8 days on the back of a bike

beautiful landscapes, friendly people, sunburnt hands (until I got some gloves and a scarf to hide them under), “monkey bum” and a millions things to see and try to take in! Hence - lots of photos (don't say I didn't warn you)!!


First night was to Lak Lake, and a beautiful village on the edge of the lake. Apparently the man who runs the restaurant also controls which houses the tourists stay in, sharing it out evenly to make sure that every family gets a turn at hosting tourists, and bringing in a little money. There are a couple of little shops selling weavings, scarfs, wooden elephants, but for the most parts, it is a tradition village. The people fish and farm, chopping up banana trees for pig food and leading the cows and buffalo out to the fields.




Back on the bike early in the morning, an off to Dalat. lots more to see on the road. We stopped off at a brick making factory where one of the ladies requested that we take a photo together

as well as driving past lots of farmers and beautiful scenery.
At Elephant falls I also met this girl, after she came and took our photo together I handed her friend my camera and asked her to take another on it..... both girls look so confused at me wanting the photo too! I have decided this is how I will react to any future photo requests!



Visits to beaches (Mui Ne and Long Hai)then off to the Mekong.

On the way we had an..... interesting altercation with the traffic police.
Basically, in Vietnam the speed limits are as follows: bikes in town: 40km, bikes out of town: 60km. 4 wheeled vehicles in town 50 or 60 and out of town 80km.

So, we drove through a town at a respectable 40km, we went past the sign that said end of town. we sped up to 50...... pulled over by police (along with EVERY other motorbike on the road. Apparently, even though there was no signage at all and even though we were out of town, that entire road is 40km/hour. So the options were pay a 750K (37ishAUD) VND fine..... which involves waiting 2 days for the fine to be processed, returning to the same police station to receive the fine, then either spending half the day going from desk to desk trying to pay it, or pay someone else to go pay it for you (they magically take only 30 minutes to pay the fine through some sort of special deal with the police). Or, over the cop about half of the fine amount to make it just go away. The entire system leans towards the second option, except for those people who don't have any cash on them. So Thanh gave him 300K(15AUD) and we continued on our merry way. Apparently the police have to pay their way into the job.... and this is a good way to make some of that money back! Everyone pulled over stated that they saw no sign, even people local to the area were getting caught and they told us that it has always been 60 before now! but there is really no choice but to give them the money and move on, arguing is just going to up the fine, or get your licence confiscated for some time. Or worse who really knows!


I very much enjoyed the delta, lots of canals, lush farms, healthy ground for excellent farmings. And quiet, relaxed towns and villages.
boat trips up the quiet rivers (except at Can Tho.... where the river is in fact a floating market and so people come to offer us coffee, or soup, and hold up any sort of vegetable/fruit imaginable on poles to display what they have for sale).



We also had a particularly "only in Vietnam" moment on a Ferry crossing. The ticket collector/people organiser kept gesturing people onto the boat, gesturing for those of us already on the boat to squish forward more and more. Eventually the motors started noisly. and nothing much else happened. The driver started yelling at the peole organiser.... various passengers started yelling at the driver,, or organiser, or someone. A few people got off (not necessarily the last people to get on) and everyone crowded to the very front of the ferry. Turns out, it was so full that it wasn't able to pull away from the on ramp, the organiser kept moving people and bikes closer and closer to the front. Eventually we got unstuck and were on our way.




Then away from the calm, beautiful (when you ignore the trash everywhere) Delta and into the insanity that is Ho Chi Minh City.
as we entered, Thanh explained that his sister lived quite close to where we were, and would I mind dropping in to see her, otherwise he would basically have to do 2 extra trips through the centre of the city to see her, then through again to leave. I agreed, because it seemed to make much more sense, seemed more interesting that wandering around the backpacker area of saigon alone.
So we went, and I played with some children, then we went to the markets, back for a home cooked meal and finally on to find a hotel for the night. Way more interesting than hanging out in district 1 alone.



