News Years Eve Gala Dinner with a Aussie Twist

Dinner was great!  A large range of beautifully presented and delicious food at the buffet best eaten in small portions in the Vietnamese way.  We enjoyed the musical entertainment, male and female singers (some in English some not), violin solo, saxophone solo, a group of 4 female dancers from Da Nang did 3 segments, a fashion parade of the latest trend in shorts, jackets and hip clothes for teenagers, lucky draws (we didn't win anything) and music to dance to.  There were two presenters, one spoke in Vietnamese and other in English.  At 10:30 when they wished everyone a Happy New Year and said good night.  Hmmmm, by then, we had made friends with 2 girls from Melbourne, 2 blokes from Melbourne and a couple from Germany who did the most amazing Tango) and we had rearranged the tables so that we all sat together and were talking away like old friends.  Had decided to go up to the top floor to continue our evening and were heading to the door when the staff decided to bring out some champers, well what could be do?  Couldn't say no could we?  So we stayed and danced.  One of the girls had her iPod which we hooked up to their PA system and lo and behold, more people came to dance and the wait staff were bopping away in the background with big smiles on their faces.  Our favourite waiter Quan who was looking after us and bringing me copious bottles of water is the spitting image of my grandson Thomas, even has the same cheeky smile.

So at 11:45 we headed up to the roof with a spare bottle to crack at the right time, closely followed by anyone else who wanted to come.  Must have been about 20 people.

Overall a very memorable night and some new friends made.

 

Welcome cocktail of pineapple juice

 

The presenters

 

Da Nang dance group in one of their costumes

 

The dance party

 

At midnight on the roof - can't see the city lights but it was beautiful

 

Lozza, Quan and Carol at the photo point

 

Imperial Hotel New Year's Eve Gala

We have booked some entertainment and a banquet in the Grand ball Room, with Welcome Cocktail reception, New Year's Eve Gala Dinner Buffet Menu with over 54 dishes , new Years Eve Music program, fashion show , Free Flow till 22:30 H and a Lucky Draw.


Photos to follow

Sleeping Bus Jaunt

Well Saturday morning we decided as we were very near to a number of english speaking tour guides and booking agencys we would find out allaout our travel options.
So after much looking we booked with Hahn Cafe a open tour bus ticket for two adults and 2 bikes. Yes the bus would be at our hotel door at 2:00-2:30, so like good patient tourists we got there early and the bus eventually came at 3:46. Many sleeper busues passed us and the day manager came out to tell us that the bus was coming.
 The bus trip was meant to have toilet and food stops at 2 loactions but it only stopped at each place for about 5 minutes. We had to get our bikes off at one and change from the new bus to a much older bus. I had to take the front wheels off and lower the seats.
This bus was full and Carol was given the smallest most awkward seat on the bus. I tried to explain that it was too small for her but the man said this was one of our 2 allocated seats.
 So I spent the night in the hardly any legroom seat on top of the locked toilet. Once I got my pillow set and decided  between foetal right or left the night awaited me.


Waiting for our Sleeper Bus.

3 rows across , 7down and 2 levels. The back row was 5 top and bottom elbow to elbow.

Hai Van Pass Tunnel 6.3 km

 

 

Sitting room with a balcony and view of the street.

Dinner friday at Hon Rom beach

Afternoon swim followed by shower/ clothes washing in the shower/ sunset beach walk and dinner.
Wine is a highly rare form of relaxation in VN. In all the time we have been travelling in VN we have rarely encountered anything other than beer. Yes we did find some scotch, gin and here in Mui Ne VODKA is everywhere for the Russians but plain white or red wine is extremely rare. We do keep trying and we don't go to the high end places but beer is everywhere both hot and cold. They sell you a hot can of beer and a glass or ice, well the glass has a cylinder of ice in it slightly smaller than the glass. This really suits me as I always drank at the North Star and legend has it that back in the 70s it was watered down. It also helps lower the beer from full strength to mid which is much better for everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Friday 28th

Well we have had a very undulating day. One very steep hill and lots of headwind ,heat, hunger, thirst and tiredness. We didn't get a long way but we sure enjoyed our day.

