Arrived in Hanoi, visited the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake, and the Temple of Literature.
To Vietnam.
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This time, I decided to go to Vietnam. The reason I chose Vietnam is because it was relatively affordable and close by, and it was also in a region that was fairly close to southern Thailand, which was the location of my previous cycling trip. But, in reality, I hesitated a little because I had seen the bad traffic manners on the roads in Vietnam on "Wednesday Downtown." However, I thought that if we don't overcome challenges like this, how can we progress, so I set up this project. I actually wanted to go from Hanoi (northern Vietnam) to Ho Chi Minh City (southern Vietnam), but since the distance between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is about 1800 km, I decided to take a route from Hue to Ho Chi Minh City this time, covering the southern half. I expect the journey to be about 900 km. |
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Hue is said to have a magnificent imperial palace site, and there are also many other attractions along the way to Ho Chi Minh City. However, I have also heard that it may not be as impressive as one might expect.
This time, the equipment I prepared includes: a Lonely Planet guidebook in Japanese, a map of Vietnam, and a complete set of cycling equipment.
Lonely Planet is rich in information, and the difference is so great that it makes "Earth's Walker" seem like a promotional pamphlet.
Until now, only the English version was available, but when I stopped by a bookstore this time, I found a Japanese version and bought it.
I didn't intend to buy "Earth's Walker," and I was planning to rely on local information, so I feel like I've gained a valuable ally.
This is my second time for overseas cycling, so I have significantly reduced the amount of luggage compared to my previous cycling trip in southern Thailand. The luggage I checked in last time weighed 27 kg, but this time it weighs 25.5 kg.
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This time, I used Cathay Pacific for a round trip to Vietnam, and used a one-way ticket for domestic travel within Vietnam from Hanoi to Hue. The itinerary is: "Narita -> Hong Kong -> Hanoi -> Hue" for the outbound journey, and "Ho Chi Minh -> Hong Kong -> Narita" for the return journey. |
The Cathay Pacific flight from Narita to Hong Kong, despite being pushed by the ticket vendor, was surprisingly empty, which was a bit disappointing. I also think I should have waited a little longer to see if there were any other cancellations. However, the return flight seems to be quite crowded, so it was a bit of a dilemma.
This time, I made a slight effort by ensuring that when I checked in the bag containing the bicycle, the shoulder strap was not exposed but kept inside the bag.
The reason for this is that last time, when I retrieved the bag, the base of the shoulder strap was torn, which I thought was dangerous.
Previously, I used a sturdy bag, and the strings were attached to the bag's fabric, so the damage was limited. However, the new bag I purchased this time is a type where the strings are tied to the bicycle frame, so there was a risk of much more severe damage.
Also, I have used the airport delivery service several times in the past, but this time, the acceptance process was too slow, so I didn't use it and, for the first time in a while, I brought my bicycle to the airport.
This time, instead of carrying it on my shoulder, I used a carrier to transport it.
It was incredibly comfortable.
I think I will use this style from now on.
Even when traveling, I can give away my luggage upon arrival, so I can travel lightly, and then buy new luggage in Japan and bring it back home using that carrier.
And I think it's not a bad idea to use that carrier for the next trip.
The cabin was very comfortable, and I had a little alcohol, so I felt slightly tipsy.
Well, let's see how this trip will turn out.
I was reading Lonely Planet on the airplane, and I found a very impressive story.
A disabled orphan has come, and you should not give them money even if they beg. Usually, a relative or a boss is watching nearby, and the money given is often used for gambling or drugs. The boss can easily manipulate vulnerable people like the elderly and children. There are true orphans, but giving money to orphans is questionable. Orphans don't know how to use money. They have never had a large amount of money. There is a story of a traveler who felt sorry for a person with an illness that could be cured with money, but that person became addicted to drugs. One way is to find an NGO that rescues orphans and donate to them. If you really want to do something for an orphan, it is better to give them food directly. (omitted)
If you want to do something on the spot, avoid giving money or things that can be sold. (omitted) If you really want to give something directly, give food instead of money. Take them to a market or stall and buy them a nutritious meal or fruit. Something that is beneficial to them and not harmful. One traveler said that even if it's something not good for their teeth, it's better than money.I will never forget the sparkle in the eyes of the child who was begging, a sparkle honed by countless experiences. It was when I offered him a sweet cake, the same kind that I was eating. (Gordon Baldstone)Lonely Planet Vietnam, P88.
Arrived in Hanoi, and then went to the Old Quarter.
I made a transfer in Hong Kong and finally arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam. According to an old travelogue, the facilities were "extremely dilapidated," but as other sources stated, "it has now been transformed into modern facilities," and there was a clean, world-standard airport.
At the baggage claim, the luggage was being unloaded one piece at a time, and my luggage didn't appear for a while.
After a while, I finally received my luggage and proceeded to the domestic flight check-in.
However, I couldn't find the right place.
Finally, I found the counter, but it turned out that check-in had already closed.
That was unexpected...
I was told that "this luggage is large."
It seemed that if I had less luggage, things might have worked out, but there was nothing I could do, so the man finally guided me to the airline's counter.
Therefore, I had the ticket changed to an early morning flight the next day.
Although 6:30 AM is a bit early, I decided it was okay.
After finishing the check-in process, I asked the woman at the counter for the location of the airport hotel.
The airport hotel is located about 1 km from the airport, so I was looking around, intending to exchange money first, when, to my surprise, a "scammer," as rumored, immediately appeared. I didn't deal with him until the end, so I don't know what happened, but he was definitely suspicious. He was dressed like an employee, but who is he?
That person said that you can exchange money at "that place." Beyond that, there is a post office counter.
I told them that I was looking for a bank, but they kept asking, "How much do you want to exchange?"
From the fact that they were saying things like, "The bank is a few kilometers away. I wonder if it's open at this time," it's certain that they are scammers.
There's no way an international airport bank counter would be closed at this time. Well, maybe it's possible in Vietnam? I can't give this person any money until I actually see with my own eyes that it's closed.
Therefore, when I repeatedly asked him about the location of the bank, he only answered, "Over there."
I had already confirmed that there was no bank on the same floor, so it was very strange.
When I started walking, he followed me.
I wanted to ask someone, so I asked at the counter where the bank was. Then, I was told that it was on the lower floor.
He followed me until I moved to the lower floor, but once I moved to the lower floor, he disappeared.
Even so, I had heard rumors about it, but I didn't expect it to be this bad even at the airport. I thought things would only get worse from here.
Finally, I completed the currency exchange and obtained a large amount of Vietnamese currency, "dong."
