Hanoi

We arrived in Hanoi after a veeeerrrry long 24 hours of traveling – Zanzibar to Dar Es Salaam with Precision Air, then Dar Es Salaam to Bangkok with a stopover in Muscat with Oman Air, and finally to Hanoi with Vietnam Airlines. After four planes and three transfers, we were feeling roughed up, but excited for our first stop in Southeast Asia!!

We arrived around noon, and stepped off the plane to a hot, humid climate. We avoided the taxis and found the cheap airport minibus that took us into the Old Quarter close to where our accommodation, Especen Hotel, was located. Taking the minibus was an immediate immersion into Vietnamese culture – hundreds of scooters whizzing by with complete disregard for any lanes or traffic rules, with most people wearing face masks to protect against the pollution and long sleeved shirts for sun protection despite the intense heat. Motorbikes were seen carrying everything - including entire families!

We found our hotel by foot, arriving very sweaty and dishevelled, and we were relieved to be shown into a very nice, clean room with air conditioning and a fan. After showering, Patricia passed out and Ben did some detective work to find a good tour to visit Ha Long Bay.

In the evening we set out to find a place to eat and explore the night life in Hanoi. We immediately liked Hanoi – it has an interesting mix of European and Asian architecture, thanks to the French and Chinese influence, and the people are very friendly, with many speaking English. The streets are full of scooters, the preferred mode of travel, and crossing the streets becomes a bit of an adventure where you feel like Moses parting the Red Sea as everyone disregards traffic lights and drives wherever and however they choose. It is a crazy system that somehow seems to work, and miraculously we did not see any of the mishaps that occur all over the city every minute of the day.

The sidewalks are full of eateries where customers sit on tiny plastic seats and tables and order plates such as Pho (noodles soup with homemade broth), fried rice or noodle dishes, congee with deep fried tofu, Vietnamese subs and assorted appetizers wrapped in banana leaf. The street food is cheap and delicious, and a cup of beer from the keg costs a quarter. For dinner we found a popular area for these sidewalk eateries in the Old Quarter, and sat down to enjoy the food and cold “Bia”, surrounded by a mix of locals and tourists enjoying the breeze from the many fans attached to the outside of the buildings.

The next day we found a sidewalk eatery with delicious Pho for breakfast – the only downside was the hot soup made us sweat like crazy in the heat! We then went on a mission to book our trip to Ha Long Bay, and found a good deal with APT Travels for a three day, two night trip. We also went to the train station and bought our tickets for Sapa, a beautiful town in the north of Vietnam where we planned to visit after our Ha Long Bay trip for some trekking amidst rice paddies and hillside tribes. But more on that in another post…

We explored the Old Quarter, walking around the lake and visiting the temple on the small island. We visited the History Museum where we learned a bit about how hard the Vietnamese have had to fight in order to gain and maintain their independence, a very sad story of over one hundred years of war. Despite the history of adversity, the Vietnamese seem a happy, pleasant and determined people who are very welcoming to tourists. It is hard to believe that this is a Communist country, given the large disparity between rich and poor, and the rampant capitalism that is the only way to survive with many small businesses spilling into every nook and cranny of the city - a very entrepreneurial culture.

But this is one of the serious charms about Vietnam and we never tired of seeing what was in each shop, on each bicycle or being carried by basket throughout the country.

After regaining some of our lost sleep and with the excitement of exploration in a new country before us, we woke early the next day for our bus ride to beautiful Ha Long Bay.

Stone Town

Stone Town was a delightful surprise, especially since we weren’t really looking forward to it, having left the most heavenly beach behind. Port towns are usually chaotic and generally unsafe, but Stone Town was a welcome exception to the rule. About 95% of the population on the island of Zanzibar is muslim and they were all extremely polite and friendly – we were even able to walk the dark streets along the dockyards at night with no concerns! Definitely something usually avoided in other places.

The streets were built in the traditional muslim style, narrow and winding, but relatively clean and quiet when compared to the craziness of Moroccan medinas. The typical large wooden doors with their ornate carvings and hefty brass embellishments were very striking.

We checked in at the Princess Salme Inn, a budget hotel which was very simple but well located with an excellent breakfast and rooftop terrace with a view of Prison Island. We stayed one night, with plans to leave the following day for the next leg of our trip. The day was spent wandering the streets, admiring the seafood available at the Fish Market and visiting the Spice Market.

Many spices are grown on Zanzibar and we received a well-rounded education on the various products from a friendly vendor.

