Dare #15 Complete

My best friend, Elizabeth McCreary (Donaldson) is a HUGE Denver Broncos fan so she dared us to take a picture "tebowing" in front of the One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi. Tebowing, apparently, is the signature move of Tim Tebow, the QB for the Broncos. There is a whole website dedicated to pictures of people "tebowing" here http://tebowing.com/.

We thought this dare would be super easy, I mean its just a picture in front of a pagoda, right? Wrong! There were sooo many people there and we felt and looked absolutely ridiculous doing this in front of everyone. When we looked up there were at least 10 people around snapping pictures of the random Americans kneeling in front of the pagoda. Super awkward! Thanks Elizabeth for the great dare!

Ben and I "tebowing" in front of One Pillar Pagoda

Just to give you an idea about how many people were there...this really doesn't do it justice

Ancient City Hue

We arrived in Hue by our Easy Riders guides, and set out to find a hotel. We settled on a luxurious place for $8 a night, a steal if you ask me. Hue is the capital of the old Nguyen Dynasty, so is rich in history. The most impressive was the Citadel, the Emperor's Forbidden City. Hue is also a UNESCO heritage site, and has a lot to see. So we rented a motorbike for a few days of sightseeing by day and relaxing and recharging at night.

In the Citadel, the Emperor's forbidden city.

The grandmother's quarters inside the Citadel

We also visited the largest Pagoda in Vietnam, Thien Mu. Everyone remembers the first monk to burn himself in Vietnam during the war? Well, the car that he drove to Saigon to do it, which appears in all the photos, is at this Pagoda site.

Ouch!

We saw much more in Hue...temples. tombs. old stadiums, etc. Hue was a great place to rest and step back from all the craziness for a bit. Also, Hue has really good Western food, so we got a break from the Vietnamese exotics before heading to Hanoi where we will dive right back in on trying new things.

Easy Riding from Hoi An to Hue

The Easy Riders...We had read about them on Tripadvisor, they were the #1 thing to do in Hoi An. We didn't think anything of it until one approached us while we were at a cafe in Hoi An. We listened to his schpeal and thought we would take a look online. It would be an adventure, off the beaten path, something most tourists don't do, a 2 day trek through the jungle on the back of a motorcycle. After researching the company, reading countless reviews about the different tour guides, we decided to give it a shot. So at 10 AM the next day, the two Vietnamese tour guides showed up on their Honda 125cc bikes, strapped our luggage to the back, and off we went into the mountains.

Our guides Anh and Cuong

I was assured nothing but the most luxurious of accommodations would be in order for the trip

Our first stop was Marble Mountain, which is...exactly that. A huge mountain made of marble with multiple caves.

The Viet Cong used to hide in these caves during the war and the Americans bombed them so there are bomb holes throughout the caves that let through natural light

"Happy Buddha" a Vietnamese man yelled at us 10 times pointing to this shrine. He then asked for money....THE NERVE

Cave Dwelling!

On a hike to the top of Marble Mountain, hoping that it would be worth it

We made it...view of Danang and China Beach, where the Americans used to surf and relax during the War

After hiking around Marble Mountain we went to this waterfall where we hiked over boulders to get to this beautiful swimming hole

Working hard in the green tea fields. See, this trip isn't all about play, we have to earn our keep too.

Next we went to a village that was completely off the grid in the top of the mountains, only about 4 km from the boarder of Laos, a place that most tourists dont go. This village was completely self sufficient, they did not even use currency! It was such a simple place, with different traditions, such as women and men marrying at 14-16 years old.

We got to visit the villagers kitchen, where they had chicks running around. They let us hold them. Sarah dropped it on its head shortly after this.

This is the village school. Outside looks very weathered, but the inside is the same as ours. Blackboard, desks, etc.

We arrived to the place we would be sleeping that night, a town of 350 people called Prao. We checked into our hotel, and our guides took us to dinner. Little did we know it would be a wild night. They bought homemade Vietnamese rice wine that was very strong (they said about 38%). And when they cheers'd us, we drank.

Yes, the booze is sold to you in an Aquafina bottle...$1.25 per bottle.

