Time for a bit of motorcycling this afternoon. To be more precise, some “Wallace & Gromit” style biking into the countryside. And better still, on a 46 year old Russian “Ural” 500cc bike.. Invented by the Soviet Union in 1940 on Stalin’s orders to provide mobility to special forces.. This particular motorbike was originally provided to North Vietnam by the Russians where it served as a Police bike for much of its life. It had a crew of three and space for a detainee where I’m sitting.. It still retains a working siren, but we don’t use it much as […]
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Up at 06.30 today for another culinary adventure! This time it was a taste tour of Hoi An, run by a lovely retired Aussie couple, Neville and Colleen. They have moved to Hoi An and have an encyclopedic knowledge of every possible type of food and the best place to try it. Neville is seen here chatting up one of the many characters we meet along the way.. So I spent the morning meeting interesting locals and sampling dishes – 44 in all. I will just share a few discoveries here.. (and this isn’t the order I ate them in). Pictured […]
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I have moved beaches – to Cau Dai beach 30km south of Da Nang, where I’m now staying on the outskirts of the 16th century fishing village that you probably know as Hoi An – but also known by its other name as “Faifoo”. I have checked in to a lovely French hotel (the Victoria) that is modelled on a local village – a kind of Vietnamese Portmerion. Its mainly full of wealthy French and Spanish tourists from what I can see. The staff are amazing and quickly adopt me as a mad Englishman that needs help. In the town […]
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R&R here for New Year, but I’m too tired to do too much and fell asleep well before midnight.. I’m staying at the Furama, a great place on the beach on the outskirts of Da Nang. It wasn’t my original plan to stop here, but it was one of the few places not trying to fleece me for staying over at this time of the year – and I’m in luxury here – it’s really nice. I feel I have to mention, just in case you don’t know, that this city boasted the busiest single runway in the world in […]
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Distance so far: 14 582 km Of course there is no single train called “The Reunification Express” in Vietnam – that would be like East Coast calling the 08.30 from Kings Cross “The Flying Scotsman”.. Having said that I have a ticket on the SE1, so I’m going to imagine it is the closest thing to this mythical train, going all the way from Hanoi to Saigon in three days. My destination is Da Nang – 15 hours south of Hanoi in Central Vietnam. After China, getting on this train was very straightforward – no big queues in the station – […]
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I have waited 24 hours before writing this post just in case there were going to be any health consequences of my recent street food banquet. I’m pleased to report that I’m feeling fine. So a day munching through the streets of the old quarter with a guide called “Johnny” from a great little company called Vietnam Awesome Travel that I tracked down from TripAdvisor. Lunch started at 11.30 and finished at 16.30! The idea is only one dish at each place, washed down with some Hanoi Beer of course.. There was a mixed international group of about ten of […]
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I’ve had a super day cruising the chaotic streets of the old quarter of a Hanoi – more on this in another post, but if thought I would first share my love of Vietnamese coffee with you (I know that some of you are already champions of the cause though..) One of the enduring good things the French did in Vietnam (other than import its taste in baking, brewing and the guillotine) was to popularise coffee and cafe culture, and it thrives today across the country. At the end of a long lunch (about seven courses in five places – […]
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Distance travelled so far: 13 819 km. Weather: foggy, chilly, 7 degs C I’m sat in the Sofitel bar listening to piano music and drinking reasonably good coffee. I’m exhausted. My room isn’t ready but I’m just happy to be able to have the run of the place and use my now unblocked social media for the first time in a few days. The women at the bar wear Ao Dai’s and greet you in French, which seems very different from the Chinese way. (“The Chinese Way” by Level 42 also pays homage to another famous Alan Partridge line, so […]
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21.30 (local) Good evening, and welcome to another episode of “border games”. It’s been a relaxing day, drinking tea, dozing, taking pictures of the fantastic landscape around Guilin whilst eating fiery stew from the restaurant carriage. Tonight I am starting with some “pre border, border games” at Nanning station. This is the last big city before the crossing, and most people finish their journey from Beijing here. Except me! My guard (seen here slightly annoyed with me taking pictures of everything!) got me out of my carriage (but my luggage is left in it) and handed me over to a member […]
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Morning form somewhere in Hunan province. I’m getting used to the way this train works and I really like it. If you want to catch a slice of China on the move, then just leave the door to your compartment open – not only do the locals come to stare, but you get to see all the people selling things “door to door”. These range from food & beverages, magazines, and sets of nail clippers through to iPads (that have probably not been designed in California). In fact its like a sort of Chinese “shopping channel”! Having recently read “The […]
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