Author Archives: jkmarsch

We have been on a few overnight trains so we kind of knew what to expect, but when we got on this train- it was very different. There were sleeping cubicles with 2 small bunk beds. We had bought 4 bed tickets. They said they only had uppers left and we would be next to each other. When we got on, I walked to my cubicle to find four sweaty, stinky men on beds and old lawn chairs sprawled out by the door. This might be weird, but they reminded me of guys who would be involved in cock fighting or games of Russian Roulette. I’m not really into that stuff. ha. I went into Jesse’s and there was a nice young couple reading books and they were (relatively) good smelling. I told Jesse that none of us would be sleeping in my assigned area, so Maddux, Emerson and I climbed up on one bed (thank goodness I am flexible- you have to stretch your leg up high to hoist yourself up.) Jesse and Lennon were on the other one. Emerson and Maddux were sleeping opposite of each other. Maddux started complaining that her foot was in his face and Emerson was complaining about the smell of Maddux’s feet. I had a long metal bar in my back. Jesse suggested that Em and Lennon switch so we’d have more room- brilliant! Emerson jumped over to the other bed, no problem. Lennon crossing over was like a scene from a movie about bumbling idiots trying to accomplish a simple task. By the time we made the exchange, we were all tired. Good night, Irene!!!

This was a great, relaxing stop for us. The water temperature was perfect. The beach was steps away and we met some nice people (Tyler and Kally- safe travels guys!) I read a pretty good murder mystery book called “In the Woods.” The book exchange stores are fun to browse around in, but their selection is hit or miss. We’ve managed to find some good ones, though.
It felt strange for us to not be on the move! The kids loved it, though. Both days we were there, the kids made their own restaurant on our patio and served some killer noodle soup cups, bananas, coffee and tea. When we were in the little store at night just about ready to pay for some fruit shakes- all the power went out on the street. We just stood in the dark not really saying much until the power flickered back on.
Interesting thing about this place is that there are more Russian people milling about than Vietnamese. Because both countries are communist, it must be easier and/or cheaper for Russians to travel or live in Mui Ne. (Just a theory.) All signs are in English, Russian and Vietnamese.

These cute, round boats are called basket boats. They are hand woven then tarred. They need to be re-tarred every six months or so. Local fishermen like them because they are easy to transfer in and out of water. While in the water, the fisherman needs to control the boat as best he/she can so it doesn’t start spinning wildly. Makes me think of the teacup ride at Disneyland!

It had been a long day by the time we spotted this sign. I don’t know if it didn’t translate well- but asking for money for miserable people made me start laughing uncontrollably. I had Em pose by the sign then started laughing all over again because of how she was holding on so tightly to a box of Ritz crackers. We were so hungry when she saw the crackers at the train station market area. She was afraid someone might open the box before her and she wouldn’t get her “fair share” so she wouldn’t put the box down. Oh, what have we become? I’m taking pictures of donation boxes set up to help people and Emerson is holding on to a box of crackers as if her life depended on it.
Aye-yi-yi!

We are loving riding bikes whenever we can. You can usually rent them for very cheap (about a buck a day.) Maddux took a break on the day we took these pictures. He rode his own bike in Myanmar (Burma) on a treacherous road. It was rocky and dusty and his feet didn’t even come close to touching the ground. He fell so many times on the ride that we lost count, but he kept getting back on. At one point, though, after getting the bike off of his body – he stood up then threw the bike back on the ground for dramatic effect. Enough was enough!
Riding bikes around the bigger cities is challenging because cars and trucks go really fast and come so close to you. If you lose balance and wobble at all- it could get ugly. Crossing intersections is tough, too, because it’s a free for all, but so far, so good.
Incidentally, I would never want to be a passenger on my bike but Maddux seems to trust me. I’ve swerved a few times and almost lost control- he just holds on tighter and laughs. We end up making up songs as we go along.

It is common for us to see extremely large cockroaches and rats while we walk down sidewalks at night. While sitting on a bench on the sidewalk- I was talking to the kids but saw something slowly walking by my foot. I didn’t want to make any sudden moves- so I asked the kids what was moving by my foot close to the bushes. They said a really, really, really big rat! We followed the rat to a fence where she had 3-4 little babies in a hole. My brother, Jeff, had a sweet pet rat named Icky when we were younger so I’m not freaked by them at all. The fact that it was meandering about close to my foot in broad daylight was strange, though.

Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. This is a view of the city at night – lots of colorful lanterns line the streets. You can buy floating paper lanterns to place in the river. There are shops, rickshaws and cute little restaurants all along the waterway. We loved this town at night with the lighting that gave it a magical feel. During the day it seemed like a different town altogether, but it was fun to take our rental bikes (1 dollar for a whole day) and cruise around town and down to the beach.