1. We found the post office, tip always look for the largest telecommunications tower in town.
2. We paid for bicycle parking and gave a tip.
3. We once again ate out at a local very fresh produce market, not just bananas.
4. We again tried to find out about sleeper buses and bikes on trains.
5. We passed through the very Russian sea side tourist strip Mui Ne, where all the menu's are in VN and Russian.
6. No kids called out to us in Mui Ne only an Aussie couple.
7. We slept away our midday break at the top of a hill in hammocks.
8. We ate local food for lunch even using the correct words.
9. We tried to find out where the next hotel was only to be told there aren't any more you will have to turn back.
10. We cycled on to find a beachside holiday village for VN people where we are enjoying ourselves immensely.
11. Our bed is 30m from the surf so tonight will be wonderful, we have an ensuite, mini bar , air con, wifi and most of all a fabulous view of the ocean.
12. Dinner tonight will fresh from the kitchen now setting up in the courtyard outside our room.
13. Now I am off to find my newest lucky number 333.

Top of the hill Phan Thiet PO tower in the distance

Approach to Mui Ne Resort strip 

Looking back at Mui Ne Resort strip

Mui Ne Fishing Village 

 

Carol admiring the view and taking in the fresh smell of open fire cooking from the courtyard below.

 

 

Night Lights Phan Thiet

Martial Arts in the park.

Happy New Year

 

Exploring Phan Thiet

We went looking for the local tourist info centre only to find it had shifted. We went for a walk up the beach intending to have swim but ended up changing our minds. We headed off to the the local train station and found out we can't put our bikes on the train to city hop and help us get easily to Hanoi.
When we were walking on the beach we found a fisherman emptying his nets. The boats coricles are traditional in shape some being hand made and some made from more modern materials.

There was a small net washed up the shore with many bottles as floats. They net here very close to the shore like 40m from the waves.

 

Wonderful breakfast Encounter

This morning while waiting in the foyer for our thermos to be filled with hot water I met Sam an Australian English teacher, heading out with her two friends Kerry and Jocelyn for breakfast at the Bonsai Cafe.
 Carol and I followed Sam's instructions and after finding the yellow flowering tree and the Lions at the entrance we joined three lovely Australians for a beautiful breakfast in pleasant surrounds for a refeshing conversation and great food.  

Boxing Day Departure

We woke to no electricity at all in La Gi. So would the automatic roller door work to release our bikes from the under ground carpark? Would we be able to leave on time today? Yes & Yes. We had to pay in cash as they couldn't use the card reader or print us a receipt so lucky we had a stash of cash.
The bikes alone attract lots of attention as they look nothing like the typical bikes in VN. The VN bikes look very similiar to each other,chrome finish, adult size, unisex, single speed,  hub brakes, mudguards, front basket and back carrier.

Packed and ready. Breakfast was watermelon, bananas,  pineapple and lemon green tea.

 My bags and our spare tyres.

 

 

  Our first leg of 20 km was out to the National hwy A1. We stopped at a roadside market and bought some sugarcane juice and a small 2 m section of soft tiedown webbing.  The markets are very old and highly interesting. We both feel very tall in VN I kept hitting my head on rusty tin and rough timber tarp supports. We could have bought everything from a live fish to "made while you wait" new dress.

 

 

Our very first Highway  Hammock Cafe . We pulled up and tried to get served by a small boy about 8 years old. The man across the road from another food outlet wandered over and did the transaction for the owner.

 

We think Australia should have this, it's just what a weary traveller needs.

Bird catching the Vietnamese way, a stick stuck in a hole in a post with a sticky bit on the end and a mobile phone playing bird calls.  He didn't catch any this time but we followed him and his mate along the highway a few klms and saw a few in the box on the front of their bike.  Poor little sparrows.

