I never thought it could be done but we had a whirlwind 36 hour tour in Bangkok which included palaces, protests, shopping, eating, and a little sleeping.
We arrived at the Ko Samui airport so early for our flight we were able to catch the 7:45 flight rather than 9:15 flight. The airport in Ko Samui is like an outdoor shopping area in Hawaii. The gates, seating, shopping, etc are not enclosed. It was a great sendoff to island life.
Day 1:
Once we arrived in Bangkok we tried to figure out how to get to the hotel. The light rail wasn't operational yet, although everything is in place, bus was to risky, and cabs were almost $40 USD including a 25% discount. Billy thought this was ridiculous so we walked outside hoping for a cheap miracle. A cab driver approached us and said he would do it for $15 USD and we said SOLD!
It was a nice drive into the city since it was our first experience in six weeks on an interstate. Billy splurged and booked two nights at a 3.5 star hotel near the light rail. It was an immaculate hotel with an upscale room, at least compared to some previous digs. Once we dropped off our bags we checked email and did a little research on sights to see in the city. Although our book was good we needed to know what markets to check out, hours of palaces, etc. We also checked with the front desk about the protests and how best to avoid them.
Our first stop was a market to see what new "stuff" Bangkok had that the other cities didn't. The best market was the weekend market but seeing that it was a Tuesday the hotel directed us to MBK. It was ENORMOUS and just one block away from the Red Shirt protests. The shopping center only half a block down was closed entirely due to the protests so we felt fortunate to have a place to escape the heat, noise, and have lunch. The market was more like a shopping mall so it didn't offer us what we were looking for but we still enjoyed the walk inside a Thai shopping center.
After eating lunch we had a snack at Mister Doughnut just so we could experience SushiDo which are doughnuts shaped like sushi. They didn't taste any different but a cool way to present the food.
After MBK we walked to the Jim Thompson House. Jim Thompson was an American born architect who fell in love with Thailand and relocated six traditional homes to Bangkok to preserve the architecture. The respect for early builders and their craft was evident throughout the property. He also revived the fledgling silk trade in Thailand by taking samples to Europe and selling the fabric to fashion houses in Europe. After Jim's mysterious disappearance in 1967 his home was opened to the public for tours.
That evening we had dinner and walked to Patpong Night Market. Due to the protests the market wasn't talking place but the area was filled with soldiers, trucks, protesters, and people selling X-Rated shows. It was an interesting mix and an adventure to walk through.
After our fun filled day we took the metro back to the hotel and crashed. Our goal for the next day was to start early and go hard all day.
One lesson we learned while talking to the hotel manager is that cab drivers are required by the Tourism Authority to use the meter, rather than quote a price. Problem is that most don't want to use the meter since it is less money and the money is reported to the cab authority. This knowledge would come in handy the next day.
Day 2:
We woke early to the alarm, ate breakfast, and were out the door early to get to the palace when it opened. The palace is outside the boundary of the metro so we tried to take a cab but nobody would use the meter. We got into 3 or 4 cabs and requested the meter be turned on only to have the drivers say no. We settled on a tuk-tuk driver but soon realized we were taking our life into our own hands. The streets of Bangkok are geared towards cars. There are a few motorcycles and tuk-tuks but most people move by taxi or public transportation. The tuk-tuk was weaving in and out of traffic at 40 mph and Billy and I both were nervous the entire trip. In other cities and countries the traffic and people move slower but Bangkok is like NYC, everyone is a hurry to get somewhere.
The Grand Palace was our first stop of the morning. Palace dress requires you wear modest clothing including pants for men and women or skirts and dresses and no sleeveless shirts. Billy wore shorts, knowing he could rent pants, and I wore capri pants. Unfortunately capri pants aren't ankle length so I had to rent a skirt for the day. We also hired a guide to get a bitter knowledge of the surroundings and history and she was a hoot.
Our guide's name was Lek and she was about 6" shorter than me and full of spunk. She kept calling Billy "photo man" and insisted he take or not take certain photos. Lek also kept to a strict schedule of 45 minutes at the Palacea and Emerald Buddha. When we weren't back in the 2 or 3 minutes she gave us she would come find us and make us hurry up. We couldn't help but laugh at her and vice versa. If we were to go back to the palace we would have brought a sun umbrella to shade the harsh Bangkok sun.
We toured the Emerald Buddha, Upper Terrace, and other subsidiary buildings on the grounds. The grounds cover 218,000 square meters with walls on four sides. It is still an active Palace but the current King is 82 years old and in poor health so he son will assume the throne once he dies.
After the palace we walked around the outside wall, had a snack at the market, and headed in the direction of What Pho. What Pho houses a lying Buddha which is 46 meters long. This Wat was also recently restored so the colors of the roof tiles, Buddhas, and walls were so vibrant. Even the gold shined so bright it was hard to take photos. Unfortunately our camera battery went out and we had forgotten the backup so we didn't get as many photos as we would have liked.
We risked another ride on the tuk-tuk and rode past Democracy Monument, another street market, and were dropped off at MBK mall. the MBK mall is at the intersection of two metro lines so it was a great central location to get to the other sights. Billy and I walked among the Red Shirt protesters towards our hotel and lunch.
The protesters were all peaceful and we never felt in danger or uncomfortable unless we were out at night. They had their own city set up in the streets with food, clothing, toilets, water, bedding, etc. They seemed to be in it for the long haul and not afraid to back down.
After a late lunch we returned to the hotel to pack our suitcase and arrange travel to the airport. We wanted to get a better picture of how large Bangkok is so Billy and I headed out to the 84th floor of a building in the heart of the city. The hotel manager recommended it and arranged a taxi to take us there quickly since we didn't have much time left before our flight departed. Unfortunately gridlock was worse than anticipated and after sitting for 45 minutes we paid the driver and took off on foot. We rode the metro and walked the remaining 30 minutes on foot until we reached the tower. The views were incredible and lights went on forever. It would have been an incredible sight during the day.
We spent about 45 minutes at the tower having a drink and saying goodbye to our wonderful journey. Billy and I tried to take a taxi back to the hotel but the few cabs we tried refused the meter and when Billy tried to get his meter number but the cab driver pushed him out in anger. Instead we hoofed it back to the metro and made it in time to take a quick shower and catch our taxi to the airport.
The airport was bustling with tourists heading to Europe since it was the first full day of flights after the ban on flights had lifted. Thankfully check-in was quick since we were San Francisco bound but passport check was horrendous. As usual we choose the worst line and after 15 minutes of not moving I switched lines and we were through within another 20. We ate a quick snack and boarded our plane for Seoul.
Not sure how but my name ended up on a watch list so I was subject to further screenings at the gate of my bag and body. Another lesson learned is that when the ticket says it is boarding by 12:10 it means all people need to be on the flight by 12:10. We were some of the last people to the place since we figured we had time based on the ticket.
Next stop was Seoul, Korea for an eight hour layover and then a 10 hour flight to San Francisco.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Ko Samui, Thailand
Our second to last stop was in Ko Samui. This island was recommended by many people as the one to see if you have a few days to see the islands of Thailand. It would have been a great stop over if we had stayed in a different part of the island but it was still an beautiful and everything I thought Thailand would be.
Billy chose Chaweng Beach, the most popular. After having stayed on Patong Beach in Phuket we were skeptical about whether we could have an enjoyable experience at the biggest spot. Billy's perception of the most popular beaches was his experience in the states of going to places like Miami or the Keys but in Thailand you don't want the most popular because it ends up being a congested mess. Our beach was 7km long so you see the same thing over and over on the streets, street food doesn't exist, and it wasn't restful. We still made the most of it and would gladly go back to Ko Samui, just to another beach.
Day 1:
Our bus experience from Ao Nang to Ko Samui was quite the experience. Our typical travel included a short mini bus, transfer to a large coach, and then journey in a coach. This route felt like we were fugitives hiding from the law. We were picked up in a small mini bus where we traveled for 30 minutes. Then we got off and stayed at a road side stand for 15 minutes. We were then put on another mini bus for a 2 hour trip. Billy was stuck in the front with the driver and I was in the way back with the luggage because I was small. At around noon we stopped for an hour at another transfer station. There we had lunch of chips and crackers and Billy tried to teach me Texas Hold'um.
After transferring to a third bus we spent another hour and a half driving to the port. At the port we waited for a short 15 minutes before boarding the ferry to Ko Samui. It was another journey of memories and adventures.
Once in Ko Samui we set up our snorkeling trip for the following day and searched for street food. As we learned there isn't much street food unless you walk away from town but the walk would have taken at least 30 minutes from our hotel so we settled on a Lonely Planet suggestion of Ninja Crepes. It had reasonably affordable dishes of about $65 Baht or $2 USD per meal but left much to be desired.
We walked back along the main tourist road and stopped for a beer at Monkey Bar and enjoyed the live DJ and people watched.
Day 2:
We woke up early for our day of snorkeling in search of breakfast. Ko Samui is not a morning city and wakes up at about 10 am. We were able to find a street vendor serving hangover food in front of the 7-11 so we ordered two Pad Thai's to go.
Our snorkeling adventure was a well organized group and well worth the money spent. We took a high speed catamaran to Ko Nangyuan where we were transferred to a smaller boat that took us to Mango Beach on Ko Tao. It wasn't really a beach but a blue cove with water about 20-60 feet deep. We climbed off the boat and into the water for an hour and a half of fun. I was less than excited after having bad experiences in the past but once I was in I tried to relax and enjoy the experience. Unfortunately I had a dud of a mask rental so every couple of minutes it filled with water and I had to flip over like a seal and dump it. We tried everything to get it to stop but nothing seemed to work. I also had to remove my mouth piece so the snorkel would fit snugly, I only hoped nobody would spot me without it.
For lunch we returned to Ko Nangyuan and had two and a half hours to snorkel off the beach in two separate coves and hike to the summit.
After returning to Ko Samui in late afternoon we showered and headed out for dinner. We went to a Lebanese restaurant we found the night before and ate wonderful shawarma sandwiches and falafel. After our dinner we walked back on the beach.
Day 3:
Our last day in Ko Samui we just laid low. We had great plans for the day to go to other beaches, rent wave runners, and take in the beach but two things came in our way. One, Billy was a sucker and got us ropped into a time share presentation for over three hours (we didn't sign up). I think his smile and personality scream gullible because he attracts everyone wanting to sell stuff or make a deal. We ended up not getting out of this until 3pm so touring beaches and renting a wave runner was out of the question. One thing we did get out of the presentation was a recommindation for a great restaurant about 10 minutes away. The second thing that got in our way were cab fees. We wanted to go 10 minutes to the restaurant and they wanted 10 USD. We tried to negotiate and they wouldn't and even the tuk-tuk drivers wouldn't budge. After trying for almost an hour we gave up and had a Thai massage.
This was my favorite of the two since they really stretched my body and she used her weight to help manipulte my muscles. She was a tiny human foam roller. After our massages we stopped for dinner and had a drink and people watched.
What a wonderful adventure it was and we only hope to return some day to enjoy the other parts of the island. One thing that is hard is do you pick whether you should be in town or at a far away resort.
Billy chose Chaweng Beach, the most popular. After having stayed on Patong Beach in Phuket we were skeptical about whether we could have an enjoyable experience at the biggest spot. Billy's perception of the most popular beaches was his experience in the states of going to places like Miami or the Keys but in Thailand you don't want the most popular because it ends up being a congested mess. Our beach was 7km long so you see the same thing over and over on the streets, street food doesn't exist, and it wasn't restful. We still made the most of it and would gladly go back to Ko Samui, just to another beach.
Day 1:
Our bus experience from Ao Nang to Ko Samui was quite the experience. Our typical travel included a short mini bus, transfer to a large coach, and then journey in a coach. This route felt like we were fugitives hiding from the law. We were picked up in a small mini bus where we traveled for 30 minutes. Then we got off and stayed at a road side stand for 15 minutes. We were then put on another mini bus for a 2 hour trip. Billy was stuck in the front with the driver and I was in the way back with the luggage because I was small. At around noon we stopped for an hour at another transfer station. There we had lunch of chips and crackers and Billy tried to teach me Texas Hold'um.
After transferring to a third bus we spent another hour and a half driving to the port. At the port we waited for a short 15 minutes before boarding the ferry to Ko Samui. It was another journey of memories and adventures.
Once in Ko Samui we set up our snorkeling trip for the following day and searched for street food. As we learned there isn't much street food unless you walk away from town but the walk would have taken at least 30 minutes from our hotel so we settled on a Lonely Planet suggestion of Ninja Crepes. It had reasonably affordable dishes of about $65 Baht or $2 USD per meal but left much to be desired.
We walked back along the main tourist road and stopped for a beer at Monkey Bar and enjoyed the live DJ and people watched.
Day 2:
We woke up early for our day of snorkeling in search of breakfast. Ko Samui is not a morning city and wakes up at about 10 am. We were able to find a street vendor serving hangover food in front of the 7-11 so we ordered two Pad Thai's to go.
Our snorkeling adventure was a well organized group and well worth the money spent. We took a high speed catamaran to Ko Nangyuan where we were transferred to a smaller boat that took us to Mango Beach on Ko Tao. It wasn't really a beach but a blue cove with water about 20-60 feet deep. We climbed off the boat and into the water for an hour and a half of fun. I was less than excited after having bad experiences in the past but once I was in I tried to relax and enjoy the experience. Unfortunately I had a dud of a mask rental so every couple of minutes it filled with water and I had to flip over like a seal and dump it. We tried everything to get it to stop but nothing seemed to work. I also had to remove my mouth piece so the snorkel would fit snugly, I only hoped nobody would spot me without it.
For lunch we returned to Ko Nangyuan and had two and a half hours to snorkel off the beach in two separate coves and hike to the summit.
After returning to Ko Samui in late afternoon we showered and headed out for dinner. We went to a Lebanese restaurant we found the night before and ate wonderful shawarma sandwiches and falafel. After our dinner we walked back on the beach.
Day 3:
Our last day in Ko Samui we just laid low. We had great plans for the day to go to other beaches, rent wave runners, and take in the beach but two things came in our way. One, Billy was a sucker and got us ropped into a time share presentation for over three hours (we didn't sign up). I think his smile and personality scream gullible because he attracts everyone wanting to sell stuff or make a deal. We ended up not getting out of this until 3pm so touring beaches and renting a wave runner was out of the question. One thing we did get out of the presentation was a recommindation for a great restaurant about 10 minutes away. The second thing that got in our way were cab fees. We wanted to go 10 minutes to the restaurant and they wanted 10 USD. We tried to negotiate and they wouldn't and even the tuk-tuk drivers wouldn't budge. After trying for almost an hour we gave up and had a Thai massage.
This was my favorite of the two since they really stretched my body and she used her weight to help manipulte my muscles. She was a tiny human foam roller. After our massages we stopped for dinner and had a drink and people watched.
What a wonderful adventure it was and we only hope to return some day to enjoy the other parts of the island. One thing that is hard is do you pick whether you should be in town or at a far away resort.
Ao Nang, Thailand
Ao Nang is a quaint beach town and great jumping off point for Railay Beach, just a 20 minute boat trip.
We arrived in Ao Nang after taking the bus from Phuket and settled into our hotel about 5 minutes from the beach. Railay is known for its rock climbing, caves, and amazing and quiet beaches. After checking into the hotel we set off to book our rock climbing trip and bus/boat ticket to Ko Samui. We were only staying two nights which didn't leave much time to waste.
Day 1:
Our first day we walked to the travel agency next door to the hotel to inquire about rock climbing. Fortunately we did because starting the next day and for the following three the climbing companies were closed because of a rock and fire festival. We found out there was a half-day for that afternoon so we quickly paid and were left with 30 minutes to find lunch and return to our hotel for pickup.
One thing Ao Nang didn't have much of was street food, at least during the day. With only 20 minutes left we had to settle on Subway sandwiches. We wanted to avoid fast food but sometimes it comes in handy. We had enough time to get changed and return to the lobby to be picked up in a tuk-tuk. It was a short 15 minute drive to the pier where we were greated by a boat to transfer us to Railay East.
