Viet Nam

Dalsi zeme a dalsi adaptace na novou menu. Nastesti to neni tak chaoticke jako v Kambodzi kde jsou vsechny ceny v USD a Rielech. Nejradeji maji kdyz se plati v USD a vraci v Rielech. Takze nestaci hlidat o kolik se nas snazi natahnout, ale kdyz uz se usmlouva cena tak jeste jakym prepocitavaji kurzem vracene penize... Ve Vietnamu je to o dost lehci ceny sice uvadne v USD, ale 1Kc = 1000 Dongu, lehke.
Ve Vietnamu zacneme rovnou docela zostra. Ho Chi Minh City (byvaly Saigon) je metropole s 9mil lidi a 5mil motorek. A je to znat, mate problem v Praze nebo CB najit misto pro zaparkovani auta? Nezoufejte, tady maji ten samy problem, jen se snazi zaparkovat motorku. Prejit ulici z jedne strany na druhou je takove mensi dobrodruzstvi samo o sobe. Citite se relativne bezpecne, protoze mate zelenou, jdete po chodniku nebo proudite s davem? Zadne takove jistoty tu neznaji. Zelena, cervena nezajem, kdyz chceme prejit zbyva jedine - dobrovolne se vrhnout pod kola stroju a pak jistym a stalym krokem postupovat vpred, on se ten chumel trubek protroubi natesno kolem z obou stran.
Misty je elektricke vedeni a telefonni kabely tak nahustene na sloupech, ze skoro neni videt na oblohu. Saigon je velikan s plapolajicimi sovetskymi vlajkami, slogany ve zlute barve na rudych praporech a bilboardy vyobrazujicimi bojujici rolnicky lid. Na prvni pohled je Saigon metropole ktera se rychle promenuje v moderni velkomesto. Ale kdyz se dame do reci s jednim mladsim Vietnamcem, tak je jasne, ze ani Cinsky system komunismu s volnym trhem neni nijak uzasny. Nedavno tu pomohl australske rodine co se dostala do problemu a na oplatku dostal darem zpatecni letenku a nabidku pobytu v rodine v Australii...samozrejme zamitnuto (mozna by to slo, pokud by dokazal sehnat 7000USD...tak si pry skoro kazdy den kupoval losy). Volby tradicne jednou za 4 roky - 1 hlasovaci listek a pri neucasti se rodina dostane do problemu. Atd. Neni se co divit, ze jsou Vietnamci proti Kambodzanum uzavrenejsi a dokud je nepoznate lepe maji odtazity pristup.
Chceme zjistit vice o posledni valce s US a tak se rozhodneme navstivit opevneni Viet Congu. Tunely Cu Chi - pres 200km chodeb ve 3patrech. Zilo v nich 16000lidi a system propleteni, pasti a jinych vychytavek byl v te dobe pro americany neprekonatelny. Kazdopadne zit 17let v tunelech ktere misty maji jen 90x40cm nebylo asi nic moc. Nam staci zkusebne proplazit 30m aby jsme vedeli, ze toto pro nas opravdu neni. Jeste je zde moznost si zastrilet z jakekoliv zbrane pouzivane jednou nebo druhou stranou. Ve meste pak jeste zajdeme do muzea valky. Zde jsou hodne podrobne zdokumentovany zverstva co americani napachali na civilistech. Obzvlast sekce nasledku testovani chemickych zbrani se doporucuje na lacny zaludek...Expozice je vyborna, ale bohuzel ciste jednostranna a zavani komunistickou agitkou. Skoda.