Stone Town is the birthplace of Freddy Mercury lead singer of the band Queen, and some enterprising individuals have capitalized on this with bars and restaurants dedicated to the talented musician.










In Stone Town many still make their livelihood on the sea and a stroll along the harbour gave us a chance to admire their sturdy wooden boats.

After the sun set we headed to the Night Market, with a bit of trepidation considering some of the negative experiences we had had in Marrakesh. Fortunately these fears were unfounded, as the people working the family run stalls were extremely laid back, friendly and helpful, with not even a hint of stress in the air. There was an incredible array of food available, and we had a taste of Zanzibar pizza (the ingredients are all stuffed inside the dough and everything is cooked fresh in front of you), spicy meat kebabs with roti and a dessert pizza with banana and chocolate.

We topped it off with a Zanzibarian spicy tea, which was very, very delicious - hints of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. It was great interacting with the cooks, who took pride in their work and were happy to meet us too.

Fate intervened and it ended up being a social evening when we ran into people we had met at Kendwa Rocks, while later we struck up conversation with other travellers and locals alike. Although we only had one day and night to spend in Stonetown, the city was quick to charm and we felt part of the big, friendly community.

So now it’s off to Vietnam with the help of Oman Air and Vietnam Airlines, and a gruelling flight schedule that includes stopovers in Dar Es Salaam, Muscat and Bangkok, until we finally reach Hanoi after 24 hours of travel. Being July 4th, it is also Patricia’s 33rd birthday and she is very positive as the big day approaches since all of the twenty somethings in Kendwa thought she was younger than them. They sure know how to make a girl feel good! We will be celebrating this special day in the skies, looking forward to the new adventure we are about to begin…in Southeast Asia!

Zanzibar

This blog was written from the shade of an outdoor bed, on Kendwa beach, at the northern tip of paradise...

Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania, and we would be hard pressed to find a more beautiful, relaxing place to spend 10 days. Looking around, there are young people from every country lazing about on the comfy beach mattresses of Kendwa Rocks, the resort we have been staying at. The open air restaurant and bar on the beach covered with large thatched roofs are great spots to enjoy meals and drinks at night. Breakfast is included, and the only motivator to get up in the morning is to make it before the 10am closing time to enjoy the eggs, toast, fresh fruit and coffee.

Then it’s to the beach for lounging around, walking along the sand, chatting with friends and playing a good game of beach volleyball.

The day ends with a beautiful sunset, as the local dhows return to their fishing villages.

As the light fades we head up to our banda, a hut with it’s own little veranda, cozy bed with bug net and fan – what more could we ask for? It’s a home away from home, and if there’s an afternoon shower, a great place to sit under the awning, listening to music and chatting along to the sound of the rain.

In the evening we would head outside the gates to the street, a dirt road dotted with small local businesses that we were so excited to find on our first day of exploration. A small seafood restaurant (Peace Restaurant) run by the friendliest local Rastafarians quickly became our favourite spot for dinner, and by the end of the week we would have a constant stream of friends, all locals (such as our favorite, Alfonso), stopping by to chat. The owner, Oday, and his sometimes waiter, sometimes chef Omar were such genuine people that we ended up becoming fast friends. We looked forward to every chance to say hello and had an emotional goodbye at the end of our trip. On the spur of the moment Ben gave Oday his hoodie, perhaps not really giving proper thought to the warm island weather…

Although Zanzibar has many things that make it special, the most striking feature has been the incredible friendliness of the local people, including those working in the resort. Every morning we are greeted with big bright smiles, every encounter is a friendly greeting, and even those trying to solicit business are quick to set aside their “selling mode” and have a conversation. As a result we have been walking about in a perpetual state of happiness, and feel completely re-energized as we pass the midway point of our trip around the world! Wow, time flies…

One of the best aspects of Kendwa Rocks was meeting other travelers, which was made easy by the relaxed and friendly crowd, who were always willing to strike up a conversation. This made the night parties very enjoyable, and the locals sure know how to put on a good party – there is one every Saturday night on the beach, and people from all over the Island come to enjoy the good times. We arrived on a Saturday, which meant we had a ready-made party to attend that night. As a result the resort was almost booked, so we had to stay the first night in a pricier but beautiful room with a view until the next day when we could switch to our banda.

We took full advantage of the room by resting there in the afternoon and then headed to the beach towards the sound of the pumping dance music. Lights were strung up everywhere, and it was a beaufitul setting for a party on the sand and in the open air buildings. A group of break dancers came from Stone Town to provide some entertainment and we were blown away by their skill. Then the dance party started and we stayed up to the wee hours of the morning getting our groove on.