1 yen is equivalent to 149 dong.
This exchange rate seems much better than the one I saw on the bulletin board, which was 1 yen to 130 dong.
I heard that this country's currency is experiencing inflation, so it's uncertain how stable its value will be.
After exchanging money, I wondered what to do next, so I asked the exchange teller about the location and approximate price of the airport hotel, as well as the approximate taxi fare to get there. Then, for some reason, a taxi driver was standing there. Well, it doesn't matter, I thought, and I turned to the driver. The price seemed to be the same as before.
And then, I got into a taxi, and we were about to leave.
However, we drove a little way and then stopped, and the driver said, "The airport hotel is expensive, and wouldn't you like to see Hanoi tonight?"
It seems the fare to the city center is 180,000 dong (about 1,300 yen).
According to Lonely Planet, the fare to the city center is about 10 dollars, so I judged that the taxi fare was "reasonable," and since the hotel is 20 dollars, I thought, "Well, it's okay," and decided to stay there.
The driver will pick me up in the morning.
It's 5 AM... Thank you very much.
Here, I used the calculator I brought with me to negotiate, but it turned out that it was almost impossible to use in dark places or at night, such as inside a taxi. I regret not checking it beforehand, but there's nothing I can do about it. Since he had paper, I wrote the price on the paper and negotiated.
After driving for a short while, we suddenly exited the highway and entered a narrow road, so I thought, "What, are we suddenly being taken on a detour?" However, the two people in the front seat seemed to be chatting about random things, so there was no sense of unease or feeling like we were being tricked.
Gradually, it has become more lively, so I feel a little relieved.
However, it was supposed to take 30 minutes, but it took about 45 minutes.
Oh my.
I think it's careless.
And then, the hotel. When I gave the taxi driver the fare, he said, "Is it okay if I give you the change tomorrow?" I didn't understand what he meant, and I even thought it might be a kind of scam, so I said, "Please give it to me now." He made a "muu" expression and gave me the change. I don't understand Vietnamese people.
And then, when I tried to check in to the hotel, something interesting happened again.
This was so cliché that I can't even say anything about it.
When I went to the hotel to check in and view the room, the staff asked me, "Are you Japanese? Do you have Japanese yen? I've never seen Japanese yen before."
I thought, "That's a story I've heard before... You haven't seen it? That's ridiculous."
Then, after I said something like, "I don't have much, and I keep it locked away," he said, "I collect money from all over the world!" and took out various foreign banknotes from his wallet.
At that point, I was sure he was a scammer!
It was such a blatant and obvious scam that I wondered who could possibly fall for it. It was a very subtle scam.
I heard that there are many scammers in Vietnam, but if you encounter scammers one after another from the first day, you might even forget that you used to hate scammers, and you might even think, "It might be interesting to go along with these stereotypical and amusing scammers." My friend says, "I smile when a scammer comes," and I can understand that in this situation.
After I completed the check-in process and paid, the male staff member's expression was not very pleasant, perhaps because he couldn't take anything from me.
And then, carrying only a few belongings, I went for a walk in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
I was unsure of where to go, but I decided to go to a place called Hoan Kiem Lake, which I saw on the map.
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Today, whether it's because it's Christmas or the 60th anniversary of Vietnam, the city is very lively. In the taxi, I was told something like, "Today is a festival, so I'm lucky to be here." |
| It's good that it's lively, but... Also, motorcycles are dangerous. You have to watch to the right, left, behind, and front, everything. It's tiring... |  |
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Constant stream of motorcycles. |
| It's coming from in front, behind, left, and right... |  |
While walking around the city, I noticed that there seem to be relatively few food stalls.
Compared to Thailand, it seems like there are slightly fewer.
Or maybe it's just because I'm walking around?
After walking for a while, I bought a calculator and sunscreen.
At the first store, there was only a calculator for 18 dollars, but at the second store, I found one for 4 dollars.
It seems to be 60,000 dong.
I tried to haggle, but they didn't accept it.
However, it wasn't that expensive, so I bought it.
It seems to be dual power, with batteries and solar power.
Now, I can be comfortable even at night.
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As I approached Hoan Kiem Lake, I saw several small, stylish buildings. |
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Inside Hoan Kiem Lake, there is a small island. There is a bridge, and it appears that there is a religious building in the center of the island. |
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Hanoi Old Quarter.
Hoan Kiem.(Hoan Kiem Lake)Lake and Gokson Shrine.(Yushan Shrine)
| I strolled around the Hoan Kiem Lake. |  |
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The presence of people around me was strangely unsettling, and I repeatedly took the item out of the bag, took a picture, and then immediately put it back in the bag. It has a strange atmosphere. I don't feel like it's dangerous, but there's a strange sense of unease, like a "smiling con artist," and I wouldn't be surprised if I got pickpocketed at any moment. Here, there's an atmosphere where someone can smile innocently, without any malicious intent or a sense of danger, and naturally take things. |
| And then, I decided to go to the island that was floating in the lake. |  |
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It seems like there is an interesting entrance visible. |
| The entrance to the island. |  |
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It seems I cannot get to the island, so I looked from the space between the gates. The inside seems to be built in a fairly elaborate manner. |
The Gokson Shrine (Yushan Shrine), according to Lonely Planet, was as follows:
This temple is dedicated to three saints: the Confucian scholar Van Suong, General Chen Xingdao (Trần Hưng Đạo), who repelled the Mongol army in the 13th century, and the revered physician Le Thanh Tong.
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And then, I leave the pond. |
Hoan Kiem Lake, according to Lonely Planet, is as follows:
According to legend, in the mid-15th century, Emperor Le (also known as Le Thai To), who was granted a magical sword by a god, used this sword to drive out the Chinese army from Vietnam. One day, after the battle was over, Emperor Le, who was enjoying a boat ride, encountered a large, golden turtle swimming in the lake. The turtle stole his sword and disappeared into the depths of the lake. It is said that the turtle returned the sword to its sacred owner, and from that time on, the lake became known as Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword).
The Tap Rua (Turtle Tower), a small tower standing alone on a tiny island in the middle of the lake, has a red star at its tip and is often used as a symbol of Hanoi. Every morning around 6:00, you can see local people exercising, jogging, and playing badminton around the lake.
Hanoi Old Quarter stroll.
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Leaving the pond, I continued to wander around. While taking a walk, I thought I would confirm the location of the lodging, but unexpectedly, I couldn't find it. (Laugh) There is a map on the back of the business card, but it seems unclear and difficult to understand. |
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Under the moonlight, everyone is enjoying themselves. |
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While walking, I found a small market. There were a lot of food items for sale in the surrounding area. Is this area lively even when there isn't a festival? |
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A banner commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army.