Ze Saigonu jedeme dale do Mui Ne. 2h konstatni zacpy nez se vymotame z mesta a pak uz jen 4h mezi kopci s ryzovymi poli a plantazemi pitayi (draci ovoce). Nakonec dorazime do turistickeho mestecka Mui Ne. Jedna ulice hotelu a restauraci u prekvapive pekne a ciste plaze. Idealni pro jeden den odpocinku. Take pujcime motorku a zajedeme na nedaleke duny z cerveneho pisku. Moc pekne, ale mame smulu na mraky a fotky tak nestoji za nic. Alespon je sranda kdyz tu potkame cecha Zbyndu - anglicky umi jen zaklady a tak na mistni hulaka v cestine a bez problemu se domluvi.
Psali jsme ,ze Bolivijska pop hudba je ocistec jak pro sluch tak pro zrak? Nocni bus do Hoi An do teto skupiny zaradil i Vietnamskou hudebni scenu. Je hodne spatna sama o sobe, ale kdyz ji hrajou bez prestavky celou noc kdy se vsichni snazi spat je to prave peklo. Hoi An je pekne historicke mesto plne uzkych ulicek napechovanych krejcimi a sevci. Chcete kopii obleku nebo satu od Bosse, Versace nebo staci jen Next? Nic neni nemozne. Staci si ukazat a do druheho dne si prijit na zkousku. Ale pozor pri vyberu z vice nez 100 obchodu, prace nekterych krejci vypada ze jak kdyz maji problem rozeznat jehlu od nite.
V jedne zapadle ulicce objevime pravy poklad. 3 generace zenskych u sebe doma provozuji restauraci. Na WC se chodi pres obyvak a kuchyni a domaci kvasnicove pivo za 3kc je vyborne. Tradicni Cau Lau (ryzove nudle se skvarky a veprovym) taktez.
Jeden den pujcime motorku a jedeme nejdrive k Mramorovym horam. Kazdou chvilku vedle nas nekdo zpomaluje a za jizdy se nas snazi natahnout k sobe do obchodu. A hory nas velmi mile prekvapi, tolik jsme necekali. Jsou plne jeskynnich domu (dlouhe o) s oltari a sochami budhu. Seshora skrz diry prosvita slunce a vypadada to jak kdyby sloupy ze svetla podpiraly cele jeskyne. Na obed se zastavime na nedaleke plazi. Kilometry a kilometry pobrezi lemuji ciste a pekne plaze se spoustou rozestavenych resortu. Odpoledne se jedeme ztratit na venkov at take vidime neco mimo mesta. Skvely napad - jedeme a kochame se lidmi obdelavajicimi rucne a s buvoli ryzova pole. V rybarske vesnici postavene z palmovych listu na nas docela koukaji. Zde se moc turistu asi neobjevi. Nakonec se ztratime doopravdy a na mesto nas navede vesnican na motorce.
Dalsi den jedeme na vylet na ostrov Cham. Nase skupina je komplet Vietnamska! To bude srandy. Na ostrove je videt, ze turismus je zde opravdu v plenkach. Pruvodce mame jen sami pro sebe a vodi nas skrz pole a dvorky plne slepic az k chramu rybaru. Zde nas starenka co se o chram stara pozve na caj a neustale povzbizi at pijeme at muze dolevat. Pak si jdeme zasnorchlovat, ale koral u pobrezi je nic moc. Vic nas bavi Vietnamci. Nikdo neumi plavat a tak maji jednu vestu na sobe, jednu pod sebou a bojuji o preziti :) Sipka z lodi vzbudi pravy obdiv. Na ceste zpatky se presvedcime, ze asiati opravdu maji problem s rozeznavanim belochu. Holky se se mnou chteji fotit, jako ze jsem podobny G.Cloony. Na obed nas vylozi na krasne plazi a chteji po nas at je naucime plavat. Boji se ale i splyvat - beznadejne. Obed je hostina o 8talirich. Vetsinou ale morske potvory. Ryba je vyborna, ale chobotnice, sepie a krevety nam nejedou.
Cas uz se blizi a tak na Hue nezbyva tolik casu co by jsme si prali. Ale i tak stihneme projit historicke mesto a vecer kouknout na predstaveni festivalu mesta. Je to takova mensi spartakiada na hradbach prolozena sem tam ohnostrojem.