Upon arrival you are dropped off in the ocean in about knee deep water and walk to shore. The tides in in this area change so significantly that piers are hard to build. We were fitted with rock climbing shoes, harness, and chalk bag immediately after arrival and took off to the rocks.
It was a small group made up of beginners like us, advanced climbers traveling through, and those in between. We had one other person in a group which left not much down time so we were on the wall most of the afternoon. It was a great afternoon and I think both of us found a new hobby we enjoy. There were even monkeys climbing next to us. After climbing we shared a nice crepe with our fellow groupie and took the return boat to Ao Nang.
Day 2:
We slept in this morning and just hung out in town. We had wonderful breakfast crepes for $3 and are sold on our new treat. Billy and I had our first Thai massages on the beach and it was wonderful. Thai massage is fully clothed and a bit like doing yoga, chiropractic work, and pilates. After the massages we chartered a boat to an island known for it low tide exploring. There were lots of people exploring the island and collecting coral and shells (we can't remember the name). After our trip there went to Railay West where sunsets are rumored to be orgasmic. There are limestone cliffs on either side and the sun sets right in the middle but we picked a not so great day. There was a large rain cloud overhead and the sun never came out from behind. We stayed for almost an hour and a half but nothing changed. Although the colors were pretty it wasn't as great as we had hoped.
Upon leaving the seas were really rough so we had to land farther down the beach in total darkness and feel our way to the shore. It was a 20 minute walk back to our hotel with a short stop for dinner on the street.
After we arrived at our hotel the rain clouds opened up and we watched the showers from our balcony. It was a beautiful storm with lightening, rain, wind, and plenty of heat.
We arrived in Ao Nang after taking the bus from Phuket and settled into our hotel about 5 minutes from the beach. Railay is known for its rock climbing, caves, and amazing and quiet beaches. After checking into the hotel we set off to book our rock climbing trip and bus/boat ticket to Ko Samui. We were only staying two nights which didn't leave much time to waste.
Day 1:
Our first day we walked to the travel agency next door to the hotel to inquire about rock climbing. Fortunately we did because starting the next day and for the following three the climbing companies were closed because of a rock and fire festival. We found out there was a half-day for that afternoon so we quickly paid and were left with 30 minutes to find lunch and return to our hotel for pickup.
One thing Ao Nang didn't have much of was street food, at least during the day. With only 20 minutes left we had to settle on Subway sandwiches. We wanted to avoid fast food but sometimes it comes in handy. We had enough time to get changed and return to the lobby to be picked up in a tuk-tuk. It was a short 15 minute drive to the pier where we were greated by a boat to transfer us to Railay East.
Upon arrival you are dropped off in the ocean in about knee deep water and walk to shore. The tides in in this area change so significantly that piers are hard to build. We were fitted with rock climbing shoes, harness, and chalk bag immediately after arrival and took off to the rocks.
It was a small group made up of beginners like us, advanced climbers traveling through, and those in between. We had one other person in a group which left not much down time so we were on the wall most of the afternoon. It was a great afternoon and I think both of us found a new hobby we enjoy. There were even monkeys climbing next to us. After climbing we shared a nice crepe with our fellow groupie and took the return boat to Ao Nang.
Day 2:
We slept in this morning and just hung out in town. We had wonderful breakfast crepes for $3 and are sold on our new treat. Billy and I had our first Thai massages on the beach and it was wonderful. Thai massage is fully clothed and a bit like doing yoga, chiropractic work, and pilates. After the massages we chartered a boat to an island known for it low tide exploring. There were lots of people exploring the island and collecting coral and shells (we can't remember the name). After our trip there went to Railay West where sunsets are rumored to be orgasmic. There are limestone cliffs on either side and the sun sets right in the middle but we picked a not so great day. There was a large rain cloud overhead and the sun never came out from behind. We stayed for almost an hour and a half but nothing changed. Although the colors were pretty it wasn't as great as we had hoped.
Upon leaving the seas were really rough so we had to land farther down the beach in total darkness and feel our way to the shore. It was a 20 minute walk back to our hotel with a short stop for dinner on the street.
After we arrived at our hotel the rain clouds opened up and we watched the showers from our balcony. It was a beautiful storm with lightening, rain, wind, and plenty of heat.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Phuket, Thailand
We flew to Phuket from Chiang Mai but made sure we took a car taxi rather than a tuk-tuk to avoid being soaked on the plane. Billy and I also took our super soaker guns since we weren't sure whether Phuket was going to celebrate like they did in Chiang Mai. As it turns out Phuket does celebrate but with a few twists. The people at the airport all laughed at us but we wanted to be prepared for battle.
There had been a bike rally that ended on the 11th so they decided to start the New Year festivities on the 12th rather than the 13th in Phuket. This worked out for us because when we arrived on the 13th it meant the last day of water fights. Phuket celebrations were like Mardi Gras with water. Lots of young people and the festivities went on ALL night.
Day 1:
When we arrived into Phuket our mini-bus driver was supposed to drop us off at our hotel. I am not sure if he was lazy, confused, or frustrated by the crowded roads but he dropped us off at the beginning of an alley and told us to walk to the end where our hotel was. We couldn't find our hotel and were beginning to get frustrated because as we stood there with our luggage we kept getting doused and shot at. A nice Scottish man and his family tried to help us. They offered us shelter in their store while Billy looked for help and a map. Once we found a map we realized the driver dropped us off on the wrong side of town and a taxi trip to our hotel was out of the question.
The nice Scottish man offered us rides with our luggage on his moto to our hotel. Billy went first with his suitcase and backpack while I stayed with his family. He then came back for me and my luggage. He was nice enough to go around town to try and avoid being completely soaked. It sort of worked because we arrived only half-way watered down. He explained on the ride that the city gives free water and ice for two days to the people. This explains why the water was freezing.
We quickly changed into our fast drying clothing and set out with our guns to find fun. We quickly realized that in Phuket they didn't play nice like Chiang Mai so as much as we tried to fight back it was a loosing battle.
We walked the major streets for a few hours then sought refuge in a restaurant for dinner. Unlike Chiang Mai they didn't stop at 7pm.
Day 2:
The second day, much to our excitement, the water had stopped. We walked along the beach, in town, and just spent the day strolling. Phuket was a much nicer city to be in without all of the water and ruckus but still a bit to much for both of us. Billy knew Patong was the most popular beach but it wasn'tquite what he had hopped. We tried twice to return to the massage parlor where that the Scottish man and his wife own but both times they weren't there. We had wanted to say thank you again and get a massage by his wife.
That evening we bought tickets to see a Moi Thai boxing match. We arrived about 40 minutes early since the seating was first come first serve but we had to listen to a pre-recorded msg about the fight for 40 minutes. Even three days later we sing it in our sleep. The fight had six major matches but three pre-matches. The warm up matches were between boys as young as 7 and as old as 13. Two of the fights were determined by the judges after three rounds. We were hoping that this was a "real fight" since you hear many are staged for tourists. At first we thought they were but when the women's match took place we realized it may have been fixed for betting. Either way we saw lots of skill.
The most advertised fight was between a Sweed and French man but the most exciting was between two locals. The crowd really got into it and the three hours of fighting and nine fights, time quickly passed. After the fight Billy and I headed to the main drag to people watch. There were sights and sounds not G-rated enough to write about but thankfully we had been warned so we had a few good laughs.
The following morning we had to wake at 6:30 to catch the bus and boat to Ao Nang.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chiang Mai was all about water and shopping, the latter of which wasn't so good. We took a tuk-tuk to the airport in Luang Prabang and were dosed by water on the way. Billy wore clothes which dried quickly but I had to stand on the tuk-tuk so my pants would dry before getting on the flight. We arrived at the one plane airport an hour before our flight and the check in agent, of which there is only one for international flights, know who we were since apparently we were the last to get there. They were holding the luggage until we arrived before they moved it to the jetway. Apparently even with a one jet airport you still need to get there more than one hour before your flight, at least in Laos.
We landed in Chiang Mai and were greeted by a wonderful female taxi driver. This is the first time we have had a woman. I am not sure if other countries don't allow women or it isn't the type of job they would hold. Her English was wonderful and she gave us a short history on the drive to our hotel and told us what pitfalls to avoid with the New Year celebration. She warned us that our hotel was a hot spot for water throwing and fun and she wasn't wrong. Later in the post you will see what I mean.
Day 1:
We decided to see the Saturday Night Bazaar since we didn't have much time that evening once we checked in. It was a wonderful hodge podge of souvenirs, food, foot massages, and people. The Saturday Bazaar was written to have lots of silver shops but once I took a look I was quite disappointed. I like statement pieces and most of their things were plain and simple. Luang Prabang had much better silver and I was a little bummed for not having bought a few pieces there. We ate a hodge podge of food that night from vendors. Billy and I shared corn-on-the-cob, raisin waffle, pad thai, and ice cream. It wasn't a bad meal for our first night in town.
We did do one thing very American. When walking the bazaar we found we were fighting crowds the whole time. It took us until half-way through to realized that we were walking the way we drive and here in Thailand they drive on the opposite side of the road. We quickly walked with the flow of people, which meant we went back the same row we walked, but learned for the second night how best to move with the people.
Day 2:
Billy and I took a cooking class at Baan Thai cooking school and had a blast. They picked us up at the hotel and we spent from 9:30-3:30 learning about food at the market and preparing six dishes. We made sure we didn't choose the same ones in hopes that we could take something back. One thing I was surprised with was how few spices they use. Most of their flavor comes from ingredients like lemongrass, Thai ginger, and kaffir lime. Each category, such as curry or appetizers, had three options which allowed us to break into smaller groups and get good instruction. Overall it was a fun day with lots of eating, conversation, and hopefully a few lessons learned.
That evening we went to the Sunday Bazaar which we heard from a member of the cooking class was better than the Saturday Bazaar. Both of us were amazed at how many shops there were but felt the stuff they sold was the same, just more of it. Neither of us bought anything but we treated ourselves to a 30 minute leg massage. Mine wasn't that restful since my calves were so tight but it was a great chance to sit and people watch.
Day 3:
Billy and I ate breakfast at the hotel and set out to find a tuk-tuk driver for the morning. We negotiated a half-day with the driver and tried to head to Bo Sang. Our main desire was to see how they make the paper umbrellas and visit their craft village but it turned into a tour of factories where drivers get kick backs for bringing tourists. We played along for a bit until we reached Bo Sang but even that was disappointing. You win some and you loose some!
After our half-day was up we negotiated with our driver to take us to the Chiang Mai Night Safari. We couldn't go at night but our travel book said they were also open during the day. There was nobody there but we arrived an hour and a half before the first bus tour. We had lunch with what they sold which was chips and ice cream. Not that nutritious but we made sure we had nuts and a fruit juice pop, at least we got two food pyramid groups. We spent our last hour of time walking Swan Lake. Around the lake they gave smaller animals like birds, chimps, hippos, etc. After the lake we set off on the Predator and Savanna Safari's. They let some of the animals roam free here so zebras and giraffes were coming up to the bus to eat out of our hands.
Overall a fun afternoon but not something I would do again.
When we got back we saw the water fights were already starting. The New Year (Songkran) is the 13th-15th but on the 12th many water fights begin. Water is only supposed to last one day but the night before is the pre-party. We asked our driver to try and take us the back entrance but he didn't. He dropped us off right in the middle of everything so before we even got to the room we were soaked. We quickly dropped off our bags and bought two big super soakers and joined the fun. We didn't get many photos since we didn't have a waterproof case for the camera but for about 3 hours we sprayed tourists and locals.
The music was blaring and everyone was dancing in the streets. All along the old city of Chiang Mai people were using moat water and city supplied hoses to fill buckets and guns. The Thai New Year is known to be the biggest water fight in the world and Chiang Mai is known as the best place. By 7 pm I was cold and the water fight was over. We changed into dry clothes and walked to the night bazaar.
One good thing we realized is that in Chiang Mai people stop partying at 7pm which still allows you to enjoy the rest of your night dry. The night bazaar was wonderful and had great shopping. We wished we had gone here instead of the Sunday bazaar but oh well. After walking for a couple of hours we had another one hour leg and back massage. This one was more relaxing and put both of us to sleep.
We landed in Chiang Mai and were greeted by a wonderful female taxi driver. This is the first time we have had a woman. I am not sure if other countries don't allow women or it isn't the type of job they would hold. Her English was wonderful and she gave us a short history on the drive to our hotel and told us what pitfalls to avoid with the New Year celebration. She warned us that our hotel was a hot spot for water throwing and fun and she wasn't wrong. Later in the post you will see what I mean.
Day 1:
We decided to see the Saturday Night Bazaar since we didn't have much time that evening once we checked in. It was a wonderful hodge podge of souvenirs, food, foot massages, and people. The Saturday Bazaar was written to have lots of silver shops but once I took a look I was quite disappointed. I like statement pieces and most of their things were plain and simple. Luang Prabang had much better silver and I was a little bummed for not having bought a few pieces there. We ate a hodge podge of food that night from vendors. Billy and I shared corn-on-the-cob, raisin waffle, pad thai, and ice cream. It wasn't a bad meal for our first night in town.
We did do one thing very American. When walking the bazaar we found we were fighting crowds the whole time. It took us until half-way through to realized that we were walking the way we drive and here in Thailand they drive on the opposite side of the road. We quickly walked with the flow of people, which meant we went back the same row we walked, but learned for the second night how best to move with the people.
Day 2:
Billy and I took a cooking class at Baan Thai cooking school and had a blast. They picked us up at the hotel and we spent from 9:30-3:30 learning about food at the market and preparing six dishes. We made sure we didn't choose the same ones in hopes that we could take something back. One thing I was surprised with was how few spices they use. Most of their flavor comes from ingredients like lemongrass, Thai ginger, and kaffir lime. Each category, such as curry or appetizers, had three options which allowed us to break into smaller groups and get good instruction. Overall it was a fun day with lots of eating, conversation, and hopefully a few lessons learned.
That evening we went to the Sunday Bazaar which we heard from a member of the cooking class was better than the Saturday Bazaar. Both of us were amazed at how many shops there were but felt the stuff they sold was the same, just more of it. Neither of us bought anything but we treated ourselves to a 30 minute leg massage. Mine wasn't that restful since my calves were so tight but it was a great chance to sit and people watch.
Day 3:
Billy and I ate breakfast at the hotel and set out to find a tuk-tuk driver for the morning. We negotiated a half-day with the driver and tried to head to Bo Sang. Our main desire was to see how they make the paper umbrellas and visit their craft village but it turned into a tour of factories where drivers get kick backs for bringing tourists. We played along for a bit until we reached Bo Sang but even that was disappointing. You win some and you loose some!
After our half-day was up we negotiated with our driver to take us to the Chiang Mai Night Safari. We couldn't go at night but our travel book said they were also open during the day. There was nobody there but we arrived an hour and a half before the first bus tour. We had lunch with what they sold which was chips and ice cream. Not that nutritious but we made sure we had nuts and a fruit juice pop, at least we got two food pyramid groups. We spent our last hour of time walking Swan Lake. Around the lake they gave smaller animals like birds, chimps, hippos, etc. After the lake we set off on the Predator and Savanna Safari's. They let some of the animals roam free here so zebras and giraffes were coming up to the bus to eat out of our hands.
Overall a fun afternoon but not something I would do again.
When we got back we saw the water fights were already starting. The New Year (Songkran) is the 13th-15th but on the 12th many water fights begin. Water is only supposed to last one day but the night before is the pre-party. We asked our driver to try and take us the back entrance but he didn't. He dropped us off right in the middle of everything so before we even got to the room we were soaked. We quickly dropped off our bags and bought two big super soakers and joined the fun. We didn't get many photos since we didn't have a waterproof case for the camera but for about 3 hours we sprayed tourists and locals.
The music was blaring and everyone was dancing in the streets. All along the old city of Chiang Mai people were using moat water and city supplied hoses to fill buckets and guns. The Thai New Year is known to be the biggest water fight in the world and Chiang Mai is known as the best place. By 7 pm I was cold and the water fight was over. We changed into dry clothes and walked to the night bazaar.