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Everywhere, there are banners commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army. There were many food stalls, but the variety of food was still limited. |
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After that, I had a simple meal.
And, I decided that if I couldn't find any more lodging, I would try riding a cyclo, and I started walking a little further.
Cyclos were said to be "absolutely not allowed to be ridden," but it looked like it might be possible to stand up while riding, so I thought I could escape if necessary.
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This is the infamous "Ciclo." Vietnamese proverbs. "You must never ride a cyclo." |
However, I was able to reach the lodging without having to engage in the dangerous activity of riding a bicycle. Along the way, I got lost, which allowed me to stop by the market, and thanks to that, I vaguely understood that what was happening in the city today was not a normal occurrence, but rather a festival with stalls.
When I returned to the hotel, the clerk at the counter beckoned me to a small Christmas party.
I felt a sense of unease and sat down, drinking a beer.
There was one other traveler, but the rest seemed to be local residents.
As I was drinking, they invited me to go to a disco or karaoke, but I was already exhausted.
I don't have the energy or interest to go with someone like that scammer.
The target is either a disco or karaoke.
In either case, they intend to make you pay a lot of money.
Since there is no end to dealing with Vietnamese scammers, I left the place before being forced to take sleeping pills, citing that tomorrow would be better.
Supplementary information: In countries other than Japan, what is called "karaoke" is a place to have fun with beautiful women.
And, I went to sleep early, preparing for tomorrow.
Hue Royal Palace Ruins, Thien Mu Temple.
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Hue, Nam Giao, Dong Khanh Imperial Tomb, Tu Duc Imperial Tomb, Hai Van Pass, and Da Nang.
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Hoi An sightseeing.
Da Nang to Hoi An.
Today, I felt a little sluggish this morning and ended up sleeping until almost 10 o'clock.
When I woke up, I seemed to have recovered quite a bit, but when I got ready and went to the front desk, I felt a little tired again. However, even with that kind of physical condition, it wasn't enough to make me want to stay in bed, so I quickly set out.
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I have left, and I am thinking about what to do. For now, I want to leave the city. And I thought I wanted to get to the highway or a main road, but the roads are confusing and difficult to understand. During the process, I got stuck in a residential area, and I almost got completely stuck. |
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When driving on such narrow roads, a compass is important, but this time, I had forgotten to bring it.
Just then, I happened to see a small shop that looked like it might have various items, so I went inside, and I successfully found a compass in one go.
I'm lucky.
12,000 dong. That's about 81 yen.
And, after confirming that the road I was currently on was generally in the correct direction, I continued driving for a while.
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As a result, I was finally able to get out onto a wide road. When this road became wide, exactly "Da Nang"<->A bus with the sign "Hoi An" passed by, which further confirmed my direction towards Hoi An. |
Actually, I had planned to go to My Son Sanctuary and then go to Hoi An. However, I suddenly felt like I might get lost, so I decided to go to Hoi An first, and I thought I would go to My Son Sanctuary on a tour tomorrow.
The road to Hoi An was completely different from the road we took the other day, and it was very comfortable.
We were able to drive smoothly.
It was a comfortable road with almost no ups and downs.
I entered the road and walked a little, and there was a restaurant, so I ate pho (noodles). It wasn't as impactful as when I ate it in Hue, but it was delicious. Then, a little further ahead, there was a place where several internet shops were lined up, so I decided to stop by. After about 30 minutes of checking emails and chatting, I started again.
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After that, it became a slightly smaller road. I felt a little uneasy, but I thought that I would be mostly okay because I have a compass. |
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I am moving forward on a narrow road. |
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While repeatedly crossing paths with other roads, I proceed towards Hoi An. Even though there were branches, the general direction was roughly the same, so there wasn't much to worry about. |
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Eventually, the atmosphere changed. |
| A spacious road. |  |
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A road that continues forever. |
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During the trip, I encountered a group of motorcycles that seemed to be celebrating something. A group of motorcycles is moving slowly and is surrounding something. What is this? Without fully understanding, I followed a group of motorcycles and headed towards Hoi An. |
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Hoi An
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And then, we finally arrived in Hoi An. This town, which flourished during the 17th to 19th centuries, was apparently known as "Fayfo" to early Western traders. |
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| A sign in Hoi An. |
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Hoi An is a place where the old town is registered as a World Heritage Site, and it seems that restoration support is being provided from Japan. At that time, it seems to have been an important port of call for Japan, and you can still see traces of the presence of Japanese people. |
| The downtown area feels quite well-maintained. |  |
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As we approached the center of the town, the number of tourists gradually increased. |
And, after walking around the city of Hoi An, I decided to stay at a certain hotel. This is a place that isn't even listed in Lonely Planet, but it was perfect. It's 8 dollars for a fan room and 10 dollars for a room with air conditioning. There are a few minor drawbacks, but it's not much different from the 16-dollar room from the other day or the 20-dollar room from the day before.
Here, I am booking a tour to My Son for tomorrow. The hotel says that you can book accommodations anywhere, and it seems to be true. I applied for a round-trip tour for 2 dollars. It seems to depart at 8 o'clock and return at 1 o'clock. The guidebook says it returns at 2 o'clock, so perhaps it would be better to expect that much time? I also thought that.
And then, I put down my luggage, took a shower, and went for a walk around the old town.
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"Nihonbashi" with a roof. It is a bridge that does not feel very Japanese. |
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| Roofed "Nihonbashi". |
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On the other side of Nihonbashi, there was an art street. There are many art galleries where paintings and other artworks are displayed. |
| And then, I returned to Nihonbashi and took a walk along the river. |  |
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There are several restaurants that float on the water, above the river. |
| The streets in the city are quiet everywhere. |  |
When I walked through the old town, the first thing I thought was, "There are Japanese people here."
However, there are not many couples, and Japanese women are often with Western men, while there are a fair number of men who are single.
In terms of the approximate number of people observed, the ratio is roughly: couples : single women : women with Westerners : single men : unknown group tourists = 10 : 1 : 4 : 2 : 4.
It seems like some Japanese women are being "taken" by Westerners.
Actually, by coming here, I've gained a better understanding of the perspective from the Western side regarding the combination of Asian women and Western men. This makes me think that there's an image that Western men might treat Asian women as temporary pleasures.
Therefore, when I see couples consisting of Japanese women and Western men, I often subconsciously think, "Ah, she's been taken." Perhaps, conversely, when a Japanese man is walking alone, he might be thought of as "Here he comes again, looking for a girlfriend."