Z Hue do Hanoje jedeme vlakem. Scenerie krasna, hlavne hory ktere vypadaji jako zraloci zuby zarostle dzungli. Stoupani je tak strme, ze vidime nasi lokomotivu jak jede vedle nas opacnym smerem. Na 30min zastavime, pry jsme nekoho srazili. Ale nastesti to bylo jen do ramene a nic se nestalo! Nabidka jidel ve vlaku neni moc pestra a takove mango se soli a sojovkou (ja myslel, ze je to hnedy cukr a poradne se zakousnul) nebo vareny pukavec je vylozene nechutny. Po 14h jsme docela rozlamani a tak vezmeme prvni levnejsi hotel co najdeme.
Hanoi je co se tyce dopravy stejna jako Saigon. Jen je vse nahustene do malych uzkych ulicek. Take zajdeme na predstaveni manasku ve vode co je tu hodne popularni, vypada to pekne, ale dej to nema, takze nic moc.
Pak uz jen kratky let do Bangkoku a jsme skoro u konce. Nesmime zapomenout zminit kralovsky palac, vyborne zakonceni naseho putovani. Po Angkoru asi 2. nejlepsi atrakce co tu vidime. Obrovke budovy jsou doslova poskladany z miniaturnich detailu a zlata. Clovek nema sanci vsechno pobrat.
V noci let do Londyna a pak domu.
Tak tohle byl nejrychlejsi pulrok zivota!

Fotky az pozdeji.



New country and again new adaptation to another currency. It is not as chaotic as in Cambodia where all prices are in both USD and Riel. Of course everybody prefers to accept dollars and give change in Riel. So there is one more thing to look out for, price itself and conversion rate used between USD/Riel.. In Vietnam it's easy, prices are in USD but 1 Czech Crown = 1000 Dong (Ding Dongs as we like to call it), so 1EUR = lots of loads.
We start in Vietnam headlong, first destination is Ho Chi Minh City (former Saigon). Metropolis with 9mil inhabitants and 5mil motorbikes. Do you complain about having a hard time finding free parking space in Dublin? Do not despair, same here, just cannot find a space for a bike. To cross the street is a small adventure in itself. Do you feel relatively safe because the light is green, you are on a footpath or just follow the traffic? None of these rules apply here, everything was made to ride a bike on it. So the only option when crossing the street is - voluntarily jump in front of the wheels and stride in even slow purposeful pace forward, the melee of steel and rubber flows all around while constantly blowing their horns. In some places are the electrical and phone cables so thick it nearly obscures the sky.
On the first glance is Saigon a city quickly converting into modern Vietnamese hub of everything. But when we get to know some locals and talk to them we see that not everything is so optimistic. Maybe it's the free market economy but still 100% communist style. Some examples - A local guy helped to a an Australian family that got into trouble here. As a reward he was offered a free return flight and homestay in Australia. But to leave the country was not approved, capitalist market countries have bad influence...there was a way, but it would cost him 7000USD, with a pay of 40USD/month not quite possible so the poor guy spent nearly all his savings on lottery tickets. Another example - government election is traditionally once in 4yrs - but all you get is 1 option and if you don't turn up the whole family is in trouble.
No wonder the local people are not so opened with foreigners and if you don't get to know them better they are afraid they might get into trouble.
We'd like to learn more about the war and decide to visit Cu Chi tunnels. Over 200km of corridors in 3 storeys were base for 16000 VietCong forces. Maze system with traps and other nasty surprises was for US at the time invincible. But who would want to live 17yrs in tunnels that are in some places only 90x40cm? We are happy to be out after crawling 30m. When we're finished there is an option to try and shoot from any gun used in the war. Later in the day we go to the war museum in the town. Very detailed and good exhibition shows the bestiality brought on civilian people. Section of chemical weapons testing results is not for the fainthearted. Pity that the exhibition is only one-sided and wafts with communist propaganda.