One good thing we realized is that in Chiang Mai people stop partying at 7pm which still allows you to enjoy the rest of your night dry. The night bazaar was wonderful and had great shopping. We wished we had gone here instead of the Sunday bazaar but oh well. After walking for a couple of hours we had another one hour leg and back massage. This one was more relaxing and put both of us to sleep.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Luang Prabang, Laos
We left Cambodia just as we arrived, in a tuk-tuk. The Siem Reap airport was beautiful and looked more like a home from Architectural Digest than an airport. Unfortunately our flight was delayed 50 minutes so Billy and I stopped at Dairy Queen so he could get an Oreo Blizzard. After four weeks on the road we have craved a little dairy and a bit of home. Cambodia requires you to pay an exit fee so it cost each of us $25 to leave the country. I sure hope the money goes to help the people but my guess is that it does not.
We boarded another prop plane for the short flight to Luang Prabang. When we arrived in Laos the airport is just a one plane airport and you exit by stairs and walk to the one room immigration, customs, baggage claim, and visa office in one. It was smaller than College Station and about the size of Stockton's airport. Thankfully this time we had our extra passport photos on hand so we were quick to get through Visa application and retrieve our luggage.
Luange Prabang only has about 30,000 residents and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a city of wonderful Lao-French architecture, charm, and many ex-pats. It is similar to Hoi An in Vietnam for its charm and simple life. Walking the streets in the morning there aren't many sounds other than women sweeping, kids getting off to school, and homes being awoken for the day.
The only downside to our trip is that they were burning the rice fields so the sky was constantly hazy and your eyes burned from the smoke.
Day 1:
We left our hotel and headed to the night market about a 15 minute walk down the same street as our hotel. There were lots of local crafts and it was such a pleasant change with no constant nagging by vendors and people were genuinely happy to have your business. We purchased a few items and had dinner at the end of the night market at food alley. We had all could eat on one plate for $1.25. Most of the food choices are vegetarian and quite tasty. Lao doesn't have lots of traditional food since it takes long to prepare but what they do make is stellar. Billy also had pork on a stick for $.75. We followed dinner with shakes and walked back through the market to our hotel.
Day 2:
I woke up to the sound of the drum from the Wat across the street signaling the start of the "saffron circuit". The 500 + monks in town make their way through the streets at 6 am to collect food and offerings from locals. They call it the Saffron Circuit since all of the monks wear orange and yellow. It was a beautiful sight to see and unfortunately Billy missed most of it due to the effects of his Benadryl but with our room on the first floor he caught the backs of the monks passing by. Thankfully we have two more mornings to catch the monks. The city is so silent at this time of day they just pass by without words to the beat of drums and whispered prayers.
We had an okay breakfast along the river but enjoyed the view of the Mekong. We walked to the Wat Mai in order to kill time before the Palace Museum opened. Wat Mai took 70 years to build and used to be the staging ground for royal elephants during the New Year festival.
Next door was the Palace Museum. The palace was impressive with its colored and mirrored walls, artifacts both from Lao history and donations from other countries, and the fact it was used until the 1970's. There is no longer a royal family in Laos but their presence was still felt. Billy got a kick out of the car museum in the back that had a couple of Lincolns, a Citroen, and speed boat from the 1950's.
Across the palace was Mount Phousi. It was written to be a great place to watch the sunset and get views of Luang Prabang but with the smoke it didn't offer many scenic views but it did have Buddha's footprint and about 300 steps.
After the palace museum and strolling Billy was bored so he signed us up for a trip to the waterfalls. On the trip to the falls Billy lost his sunglasses as he was doused with water by a New Year reveler. Once at the waterfall we had two hours to swim in the pools, hike the levels of the falls, and enjoy the views. On our way back from the falls we saw some of the rice fields on fire and held our breath.
Half-way back we also saw two elephants which were used to work the land. The elephants were a treat as much as the kids having fun with them.
That night we had an early dinner since Billy still wasn't feeling well. He was a bit flustered at being sick for the third time on our trip.
Day 3:
On our last full day in Laos we went to Pak Ou Grottoes by an hour boat trip. We met a wonderful woman from Australia who we swapped advice with and chatted during our excursion. Pak Ou Grottos are cave temples where people bring Buddhas to donate and pray. The upper cave was easily explored by flashlight after walking 200 steps from the lower cave and thought to be home of guardian spirits. During Lao New Year hundreds of pilgrims visit the caves.
On the boat trip we stopped by Ban San Hae where they make moon shine whiskey. We had heard it wasn't good and neither of us enjoyed the taste but still gave it a try.
That afternoon when we returned we dropped off laundry, went to the Internet cafe, and had dinner at one of the cheap stalls at the night market. Billy had incredible fish on a stick and I had the all you can eat. We had trip to have dinner at a very good Lao restaurant we hard about that day but all their reservations that night were booked. They were only open for lunch on Monday-Friday and Friday night feasts.
Day 4/Leaving:
The morning we left for Thailand we visited the last two Wats on our list; Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Sene. Wat Sene was across the street from our hotel so it was a quick in and out. Wat Xieng Thong was where Lao kings were crowned and royal ceremonies were held. It has rich carvings and mosaics of colored mirrored glass similar to the Palace.
We boarded another prop plane for the short flight to Luang Prabang. When we arrived in Laos the airport is just a one plane airport and you exit by stairs and walk to the one room immigration, customs, baggage claim, and visa office in one. It was smaller than College Station and about the size of Stockton's airport. Thankfully this time we had our extra passport photos on hand so we were quick to get through Visa application and retrieve our luggage.
Luange Prabang only has about 30,000 residents and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a city of wonderful Lao-French architecture, charm, and many ex-pats. It is similar to Hoi An in Vietnam for its charm and simple life. Walking the streets in the morning there aren't many sounds other than women sweeping, kids getting off to school, and homes being awoken for the day.
The only downside to our trip is that they were burning the rice fields so the sky was constantly hazy and your eyes burned from the smoke.
Day 1:
We left our hotel and headed to the night market about a 15 minute walk down the same street as our hotel. There were lots of local crafts and it was such a pleasant change with no constant nagging by vendors and people were genuinely happy to have your business. We purchased a few items and had dinner at the end of the night market at food alley. We had all could eat on one plate for $1.25. Most of the food choices are vegetarian and quite tasty. Lao doesn't have lots of traditional food since it takes long to prepare but what they do make is stellar. Billy also had pork on a stick for $.75. We followed dinner with shakes and walked back through the market to our hotel.
Day 2:
I woke up to the sound of the drum from the Wat across the street signaling the start of the "saffron circuit". The 500 + monks in town make their way through the streets at 6 am to collect food and offerings from locals. They call it the Saffron Circuit since all of the monks wear orange and yellow. It was a beautiful sight to see and unfortunately Billy missed most of it due to the effects of his Benadryl but with our room on the first floor he caught the backs of the monks passing by. Thankfully we have two more mornings to catch the monks. The city is so silent at this time of day they just pass by without words to the beat of drums and whispered prayers.
We had an okay breakfast along the river but enjoyed the view of the Mekong. We walked to the Wat Mai in order to kill time before the Palace Museum opened. Wat Mai took 70 years to build and used to be the staging ground for royal elephants during the New Year festival.
Next door was the Palace Museum. The palace was impressive with its colored and mirrored walls, artifacts both from Lao history and donations from other countries, and the fact it was used until the 1970's. There is no longer a royal family in Laos but their presence was still felt. Billy got a kick out of the car museum in the back that had a couple of Lincolns, a Citroen, and speed boat from the 1950's.
Across the palace was Mount Phousi. It was written to be a great place to watch the sunset and get views of Luang Prabang but with the smoke it didn't offer many scenic views but it did have Buddha's footprint and about 300 steps.
After the palace museum and strolling Billy was bored so he signed us up for a trip to the waterfalls. On the trip to the falls Billy lost his sunglasses as he was doused with water by a New Year reveler. Once at the waterfall we had two hours to swim in the pools, hike the levels of the falls, and enjoy the views. On our way back from the falls we saw some of the rice fields on fire and held our breath.
Half-way back we also saw two elephants which were used to work the land. The elephants were a treat as much as the kids having fun with them.
That night we had an early dinner since Billy still wasn't feeling well. He was a bit flustered at being sick for the third time on our trip.
Day 3:
On our last full day in Laos we went to Pak Ou Grottoes by an hour boat trip. We met a wonderful woman from Australia who we swapped advice with and chatted during our excursion. Pak Ou Grottos are cave temples where people bring Buddhas to donate and pray. The upper cave was easily explored by flashlight after walking 200 steps from the lower cave and thought to be home of guardian spirits. During Lao New Year hundreds of pilgrims visit the caves.
On the boat trip we stopped by Ban San Hae where they make moon shine whiskey. We had heard it wasn't good and neither of us enjoyed the taste but still gave it a try.
That afternoon when we returned we dropped off laundry, went to the Internet cafe, and had dinner at one of the cheap stalls at the night market. Billy had incredible fish on a stick and I had the all you can eat. We had trip to have dinner at a very good Lao restaurant we hard about that day but all their reservations that night were booked. They were only open for lunch on Monday-Friday and Friday night feasts.
Day 4/Leaving:
The morning we left for Thailand we visited the last two Wats on our list; Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Sene. Wat Sene was across the street from our hotel so it was a quick in and out. Wat Xieng Thong was where Lao kings were crowned and royal ceremonies were held. It has rich carvings and mosaics of colored mirrored glass similar to the Palace.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Siem Reap- Part 2
Day 4:
The third day we left at 7:30 for the hour long tuk-tuk drive to Banteay Srey. We thought we could beat the heat but upon our arrival at 8:30 we were already covered and sweat. The drive through the countryside was a welcome change and an experience to see how more locals live. We saw lots of homes on stilts, water buffalo, monkeys, children running naked in the streets, and crops.
Banteay Srey is one of the smallest we visited but has the best carvings and color of any other we had seen. It is known as the Women's Temple because of the meaning of the name but even that has changed over the years. It was like visiting one large sculpture. One of the best parts was the exhibit which shows its history from initial discovery, pillaging of statues, and ultimate protection and preservation. We stayed for about an hour and headed back towards Angkor Tom.
Before returning to Angkor Tom we stopped by Banteay Samre. Another great temple and some good photos.
We weren't pleased with our photos from the two days earlier so we wanted a few shots of the exterior with better lighting.
Our final stop of the day was a silk factory about another 30 minutes west of Siem Reap. Since the Khmer killed most of the artists there are groups trying to teach Cambodian craftsmanship to younger generations and provide them with an income source. We saw the process of silk being made, the women weaving and dying the fabric, and bugs mating.
After returning to town we had lunch at an Indian restaurant and shopped at little at the market. As usual we took an afternoon dip in the pool, napped, and went out for an amazing dinner of street food.
Day 5:
The third day we left at 7:30 for the hour long tuk-tuk drive to Banteay Srey. We thought we could beat the heat but upon our arrival at 8:30 we were already covered and sweat. The drive through the countryside was a welcome change and an experience to see how more locals live. We saw lots of homes on stilts, water buffalo, monkeys, children running naked in the streets, and crops.
Banteay Srey is one of the smallest we visited but has the best carvings and color of any other we had seen. It is known as the Women's Temple because of the meaning of the name but even that has changed over the years. It was like visiting one large sculpture. One of the best parts was the exhibit which shows its history from initial discovery, pillaging of statues, and ultimate protection and preservation. We stayed for about an hour and headed back towards Angkor Tom.
Before returning to Angkor Tom we stopped by Banteay Samre. Another great temple and some good photos.
We weren't pleased with our photos from the two days earlier so we wanted a few shots of the exterior with better lighting.
Our final stop of the day was a silk factory about another 30 minutes west of Siem Reap. Since the Khmer killed most of the artists there are groups trying to teach Cambodian craftsmanship to younger generations and provide them with an income source. We saw the process of silk being made, the women weaving and dying the fabric, and bugs mating.
After returning to town we had lunch at an Indian restaurant and shopped at little at the market. As usual we took an afternoon dip in the pool, napped, and went out for an amazing dinner of street food.
Day 5:
This day was filled with not much but relaxation. We book airline tickets from Luang Probang to Chiang Mai, had lunch at a Mexican restaurant, walked the streets a little more and had a few beauty treatments.
While Billy was reading up on Thailand, the part he is responsible for planning, I went for a pedicure. It was less than stellar but still relaxing. After the pedicure we decided to get massages. This was Billy's first massage and he did well. In the United States I am used to a massage to relieve stress but in Cambodia the massage wasn't muscular so it worked well. We opted for scented massages and the women did lots of stroking of the muscles but no working out of kinks.
For dinner we went to Pub Street for the free Aspara dancing at Temple Bar. We followed up the evening with shakes and returned to the hotel exhausted from doing nothing all day.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Siem Reap- Part 1
In an effort to try to keep the blogs shorter and since we are here for four days we will be doing this one in multiple installments. My apologies if my entries are long, not so eloquent, and somewhat overly descriptive but I am trying to give people an idea of what we do each day. Plus if Billy wrote it I am not sure it would be more than a few paragraphs long.
Siem Reap is the most traveled city in Cambodia and home to Angkor Wat. Angkor means city so it is the city of wats, or temples, and boy have we been seeing them. To quote my aunt we did get "watted out". This city is also in the poorest province so the drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap was not a cheerful one. We did see homes built on stilts over their farms but they are just flat roofed homes with four walls and a roof. Often there was no bathroom, electricity, or running water. People seemed to be surviving by whatever means necessary since we often saw peppers drying in the fields or front yards.
Siem Reap is very hot and humid so we splurged and got a four star hotel with pool and a/c. Helah and Tama both said we would enjoy it, and they weren't wrong.
The first day we arrived around 2pm and settled into our hotel, checked out the pool, gym, and spa. Billy and I weren't staying far from the Old French Quarter so we walked to the old market to check out what they have that Phnom Penh didn't, grab an ice cream, and people watch. We found ourselves at Viva, a Mexican restaurant, for $1 margaritas and an ice cream shake that was spectacular. Dinner was only $2 at an Internet store by day, restaurant by night. What we saw of it then we knew we would enjoy.
When we returned we had to do three loads of laundry. Our hotel charges by the piece and since all of our clothes were dirty it would have cost us a fortune. I also learned in Saigon that you don't always get back what you bring so we thought why not do it ourselves. It took lots of elbow grease by me to scrub and Billy to ring out but we did 9 shirts, 5 pairs of shorts, 1 dress, 1 pair of pants, and 2 bathing suits. We ended up with clothes all over the place in the room and in the window.
Day 2:
We had arranged for a tuk-tuk all day for $12 with the driver we had at the bus station. He was busy that morning so he sent his friend Tom who was even better. Tom is studying languages so he speaks wonderful English, French, German, and is learning Japanese and Korean. He wants to become licensed with the Department of Tourism to lead Korean tours but the test is $3,000 so he studying when he waits for his tuk-tuk passengers.
Our first stop was Angkor Thom and The Bayon. I should preface all of my Wat descriptions in Sieam Reap by saying that I could write a novel on their history but instead will just let the photos speak for themselves. If you are really into historic artifacts and Asian history I recommend lots of reading on Angkor Wat or a visit. Thom has many sculpted images expressing the Mahayana Buddhist ideal of Lokesvara (compassions). Unfortunately the sun and light weren't very compassionate with our camera. The lighting most of the day was really flat so our photos were less than spectacular. We often found ourselves forgetting to enjoy the space because we were trying to get good shots. The Bayon was the last great temple constructed at Angkor. When climbing to the top of the Bayon we met a couple from New Orleans who were visiting their kids and grandkids in Singapore. We had a wonderful 20 minute chat with them and got some great ideas for work and future travels.
Our third temple for the day was Preah Khan. It was designed in 1177 but was completed before Angkor Wat.
We ate lunch with Tom, our guide, and finished the day with Angkor Wat. It was to large to capture in photos but is one square kilometer and surrounded by a moat. It is a three tier pyramid structure which began construction in 1120. Part of the Wat was under construction so we had to skip much of the center tower.
