Sail Away (Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong River, Vietnam)

If I was at home, dear reader, the only reason to be out of bed at 5:30am would be to go riding. While I’m travelling, that time is becoming the norm for getting ready for breakfast and the excursion that follows. Can’t say I’m embracing it.

These devices are to stop scooter riders taking a shortcut on the footpath.

Breakfast was another spectacular experience. Jayne indulged in French toast which she reported was delightfully light. Amongst the array of pastries this morning, there lurked a plate of pink donuts. I regularly joke about purchasing one from the Woollies Metro at home, so Jayne goaded me into having one. I could only manage half a donut. The nuclear-irradiated pink icing was too sickly-sweet and the donut itself was more of a bread consistency. I wonder to which national group this was catering?

That's a helipad on the side of that building.

After breakfast the choice of activities was a shopping expedition. Nope. A motor scooter ride. Ah, no, not for Jayne. A trip to the food market and a cooking class. Definitely not. Or a wander through the local area. That was more our style. Or so I thought.

Weddings everywhere. It must have been Sunday.

As it eventuated, the pace was torturously slow and the ground covered took in much of what we did yesterday afternoon. The bonus was it came with an explanation of what I was seeing. This was a walk past tour, the only building we entered, aside from a café was the Post Office. We saw the former CIA building where the locals queued on the rooftop in the hope of being airlifted by an American helicopter and other sites of significance from the days of the American war.

Notre Dame in Saigon. Attractive.

We dawdled towards the markets down ‘shoe’ street where our guide Minh confided that the designer shoes were all knock-offs. The markets remained out of reach and we stopped for coffee at the Amazon Café. Then it was time to snail our way back to the hotel.

The famous rooftop.

You think I’m exaggerating about the lack of pace, dear reader. Let me provide an illustration. My Apple watch records my activity. If I neglect to register a walk, it prompts me. In the 2 hours we were walking my watch prompted me not once. By the time we had reached the hotel and completed the 3km, my active time was 2 minutes.

A very cool post office.

Upon our return to the hotel, we had about an hour to vacate the room, check out and join the rest of the tour group in the ballroom. Cruise registration occurred here and we were briefed on the transportation to the Mekong River cruise ship. We were in the green group. This was mostly the people from Hà Nôi and some people that were commencing their trip in HCMC. There were three bus groups heading out of Saigon towards the marina where the newly commissioned APT Serenity awaited us.

The former American Embassy and those famous gates.

The bus trip was typical of other recent journeys, with commentary provided this time by our local guide, Thinh, who comes from the Mekong Delta. An hour and a half later, we arrived for a quick cabin check-in and met our butler, Benly. He showed us around our beautifully appointed suite which would be home for the duration of the Mekong cruise. Finally, a chance to stop living out of our suitcases!

Our first sunset on the Mekong.

In the week before we left Australia, APT contacted us and offered a cabin upgrade for 50% off the usual rate. The extra room would be welcome so we said yes. There were some other perks that came with the upgrade, that we could live without. The cost of the upgrade to the Bayon suite was definitely worth it.

A very deep spa bath and dual basins.

We quickly oriented ourselves and went to our first onboard lunch, a typical APT culinary experience with multiple options for each course, served by lovely staff such as Sally and Maria who magically learnt our names before the appetiser plates were cleared.

Looking from the picture window.

After a short period to luxuriate in our suite, the peace was interrupted at 4pm by the anticipated alert to grab our cumbersome life jackets and head to the top deck to attend the compulsory safety drill. 

Back down to our level, it was time to dress for the welcome cocktail party with the captain and various heads of service. Thankfully this was much more casual than we have experienced on other cruises. Once the obligatory toasts were out of the way, we were left with Long, our cruise director, who provided (as his name suggests) a briefing that wasn’t very brief, about the next day’s programme.

Then it was back to the Lemongrass Lounge for another multi-course meal. Following dinner, we were invited to enjoy the musical entertainment provided by local farmers, including as it happened, our green group leader, Trinh. They played traditional Vietnamese instruments and acted out varying scenes depicting local life.

Water hyacinth. An introduced scourge.

