Not because of all the history but because this is what I imagine Vietnam was like maybe 20 or 30 years ago... simpler, dirtier, smaller... but it still has its charms
Just a quick check-in from an internet cafe as we had to stop in to book a hotel for tomorrow, as we are somehow getting to Siem Reap a day earlier than planned... easy to lose days here and there when travelling but we seem to have gained one.
Our arrival in Cambodia was the same way I left last time, via bus between Phnom Penh and Saigon (ho Chi Minh)... it was all a little overwhelming for Lala I think, especially since I made her run the gauntlet of touts and tuk tuk drivers and walk to our hotel, which was somehow again nowhere near as close to the bus stop as she anticipated... the hotel didn't help her sanity either, being a "bargain" place with a good location but facilities a bit more "rat hole" like than our previous hotels so far... but it serves our purposes and will keep us dry until we move on.... the luxurious curtains over the large window also handily stop people who are walking up the internal stairs from looking in on you sleeping!! All the mod-cons!! Also have to remember never to go to the bathroom without someone in the other room, as the door handle comes off...
Anyways, a good day walking today has nearly wrecked my companion but we have seen the ancient history museum and S-23, the Killing Fields war crime museum, converted from an old prison and torture centre that was originally a high school... sobering indeed, memories of the atrocities not too many years ago still haunt the country quite a bit and are a major part of their recent history. Now I think it might be off to one of the local tourist bars or the FCC for a drink or two as the rain clouds roll in...
Off on the bus tomorrow and then we will be seeing our dearest Eve in a couple of days and will check out the sights and sounds of Siem Reap.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Hoi An... extra day...
So after all the effort to get in and out I figured it only made sense to stay another night, the hotel staff were kind enough to advise to go into the computer room and book online as it is cheaper than the rate they can offer (something to do with local tax I am guessing... good to know...) so got another cheap-ish night off Agoda.com or whatever it is... not that I endorse any particular companies but it really does pay to shop around a lot.
Sadly due to issues with every computer I seem to come across this time around I can't actually access my own blog (apart from through writing updates) and uploading anything like pictures seems hopeless, but you can jump online and see Hoi An beach which we found via bicycle this morning... stunning spot, although somewhat over-policed by nazi hotel guards who chase non-guests away from "their" part of the beach. Still, had an awesome swim in water thankfully cooler than any hotel pools so far. The burning heat is just going out of the day again as the thunderclouds start to build in the hills to the north, looking forward to another awesome thunder and lightning show tonight, hopefully our 'two for $1.20' ponchoes bought from an old vender lady during the monsoon the other night will protect us again.
I am somewhat parched so I may have to head to the bar before another trip into town, although I have to say I am just about getting sick of the local beers, many of which are bearable but none of which are good... but cheaper than the 'fancy' foreign stuff!!... also have to think about arranging a car to Da Nang airport tomorrow which should be entertaining... catch yous later!
Sadly due to issues with every computer I seem to come across this time around I can't actually access my own blog (apart from through writing updates) and uploading anything like pictures seems hopeless, but you can jump online and see Hoi An beach which we found via bicycle this morning... stunning spot, although somewhat over-policed by nazi hotel guards who chase non-guests away from "their" part of the beach. Still, had an awesome swim in water thankfully cooler than any hotel pools so far. The burning heat is just going out of the day again as the thunderclouds start to build in the hills to the north, looking forward to another awesome thunder and lightning show tonight, hopefully our 'two for $1.20' ponchoes bought from an old vender lady during the monsoon the other night will protect us again.