Tom brought us back to our hotel where we took a dip in the pool and relaxed until the sun set. After the sun set we headed into town for dinner at a BBQ restaurant. We were amazed that for $6 we had two beers, four kabobs, and one chicken leg. For desert and drinks we headed to pub street for another $1 margarita and milk shake. Billy and I have been in need of conversation other than ourselves so it was nice to just be around people, even if they didn't speak English.
I also purchased a few shirts that night so I would have clothes to wear the following few days until ours dried in the room.
Day 3:
Our goal was to watch the sunset at Angkor Wat so we had Tom pick us up at 11am thinking 5 hours at the Wats would be enough before sunset. Unfortunately the few Wats we had planned for the day were smaller, thus took less time. In addition the heat was worse than yesterday so at 3:30 pm we had to call it quits and return to town. We thought we could tough it out but both of us felt our feet dragging our brains escaping us. Water was constantly going in us and we tried for shade for whenever possible but we couldn't do it. We are at an Internet cafe writing this post and will head to the hotel for a pool dip and dinner late tonight.
The Wats we visited today included; Ta Prohm (tomb raider was filmed here), Pre Rup, Prasat Neak Pean, East Mebon, and Prasat Ta Som. We also had a great lunch at a great dirt floor hut with Tom and learned more about he and his family.
Hope you enjoy our photos for the past few days. We will give a little more description when possible on those.
Siem Reap is the most traveled city in Cambodia and home to Angkor Wat. Angkor means city so it is the city of wats, or temples, and boy have we been seeing them. To quote my aunt we did get "watted out". This city is also in the poorest province so the drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap was not a cheerful one. We did see homes built on stilts over their farms but they are just flat roofed homes with four walls and a roof. Often there was no bathroom, electricity, or running water. People seemed to be surviving by whatever means necessary since we often saw peppers drying in the fields or front yards.
Siem Reap is very hot and humid so we splurged and got a four star hotel with pool and a/c. Helah and Tama both said we would enjoy it, and they weren't wrong.
The first day we arrived around 2pm and settled into our hotel, checked out the pool, gym, and spa. Billy and I weren't staying far from the Old French Quarter so we walked to the old market to check out what they have that Phnom Penh didn't, grab an ice cream, and people watch. We found ourselves at Viva, a Mexican restaurant, for $1 margaritas and an ice cream shake that was spectacular. Dinner was only $2 at an Internet store by day, restaurant by night. What we saw of it then we knew we would enjoy.
When we returned we had to do three loads of laundry. Our hotel charges by the piece and since all of our clothes were dirty it would have cost us a fortune. I also learned in Saigon that you don't always get back what you bring so we thought why not do it ourselves. It took lots of elbow grease by me to scrub and Billy to ring out but we did 9 shirts, 5 pairs of shorts, 1 dress, 1 pair of pants, and 2 bathing suits. We ended up with clothes all over the place in the room and in the window.
Day 2:
We had arranged for a tuk-tuk all day for $12 with the driver we had at the bus station. He was busy that morning so he sent his friend Tom who was even better. Tom is studying languages so he speaks wonderful English, French, German, and is learning Japanese and Korean. He wants to become licensed with the Department of Tourism to lead Korean tours but the test is $3,000 so he studying when he waits for his tuk-tuk passengers.
Our first stop was Angkor Thom and The Bayon. I should preface all of my Wat descriptions in Sieam Reap by saying that I could write a novel on their history but instead will just let the photos speak for themselves. If you are really into historic artifacts and Asian history I recommend lots of reading on Angkor Wat or a visit. Thom has many sculpted images expressing the Mahayana Buddhist ideal of Lokesvara (compassions). Unfortunately the sun and light weren't very compassionate with our camera. The lighting most of the day was really flat so our photos were less than spectacular. We often found ourselves forgetting to enjoy the space because we were trying to get good shots. The Bayon was the last great temple constructed at Angkor. When climbing to the top of the Bayon we met a couple from New Orleans who were visiting their kids and grandkids in Singapore. We had a wonderful 20 minute chat with them and got some great ideas for work and future travels.
Our third temple for the day was Preah Khan. It was designed in 1177 but was completed before Angkor Wat.
We ate lunch with Tom, our guide, and finished the day with Angkor Wat. It was to large to capture in photos but is one square kilometer and surrounded by a moat. It is a three tier pyramid structure which began construction in 1120. Part of the Wat was under construction so we had to skip much of the center tower.
Tom brought us back to our hotel where we took a dip in the pool and relaxed until the sun set. After the sun set we headed into town for dinner at a BBQ restaurant. We were amazed that for $6 we had two beers, four kabobs, and one chicken leg. For desert and drinks we headed to pub street for another $1 margarita and milk shake. Billy and I have been in need of conversation other than ourselves so it was nice to just be around people, even if they didn't speak English.
I also purchased a few shirts that night so I would have clothes to wear the following few days until ours dried in the room.
Day 3:
Our goal was to watch the sunset at Angkor Wat so we had Tom pick us up at 11am thinking 5 hours at the Wats would be enough before sunset. Unfortunately the few Wats we had planned for the day were smaller, thus took less time. In addition the heat was worse than yesterday so at 3:30 pm we had to call it quits and return to town. We thought we could tough it out but both of us felt our feet dragging our brains escaping us. Water was constantly going in us and we tried for shade for whenever possible but we couldn't do it. We are at an Internet cafe writing this post and will head to the hotel for a pool dip and dinner late tonight.
The Wats we visited today included; Ta Prohm (tomb raider was filmed here), Pre Rup, Prasat Neak Pean, East Mebon, and Prasat Ta Som. We also had a great lunch at a great dirt floor hut with Tom and learned more about he and his family.
Hope you enjoy our photos for the past few days. We will give a little more description when possible on those.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Cambodia is a hard country to experience but I feel like it is a place we had to see. I had been warned before arriving that both Vietnam and Cambodia will leave you with a heavy heart and my aunt wasn't joking. Nothing can prepare you for getting off an airplane and being faced with the poverty and destruction that has happened to this country in the past 30 years. About 20% of the people here live on just $1 a day, few have running toilets, go to school, and many don't have enough food to feed their families. I can't say this will be an easy post or full of happy thoughts or sights but it is an honest post of what we heard, saw, smelled, and experienced in our 2.5 days in the city.
Day 1:
We flew from Saigon to Phnom Penh on a small prop plane and before we even reached our highest altitude we were coming down for a landing. As the capital's airport there were few hassles through customs and just a small runway. We had accidentally checked our extra passport photos so we had to pay $4 to the government for our visa since we didn't have them along with $40 for visas. In Vietnam we secured our visas before we left, but here it is advised that it is quicker at the airport.
After collecting our luggage we took off in an old 1980's era Toyata Camry to our hotel. It was the same car my sister had that lasted for over 300k miles. We noticed shortly after leaving that almost 90% of the vehicles are Toyata's or Lexus's with a preference for Toyata Camry. The ride only took about 20 minutes but we felt like we stepped back in time. The hustle of people, honking, and noise of Saigon had passed and we seemed to be in a small city. Since people here make such little money most take tuk-tuk's or open air trailers pulled by motorcycles. We saw everything from mattresses, lunch carts, foam, and up to 8 people being transported at once.
One thing we noticed when trying to get currency at the airport is that Cambodia's main currency of use is the United States Dollar. They do have a local currency but it is only used when making change from $2 for something that is $1.5. It is funny to be in Cambodia and go to an ATM and get out USD. The Khmer Rouge abolished all money systems in favor of bartering and it wasn't until 1995 that the French government assisted Cambodia with printing Riels to encourage use of their money over USD. As a result items are more expensive, such as food and transportation, compared to Vietnam. In Vietnam we would have paid $5 for a nice dinner but here we pay $15.
We chose a hotel in central Phnom Pen (PP) which was about 4 blocks from the water and a great starting point for our sights. We dropped our bags off, at an upgraded room with a window, and left for Wat Phnom. The temperatures here are were over 100 so we were slower travels on foot, but travels on foot nonetheless.
Wat Phnom is on a hill overlooking the northern part of town and part of the central French Quarter. Legend has it that in the 14th century Madame Penh discovered four statues of Buddha originally from Laos that were carried to Cambodia by the river. With the help of villagers she built a pagoda to house the Buddhas on the hill. Phnom means hill, so this town is the hill of Madame Penh. We paid $2 (foreigner visit fee) to walk to the top, take a few photos, and hang out with the monkeys.
After the wat we tried to walk the French Quarter and view old restored villas but the heat got the best of us and took a tuk-tuk to town for $2. We had a nice dinner along the water and just people watched for the rest of the evening.
Day 2:
We hired a tuk-tuk for the day for $30 and it was money well spent. The driver recommended going to Choeung Ek, the "killing fields", for the morning since it was a bit overcast and we might beat the heat. It was about an 45 minute drive and a long one. All along the way Billy and I were very aware that this was the path thousands of Cambodians took from town in trucks to be executed. About 20,000 people were taken here from Tuol Sleng, the interrogation center in PP and killed and put in mass graves, much like Auschwitz. The Khmer Rouge was trying to cleanse people for being traitors to the cause which included doctors, teachers, journalists, and their own soldiers. In all about 2 million people died under Pol Pot's genocidal regime from about 1975-1979.
There are 120 graves at Choeung Ek, and about 85 have been excavated and catalogued. A pagoda has been built out of glass to show respect for the victims. It consists of 17 levels, each with a distinct purpose. When walking around it was hard not to see the pain in others. There were tears, heads shaking, and lots of silence. Regardless of whether they were Germans, Japanese, English, American, or French the emotions were all the same. We spent about 1.5 hours walking the fields, reading, and slowly trying to understand what happened. Even after walking around we both felt feelings of anger. It was ironic as we walked because with a cloud of sadness came laughter from a school just next door. There were about 100 kids playing just outside the fence where 30 years ago their fellow countrymen were buried. I wasn't sure whether to think of it as progress or just a strange joke.
After the killing fields we went to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21). It is a series of four buildings where interrogation, cataloging, and torture of victims took place. Some were housed in small cells and others in large rooms depending on their class. Large numbers of the people were catalogued with numbers, photographs and biography taken. After confessing their sins their confessions would be attached to their photos so on display you could see the entire biography of a Cambodian citizen. When the Vietnamese entered PP in 1979 they captured S-21 and saved most of the archives, which with the help from East German experts they turned into the Auschwitz type museum.
After a heavy morning we headed to the Russian Market for lunch and some casual shopping. Our tuk-tuk driver Pen would just wait and sleep as we toured the sights. He even told us that what we paid was a good deal on some items. Billy and I don't do much negotiating on prices here in Cambodia. We both had nice shakes for lunch to try and escape the heat but it didn't work to well.
Our final stop of the day was the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. We only had about 1.75 hours left before it closed and we had to leave Pen so we hired a guide so we weren't guessing at the what we were seeing.
We were able to go inside the Throne Hall and Silver Pagoda but unfortunately the camera battery died just before the Silver Pagoda. We did learn that the stupas in the courtyard house ashes of the deceased kings. There are three levels to each. The first has their physical items such as combs, clothing, food, etc that were their favorites and they might need in their next life. The second has their ashes, and the third has a Buddha.
The Silver Pagoda is the royal chapel and has an estimated 5,000 silver floor tiles on the floor. It has wonderful Buddhas on display and our guide gave us a wonderful description of each and what each hand position means.
After being dropped off by Pen we rested for an hour in the AC and then went out for dinner. We settled on a traditional Khmer restaurant for dinner and an American bar for drinks and smoothies. After dinner we had a one hour leg massage. I didn't think it was as good as the one in Saigon but it did the job.
Day 3:
Billy woke up not feeling 100% so we decided to take it easy. He thinks it was due to all of the dust from driving the previous day so he is trying to cleanse his system with drugs the pharmacist said would work wonders.
We ate breakfast at a restaurant along the water which supports disadvantaged youths and watch the progression of the monks going to collect food and offerings from citizens. Our waiter went out five times to great different monks and receive a blessing. We didn't take photos out of respect but it was a beauitful thing to watch.
First on our agenda was the main market. It is currently being restored so most stalls are in the streets. People here don't hassle you as much as other cities but we left after an hour of not seeing anything that spoke to us.
Next we took a tuk-tuk to the National Museum. It is a relaxing open air museum that shows the greatest collection of remaining Angkor work. Billy and I then walked around the artist area and a second area known for lots of ex-pats and fun shops. We didn't buy anything but stopped for a great lunch of pineapple juice, apple juice, and two orange ice creams.
We took a tuk-tuk from here to a pepper store to buy some peppers for the owners of The Spice Tin in Murphys and returned to the hotel for a nap.
We finished the day with a nice cheap dinner and time at the internet cafe. Tomorrow we catch the 7am bus to Siem Reap.
Day 1:
We flew from Saigon to Phnom Penh on a small prop plane and before we even reached our highest altitude we were coming down for a landing. As the capital's airport there were few hassles through customs and just a small runway. We had accidentally checked our extra passport photos so we had to pay $4 to the government for our visa since we didn't have them along with $40 for visas. In Vietnam we secured our visas before we left, but here it is advised that it is quicker at the airport.
After collecting our luggage we took off in an old 1980's era Toyata Camry to our hotel. It was the same car my sister had that lasted for over 300k miles. We noticed shortly after leaving that almost 90% of the vehicles are Toyata's or Lexus's with a preference for Toyata Camry. The ride only took about 20 minutes but we felt like we stepped back in time. The hustle of people, honking, and noise of Saigon had passed and we seemed to be in a small city. Since people here make such little money most take tuk-tuk's or open air trailers pulled by motorcycles. We saw everything from mattresses, lunch carts, foam, and up to 8 people being transported at once.
One thing we noticed when trying to get currency at the airport is that Cambodia's main currency of use is the United States Dollar. They do have a local currency but it is only used when making change from $2 for something that is $1.5. It is funny to be in Cambodia and go to an ATM and get out USD. The Khmer Rouge abolished all money systems in favor of bartering and it wasn't until 1995 that the French government assisted Cambodia with printing Riels to encourage use of their money over USD. As a result items are more expensive, such as food and transportation, compared to Vietnam. In Vietnam we would have paid $5 for a nice dinner but here we pay $15.
We chose a hotel in central Phnom Pen (PP) which was about 4 blocks from the water and a great starting point for our sights. We dropped our bags off, at an upgraded room with a window, and left for Wat Phnom. The temperatures here are were over 100 so we were slower travels on foot, but travels on foot nonetheless.
Wat Phnom is on a hill overlooking the northern part of town and part of the central French Quarter. Legend has it that in the 14th century Madame Penh discovered four statues of Buddha originally from Laos that were carried to Cambodia by the river. With the help of villagers she built a pagoda to house the Buddhas on the hill. Phnom means hill, so this town is the hill of Madame Penh. We paid $2 (foreigner visit fee) to walk to the top, take a few photos, and hang out with the monkeys.
After the wat we tried to walk the French Quarter and view old restored villas but the heat got the best of us and took a tuk-tuk to town for $2. We had a nice dinner along the water and just people watched for the rest of the evening.
Day 2:
We hired a tuk-tuk for the day for $30 and it was money well spent. The driver recommended going to Choeung Ek, the "killing fields", for the morning since it was a bit overcast and we might beat the heat. It was about an 45 minute drive and a long one. All along the way Billy and I were very aware that this was the path thousands of Cambodians took from town in trucks to be executed. About 20,000 people were taken here from Tuol Sleng, the interrogation center in PP and killed and put in mass graves, much like Auschwitz. The Khmer Rouge was trying to cleanse people for being traitors to the cause which included doctors, teachers, journalists, and their own soldiers. In all about 2 million people died under Pol Pot's genocidal regime from about 1975-1979.
There are 120 graves at Choeung Ek, and about 85 have been excavated and catalogued. A pagoda has been built out of glass to show respect for the victims. It consists of 17 levels, each with a distinct purpose. When walking around it was hard not to see the pain in others. There were tears, heads shaking, and lots of silence. Regardless of whether they were Germans, Japanese, English, American, or French the emotions were all the same. We spent about 1.5 hours walking the fields, reading, and slowly trying to understand what happened. Even after walking around we both felt feelings of anger. It was ironic as we walked because with a cloud of sadness came laughter from a school just next door. There were about 100 kids playing just outside the fence where 30 years ago their fellow countrymen were buried. I wasn't sure whether to think of it as progress or just a strange joke.
