Anyway on to the trip.
As previously mentioned, I decided to lump the last two cities together because we had such a short amount of time in each and we had no major tours or trips planned. Also, it being the end of the trip we put a lot of emphasis on resting so there wasn't quite as much activity as in the previous cities (this was planned purposefully).
Hoi An
We arrived in Danang in the early afternoon after a very interesting (and short) flight on VietJet airlines. We quickly found a taxi and negotiated a price with the driver and headed to our hotel. Similar to Hanoi, the streets near the airport were buzzing with activity and tons of people on mopeds/scooters, but as we drove into Hoi An and neared our hotel it definitely quieted down a bit.
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| Lunch by the pool |
The Victoria Hoi An is absolutely breathtaking and although it was a bit cloudy out this didn't discourage us from enjoying some relaxation time and a delicious meal by the pool. The hotel offered a complimentary shuttle to the center of town where there was tons of opportunity for shopping and eating. Hoi An is home to many, MANY shops offering tailor-made clothing, which can be ordered on the spot and are ready within 24 hours. The shops display samples of their work outside, and most have books and books filled with catalogs showing other options. They can also make an outfit based on a picture or sketch brought in. After selecting fabric and discussing price and details of the outfit you desire, the shopkeeper takes your measurements and tells you what time to report back the next day for your first fitting (usually some time in the late morning/early afternoon). Final adjustments are made, if necessary, after this initial fitting at which time you are asked to return one more time later that afternoon/early evening for the final fitting. It's all such a quick process and prices are much more reasonable than ANY department store. Additionally, most stores hold on to your measurements and have some sort of online program/web site through which you can make future orders. My parents and brother all participated in the process and walked away with beautiful suits and dresses (unfortunately no pictures were taken, but my mother plans to wear her dresses in the near future and I will update this post at that time).
The rest of our time in Hoi An was spent purchasing gifts for friends and co-workers and simply enjoying the time together as a family. It was our last two days with Brandon so we really wanted to enjoy it.Ho Chi Minh
Our final stop of the trip was Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, which many in the country still refer to it as today. Brandon took the flight into Ho Chi Minh but left early the next morning to meet up with friends in London. After he left, the three of us set off to see as much of the city as we could in one day. Our biggest stop was the Vietnamese War (American War to the Vietnamese) Remnant Museum. The visit was extremely intense as the museum was filled with graphic imagery and descriptions of the war itself so I have chosen not to post much from our visit. I will say that it is a very powerful experience and one that should not be missed if you ever find yourself in Ho Chi Minh.
*Note: Mother Rose's bonus clip was too large to put into the blog so you can find it on the brand new Ivy Rose Facebook page!
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| Coconut candy making process |
Our final tour of the trip was to the Mekong Delta. Similar to the Ha Long Bay tour, we got on a bus with about 10 other tourists and traveled a few hours to the Delta where we were led by a guide through various sights. The trip began with some fresh fruit and live music, after which we hopped into 4-person canoes and traveled a short distance down a portion of the delta. We stopped briefly to learn about and watch the production of coconut candy. a major export of this area. I'm not a fan of coconut but I did try it and found that it had more of a caramel taste than anything. Of course there were many other coconut products, the most exciting of which was the pure coconut oil, which my mother and I bought two bottles of. Finally, we all got into a bigger boat and traveled down a larger portion of the delta ending at a house where we were served the greatest feast. The day ended with a peaceful visit to a nearby Buddhist temple featuring three very large Buddhas. I couldn't think of a better way to end this epic trip. This was such an amazing adventure, and the travel bug has definitely bitten me once again. I don't think I'll ever take this long of a hiatus from traveling again. I hope you've all found the videos and posts both entertaining and inspiring.
Take a peek at the final video below (it's a bit longer than the other videos but also includes some footage of my solo journey back home).
Questions, comments, suggestions, corrections, etc. are welcome of course. Thanks for following along and as always...
Enjoy the journey...
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