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.
Monday, March 29, 2010
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.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Skiing & Final Packing
Unfortunately I forgot the camera but Billy and I went skiing at Bear Valley. It was only his third time skiing but he made it to the blue runs. He is a much better at skiing than he thinks, at least at skiing, so I am excited to share my favorite sport with him.
Yesterday we spent the day checking items off our list and getting all of our papers ready to travel. We are both have some nervousness about what is to come but once we are there I am sure all nerves will go away and become nothing but excitement. Tomorrow we leave for Napa where we will spend the night with my aunt and Thursday we leave for Vietnam.
We hope we have said all of our goodbyes to everyone but please continue to follow the blog for photos and updates.
Yesterday we spent the day checking items off our list and getting all of our papers ready to travel. We are both have some nervousness about what is to come but once we are there I am sure all nerves will go away and become nothing but excitement. Tomorrow we leave for Napa where we will spend the night with my aunt and Thursday we leave for Vietnam.
We hope we have said all of our goodbyes to everyone but please continue to follow the blog for photos and updates.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Cajun Dinner Party
My mom wanted to have a dinner party to celebrate everything Cajun so Saturday night was the big night. Billy cooked a three course meal along with appetizers and desert. We did most of the cooking on Friday and prepped the house so Saturday was an easy day to relax and just complete the finishing touches. Billy made shrimp toast, artichoke spinach dip, chicken and sausage gumbo, blackened fish with crab meat o'gratin, and pecan pies. The most labor intensive part was the blackened fish which he had to prepare as the guests were eating their salad.
Billy doing prep on Friday while listing to music. The part you couldn't see was him dancing. 
Blackened fish ready to be pan fried.
Everyone enjoying the first course of salad (a true Californian thing).
Pie Dress Rehearsal
I didn't earn a badge in pie making or take that class in college so what is a girl to do when told she has to make two pecan pies? You call in backup!!!
As part of our Cajun dinner party on Saturday Billy wanted pecan pies, but the only problem is that I have never made a pie. My dear friend Elise and her two kids came over and helped me do a trial run of an apple pecan caramel pie as well as making two pie crusts for the pecan pies. Based on feedback from Saturday night they were hits. Elise was so generous she left her rolling pin, cheese cloth, pie pans, and instructions.
As part of our Cajun dinner party on Saturday Billy wanted pecan pies, but the only problem is that I have never made a pie. My dear friend Elise and her two kids came over and helped me do a trial run of an apple pecan caramel pie as well as making two pie crusts for the pecan pies. Based on feedback from Saturday night they were hits. Elise was so generous she left her rolling pin, cheese cloth, pie pans, and instructions.
I think the pie was finger licking good!
Snow!
With only two weeks in Murphys we had a snow storm last week which blanketed the area. After the storm Billy even had the chance to shovel his first driveway. I came back an hour later and found him covered and sweat and telling me he will only own a snowblower if we live in snow country.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Snowshoeing
Last Saturday night while attending the Wild & Scenic Film Festival Billy and I won a gift certificate for two for snowshoe rentals and day passes so yesterday we had a go at it.
Bear Valley called for nothing but sun so we headed up to the mountain but not before stopping at SNAC to purcase new gortex snow boots. We had been talking during our trip across country about needing winter boots so now was a perfect imputus for purchase, or so we thought. The wise hikers always tell you not to break in new boots on your first hike and after 7km of hiking the advice proved our demise. We both new this was true, but thought we would run the risk. Needless to say our blisters and bruises are proof that you should follow generations of advice.
Beyond our few aches the day was spectacular. Neither of us had tried it before but we both loved it so much we want to go again. Snowshoeing allows you to see breathtaking vistas off the beaten path and have a tremendous workout in the process.
This was me taking a break to view the map and plan our next move.
Taking a break in the lunch hut.
What I looked at much of the way back to the car.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)