Friday, February 5, 2010

Vietnam was worth the wait!!!

Remember last time I posted about going to meet our German friends for dinner in ten minutes? Well, while we were on the internet, Scott got it in his head that we must leave Siem Reap immediately. So instead of dinner, we got on a bus for southern Cambodia to get our visas. No entry to Vietnam upon arrival. It ended up being a 30+ hour bus trip. Shinoukville was a pretty sketch place, but we took motorcycle taxis to the "embassy" which was somebody's backyard. Then back to Phenom Phen, the capital. Our bus arrived there at 1:31 and the bus to Vietnam departed at 1:30. Luckily they were running late and we were able to get the last 2 seats on the bus to Vietnam in the nick of time. Then we rode for hours, watching/listening to Vietnamese karaoke the entire time. Scott was going out of control. He started asking the people around us if they even liked the karaoke, he wanted to petition to turn it off... anyway, we talked with some other travelers and exchanged funny stories to help pass the time. The border took FOREVER, we still don't know what the hold up was, but it was obnoxious. We hadn't eaten for over 20 hours, so I bought some corn on the street. It was pretty gross, but better than nothing.

We arrived in District 1 of Hoh Chi Mihn City at about 10pm last night. With a reccomendation from some Danish travelers we found ourselves with the absolute friendliest hostel where we get free internet and even free laundry!! And the best part of last night, I finally ate something that didnt taste fishy! Scott knew "pho" from his mission, so we had that last night and loved it! Then we went to the flower market and night market which were both fantastic! Mom, these are the trees you have always wanted in front of the house- they totally have them here! But, we forgot the camera last night, danget. Anyway, this morning I had a steamed bun for breakfast (love that! And it was included in the hotel) and we just finished making arrangements for the rest of our travel. We will be on 2 night buses for the next 2 nights, and go to 2 towns on the way up to Hanoi. Then we are doing a 1 night cruise on Halong bay which is supposed to be fantastic! So far we love Vietnam and really wish we had more time! The people here have been the friendliest we've met. They are so helpful and all really go out of their way to help us. Even kids bow to us on the street, and restaurants make sure we get exactly what we want. Saw some phenomenal hackysack last night, they were doing handstands to kick the sack with their feet or calves. Wow!

3 comments:

NatalieD said...

You're surely starting your marriage off with lots of fun experiencess under your belts. Enjoy the last few days of your trip. You will still be honeymooning when you return home, though. :)

Shawna said...

I can't believe how many buses you've been on and for how long. You're getting to know each other WAY better than you ever imagined, since it's hard to be at your best through a 20 hour+ bus ride.

Noelle said...

Yeah those night buses are something else! I am glad you are taking advantage of the cheap massages!!!