You've likely never heard of Mui Ne (Moo E Nay), and a lot of others apparently haven't either. A beach town about 3 hours from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam has tried to develop this place from a fishing village into a seaside resort. They started to put a lot of money into it during the exceedingly well timed year of 2018.

Oops.

With COVID pretty much shutting down travel, Mui Ne suffered a lot. There are no shortage of resorts or restaurants, but it seems like they're barely hanging on. Often we were the only people anywhere, although hopefully that picks up for Chinese New Year. Because like most of Southeast Asia, especially in beach towns, the people here and incredibly nice, and it kills me to see them struggle. So if you're looking for a quiet beach getaway, good news! Mui Ne is ripe for the picking. And I guess we did want that after HCMC, but Mui Ne felt almost too quiet. We spent 3 nights there, and there were days where we didn't see more than 10 people. There were some more popular places, but it was definitely low season. Still, it was a nice time to just chill and enjoy the quiet, which was appreciated after coming from the city.

Gotta hate rush hour traffic.

Mui Ne is actually a bit strange, because a lot of beaches are quite rocky - except Ham Tien, the public beach. A lot of resorts get around this by essentially building a giant sandbox with the wall at the water line. I guess it's a beach if you want to pretend? Our hotel didn't do that and just built out to the water. I guess it's a tradeoff, because we didn't have a fake beach, but we did have a nice balcony to enjoy the view. I also quite liked falling asleep to the sound of waves, something I think would be difficult to hear if the building is set back 200 meters or so. But like everyone, to get a real beach we had to venture a bit. And overall, pretty nice! We spent time just walking there, along with plenty of beer and mango smoothies. Quality wise it's up there with a lot of Thai beaches, but as expected it was a little too quiet for me. I'm not looking for something like the insanity of Pattaya, but more than one shop selling drinks would be nice.

But there are a few other sights in Mui Ne to check out, so one day we arranged a tour to see them. All the tours start at 4:30 AM, so you can be at The White Sand Dunes for sunrise. And I'm going to go on record and say I do not understand the appeal of sunrise. You know what looks the same as sunrise? Sunset. And you don't have to get up, literally, at the butt crack of dawn to see it. And for what? One picture? Why?

But with no choice, we got up at 4 in the morning to meet our guide. And special thanks to the American taxpayers, as the vehicle for this journey was graciously provided by the US Military. An old jeep painted neon green because why not, the engine sounded like it was burning a Dubai worth of gasoline every second, and the suspension probably hasn't been looked at since the army left it. Despite the smooth roads, it was an extremely bumpy and loud 45 minute drive to the first destination. On the plus side, who needs coffee to wake you up when you have that?

 

When we got to the White Sand Dunes, it funneled straight into the ATV rental place, like it was assumed that's the only reason you're here. At 600,000 dong a go ($24), but we declined. The vendors told us we were crazy, that it was very far, and impossible to walk. And yeah, to the end of the tourist trail I reckon was a kilometer or so, which would be hard (but hardly impossible) to do in the fine sand. We got about halfway before noticing a very lovely spot and just stopping there. Off in the distance we could see the hill where everyone else went, and it was completely packed with people. So while their sunrise photos contain about 100 tired foreigners milling about, ours are without a single person for a half kilometer. So I think we got the better deal, because our photos are certainly better, and $24 can buy a lot of Beer Saigons.

After, our tour continued to The Red Sand Dunes and Fishing Village. There's really not much to say about those, they were quick stops for a photo. I gotta say though, despite the Red Sand Dunes being "not as good" as the White, I liked them more. There was less brush poking through, so depending on your framing it looked like you were in the desert, and not, you know, on some beach. But I'll let you be the judge.

 

For me though, the real star of Mui Ne was the last stop on our tour, The Fairy Stream. It's a little, well, stream, that runs through the middle of town. There's a spot where you leave your shoes so you can wade upstream for 30 minutes or so, and then walk back. The water is ankle deep at most, and aside from just a few rocky parts it's quite sandy, so being barefoot was pretty comfortable. Along the way there are some beautiful vistas, and even shops selling coconuts and snacks. So it's this weird sort of tourist "road", and I'm a big fan. For the cost of 0 dong, it's one of my favorite things that I've done in Vietnam, and I think barefoot river walks should be more of a thing.

 

 

 

 

But after Mui Ne, we planned on going to Dalat, a mountain resort town that is popular with honeymooners. However we didn't really find so much to do there, and after spending a lot of time doing nothing in Mui Ne, lazing about wasn't seeming all that appealing. After seeing the weather report that it would rain the whole time we were there we decided to skip it. We eventually had to get back to Ho Chi Minh anyway to catch a flight, so we decided to just go back there and spend a little extra time doing stuff we didn't get around to - I guess we are city people after all. A nice surprise was the bus going back. It was a "limousine sleeper bus", and I had no idea what that meant.