Now part of a broader group of fellow travellers, we discovered that there were three groups that had converged to sail on the Serenity on the Mekong from HCMC to Siam Reap in Cambodia. There is our original tour group that started off in Hà Nôi and then flew to HCMC via a short sojourn on Ha Long Bay. There is a group who commenced the trip in Hà Nôi and then eventually came south via Sapa and Hoy An. Then there is a third group that simply arrived in HCMC to go on the Mekong cruise. Some of our fellow travellers should have been here earlier in the year but had their original tours cancelled. This was due either to delays in the construction of the new flagship, Serenity or because the Vietnamese authorities refused to grant a licence to the ship, despite the head of APT coming to Vietnam to try to sort whatever the issue was.

He looks friendly.

The next morning was the usual early start. However, we were now on the water and travel to the shore was by sampan. We motored across the river toward the town. A number of us encountered issues with our cameras. The lenses had fogged up due to the temperature differential from air-conditioned comfort to the heat and humidity. Wiping the outside lens clean was ineffective because the second lens and even the mirror inside the camera were also fogged. The only solution was to wait for the camera to warm up to the ambient temperature.

Making rice paper.

Caramel sweets.

Puffed rice.

The first stop was a shop where we saw a demonstration of how to make by hand caramel sweets and popped rice breakfast food. They also had a python in a cage for reasons I do not understand, except perhaps to amuse tourists. Sticky rice wine was also distilled on a premises a few doors down. It is a cousin of Chinese white liquor and just as deadly as 37% alcohol – 48% if you were intending to use it for medicinal purposes.

Only 5% cobra venom. I prefer something stronger.

Next to the bottles of banana wine and guava wine were bottles that contained a cobra with a large scorpion in its mouth. This liquid is supposedly medicinal. It’s good for lower back pain and assorted aches. The magic ingredient is cobra venom. At 5% per volume of liquid I decided not to try it. Jayne rejected my offer of buying a bottle for her to assist with her problem ankle. It wouldn’t get through Australian customs anyway.

The still.

Back onto the sampan we crossed the river to visit the Catholic church and hear about the history of Catholicism in the area. The roof didn’t cave in as I entered the church, nor was I struck by lightning, so that was a good start. The altar was covered in a plastic Christmas tablecloth. Stylish in a kitsch sort of way. The statue of Jesus behind the altar was surrounded by a red neon tube. I haven’t seen anything like that in Vogue for Churches.

Tacky without being gaudy.

Back on board the Serenity it was time for lunch and then a nanna nap. The weather closed in on us rapidly and a thunderstorm arrived before the next excursion. It was clearing as departure time neared, but we, like many others, opted not to do the afternoon tour. While tours like this allow you to get to places that you might not visit, the lack of down time to process your experiences or to just rest is rare. When an opportunity presents itself, it should not be passed up.

Dinner was the usual APT offering of four courses and wine. Our server, Sally offered the usual wines and we discussed the fact that the red was being served too cold. No problem said he and disappeared to return with a bottle that was close to room temperature. Excellent service. He put the bottle aside for us for the evening.

Our second sunset.

Yes dear reader today's title is somewhat of a cop out, but I didn't want to revisit war songs. Sail Away by Enya, it's one of those songs you can loop and just chill.

Until next time.

How long (Hà Nôi to Ha Long Bay, Vietnam)

Today dear reader we leave the anarchy and chaos of Hà Nôi for the peace and serenity of Ha Long Bay. The bay is the inspiration (or otherwise) for today's title. Another trek down memory lane to 1974 with UK band Ace and their hit How long.

It is one of those early starts, the first of many I fear. Loitering over my second coffee at breakfast has gone the way of the relevance of the Liberal Party to Australian politics. A mere memory. Perhaps in Cambodia when we farewell the tour group, our more relaxed lifestyle will return.

Bags tagged and put out for collection, we went to breakfast and then boarded the bus to head to Ha Long Bay. Overnight our family had grown by two as we were joined by a Kiwi couple who had had the holiday start from hell. They had arrived in Singapore to be informed that they could not proceed onto Vietnam because their visas did not have sufficient time on them. Apparently, they expired one day before they were due to leave Vietnam.

While the problem was sorted, they had to find somewhere to stay for 5 days before they could join the tour. They finally arrived at the hotel last night and so our group now totals 13 until we get to Ho Chi Minh City where we will be joining a larger group for the Mekong cruise.

Our 3.5 hour bus ride took us out of Hà Nôi away from what we could now see as a very smoggy environment, to the clearer countryside, past farms, ducks, small communities, rice paddy burial sites, ducks, rice paddies, and some larger towns. Did I mention there were ducks?

Our tour guide, Tea, punctuated the journey with stories about his childhood and family as well as some of his adult life in the big city. He is a very engaging storyteller and his personal anecdotes give insight into the Vietnamese culture and traditions which are so different to ours.