Somehow this came out later in the night. It is rice wine with a dead cobra and scorpian in the bottle. It was DISGUSTING. It tainted my mouth until the next morning, the most vile tasting thing I have ever drank.

The next morning we were up bright and early at 6 AM, and a coffee was in order. So, in the Vietnamese spirit, we got the traditional Vietnamese coffee.

Much thicker than regular coffee, this Vietnamese coffee was very earthy.

On the Ho Chi Minh trail, used during the war to get from the North to South.

We stopped at a rice wine making facility, aka someones house, and met these indiginous mountain people. This lady was so fascinated by Sarah's white skin that she walked up to Sarah and hugged her and rubbed her arms, and then literally stood there holding Sarah's hand for a good five minutes. Sarah was uncomfortable, I thought it was hilarious.

That day was spent driving through the mountains and jungle. It was absolutely gorgeous, waterfalls at every turn, wild goats, chicken, and cows roamed the road. We even got to see a Cobra.

Waterfall in the background

My driver almost ran over this Cobra. The end of its tail was about 6 inches from us when we drove by it. Only then did we realize its head was poised up in striking position and its neck was flared out. One of the coolest things I have seen in the wild.

This is Bun Bo. One with Chinese influence, hence all the carrot. A dough pastry stuffed with quail egg, pork or beef, veggies and sauce. Really good, and only 20 cents.

All in all our 2 day trek through the mountains was wonderful. We got to see a side of Vietnam we would have never seen on the tourist trail, and got to meet some truly wonderful Vietnamese people. It is reassuring to meet genuine Vietnamese people after dealing with the tourist industry touts who will scam you for an extra 10 cents.

Eating our way through Hoi An, Vietnam

After our amazing time in Nha Trang, we boarded a 12 hour train headed for Hoi An, which was to get in at around 11PM...the train was delayed, however, so it did not get in until 1AM. Good thing we had thought to book a hotel in advance or we would have been SOL for sure.

We are soooo excited for the train ride

We were staying at a hotel called Sunshine Hotel in Hoi An and we had heard that it had a great breakfast. The first morning there, even though we had not gotten in until 1Am, we woke up at 7 because we were so hungry. The breakfast buffet DID NOT disappoint.

We then went to explore Hoi An Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hoi An has ample history and was used for decades by Chinese and Japanese merchants. There is still abundant Chinese and Japanese influences in the town, such as the Chinese lanterns that are strung all around Old Town and illuminated at night. It is also influenced by the French, from the burnt orange buildings to the narrow, cobble stone roads. Hoi An is definitely a must-see, but if you are not interested in getting tailor-made clothes there is not a whole lot to do except eat, cook, and relax.

One of the buildings in Old Town

The Japanese Covered Bridge

One of the big things to do in Hoi An is eat. We discovered that Anthony Bourdain, host of "No Reservations," had done a show on Hoi An, so we decided to watch it and go to the places that he went. Such a good idea!! Ever since being in Vietnam we have been disappointed in the Vietnamese sandwiches, called Bahn Mi. But, Anthony Bourdain went to the "Sandwich Lady," in Hoi An and raved about her Bahn Mi's, so we decided to give it a try. We found the place, located at the east entrance to the central market called "Bahn Mi Phuong," and asked for the deluxe, which includes a fried egg on top. Seriously, it was like a symphony in your mouth.

Best Bahn Mi EVER. If you ever find yourself in Hoi An find this stand and have the deluxe Bahn Mi...it will change your life.

Ben eating the sandwich like a local, sitting on the curb with a beer at hand to wash down the spiciness.

Another one of Ben's favorites here was Cau Lao, a dish special to Hoi An. He said he may even like it more than Pho, I, myself, am absolutely obsessed with Pho and cannot imagine going home and not eating it every day anymore so I will not sign onto his statement. But, it was tasty.

Bowl of Cau Lao. Noodles with pork, some fried pork bits on top, fresh veggies, and some spicy, beef based sauce.

The next day we decided to take advice from Travelfish and go to a cooking class, which is offered at virtually ever restaurant in Hoi An. We settled on Cafe 96 because it was the cheapest we found ($12/person) and they offered variations for people who don't like fish (ahem, Ben). We made spring rolls, spicy eggplant, lemongrass pork (fish for those that eat fish) and green mango salad with tofu (amde with shrimp for those that eat shellfish). It was a really cool experience and we would definitely recommend doing a cooking class here.