Guys.

Guys!

This is a travel revolution.

I had never been on a bus like this, and I love it. Why aren't planes like this? Why isn't -every- form of transportation like this? I wasn't even tired, but it was just so darned comfortable I fell asleep immediately. I guess the argument is they don't hold as many people as a regular bus, but with all the cots stacked on top of each other it can't be significantly less. The 4 hour trip felt like 4 minutes, cause this thing is a slice of heaven.

Back in HCMC fully rested, we went out to do some eating and shopping. We had one more full day here, so we decided to do a group tour to Cu Chi. About two hours outside of HCMC, it's one of the places where the Vietcong hid during the war. Our guide took us around, explaining what life was like,  and how the people fought back against the Americans and the South Vietnamese. You get to eat the food they subsisted on (cassava with peanuts, which was actually quite good). And then you finally get to go through some of the tunnels. It's a massive network, but we only went through about 20 meters of it. Because spoiler alert - it's very dark and stuffy. The Vietcong lived in these tunnels for years, which is just mind boggling. After 60 seconds I was already getting pretty sweaty, so, I think I'll pass. Ella would say hard pass, along with other choice words.

But after weeks of soaking up the heat, we're now back in Shanghai, where it literally snowed the day we came back. After being out for 3 weeks and hitting up 3 countries, I wouldn't mind some time at home before work starts. There are so many good photos from this trip, I had to leave a bunch out. They're all on Facebook if you'd like to see more.

 

 

Seeya next time, Vietnam.

If I had to make a list of all the places that had the largest impact on my life, Ho Chi Minh City would be near the top. Which is strange, because I've only spent about 5 days here before this trip - most of them buying dishes and cleaning supplies in one of the outer suburbs, Bien Hoa. Not because that itself was particularly impactful, but I had a job here and was settling into a new life. At least I was, for a short time, before I realized leaving Ella back in Bangkok was a mistake. Maybe it was the absolute craziness that is HCMC, and having nobody to share it with. Regardless, I, rather wisely in retrospect, turned tail back to Bangkok, and the rest is history. During that very short time here I only spent one day seeing the sights, with my fresh off the boat, likely traumatized roommate in tow. "Cross the street Vietnamese style - just walk, don't change your stride. The bikes will move around you." And like some sort of Vietnamese Moses, they do. But I suppose that could be hard to accept when you lived your whole life in a country with traffic laws.

Note the American flag

But this craziness is exactly what I like about Vietnam. It may be chaos to an outside observer, but to me, it's an amazingly choreographed dance where everyone naturally knows the steps. Just like Laos, I can't help but be impressed with the Vietnamese. They had their country devastated, again, by the US. Yet despite that, they routinely rank at the top of countries with the most positive impressions of Americans. Honestly, I don't know why. Maybe it's because they won the war against a vastly superior force, and they, rightly so, have a chip on their shoulder. Or the more likely answer, like all their neighbors, they embody the South East Asian spirit - who cares? Just relax, have a beer, and laugh about any problem that comes along. I'm jealous. Honestly. I almost wish I spent a year, or more here, in my formative years. Maybe I would learn to be less stressed, more happy. Or at least, I'd know how to make the best coffee in the world. But having already exploded the middle and northern parts of the country on a previous trip, Ella and I find ourselves back here for about two weeks to see what the southern part has to offer.

And what it does have to offer is a constant party. I honestly expected HCMC to be pretty much like Hanoi. But it's actually more like Bangkok. We're staying near Bui Vien Walking Street, which reminds me of what Khao San Road used to be. Filled with gogo bars, roadside beer shops, elephant pants, dried fish salesmen, and surprisingly decent foreign food, it's pure craziness. But not in a debauchery craziness like Pattaya, in a giant party craziness. Everyone is smiling and having a good time - heck, there are even male gogo dancers (hooray for gender equality!) But hey, this is South East Asia. Again, just relax, have a beer, and roll with it.

In fact, I saw a T-shirt I wanted to buy, and the lady told me 350,000 dong (~$15). Knowing that this isn't even in the same universe as a fair price, I walked away. She yelled after me, "300k, 200k, 100k!!!" I went back and said "Okay, 100k" (~$4). She asked me why I didn't bargain. I asked her why she didn't give me a fair price.

"This is Vietnam. You must bargain."