Tea, our tour guide.

He also provides context to particular features, at first unnoticed but then, once pointed out, apparent everywhere - like the fact that most Vietnamese houses are built with no side windows, only front and back ones. This is because everyone lives in such close proximity that no one wants to look out their window and see their next-door neighbour all the time (so Tea says anyway).

For that special room.

After about 90 minutes travel, it was time for a rest stop at a centre in a mining town that, for a number of reasons, is known as Red Star . It is a centre that was a target of ‘possession’ a number of times throughout history because of its valuable commodity – the name therefore denotes the struggle to defend it as a part of Vietnam, the blood that was shed and also the products of the mines – many precious gems, including the unique star ruby. This ruby, when held under a light, reveals a star emanating from its lustre. It is quite amazing.

Hard at work.

Our rest stop was at a centre which has been established as a social enterprise to provide training and employment for soldiers’ children who have a disability and would otherwise struggle to find work in a culture that heavily defines itself by productivity.

In this centre, young people are producing intricate works of embroidery, ceramics, clothes, jewellery and food. We wandered through watching them create their pieces which are then on display for purchase. One embroidery piece can take a month to complete, depending on its size and detail. Initially, this social concept came to life after the American War in which many people were genetically affected by the wanton spraying of agent orange across the area.

Jayne almost knocked me over in her eagerness to see the star rubies. Purely to see stones because they are so unusual. Not because she wanted to add one to her jewellery collection. There was a vast array of rings, earrings, pendants in both yellow and white gold. The star was indeed clearly visible under the light displays. Jayne selected a pendant but it was set in yellow gold – “No problem, our jewellers will reset it for you in white gold while you look around the centre.” That provided time for a couple of additional purchases and then the pendant came back reset, boxed with its certificate of authenticity. The Pandora disappointment of earlier in the week was wiped from memory. At least until we reach Ho Chi Minh.

It's a bit blurry, but you get the idea.

Back on the bus, we headed to Ha Long Bay where we were greeted at the Bhaya Cruise Centre at the marina. This is a waiting lounge for passengers to transit to and from the Ha Long cruise boats. It was very crowded, noisy and chaotic, so Hà Nôi, but thankfully we were not there very long before we were called to board the Àu Co II (pronounced ochre). The brief excitement here was due to an internet connection. The excitement and internet connection were both brief.

There is a lot of unfinished development.

We had already been given our cabin key so after passing through the traditional drum welcome on board, we went to our cabin to ensure our luggage had arrived. Once all was located, we headed upstairs for the welcome, introductions, orientation and safety briefing. The cabin is more spacious than anticipated and the air conditioning most welcome.

A king sized bed.

The verandah.

Lunch was then served, a four-course menu, as we cruised towards the south east part of the bay. It was immediately apparent that this is a very busy waterway with cruise ships and tankers everywhere. The waters are very calm and you are surrounded by limestone formations rising out of the water, most with sheer vertical sides. The mountains are thinly covered by vegetation, some sporting caves, where the waters have eaten the soft limestone. It is very beautiful but doesn’t quite live up to the ‘hollywood’ shots I’ve seen. The persistent haze removed any sharpness from the view.

Ok, it's colour enhanced.

These natural features provided some of the onboard offerings such as an afternoon visit to a small cave to walk through to a beach for swimming. The more energetic could go kayaking around the area. We elected to stay on board and enjoy the views from the deck. There was a bigger cave on offer tomorrow morning.

The 'small' cave.

After changing for dinner, the ship sailed to its anchor point for the night and everyone gathered on the bar/restaurant deck for happy hour, accompanied by a masterclass in spring roll making.

Another one.

Another four-course meal was served. We certainly won’t go hungry; this is an APT tour. The after-dinner experience - a Vietnamese rice wine tasting. Interesting. Wine? Not really. Saké. No. Liqueur? Most definitely. The lowest alcohol content was 28%. The taste varied with the product, obviously, although the ‘wine’ made from bark tasted like dirt. However, it had a medicinal element. It improves a bad back. So I drank Jayne’s as well. There was another that was strongly coconut flavoured and the pick of the bunch was Honey-Rose wine. The fourth one was as forgettable as the bark wine.

Sunset on the bay.

“Wine” that strong will ensure a good night’s sleep. After another busy day, we retired to our cabin to sleep in the quiet of the bay.

Until next time, if I can find an internet connection.