Blogs from Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia - page 243

In Northern China people famously joke that Southern China's Cantonese people will eat anything that flies, except a plane; anything that swims, except a submarine, and anything that has legs, except the table. The same joke could be applied to the Vietnamese. We could have feasted on dog meat in Hanoi, but decided not to. Feeling like we had missed an opportunity to taste some truly exotic food, I vowed to try something I had never eaten before in Saigon... and I got the opportunity not once, but twice... We arrived in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) on Wednesday evening on a Pacific Airlines flight from Da Nang. After checking into our hotel, Miss Loi's Guesthouse in Co Giang, we took a xe om to a restaurant that could apparently aid in my quest for dodgy ... read more

I can't believe that I've been in HCMC for 6 days. I haven't been to any museums, attractions, etc. in the city. Most of the days are spent in the AC room avoiding the heat and evening eating and drinking with friends. According to what I have heard, there is nothing really to see in the city perhaps except for War Remenants Museum (which used to be named Museum of Atrocities of War committed by Japanese and Americans). I am pretty squeamish when it come to blood and gore so I don't think I'll enjoy pictures of deformed individuals. Nevertheless, I'll probably steel my nerves and force myself to go there just to see what man is capable of doing to other man. I'm leaving for Mekon Delta tommorow and probably return on Sun before leaving ... read more

It was a hot evening... I had lived in Vietnam for nary a month, and we were sitting under an umbrella at Highlands coffee behind the opera house in down town Ho Chi Minh City. My roomate Martina and I had just finished a 1.5 hour bickram yoga class, and we were still sweating despite ourselves. I was unfortunately dressed in my classiest pair of trekking shorts and oversized t-shirt, she still in her yoga pants. From beyond the gates came a bounding bundle of excitement... Esther Arthur, 5' something and shimmering all the way. She met her own description to a tee; "the brown girl" she called herself. She was dangling with jewellrey and rings and even a scarf (of which the secret of a good scarf can never be revealed). She spoke loudly, laughed ... read more

As a Vietnamese born Canadian who has returned “home” for the first time I am bombarded by different emotions and experiences. I have always maintained a universal ideal about who I am and where I fit in but, I it is difficult to maintain that perspective when our culture, my culture, predicates definition of some sort. Our first few days in Saigon has brought on mixed emotions. Here are a few random thoughts: #1The diversity in appearance of the Vietnamese people is wonderful. I have often been puzzled by the fact that I have often been told I do not look Vietnamese by Vietnamese people. I most often get called Philipino ;) #2 The incredible action in the streets of Saigon have brought two truths to light. First, Asian people are good drivers. Vietnamese people are ... read more

After many tedious weeks of preparation and a long build of anticipation for our trip we left late Friday night on the first leg of our plane trip to Hong Kong. We were caught of guard by the announcement that we would have a refueling stop over in Alaska for an hour. Bianca and I had both been heavily sold on a direct flight to Hong Kong so we were less than impressed at not being informed of this by anyone. Suffice it to say this disappoint was quickly replaced by the giddy travellers joy of the possibility of adding another interesting location to pin on our travel map. We both slept through the night and missed Anchorage entirely, so does it still count? We won't tell if you don't. After 19 hours of flight time ... read more