kez & hay travels 06

After a bit of a break from our blog. its about time we recounted what we have done for the past month. 
We left Ha Noi for Hué, a small citadel town which happened to be kicking off their 2 week festival a day after we arrived.  We never found out what the festival (which takes place every other year) actually celebrates, but it meant a big party atmosphere with fireworks, free beer and lots and lots of people.  It also meant that prices went up to capital city level and thus meant we only stayed a couple of nights.  We went on a tour to the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) which included a look round the Vinh Moc tunnels.  These were a network of underground tunnels constructed and used by the villagers of Vinh Moc in order to escape the bombings which were going on overhead.  62 families lived here for 5 years, and 17 babies were born here.  We also stopped off at the Ben Hai bridge crossing the river which marked the official border between North and South Vietnam.  

Next stop was the beautiful town of Hoi An, a well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century.  And also famous for its tailor shops - which Kerry took full advantage of!  After buying a whole new wardrobe and sending it home (warning parents!), we worked hard at relaxing at the nearby beach. 
Thinking we needed more practice at this we moved on to the beachside town of Nha Trang, just in time to watch England's first footie match. We also went to our first Full Moon party on the beach which was like something out of Ibiza. - Enough said!

We headed onto Da Lat, a mountain top town where Vietnamese honeymooners go.  With this in mind we were quite disappointed when we arrived to neon lights and kitchy souvenir stalls.  It was only after we left the town that we found that the beauty of Da Lat lies in the surrounding area.  The town was used as a French retreat during colonial times, and we lost count of how many churches were there, including a Cathedral.  In the evening we met up with the 2 Irish lads we initially met in Mongolia and did the typical tourist thing in Da Lat - go tandem riding!