Danang and the beautiful Vietnamese coastline The Wandering Writer

Here I am back to the usual appointment with this journey to discover the beauties of Vietnam, trying to get the advantage of every single day to move around, rather than staying in a single place. As we left last time, we reached the city of Danang, famous for being the cultural center of Vietnam and also for being the first port where the US troops entered Vietnam in 1965, when soon after the city became a sort of "small American town."
Of course small was something that didn't last long as soon refugees from the fire free zone, and people from the rural areas conveyed to the city. At that point, the population started to grow exponentially until nowadays being the fifth largest city in Vietnam.

One thing we immediately noticed was that despite being a large city, the traffic on the street was not even comparable with that on Saigon.

In Danang, life seems to move more quietly and for us was a blessing because in this way we could rent a scooter and move around quite freely for the city's attraction. One offside was that we had a short time to visit everything, so we needed to choose wisely our destinations.

Something that I truly recommend is the famous Con Market, which is the largest and busiest open market in the city.

Likewise, the one we visited in Saigon, here you can find everything for everybody. The western concept of "mall" here means open market, and people get not only their groceries here but also the houseware, clothes, shoes, spare parts and whatever else except large electronic ware for which there are dedicated shops.
Something I have noticed though is that on traditional shops (the way the westerners mean LOL) the prices are surprisingly high, and this put into perspective the wealth of this country, far from being a place where to find bargains, like we did for example in Hong Kong.
Do yourself a favor, do not go to sleep early!
The city turns itself into a carnival of lights during the night. Mainly the bridges are something spectacular you do not want to miss.
You will regret.
Moreover, the nightlife in Danang, like I presume in every big city of Vietnam is vibrant and full of attractions, from the late night markets to the nightclubs, restaurants and much much more.

Vietnam, with its diversity, liveliness, with the friendliness of its people will fascinate you and is supposed to remain in your memories like a dear destination.
There are undoubtedly many other places that deserve to be seen, and probably we will be back to Vietnam once again to experience it one more time.
That said, I wish you a very bright weekend and don't forget to stop by next week, because there are funny experiences we had on the train trip from Danang to Nha Trang, a place that will surely make you wonder for its peculiarity.
Stay tuned!

On the road between Laos and Vietnam with the Wandring Writer

One thing I have learned during my journeys around the world is to never expect much when buying a bus or train ticket. Although with the train it is generally a question of how crowded it might be, on the bus, you really can expect everything.
On the paper, everything seems to be fine, but even those rides that read VIP might be deceiving.
And of course, you want to reserve a spot on a VIP ride, particularly in those countries where the standards are quite far from those you are used to. Nevertheless, also in those cases, the acronym VIP might be subjected to many interpretations, and not necessarily they meet your expectations.

In Tanzania, we were accommodated for a 10 hours ride on a rusty little bus where the floor was missing in a few spots, no air conditioning and it was sold for a VIP ride (I do not want even to know what would have been the normal ride).
In India, to reach Kathmandu, we had a bus which you could barely call it that way, and the windows wouldn't close.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, we were supposed to travel on a night boat with a private cabin. The actual boat was a small ferry so rusty that it seemed a miracle it could still float. No, there weren't cabins, but the captain was so kind that offered his own little sleeping "room" (I think I have thanked him one thousand times).
These are just a few examples on the topic "never trust a salesman when he is offering a comfortable ride."
To reach Danang, Vietnam, from Pakse, Laos, we choose another VIP ride, because we know the alternative can be a nightmare.
The ride was supposed to be relatively long, about 12 hours on a bus, and we sincerely hoped that for once in the lifetime, the trip would have been at least comfortable.
We were instructed to wait for the taxi to get us from the hotel lobby at 4:30 AM, but they arrived with a half an hour delay rushing like crazy to be able to reach the bus terminal in time.

So after the last goodbye to the beautiful night sky of Laos,

We were ready to leave.
 The bus was not exactly what we were expecting, but it had air-conditioned, and it was reasonably comfortable, at least enough to be able to fall asleep like babies.
Yes, we could have taken the flight that would have brought us to our destination in one hour, but we hoped to be able to see something more of the scenery offered by a road trip. This was true only for the part of the journey when we were awake, so to be honest quite few.

Nevertheless, something I could notice is that in the countryside, both in Laos and Vietnam,  people are building charming houses. I believe that, like everywhere else in the world, the prices to buy the land in those isolated areas might be way lower.
The journey went on flawlessly except for a small problem at the border. We had only a single-entry visa for Vietnam not really thinking that we should have paid for multiple-entry one (silly us).

Well, sometimes you just forget the smallest detail, and since this trip was mostly not planned at all, this kind of problem was to be included in the holiday package.