It wasn’t all fun and games though…actually, it was, but we managed to be productive as well. In anticipation for meeting Mama and Papa Branco in Koh Tao, Thailand, for some diving and beach time, we got our Open Water Diving certificate at Scuba Do, the outfit right beside our resort. It was a very busy three days, which meant doing an hour and a half straight of underwater skills one morning followed by an hour dive in the afternoon, and “homework” at night while watching the Euro soccer championship games at the bar. Our instructor Haji was wonderful and made us feel very comfortable in the water.

We got incredibly lucky and our open water dives happened to be at two of the best places to dive in north Zanzibar as we joined other groups. We saw the most amazing things under water including sea turtles, huge schools of colourful fish, walls of red coral, sting rays… And last but not least, Patricia had the experience of a lifetime – a group of dolphins came alongside the boat and she was able to swim with the five females and two babies with snorkel gear while Ben captured the moment on camera from the boat. Unforgettable!

Tomorrow we leave for Stone Town to spend the night before saying our final Kwahere (goodbye) from our Asia bound plane the next day. It’s hard to avoid the reality that it is our last day here...we have to enjoy every moment and only hope that another adventure will bring us back to this African paradise again.

Ahsante Sana Zanzibar!!!

Mount Meru

We arrived from the Safari with big grins on our faces, still pinching ourselves with our luck to have seen so many beautiful animals in their natural habitats. We had a great sleep that night back at L’Oasis, where they had upgraded us to a beautiful banda once again (yes!!), but it was not yet time to relax completely as next up was our hope to climb Mount Meru. We walked into Arusha, along our now familiar route, and reconnected with our good man Godfrey. We had met Godfrey in Arusha the day before we left for safari. He owned a small camping equipment rental place, and when asked, said he would be glad to provide a ride to and from Mt Meru for a good price, in addition to renting us the necessary equipment for the climb. We had decided to avoid the tour companies, which provide porters, cooks and a guide – this seems to be what most climbers opt for, but we thought it would take too much out of the adventure experience.

Before setting off on our adventure, we had to be selective in buying food for the trip, as it meant carrying it all on our backs for the 3000m uphill. This of course came hand in hand with our pot, dishes, thermos, camping stove and fuel. Oh yes, we were in for fun!

We said our goodbyes to Godfrey at the final park gate and set a time to meet again at the same location four days later. We then began the wait to see what group we would join to share the Park Ranger and begin the first stage of the climb. Although we had to wait the whole morning before everyone was ready to go, we ended up with a great group of climbers from England and the US and Ben was the only man in the group of nine! Lucky guy (or lucky ladies).

Armed Park Rangers are a mandatory requirement for the trek as Mt Meru is located within Arusha National Park, home to elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs and many others. We quickly took a liking to Ranger Dominique with his quiet spoken manner, good nature and subtle humour. He began by leading our group through a lush grassland, complete with a river meandering slowly to the forested foothills of Mount Meru. The atmosphere was magical as we entered the misty forest and crossed our first stream, balancing on rocks only marginally above the water. The moss and lichen hung from the twisting tree branches all around as we heard the call of unseen wildlife.

We took the direct route up to the Miriakamba camp (2500m), rising 1000m and arriving by late afternoon. We were seriously impressed with the clean and well appointed accommodations, complete with dining hall and cold showers. We even had bunk beds with mattresses and pillows! Patricia was so inspired she continued her climb right into the top bunk.

As the guided guests lounged about we were in the kitchen acting as our own chefs. Dominique dropped in to see how we were doing and when he saw the popcorn we had made he suggested that tea would go nicely. When we explained that we didn’t have any (morning coffee only), he took Patricia outside to go search for fresh mint. We boiled up the findings and had a deliciously fresh tea to go along with our crunchy snack! It was so good that we collected enough for each afternoon to follow.

Miriakamba was actually the coldest of the camps as it resides right at the elevation of a band of persistent clouds that provide the misty effect for the forest. Patricia in particular was happy to be heading up early the next morning for the sunshine that Dominique assured us we would reach later that day. We again hiked through the lush forests for the first half of the climb, pausing for lunch with a dramatic view below – finally above the clouds!

As we continued, the vegetation began to change, clearly adapting to the dryer environment. Trees became less dense, with flowers and bushes becoming more prominent.

All the while the skies went from grey to whitish and finally blue. Approaching the Saddle Hut camp, we encountered some of the most unique trees we had ever seen – something like very tall broccoli sprung up on all sides with the dusty brown trail cutting a winding path through the greenery.