Well, apparently not, because I got what I wanted. Scroll down to the photos to see me rocking a totally legit Starbucks T-shirt.

 

 

 

 

 

But unlike Laotian tuk tuks, this wasn't an aggressive offer. It was a "Okay, you played the game - now you get what you want." So after sharing a laugh, Ella and I continued our exploration of the city. I realized one notable advantage HCMC has over Hanoi is that it wasn't on the receiving end of the US Air Force. So there are a lot more intact colonial style buildings, that now are basically Instagram meccas -  like the Fine Arts Museum. Although, I couldn't tell you a single thing I saw in there. Granted I am the premier art idiot, but even Ella didn't seem exactly wowed by anything. But we both were wowed by the building, along with many other Vietnamese taking photos. They came ready, dolled up with makeup and traditional clothing. And I am wowed that everyone is just so ridiculously beautiful. Or maybe I just really like the Vietnamese Ao Dai. But we also got some photos in this pretty place, and realized we need to get Ella an Ao Dai. Later we would get one as a souvenir from this nice lady who hand makes her own, and yup, looks pretty awesome.

 

Speaking of looking good - Ella is very interested by a Vietnamese religion most have probably never heard of, called Cao Dai. It's definitely a unique take on things, and I'm nowhere near an expert - but as I gather, it's a sort of mish mash of all the major religions, Vietnamese folk religions, and other things you wouldn't expect blended together. Like, Jesus and Buddha are both worshipped, along with others like Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the Republic of China. Or what really threw me for a loop, Victor Hugo (yes, Hunchback and Les Miserables Victor Hugo) is one of the highest saints of all, who brought the word of god to Earth.

Mhmm. Well, that is a take.

What I do like about Cao Dai Temples though is that they are incredibly colorful. Sort of like Hindu temples, they slide that color saturation bar up to 11, and decorate everything with the most varied and vibrant paint they can find. It's really quite interesting look at, although some of the places didn't want us taking photos. The temples are also very vertical, with most having the main room on the 3rd or 4th floor. Finally they're divided in half, with men having to stick to the right side, and women the left. Overall, very unique places that are worth a look, if not just for the spectacle. They're certainly not on the tourist trail, but it's something that's totally free to look at and very Vietnam.

 

Not at the museum, but a bunker used by the Vietcong

But let's finally get to the elephant in the room - last time during my one day as a HCMC tourist I went to see the American War Museum. While I wasn't exactly thrilled to see it again, I do know it's an important thing for visitors to see, so we gave it a look for Ella's sake. Aside from some generously donated US military equipment outside, there's not so many "things" here - it's mostly photos and testimonials. And as expected, it's really hard to see. Not unlike the Nanjing Massacre Memorial, it's a gut punch. I'm not putting any photos here, for starters because it would mostly be photos of photos. But also the effects of Agent Orange is probably not something you want to see while drinking your morning coffee, or whatever it is you're doing now. But what I will say about Laos and Vietnam, is that the US were the bad guys here. And that isn't to dismiss all the terrible things done by the South or North Vietnamese, or taking into account that this museum probably is biased in some way. But there is no excuse for the immense cruelty inflicted on the people that live here. Some may say the ends justified the means. And I do have the benefit of hindsight, but I think it is something we should be more repentant about. Because if your strategy to win over people is to put others into a barbed wire box, you're on the bad side.

Oof. Well, that was pretty heavy. I think this is a good stopping point before our next journey to get some sunshine. Some photos, then:

 

My new favorite shirt

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not complaining, but lets end with a cat we found at a coffee shop. She has her own Instagram.

Hello again, Chinese New Year.

This time, it's especially welcome. After a stressful finish to the semester, I'm eager to throw my life obligations off a mountain and dance with glee as they crash into the rocks below. With Shanghai lacking so much as even a hill, it was off to Yunnan to visit mom and dad. Those trips are always the same, but I'm not complaining - a lot of food, and then more food. And if you didn't eat enough, don't worry. Second breakfast, twosies, linner, and 4th meal are always available.

But saying "I ate a lot and then took a nap" 5 times isn't exactly exciting reading, but rest assured I had my fill. Instead let's talk about where we went after, off to the lovely country of Laos.

Laos holds a place very dear to my heart. I cannot help but be impressed by the people here. Because frankly, they should hate us (Americans). We bombed the heck out of this country during the Vietnam War, making it the most bombed country per capita in history - yes, even more than Germany. In fact, an entire WWII of bombs have been dropped just here. And what's even more messed up, is that the US wasn't even at war with Laos. This was the so-called "Secret War" that even the politicians and public were left in the dark about - only because of Laos's geography, as it provided a workaround for the North Vietnamese to travel to the south.

