Vietnam

JG: Flew into Ho Chi Minh City - what a holy mess of a city! I thought traffic in India was bad - it seemed like all the scooters in Southeast Asia were immediately redirected there just prior to our arrival. And somehow, they make it work - many intersections don't have street lights, and you will rarely hear horns blaring.

Checked out a couple of war memorial museums - boy, are Americans ever unpopular in Vietnam. Not in the modern tourist sense, but more for their historical impact on the region. We visited the Cu Chi tunnels, which were part of the underground network of tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war (I fit in the tunnels, but barely.) We also shot M16 rifles at the site, which are some powerful weapons! And HCMC has it all - high end night life, stretches of markets and parks, and the hospitality is fantastic. This continued a stretch of affinity I developed for this entire region and their way of living life - ostensibly chaotic but simple and quite communal under the surface. And we also got to spend some time with our friend Peter who we met in Pamplona, along with his wife-to-be, Phuong, who were in HCMC on vacation. 

On to Hanoi in the north, a city with a distinct colonial feel but still unmistakably Vietnam. We went to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum (with his preserved body exposed!), the "Hanoi Hilton" war prison, and a few cultural museums. These sites were as enjoyable as just walking the tightly enclosed Old Quarter neighborhood, with scooters, street vendors, tourists and locals all jostling for real estate.

Quick trip to Halong Bay nearby, a world heritage site of thousands of limestone islets. We spent one night on a houseboat to cruise the bay, part way in a kayak, and take in the serenity.

Flight to Hoi An, a nice albeit very commercialized seaside town in central eastern Vietnam. It may have been better if the weather was a little warmer given the beaches, but still a good few days to jump off to Cambodia. 

SS: The greatest thing about being in SE Asia is that it is incredible cheap and easy to fly everywhere. $70, a quick hour flight and we landed in Ho Chi Minh city (aka scooter mania). The only thing that outnumbers the scooters is the cell phones. How is it that a seemingly poor country with 90 million people has almost 100 million cell phones? 

The city is very diverse, from grungy outskirts to major metropolis on the interior. It has several different pockets of neighbourhoods that will suit any traveller. 

We took in the War Remnants Museum that has a vast display of photos, war crafts and propaganda storytelling. This museum should really be renamed the 'I hate USA Museum' as it was fairly clear the message they were trying to get across. 

One of the things I like the most about this trip is that we have met wonderful people along the way and as we move around the globe we get the chance to meet up again. We met Peter in Pamplona 6 months prior during the San Fermín festival, kept in touch saying that we would 'see ya in Vietnam' and reunited with him and his lady friend Phuong several times for dinner. So great to catch up. 

A two hour flight up to the country's capital, Hanoi, seemed like we had changed countries. The two cities couldn't be more different. Weather wise, Hanoi was much cooler but it was the look and the feel of the city that shocked me. The Old Quarter has been the main commerce for 1000 years with tightly packed winding streets that have a peaceful colonial feel to them. A beautiful lake is in the city center and although modernization apparent, it seem to be subtly blending in with the old. The street food vendors are fantastic. Everything from unique kebabs, traditional noodle dishes to some of the cheapest beer you can find anywhere (25 cent drafts!). I really enjoyed this city and would certainly go back, even if it was just for the food. 

Halong Bay has been recently been named one of the new Natural Seven Wonders of the World. Over 3,000 limestone islets that jet out of the turquoise waters set the stage for a beautiful boat ride in between them.  Every direction you look is a perfect picture. The only downfall is that it has become hugely popular with hundreds of boats cluttering some of the tranquility. 

As we make our travel arrangement to Hoi An, a cheap ($41) and easy flight trumps the $25 overnight bus or train ride. Hoi An certainly has its charm but it seems that the town has been built and laid out just for tourism. Charming downtown area and small enough to explore on bikes or even just walking. We ventured via bicycle through rice fields to the beach area that is very lovely and would be rockin' if the weather was on our side - a bit too chilly to enjoy in the winter. 

We have heard great things about Cambodia and really looking forward to it. 

Supposedly, John McCain's actual gear recovered after he was shot down: