Blogs from Vietnam, Asia - page 1146
July 1st 2005
Now we are in hanoi, we have been to hue which to be honest was pretty boring we got stuck there longer than we wanted because all the buses were full. Hanoi is pretty manic and I think we are all done with the citys in vietnam, they are all so busy so much noise and traffic. We have also had quite a few encounters with over pesistent touts who have realy pushed us t the limits and lots of arguments have been had!! We arrived yesterday and slept most of the day after taking an overnight bus crammed with people. Havent really done alot here except bought about a million cds, for 30p its hard not to!! We wanted to go and see Ho Chi Minhs embalmed body today but its shut. We have booked ... read more
July 1st 2005
Hey All, Can you believe it's 9:08pm in San Francisco the night before I leave and I'm almost packed? Frankly, neither can I. The other thrilling news is that I have learned how to pronounce words that start with "ng"! This is a huge step in my crash Vietnamese lessons that started a few days ago. Thankfully, my coworker Huyen has spoken some phrases on my digital recorder. Either I will listen to them all the way over, mastering the pronunciation OR I will play it for people instead of speaking... only time will tell. Tomorrow John is giving me a ride to the airport in the morning where I will meet Mary Kay. We basically spend all weekend flying and arrive late tomorrow night: San Francisco - Los Angeles - Osaka, Japan - Hanoi, Vietnam. ... read more
June 30th 2005
I left Melbourne in the morning, and got to Saigon at about 3.30pm. Going through customs in Saigon was really confusing. We left Saigon at about 6.00pm, and got to Hanoi at about 8.00pm. When I got to Hanoi, there was a guy holding a sign with my name on it, kind of. It said, 'Micgell'. Anyways, this guy was really funny. On the way to the hotel I noticed that there were many more building and cars compared to when I was there last time. I stayed in the same hotel I stayed in last time I was there. They told me it would cost me $17 per night, for a room without a balcony. Once I had told them that I had stayed there before, they ended up giving me a room with a ... read more
June 29th 2005
i was exactly on the hundredth page of graham greene’s the quiet american when we left for vietnam. thirty years after the country has known peace, i wondered how much of pyle, thomas and phuong were left. as a tribute of sort to a war-ravaged country, we wanted to keep a somber mood all throughout our journey, a kind of a reflective pilgrim instead of joyous trip, but vietnam was all set on making us have a good time. darwin and i only had a couple of light bags so we opted to take the train to the airport. i was also wearing my green wedges for the first time (not counting the little walks i did in the office while those wedges were still in “hiding”) so i wanted to road test those beauties before ... read more
Bach Ma, Hue, Hanoi, HaLong Bay
Published: July 22nd 2005Asia » Vietnam » Red River Delta » Halong Bay
June 27th 2005
Being so high in elevation with clear views of the ocean it really seems that you can see the horizon follow a gentle curve. Bach Ma national park served as a 'chill out station' for French wealth. An hours drive up to 1800 meters makes temperatures bearable again. I lost the leech contest, Daniel my German friend has 6 leeches on his feet after a long hike in the park, I had 3. Accommodation can only be had at the ranger station and in the evenings we listened to Vietnamese weekenders sing songs while one in our group tried to match his age and the young guys in Sake shots, it was his 24th birthday. He's English, that's all I can say for him. In Hue, the ancient capital we toured the sites with a deaf ... read more
June 26th 2005
Wow! These past few weeks have passed by in a whirlwind. We sped through the rest of northern Vietnam, slept on a few trains, rode more night buses than I can remember, spent way too much money on "fun" clothes (strictly business suits of course), hugged Jen goodbye, and wasted some calories racing through a mini olympics in the mountains. I'm not sure where our sudden bursts of energy came from but we have certainly toned some muscles and raised our heart rates to considerable levels. Jane Fonda would be proud. Unfortunately, our threesome is once again a twosome as Jen flew out of Vietnam to be with her family and welcome her sister's new baby into the world! Congratulations!!! Liz and I quite eagerly bought an enormous suitcase and filled it to the brim with ... read more
June 25th 2005
Since our last real blog we've traveled the entire length of Vietnam, between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). We had heard before our trip that Veitnam is Beautiful, but we had never expected it to be so amazing. You all saw pictures of Halong Bay and that trip still remains one of the most enjoyable of the last month. We were extremely happy that we decided to fly to Nha Trang, because it saved us a binch of time and cost only slightly more than other forms of transportation. We only regret passing over Hoi An, the tailors village, where Elinor was looking forward to having a heep of clothes cutom made dirt cheap. there are tailors in almost every town and city here so we figured it would not be a huge loss ... read more
Hellish heat and the Harems of Hue June 22 - June 24th
Published: July 26th 2005Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Hué
June 24th 2005
Before climbing into the airport shuttle I got talkin' to a friendly German (Claus) and his sweet YOUNG Saigon girl, Mai....(Yes, he's far greater in years and ....greater in economic status...such are the pairings of the world....tis a theme....the emperor can have many wives.....)We were due to depart (via Vietnam airways) the oppresive Hanoi sun bound for yet more oppressive heat in Hue. I'm feeling feint and dizzy and am told its just the local coffee.... Hue, located in central Vietnam, is the famous former (imperial) capital of Vietnamm. A taxi ride later (with an English couple (Gavin and Helen)) and after checkin' in to the immaculate and sun drenched Binh Duong II guesthouse (10$), I'm headin' over Phu Xuan bridge downtown to the citadel and to see the forbidden purple city. Yes, they have a ... read more
A Viet Khieu Abroad in Vietnam - Arrival
Published: July 25th 2005Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City
June 24th 2005
This trip to Vietnam was a present for my mother and me. I had always promised my mother that we would go back to her homeland to see the places she'd described and wanted me to experience firsthand. Staring into the Vietnamese bathroom, I didn't expect this to be one of them. I had arrived at Ho Chi Minh earlier, midnight, rumpled, sleepy, and cheered at by a huge crowd gathered outside the sidelines of the arrivals gate, expectantly waiting for family and friends. Ahead, by the sidelines were my extended family: uncle-in-law, aunt, and cousin. Their hired driver tucked our luggage into his minivan and off we went, into the night, to Bien Hoa, the family home of my uncle. By the way, we're all Viet Khieu, or native lingo for Overseas Vietnamese. So, here ... read more
June 24th 2005
Just got back from an absolutely breathtaking few days on Halong Bay. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it's just like the pictures promise... Thousands and thousands of limestone islands that jut straight up into the air. Apparently, they're very similar to those on the Adaman coast of Thailand. The call it 'where the dragon meets the sea.' Left Hanoi early Tuesday morning to go to Halong City by bus. There are 5 zillion tour companies offering this type of cruise, but they're not all the 'same same.' I've heard some horror stories about being put on crappy rooms in the bottom of an old boat that looks nothing like the photos at the travel agencies. I've heard stories about getting smoked out by diesel fumes and rotting fish and eating only eggs for 3 ... read more