Yet despite all this, Laotians remain some of the most delightful, happy, and generous people I've ever met traveling. And I don't say that lightly. Only Malaysia has come close for just how darned lovely the people here are. It's one of those rare places where you never have to worry about being cheated, or have to bargain like a madman to avoid paying the "foreigner" price. A price which is really, quite fair. A local meal costs $1-$2, although, there are no shortage of western restaurants. And if you want a $5 pizza, it's here. But will I enjoy it 3 times more than one of the best fried basil chickens and rice you'll ever have? Probably not. And when I see these western places packed with foreigners, I wonder why they bothered to travel to the other side of the world to eat a burger. No, give me a restaurant with plastic chairs, where nobody speaks English, and maybe even the menu is all Laotian writing. Point at something, anything, and you'll probably enjoy it. When we were feeling more discerning, Laotian is very similar to Thai, so we didn't have a problem communicating. But even if you don't speak a word of the local language, just look up how to say something like "pork" or "noodles". You're going to get close enough to something new, delicious, and actually Laotian.

But before we dive into what we did in Laos, we need to talk about how we got there. That's a story itself, taking a trip on the brand new China-built railway. While it was finished around COVID times, it has only been used for freight until very recently. And I do mean "very", with passenger service starting just months ago. Leaving from Kunming South Station, there's a special entrance where they check passports instead of Chinese ID cards. But the train itself is a typical Chinese domestic train until the border, making local stops on the way. At the Chinese terminus of Mohan, everyone gets off the train. Locals exit, and international travelers go through China immigration. Then you get back on the train, ride through a tunnel, and stop again at the Laos station of Boten. Then you get off, go through Laos immigration, and THEN get back on the train. A bit of a pain, but the best they can do I guess. Although it would certainly be more convenient to have Laotian immigration right next to the Chinese, I guess there's weird issues of sovereignty that are above my pay grade. Regardless, this path is very poorly documented outside of China, so I thought I'd post photos of the process if any other internet people happen to stumble on this silly blog:

 

The platform in Mohan, China

 

The exits for domestic and Laos travel

Walking to Chinese Immigration to exit the country

Waiting to get back on the same train to cross the border

Boten, Laos. After going through Laotian Immigration, waiting to get back on the same train again

Love the photobomb, random dude

Our first stop was Luang Prabang, a place I have been to before. Last time I left this place with very positive impressions, and this time is no different. And yet if you ask what there is to do in Luang Prabang, I find it difficult to answer. We saw a temple? A museum? And while they were nice enough, I always have a good time just being in Luang Prabang. It's a town with a lot of energy, with a unique character that makes me think I could retire here some day. Or at least retire here for a year, until the lack of any movie theater, KFC, or really any big city comforts get to me. But until then, I'll have some of the best coffee I've ever had, browse some unique things at the night market, and enjoy a generous amount of Beer Laos, at the same spot where Anthony Bourdain sat years ago. The three days we were there flew by, and honestly, there is still a lot on the "tourist circuit" I never got to this time or last. Which makes it even more likely I'll be back, because this place is something special. So I feel it's only fair to dump a lot of photos, because this place is great.

 

  

 

   

 

 

Despite my love of Luang Prabang, it would be a shame to just visit one place in Laos. Last time, I stopped at Vang Vieng, a midway point between Luang Prabang and the capital, Vientiane. And despite Vang Vieng being quite popular with backpackers, I found it insufferable. Basically take the most obnoxious people in your dorms, make them drunk 24x7, and you have recreated the Vang Vieng experience. Although the old bus route is about 8 hours to Vang Vieng, and 8 hours to Vientiane, so I suppose a stopover was necessary back in the day. Not anymore, though. We got back on the train, cutting that 16 hour trip to Vientiane down to 2, and mercifully skipping douchebag ground zero.

Thank you, China Railways.

As expected, the brand new Vientiane Station is very nice, shiny, and unlike most of the rest of Vientiane. It's changed very little since I came here some 10 years ago. The roads, still dusty. The busses, still from the 70s, proudly displaying the "A gift from the people of Japan" sticker on the side. But despite this, it has the SE Asian charm. Yes, people get their hair cut on a plastic stool, roadside. A karaoke bar on top of a Ford dealership? I mean, where else are you going to put it? Vientiane has a "who cares?" attitude, like most of its neighbors. I love that relaxed approach to life, and is something we could all learn from.

That being said, I don't think Vientiane is all that great.