The few Japanese women who were single were walking with a strangely sullen expression, perhaps because they had a fight with their boyfriend, or perhaps they were looking at me and thinking, "That woman is a piece of trash." From the fleeting expression I saw when she glanced at me, I could only make such predictions.
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A bridge that crosses to the other side, separated by a river. On the other side of the river, I can see several restaurants. |
| And then, I continued to explore the city. |  |
In the city, I suddenly tried pho, and it was only 5,000 dong. I wonder why I usually pay 10,000 dong for it. Is it a local price, or something like that? Hoi An seems to be very competitive, so maybe that's the influence?
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And then, we will take a walk along the river. |
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A sightseeing boat can be seen floating on the river. While I was doing that, there were many invitations such as, "Would you like to get on the boat?" |
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Amidst such circumstances, I walk along the riverbank, at a leisurely pace. |
Hoi An sightseeing.
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Walking along the river, I saw something that looked like a market. |
| It is gradually becoming more lively. |  |
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The end of this small passage seems to be a market. |
| Inside the market, as expected, there were many retail stores. |  |
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Birds are being put in cages and sold. Is the avian influenza situation okay...? |
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I am walking through the market. |
| An old woman who sells birds, and she is taking a nap leisurely. |  |
The market had many people selling things, but the variety of food was much smaller than in Thailand. Since Thailand is a foodie paradise, I expected a bit more, so it was a little disappointing. The food was reasonably good, but it wasn't as delicious as I had heard, so it was a bit underwhelming.
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After passing through the bustling area, there was an old-looking building directly in front of me. |
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Suddenly, I came out onto a bright road. There are also many European and American travelers. |
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Slowly, I walk. |
| Residents and tourists are mixed together. |  |
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Fruit store. |
| Delicious-looking food... |  |
Here, when I went to Thailand, I saw a fruit for sale that I used to enjoy eating, it has a red flesh, green spikes, and a soft texture. This is it. This is what I think of as a tropical food.
It is white, soft and chewy, and has a light flavor that is not sweet. It is addictive.
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There are many tourists. |
| Suddenly, I decided to enter a certain ruin. |  |
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There is a unique garden design there. |
| Entering the building in the back. |  |
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It is an old building with a unique atmosphere. |
| Phoenix? Ceramic products. |  |
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Is it a temple? Or something like that? |
And then, I left there and went to a different archaeological site.
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In the Hoi An city center, a little bit of Japanese was understood. As expected, it's a tourist destination. I am a Japanese person who likes World Heritage sites. |
| From the second floor of a building that was repaired by Japanese people. |  |
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The view is great. |
Thus, after visiting several facilities, I entered a restaurant that I happened to pass by.
For dinner, I ate a beef steak to replenish my energy for tomorrow.
While I was eating, a young boy selling postcards came by.
I heard rumors that beggars might come, but none appeared.
The steak was a little thin, but the orange juice was freshly squeezed, and the apple juice, although slightly different in taste from what I'm used to in Japan, was delicious, and I was very satisfied.
It cost 53,000 dong, which is about 356 yen.
It's too cheap...
However, when paying the bill, the waiter told me, "The numbers are different," and I was almost charged ten times the correct amount. I can't believe that such a reputable restaurant would try to rip people off like this. I guess it's just typical of Vietnam.
To a waiter who demands ten times the price, I checked the bill, confirmed the amount of the banknotes, and hit the board with the receipt attached with a "bash! bash!" sound, then strongly handed it over, making a gesture of "take it." The waiter, with a "smirking" expression, accepted it. It's disgusting. What a disgusting waiter. Well, I'm used to this kind of thing in Vietnam.
After that, the amount was a little insufficient, so I ate more pho (noodles) at a food stall. The taste was so-so. And finally, I returned to the lodging. It was just past 6 o'clock.
It took a fair amount of time to see the sights in Hoi An, but the timing was just right.
At night, I suddenly went for a walk and stopped by an internet cafe again, and then had a meal at a small restaurant near the riverbank. I drank coconut milk juice and a premium version of White Rose (I don't remember the name), but it didn't really suit my taste.
The shop's main attraction was constantly attracting customers, but in between, she spoke to me in English.
During the conversation, she also spoke a little Japanese, and I realized that there are indeed many Japanese tourists who come here.
However, in the end, I don't know what to say, but they said "21 dollars (US dollars)" for 21,000 dong (about 143 yen, or 1.4 dollars).
I, who have become somewhat accustomed to it, was able to give them a fixed amount and convince them.
I couldn't believe that they would try to overcharge me even after all the conversation we had.
They don't seem to have any sense of fairness.
It seems that their way of thinking is different from that of Japanese people.
I guess it must be just a social nicety.
And then, I returned to the lodging and went to sleep. I feel like I will be able to sleep well tonight.
My Son ruins, Tam Ky.
My Son ruins.
Today, I woke up feeling relatively okay. The sluggishness from the other day has mostly disappeared. I got ready and went out for breakfast before the tour.
I was thinking about where to have breakfast, but I decided to go to the restaurant near Nihonbashi that I ate at the other day.
It costs 39,000 dong for an omelet, garlic toast, and orange juice.
This time, whether or not they remembered my face, they didn't say anything like "that's different," but they used a clever trick of giving me 1,000 dong in change later.
It's a subtle scam....
I returned to the lodging, completed the check-out, and waited for the tour in front of the lodging.
Then, a single motorcyclist came and said, "This way."
I thought it was unlikely, but I was suddenly put on the motorcycle and taken to the meeting place for the tour.
Riding on the back of a motorcycle is a little scary because you have to rely on the other person.
However, I was able to arrive at the meeting place properly and participate in the tour.
I suddenly realized that they also offer early morning tours, and I slightly regret not having participated in one. Lonely Planet only mentioned daytime tours, but it also stated that they offer early morning tours in small groups.
The journey to the My Son ruins by bus takes approximately 1 hour. The bus is quite good, and the air conditioning works. We were informed that the scheduled return time was 1:00 PM, but due to crowding, the return time would be delayed to 1:30 PM. The Lonely Planet guidebook states a 2:00 PM return time, so perhaps the delay was already factored in. It seems that Lonely Planet's editorial policy, which avoids simply repeating the tour operator's claims, is evident in this case.
I initially thought that I would probably get quite lost on the way to the My Son ruins, but it seems that there were signs, and it might have been possible to get there by bicycle.
The ratio of Japanese male to female participants in this tour was 2:1:0 for single men: single women: foreign men and Japanese women: couples (senior citizens).