The main highway between Saigon or HCMC and Ha Noi is very busy.  There are 2 lanes for cars, trucks, buses and two smaller lanes on the outside for scooters, motor bikes and push bikes.  Every now and then we saw white outlines on the road where an accident had been.  Ambulances and police cars very prevalent.  We made it safely to Pham Thiet before dark and took the first hotel we stopped at.  The traffic is just unbelievable!

We are still waving and saying hello to everyone as they call out, I think I know how the royal family feel now, without the paparazzi of course.  They are just so excited when we say hello and wave to them, kids and adults alike.  I am sure it's the beard and our bikes.  One group of young men came rushing over to chat and look at our bikes.  They were fascinated by the GPS and were joined by a group of adults who insisted we take 2 dragon fruit, why?  oh because there was a space on Lozza's carrier and you just can't have an empty space can you?  We have ridden past hundreds of acres of dragonfruit today, they are just everywhere in this part of the country.

They also just had to have their photo taken, Krystal - note the Herbalife shirts!!!!



 

Last night in La Gi

 We now have a favourite food shop just up the road on the corner. It comes to life late in the day and stays open till very late. People just ride up and stop, stay on their bikes, order, pay and ride away. We have just about eaten all their different food in the time we have been here in La Gi. We just point or order something that someone else has just ordered. My favourite is the egg custard creme caramel with coffee syrup and shaved ice. Carol just loves  the paw paw smoothies.

Christmas Day at the beach Giang Sinh

 Our Christmas Day Beach Resort.

Our serviced table with a view and easy walk from free parking.

 Some outside tables at the resort.

Heading off for a swim in boardies and rash top.
 

Christmas Eve in La Gi

Well today we have had a much slower day wondering around La Gi. It has been very much a rest day. The people are very friendly and very curious about us.
 We wondered across some markets and had some fruit and sticky rice. Carol managed to buy some material for a new project.

 Free range cattle in the back streets of La Gi.

 Waterfront sculptures from around the world

The blue boats stretch as far as the eye can see. Santa is everywhere on every corner and in most shops and homes. There is also a big prevalence of Nativity scenes.

These are the most amazing decorations. They consist of a small coloured plastic soccer ball with cups glued all over it and then fairy lights entwined all around it. They are brilliant and home made.

Merry Chrtistmas from Lozza and Carol

 

2 hours after sunset

Well it really got nteresting today. We set ourselves a big day but the head wind made it a giant day. We finally got to a town with a hotel at 7:30, 2 hours after sunset. The internet is a perculiar animal, search hotel and a location and you come up empty, even though there are plenty of hotels at that location.
We had a wonderful day, full of hundreds of kids and adults calling out hullooo and we call back hello and sin chao. It seemed as though  we were actually a novelty as lots of adolescents laughted lots on seeing us. One young bloke even called out WTF when he saw us pedalling along. We saw a very agricultural perspective today with lots of rice, water buffalo, cattle in small sheds & tehtered everywhere.  The people are extremely friendly and very helpful. We called into a Cafe withWifi and talked about food and the lady almost walked across the street and ordered it for us. WOW. We both have cycling abrasions from friction, the sweat and humidity.
 We are still trying to get the GPS and the map book to match. We  have the most up-to-date micro SD card but life is always ahead of technology.

 Skating Rink ,wooden floor, loud music and ramp. Carol almost got the whole rink in the shot. I really tried hard to get her to have a skate. We have one down the road from our hotel so I have my fingers crossed that Carol will have a skate some time soon.

 

On the Road Sat. & Sun

Well we cycled from Vung tau to Ba Ria via Long Dien after we got lost and couldn,t find anywhere to stay. There are no hotels is rural hamlets as it seems. We are in Phuoc Buu for one of many extended lunch breaks we intend to take to break up our days and to cycle out of the midday heat.

We had a great breakfast by just sitting down at an open air kitchen and they just gave us the same as they regulars.
We have rearranged our trip and now intend to use the train for some of the trip as our stay in Singapore has enhanced our holiday but limited our possible kms on the bikes.
This is the breakfast spot and below is typical Vietnamese Ice Coffee.