After the killing fields we went to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21). It is a series of four buildings where interrogation, cataloging, and torture of victims took place. Some were housed in small cells and others in large rooms depending on their class. Large numbers of the people were catalogued with numbers, photographs and biography taken. After confessing their sins their confessions would be attached to their photos so on display you could see the entire biography of a Cambodian citizen. When the Vietnamese entered PP in 1979 they captured S-21 and saved most of the archives, which with the help from East German experts they turned into the Auschwitz type museum.
After a heavy morning we headed to the Russian Market for lunch and some casual shopping. Our tuk-tuk driver Pen would just wait and sleep as we toured the sights. He even told us that what we paid was a good deal on some items. Billy and I don't do much negotiating on prices here in Cambodia. We both had nice shakes for lunch to try and escape the heat but it didn't work to well.
Our final stop of the day was the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. We only had about 1.75 hours left before it closed and we had to leave Pen so we hired a guide so we weren't guessing at the what we were seeing.
We were able to go inside the Throne Hall and Silver Pagoda but unfortunately the camera battery died just before the Silver Pagoda. We did learn that the stupas in the courtyard house ashes of the deceased kings. There are three levels to each. The first has their physical items such as combs, clothing, food, etc that were their favorites and they might need in their next life. The second has their ashes, and the third has a Buddha.
The Silver Pagoda is the royal chapel and has an estimated 5,000 silver floor tiles on the floor. It has wonderful Buddhas on display and our guide gave us a wonderful description of each and what each hand position means.
After being dropped off by Pen we rested for an hour in the AC and then went out for dinner. We settled on a traditional Khmer restaurant for dinner and an American bar for drinks and smoothies. After dinner we had a one hour leg massage. I didn't think it was as good as the one in Saigon but it did the job.
Day 3:
Billy woke up not feeling 100% so we decided to take it easy. He thinks it was due to all of the dust from driving the previous day so he is trying to cleanse his system with drugs the pharmacist said would work wonders.
We ate breakfast at a restaurant along the water which supports disadvantaged youths and watch the progression of the monks going to collect food and offerings from citizens. Our waiter went out five times to great different monks and receive a blessing. We didn't take photos out of respect but it was a beauitful thing to watch.
First on our agenda was the main market. It is currently being restored so most stalls are in the streets. People here don't hassle you as much as other cities but we left after an hour of not seeing anything that spoke to us.
Next we took a tuk-tuk to the National Museum. It is a relaxing open air museum that shows the greatest collection of remaining Angkor work. Billy and I then walked around the artist area and a second area known for lots of ex-pats and fun shops. We didn't buy anything but stopped for a great lunch of pineapple juice, apple juice, and two orange ice creams.
We took a tuk-tuk from here to a pepper store to buy some peppers for the owners of The Spice Tin in Murphys and returned to the hotel for a nap.
We finished the day with a nice cheap dinner and time at the internet cafe. Tomorrow we catch the 7am bus to Siem Reap.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City
Billy and I are just wrapping up our second full day in Saigon and we had a blast. It is a little bit NYC, little bit Vietnam, little bit Chinatown, and a little bit San Francisco. Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is the largest city in Vietnam and the most commercialized which is why at times you forget you are in Vietnam, at least until you try to cross the street and are almost run over by a scooter.
We drove from Dalat to HCMC on a tourist bus which means for about $4-$5 more per person ($6 total) they give you water, AC, wet wipes for your hands, and they run an express route between the two cities. The road was worse than that going to Dalat and the young boy sitting in the seats across the row got sick twice. It was bumpy, unfinished in portions, and kept going through mountain roads but the views were oustanding. This time our bus driver hauled but instead of hitting a rock he hit a person on a motorcycle. The man appeared okay as did his bike and just brushed himself off and after only five minutes of stopping we were on the road again. If you are a local you can have the bus driver just stop and an intersection and drop you off, but being tourists we rode until the end of the route. By the time we reached the bus's final stop we were one of five left on what had been a full bus.
Upon checking into our hotel, which was in Central Saigon about 3 blocks from the Ben Thanah Market, we started to explore the city.
Day 1:
We spent our initial arrival day visiting the Ben Thanah Market. Ben Thanah is the largest in the city at about 11,000 square meters filled with housewares, souvenirs, food stalls, places to eat, and an abundance of heat. We thought the heat and humidity was bad outside but once we entered the market we hit the wall. As with most markets their prices were more than shops a few streets away so we just walked to take in the ambiance.
After the market we left for Nguyen Trai Street. We had seen it when entering the city by bus and thought there was plenty of shopping. We went in lots and I took full advantage since this is the one time Billy doesn't mind shopping with me. At the end of the street was a Catholic church lit up like Vegas. People were spilling out onto the streets and it was a wonderful evening to watch people. We walked for about two hours and had dinner at a Hue style restaurant. We discovered when walking that there were many Hue style restaurants. I have to say that the food wasn't as good as that in Hue or Northern Vietnam.
Day 2:
I should say we had a hotel with no windows which is common in Vietnam since hotels are skinny and vertical so we set an alarm to make sure we were up at a reasonable time.
First we walked to the two main streets that the book and locals said were good for fashion and art. Both were a bit over our budget but the quality was incredible. Just strolling the boulevards was a nice break since cars and motos had different lane which lessened the noise.
We tried to enter the Notre Dame Cathedral but it was closed. We read that it was shipped from France and resembles that of the original but both on Sunday and Monday it was closed to visitors.
Our next stop was the war crimes museum. It was like going to the Holocaust Museum, you know you have to do it but you won't like to see the photos and read what is inside. Billy and I were glad we went but felt like it was hard to stomach since it shows photos and descriptions of what happened to the innocent Vietnamese during the war.
After the museum we took off for the Cholon Pagodas in the "Chinatown" of HCMC. We thought it would be about an hour walk but after an hour and one stop at an ice cream shop we had to catch a cab and we were glad we did. With the humidity and feeling like were sweating out of ever pore were were sluggish and wanted to get there before they closed. It was a subtle change from Vietnamese/English signs to Vietnamese/Chinese signs. In the 1980's Cholon used to be a ghost town but since the early 90's it is once again regaining its ground as the center of Chinese business in the city. Almost all of the pagodas were destroyed to some extent during the war and are slowly being restored. We took the walking tour the book provided and afterwards cabbed it back to an area near the central district.
Billy has been on a Highlands Coffee quest so we had to visit a few Highlands that evening so he could try and smell various types. Highlands is a brand of coffee here that he says is phenomenal. At one store he convinced them to make a special cup for him out of one blend he purchased since it wasn't available on the menu.
Next our tired feet needed a rest so we stopped by a spa for a 30 minute foot and lower leg relaxation. It was better than the treatments in the states and well worth the money spent. I thought Billy was going to fall asleep afterwards but thankfully he was up for dinner.
We had read about food near embassy row and it didn't disappoint. We sat facing the street on little teak chairs and tables and just people watched. The best was a "high roller" as Billy would say. He arrived in his Mercedes, table ready, and he and the owner were hugging hello. After he got there it was hard to get any waitresses attention since they kept swooning over his table.
Day 3:
We tried to walk east of where were staying but found it was made primarily of big business, apartments, and lots of motos. Since motorcycles have become the main mode of transportation they are everywhere and the city has yet to build parking garages so sidewalks are covered. In fact most of the stores have parking attendants in front who are responsible for containing the moto chaos and retrieving yours from the mess when you leave.
Billy did find a gourmet market which is slang for American. He bought a beer while I checked out pricing for granola, Seventh Generation, and spices. We had lunch in a little shop right next to an office complex with all of the locals and ate phenomenal pork, rice, and vegetable soup for $1. Next was the post office where I mailed some postcards and a bit more shopping on side streets. We started our walk back towards town all the while taking notice of an incredible office complex going up. It has a helipad on the side of the building, curved glass, and looks like a tulip opening up.
In the afternoon we stopped for ice cream at a major traffic circle to watch the careful dance between motos, cars, people, and bicycles. There are few traffic lights, no rules, and lots of people all trying to navigate intersections. On one-way streets you often see motos going the wrong way on the sidewalks to avoid rules so you are never not on the lookout.
In the evening we had dinner at a Thai Seafood restaurant that Billy thought was some of his best food in Vietnam. In addition he had a smoothie of watermelon and pineapple that topped all his others.
All said Saigon was a wonderful experience and a place both of us would love to return to. The shopping, eating, people watching, and diversity were all over the top. We didn't take many photos since it was just a large city but I tried to capture daily life and things we want to remember Vietnam by.
Tomorrow we leave for Cambodia where we will spend a week in two cities before heading to Laos.
We drove from Dalat to HCMC on a tourist bus which means for about $4-$5 more per person ($6 total) they give you water, AC, wet wipes for your hands, and they run an express route between the two cities. The road was worse than that going to Dalat and the young boy sitting in the seats across the row got sick twice. It was bumpy, unfinished in portions, and kept going through mountain roads but the views were oustanding. This time our bus driver hauled but instead of hitting a rock he hit a person on a motorcycle. The man appeared okay as did his bike and just brushed himself off and after only five minutes of stopping we were on the road again. If you are a local you can have the bus driver just stop and an intersection and drop you off, but being tourists we rode until the end of the route. By the time we reached the bus's final stop we were one of five left on what had been a full bus.
Upon checking into our hotel, which was in Central Saigon about 3 blocks from the Ben Thanah Market, we started to explore the city.
Day 1:
We spent our initial arrival day visiting the Ben Thanah Market. Ben Thanah is the largest in the city at about 11,000 square meters filled with housewares, souvenirs, food stalls, places to eat, and an abundance of heat. We thought the heat and humidity was bad outside but once we entered the market we hit the wall. As with most markets their prices were more than shops a few streets away so we just walked to take in the ambiance.
After the market we left for Nguyen Trai Street. We had seen it when entering the city by bus and thought there was plenty of shopping. We went in lots and I took full advantage since this is the one time Billy doesn't mind shopping with me. At the end of the street was a Catholic church lit up like Vegas. People were spilling out onto the streets and it was a wonderful evening to watch people. We walked for about two hours and had dinner at a Hue style restaurant. We discovered when walking that there were many Hue style restaurants. I have to say that the food wasn't as good as that in Hue or Northern Vietnam.
Day 2:
I should say we had a hotel with no windows which is common in Vietnam since hotels are skinny and vertical so we set an alarm to make sure we were up at a reasonable time.
First we walked to the two main streets that the book and locals said were good for fashion and art. Both were a bit over our budget but the quality was incredible. Just strolling the boulevards was a nice break since cars and motos had different lane which lessened the noise.
We tried to enter the Notre Dame Cathedral but it was closed. We read that it was shipped from France and resembles that of the original but both on Sunday and Monday it was closed to visitors.
Our next stop was the war crimes museum. It was like going to the Holocaust Museum, you know you have to do it but you won't like to see the photos and read what is inside. Billy and I were glad we went but felt like it was hard to stomach since it shows photos and descriptions of what happened to the innocent Vietnamese during the war.
After the museum we took off for the Cholon Pagodas in the "Chinatown" of HCMC. We thought it would be about an hour walk but after an hour and one stop at an ice cream shop we had to catch a cab and we were glad we did. With the humidity and feeling like were sweating out of ever pore were were sluggish and wanted to get there before they closed. It was a subtle change from Vietnamese/English signs to Vietnamese/Chinese signs. In the 1980's Cholon used to be a ghost town but since the early 90's it is once again regaining its ground as the center of Chinese business in the city. Almost all of the pagodas were destroyed to some extent during the war and are slowly being restored. We took the walking tour the book provided and afterwards cabbed it back to an area near the central district.
Billy has been on a Highlands Coffee quest so we had to visit a few Highlands that evening so he could try and smell various types. Highlands is a brand of coffee here that he says is phenomenal. At one store he convinced them to make a special cup for him out of one blend he purchased since it wasn't available on the menu.
Next our tired feet needed a rest so we stopped by a spa for a 30 minute foot and lower leg relaxation. It was better than the treatments in the states and well worth the money spent. I thought Billy was going to fall asleep afterwards but thankfully he was up for dinner.
We had read about food near embassy row and it didn't disappoint. We sat facing the street on little teak chairs and tables and just people watched. The best was a "high roller" as Billy would say. He arrived in his Mercedes, table ready, and he and the owner were hugging hello. After he got there it was hard to get any waitresses attention since they kept swooning over his table.
Day 3:
We tried to walk east of where were staying but found it was made primarily of big business, apartments, and lots of motos. Since motorcycles have become the main mode of transportation they are everywhere and the city has yet to build parking garages so sidewalks are covered. In fact most of the stores have parking attendants in front who are responsible for containing the moto chaos and retrieving yours from the mess when you leave.
Billy did find a gourmet market which is slang for American. He bought a beer while I checked out pricing for granola, Seventh Generation, and spices. We had lunch in a little shop right next to an office complex with all of the locals and ate phenomenal pork, rice, and vegetable soup for $1. Next was the post office where I mailed some postcards and a bit more shopping on side streets. We started our walk back towards town all the while taking notice of an incredible office complex going up. It has a helipad on the side of the building, curved glass, and looks like a tulip opening up.
In the afternoon we stopped for ice cream at a major traffic circle to watch the careful dance between motos, cars, people, and bicycles. There are few traffic lights, no rules, and lots of people all trying to navigate intersections. On one-way streets you often see motos going the wrong way on the sidewalks to avoid rules so you are never not on the lookout.
In the evening we had dinner at a Thai Seafood restaurant that Billy thought was some of his best food in Vietnam. In addition he had a smoothie of watermelon and pineapple that topped all his others.
All said Saigon was a wonderful experience and a place both of us would love to return to. The shopping, eating, people watching, and diversity were all over the top. We didn't take many photos since it was just a large city but I tried to capture daily life and things we want to remember Vietnam by.
Tomorrow we leave for Cambodia where we will spend a week in two cities before heading to Laos.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Dalat
Our adventure to Dalat started off a bit rocky.
The morning we left Nha Trang we figured out that our USB drive with all of our photos, resumes, etc was infected by a virus. The virus was contracted in Hoi An and prevented us from viewing any files. After getting a bit bummed we bought our breakfast sandwiches and loaded the express bus for Dalat.
Dalat is a French town in the Vietnamese highlands at about 4,200 ft above sea level. It is quite hilly which makes it a great moto city which Billy wanted to take full advantage of. There are many Villas surrounding the city and beautiful residential architecture.
On our way to Dalat we took the "new road" which was only half-way new and the other half was still under construction. The scenery was breathtaking and well worth the bumpy roads to get there. Half-way to Dalat we hit a rock and created a large hole in the back tire of the bus. Thankfully it was a dually so we were able to drive for some distance, all be it slow, until we found a repair shop. When we did stop all the men got off to look at the hole. I guess regardless of the country men are fascinated with automotive dealings.
Once we hit the surrounding parts of Dalat the rain started to pour and the thunder started to come down. I can't remember the last time I saw a storm this heavy and it wasn't letting up. When we arrived at the bus station the bus driver made all of the men get off the bus with their suitcases into a muddy puddle and hide under an awning. The women were allowed to stay on the bus while it turned around and let us off under an awning at the front door of the station. Not sure why the men had to get off but Billy was stuck across the street for about 45 minutes until we could get a taxi to the hotel.
Our hotel is about a 15 minute walk to downtown and one of the few that allows foreigners. Dalat is a honeymoon destination and mountain retreat for Vietnamese families so there are few tourists here that are foreign. We saw lots of hotels but were told that they are only for Vietnamese, even when Billy tried to get pricing he was shown the door.
Day 1:
We left our bags at the hotel and waited out the storm for about an hour before it passed and we hit the town. We walked the market, surrounding streets, stores, etc before exhausting ourselves with all of the hills. We tried all sorts of street food including snails, corn on the cob (not so good), chicken sandwich, french bread, and ice cream. At the end of our adventure we walked the night market which really is where things are busy. All sort of vendors set up just for the evening and sell food, clothing, and crocheted items. Crocheting is really popular in DAlat and I often spotted women crocheting while selling at the market, in stores, and on the bus. All told we spent $5 on food for the day.