Which is a shame, because it should be great. But when 75% of your major attractions are Wats (temples), I gotta be honest guys - tourists really only have the patience between one or two. Living a not insignificant portion of my life in Thailand, I have patience for zero. Maybe if I was educated enough to really tell the difference between the Thai Buddhism and Lao Buddhism, I might get something out of it. And to their credit, in one of them, they gave me candles, a flower, and asked me to make an offering. To me, that's lovely, and made Ho Phrakeo the only Wat worth its salt. (fun fact for Bangkok friends - it's named the same as Wat Phraekeo because the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace used to be here before Thailand stole it). Anyway, this is Ella's first time in Vientiane, and probably our last, so I thought we should see the sights, lest we run into a Laotian who is shocked we didn't see the lovely stupas of Wat Sisaket. We did climb Patuxay, a monument which has been renovated since I last came. It's also maybe my favorite monument, probably ever. As a recap, Laos said they wanted to build an airport. The US, perhaps feeling a large amount of well-deserved guilt, donated a bunch of concrete. Laos took that concrete and instead built a giant Arc de Triumph, in order to celebrate the communist party's victory. Meanwhile,  the locals have taken to call it "The Vertical Airport".

Well played lads, well played.

We actually had only 24 hours in Vientiane, but to be honest with you - that's enough. Last time I blew through everything by lunch time, and this was mostly the same. What wasn't the same as last time were the aggressive tuk tuk drivers, who did their best to charge the tourist price. But now that apps exist, they're fighting a losing battle - either they charge a fair price, or I wait 3 minutes for the tuk tuk I hailed on my phone. Perhaps that's why they're so desperate, that they know their time is limited. Furthermore, they are not happy about it. More than a few seemed personally offended that you won't pay 4x the amount you'll be charged on Tuk Tuk Uber. But eventually they cave, grumbling the whole time. Very uncharacteristically of the rest of Laos, having this silly bargaining game tarnished the once rosy outlook I had of this place.

But still, let's enjoy Vientiane while we can. A standout though was the night market was hosting a Laos food festival - yes please. We got some larb, a few different kinds of Beer Laos, and a cocktail right along the banks of the Mekong, the same river we just left a day before. Looking across to the Thai border town of Nong Khai, and their night market, I wondered if anyone was looking back. Speaking with a local in Luang Prabang, I was surprised that he had ever been to Thailand, despite it being so close and having mostly the same language. Then again, how many Americans have visited Canada? Still, with Nong Khai so close I imagined flying a drone over there with a note taped to it. I have to imagine the Thai border patrol wouldn't care for that.

In truth, we didn't have to wait long to see Thailand. We actually entered the country for 1 day to catch a flight. Although I love how close Vientiane airport is to the city, it's stupid expensive for some reason. Since I continue to live my life like I'm an impoverished university student, we hopped over the border to fly out from Udon Thani. Funny story there - Ella had read online that the Laos immigration officers have recently taken to asking Chinese folks for bribes when you leave. I didn't give that much credit, and thought "Okay yes, maybe that's happened here and there, but it's probably not widespread or anything."

Ha.

As always, complaining = cat pictures

So as we were waiting, I noticed some Asian girls in another line struggling with their bags, while the officer held up a 20 Thai baht note (~50 cents). They paid up, and I wondered if anyone else was being asked. At the front of our line, western white guy went through no problem. So maybe there was some truth to this, or at least that other line has a corrupt worker. As our turn came, I stood next to Ella and put my arm around her to emphasize we're together, and gestured for her to go first in full view of the officer. I guess that didn't matter, because she tried it with Ella too - holding up a 20 baht note. Ella loudly asked why, and to the officer's credit, this is not her first rodeo. In a flash she swapped it for 10000 Laos Kip (also about 50 cents). Ella again asked why, and then there was a 5 second standoff where they just stared at each other. I poked my head out from behind her with a "What's going on?" look, and then she just waved Ella on. She never asked me. And yeah, let's be honest - 50 cents means nothing to us, and is certainly worth a lot more to them. But I'd rather throw that money on the ground than be a part of funding corruption. I'm disappointed in you, Laos (or Vientiane). Either I really lucked out last time, or you've changed. I hope you can remember to be your once cool, fair self. Because I don't mind if a meal costs $1.50 instead of a $1 - but I certainly do mind when you try the old switcheroo. Laos, I am provisionally removing you from the top spot of the friendliest people I've met traveling. Malaysia, you're back on top. Congratulations.

Now in Udon Thani on the Thai side, it's nice to be back "home", even if it's just for 24 hours. For dinner we managed to go to a night market nearby, so I'm happy I got just a little taste of Thailand. But early in the morning it's off to Vietnam for more adventures, this time in the south.