This makes the high proportion of foreign men and Japanese women I saw in the city the other day even more noticeable.
Because of what I saw the other day, I can imagine various things, but I will not go beyond the realm of imagination.
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Like that, we arrived at the My Son ruins. |
| Cross this bridge and go to the other side. |  |
After crossing the bridge, travel about 2 km by jeep or van to the vicinity of the ruins.
After that, it became a walk.
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A sign for the Meeson ruins. |
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Rest at this hut. Now, we are going for a walk. |
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Everyone walks together in a line. |
| It is good weather. |  |
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Suddenly, I heard some music. |
| Hello, it seems that people in this area are performing traditional dances. |  |
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I see, everyone is watching intently. |
| A dance of a woman and a man, a light and graceful woman, and a strong and powerful man. |  |
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It dances rhythmically, spinning around and around. |
| It was twirling and twirling, dancing. |  |
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And then, the dancing ended, and it was finally time to go to the ruins. |
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I have to say, I didn't have high expectations for the My Son Sanctuary, but when I got closer and saw it, I started to think, "This is amazing." |
| Indeed, the damage is severe, and grass is growing between the blocks, and it looks like it's about to be swallowed by the forest. Also, there might be a lot of people because we came in a group. However, even so, this ruin is magnificent. |  |
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A magnificent ruin. |
| It is an old and dilapidated ruin, but it seems that restoration work is steadily being carried out. |  |
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A magnificent ruin. |
| There are also things that look like religious altars. |  |
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Various archaeological sites. |
| Religious sculptures are visible on an entire wall. |  |
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There are objects that appear to be Buddhist statues on one entire wall. |
| Some of the ruins had interiors that were used as exhibition spaces. |  |
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Meaningful wall (?). |
| A decorative item that looks like a lion? |  |
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This is also a decorative item, like a lion or an elephant. |
| A Buddhist statue (probably) with its head removed. |  |
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This is also wonderful. I have many hands. |
| Next to the figurine, there are subtly placed cannonballs. |  |
| I suddenly looked up, and there was a wall, stretching as far as I could see. |  |
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Both sides are surrounded by walls. |
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There are also many sculptures and decorative objects placed on the ground. |
| This is a ruin that was destroyed due to fighting with the US military. |  |
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Here, too, is it likely a ruin that was destroyed during combat with the US military? |
| This is a site that was not damaged. |  |
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And, originally, this was the largest site among the My Son ruins. Now, only the foundation remains. |
| The site of the largest ruins that was destroyed. |
It seems that during battles with the American military, the Vietnamese side sometimes fought within this My Son complex.
And, the largest of the structures remained undamaged even during American bombing raids, so it is said that American special forces descended and completely destroyed it.
As a result, it seems that it has now become such a pitiful state.
| The foundation also seems like it might collapse at any moment. |  |
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This seems to be located within the interior of what was originally a historical site. A structure resembling an altar is visible. |
| Looking to the left and right from the altar, you can see the ruins that have been destroyed and are partially buried by grass and plants. |  |
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I look down from the altar. It is very, very far, and you can see a long distance. |
| A ruin that is about to be buried by grass and trees. |  |
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Ruins that have been destroyed and are about to be buried by grass and plants. |
| And then, we pass through the gaps between those destroyed ruins, heading towards our final destination. |  |
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This is the final destination. I am carrying out repair work little by little. |
When I gathered information about the My Son ruins in Japan, I only found some small pictures, so I thought it would be like that. However, when I actually came here, (and it seems like there has been some restoration), this is a very magnificent ruin.
TamKy
After leaving the My Son ruins, I returned to Hoi An on the same bus. A few people got off along the way to return to town by boat, and the number of remaining passengers decreased slightly. It seems that quite a few people are returning to town by boat.
At that time, I started to feel sleepy and was dozing off, and before I knew it, I had arrived in Hoi An.
And then, when I thought about going back to the hotel to get my luggage, I was looking at a train timetable for a travel agency, and I was drawn to it.
According to what I heard, one-third of the trains that I might have wanted to take were already sold out. (It also sounded like it meant "of the trains listed here," but I'm not sure.)
Just out of curiosity, I also asked about the availability of flights from Nha Trang to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), and they said they could get it for $39.
That was much cheaper than I had calculated.
I was able to get it for a price close to 610,000 dong, which is cheaper than the 630,000 dong I saw in Lampang (I don't remember the exact details).
It didn't seem like they were charging me extra fees.
I remember reading in Lampang that there is intense competition among travel agencies in Hoi An, so maybe that's the reason?
Anyway, now I can enjoy the rest of my trip with peace of mind.
According to the plan, today we will stay in "Tam Ky," which is a little south, and from the next day, we will drive about 100km to 120km, and arrive in Nha Trang on January 1st. After that, we will stay for two nights and return by plane. In Nha Trang, I would like to spend one day and participate in a boat tour.
And, it was almost 3 o'clock, but we started heading towards Tam Ky.
Along the way, we passed a fork in the road and almost ended up heading towards Da Nang, but thanks to a conversation with a person who was trying to get us to join a tour by motorcycle (laugh), we realized that we were going in the wrong direction.
That was lucky.
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I went back a little, and followed the road that I thought was probably the right one, and finally managed to reach the No. 1 highway (commonly known as the highway). If you come this far, you will almost certainly not get lost. |
| I am traveling comfortably along Route 1. |  |
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However, it is almost sunset. |
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It is getting dark. By the way, this is my first time participating in an overseas night run. |
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In a dimly lit atmosphere. |
| It's finally getting dark. |  |
The Route 1 that I have been running on so far has been well-maintained, and the pavement has been reasonably good. However, today's route had several places that were unpaved, and even where the road was paved, the sides of the road were often filled with sand.
However, after running about 10km, the road eventually becomes what is commonly known as a comfortable road. Although there are some unpaved sections, they are at most only about 50m or 100m long, and you can then run on a paved road again.
When I looked at the distance indicators on the side of the road, one showed 15km to Tam Ky, and another showed 44km to Quang Ngai. I thought that Quang Ngai might be relatively close, but it was getting dark, so to avoid driving at night, I decided to stay overnight in Tam Ky.
This town has very little description in Lonely Planet, and it even says, "There is only one accommodation here, so it might be better to stay in Hoi An or Da Nang." I was a little worried, but I thought that towns in the countryside are worth experiencing, so I decided to go.
The city center seems to be simply structured, making it difficult to determine if you're in the right place or if you've passed it or haven't reached it yet. However, suddenly, I saw two hotel signs in front of me, so I went to the area in front of them, and surprisingly, I was able to stay there for 140,000 dong (940 yen). And it has air conditioning. Hot water is also available, of course. It's perfect.