We did stumble across a computer repair shop where a nice man was able to fix our USB card and for no cost.
One thing I should mention is that Dalat is situated around a lake, which is currently dry. We tried to google why, but couldn't find anything and noticed that they are rebuilding the bridge so the temporary bridge goes along the lake bed.
Day 2:
Our second day we had breakfast at the hotel overlooking the city garden. Dalat has lots of greenhouses and urban gardens right in the city center. We tried to rent a moto at the hotel but the one they brought kept dying and had no gas and the second one wasn't an automatic. After politely declining we walked to town and found another moto rental for $4, which was almost half the hotel price, but after having another cup of coffee all the automatics were gone. Since Dalat isn't a real walkable city we spent the second day just lounging in a cafe at lunch, doing work on the computer, and purchasing another SD card for the camera.
One thing we found on our second day is that finding food outside of the night market and English menu cafes is really difficult. Restaurants would push us out the door or just not serve us. Maybe because we scream tourist, maybe because they don't like our business, either way it took us until about 2pm to find lunch.
After lunch I convinced Billy to take a taxi to the Crazy House or Spiderweb Mansion. The architect is Hang Nga, who much like Gaudi, has yet to finish her house. While visiting the home Billy had the chance to meet her and have his photo taken. The home has animal themed rooms, spider webs, and lots of bridges.
That evening we returned to the night market so Billy could visit the chicken and rice stand he had the night before. For $1 or $20 DNG he had an incredible feast. In the search for water after dinner we found our first store that resembled a grocery store. Prices were a bit inflated but we purchased a few things for our bus trip to Saigon.
Day 3:
This day we learned our lesson and rented a moto at about 8am. We had a list of places and three maps Billy found online and off we went. It was supposed to rain throughout the day so we tried to schedule indoor visits around the rain storms, but thankfully as of 5pm when I am writing this the rain has yet to come.
First stop was Bao Dai Summer Villa. Bao Dai was the last emperor of Vietnam who abdicated in 1945. His villa resembled a retro Soviet Block home including the furnishings. Neither of us were really impressed so we quickly left.
Second stop was Cam Ly Falls. The waterfall was okay but the funny part was seeing the amphitheater with water show (think small small Bellagio) and fake animals lining the path. We noticed throughout the city that they are fans of fake animals or stuffed animals as the book calls them.
Third stop was Lin Son Pagoda which was built in 1942 and is the heart of Buddhism in Dalat.
Next was the highlight of Dalat ;-) the "Valley of Love". A friend asked me in an email if I was "Looking for Disneyland" and well, I think I found it. it cost us $2.50 to get in and wow were we in shock. There are all sorts of stuffed animals to take your photo with, romantic spots for couples to retreat to, a lake to paddle in swan boats, gardens, amusement park rides for kids, pony rides by men dressed as cowboys, and lots of references to romance. We had to chuckle a bit at the gaudiness and tchotchkeness of it all but it is all part of the adventure and memories.
After the Valley of Love we returned to town for lunch, bought our tickets to Cambodia, and the visited the old Railway Station. It no longer operates as a station serving more than tourists and a quick steam engine ride outside of town but the structure was pretty.
South of town we ventured to two more falls. The first was Datanla Falls. This was by far the best at of the three we saw with clear water and an impressive hike down. It felt less commercialized and we were able to just enjoy the beauty. We splurged and took the cable car back up which was definitely worth the $2.50 just for the fun of it. Our last fall of the day was Prenn Falls. We had a tour guide in town tell us it had dried up but we thought why not, even if just for the drive through the mountains to get there. We were surprised that there was some water but it was brown and didn't really grab our attention like Datanla did.
We are returning the moto in an hour and having dinner at the market before turning in for the night. Tomorrow we take off for Saigon (Ho chi MInh City or HCMC) on an 8 hour bus ride.
The morning we left Nha Trang we figured out that our USB drive with all of our photos, resumes, etc was infected by a virus. The virus was contracted in Hoi An and prevented us from viewing any files. After getting a bit bummed we bought our breakfast sandwiches and loaded the express bus for Dalat.
Dalat is a French town in the Vietnamese highlands at about 4,200 ft above sea level. It is quite hilly which makes it a great moto city which Billy wanted to take full advantage of. There are many Villas surrounding the city and beautiful residential architecture.
On our way to Dalat we took the "new road" which was only half-way new and the other half was still under construction. The scenery was breathtaking and well worth the bumpy roads to get there. Half-way to Dalat we hit a rock and created a large hole in the back tire of the bus. Thankfully it was a dually so we were able to drive for some distance, all be it slow, until we found a repair shop. When we did stop all the men got off to look at the hole. I guess regardless of the country men are fascinated with automotive dealings.
Once we hit the surrounding parts of Dalat the rain started to pour and the thunder started to come down. I can't remember the last time I saw a storm this heavy and it wasn't letting up. When we arrived at the bus station the bus driver made all of the men get off the bus with their suitcases into a muddy puddle and hide under an awning. The women were allowed to stay on the bus while it turned around and let us off under an awning at the front door of the station. Not sure why the men had to get off but Billy was stuck across the street for about 45 minutes until we could get a taxi to the hotel.
Our hotel is about a 15 minute walk to downtown and one of the few that allows foreigners. Dalat is a honeymoon destination and mountain retreat for Vietnamese families so there are few tourists here that are foreign. We saw lots of hotels but were told that they are only for Vietnamese, even when Billy tried to get pricing he was shown the door.
Day 1:
We left our bags at the hotel and waited out the storm for about an hour before it passed and we hit the town. We walked the market, surrounding streets, stores, etc before exhausting ourselves with all of the hills. We tried all sorts of street food including snails, corn on the cob (not so good), chicken sandwich, french bread, and ice cream. At the end of our adventure we walked the night market which really is where things are busy. All sort of vendors set up just for the evening and sell food, clothing, and crocheted items. Crocheting is really popular in DAlat and I often spotted women crocheting while selling at the market, in stores, and on the bus. All told we spent $5 on food for the day.
We did stumble across a computer repair shop where a nice man was able to fix our USB card and for no cost.
One thing I should mention is that Dalat is situated around a lake, which is currently dry. We tried to google why, but couldn't find anything and noticed that they are rebuilding the bridge so the temporary bridge goes along the lake bed.
Day 2:
Our second day we had breakfast at the hotel overlooking the city garden. Dalat has lots of greenhouses and urban gardens right in the city center. We tried to rent a moto at the hotel but the one they brought kept dying and had no gas and the second one wasn't an automatic. After politely declining we walked to town and found another moto rental for $4, which was almost half the hotel price, but after having another cup of coffee all the automatics were gone. Since Dalat isn't a real walkable city we spent the second day just lounging in a cafe at lunch, doing work on the computer, and purchasing another SD card for the camera.
One thing we found on our second day is that finding food outside of the night market and English menu cafes is really difficult. Restaurants would push us out the door or just not serve us. Maybe because we scream tourist, maybe because they don't like our business, either way it took us until about 2pm to find lunch.
After lunch I convinced Billy to take a taxi to the Crazy House or Spiderweb Mansion. The architect is Hang Nga, who much like Gaudi, has yet to finish her house. While visiting the home Billy had the chance to meet her and have his photo taken. The home has animal themed rooms, spider webs, and lots of bridges.
That evening we returned to the night market so Billy could visit the chicken and rice stand he had the night before. For $1 or $20 DNG he had an incredible feast. In the search for water after dinner we found our first store that resembled a grocery store. Prices were a bit inflated but we purchased a few things for our bus trip to Saigon.
Day 3:
This day we learned our lesson and rented a moto at about 8am. We had a list of places and three maps Billy found online and off we went. It was supposed to rain throughout the day so we tried to schedule indoor visits around the rain storms, but thankfully as of 5pm when I am writing this the rain has yet to come.
First stop was Bao Dai Summer Villa. Bao Dai was the last emperor of Vietnam who abdicated in 1945. His villa resembled a retro Soviet Block home including the furnishings. Neither of us were really impressed so we quickly left.
Second stop was Cam Ly Falls. The waterfall was okay but the funny part was seeing the amphitheater with water show (think small small Bellagio) and fake animals lining the path. We noticed throughout the city that they are fans of fake animals or stuffed animals as the book calls them.
Third stop was Lin Son Pagoda which was built in 1942 and is the heart of Buddhism in Dalat.
Next was the highlight of Dalat ;-) the "Valley of Love". A friend asked me in an email if I was "Looking for Disneyland" and well, I think I found it. it cost us $2.50 to get in and wow were we in shock. There are all sorts of stuffed animals to take your photo with, romantic spots for couples to retreat to, a lake to paddle in swan boats, gardens, amusement park rides for kids, pony rides by men dressed as cowboys, and lots of references to romance. We had to chuckle a bit at the gaudiness and tchotchkeness of it all but it is all part of the adventure and memories.
After the Valley of Love we returned to town for lunch, bought our tickets to Cambodia, and the visited the old Railway Station. It no longer operates as a station serving more than tourists and a quick steam engine ride outside of town but the structure was pretty.
South of town we ventured to two more falls. The first was Datanla Falls. This was by far the best at of the three we saw with clear water and an impressive hike down. It felt less commercialized and we were able to just enjoy the beauty. We splurged and took the cable car back up which was definitely worth the $2.50 just for the fun of it. Our last fall of the day was Prenn Falls. We had a tour guide in town tell us it had dried up but we thought why not, even if just for the drive through the mountains to get there. We were surprised that there was some water but it was brown and didn't really grab our attention like Datanla did.
We are returning the moto in an hour and having dinner at the market before turning in for the night. Tomorrow we take off for Saigon (Ho chi MInh City or HCMC) on an 8 hour bus ride.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Nha Trang
**Photos for Hoi An are now uploaded. A nice man in Dalat got the virus off our USB. We were so thankful and he didn't charge us
Nha Trang is a beach town for Vietnamese and boy was it hot and humid. It was a so-so town and we were finished with the sites by 2pm and feeling like sticky fly traps but still happy we went.
We stayed at one of the few hotels we could find online in our price range but most of that is due to the fact that many hotels don't offer rooms to foreigners, at least from what we have heard. We woke up early in the morning and had a breakfast sandwich for $1 outside our hotel. It had egg, tomato, cucumber, and some type of mystery meat. After our semi-filling meal we rented a motorcycle and two helmet's for $7. I was skeptical of Billy's driving since he said he had only driven one once before but he can drive a 600hp Camero, I am sure he can handle a scooter.
Our first stop was for gas since the gauge was on empty but we took the long way down the waterfront and for $3 we filled the tank. WE continued south to the Vinpearl cable car, which is the largest sea crossing cable car at 3320 meters long. We thought we could just catch a ride there and back but they want you to buy tickets for the entire theme park. Think a Vietnamese version of Disney and Raging Waters. We passed and took off again on the moto for Hon Chong Promontory.
Hon Chong is a gathering of hundreds of boulders balanced precariously on top of each other. It was a beautiful stop to enjoy cold water and an ice cream for $2.
On our way south we checked out the Cham Towers. The towers were built between the 7th and 12th centuries, and although they have been partially rebuilt, they still are just as spectacular inside and out. I went into the shrines since I was dressed in proper attire and all were filled with women making offering and praying. Unfortunately we couldn't take photos of Uma, the largest female statue, who is believed to be in a state of Shiva.
Next stop was the market. What we are finding is the markets are more expensive than the street vendors and really cater to locals with sales of shoes, housewares, fruit, etc. I tried to bargain a woman for laundry detergent from .50 to .25 since I bought it for that price one day ago, but she wouldn't budge. I told Billy for that price he can wear his clothes an extra day. One thing the market does have is good food vendors. We ordered soup, which I thought was crazy being that it is hot and humid, but Billy couldn't pass it up. I didn't care for it but Billy thought the seafood spam on top mixed with mystery meat and broth was his favorite thus far. I just ate the mystery meat and noodles, the spam substance was to fishy for me.
After the market we went west to Long Son Pagoda and the Giant Buddha. The monks in the monastery were sleeping so we had to tip toe with a guide to the sleeping Buddha and to the giant Buddha. There was no entrance fee to see the Buddhas but they asked for a donation of $5. Billy worked him down to $1, since that is all we had left and he gladly accepted. We hate to bargin for things like this but we were out of Dong (Vietnamese currency). The lying Buddha and Giant Buddha were both spectacular and visible from the road which made finding it easy since our travel book didn't give a street address. On our way out of the monastery the monks had woken from their nap and we were able to see the red brass Buddha on her lotus throne.
By 1pm Billy and I were thirsty and hungry again so we stopped off the beaten path at a smoothie shop. The woman didn't speak any English and our Vietnamese isn't very good so we drew a picture of the type of smoothie we wanted. She understood our drawing of a pineapple, and although she and her friend laughed, Billy was served what he said was a great pineapple smoothie with yogurt. I sipped water and tried for ice cream but their machine was broken.
Our last stop was the Nha Trang Catholic Cathedral built in the 1930's.
We returned to our hotel and were frustrated by the Internet so we headed off for an Internet cafe. Most of the kids there were playing games or living their virtual life in Sim.
For dinner we walked to a hotel a few blocks away Billy had read about and had dinner on their roof top terrace. Although the food was so-so the views of the city at night were worth it. I stopped off for another ice cream and we returned to the hotel for a peaceful nights rest. The elevator wasn't working and the repair guys were in our hall so we were able to see the inside of a Vietnamese elevator shaft. Construction is really a fascinating experience outside of the US.
Nha Trang is a beach town for Vietnamese and boy was it hot and humid. It was a so-so town and we were finished with the sites by 2pm and feeling like sticky fly traps but still happy we went.
We stayed at one of the few hotels we could find online in our price range but most of that is due to the fact that many hotels don't offer rooms to foreigners, at least from what we have heard. We woke up early in the morning and had a breakfast sandwich for $1 outside our hotel. It had egg, tomato, cucumber, and some type of mystery meat. After our semi-filling meal we rented a motorcycle and two helmet's for $7. I was skeptical of Billy's driving since he said he had only driven one once before but he can drive a 600hp Camero, I am sure he can handle a scooter.
Our first stop was for gas since the gauge was on empty but we took the long way down the waterfront and for $3 we filled the tank. WE continued south to the Vinpearl cable car, which is the largest sea crossing cable car at 3320 meters long. We thought we could just catch a ride there and back but they want you to buy tickets for the entire theme park. Think a Vietnamese version of Disney and Raging Waters. We passed and took off again on the moto for Hon Chong Promontory.
Hon Chong is a gathering of hundreds of boulders balanced precariously on top of each other. It was a beautiful stop to enjoy cold water and an ice cream for $2.
On our way south we checked out the Cham Towers. The towers were built between the 7th and 12th centuries, and although they have been partially rebuilt, they still are just as spectacular inside and out. I went into the shrines since I was dressed in proper attire and all were filled with women making offering and praying. Unfortunately we couldn't take photos of Uma, the largest female statue, who is believed to be in a state of Shiva.
Next stop was the market. What we are finding is the markets are more expensive than the street vendors and really cater to locals with sales of shoes, housewares, fruit, etc. I tried to bargain a woman for laundry detergent from .50 to .25 since I bought it for that price one day ago, but she wouldn't budge. I told Billy for that price he can wear his clothes an extra day. One thing the market does have is good food vendors. We ordered soup, which I thought was crazy being that it is hot and humid, but Billy couldn't pass it up. I didn't care for it but Billy thought the seafood spam on top mixed with mystery meat and broth was his favorite thus far. I just ate the mystery meat and noodles, the spam substance was to fishy for me.
