Ride to the Dong Hai bridge

When I finally arrived at the Vedana LagoonResort and Spa I was met by Thanh.  As it turns out she was my personal concierge and was knowledgable in all things local.  She was awesome!

After briefing me on the layout of the resort, and the general in’s and out’s… she then escorted me to my villa over the lagoon.  It was everything and more that the website had outlined and I knew this was the perfect place for me to find a little solitude, peace and unwind.  As she departed she handed me the resort map and once again welcomed me to the resort.

Thanh my personal concierge!

I placed the guide on the desk and then unpacked, showered and went for dinner.

Next morning I was woken by the sounds of the local fishing boats as they put-putted their way across the lagoon to the fishing grounds close to the mouth of the South China Sea.  This 4:30 am wake up call was to become my early morning alarm each day of my stay, but on that first morning I was restless and wanted to explore anyway so why not get up I thought as I threw on some shorts and a tank top, grabbed my camera and flew out the door.

There's no two ways about it, pre-dawn is absolutely stunning!  After sleeping in the air conditioned comfort of my villa the humidity was noticeable but not too oppressive at this time of day so I was quite comfortable as I began exploring the resort in the semi darkness.

At this hour of the morning, I was clearly the only person up and about (all the completely sane people were still fast asleep I know…), yet I was accompanied by a cacophony of birds chattering amongst themselves high in rainforest above me.  Could there be anything sweeter I thought to myself as I meandered along the path taking photographs in that gorgeous light.

As a photographer there are two best times of the day where the light is muted, subtle and engages your imagination the most - sunrise and sunset.  Over the course of my time in Vietnam I made it a point to see both as often as possible with my camera at the ready.

After getting some great photos I headed back to my villa and was downloading my photos from the morning’s shoot, and noticed the map of the resort.  Turning it over I realized there was also a map on the back that outlined the local surrounding villages and points of interest…cool!

My one bedroom villa over the lagoon 

Sitting by the side of the pool later than morning, it struck me that I should explore these local villages, perhaps get out of my comfort zone a little and see what I see.

Later that afternoon I grabbed one of the many bikes that dotted the resort for guests to use, then following the rough map rode out the front gate and into the local environs.  At times I was riding on dirt roads, other times over paddy bunds, sometimes even on real roads!

Clearly there was such a huge gap in terms of living conditions to what I was experiencing just a few hundred meters away. I felt extreme guilt for this enormous disparity but as I rode something strange was happening around me. I was the one with the guilt issues not the locals, and they seemed incredibly happy and extremely friendly as I slowly pedalled by. 

Without fail every person I encountered, young and old said “hello” this was accompanied with a huge smile...

My initial destination had been the Dong Hai bridge over the small canal some 5 km’s away, but as I pedalled hundreds of photo opportunities seemingly materialized before my very eyes and before I knew it, it had been two hours and I wasn’t even close to the bridge yet…

After reaching my original endpoint I noted the next village gates were only a short distance away, so not really thinking too much pedalled into the village.

The narrow streets were full of families sitting out chatting and eating, with the kids playing at the side of the road.  As I rode by people waved, smiled and said hello with the little ones running beside my bike chanting hello and waving to me.  There were a couple of narrow escapes where I had to swerve so as not to run over one of my would-be cheer squad, but it definitely made me smile.

Village children playing by the side of the road - my personal "hello" squad

Stopping every few hundred feet to take yet more photos, I noticed that since I had left the resort I‘d taken almost 400, and I wasn’t even close to being done yet.  Such a fun and perfect way to spend the day I thought to myself...

At one juncture I was riding down the narrow road when an old man stood in the middle of the road ahead of me and gestured for me to stop…oh-oh, perhaps I’d broken some local village rule, or maybe inadvertently had offended him in some way as I slowed to a stop in front of the man.

He smiled broadly to show his one tooth, and pointed to my back wheel.  As I turned I realized that I had been riding with the kickstand down, with that he bent down and pushed it up for me.  Then slapped me hard on the shoulder and belly laughed out loud as he then shuffled off.  I'm sure he thought I was a complete idiot riding a bike like that...what can I say???

Later that evening when I ran into Thanh at the restaurant she asked me how my first day was and I related the story of bicycling to the Dong Hai bridge and local villages. As I told her the stories from my ride there was a look of total shock and surprise on her face.  I realized then that very few guests ventured off the resort especially without an interpreter or someone local to show them around.

Thinking back to my bicycling ride it would have to be one of the high points of my trip, and it gave me a new appreciation for Vietnam, its physical beauty and the warmth and friendliness of its people will be impossible to forget.  

My advice is if you have even the slightest chance of going to Vietnam - take it.  Don’t stay in the big cities too long (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city), and definitely get out and explore rural Vietnam - you won't regret it!

In fact you'll likely fall in love with it like I did!  J

p.s.  I want to say a big warm hello and thank you to my new friends at the Vedana resort who’ll be reading this blog – thank you for making my stay in Vietnam truly unforgettable!

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Here are a selection of the over 1000 photos I took during my stay at the resort - enjoy!

Baby water buffalo in a paddy field by the road on my ride to the Dong Hai bridge

Fishing boat in the lagoon - note the nets all neatly packed and ready to go

French influenced architecture, built in 1931and centrally located in the village

The village gate - all Vietnamese villages have a gate like this

Wild bananas in the rain forest

Far off clouds over the South China Sea

Jungle path leading to the rain forest

One of my personal favourites from the trip to Vietnam - dawn reflection in the pool 

My early morning wake up call

Vietnam dawn over the lagoon...

