Well this should be different!
For the last two years, we have had great adventures driving Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. This year, we had planned to drive the US East coast from New York down to Key West, but we thought the coastline may have been somewhat ravaged by hurricane Sandy, so we have shelved that idea for a year or two.
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| Route 66 2011 - the beginning. Blog address: www.mooreroute66.wordpress.com |
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| Route 66 2012 - the end! Blog address: http://route66adventure2012.blogspot.co.uk/ |
Next on the bucket list? - Vietnam!
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| Map of Vietnam showing our three destinations. |
We haven't travelled in Asia before but my son, Dan, had such a great experience there a few years ago with his good friend Sharon that we were keen to give it a go.
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| Dan sailing on Halong Bay. |
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| Sharon enjoying a roof-top view. |
Our friends, Paul and Louise, are travelling with us and we are all besides ourselves with excitement! It's difficult to decide which parts we are looking forward to the most - the hustle and bustle of the cities, the amazing sights in Halong Bay, or the peace and tranquility of the beach resort. But hotels and internal flights are all booked and visas and currency all sorted.
For a couple of weeks, we will be millionaires as we get about 28,000 Vietnamese Dong for £1.
For a couple of weeks, we will be millionaires as we get about 28,000 Vietnamese Dong for £1.
We fly to Hanoi on 26th April 2013. Hanoi is the capital city and blends the old culture of Vietnam with modern French style - baguettes and street cafes are common. It is also a chaotic place and the big population of Hanoi is apparently all crowded on the streets, which are packed with bicycles, assembled bike-carets, tuk tuks, motorbikes, motorcycles, cars and pedestrians. It sounds like absolute transit craziness! Apparently, the north of the country has some weird menu choices including snake, porcupine, rat and dog! We probably need to highlight some words from the phrase-book so we know what to avoid on the menu!
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| The crazy, crazy streets in Hanoi! |
After a couple of nights there, we will spend a night on a junk out on Halong Bay - one of the most beautiful places in the world and a World Heritage Site. Halong Bay translates to "Descending Dragon Bay" and it's 1600 islands form a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. Because of their precipitous nature, most of the islands are uninhabited and unaffected by a man. The scenery will be amazing and the Junks are supposed to be quite luxurious. We will also get to visit one of the floating villages, where whole communities live on rafts, with shops and schools forming part of the village.
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| This has to be one of the most beautiful places on this Earth! |
We then spend a week chilling (in beach bungalows - sounds awesome!) in Danang at the foot of the Marble Mountains. It seems like we will be in the middle of nowhere, but with an amazing stretch of private beach. Although a few hundred yards walk down the beach and we will be able to watch the local fishermen hauling in their catches. Shuttle buses will mean that we have the choice of heading north to Hoi An or south to Danang if we tire of the solitude. Or a ten minute walk and we can visit the Marble Mountains. It's years since we had a beach holiday and we have a feeling that one week will be enough - we'll soon get itchy feet again!
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| Peace and tranquility for a few days! |
Lastly, we move onto Saigon (Ho Chi Min City) for the last few days, which has a larger population and is even more manic than the capital city of Hanoi! Just the name, Saigon, evokes countless images and expectations, with the chance to wander through alleys, teeming markets, ramshackle shops and historic pagodas. But there are also the sleek skyscrapers, designer malls, gourmet restaurants and minimalist bars. It sounds like an amazing metropolis!
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| Let's hope we never need to cross the road! |
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Looks amazing Mum.
ReplyDeleteVery jealous!
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