I took a shower, went out for a meal, and then stopped by an internet cafe.
Suddenly, the entire town experienced a power outage.
I had heard rumors about this, but I think this is what they call a power outage in Asia.
Living in Japan, power outages are very rare, so it felt strangely refreshing.
Since I just started using the internet, my husband said that he doesn't need any money for it.
People started leaving one by one, and I also started walking in the darkness.
But it doesn't feel particularly dangerous.
It's a nice, rural town.
At the inn earlier, English wasn't understood, and I think I might be able to like this town.
I was walking leisurely through the town, heading towards the lodging, and as I thought I was getting closer to the lodging, suddenly, the electricity in the town came back on.
Since I didn't really need to go back to the original online shop, I decided to go to the opposite side of town.
As I went forward, I reached a crossroads. To the left and in the distance, I could see a market. It seems that this area is the town center. It's quite a peaceful town center... Around it, there appeared to be three or four hotels. It seems that it's not true that there is "only one" hotel, as Lonely Planet wrote.
After passing that hotel, I saw a small internet shop, so I decided to go in this time.
I realized that the internet speed in Vietnam is relatively fast.
It's not much slower than in Japan, and I was able to download "Global IME," a tool for using Japanese on English versions of Windows, from the Microsoft page without much trouble.
I don't really feel the need to carry a floppy disk.
In fact, I'm not carrying a floppy disk this time.
I think it's okay if it doesn't work.
And then, I left the online shop, and then went to the inn.
On the way home, I drank some fruit juice. It's delicious. It costs 3,000 dong (20 yen). It's addictive.
Tomorrow, it seems I will be riding about 120 to 130 kilometers.
Well, what kind of day will tomorrow be?
Tam Ky town, Quang Ngai province, Sa Huynh.
The town of Tam Ky.
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
| The town of Tam Ky. |  |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
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| The town of Tam Ky. |
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky. The town of Tam Ky. |
| The town of Tam Ky. |  |
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The town of Tam Ky. |
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The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
The town of Tam Ky.
From Sa Huynh, heading south to Qui Nhon.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
| From Sa Huynh, heading south. |  |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south.
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
| From Sa Huynh, heading south. |  |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
| From Sa Huynh, heading south. |  |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south.
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
| From Sa Huynh, heading south. |  |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
| From Sa Huynh, heading south. |  |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
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From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
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| From Sa Huynh, heading south. |
From Sa Huynh, heading south.
From Qui Nhon, go south on National Highway 1, passing by places like "Pank" and "Dorobō," and arriving at Tuy Hoa.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
| Departing from Qui Nhon. |  |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon.
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Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon.
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Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
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Departing from Qui Nhon. |
| Departing from Qui Nhon. |  |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon. Departing from Qui Nhon. |
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Departing from Qui Nhon.
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Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
Departing from Qui Nhon.
From Tuy Hoa, heading south towards Nha Trang, a mountain pass, a windy plain, arrival in Nha Trang.
Traveling south from Tuhoe.
Today is New Year's Day. However, in Vietnam, they celebrate the Lunar New Year in a grand manner, so it seems that the Gregorian calendar New Year is not important.
Today, it's a bit rainy from the morning. It seems like it will be a bad day.
I prepared to leave, but then I noticed that the front tire was flat.
I repaired it on the spot.
It seems like this is a trip with a lot of tire repairs. (Things like this happen sometimes.)
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After completing the repairs, I started running in the rain. |
| A view that stretches far into the distance. |  |
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I am moving forward on a straight road. |
| On the other side, an old bridge and the surrounding village are visible. |  |
The rain continued for a relatively long time, and it stopped 30 minutes later.
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I am approaching a small hill. |
| Around here, there are rice paddies. |  |
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Again, it goes through a small hill. |
| It seems like it might be taller than I expected. |  |
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Even so, since I had already passed the highest mountain pass on Vietnam's Line 1, I could predict that it wouldn't be a particularly difficult mountain pass. |
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I am going up a gentle slope. On the map, it wasn't written as if there would be a mountain pass, but it's a place where it wouldn't be surprising if there was one. |
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And then, as I was running smoothly, I suddenly noticed that there were two cyclists in front of me.
This is the first time I met this cyclist on this trip.
Apparently, they are a German couple.
I greeted them with "Happy New Year," but it seemed like our cruising speeds didn't match, so I decided to go ahead.
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Gradually, it becomes a genuine mountain pass. |
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Looking at the mountains. |
| I am going up the mountain pass. |  |
A mountain pass road leading to Nha Trang.
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While I was climbing, I looked down and saw the German couple I had seen earlier climbing. |
| German couple cyclists. |
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Eventually, to the summit of the mountain pass. I climbed slowly, and just before I reached the summit, it started raining again. This is a strong rain... Also, because it's at the top of the mountain pass, the wind is cold. |
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Suddenly, I reflected on the direction from which I had come. |
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From here, it is a downhill. I never imagined I would be shivering from the cold in Vietnam. For a while, I had to continue descending the mountain pass while enduring the cold. |
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A route with a good view, where you can also see the coast. |
While I was going downhill, a motorcyclist pulled up next to me and started talking.
I don't know what he was planning, but he asked me where I came from and where I was going.
I didn't answer more than necessary, and after a while, I noticed that the brakes were not working properly. I thought it was a good opportunity, so I stopped and repaired them.
At that moment, the motorcyclist had already left.
After finishing the repairs, I started going down the slope again.
I went down slowly, and eventually, when it seemed like I was almost at the bottom, the husband of the German couple I had seen earlier caught up to me from behind.
We ended up going together for a while on the flat road.
Apparently, he has a four-week vacation and is planning to cycle from Hanoi to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).
It's quite enviable.
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A German couple, seen from behind. |
| While looking at the coastline, we proceed forward. |  |
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Comfortable road. |
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We ran together for a while, but since the other person slowed down for some reason, I decided to go ahead. There have been times when I used hand signals to tell someone to go ahead. |
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And then, again, I run alone on a flat road. |
Windy plains.
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It is quite a windy place. The trees are growing horizontally. |
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Go straight. |
| Looking at the mountains. |  |
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Moving forward in the strong wind. |
| Gradually, the wind stopped. |  |
A little ways ahead, I decided to take a break for a meal. I hadn't eaten breakfast yet. Just then, the couple I saw earlier passed by. During my meal break, I was surrounded again by the child, the mother, and some neighbors. It wasn't bad, but I was concerned about the cold gaze of a woman who came from the neighborhood. I wondered if there was something ideologically different.