The restaurant. Located at address 96 on the river frontage road.

Rolling spring rolls, not easy...unless you are used to rolling things like cigarettes, etc.

Wrapping the pork in banana leaves to steam them on the grill. LOL at the guy in the background, so smug about being in my pic.

Partying in Nha Trang

We met some really cool people on our bus from Mui Ne to Nha Trang, an English couple and a Canadian guy, who we ended up spending a significant amount of time with while in Nha Trang. Nha Trang is like a bigger version of Mui Ne, with lots more restaurants, clubs, and things to do. The first day here we rented motorbikes and headed to Bo Ha Falls, which was an experience. First, you had to drive for about 45 minutes until you hit a dirt road, most of which was flooded. We were on our motorbikes and had to go off-roading for a good 30 minutes. Then, once we arrived we had to walk through the jungle for about 15 minutes, then go bouldering for another 20 minutes before we reached the falls. But, it was well worth it!

This is the only sign on the way to the falls, if you miss it you will never find the falls.

The road leading to the falls...at some points you were almost submerged.

Ba Ho Falls

Ben and Brett taking a dip

Ben jumping off a 30 ft rock

The Crew. Ben, Me, Brett, Jessie, and Landy.

That night we went to a Vietnamese restaurant called Lac Cahn that Breeves had recommended and had a feast. They bring every table a BBQ and a ton of raw meats, which you then grill at your table.

Other than the white guy at the table behind us, there were no other foreigners at this restaurant. We had some great food there, the best being the eel!

The next day we went to the Thap Ba Hot Springs and mud bathes and got massages. It was a nice relaxing day!

The last day in Nha Trang we went on a booze cruise with a tour company called Mama Hahn. We cracked our first beer at 9:20 in the morning.

Time Stamp: 9:20 am

Karaoke on the boat. This guy sang a song from each country and made a person from that country stand up and sing. When it was time for him to sing a song from America, Ben and I got up, but literally had no idea what song they were playing. So, we made him sing "Rolling on the River" instead.

Jumping from the top of the boat!

Happy Hour at the Floating Bar. The guy in the black and white tube (aka, a piece of cardboard wrapped up with duct tape) was the bartender who handed out free wine (or, what they considered wine...clearly they have never been to Napa).

Motorbikes, Private Beaches, and Pepper Spray in the face???

We arrived to Mui Ne, very tired from our last night in Saigon. We have our new rule "Look at at least 5 hotels before making a decision." It worked, and we ended up at a brand new guesthouse with aircon, hot water, and very clean, for 13 a night called Surfers Guesthouse....perfect. We spent that night in the room, resting and getting a good nights sleep.

The next day we woke up to no electricity. Great, this must be why it is only $13 a night, we thought. But we were wrong. The power was out in a whole grid in Mui Ne. So we decided to get the day started and rented a motorbike to check out Mui Ne. We drove around and swam at private beaches, went to the beautiful sand dunes, and came back at 4 PM.

Taking a ride along the beach

Still no power! So we killed time until 8 PM, got some street food and ate at a Mexican restaurant.

Making BBQ Spring Rolls

We decided that if there was a chance of no power all night and no aircon, then we need to have some drinks to be able to sleep in the heat. So we sat in front of our hotel at a cafe drinking with the locals and some othjer tourists. We met the owner of our hotel, a guy with 3 nationalities, French, American, and Vietnamese. He actually went to UCLA, and lived in the states for a while. He invited us to a bar that he said would be packed, and it was.

We caught a ride with the owner of our hotel in his USMC Jeep.

We walked in and went straight to the bar to order a drink. The next second, all I know is that a bar fight had broken out and I was ushering Sarah away from it. Then it hit us. A nice stream of pepper spray right in our face. It burned and got worse over the minutes. We sat outside tearing from the spray and sneezing for 15 minutes. And we didnt even have a drink to help us out! Crazy night, ended at 4 AM, but we were safe and sound.

