Pili and Romain Backpacking in Asia and Latin America

Monday, December 12, 2011

Phnom Penh

We were gladly suprised by Phnom Penh, it is not as crowded as Vietnam's big cities and seem to have more to offer to tourists. The Khmer style (Cambodians ancestors) is also very different with temples and pagodas of a different type.

The traditional tuk tuk brings you anywhere in the city for 2$.

Khmer temples are beautiful and have a lot of little details.

The Russian market (south of Phnom Penh) is a messy and smelly place that hasn't changed for decades, but the food is fantastic!

Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta

After a short stop in Mui Ne (a little villages with beaches), we went to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It is not Vietnam's capital but the biggest city in the country, with a lot of traffic! We didn't want to stay too long there and decided to head for the Mekong delta and crossing to Cambodia sailing up the river..

In the Mekong river every family has its boat parked in front f the house.

The delta is full of floating markets where people come to sell their production.

We tried the 'famous' snake wine, it tastes as bad as it looks!

Pili trying some unoffensive crocodile spring rolls.

The villages in the Mekong delta are full of life with people coming and going constantly.

Women sale tasty food at each street corner.

On our way to Phnom Penh on the Mekong we were really surprised by the people who waved at us with a huge smile.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Nha Trang

Nha Trang is the place to enjoy beach and parties in Vietnam! luckily it is now the low season amd the beaches are not crowded. The city also has old temples and pagodas.

This is the Long Son Pagoda, where monks still live.

On top we can see a giant Buddha with a temple inside.

The Cham Tower was an old temple today restorated.

Hoi An

Here is the most beatiful pace we have seen so far in Vietnam. hoi An is a charming little city, just 4 hours south of Hue. It is a quiet place with many artists, painters, tailors and delicious local food.

We enjoyed some Wontons (prawn fried in a rince paper) and Cao Lau (flat noodles with pork and fried vegetables), we were eating this everyday during our stay in Hoi An, it was really good!

The famous Japanese bridge of Hoi An, this wodden bridge was built in the 16th century.
A little temple is located at its center.

The city counts many temples. All of them are very well kept.

The market is a really dynamic place where everyone wants to sell you something!

Typical house in the old city of Hoi An, very beautiful.

Hue

After a short stop in Hanoi we stayed a couple of days in Hue. The city in the middle of Vietnam is located just south of the frontiere North/South Vietnam, the place is famous for its role during the Vietnam war.

This is the entrance of the Citadel surrounded by water in the old city.

Inside the citadel, one of the numerous palaces used by the Emperors.

Pili eats many of these little bananas everyday, they taste a bit like kiwi, delicious!

We visited the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) at the ex frontiere between south and north Vietnam. The north communists used tunnels as above to provide the south with weapons against the Americans.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Hanoi

After Sapa and a night bus we had to come back to Hanoi to go further south. Here are some pictures of the capital of Vietnam.

Pili with some tipical women selling fruits in the street.

The streets are always busy with motorbikes, huge trees have branches spanning until the ground.

The food in this little restaurant was delicious, it seems quite popular as it was full of Vietnameses. Our dish cost us 50000dongs, around 1.6euros an was made of noodles and beef, we added some lime, the little green fruits in the middle!