Then through the busy busy streets of HCMC. A stop to cool the overheated bike halfway - apparently manual bikes are terrible in HCM because of the constant stop/starting/clutching/lack of air to cool them. After a few minutes we got going again and found a hotel. I slept, wandered around the city in the morning, then off the the airport and home to Danang!

travel time!

First stop Buon Ma Thuot. Land of coffee, and farms and hill tribes.
I learnt to roll spring rolls, and deep fry them.
Rode a motorbike.... after my clumsy efforts in the driveway (but, to be fair, it IS pretty hard for anyone to ride a motor well in that tiny space!) it was unanimously decided that we should go to a big empty park where the likelihood of someone dying was significantly less. I didn't do too bad, but it is much harder with someone on the back!

I got invited to join a new family and become daughter number 6. But only after I ask my parents permission to join a second family.

The next day featured a trip to the local museum. It was interesting. A whole section was dedicated to proving that a couple of groups of islands should belong to Vietnam, not China. Apparently China is trying to claim that the islands being to them, because between the islands and Vietnam is a whole lot of oil. So Vietnam has gathered any proof possible, like letters to kings discussing trade and Chinese atlases.

tripping out to some waterfalls, they were nice enough reminds me how perfectly lucky we are in north queensland. Before we left, I asked if I should grab some swimmers, Chung explained that it is much, much to dangerous to swim. So I am picturing something like the crystal cascades, masses of water, and undercurrents.

It's a fairly big waterfall, and a nice big, slow pool of water. I started questioning why exactly this is so very dangerous? Apparently the dangerous was actually just because Vietnamese people as a whole tend to not be able to swim. At all.

I don't understand how, they all live next to the ocean, or in the mountains with rivers and lakes.

The waterfall was nice enough, but way nicer was a walk up a deserted looking path to a beautiful calm river, with crystal clean water and people snail collecting for a lunch time bbq.

The next day we met up again to go to a traditional village, Chung was very excited to take me to this village to see how people live traditionally. Half way there (it was an hour's ride away) I started thinking.... I don't really feel super great. annnnndddd projectile vomit. After getting rid of breakfast I felt quite good, and they were so excited to show me the village, that we kept on going.

Once we arrived.... I started feeling less great again. especially after taking one look at the "village" which was like some sort of theme park. but instead of rides, or anything interesting..... shops, all selling the exact same scarfs, wooden nick nacks, ice cream cones and various other anything they can attempt to hock to tourists.

The main attraction was bamboo walkways that you pay for access to. They were actually quite nice, and for $2 to a westerner ok to walk along the bridges under giant trees and over a wide river that cools down the air a little. These bridges led to a island with a stage and singing, I think there was some sort of traditional dancing, a restaurant and some elephant rides.
I choose to just find somewhere reasonably quiet and lie down while the others enjoyed lunch. This lie down was interrupted by a group of teenagers coming over to take their photo with me. After a lie down I managed to vomit some more, and then get back to the hotel on the back of the bike to lie down and have a rest!

Mui Ne - oh god, what have you done

Apparently Miu Ne is a beautiful beach, with clean sand and calm safe water. My guide book mentions it very vaguely as a fishing village with the pervasive smell of their famous fish paste.

It is some sort if hell. I don't know how beautiful the beach is.... I walked for 45minutes without finding a way to get to said beach. Russian developers have bought all the land in the beach side of the road, and built expansive resorts. There is no way to access the beach, except by staying in these resorts. There are "cheaper"(but still expansive compared with any other town) hotels on the non beach side...... but then all you get to do is walk along the ugly road, being harassed by people trying to sell expansive beachy type clothes (most were more than I would pay for similar clothes in Australia, and crap looking quality).

Apparently Russians don't need a visa to come to vietnam, this is because when surveyed they spend more than any other tourist. But they all come and do a Russian owned bus tour, that goes to Russian owned hotels and resorts with on site ships, restaurants, experiences (kite surfing, massage etc.). So yes, the Russian tourists spend more than me.... but other than possibly the wage of a few cleaners, and a couple of expansive shirts.... it all for a back to Russia. And for that, they have destroyed what was apparently once upon a time a nice village.