Call it Saigon, not Ho Chi Minh

We left the home stay fairly tired, and beat up from the lack of luxuries, but it was all worth it for the experience. We set out on a 12 hour journey by bus through the rest of Cambodia and across the border into Vietnam. We were headed to Ho Chi Minh, or as the locals call it, Saigon. We got to Saigon and were dropped off right in the heart of Pham Ngu La, the backpacker area. We set out and found a hotel that night for 17 dollars that was very nice and new. Then we went out for some dinner.

Our first bowl of Pho!

I got Pork, Sarah got Chicken

The next day we went around Saigon to the museums and sights, including the War Reminants museum. It was a museum about the Vietnam War, and was one of the best and worst war museums I have ever been to. It was great because they had many old tanks, artillery, and weapons from the war to see. But, was bad because it was so biased against America, and really painted America as an overly aggressive, Nazi like force during the war. Now, I have no doubts that some bad things happened, but it was highly one sided. The hardest part was the Agent Orange exhibit. Agent Orange was the pesticide used by the US to clear the jungle, and its everlasting affects have caused deformed and disabled Vietnamese even today. Be prepared if you plan to go that it will make you uncomfortable.

Tanks outside the museum

Agent Orange Victims. The ones in green are victims. The one on the right literally had no eyes, just skin over where his eyes should be. He played the piano. It was very depressing.

After, we went to Pho 2000, Bill Clinton's favorite Pho place in Vietnam. Also, the worst and most overpriced Pho we have had in Vietnam.

I decided later that day it was time for a haircut (and beard cut).

The Vietnamese were fascinated by my beard as they can't grow them like I can. There were about 5 people watching the hairdresser cut my beard. And yes, that is someone riding a motorbike through the salon.

Upon recommendation by my buddy Brett, we were to do the Foodie Tour by XO tours. It was expensive but we thought we would give it a shot anyways. Essentially, it is a motorbike tour of Saigon, at night, with 3 stops at restaurants to try legit Vietnamese food. We definitely got some local food, including frog, goat, quail eggs, fried full body quail, and I even ate a balut. A balut is a 16 day old duck egg, essentially a duck fetus. You could see the veins of the duck, where the beak would form, it was disgusting. We also had beef wrapped in beetle leaves, razor fish, clams, pork, full body shrimp, and as much beer as we wanted. It was a great tour.

With our drivers

Our first stop was Bun Bo Hue. It is different from Pho because it is a pork and beef based broth, with beef and a pork sausage (on the top right). Super good.

At the first stop

First time trying frog. It tastes like chicken (I know that's cliche, but its true)

Fried whole quail

Yummies!

This is the Balut...by far the gnarliest thing I have eaten on the trip. It was hard to get down, but it was a dare from Brett that must be completed.

Drinking the Embryo juice

The next night was the highlight of Saigon. We went to a local Bia Hoi to get in the Vietnamese beer drinking spirit. A Bia Hoi is essentially a beer hall with the cheapest beer in the world. With only 85 million people, Vietnam is the 3rd largest beer drinking country in the world, and we found out why. The second we walked in the Bia Hoi, Vietnamese groups were inviting us to join them at their tables. What the hell, we thought, so we sat down. Annndddd, they didn't speak a lick of English. It's ok, we thought, we can do this, just drink beer, smile, and when they say "fini" meaning "finish," pound your beer. Well, they said "fini" about every 5 minutes. Once the original people we sat with left for the Karaoke Bar, we were invited to 3 other tables. We were like the neighborhood Bia Hoi whores, and we loved it. We sat with this next table for 3 hours, speaking in hand gestures, smiles, and throwing back nine 2 litre bottles of beer. At the end, the Vietnamese would not allow us to pay and covered the bill. Then, they invited us to coffee with them, so we went to..yup, the Coffee Bean! Had a great cup of joe with these gents, then we were off to party at the 23 floor of the Sheraton, with the best views of Saigon.

The group of Vietnamese guys that welcomed us at their table, paid for everything, and didn't speak a lick of English.

Yes, we are getting a post beer coffee at the Coffee Bean

Saigon at night...Taken from Level 23 Bar at the Sheraton, Saigon.

The next day we hopped on a bus for Mui Ne, a small beach town in Vietnam that would turn out to be just as eventful if not more.