No problems at all, we just paid 5USD for the re-entry, and everything was solved, except for a small delay on our schedule, which seemed not to have bothered the other passengers, who could enjoy having more time to eat and stretch their legs.

Note to self: remember to think about the kind of visa you need in advance (and I should have seen that coming)!

So in the end, we reached Da Nang, which is one of the most important cities in Vietnam.

This is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam, as well as being the largest city in the region. It is close to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Imperial City of Hue, the Old Town of Hoi An... but for this, you will have to wait until next week.
Wish you a great weekend!

Saigon to Pakse, Laos, the Wandering Writer's style

After a few days in Saigon, we headed north to Laos, to be precise Pakse.
Now this is not the most  popular destination among the tourists who decide to visit Laos and for this reason you might imagine how this attracts me the most. Few tourists means also that the place didn't adjust its image and heritage to accommodate the tastes of international travelers.
Despite the small deviation at the airport of Saigon, where we arrived one day in advance, the flight went smoothly and within a couple of hours we reached our third leg of the trip, where we would have stayed for other five days before...
Hmm... what then?
The fact was that because the failure of the dam that happened last month, we didn't dare to make any plan and considered wiser to plan as we go, from that point on.
In a few famous words, No Reservations.

The original idea was to take the bus to reach the border and from there trying to reach one of the cities along the coastline of Vietnam, but we needed to figure out the whole trip one reservation at a time.
In the meanwhile we could enjoy our stay at the hotel my husband booked in Pakse. If there is a word that can be associated with my husband is minimalism and character, two words I really appreciate too. However, when we talk about a hotel stay, I wish at least the basic comfort being granted, and if I can also have wi-fi and air conditioned that would be the top I can expect.

The hotel was a surprise:

I don't know what's going on but this was rated as a three-star hotel! I would have given a good five stars.
The room was perfect, even if we took the standard one, I considered it far better than many other four-star hotels I have stayed in.
Now once settled in our room, it was time to go and check out the hoods.
Pakse, is a very small town, it has just a couple of attractions, but the main thing it has is the beautiful nature it is immersed in.
When traveling in Asia, particularly in areas where the tourism is not as developed as in other cities you need to forget where you come from, and start over again.
This is the best way to appreciate and get to know the local culture. If you keep comparing with the place you come from and things that are familiar to you, the result will be always disappointing. Instead if you keep your mind open, thinking like you have just been born that day, your experience will be amazing. Your heart will be opened to understand better what's around you, and the differences that make this world amazing.
In the town there are many restaurants, and I think we'd tried all of them. However two were the busiest and also the ones which could grabbed the attention of the tourists. They are located side by side, and I guessed the owner is the same, as their menus are identical.
The staff spoke perfectly English (something quite rare to find) and they offered a great variety of international and local food.
There were things we could not go and see due to the low season and the flooding of the area, but this doesn't mean that there wasn't anything to do or see.
Considering the almost absence of traffic on the streets, we dared to rent a bike and go around to have some fun. Something really worth to be seen was the Golden Buddha statue watching the city and giving the chance to have a great panoramic view of the city and the Mekong river.

 

 

 

The city seemed a oasis of peace, particularly after Saigon, and offered many idyllic views that enchanted me.

 After a good rest and wandering around the question was still open, what next?
The answer arrived just at dinner time, when we noticed the big poster on a side of the restaurant wall, about the bus trip from Pakse to Danang, in Vietnam. Since we didn't have any other plan, and we needed to get back to Vietnam at some point, this sounded like the best chance so we booked the trip right away, together with a hotel for a couple of nights in Danang.
As I said we would have continued our trip one reservation at time.
Have a great weekend and stay tuned for the rest of the journey!!

From Turkey to Saigon, a brand new experience

From the small, but interesting parenthesis in Turkey, my journey continued East towards Vietnam, precisely Saigon. Ho-Chi-Minh city is the name given by North Vietnam, and it is generally accepted, but South Vietnam people prefer to call it Saigon, and personally, I do also prefer to call it that way.
The country during its history has endured a lot of conflicts, from regaining its independence from China to the latest of the events the Vietnam war.
Nevertheless, its economy and development are on a constant rise.
About Saigon, I will have to stop again, because there is a lot to discover just in this city and it would be a pity not to show you the most I can in the time of this blog series dedicated to Vietnam and Laos.
The first thing you notice about Saigon is the impossible traffic on the streets. Half of the population moves with scooters and motorbikes, while the other half with cars, taxis, buses, and tuk-tuk (although the latter is less common to be seen and it seems to be used mostly by tourists).
You can rent a scooter for something like 4USD a day plus gasoline, but be warned, the traffic rules are mostly ignored, and you will have to be very skilled in not ending up into an accident.
Kudos to Vietnamese people for being able to drive in such conditions without causing accidents.