From Saigon we continue to Mui Ne. 2h of constant traffic jam and we are out of the city. Then only 4hrs along the mountains and dragon fruit plantations. Mui Ne is a tourist place with one main street full of hotels and restaurants. But beaches and sea are surprisingly clean. Ideal for a day of laziness. Then we rent a motorbike and go to see red dunes not far away. Very nice, just the sun is hiding so the pictures will be poor. At least we have some fun when we meet a Czech guy travelling here. He doesn't speak any English and vociferates at locals in Czech, and gets by better than we do...
Did we mention that Bolivian/Peruvian pop music is purgatory for both eyes and ears? Overnight bus to Hoi An moved into this bracket also Vietnamese music. It is really bad on its own, but when it's played nonstop whole night when everybody tries to sleep then it's real hell. Hoi An is nice historical town full of narrow streets lined with tailor and shoemaker shops. Would you like a copy of Boss or Versace suit? No problem, choose and come next day for a try-out. Just be careful when choosing a shop, some of the tailors look like they have problem to distinguish a needle from a thread.
In one of the small hidden streets we come across a real treasure. 3 generations of women run their own restaurant based in their home. Toilet is through the living room and kitchen but homemade beer for 10c is a real treat.
We rent a motorbike and go for a day trip to Marble mts. Sometimes people slow down next to us and try to lure us to their shop while driving. Mountains are a nice surprise. There are some cave domes with altars and Buddha statues. Through the holes from above shines the sun that creates great light pillars. For a lunch we stop at the beach. Surprisingly clean sand and water. In the afternoon we go and drive aimlessly through countryside. Great idea - along the road we can see people working their rice fields just with basic tools and cows. In one of the fishing villages are locals quite surprised to see us. Not many tourists reach these houses built from palm leaves. Here we get lost for real and must be saved by local guy on motorbike.
Next day we go for a trip to Cham island. The group is completely Vietnamese! On the island it's obvious that tourism here is very new term here. We have the guide just for ourselves and walk through the fields and people's back yards where they keep their livestock until we reach fisherman temple. Old lady that takes care of the temple invites us for a tea and urges us all the time to drink so she can fill up, how nice. Then we go for snorkeling but coral is not very good, better fun is to watch Vietnamese. None of them can swim, so one life jacket on second below them and still they nearly fight for their lives :) Head dive from the boat is met with real admiration. On the way back we are persuaded that Asian people have trouble distinguishing white people. Girls want to take a picture with me as with G. Clooney and guys with Jana! I wish, pity it doesn't work in Europe too :) We have a lunch on a great beach and the guys ask us to teach them how to swim. Good fun but they are desperately hopeless and have big fear of water even if they can reach bottom. The lunch consists of 8 plates full of sea food. Fish is great but the other stuff is not for us.
The time is running short so for Hue we cannot spare more than 1 day. Even so we manage to walk through the historical town and go to the evening festival show.
From Hue to Hanoi we take a train. Scenery is beautiful, mountains look like shark teeth growing in the jungle. We stop for 30min, we run over someone. Fortunately the person got caught only on the shoulder and nothing happened to him! The food offer variety on train is not big. Mango with salt and dried soy (I thought it's brown sugar and took a big bite) or boiled rotten eggs is disgusting. After 14hrs we're quite tired and take the first decent hotel we find.
Hanoi is traffic wise similar to Saigon. All is just happening in small narrow streets. Here we go to see a water puppet show. Very popular thing over here, show is ok but there is no plot so it's quite boring.
Short flight and we are back to Bangkok. Nearly finished. Royal palace is great conclusion to our trip. Huge halls made up from tiny details and gold. One has no chance to take it all in.
Tonight we fly to London and from there to Prague.
What a great trip! Probably the fastest half a year in our lives.
Highly recommended.

Pictures later.