So we left Hoi An on 23 March and headed for the beach town of Mui Ne Vietnam, The bus which was 2.5 hours late was fill once everyone was on - it then stopped about 10 minutes into the journey and about 10 Vietnamese people piled on and sat/lay in the aisles..... for 6 hours! - Crazy! We arrived 17.5 hours after setting off and booked into a guest house right at the beach.
The day we want to travel by motorbike , we hired a motorbike and set off to the red sand dunes. These were amazing - golden dunes stretching for miles! We went dune sliding which was great fun. Getting back up however was hard work - 2 kids about 5 years old grabbed my hands and pulled me back up! We then stood watching taking in the views waiting for sunset. Our peaceful experience was soon ruined by 2 local kids about 10 years old who started swearing at us and throwing wet sand because we didn't slide with them. Initially we told them we would slide with them but 'later' after we had taken some photos - this wasn't good enough for them so they started swearing at us, calling us lairs and we would burn in hell - such charming children!!
We also visited the white sand dunes which were equally spectaculor, situated by a lake. They looked stunning against the blue sky. On our way there the motorbike skidded on some sand, the bike toppled over and we ended up in a small sand dune. When Tracey stood up I had to stop myself from laughing, she landed face first with her mouth open in the sand dune - her face was completely covered in sand, she looked like the Sand Monster in Spiderman 3! It was so funny. No major injuries, just a few bruises!
Travel in Mui Ne Vietnam, We spent 3 days in Mui Ne before travel to Dalat Vietnam which is quite high up on central Vietnam. There we spent the day with 2 ''easy riders'' which are basically motorbike tour guides. Was a great way to see the place - saw fab views of Dalat as we sped round the countryside high up in the hills! Visited a Pagoda which was made of thousands of beer bottles, took a cable car ride across Dalat, visited a tribal village (The Lats) out in the hills and bought sweets for the tribal kids which were quickly demolished!
Last stop in Vietnam was Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city). There are more motorbikes there than in Hanoi, didn't think that was possible! There we visited the War Remenants Museum which was a bit of an eye opener. It was mainly photos and images taken during the war, the majority of which were women and children. There were photos of people affected by toxins such as agent orange - it was all pretty horrific.
Next on the agenda was a trip to the Mekong Delta. Here we took 2 boat rides and a small canoe type boat along the Mekong River. I got a chance to hold a huge python, that was fun really heavy though!
We got chatting to a few people on that trip including a woman from Glasgow - Second Scottish person we have met in 3 months! We decided to go for ''a glass'' of vino which turned into 3 bottles of wine, several beers, cocktails as well as a local 'snake bite' shot which just about finished me off - a close second to Goan 'Fenny'!
The following day we went to see the Cu Chi tunnels which were used as hiding places during the war. The complex of tunnels had several floors buried deep underground which stretched to over 200km long. We had the opportunity to go down into the tunnels, this was a fascinating and claustrophobic experience. The tunnels were so small we had to either crouch and walk or crawl on hands and knees. It was exrtaordinary to think that people stayed down there for weeks on end! I was glad to see daylight again!
The best part of that trip was firing an AK47 rifle, although we nearly all jumped out of our skins when we heard the first shot being fired - it was so loud, deafening even! The impact of firing the rifle was very intense. The instructor held everyones shoulder when firing because of the impact.
That was our last day travel in Vietnam. Next stop ? Travel to Cambodia!
Away from the noise and bustle of Highway One, away from the crush of development, Quy Nhon offers the peace and tranquility of bygone times. As I walk down a side street I hear a song emanate from a radio and its lyrics engrave the essence of Quy Nhon in my memory:"...Today the streets are encased in sunlight, I am alone on an empty street. Far away, waves sing softly the song of my longing for you...".
I've been drawn to Quy Nhon for a long time. In my imagination, this is the place of the ruined Do ban citadel from which the rulers of Chiem Thanh city ruled unchallenged for so many years. In my mind I can hear horses neighing and solider shouting as they fight the deadly battles between Cham soldiers and those of the Vietnamese dynasties that imposed their might from the north. Later, once the area came under Vietnamese control, it gave birth to powerful military heroes (Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue and Nguyen Lu all hailed from this region).
There were artists too. Van Cao, a famous poet, painter and composer, came from here and wrote about the Cham towers that "take cover under the blue sky". His poetry inspired me to visit some of the towers, which draw thousands of tourists every year.
The twin granite towers in Thap Doi, just outside Quy Nhon, are as red as lipstick. They're relatively small and are humbled by the powerful sunlight that beats down on them, but they are unique from other towers in one way: their creators were heavily influenced by Hindu architecture and each tower is carved with Garudas, mythical birds still revered in Indonesia. North of the towers are two bridges where lovers have traditionally opened their hearts to each other with poems like this:
Two towers stand together, two bridges stand together, So why can't I get close to you?
Like the Egyptian pyramids, no one knows how the Cham were able to build these towers. Each brick was compacted tightly next to its neighbor before another was added above, yet none were tied with mortar. Without this glue, how did these monuments withstand the test of time and survive hundreds of years of rain and heat? The secret of their resilience increases their appeal.
Out of the city and along Highway One, four more beautiful towers come into view. These are the Banh It towers, named after a type of rice cake whose shape they resemble. The main tower is to the East because the Cham believed that an island in South China Sea (known in Vietnam as the Eastern Sea) was home to their gods. From the top of a nearby hill you can see each tower clearly. They are like four sunbeams falling from the sky, each one mighty in its lonely solitude.
Not far away are the Duong Long towers, a group of three exquisite buildings. They stand close to each other, with the tallest reaching 36 meters (120 feet) into the sky and the others an impressive 29 meters (95 feet). Some say they are the most beautiful of all remaining Cham towers, made so by the plethora of engravings that depicts gods, dancing girls, elephants, dragons and nagas (mythical snakes).
Quy Nhon is the capital of Binh Dinh province; know for its martial arts prowess. But from here too have come poets. One of its best known was Han Mac Tu, who died of leprosy in the early 20th century. I visited Quy Hoa hospital where he ended his days in peaceful repose, creating his life's last masterpieces. One night, as he gazed at the shimmering moon, he wrote this tribute to love:
Far away, a girl sits by the Nhan River washing silk dresses. Water becomes the moon and the moon becomes water. The silk is dampened by the watery moon. The girl is wrapped in moonlight, Only her cheekbones shine red. I want to hold the moon in my arms, I dream of the moon and pick at the moonlight.
When Han Mac Tu died, his remains stayed in Quy Nhon and his grave became a place of pilgrimage for many people. I visited it at nightfall, as the fading sunlight fell behind a mountain and splashed its dying golden rays over the sea around Quy Nhon. It was to the sound of waves crashing on these beaches that Tu was lulled into his unbreakable sleep. Behind his grave a painter, Dzu Kha, engraves Tu's poems on wooden palates for visiting tourists.
I had only a glimpse of Quy Nhon but I won't forget its pull; the ancient moss-covered towers, the gentle sounds of Tu's resting place in Gheng Rang, and the quiet rhythm of the sea.
Both Au Traveler & Luat Tran Van are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Au Traveler has sinced written about articles on various topics from Vietnam Travel. | . Au Traveler's top article generates over 590 views. to your Favourites.
Luat Tran Van has sinced written about articles on various topics from Site Promotion, Investments and Bankruptcy Lawyer. For more information about Vietnam, visit - Complete Vietnam Travel Guide.. Luat Tran Van's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.