This was just a typical Monday...
The city has a lot to offer to the curious eye, and if you are looking for bargains, you need to visit the street markets. Those are the places where you can buy food of any kind, meat, fish fruits, dried cereals, vegetables; you name it. Kitchenwares, decorative items, militaria, clothes, shoes and everything you might need or desire.

The smells are strong, but you'll get used to them ad you will soon be able to recognize to which food they do belong and let your nose be your guide.
Those places are generally a labyrinth where it is easy to get lost, but once again your sense of smell can guide you to the exit, where usually, the food court is located.
Don't miss for any reason in the world the Vietnamese coffee; a little bitter than the one we are used to, but full of a very particular aroma that will surely entice you.
Personally, I bought a big amount for myself, not to forget about the tastes of this incredible place.
Meanwhile, during the day, the streets are busy, and the business is running, the nights are vibrant of colors and lights of the restaurants, bars, and late shops.
Saigon is a city that never sleeps, a place where a vampire won't feel lonely.

People are very friendly, and although they do not speak very well or at all English, they will never refuse to help you, if you need some directions to find your hotel.
Another thing you should visit is the war museum, be warned, you won't leave without tears.
What Vietnamese people, just like many other populations that experienced war, had to endure, (and many of them are still dealing with the aftermath nowadays) is something that always makes me wonder how we still have wars.
The sad fact is that humanity never learns a lesson and greed, thirst for power, desire to show who is the strongest, will sadly continue to blind humanity, so instead of living together sharing the planet in peace, they will try to annihilate each other.
My question is how long until we will finally destroy the whole race?

After three days in Saigon, it arrived the time for our departure for Pakse, Laos, we arrived at the airport well in advance... Yes, one day in advance!
That didn't mean anything wrong, we got another night to an airport hotel, and we had the chance to see another district of the city.
Stay tuned and come back to discover Laos and its natural beauties!

A kebab in Turkey - The wandering Writer is on the road again

As I am writing now, I am not even sure whether my internet connection will not be interrupted as I am back on the road.
For some people traveling means having nice hotels with swimming pools and a driver at your service, but this is not my case, or perhaps it is the case after a long journey of extremely basic lifestyle.
This is also because my wanderings bring me to places where western comforts are not included in the deal.
For the next few weeks, I will tell you about a journey that is bringing me from Helsinki to Vietnam and Laos, via Turkey.
I found out that a long layover between connection flights can be a blessing rather than a curse because it gives me the chance to visit another country for free. Like many other people in the world, I do not need a visa to stay in Turkey, and this means that having a 10 hours layover in Istanbul, allows me to reach the city from the airport, see the main attractions, wander around the streets, have a chat with the locals and have the best kebab ever.
If this is not the best deal ever, I don't know what it would be!
Now, let's go back to Istanbul, and for that, we need a short historical introduction about the city and the culture. Istanbul is the cultural and geographical connection between Europe and Asia as it straddles the Bosphorus strait, between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea.
Founded under the name of Byzantium around 660 BCE, the city grew in size and influence, becoming one of the most important cities in history. After its reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 CE, it served as an imperial capital for almost 16 centuries, during the Roman/Byzantine, the Latin, and the Ottoman empires. It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 CE and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate.
Now with this interesting history, you can imagine it as a hub of different cultures melted together to form something extraordinary.
Our airplane reached Istanbul airport at 16:40 and thanks to the connection between the airport and the city. We entered the city center at dawn, this means a lot of night pictures and exploring the Turkish nightlife.

This time we were also lucky to have in our pictures a happy event like a wedding just in front of the blue mosque.
Something particular about this mosque is that it has six minarets, and that makes it unique. I might have told it already, but I really think that the Islamic architecture is one of the richest and beautiful.
On the other side of the blue mosque, there is the Hagia Sophia.

This is a former Greek Orthodox Cathedral, a Christian cathedral and later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum.
It was considered a marvel of engineering at its times because of the large dome that distinguished it from the other cathedrals.
The city at night, is presumably more interesting than by day, as the streets are lightened up by thousands of lights and colors of the various markets.
We couldn't reach the Grand Bazaar (we will on our way back), but we found more interesting what we saw on the other streets, where the markets showed the characteristic face of Istanbul.

 What I truly fell in love with, were the lamps sold on the street markets. We didn't purchase any, but we are going to in the final leg of our trip when we will have the last layover in Istanbul.
There are many things indeed that can grab the attention and be a threat to your finances, and the turkish house decor is one of those.

One positive thing about having connecting flights with a long layover is that they are generally cheaper than those who have a shorter one. This doesn't mean only saving money on the trip, but also if you do not require a visa for the layover country, you have the unique chance to visit another place practically for free.
Note to self (and also to you), next holiday check out for this possibility.
Next stop Saigon...
See you there next week. In the meanwhile have a great weekend!!