I am somewhat parched so I may have to head to the bar before another trip into town, although I have to say I am just about getting sick of the local beers, many of which are bearable but none of which are good... but cheaper than the 'fancy' foreign stuff!!... also have to think about arranging a car to Da Nang airport tomorrow which should be entertaining... catch yous later!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Checking in from Hoi An
Nice little historic town just out of Da Nang (famous for Americans, China Beach etc)... bit of a tourist trap but genuinely nice place, lots to see and one of the best places in Vietnam to see and old style area that hasn't been leveled for hotels, corporates or skinny houses. A few adventures to get here, the first real ones of the trip... an interesting and scenic (also possibly referred to as "smelly" by some) day train from Hue brought us to Da Nang where we and a Brit couple entered into some heated bartering with taxis and "private car" drivers to get to Hoi An... the winning bidder got us for US$16 (already more than the fare is supposed to be) but he then got accosted by the other drivers as he tried to load our gear, for undercutting the "going rate"... we got a couple of km down the road before he started saying he needed more money because he was going to get beaten up when he got back... while it was only a couple of dollars sometimes you have to stand on principle and after a head-on row the car stopped and I stayed in the cab (good tip to remember) while the Brit guy got out and pulled our bags out and we politely told him to "have a nice day" and sent him on his way empty handed... from there some locals pointed us onto a "local bus" to Hoi An, which believe it or not led to another long and heated argument as the bus tout got us on board then told us we had to pay "foreigner rate" which was twice what the locals paid. We got to Hoi An and decided it was not worth the drama (this was over less than $1 difference) and handed over the cash... you have to pick your battles in these places and after an hour on a rough, hot bus I just needed beer... and beating up a local who is two feet short of you is not going to achieve much other than exciting the local cops and getting a very exciting spell in a local "jail".
Once here we trekked through town with packs on and thanks to a bit of mis-navigation from my companion and a friendly local telling us our hotel was "ten minutes", we ended up walking about five km at the peak of the midday heat carrying all our worldly goods... fun and games all round... but hey, that's what makes it interesting!!
Hoi An is a pretty town and a UNESCO World Heritage site, preserved and restored with sites dating back to the 1600's and early trading with China, Japan and further afield... also home to dozens of silk shops, tailors, suit makers etc (it's where the Top Gear guys got their suits done I think?)... like Hue also beautiful food and the beaches are apparently great (will see). Many tourists (comparitively) and becoming a real destination of choice (mostly for Aussies).
After a day looking around I think I might extend the hotel another night and take the time to head to the beach tomorrow and chill a bit, the hotel here is advertised as "one of the top resorts in South East Asia" (Hue Beer is also apparently widely known as "the best beer in the world"... hmm) ... it's not, but it's nice enough, and it has a pool which is a big bonus in these parts!! From here it will be on to Cambodia, likely via a flight from Da Nang to Saigon (toyed with doing the train again but the arrival times in Saigon are all middle of the night and sadly flying is not much more expensive, which is a shame as I still love trains) and then probably cross country into Cambodia and north.
I hear (from an Aussie) the rugby was worth a watch, sady no place to watch in Hue... the main local ex-pat bar has heaps of Aussie sports channels but oddly none of them were playing the rugby!! Hope all is well where you are...
Once here we trekked through town with packs on and thanks to a bit of mis-navigation from my companion and a friendly local telling us our hotel was "ten minutes", we ended up walking about five km at the peak of the midday heat carrying all our worldly goods... fun and games all round... but hey, that's what makes it interesting!!
Hoi An is a pretty town and a UNESCO World Heritage site, preserved and restored with sites dating back to the 1600's and early trading with China, Japan and further afield... also home to dozens of silk shops, tailors, suit makers etc (it's where the Top Gear guys got their suits done I think?)... like Hue also beautiful food and the beaches are apparently great (will see). Many tourists (comparitively) and becoming a real destination of choice (mostly for Aussies).
After a day looking around I think I might extend the hotel another night and take the time to head to the beach tomorrow and chill a bit, the hotel here is advertised as "one of the top resorts in South East Asia" (Hue Beer is also apparently widely known as "the best beer in the world"... hmm) ... it's not, but it's nice enough, and it has a pool which is a big bonus in these parts!! From here it will be on to Cambodia, likely via a flight from Da Nang to Saigon (toyed with doing the train again but the arrival times in Saigon are all middle of the night and sadly flying is not much more expensive, which is a shame as I still love trains) and then probably cross country into Cambodia and north.