And then, after finishing the meal, I started running.
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A gentle slope. And then, as I came here, the wind direction gradually changed, and the wind started blowing from diagonally behind, so I was able to make very good progress. |
| Grassland. |  |
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The road continues straight ahead. |
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Suddenly, I noticed that there were railroad tracks beside me. And then, the sound of a train came from behind. |
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And then, a train slowly passed by from behind. |
| Slowly, the train passes by. |  |
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And, we will proceed further. |
Nha Trang arrival.
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As you go over several small hills, the scenery gradually begins to change. Gradually, I feel like the water is becoming cleaner. I feel that Nha Trang is close. |
| A strange building. |  |
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The scenery that can be seen from the top of the hill. |
| A railway line that can be seen from the top of a hill. |  |
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Gradually, it changes to a southern-country atmosphere. |
| I am running along the road. |  |
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Comfortable route. |
| It's almost time for Nha Trang. |  |
When looking at the signs, it seems there is a shortcut to Nha Trang, and also a route that goes around via the main road. According to the map, the route that goes around seems to be the main one, but if you take the shortcut, it seems closer, so I decided to try that. The entrance was not immediately obvious, but I was able to identify it because the distance marker said Nha Trang.
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And, after crossing a small mountain pass, we finally arrived in Nha Trang. |
Nha Trang.
| It's finally Nha Trang. |  |
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Traffic is gradually increasing. |
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And, as I was about to cross the large bridge leading to the center, I suddenly noticed a large Cham temple on my right. It seems to be called "Porna Girl Cham Tower." I will go there immediately. |
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| Porna Girl Cham Tower. |
When I tried to enter by paying the entrance fee, a postcard seller suddenly came.
And after that, a beggar was there, and he was showing an expression and making gestures that said, "It's only natural that you should give me something. Give it to me."
I thought, "What is this...?" and, ignoring him, I went to see the Porn Girl Cham Tower.
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The Pornah Girl Cham Tower was magnificent. |
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It is a ruin with a similar structure to the My Son ruins of the other day. The scale is relatively large. |
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It feels like the maintenance is done more thoroughly than at the My Son ruins. |
| A well-maintained and magnificent Cham tower. |  |
Inside, there were Buddhist statues displayed, and they were also collecting donations, so I gave a small amount (about 100,000 dong, which is about 672 yen). In return, they gave me flowers as a souvenir. Perhaps 100,000 dong is quite a lot of money in terms of the local value.
| A bridge leading to the center of Nha Trang, as seen from Cham Tower. |  |
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Finally, we crossed the bridge and headed towards the city center. |
| I am walking around the city. |  |
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Let's go see the coast. It's quiet because it's out of season, but it's a pretty good beach. |
| It goes along the route of the coastline. |  |
Now, I was wondering which hotel to choose... The first place I decided on was, unfortunately, being demolished and had been replaced by a hotel with a different name. It seemed like a fairly expensive place, so I decided to look around again. While checking the Lonely Planet, I finally decided on a place called HAI YAN Hotel. It's a three-star hotel, and it costs 250,000 dong (1678 yen) per night. I planned to stay for two nights, and since I would be taking a flight at the end, I wanted a slightly nicer place. However, it's a very small amount in Japanese yen. The facilities were quite good.
And then, I walked around the city, looking for a boat tour for tomorrow.
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The boat tour was relatively easy to find. I went to the agency mentioned in Lonely Planet, and I found it easily. However, the same tour was also being sold by other travel agencies next to each other, but I chose the one that was the cheapest, which was the organizer mentioned in Lonely Planet. |
| The route map for the tour I am participating in this time. |  |
The worry for tomorrow is gone, but they said they need swim trunks, so I decided to go buy some.
It's located in a shopping center, so I wandered around, asked people, and eventually found it.
At first, I thought I would buy swim trunks, but they only had things for swimming, so I decided to buy shorts instead.
Also, I bought sandals.
The shorts cost about 60,000 dong (403 yen), and the sandals cost 120,000 dong (805 yen).
Since the same building also sold groceries, I thought I would buy some orange juice and water.
Then, I lined up at the register, but there were strangely a lot of people crammed together.
I was wondering what was going on, but it seems that there were people trying to cut in line.
It's Vietnam, so I guess it's different from Japan, where that wouldn't happen.
Furthermore, in front of my register, there was a person who had a shopping basket passed to them from behind the register, and they put the basket in a shortcut and had the register process it.
This is beyond common sense...
But I guess it's just the way things are in Vietnam.
The register person ignored the basket for a while, but finally, when it was my turn, the register person pulled the basket about 10cm closer.
This meant that I was going to be cut in line before my turn.
I wouldn't allow that, so I bumped my basket against the other person's basket with a "thump," pushing it back about the same 10cm, and had my basket processed first.
I was even thinking of saying "fuck you" or something vulgar, but I managed to avoid that.
However, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
The other person just stood there, ignoring everything, until the register was finished, which was quite unpleasant.
In Japan, are there any organizations with a similar position to this? Japanese Yakuza organizations consider obligations, human feelings, and connections between people. However, this mafia (probably) seems selfish and is just doing whatever they want, which is regrettable.
When one sees such a terrible situation, one inevitably compares the results of France's colonization of Vietnam with the seemingly good results of Japan's colonial policies in Taiwan.
It seems to me that these days, simply viewing colonial policies as inherently bad and seeing nothing positive about them prevents us from understanding the situation of each country. We should also consider the positive aspects that colonial policies brought.
I finished my shopping and decided to return to the hotel.
Until I returned to the lodging, my feet felt unpleasant because I was wearing wet shoes. However, once I returned to the lodging and changed into sandals, it felt completely different and comfortable.
And, I entered the restaurant located right in front of the inn and enjoyed a seafood meal.
I finally had my first beer (Saigon Beer) on this trip, and I felt like things had settled down.
And, finally, I returned to my room and, while looking at my reflection in the mirror, I observed how the unpleasant events of the day were affecting my expression.
Then, I took a deep breath and tried to soften my expression.
Even so, judging by this stiff expression, it seems that I am gradually losing my tolerance for the "harshness of Vietnamese people's expressions and tone." It feels like it's gradually turning into a competition of endurance. While it might sound like good training, I don't want to accumulate unpleasant feelings while traveling.
I am reminded of tomorrow's boat tour.
Nha Trang boat tour, including Mun Island, Mot Island, and Tam Island, and then returning home.
Nyanchan's boat tour.
Today, I woke up a little past 6:00 AM, and immediately went to the dining hall for breakfast. There were Vietnamese-style dishes, but I couldn't really eat much. The orange juice was also a little diluted.