On any other beach (or park, it waterfall) there are some hotels, people renting chairs, people selling food, or hats, or drinks, or trinkets. But everyone is able to make some little amount if money from whatever nice thing that town has.

Miu Ne has ruined any chance of locals who don't have the capital to set up a whole shop making any money, and the resorts Chase away the fishermen that originally used the beach to catch fish, and make fermented fish paste to sell to the inland areas.

So, my advice, don't bother with Mui Ne, its main claim to fame are some red and sole white sand dunes, and they sure aren't anything to write home about. I think it is a hot spot for kite surfing and windboarding, but I know you can find plenty of much nicer places for that.

Although, it is the only place in Vietnam I have seen ostrich riding. Advertised with a giant sign reading: "enjoy a relaxing ostrich ride adventure." I just can't imagine that riding an ostrich is at all relaxing.

My other favourite site of Mui Ne was called fairy stream. After we checked in Thanh, my guide, asked if I would like to walk up fairy stream. And I thought, well that sounds lovely. It's, a stream. Not an exciting or at all particular beautiful stream. But, because it has a sign, and a nice name... masses of tourists were walking up it constantly. I think this OS hilarious, if you build a sign... they will come

An easyrider afternoon

This post is somewhat belated.... just realised that it never published properly!


Sally (another volunteer) met Mr Uyen in Hoi An and travelled back after her weekend holiday with him.
He seemed nice, and spoke good enough English. So I figured (before committing to a weekend or weeklong easy rider tour.... I'll try out an afternoon! Plus, I wanted to get to Marble mountain and using him as a taxi seemed like a good plan.

So, first off to Marble Mountain.
I did see MM 3 years ago, but it is beautiful and well worth another trip! Lots of caves, statues and pagodas to look at.


Then we headed to the opposite side of Da Nang to look at the pagodas and giant lady buddha (seriously, this thing is huge!)

But on the way stopping off at a little fishing community on the outskirts of DaNang


I think those round boats look impossible to row, but apparently they are quite easy! I will have to try to hire one someday and find out for myself!

Then up to the pagoda, with a giant lady Buddha, lots of people, hundreds of people. Combination of locals going to pray during Tet. Tourist buses stopping for the view, and tourist like me

dont travel during Tet! just dont.

Yesterday I met a family of aussies, ended up having breakfast and dinner with them....in 2 different towns!
They asked how my Tet was, and I raved excited as in my Tet post. Friendly people, celebration, eating, music, eating.
I looked at them closer, They looked tired, and brow beaten... oh, yeah... how has that gone for you guys... I was specifically told not to travel during Tet. Interesting, none of the guide books say, in giant red letters (or any letters), do not travel during Tet!

Buses and trains are full of people traveling to see families. Reputable businesses, especially tourist companies are closed. If the company is open for business. the staff are likely unhappy as they are not making the once year pilgrimage home to see family. And instead of starting the year happy and relaxing, they are working and angry.
It also becomes more impossible to tell, am I paying more because Tet (prices do rise, significantly for some things), am I paying more because white, is it both?

If buses aren't already full... It's because there are 30 people in an 18 seater (they counted). This works by a combination, many people on each seat, and these little metal stools they put in the walkway when they run out of seats.

I really felt for this poor family, they had bad travel timing, and by the soundsalso the worst luck with people trying to scam them ($5 for w coconut?) Seems excessive. but, they laughrd about it, remembered the great parts of travelling and had a memorable family holiday!
Pity they are leaving now... just when things go back to normal!

But lovely people, was much better than eating by myself!.

So, remember... don't try to move around during Tet! Take a few days off to relax in one place, you might even get invited to a local party that way!

Tet time

So, as previously mentioned Tet is celebrated as the new lunar year. It goes for 3 days.

