Giant Laughing Buddha that this shrine was also known for. There was a door to enter at his belly but it was locked!


The was a meditating Buddha outside and we felt the need to join in for a moment of peace and prayer...



After this hard hike it was time for lunch. The guys said they would order for us if we could eat everything...we were daring enough. The place was pretty gross...stray dogs, lots of flies and a very unsanitary looking kitchen...but the food was so delicious!

This is chicken with something. The chopsticks you can see are bright green...many places had the same ones. they are a lot longer and thicker than the chopsticks in Japan.


This is the whole table...


The guides were so impressed with our ability and desire to try the new foods. A lot of it was spicy...but so delicious! As we were finishing they ordered dessert for us. It was a fresh fig. It was an interesting taste and texture. The texture was like syrupy juice and then you just had to swallow the seeds quickly. Overall it tasted alright. Not sure how safe it was to eat but we all survived.



We stopped many times (mostly to save our bottoms from going numb) but also to take in many beautiful scenes. You can see all the farms in the background. Vietnam grows a wide variety of vegetables, sugar cane, coffee and so much more. Here is us enjoying a view of central Vietnam in all it's glory...


At one point we were told to take a hike (those were the exact words) and on top of the little mountain (hill) was another wonderful view...


Every so often the guys would pull over and get off to show us something else. Here we stopped at a flower farm and learned that Da Lat is famous threw out Vietnam for growing the more beautiful flowers. They are shipped daily to Ho Chi Mihn (a 6 hour bus ride!)


We also learned a lot about the coffee industry in Vietnam...there were coffee trees everywhere. Here we are getting a lesson about coffee trees:


Coffee beans on the tree:


and then they would dry it out on HUGE tarps in the front yard, back yard, on top of the house...everywhere was coffee:


More "factories" (aka...someone's house). Here was a family making brooms.

The guy just collected the brush and then rolled it all together...it was pretty amazing how tight he could roll the handle. And the finished product:


One of the most interesting things we saw was the silk factory. We were able to see all stages from the harvesting of silk worms to the making and selling of silks. Here is the first factory. At this factory the worms have already made their cacoon. The cacoons are brought here and stacked for when needed. Here are some of the cacoons:

When you broke open many of the cacoons, there were still live worms in there!

The cacoons are put into boiling water to soften. Then when a stay strand is found, it is pulled onto the spinner by this worker. You can see the silk strand being spun onto the green wheel. ( I am sure there is a name for that but I have no idea!) We learned each cacoon can produce about 80 m of a silk strand.


From here, the silk is strung onto larger wheels...(again, I am sure there is a technical name...)


Then the silk is used to make scaves and cloth. This machine was imported from Japan. They just started using machines in the last 5 years, before that, all silk was weaved by hand. If you look at the brown like paper in the top of the picture, that has holes in it. It looks a lot like braille. It is actually made from wood and it is the pattern. It clicks threw at every strand to let the machine know what do to. It made a loud clicking noise. It was very cool to watch.


We went to another "factory" where the Vietnamese version of sake (or Happy Water according to our tour guides) is made. We watched them boil, ferment and distill. It was amazing. Everything was done over a wood burning fire. We were able to try some and bought some to enjoy that night at dinner. It was strong and burned going down.


After visiting the silk factory we visited a "factory" where they breed the worms! Here are millions of worms just fattening up!


Our day is almost over. We take a short break to walk threw the town center of what we were told was one of the ethnic minority groups of Vietnam. We later figured out that they are Hmong people.

We visit another ethnic minority group and were able to tour their houses. The tour guides told us their names but said they usually just call them "long house people" as you can see from the shape of their homes. These groups are now receiving finical support from the government to build better homes. They also get to go to high school for free unlike the rest of Vietnam.


Here is the inside of the house. The center has a loft sort of area. This is where everyone sleeps. The fire is built under it. This is how everyone stays warm!


The day is coming to a close. We are tired and our butts hurt from sitting on a bike for nearly 10 hours! We took a break and had to do a little stretching!

a good night sleep and then on to day 2....