Vietnam: The Journey South

The 1700 km journey from Hanoi to Saigon can be done the easy way by plane, or the more adventurous way by bus. I chose the A/C bus. This involved a twelve hour trip by night in a sleeper coach and arriving in the City of Hue. I spent the day touring the local Temples and Citadel before finishing up on the Perfume River. By this time I was ready to sleep for twelve hours. How convenient: My next trip to Hoi An took twelve hours. This time I got to see the country side sometimes mountains, sometimes just rice-paddies. Several times I saw farmers standing on top of their water buffalos-never figured that one out. Could they have just been giving them a Vietnamese back massage?

I had a six hour stopover in Hoi An. Just enough time to get a cultural appreciation of this small resort town. Read that as a foot massage and a cold beer. If you like a small laid back touristy town, then you'll fit right in.

Next was Nha Trang. This is a seaside resort in the true sense. Still unspoiled by over development and hoardes of tourists, Nha Trang is a vibrant city with wide beaches, a fishing port and lots of affordable places to stay. $6 per night.