Tet is a very important time. As well as being the new year, it is considered a new start. The aim is to start the year how you will begin, so everyone has brand new clothes, people give lucky money out to friends or family (usually to the children, and any arguments of feuds are forgotten. On the other side, it is extremely unlucky to start the year in debt, so everyone tries to settle any accounts and start fresh.
families pray to ancestors and burn things that the ancestors might need in the afterlife (paper cutouts of houses, clothes,apparently the richer families also burn paper iphone and castles). Lots of visiting relatives, friends, neighbours.

I have found it an amazing time to visit Vietnam. Everywhere has a happy, friendly, excited feel particularly the children, who are running around hopped up on sugar and so proud of their new clothes and handful of money(like Christmas). It is also a very hopeful time as people embrace the new year and hope for the best luck in the coming year.


Tet day 0.5 (or New Years's eve)

We started the last day of the year going off t the orphanage as usual. But after lunch we instead had the afternoon off. Time to go and have a look at the Cham museum, then get ready for an afternoon Tet party at our cooks house. For a number of reasons the party was cancelled, and moved to our house instead. So we feasted (so much food!) and then went on an adventure to the flower market.

Every family has flowers or trees in their homes at Tet, I am not really sure why, but I guess it is lucky? The traditional tree is a tangerine (I am pretty sure that's what it is) that is full of fruit. But these are extremely expansive and so lots of people instead use flowers.

The flower market was a new years eve trip because apparently it is 2 whole fields, full of trees and flowers and an amazing site. However, all the prices are slashed on new years eve..... So by the time we got there not many flowers left at all! But we got to look at some of the trees and buy some cheap flowers for the volunteer house. Then as we were leaving we came across people who had just cut the tops off lots of flowers and throw them away. So we scavenged through to get some extras!


We got home and went onto the roof to watch the fireworks at midnight (which meant that all the leftover food, and extra food that suddenly appeared got taken up with us and we were expected to eat more).

Tet day 1
Off to the family village of some of the Vietnamese staff this morning. We met lots of family, walked through the rice fields, ate lots of food, played with the kids..... then went to someone elses house.... and were faced by a table full of food! Turns out, at every house you go to they will offer food and beer and "wine" (which is mostly either an extremely sweet and strong port-like wine, or spirits). If you don't eat the food, they will assume you don't like the food, or you don't like them. People are also fond of handing you more and more food, putting stuff into your bowl if you have a bowl, or just passing you a handful of nuts, or candies. So I am learning to slowly nibble at things, and always hold one thing, regardless of if I actually want to eat it or not!
One of our volunteers left about 2pm to go to the airport.... So then there was 2.....


We were taken home for a quick rest..... before dinner at the physiotherapist's house. (seeing a food based pattern yet?)

Tet Day 2
Morning Pho and coffee and saying goodbye to the other volunteer in the morning. Then off to the house of some of the vietnamese staff. For food of course. I tried to help with the cooking, not sure if I was a help or a liability as I was given the job of frying some sort of spring rolls. Some of them got... broken, but in the end I think they were ok!
We feasted, neighbours and friends dropped in, it was good.

After lunch we played a Vietnamese gambling game.... there is a piece of paper with 6 pictures (mostly animals) and 3 dice with those pictures. You put money on which ever animal you want to bet on, the dice are rolled and you win (or lose). There were 6 or 7 of us playing, with 1000 and 2000VND notes (so 5 or 10 cents) and it was hilarious fun!

I went home after this for a rest, and a walk. And was picked up by Kim (house coordinator - and my Tet social secretary) to go the the house of her friend for dinner. Who lives out of town in a little village. It was much fun, I got to pick the veges, and meet the pigs and the dogs. Eat lots of delicious foods. But, I forgot the golden rule. And just as i finished eating a piece of delicious deep fried new years rice cake, that I was too full to eat, but felt like I better try one piece seeing as it is the traditional food.... Kim announces that we will go to another friends house to eat more. O.o

I think she saw the look of horror and fear on my face.... and promised I could just eat a couple of watermelon seeds and a biscuit or two and they will be satisfied!