From east to west but still something stunning: Courmayeur, Italy

Last week we were in Trento, where I could eat the best strudel in the world. Now if we continue our journey and we take the A22 highway that reaches the Po valley (you don't want to get tangled with little curvy roads through the Alps), and continues through Milan (you can even take the chance and have a break there the trip takes about four hours!).
Then continue to the A5 highway in the direction of "Monte Bianco" you drive through a numberless amount of cute towns, made of those lovely wooden huts that make you in the mood of jodeling even you don't even know what it is.
Besides these, you will cross valleys with dramatic peaks at the side (watch the road, though!) that will give you a foretaste of what is waiting for you at the end of this endless driving.
Then after an endless drive through tunnels that will bring you to the heart of the mountains, you will finally reach the little town of Courmayeur, a small place of only about 3000 inhabitants in the region of Valle d'Aosta.
That little oasis of peace, so different from Trento and other bustling cities is the ultimate resort for winter sports lovers, those who appreciate the quiet and want to enjoy the natural beauties far from the hassle of the city.
And indeed if we talk about history, there is not a particular happening or a monument that can bring you to the ancient times. Nevertheless, you do not need always to get tangled in historical or cultural happenings to enjoy a particular place. Especially when we talk about natural beauties.
But let's have a look around.
Likewise, for the little town, you have driven through that feeling of jodeling will remain with you, and perhaps you will also start to search for it if you haven't ever heard about it.

As I always say when suggesting an itinerary on the mountains, "always search for a vantage point."
This has nothing to do with basic survival skills, but rather with the chance to see things from the eyes of the birds, those fortunate creatures who can enjoy a better panorama than we could ever guess.
However, in the mountains, this is something that is entirely at the reach of those who do not have wings at their advantage, as climbing a higher peak can bring you to the point of seeing the world from another perspective.
This is the place where I'd love to stay the most, a place filled with silence, contemplating the beauties of nature and being as far as possible from the problems of the everyday life. Far from traffic, noise, pollution.
A place where to listen to the voice of my soul, too many time muffled by the outside noises the modern life is offering.
With this, I will have to leave you and give appointment to the next time.
Now, concerning the next time, I am not sure because between Friday and Saturday next week I will be traveling to Vietnam. I might be able to either post something concise, giving you the appointment to the following week with a fast preview of the trip, or I will just skip the post. I will try my best.
In the meanwhile have a lovely weekend!!

Trento, and the Italian eastern Alps

So leaving the valleys and the mild hills of Tuscany, driving to north-east for at least 380 km, passing through Firenze, Bologna, and Verona, you will start noticing something interesting.
The landscape.
From the mild reliefs of the Apennines, from the broad valleys of the rivers through the plains, you will find driving through roads that turn after turn climb mountains and drive through tunnels excavated through those massive giants.
The trip takes a bit more than three hours and will bring you between the Dolomites and the Central-Oriental Alps.
There in the valley lies Trento, a beautiful city that will for sure inspire you with its history, breathtaking sceneries and food experiences.
Talking about food, in this case, there are strong Germanic influences, and this is due to their geographical position and cultural heritage. Nevertheless, it is something to fall in love with, and don't you worry about getting a couple of kilos more; you will need all the energies to go and treck on the mountains paths.
But let's start with a tour of the city. So, after you have settled, had a shower, drank a good coffee and had a slice of strudel (in no places in the world I have tasted strudel so tasty like those I had in Trento).
So at this point, you are ready to explore the city, just let your feet drive you wherever they lead, the whole city is very cozy. So for the first day forget the tourist map and get acquainted with the city and the everyday life.
You will find yourself anyway in front of something that deserves your attention.

like the many churches and the lovely architecture.
Something that surely will attract your attention is the castle of Buonconsiglio. I tried to find some interesting legends, but unfortunately, besides the recording of people who heard strange noises inside the castle, there wasn't anything more, not even a small legend to entertain you.
Nevertheless, the castle is a must visit.

It was erected from the Castelvecchio fortified building of the 13th century. It was the seat of the Bishop of Trento for most of its history until the Austrian military took over the city and used the castle as a military base and jail and then decayed.
It was returned to Italy only in 1920 together with the whole city, and it was restored, and it is a National Museum.
Did I mention at the beginning of the sceneries? Right, after the visit to the museums, cathedrals, and castle, head for the mountains and spend the rest of your holiday admiring the beauty of those majestic reliefs. And as you reach the area of Bindesi, you will have the chance to see Trento from a great vantage point, and the view is spectacular.

Believe me, you will find this and much more of those great sceneries.
Have a lovely weekend, see you next week!!