We had arrived reasonably early at the high camp (3500m) and the afternoon held the option for a climb up Little Mt Meru. Sensible people would likely have stayed down at the camp to enjoy the sunshine with Patricia, but then Ben is not the type. Thankfully the climb up was fully justified by the first views of our camp below, and Mount Meru summit with the small volcanic cone rising out of the mist trapped in the middle of the natural bowl shape.

Looking in the other direction the summit of Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak (~5900m) rose hauntingly above the cloud cover.

We again did our thing in the kitchen, this time joining the chefs and guides in the effort alongside the universal sounds of Bob Marley from our music player. Another delicious dinner was concocted with fresh garlic, onion, green pepper, carrot, pasta, tomato sauce and “tasty soy chunks” (seriously the name on the package). We then bedded down for the night as Dominique informed us that we’d be departing early the next morning for the summit – at 1am. With the alarm ringing in our ears at midnight we awoke to fire up the stove for breakfast - some tea with crackers and peanut butter for quick energy and a light load on the stomach for climbing. We also filled our thermos with hot water and noodle soup for the summit we hoped to reach some six hours later. We have Godfrey to thank for this great idea!

There was a cloudless night, with stars so bright the Milky Way was a prominent white stain across the black velvet sky. As we climbed, the stars grew in size until they seemed so near you felt you could just reach up and pluck one down. Our group was in great spirits as we reached Rhino Point with Ben insisting on a quick group picture to mark the occasion. The valiant photographer is not present in the shot but we think his sacrifice in the cause of good lighting was well rewarded.

The high morale of our group was slightly shaken in departing from Rhino point when one of the guide’s decided to encourage us by letting everyone know that there was only another 4 to 5 hours to go. Yay! We continued on in the dark, picking our way over rocks and along a thin path by headlamp. At times the extreme darkness on either side of the path seemed quite ominous and so we decided to focus on the path and not let our minds or our feet wander. As we trudged on, the wind picked up and the night began to get quite cold. Patricia was forced to swing her arms in circles to maintain feeling in her fingers and Ben zipped her up in his outer coat for extra warmth.

By the time the sky began to get faintly light it had been a long, hard climb, but we now crested the final stretch. We had made it shortly after 6am, on top of our own little world! And what a view awaited us. The rising sun split through the clouds in a golden fan of light, parting in the middle to highlight the dark silhouette of Kilimanjaro in the distance. The ash cone of the formerly active volcano rose above a sea of clouds that seemed to crash like waves against the rock below. The peak itself was apparently named in honour of Tanzania’s first President and we grinned ear to ear below the sign with Dominique.

After enjoying our still deliciously hot soup and signing the summit log book stored safely at the top, we made our way back down and finally got to see some of the landscape we had missed on the ascent. It was dramatic to say the least and at times it seemed that we were walking right on the knife’s edge of the crater rim. We were thankful that we hadn’t been able to see certain parts of the trail going up in the dark, or we might easily have lost our nerve!

Walking along the narrow ridge, we got to see just how high up we were above the rest of life below. It was breathtaking, with Africa rolling out in colours of green and brown well below our feet on one side, and the inactive volcanic cone on the other.

We arrived back at the high camp feeling tired but incredibly satisfied, taking a much needed rest in the shade. After preparing some lunch, we packed up our gear and made our way back down to misty Miriakamba camp to stay the night. It took our last reserves of strength to whip up popcorn, tea and a big dinner before we collapsed gratefully into our bunks. We had been awake for about 21 hours and slept like logs.

On the last morning we set off by the long route back to the base through a beautiful forested trail. We stopped at a waterfall where our group rested, chatted and snapped a few photos. The final surprise was an enormous fig tree which acted like a tunnel for the cars passing through to supply the Miriakamba camp above.

Arriving back down below, the faithful Godfrey was still waiting for us almost 2 hours after our agreed time. That’s the Tanzanian way – always “pole pole” (slow slow) and “karibu” (welcome). We greeted him with our big smiles and an even bigger “ahsante!” (thank you)! It felt great to get back to L’Oasis, have a hot shower and a beer on the patio in the late afternoon sun on our tree house veranda. Yes, L’Oasis had done it again – free upgrade! That night we chilled out on our favourite lounge couch, good food and wine keeping close company. The next day we were catching a plane to Zanzibar, that ever-mystical island off the coast of Tanzania, where white sandy beaches and aquamarine water beckoned us to the faint strain of muslim music…time for relaxation to begin!