Tet day 3
Breakfast at a beautiful cafe. think big gardens, with ponds, flowers, trees and tables scattered through. Then, off to Kim's auntie's house for lunch. We were early, so went for a walk to a near by pagoda (so quiet, and calm and relaxing!). I met the woman who looks after the pagoda, who gave me a little good luck charm.

Then back for lunch in which many people regularly told Kim to feed me more. Then next door for drinks and nibblies.
Home for a nap, then back to dinner!

Tet is a crazy time, full of food, and fun and sitting in peoples houses explaining that I from Op (Australia) I am hai muoi bon (24), no, I am not married. This is the list of questions every new person I meet will ask!

A taste of freedom

This afternoon we went to the DaNang baby orphanage.
This is a much nicer place! They have a maximum of 10 kids at any time and 2-3 carers.

We were discussing trying to take the kids out for a walk, maybe leaving the 3 babies at home with one carer. And then the 3 volunteers, 3 care and share staff and one volunteer to take the other 6. however today we were short staffed. and so the carers said just into the front yard.

It was probably for the best. The kids were terrified to go out of the room they live in.



It was kind of surreal to be looking at this line of 5 kids all standing at the door looking out, too scared to even take a step onto the concrete. This photo was a little later, but these 4 still were too scared to come out until we picked them up one at a time and carried them around. Usually they sleep, eat, play in that room behind them. the doors are usually open but there is a kind gate stopping them coming out into the courtyard. So they have seen the courtyard before, it isn't totally foreign.

once we carried them around and showed them the view.... they got pretty excited




--> This little girl is one of the shyest. She takes a long time to warm up to new volunteers, she is also very quiet and passive, wont make a fuss when any other kids steal her toys. And always looks so serious! I think this is the first time I have seen her smile. she enjoyed walking around for a little bit.... then went back inside and played in the peace and quiet while the other kids ran around outside. Then she came back and stared at people going past! <--
--> This little boy is one of the oldest kids. He is a bit rough sometimes, stealing toys and the like. But outside, he just ran around laughing. He loved having the space! He is also one of the more outspoken kids. when they were all lined up at the gate watching two guys playing soccer in the road he was yelling out "well done" whenever they kick it!
This boy was also the first kid to agree to be carried outside. While i was walking around showing him everything he just stared, with massive eyes and softly said "wooooowwwww"


--> watching the street for anything interesting. The first car that went past the kids all got scared and ran away.







Unfortunately at the moment it isn't really child friendly out here. In one corner is a tap, big wet slimy patch of concrete and a large bucket of water covered by a raincoat and pane of glass!
on the other side are a whole lot of "washing lines" that are wooden frames with nails and screws sticking out of them to hang the clothes from.
We are planning to fence in the corners so that the washing line things can be moved to behind the fence easily, and the kids can't get to the tap. Then hopefully we can get a little foam mat to soften the concrete and put up some climbing frames or a ball pit. I was hoping to buy one of those really little and basic climbing gyms. They cost $100-200 at toys r us, people seem to keep them in the sun for years without too much damage. But to buy them here was going to cost more like 5-600! crazy! So - anyone from Australia who is planning to come over (volunteers, students? anyone) I am sure those things don't weigh much at all. If someone can bring one over as luggage I will happily pay for it (they come flat packed in cardboard boxes I believe) and the excess baggage costs!!!

Otherwise we will find something here! Just having the space to run around in and a couple of balls to kick will be exciting enough for the moment! I am very excited to come back after Tet and work on getting this space safe, so they can come out more often! We are also talking about painting on of the blank walls, hopefully some with a mural, and some with blackboard paint so they can draw with chalk.



--> He had to ask what this was. He didn't know it was a leaf, or if came from a tree, He is 3 years old. I am not sure he has ever really seen a tree before. The only time they go outside of the house is to go to the doctors apparently.