I hear (from an Aussie) the rugby was worth a watch, sady no place to watch in Hue... the main local ex-pat bar has heaps of Aussie sports channels but oddly none of them were playing the rugby!! Hope all is well where you are...
Friday, August 24, 2012
24 Aug - Hue, another day...
Thought I would say hi as we are taking time out after a late poolside lunch and hotel tour to check up on emails etc... hard life I know, but I would recommend to anybody coming to South East Asia that every so often you should budget for two or three nights in a nice hotel just to regain some sanity and rest up a bit... My companion is doing well but the pace of the last week has definitely got her a little ragged so this is just the tonic to get her back up and raring to go.
She did learn today that if you leave the sliding doors open even in a very nice hotel in Vietnam, unwanted locals are likely to turn up... even on the third floor overlooking the pool and river. She was quick to shut herself in the bathroom when she saw me chasing something around the floor with a jandal, afterwards she asked if I had got the bug out and I had to point out I wasn't sure if it was an insect or a mouse of some sort...
We have had some rain this afternoon which has broken the back of the oppressive heat, we almost melted walking around the Citadel today (I am guessing +35C in shade, and +40C in the sun) as I showed Lala around what is left of the old areas, complete with bullet holes all over the stone walls... Much of the old damage of two wars and a couple of natural disasters has been built-over since my last trip and new reproduction temples and palace buildings are slowly (very slowly) taking over the old site. Everything moves slow in Vietnam except for the traffic, and they are still working on some of the buildings they had half completed five years ago when I was here.
Tonight we may just chill I think, last night we sampled some of the awesome local food Hue is famous for (and both of us ate for about NZ$15 including beer, which makes a very welcome change!!) and Lala took several years off my life as I watched in terror while she tried to ride a bicycle on Vietnamese streets.
As much as we complain about traffic and the government, it must be said the people remain friendly and charming... foreigners are an interesting oddity still to many, probably an annoyance to some, but it is rare to find anyone unpleasant or hostile (apart from the mini-Hitlers you run into in civil servants and the occasional train steward... but you get those everywhere). Tourists could do a lot more to make themselves welcome that is for sure, but then with low-budget travel still the major drawcard, it's fair to say that not all the Aussies and Kiwis coming through are exactly high class.
Sadly due to some computer issue here I can't even update the obscure music list or recall what I have or haven't mentioned in the past, so at the risk of repeating myself I am going to throw one out there and say check out Scout Nibblet, only because just before I left I found a replacement copy of her album 'This Fool Can Die Now' which I lost somewhere long ago... try the title track on for size on Youtube and watch the video with Will Oldham (aka Bonnie Prince Billy), a long-time favourite of mine... the video always puts a smile on my face, she is super-quirky... then check out 'Let Thine Heart Be Warmed' and 'Your Last Chariot' to hear her making big noise with a friend or two a-la White Stripes... (speaking of which 'Blunderbuss' is super good)
Hope all is well where you are, cheers for the comments (some published, some not!!) glad someone out there in radioland is tuning in...
She did learn today that if you leave the sliding doors open even in a very nice hotel in Vietnam, unwanted locals are likely to turn up... even on the third floor overlooking the pool and river. She was quick to shut herself in the bathroom when she saw me chasing something around the floor with a jandal, afterwards she asked if I had got the bug out and I had to point out I wasn't sure if it was an insect or a mouse of some sort...
We have had some rain this afternoon which has broken the back of the oppressive heat, we almost melted walking around the Citadel today (I am guessing +35C in shade, and +40C in the sun) as I showed Lala around what is left of the old areas, complete with bullet holes all over the stone walls... Much of the old damage of two wars and a couple of natural disasters has been built-over since my last trip and new reproduction temples and palace buildings are slowly (very slowly) taking over the old site. Everything moves slow in Vietnam except for the traffic, and they are still working on some of the buildings they had half completed five years ago when I was here.