After the market we went west to Long Son Pagoda and the Giant Buddha. The monks in the monastery were sleeping so we had to tip toe with a guide to the sleeping Buddha and to the giant Buddha. There was no entrance fee to see the Buddhas but they asked for a donation of $5. Billy worked him down to $1, since that is all we had left and he gladly accepted. We hate to bargin for things like this but we were out of Dong (Vietnamese currency). The lying Buddha and Giant Buddha were both spectacular and visible from the road which made finding it easy since our travel book didn't give a street address. On our way out of the monastery the monks had woken from their nap and we were able to see the red brass Buddha on her lotus throne.
By 1pm Billy and I were thirsty and hungry again so we stopped off the beaten path at a smoothie shop. The woman didn't speak any English and our Vietnamese isn't very good so we drew a picture of the type of smoothie we wanted. She understood our drawing of a pineapple, and although she and her friend laughed, Billy was served what he said was a great pineapple smoothie with yogurt. I sipped water and tried for ice cream but their machine was broken.
Our last stop was the Nha Trang Catholic Cathedral built in the 1930's.
We returned to our hotel and were frustrated by the Internet so we headed off for an Internet cafe. Most of the kids there were playing games or living their virtual life in Sim.
For dinner we walked to a hotel a few blocks away Billy had read about and had dinner on their roof top terrace. Although the food was so-so the views of the city at night were worth it. I stopped off for another ice cream and we returned to the hotel for a peaceful nights rest. The elevator wasn't working and the repair guys were in our hall so we were able to see the inside of a Vietnamese elevator shaft. Construction is really a fascinating experience outside of the US.
Hoi An
Hoi An was a breath of fresh air and a city both of us want to return to. It is a port town and World Heritage site of about 75,000 people. It is one of the few places in Vietnam where you can see traditional Vietnamese architecture, and it is all clustered in the Old Quarter. One of the wonderful parts of being a protected city is that the Old Quarter is shut off from motorcycles and cars. It was a very pleasant city to stroll in and everyone we met was really kind. Getting to Hoi An is a bit tricky since it doesn't have train or flight service so you have to leave out of Danang, which is one hour north.
We left Hue for Hoi An on a bus for what was supposed to be a 3 hour trip, but with everything in Vietnam, it took just a bit longer. The bus never went above 60mph and half-way through the trip it stopped at a road side stand for 30 minutes. At first we were bummed by stopped but there was a beautiful beach (if you could ignore the trash) with shallow water to wade in. We arrived about 5 hours after we left Hue into Hoi An and hit the ground running.
Our hotel, the Greenfield Inn, left much to be desired so we thought we wouldn't spend much time hanging out. Lets just say that wide angle cameras can make a place look much more appealing on the Internet.
Hoi An is known for it custom clothing and tailoring so we set off to have a suite made for Billy. In the Old Quarter we visited a tailor shop where Huong was wonderful in helping us pick out fabrics, designs, etc. Billy went for a slim fit brown pin stripe suit. The cut is more Italian and with a skinny bean pole like him it made a difference to have one custom made. He also picked out 6 dress shirts and one jacket all for about $150.
Besides custom tailoring Hoi An is known for its wonderful food. Two specialties are Cau Lau and White Rose. At about every restaurant we ventured to we ate one of the two.
The first day in Hoi An we also bought tickets to visit a few of the heritage sites in town, including Phuoc Kien Pagoda and Quan Thang House. The home was about 300 years old and the family still resides in the home but opens it up for tourists. Inside the home they marked where each of the floods has hit over the years. The Pagoda was dedicated to Thien Hau, goddess of the sea and patroness of sailors and fisherfolk.
In the evening we ate at Hung Phuc Restaurant where Billy dined on their specialty of fish wrapped in banana leaf with garlic and lemongrass. While eating dinner we chatted with a man from San Diego who was traveling in Vietnam and Thailand for three weeks by himself. Originally from Pleasanton it felt like a small world.
The second day we rented bicycles and took off for the beach. We walked a bit on the sand and dipped our feet in the water but neither of us are sit on the beach type so we returned to our bicycles and hit the road. We toured the waterfront for a bit before returning to the tailor for another fitting. Billy looked sharp in his suit but with the humidity it was difficult to get our clothing to slide on our body. While at the tailor shop the power went out. It had gone out that morning and we just thought it was our hotel but according to Huong the power company has the right to shut off power any time they want, and for any length of time, up until 5:30pm. She said most of their power is hydro power so when there aren't rains and the water is low the utility company tries to conserve. Thankfully the ice cream guy went by at the same time and all three of us sat and enjoyed a few cones.
After our fitting we went to the end of town and took in the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Hoi An trademark. It was built in the 16th century and no cars, bikes, or motos can cross. After the bridge we biked down a few other streets and went shopping. We stumbled across a beautiful gallery and did what any Callaway does, buy art. Billy and I purchased two pieces, both by artists living in Hoi An. One was by a French man (whom we met), and the other was by a German woman. Oddly enough billy and I both agreed on the pieces right away so they rolled them up, packed them in PVC pipe, and off we went with art in our basket.
After returning to the hotel and dropping off our purchases and bikes we walked to town for dinner and drinks. While strolling through town we ran into two of the couples from our Halong Bay boat trip. We all chatted for a few minutes and agreed to meet for wine and drinks at White Marble Wine Bar. The evening finished with lots of laughs, wine, beer, and juice for me.
Our last morning in Hoi An we went for a final fitting and brought items to ship back to the states. To keep our travel load to a minimum we shipped back all of our clothes we had made and a few other purchased souvenirs from our two weeks here. While packing our box Huong saw our extra camera and offered to buy it from us for $20. Sold!
We took a car to Danang from Hoi An and boarded a trail for an 8 hour trip to Nha Trang. I was sick most of the way so I slept or laid on Billy's lap. The views from the train were beautiful and we arrived at 10:30pm into Nha Trang for our next journey.
We left Hue for Hoi An on a bus for what was supposed to be a 3 hour trip, but with everything in Vietnam, it took just a bit longer. The bus never went above 60mph and half-way through the trip it stopped at a road side stand for 30 minutes. At first we were bummed by stopped but there was a beautiful beach (if you could ignore the trash) with shallow water to wade in. We arrived about 5 hours after we left Hue into Hoi An and hit the ground running.
Our hotel, the Greenfield Inn, left much to be desired so we thought we wouldn't spend much time hanging out. Lets just say that wide angle cameras can make a place look much more appealing on the Internet.
Hoi An is known for it custom clothing and tailoring so we set off to have a suite made for Billy. In the Old Quarter we visited a tailor shop where Huong was wonderful in helping us pick out fabrics, designs, etc. Billy went for a slim fit brown pin stripe suit. The cut is more Italian and with a skinny bean pole like him it made a difference to have one custom made. He also picked out 6 dress shirts and one jacket all for about $150.
Besides custom tailoring Hoi An is known for its wonderful food. Two specialties are Cau Lau and White Rose. At about every restaurant we ventured to we ate one of the two.
The first day in Hoi An we also bought tickets to visit a few of the heritage sites in town, including Phuoc Kien Pagoda and Quan Thang House. The home was about 300 years old and the family still resides in the home but opens it up for tourists. Inside the home they marked where each of the floods has hit over the years. The Pagoda was dedicated to Thien Hau, goddess of the sea and patroness of sailors and fisherfolk.
In the evening we ate at Hung Phuc Restaurant where Billy dined on their specialty of fish wrapped in banana leaf with garlic and lemongrass. While eating dinner we chatted with a man from San Diego who was traveling in Vietnam and Thailand for three weeks by himself. Originally from Pleasanton it felt like a small world.
The second day we rented bicycles and took off for the beach. We walked a bit on the sand and dipped our feet in the water but neither of us are sit on the beach type so we returned to our bicycles and hit the road. We toured the waterfront for a bit before returning to the tailor for another fitting. Billy looked sharp in his suit but with the humidity it was difficult to get our clothing to slide on our body. While at the tailor shop the power went out. It had gone out that morning and we just thought it was our hotel but according to Huong the power company has the right to shut off power any time they want, and for any length of time, up until 5:30pm. She said most of their power is hydro power so when there aren't rains and the water is low the utility company tries to conserve. Thankfully the ice cream guy went by at the same time and all three of us sat and enjoyed a few cones.
After our fitting we went to the end of town and took in the Japanese Covered Bridge, a Hoi An trademark. It was built in the 16th century and no cars, bikes, or motos can cross. After the bridge we biked down a few other streets and went shopping. We stumbled across a beautiful gallery and did what any Callaway does, buy art. Billy and I purchased two pieces, both by artists living in Hoi An. One was by a French man (whom we met), and the other was by a German woman. Oddly enough billy and I both agreed on the pieces right away so they rolled them up, packed them in PVC pipe, and off we went with art in our basket.
After returning to the hotel and dropping off our purchases and bikes we walked to town for dinner and drinks. While strolling through town we ran into two of the couples from our Halong Bay boat trip. We all chatted for a few minutes and agreed to meet for wine and drinks at White Marble Wine Bar. The evening finished with lots of laughs, wine, beer, and juice for me.
Our last morning in Hoi An we went for a final fitting and brought items to ship back to the states. To keep our travel load to a minimum we shipped back all of our clothes we had made and a few other purchased souvenirs from our two weeks here. While packing our box Huong saw our extra camera and offered to buy it from us for $20. Sold!
We took a car to Danang from Hoi An and boarded a trail for an 8 hour trip to Nha Trang. I was sick most of the way so I slept or laid on Billy's lap. The views from the train were beautiful and we arrived at 10:30pm into Nha Trang for our next journey.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Hue
We took an overnight train from Hanoi to Hue, and it was a first for Billy. We shared a sleeping cabin with two older Vietnamese women who gave us candy and were early to bed, just like us. Oddly enough it was our best night of sleep since the soft sleeper was comfortable compared to our stay in Hanoi.
We arrived in Hue at about 8 am and were able to check into our room early to shower, which was well deserved.
Day 1 in Hue:
After showering, eating complimentary breakfast, and returning emails we hit the streets running. It is much quieter in Hue and the streets aren't filled with as many motos and honking so we strolled a few blocks to the river and headed to the nearest bridge to visit the Citadel. After stopping by a sculpture garden we took a tuk-tuk to the citadel, which was another first.
After the citadel we took the tuk-tuk around the outside and along some side streets, stopping at a few photo ops of urban gardening. People here will grow anything any where with only small pieces of land. They are so resourceful it is amazing.
Our driver then took us to the market, which like Hanoi, was a disappointment. It is a large two story building with clothing, toys, and household items but nothing of souvenir significance. After the market the tuk-tuk driver returned us to the center of Hanoi and there it got ugly. Billy had agreed to a price with the driver when we started and he then changed his mind and started becoming aggressive when we wouldn't pay more than we agreed on. Billy eventually offered him a little more money and the guy turned his nose at us and wouldn't take it. After going at it for a minute the guy took the money and we quickly walked away. Lesson learned to double and tripple check prices.
On our walk back to the hotel we stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a smoothie and spring roll. Hue has famous rolls and they didn't disappoint. For $3 we had an amazing afternoon snack. We continued walking and I stopped by a clothing store where I bought one skirt for $9 and had measurements taken to have another made for $18 with embroidery. Friends had told me about having clothing made and they weren't kidding. I think in Hoi An I might try for another skirt, dress, or pants.
Billy and I returned to the hotel and rested for a little bit and got ready to go out for the evening. We ate dinner at a BBQ Korean/Vietnamese restaurant for $6.
Day 2:
Today I wanted to explore the tombs surrounding Hue which our travel book spoke about. They are more tourist attractions than local attractions since entrance fees of $3-5 per person is prohibitive to locals. Our travel book gave a general map of how to bike a route around all tombs which should take about 12 km and two hours to complete. Billy and I rented bikes at the hotel for $2 and headed off like locals. With our book in our basket and courage in our souls we made off to the streets. I was nervous at first bit after going through our first big intersection and going against traffic after making a wrong turn I gave up on American bike rules and just went for it.
Unfortunately our map was rudimentary at best and lead us astray more than once. It showed roads where there were none and didn't give enough street names. We made the most of it but after 1.5 hours we were about to give up. We hadn't gotten far outside the city and locals were telling us the wrong way but we didn't give up. Eventually we found our way back to a main road and saw more tour buses, which were like the golden rainbow. "Follow the tourists" became our slogan for the day. Finally after two hours we arrived at Khai Dinh Tomb. At times we thought we were close but we would have to wait for a tour bus to go buy to determine which way to go at the "T" in the road. The ticket collector told us it should have only taken 30 minutes, but oh well, we had fun and got great exercise.
Khai Dinh Tomb was beautiful but full of stairs. At one point we found a fan and just sat in front of it and relaxed. After about 30 minutes there and one cold water and ice cream later we set out for Minh Mang Tomb, the one I really wanted to see.
It only took us 30 more minutes to get there since the road signs didn't lead anywhere but we met up with some Australian tourists and we all road together. Eventually a man came into the street and told us to stop and leave our bikes at his restaurant, for a donation, and walk along the wall to the entrance. We weren't sure if we were being had but thought why not, we weren't going to loose anything.
Ming Mang was peaceful but not worth 3 hours of biking. I think the adventure of being on a bike was worth more than seeing the tomb. We walked around for about 30 minutes and took some great photos and headed out again. Billy paid the man $1 donation and bought $.75 worth of water and we took off. The book said there was a boat we could put our bikes on and head back to Hue but we seriously doubted the book at this point and thought we would have to bike the 10k back.
The problem was that we couldn't see a road that lead to the river so I took off down a dirt/paved road the side of a sidewalk since I could hear the water. My instinct was right and after a 1/2 mile we ended up at the water. The taxi was just about to leave but we paid them $5 for the 1.25 hour boat ride back. We could have biked faster back but the boat trip allowed us to see new sights along the river. After arriving in Hue the driver dropped us off along a river back since they can't dock at a real dock. We pushed the bikes up a hill and my chain came loose in the process.
Billy fixed my train and we bike back towards the hotel. We really started to enjoy the bike riding and had more guts than ever. We stopped for more smoothies and spring rolls and then returned our rented biked and took long hot showers.
Tonight I picked up my skirt, Billy bought a wood carving, and had Indian food for dinner. All in all Hue was a blast and a real gem. We hate to leave our fantastic hotel but tomorrow we head out for Hoi An.
We arrived in Hue at about 8 am and were able to check into our room early to shower, which was well deserved.
Day 1 in Hue:
After showering, eating complimentary breakfast, and returning emails we hit the streets running. It is much quieter in Hue and the streets aren't filled with as many motos and honking so we strolled a few blocks to the river and headed to the nearest bridge to visit the Citadel. After stopping by a sculpture garden we took a tuk-tuk to the citadel, which was another first.
After the citadel we took the tuk-tuk around the outside and along some side streets, stopping at a few photo ops of urban gardening. People here will grow anything any where with only small pieces of land. They are so resourceful it is amazing.
Our driver then took us to the market, which like Hanoi, was a disappointment. It is a large two story building with clothing, toys, and household items but nothing of souvenir significance. After the market the tuk-tuk driver returned us to the center of Hanoi and there it got ugly. Billy had agreed to a price with the driver when we started and he then changed his mind and started becoming aggressive when we wouldn't pay more than we agreed on. Billy eventually offered him a little more money and the guy turned his nose at us and wouldn't take it. After going at it for a minute the guy took the money and we quickly walked away. Lesson learned to double and tripple check prices.
On our walk back to the hotel we stopped at a sidewalk cafe for a smoothie and spring roll. Hue has famous rolls and they didn't disappoint. For $3 we had an amazing afternoon snack. We continued walking and I stopped by a clothing store where I bought one skirt for $9 and had measurements taken to have another made for $18 with embroidery. Friends had told me about having clothing made and they weren't kidding. I think in Hoi An I might try for another skirt, dress, or pants.
Billy and I returned to the hotel and rested for a little bit and got ready to go out for the evening. We ate dinner at a BBQ Korean/Vietnamese restaurant for $6.
Day 2:
Today I wanted to explore the tombs surrounding Hue which our travel book spoke about. They are more tourist attractions than local attractions since entrance fees of $3-5 per person is prohibitive to locals. Our travel book gave a general map of how to bike a route around all tombs which should take about 12 km and two hours to complete. Billy and I rented bikes at the hotel for $2 and headed off like locals. With our book in our basket and courage in our souls we made off to the streets. I was nervous at first bit after going through our first big intersection and going against traffic after making a wrong turn I gave up on American bike rules and just went for it.