The morning light reflected in the earthenware flower pot

Graves at the Martyrs cemetery in the local village, to all those locals who died during the Imperialist wars - French and American

Firewood stacked on the front porch - ready for sale at the market

Beautiful Hibiscus by the side of the road

Machine for harvesting rice in a paddy field

Village canal by the road

Conflict of Change

The concept of change is such an overused word isn't it?   I mean the very word creates a sense of stress and uneasiness in most people and that’s usually because it used primarily in a negative context.  Getting comfortable with the thought of change is, I dare say harder than actually the change itself.  Generally speaking I think I'm pretty comfortable with the concept of change, but like you it’s often the context, timing and past experiences that dictate the requisite levels of stress.

A big change for me was my mindset as I approached planning for my summer vacation.  With summer nearing I felt drawn back to Italy, even though I had written about going to Vietnam.  For some reason I felt as though I was stalling booking my trip and slowly but surely being seduced back into my old comfort zone of Italy.  I agree, what’s not to like right?

One of the two Entry Visa letters I need to carry
in transit along with two passport sized photos

However, not to be complacent or seduced by the fancies of Italy I spent Wednesday night researching the various options of getting to and from Vietnam, and eventually booked my flights late that night.  Yes, all nine of them on four different airlines to get to and from Hue and the beautiful South China Sea coastline.  Some interesting questions came up during my research (yes, I sometime speak to myself): “Do I use points or is it cheaper to pay for this leg?”, “Is it cheaper to fly via a different city vs. the obvious location?”...  So many choices and different combinations, all with no wrong answers, however this activity is not for the faint of heart and I can see why the traditional travel agent model still works – so many choices around carriers, flight times, connections etc.

 I even booked my visa online to which I've already been approved and have my entry letter from the Vietnamese government, now I just need two passport sized photos and my $45 USD fee on arrival.  Smartly, I’ve also been contacted by the company that I applied for my visa through asking me if I’d like to move to the front of the customs line on arrival for an extra $20.   Hell, at this point why not!

After booking and looking at the various travel sites and things to do in Vietnam, an inkling of doubt began to enter my mind, as expected, fear of change and doubt were back knocking at my door!  I tried to erase the very thought of fear or compromise, although the little voice in my head had lots of great reasons to doubt.

For example, how are you going to communicate the voice asked enquiringly?  At least when I go to Italy I have a smattering of Italian words which enables me to communicate on an, albeit rudimentary level…okay, my pidgin Italian isn't my strong suit, although depending on who you ask neither is my English. J

Summertime in Vietnam...yep, its going to be
hot and humid!   Yay

Hhmmm I knew I had to short circuit that damn voice, but to be completely honest I found myself quite stressed with the change.  Even though I had deliberately stated that was going to be my destination of choice this year.  My approach is that if I say it out-loud to others then I’m much more likely to follow through as its now in the public domain and expectations have been set.  A useful method to my madness I suppose and a great way for me to help the overall change process and quieten the voice of doubt in my head now that I'd backed myself into a corner.

Now that I have my destination and route mapped, hotels booked - what now?  Well, that’s the easy part! Although I'm sure many of you might be stressed when thinking in terms of what to pack for a journey like this.

For me packing is dead easy – working only with carry on for starters!   A colleague at work asked me what I was going to take…let me see, a couple of pairs of shorts (yes, its in the depths of summer and being relatively close to the equator is hot and sticky at the best of times, but in the depths of summer its going to be super hot).  As well, two or three t-shirts, plus the same number of tank tops, as well as a good pair of hiking shoes, some thongs (flip flops to the uneducated Australian lingo), toiletries and my camera, lens and extra battery…plus my Apple Air so I can blog during my adventure.

I guess some things don't change as I like to travel as light as possible and always have.  Yep, that pretty much sums it up – enough to fit in a small carry on backpack.  My mate Roscoe always said put out on your bed what you think you’ll need for the trip then only take half – words to live by I can tell you.

Now I can hear you all now taking a deep breath…don't worry I'll bring some washing detergent to clean my clothes while I'm there, plus its only a couple of weeks so no worries! 

I've also got a couple of nights in Hong Kong at the end of the trip and if necessary will buy a bag to bring back any trinkets that I acquire during my shopping extravaganza, so not totally frugal and minimalistic – just pragmatic! 

Now that I've booked my trip I definitely feel more at peace with my summer, although I must admit I'm already pining for Italy, over the years its just gotten so under my skin its hard to describe, but love it like a third home after Australia and Canada. 

Even for the most change friendly people change is hard…  J

All I can say is Vietnam here I come!

Some photos from my upcoming adventure:

Not exactly roughing it when I stay near Hue, Vietnam.  I rented a one bedroom bungalow
over the water on a lagoon adjacent to the South China Sea...

Dragon bridge in Da Nang.  I decided to fly from Hanoi to Da Nang for $100 for the one hour flight vs. $745
for the 50 minute flight from Hanoi to Hue...    Easy math really especially given that Da Nang is only an
hour away by car from where I'm staying vs. 45 min from Hue.

Bien Lang Co which I'm expecting to pass through on my way to Vedana from Da Nang
so gorgeous!