Tonight we may just chill I think, last night we sampled some of the awesome local food Hue is famous for (and both of us ate for about NZ$15 including beer, which makes a very welcome change!!) and Lala took several years off my life as I watched in terror while she tried to ride a bicycle on Vietnamese streets.
As much as we complain about traffic and the government, it must be said the people remain friendly and charming... foreigners are an interesting oddity still to many, probably an annoyance to some, but it is rare to find anyone unpleasant or hostile (apart from the mini-Hitlers you run into in civil servants and the occasional train steward... but you get those everywhere). Tourists could do a lot more to make themselves welcome that is for sure, but then with low-budget travel still the major drawcard, it's fair to say that not all the Aussies and Kiwis coming through are exactly high class.
Sadly due to some computer issue here I can't even update the obscure music list or recall what I have or haven't mentioned in the past, so at the risk of repeating myself I am going to throw one out there and say check out Scout Nibblet, only because just before I left I found a replacement copy of her album 'This Fool Can Die Now' which I lost somewhere long ago... try the title track on for size on Youtube and watch the video with Will Oldham (aka Bonnie Prince Billy), a long-time favourite of mine... the video always puts a smile on my face, she is super-quirky... then check out 'Let Thine Heart Be Warmed' and 'Your Last Chariot' to hear her making big noise with a friend or two a-la White Stripes... (speaking of which 'Blunderbuss' is super good)
Hope all is well where you are, cheers for the comments (some published, some not!!) glad someone out there in radioland is tuning in...
Hanoi and on to Hue...
Well I have to say Hanoi was much more enjoyable second time around... certainly the ridiculously wonderful hotel on the first night helped... (finely crafted iced Daquiris by the pool are apparently very acceptable to the other half...) but having had a good look around this time it turns out it is a nice town, and probably not far behind Saigon in many ways. Auckland/Wellington comparisons are probably valid in many ways...
We spent our second and third day wandering the streets, seeing a few sights... made it just too late to see Uncle Ho's corpse laid up in his mighty impressive mausoleum. Had a good look around the VN Army Museum which was predictably glorious in its glorious praise for the glorious struggle of the glorious people against all manner of foes... but not Pho's, which they like here. I am not sure they saw the irony of fighting off the Chinese aggressor for hundreds of years before welcoming their Chinese comrades in helping them fight off the West...
So then it was onto a night train for travels southward... I dearly love train travel but have to say the new "luxury" service that has been set up was a far cry from the pictures on the website. Considering air travel is now cheaper here than the train it is something of a sad state of affairs but there is still something awesome about boarding a train and thundering through the darkness, this time complete with and amazing lightning storm that blazed for hours out our window. I am not sure what the two Vietnamese businessmen we shared a sleeper cabin with made of us but they were nice enough given "hello" was all any of us could manage in each other's language. My traveling companion is as always an object of some fascination (South East Asian men give "eyes for Christmas" true meaning) and when she is in jandals her foot decoration is a source of considerable amazement (I keep reminding her only senior gang members have tattoos here...)
Our train finally rattle, jolted, squealed and clanked into Hue right on time at 0805 and we descended into a much quieter scene than we had left in Hanoi. A fairly large contingent of tourists (there are a LOT more white folk here than on my last trip, although still nothing compared to Thailand and the like) debussed and made their way to various taxis... I have been telling Lala for weeks that we are playing it by ear the whole way and there is nothing organised, but having made her carry her pack for about 2km after we left the Metropole the other day I decided that may be all the "roughing" she could handle for a while, so I piled her in a taxi and we took the short ride through quiet, serene Hue to La Residence (once the French Govenor's residence, now a rather nice hotel), which I booked weeks ago but didn't tell her about. I have to say the place is once again stunning and a fitting way for her to say "bye bye, I love you" to luxury travel before we start "doing it the hard way" for real.
www.la-residence-hue.com
So once through the formalities of meeting the management etc (ok I pitched it as a possible story, did the whole "travel journalist" thing and they gave us the first night free) we got shown to our (upgraded, thankyou) room overlooking the Perfume River and then we set out to explore a bit. Hue is exactly the tonic you need after Saigon and Hanoi... it's quiet, friendly, peaceful, hugely historic, the home of ancient kings, amazing food, awesome historic ruins, and it's right near the DMZ and lots or war stuff...