Unfortunately our map was rudimentary at best and lead us astray more than once. It showed roads where there were none and didn't give enough street names. We made the most of it but after 1.5 hours we were about to give up. We hadn't gotten far outside the city and locals were telling us the wrong way but we didn't give up. Eventually we found our way back to a main road and saw more tour buses, which were like the golden rainbow. "Follow the tourists" became our slogan for the day. Finally after two hours we arrived at Khai Dinh Tomb. At times we thought we were close but we would have to wait for a tour bus to go buy to determine which way to go at the "T" in the road. The ticket collector told us it should have only taken 30 minutes, but oh well, we had fun and got great exercise.
Khai Dinh Tomb was beautiful but full of stairs. At one point we found a fan and just sat in front of it and relaxed. After about 30 minutes there and one cold water and ice cream later we set out for Minh Mang Tomb, the one I really wanted to see.
It only took us 30 more minutes to get there since the road signs didn't lead anywhere but we met up with some Australian tourists and we all road together. Eventually a man came into the street and told us to stop and leave our bikes at his restaurant, for a donation, and walk along the wall to the entrance. We weren't sure if we were being had but thought why not, we weren't going to loose anything.
Ming Mang was peaceful but not worth 3 hours of biking. I think the adventure of being on a bike was worth more than seeing the tomb. We walked around for about 30 minutes and took some great photos and headed out again. Billy paid the man $1 donation and bought $.75 worth of water and we took off. The book said there was a boat we could put our bikes on and head back to Hue but we seriously doubted the book at this point and thought we would have to bike the 10k back.
The problem was that we couldn't see a road that lead to the river so I took off down a dirt/paved road the side of a sidewalk since I could hear the water. My instinct was right and after a 1/2 mile we ended up at the water. The taxi was just about to leave but we paid them $5 for the 1.25 hour boat ride back. We could have biked faster back but the boat trip allowed us to see new sights along the river. After arriving in Hue the driver dropped us off along a river back since they can't dock at a real dock. We pushed the bikes up a hill and my chain came loose in the process.
Billy fixed my train and we bike back towards the hotel. We really started to enjoy the bike riding and had more guts than ever. We stopped for more smoothies and spring rolls and then returned our rented biked and took long hot showers.
Tonight I picked up my skirt, Billy bought a wood carving, and had Indian food for dinner. All in all Hue was a blast and a real gem. We hate to leave our fantastic hotel but tomorrow we head out for Hoi An.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Halong Bay
What I am sure will be the most incredible part of our journey and was Halong Bay. Tama and Helah (aunts) both said it was well worth the money and they weren't wrong. For $256 per person we spent 3 days/2 nights with 3 other couples on a Junk Boat. Besides the scenery we were fed on average 6 course meals, 3 times per day. Billy and I chose the "Off the Beaten Path" option. Unfortunately the weather was a bit chilly the second and third day so we choose not to kayak but the tour guide and captain still made sure we didn't miss a beat.
There are over 3,000 limestone islets over 1,500 km which in 1994 was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As part of their efforts to keep it pristine the floating fishing villages and their residents are being employed by the government and operators of junk boat tour companies to clean and remove garbage, replant mango trees, and move out of caves and into the villages.
On the first day we went kayaking around two islets and spent about 1.5 hours out on the water. We stopped at a beach just to feel the sand between our toes and look at coral. Billy and I laughed through much of the time since we couldn't keep our kayak straight. Billy was supposed to follow my lead and stick to my cadence, but he often paddled to his own beat. We would have to say "left, left, left" to get us to turn right, or vice versa.
On the second day the weather was chilly so as a boat we opted against kayaking. In the morning as an alternative we traveled to a floating fishing village of 15 families. We had tea with the village "mayor" and visited the primary and grade school classrooms. After singing with the children we embarked on a two hour paddle boat tour of lagoons and other islets. Billy and I had a boat to ourselves with an incredible boy of about 15 paddling.
After our tour of the village we returned to the boat where we left for lunch on the beach. The cook and his assistant grilled shrimp, fish, chicken, and beef all on the water. We also participated in beach cleanup.
Since the weather was still cold in the afternoon we returned to the boat for a little R&R as we sailed through the bay. Dinner brought another six course meal of fresh Vietnamese salad, shrimp, fish, beef, pork, vegetables, rice, and fresh fruit. It was the birthday of one gentleman from Canada so we spent the night entertaining each other with songs. Neither Billy or I sang but the voices of other members was incredible. The young sound engineer from Australia had a voice like Lauren Hill, and one of the Canadian women sand to us in French. Even though we couldn't understand Vietnamese the emotions transcended any language.
Billy and I retired early for the evening since he felt a cold coming on, which he is still fighting.
The final morning we took a boat to an islet which had a cave. Until a few years ago the cave housed 15 families, including our tour guide's uncle, grandmother, and cousin. His uncle didn't want to leave so he lives on his own near the cave. On our way back to the bay that morning we waved goodbye to his uncle. The cave reminded me of Murphys since the stalactites and stalagmites were beautiful and all named.
We shared wonderful experiences with our fellow travelers and picked their brains on where to go next, places to stay, how best to travel, etc. One particular couple from outside Ontario, Louie and Helen, we were particularly found of. Louie accidentally fell in the water on our first day and got his camera wet. Fortunately we lent him our backup, but after looking at photos from both cameras Billy decided that we needed a new camera.
There were some photos taken of the children in school that Louie has which I will get copies of and have framed. Children seen to be my soft spot for photographs since I love to people watch and see how everyone moves throughout the city.
We are both found of architecture so you will notice quite a few photos from our drives of homes. Even Vietnam suffered a housing bust and we saw half finished homes, or just the shell.
A couple on our boat who had traveled to Africa, Europe, Korea, Japan, and China said that Halong Bay has been their favorite. I hope everyone enjoys it just as much as we did, although photos don't do it justice.
There are over 3,000 limestone islets over 1,500 km which in 1994 was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As part of their efforts to keep it pristine the floating fishing villages and their residents are being employed by the government and operators of junk boat tour companies to clean and remove garbage, replant mango trees, and move out of caves and into the villages.
On the first day we went kayaking around two islets and spent about 1.5 hours out on the water. We stopped at a beach just to feel the sand between our toes and look at coral. Billy and I laughed through much of the time since we couldn't keep our kayak straight. Billy was supposed to follow my lead and stick to my cadence, but he often paddled to his own beat. We would have to say "left, left, left" to get us to turn right, or vice versa.
On the second day the weather was chilly so as a boat we opted against kayaking. In the morning as an alternative we traveled to a floating fishing village of 15 families. We had tea with the village "mayor" and visited the primary and grade school classrooms. After singing with the children we embarked on a two hour paddle boat tour of lagoons and other islets. Billy and I had a boat to ourselves with an incredible boy of about 15 paddling.
After our tour of the village we returned to the boat where we left for lunch on the beach. The cook and his assistant grilled shrimp, fish, chicken, and beef all on the water. We also participated in beach cleanup.
Since the weather was still cold in the afternoon we returned to the boat for a little R&R as we sailed through the bay. Dinner brought another six course meal of fresh Vietnamese salad, shrimp, fish, beef, pork, vegetables, rice, and fresh fruit. It was the birthday of one gentleman from Canada so we spent the night entertaining each other with songs. Neither Billy or I sang but the voices of other members was incredible. The young sound engineer from Australia had a voice like Lauren Hill, and one of the Canadian women sand to us in French. Even though we couldn't understand Vietnamese the emotions transcended any language.
Billy and I retired early for the evening since he felt a cold coming on, which he is still fighting.
The final morning we took a boat to an islet which had a cave. Until a few years ago the cave housed 15 families, including our tour guide's uncle, grandmother, and cousin. His uncle didn't want to leave so he lives on his own near the cave. On our way back to the bay that morning we waved goodbye to his uncle. The cave reminded me of Murphys since the stalactites and stalagmites were beautiful and all named.
We shared wonderful experiences with our fellow travelers and picked their brains on where to go next, places to stay, how best to travel, etc. One particular couple from outside Ontario, Louie and Helen, we were particularly found of. Louie accidentally fell in the water on our first day and got his camera wet. Fortunately we lent him our backup, but after looking at photos from both cameras Billy decided that we needed a new camera.
There were some photos taken of the children in school that Louie has which I will get copies of and have framed. Children seen to be my soft spot for photographs since I love to people watch and see how everyone moves throughout the city.
We are both found of architecture so you will notice quite a few photos from our drives of homes. Even Vietnam suffered a housing bust and we saw half finished homes, or just the shell.
A couple on our boat who had traveled to Africa, Europe, Korea, Japan, and China said that Halong Bay has been their favorite. I hope everyone enjoys it just as much as we did, although photos don't do it justice.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Hanoi
We have spent two days in Hanoi and what a first city to be experiencing. The first morning was a bit overwhelming with all the new sights, sounds, smells, etc but once we just took the first jump it wasn't so bad.
Day 1
On the first day we spent the morning just exploring the Old Quarter where our hotel is located. We walked around the public market and had breakfast like the locals. The locals eat on little stools at tables with bowls of noodles. We just sat down, held up the number two sign, and enjoyed. We are pretty sure we ate lamb, but we didn't ask questions. After our morning bowl of pho we set out to book our trip to Halong Bay, book our train ticket to Hue, find billy shoes, and get money out of the ATM. We accomplished all by lunch, which was a successful adventure in my book.
For a snack before lunch we walked around Hoan Kiem Lake which is in the heart of Hanoi and an abode of a mythical tortoise. On Day two we saw the tortoise. We saw many couples taking wedding photos around the lake. In the middle of the lake is Ngoc Son Temple which can be reached by a red Sunbeam Bridge. We ate from a street vendor selling a concoction of break and egg. Whatever it was, it hit the spot.
Next we strolled to the southern part of the lake and over to the opera house. The opera house is a great example of French architecture but we weren't able to get inside. From there we strolled through the French Quarter and over to St.Joseph's Cathedral and Metrepole Hotel. The hotel recently had a renovation sponsored by the French.
For a late lunch we stopped by another local restaurant and had some good food for about $4. After lunch I wanted to walked the Old Quarter where much of the commerce, hotels, and tourists stay. It seems each street specializes in something. We are staying near shoe street, but we traveled through underwear alley, silk street, hardware street, and the area where motorcycles are repaired. After walking to the point our feet were sore we stopped for a beer with tables of average height.
In the evening we were supposed to attend the water puppetry show but we took a nap, which was a big mistake. We were so tired we slept until 1:15 am when we were both awake. We then took one NyQuil a piece and slept until 7am. For night number two we are hoping to not make the same mistake.
Day 2
The second day we felt the effects of the NyQuil still so we were a bit groggy and slow to move. We had our typical breakfast of pho and then headed out to Central Hanoi and Ba Dinh Square where the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Mausoleum, and Botanical Gardens are located. Ba Dinh Square is where Ho Chi Minh addressed half a million Vietnamese with his Declaration of Independence in 1945.
We had our first motorcycle ride to the botanic gardens which was an experience. While at the gardens we saw more people taking wedding photos and I was asked to stand in a photo with a young Vietnamese girl. Maybe it is my pasty white skin and curly hair that attracts others but the same thing happened in China.
We have spent a relaxing rest of the day shopping and having dinner overlooking the lake and witnessing lots of crazy people attempt to cross the streets. We also made up for our missed Water Puppet Show and attended a 3:30 pm show so we would be wide awake. Here in Vietnam there are few traffic lights so a four way intersection is a free-for-all of cars, bikes, scooters, etc.
Tomorrow we head for Halong Bay for a 3 day/2 night cruise on a boat with 8 other people.
Day 1
On the first day we spent the morning just exploring the Old Quarter where our hotel is located. We walked around the public market and had breakfast like the locals. The locals eat on little stools at tables with bowls of noodles. We just sat down, held up the number two sign, and enjoyed. We are pretty sure we ate lamb, but we didn't ask questions. After our morning bowl of pho we set out to book our trip to Halong Bay, book our train ticket to Hue, find billy shoes, and get money out of the ATM. We accomplished all by lunch, which was a successful adventure in my book.
For a snack before lunch we walked around Hoan Kiem Lake which is in the heart of Hanoi and an abode of a mythical tortoise. On Day two we saw the tortoise. We saw many couples taking wedding photos around the lake. In the middle of the lake is Ngoc Son Temple which can be reached by a red Sunbeam Bridge. We ate from a street vendor selling a concoction of break and egg. Whatever it was, it hit the spot.
Next we strolled to the southern part of the lake and over to the opera house. The opera house is a great example of French architecture but we weren't able to get inside. From there we strolled through the French Quarter and over to St.Joseph's Cathedral and Metrepole Hotel. The hotel recently had a renovation sponsored by the French.
For a late lunch we stopped by another local restaurant and had some good food for about $4. After lunch I wanted to walked the Old Quarter where much of the commerce, hotels, and tourists stay. It seems each street specializes in something. We are staying near shoe street, but we traveled through underwear alley, silk street, hardware street, and the area where motorcycles are repaired. After walking to the point our feet were sore we stopped for a beer with tables of average height.
In the evening we were supposed to attend the water puppetry show but we took a nap, which was a big mistake. We were so tired we slept until 1:15 am when we were both awake. We then took one NyQuil a piece and slept until 7am. For night number two we are hoping to not make the same mistake.
Day 2
The second day we felt the effects of the NyQuil still so we were a bit groggy and slow to move. We had our typical breakfast of pho and then headed out to Central Hanoi and Ba Dinh Square where the Ho Chi Minh Museum, Mausoleum, and Botanical Gardens are located. Ba Dinh Square is where Ho Chi Minh addressed half a million Vietnamese with his Declaration of Independence in 1945.
We had our first motorcycle ride to the botanic gardens which was an experience. While at the gardens we saw more people taking wedding photos and I was asked to stand in a photo with a young Vietnamese girl. Maybe it is my pasty white skin and curly hair that attracts others but the same thing happened in China.
We have spent a relaxing rest of the day shopping and having dinner overlooking the lake and witnessing lots of crazy people attempt to cross the streets. We also made up for our missed Water Puppet Show and attended a 3:30 pm show so we would be wide awake. Here in Vietnam there are few traffic lights so a four way intersection is a free-for-all of cars, bikes, scooters, etc.
Tomorrow we head for Halong Bay for a 3 day/2 night cruise on a boat with 8 other people.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Travels to Hanoi
From the time we left the Marin Airporter to the time we arrived at our hotel we traveled a total of 24 hours. As much as Billy and I were concerned we would be bored or hungry, we were neither in the end. Korean Air had a wonderful choice of movies, music, documentaries, and even great food. Our flight left at 12noon so we spent the first 8 hours awake, and tried to sleep the last four.
Once we changed planes in Seoul and arrived in Hanoi we paid $30 to take a private taxi to the hotel, which was well worth the money. We arrived at 11:45 pm just before they closed and we crashed into bed. The hotel was one Helah and Rachel had stayed out and it is in the Old Quarter of the city. The beds are a bit hard but the room is clean, there is hot water, and it feels safe.
I will try to upload as many photos as possible during our blog posts but we are finding that uploading can be slow to picasa but we will do the best we can. Just remember to double click on the photos to see larger captions. We also have the camera set at the highest resolution so each photo is 3MB, which is complicating matters. We will get it right soon enough so just hang with us.
Once we changed planes in Seoul and arrived in Hanoi we paid $30 to take a private taxi to the hotel, which was well worth the money. We arrived at 11:45 pm just before they closed and we crashed into bed. The hotel was one Helah and Rachel had stayed out and it is in the Old Quarter of the city. The beds are a bit hard but the room is clean, there is hot water, and it feels safe.
I will try to upload as many photos as possible during our blog posts but we are finding that uploading can be slow to picasa but we will do the best we can. Just remember to double click on the photos to see larger captions. We also have the camera set at the highest resolution so each photo is 3MB, which is complicating matters. We will get it right soon enough so just hang with us.
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