After finishing the meal, there was about 1 hour and 45 minutes until the start of the boat tour, so I thought about disassembling the bicycle in the morning.
I spent 1 hour and 30 minutes disassembling and packing it while cleaning, and I was able to prepare everything.
After finishing the preparations for the bicycle, I rushed back to the room to prepare for the boat tour. I changed into the shorts I had bought recently, and went outside with the minimum amount of luggage. We gathered 10 minutes before the scheduled time, but as expected, Vietnamese time seems to be valid everywhere, and the person in charge arrived 10 minutes late.
And then, we got in the van and headed straight to the port.
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The harbor was crowded with people. |
| I was guided by a guide to the boat, and finally boarded. |  |
But, the ship didn't depart easily. At that time, a different ship suddenly came from beside and collided with it with great force. (Sweat) As expected, it's Vietnam....
It seems like they were trying to be funny because there was a pause, but I don't think it's necessary to go that far.
The ropes that are securing the boat are stretched so tightly that they seem like they might break, and they're making a creaking sound. Also, the boat isn't moving very easily, so I was able to experience the "Vietnam style" from the beginning.
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And finally, we were ready to depart. Although our ship was not supposed to be delayed much, many other ships had already left, so we ended up departing later in the order. |
| Anyway, I'm glad the weather has improved. If it had been like the weather we had until recently, it would have been the worst. |  |
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The weather seems to be gradually improving, and it feels like the clouds are decreasing as time passes. |
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Gradually, the sky becomes clear. And, accordingly, the color of the sea also changes. |
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We are moving forward, steadily, across the vast ocean. |
| The ship is moving forward, heading towards the island. |  |
Nha Trang, Mun Island, Mot Island.
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In this way, we enjoyed a leisurely boat trip and arrived at Mun Island, our first destination. |
| Beautiful coastline. |  |
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Here, it seems like you can swim to the island. I thought for a moment that the water might be cold, but I decided that since I had come, I should go in and swim. Since I cannot do a water acclimation, I reluctantly jump in from my feet. |
Then, indeed, it was cold for the first moment.
However, after swimming for a little while, my body warmed up, and it became a level where I didn't mind it.
In terms of my hometown's standards, it was the water temperature of Izu, Shizuoka, around the end of August or the beginning of September.
And then, I went to the island and enjoyed a nap.
It's such a beautiful view.
It's a view that washes away all the bad aspects of Vietnam that I've felt so far.
A vast sky stretches out.
And the rocky cliffs, the green sea.
It's not as transparent as some southern islands, but it's still enough to feel good, this sea.
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After fully enjoying the sea, we eventually returned to the boat and headed towards the next island, Motu Island. |
| Boats of other tour companies are floating around. |  |
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The ship moves forward, with the coastline in view. |
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Two ships are lined up. Next to that, our ship also lined up. |
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A flag standing on a ship. |
| The scenery visible from the ship. |  |
Here, we ate lunch first.
And, a person who was in charge of creating a lively atmosphere sang a song and danced on the water, entertaining everyone.
About four boats were connected, and everyone was watching the same stage.
Because the lower floor was narrow, I was vaguely looking from the roof of the boat next to me.
At that moment, I suddenly turned my gaze towards the bow of the ship, and I saw a local boy washing dishes and cleaning up leftover food with a blank expression.
This expression is very subtle...
I completely don't know what this boy is feeling with this expression.
When I compared that expression with the expression of the person who was hyping up the crowd at the stern of the ship, I felt a little embarrassed, and my own excitement seemed to disappear.
I watched that situation for a while, and then, I suddenly felt sleepy and started to take a nap.
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And before long, the singing ended, and everyone started going into the sea. What is it... I thought, but it seems to be a game where you drink wine and eat pineapple underwater. Also, I wonder if they weren't taught that you shouldn't swim after drinking alcohol. There were people who were drinking beer during the meal, not just drinking wine after swimming. Since they are making it mandatory to use a flotation device, I wonder if they are considering safety to some extent. |
I thought I would try it out, and although I was a little worried, I also jumped into the water.
And then, after drinking the wine... I started to feel incredibly happy.
This is strange.
The wine is delicious, and the pineapple is also delicious.
I was even thinking about how long it had been since I drank wine this good.
The label was removed (perhaps to be environmentally conscious), so I didn't know the brand, but it was still delicious.
I regret not asking what the brand was.
And after finishing the wine, we eventually started moving towards Tam Island.
Nha Trang, Tam Island, and returning home.
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This place seems to be a slightly larger resort island, and they definitely charge an entrance fee.
I forgot to mention this, but to swim at the first island, it costs 5000 dong, and the entrance fee for this island is also 5000 dong. And, because I didn't have much time, I took a brief walk, but it was also a beautiful view. |
| Some people are enjoying paragliding. |  |
The stay was short, and I left Tam Island in a hurry. Then, I headed to Mieu Island, which was the final destination.
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Here, I was able to get on some kind of strange vehicle. |
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This is also interesting... I am somewhat curious about what is used to adhere it so that water does not enter. If it is a chemical substance, I am not interested, but if it is a piece of life wisdom, I would like to hear about it. I missed the opportunity to ask. By the way, it costs 5000 dong to ride this vehicle. Everything has a charge... (laughs bitterly). |
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Donburako, donburako, I am floating like a donburako. |
| Wobbling. |  |
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Local people were rowing, and we also had a chance to try it out ourselves before we left this vehicle. |
| A boat was floating around an interesting vehicle. |  |
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And eventually, it returned to the harbor. |
It was quite a long day.
I am quite tired, but I also feel a great sense of satisfaction.
Tomorrow is the day I return to Tokyo.
I went back to the hotel and tried to book a taxi to the airport, but they said it would cost about 180,000 VND (approximately 1208 yen).
I questioned the person at the counter as to why it was so expensive, considering the airport is in the south of town, and they told me that it was for the old airport, which was relocated far away a year ago.
I momentarily even doubted the person at the counter.
I initially thought that even the person at the counter of a three-star hotel might be involved in overcharging.
However, it seems that is not the case. (Actually, I will know tomorrow.)
Tomorrow, I will check out at 6:00, leave the hotel at 6:15, and arrive at the airport at 7:00.
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And the next day. Morning scenery. Leaving Nha Trang... |
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This trip seems to have added value to my overseas cycling experience. Also, I was able to experience unique people and cultures, which was also very meaningful. However, I am starting to feel tired of Asia, so I think I would like to go to Europe or somewhere else next time. That is a story for another time. This trip is now over.