Good Morning Vietnam!

Snake Heart Shot



Snake Meal

Halong Bay

Eating with Mr. Thai and fraants

Bu Ma Thot Lake

Mr. Thai

Buddhist Temple

Coffee Plantations in Dalat

Silk Factory

Our super ponchos

Ah Vietnam- home to one of the most famous wars connecting the east and the west, and quite literally a place that we knew nothing about! It was the biggest country on our trip so far, or as Hersh likes to say- "UGE." we allocated a little more than two weeks to explore this vast landscape starting from the Mekong delta in the south up along the eastern side towards Hanoi in the north. If the trecherous drive/ride to and across the border was any insight into this country, we were in for a serious awakening! Two large backpacks on crappy bikes along a rocky, unpaved road? Not so good.We finally make it to our destination (Mytho) and over our stay around the delta do the usual exploration of our new surroundings. Never in my life have I EVER been stared at that much for having a beard. I felt like an American in Bombay during the 1980's! Saving grace? We were actually complimented on this facial growth by a local...once.We moved on to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh city and visited museums, markets, gorged ourselves on Pho and even bought some Weasel Coffee; beans that have been passed through the digestive tract of a civet (not a weasel actually), cleaned and ground up into, apparently, the best and strongest cup o' joe. I decided to take a deep breath of the new purchase before it was packed up - quite aromatic! I was actually expecting a hint of poop, but to Hersh's dismay, t'was poopless.We eventually elevated ourselves to the hill station of Dalat, hoping for a break from the heat and humidity of the Delta and Ho Chi Minh city. Hersh and I both agreed that the 10 hour bus ride up to Dalat was eerily reminiscent of our Kodaikanal days. I, of course, dressed quite aptly knowing it would be cold, wearing Thai pants, slippers and a sleeveless Red Bull ganji. Quite toasty. Dalat was gorgeous, and although Hersh wasn't too happy, accompanied me to the flower park to see the Orchid farm. Most of these flowers are grown here and either the flower itself or the bulbs are sold around the rest of the country. We rented a bike and made our way to the park with brand-new $0.30 ponchos for the rain, styled with an array of little blue polka dots. Perhaps pink would have been more fun? Driving back in HEAVY rain, however, was NOT fun. The cold weather, plastic-bag thin ponchos and lack of warm clothing was a bad combination. Not to mention being regularly engulfed by puddle splashes from passing cars. We both got drenched to the bone and I had a bad feeling I was going to get sick...
Our subsequent exploration of Dalat and it's surroundings involved roaming the countryside on "Easy Rider" bikes. Apparently it was an organization set up by a few locals about 10 years ago who would drive tourists around on their single-engine bikes, giving historical, industrial and cultural lessons about Vietnam for a fee. There were Many different trails to choose from, ranging from one-day countryside tours to 10 day expeditions of the country; driving all the way up to Hanoi city! We were both excited yet apprehensive at the same time, and decided to try a one-day outing first. As wonderful as South-East Asia is, scams are quite rampant and we did not want to be forced to spend a significant amount of money and time with a couple of hustlers.Our apparent fears were put to rest as the expedition was superb! It was comfortable and the drivers spoke the best English we had heard in a long time. Breaking down the language barriers truly prevented any miscommunication and actually allowed for great conversation. The drive alone was gorgeous in itslef! Very picturesque...or as some desis like to say, "picture-skew." We were taken around to a few very unique Buddhist temples, a waterfall, silk factory, rice wine house, flower farm and one of many coffee plantations in the region. We also ate (in my opinion) the BEST local food in the entire country-but about that, later. I know, this doesn't sound THAT interesting, but beleive you me, actually seeing this side of Dalat was quite wonderful. I liked it so much that I decided to go on a three-day trip with Mr. Thai! Unfortunately, Hersh was the one that got sick and decided to stay back. We were later reunited in Hoi An. Mr. Thai - he was proficient in English, short, a chain-smoker, loved rice wine as well as women. In the 10 years that he has been riding, we were the FIRST Indians ever to Easy Ride! This was quite an honour to say the least. We travelled by road from Dalat-Bo Ma Thot-Nha Trang. The drive was serene, and I was able to see the country in a whole new light, ranging from the remnant Agent Orange damage, a tribal village, a brief visit to a National Park, and landmarks that created a visual addition to my very basic knowledge of "Nam." Did I retain most of that info? No. But again, it was the experience itself that I enjoyed. The food- ah, the food. It was so local and so delicious that even Anthony Bourdain would be jealous of what my tastebuds had witnessed! Fried pork, BBQ pork, fish soup, morning glory (that's a vegetable), stir fried beef, calamari...the list goes on! All accompanied with a large bowl of rice...and alcohol. The pictures speak for themseleves-Delicious! The more enjoyable aspect was how several dishes were ordered and shared. Perfect way to sample. Mr. Thai and I had some great drunken conversation and soon parted ways in Nha Trang.
Hersh and I were eventually reunited and moved on towards the north. On entering Hanoi were introduced to a special trip that is made by many tourists, and one we could not skip- a three day boat trip to an area called Halong Bay. The main attractions were the several tiny island outcrops that shot out of the water - something like giant menhirs scattered across the sea. It was a tad expensive by any standard, but we were warned that pinching pennies would result in a "get what you paid for" experience. The trip was assumably fantastic, as we drank semi-heavily, fished for squid, canoed around the area and even dove off the top of our boat into the open ocean - oh yeah, and we saw the outcrops as well. We did meet some very cool Canadian/French Canadian people there and on our return decided to get a very interesting meal together - snake.Some brief research and a short cab ride away brought us to a place called Le Mat or "Snake Village." Apprehension soon set in as we were negotiating price and picking the little sucker who would end up on our bellies. I soon made it clear that I would not endorse a Cobra- a common grass or rat snake would make me feel less awful about what we were going to do. This snake-eating us a complete performancetp say the least. The snake is first knocked out and the heart and gall bladder removed. The heart is put onto a shot glass of blood and rice wine, followed by the bile. The heart? Still beating. Unfortunately our snake was not knocked out, and before I could even protest, the deed was done. I was quite upset. Since noone wanted to shoot the organ, I obliged. Pointless, and one experience I would never suggest to anyone. It was made worse when we realistd that the food we were served was pre-made, and not with the snake that was picked. Leaving that horrendous place was my main priority at that point. It would be a little different if these snakes were farmed like they should be, but this had turned into something touristy; snakes are removed straight from the forest. Eventually this can prove to be hazardous and quite cruel -I realized I had gone against my better judgement. Again, I will not support this kind if experience to anyone.
Besides that one bad part, Vietnam as a whole was lovely. At this point Hersh and I were quite anxious to leave and move on to Europe. We are currently halfway on our journey and can comfortably say - "South-East Asia, done."