Grief Trip: Travels of Healing: Hoi An/ Nha Trang: How Chris loses our new camera.

Before I start this blog, I would like to explain the pictures in this posting. While in Nha Trang, Vietnam, my husband left our camera at the mud baths. He left it hanging on a hook in a changing room. I was extremely…”irritated.”

Luckily for us, we emailed the tour guide and mud spa, and TA-DA!!! We have found our camera and it is being sent back to America! YAY!

So the visual representations of these days have been created courtesy of Cici. Thank you Cici!!!

So, after we left Halong Bay, we headed south, down the east coast of Vietnam. The cruise snuck in another sea day between our stops, so we arrived in Denang, Vietnam two days later.

View from the boat of DeNang port

Outside Hoi An

I chose not to take a shuttle into Denang, a thriving city in Central Vietnam and instead chose to head towards Hoi An.

Hoi An is an “ancient city” according to the literature, who was part of the spice/silk trade in the 1500 and 1600s. The structures in the city were supposed to be pretty well preserved and there was supposed to be amazing shopping to be found.

The previous day I had come down with a horrible stomach ailment. It kept me in bed for entire previous day and I hadn’t eaten since. I awoke to a not much better state, but was concerned about skipping this excursion, since I really wanted to see it!

I mustered my courage, Immodium, and bottled water and set out with the family.

Our tour guide was waiting for us, holding a sign LISA CONNELLY FREEMAN!!!

It was awesome. Similar to a movie. I have enjoyed each stop in which there is a signed driver waiting for me. (the little things)

We boarded a private van and headed south about 45 minutes to Hoi An. Our driver was excellent and decided to take us through the country route so we could see the rice paddies and gardens. I became quite envious of the gardens that each subset of homes kept. They were so extensive and full of varied vegetables and herbs.

After trolling around the countryside, he dropped us off at the ancient city area. We crossed a bridge and entered the area. There were several historical buildings that we were supposed to tour.

Apparently "Nokia" is a kid name...probably!

Lunar New Year in Hoi An

Of course there are fish in there!

Due to my general ill health, I sent the girls shopping with Chris. Teehee. I let them stroll the shops and pick out random goods while we looked around. After a couple hours, I gave up and we headed back to the ship, where I slept the rest of the day.

Luckily, my health improved over the next two days on our way to Nha Trang. I was really looking forward to Nha Trang because I had booked a special day and tour that the girls were looking forward to.

We were again met on the dock by a man holding a sign with my name on it. This time we had a DRIVER and a TOUR GUIDE!!! Our guide had pretty good English and had a planned itinerary.

Our first stop. The Nha Trang Buddha.

The Nha Trang Long Son Pagoda Buddha consists of a reclining Buddha and a large 45 foot seated Buddha in a lotus leaf. The height and size of the Buddha was very impressive as were the numerous stairs to reach the top! This was dedicated to the monks who set themselves on fire during the war and their effigies were on the base of the Buddha.

Big Buddha

Burning monks on the base.

After the Buddha, we headed out into the country to view the smaller towns. There were many rice paddies and small family cemeteries. It was very interesting! The guide brought us to “old house.”

Old House is a home that has been preserved since the 1850s. It was built by a “Mandarin” and was beautifully landscaped with flowing and fruited trees. We were seated and served tea, fruit, and Coca Cola (by request). Afterwards we toured the property and learned about the traditional setup of a household.

American Tea

Fruit plate at Old House.

Fish in the fountain. They eat the mesquito larva.

After old house, we visited a couple homes that created handmade clay furnaces and straw mats.

Naked chicken at the pottery place.

Cock fighting is apparently big in Vietnam. Illegal, but popular.

We were brought to lunch, which was in a very nice restaurant. We were served a pre-picked lunch that even the girls couldn’t argue with! We ate and ate until we couldn’t eat anymore.

Our fabulous lunch!

The “piece de resistance” though, was the mud baths! We went to Thap Ba Spa, which specializes in mud bath therapy. We entered the facility and changed into our bathing suits. This was the protocol:

1. Rinse lightly in shower

2. Hop into “family” tub and sit in mud for 20 minutes.

3. Get out of tub and sit out for 2 minutes to dry.

4. Shower off very well

5. Walk through high power jet area for massage

6. Sit in “family” mineral water bath for 20 minutes

7. Go swim in mineral pool for 20 minutes.

Needless to say. I look GORGEOUS!

I will repost the pictures of the mud bath once I reclaim my camera. It was a hilarious and entertaining experience!

Family mud bath

We finished our tour up with a visit of an ancient Hindu temple called Po Nagar Temple. It is the place of Cham. Cham is someone important. He has a temple. His Mom has a temple too. We saw a lot of Cham. It was cool.