So here we are, a pleasant rain is falling outside, bringing the oppressive heat down a notch or two (I am slow to adjust these days, still sweating like a...) and a wicked thunder storm is brewing. Over the next couple of days we will explore the Citadel ruins and various other bits and pieces, and then from here we really ARE making it up as we go because my planning has run out and someone is going to have to learn to rough it Asian style (the hotel we stayed in the night after the Metropole was nicer and more expensive than anything I stayed in last time I was here and apparently the bathroom was "gross")... wish me luck!!!
Obscurely musical references today are brought to you by things I forgot to put on my iPod, chiefly the much-missed and insanely talented Sufjan Stevens... I would urge you to go listen to "John Wayne Gacy Jr" before anything else, and then go find some of his much happier tracks to clear that chill from down your spine.
We spent our second and third day wandering the streets, seeing a few sights... made it just too late to see Uncle Ho's corpse laid up in his mighty impressive mausoleum. Had a good look around the VN Army Museum which was predictably glorious in its glorious praise for the glorious struggle of the glorious people against all manner of foes... but not Pho's, which they like here. I am not sure they saw the irony of fighting off the Chinese aggressor for hundreds of years before welcoming their Chinese comrades in helping them fight off the West...
So then it was onto a night train for travels southward... I dearly love train travel but have to say the new "luxury" service that has been set up was a far cry from the pictures on the website. Considering air travel is now cheaper here than the train it is something of a sad state of affairs but there is still something awesome about boarding a train and thundering through the darkness, this time complete with and amazing lightning storm that blazed for hours out our window. I am not sure what the two Vietnamese businessmen we shared a sleeper cabin with made of us but they were nice enough given "hello" was all any of us could manage in each other's language. My traveling companion is as always an object of some fascination (South East Asian men give "eyes for Christmas" true meaning) and when she is in jandals her foot decoration is a source of considerable amazement (I keep reminding her only senior gang members have tattoos here...)
Our train finally rattle, jolted, squealed and clanked into Hue right on time at 0805 and we descended into a much quieter scene than we had left in Hanoi. A fairly large contingent of tourists (there are a LOT more white folk here than on my last trip, although still nothing compared to Thailand and the like) debussed and made their way to various taxis... I have been telling Lala for weeks that we are playing it by ear the whole way and there is nothing organised, but having made her carry her pack for about 2km after we left the Metropole the other day I decided that may be all the "roughing" she could handle for a while, so I piled her in a taxi and we took the short ride through quiet, serene Hue to La Residence (once the French Govenor's residence, now a rather nice hotel), which I booked weeks ago but didn't tell her about. I have to say the place is once again stunning and a fitting way for her to say "bye bye, I love you" to luxury travel before we start "doing it the hard way" for real.
www.la-residence-hue.com
So once through the formalities of meeting the management etc (ok I pitched it as a possible story, did the whole "travel journalist" thing and they gave us the first night free) we got shown to our (upgraded, thankyou) room overlooking the Perfume River and then we set out to explore a bit. Hue is exactly the tonic you need after Saigon and Hanoi... it's quiet, friendly, peaceful, hugely historic, the home of ancient kings, amazing food, awesome historic ruins, and it's right near the DMZ and lots or war stuff...
So here we are, a pleasant rain is falling outside, bringing the oppressive heat down a notch or two (I am slow to adjust these days, still sweating like a...) and a wicked thunder storm is brewing. Over the next couple of days we will explore the Citadel ruins and various other bits and pieces, and then from here we really ARE making it up as we go because my planning has run out and someone is going to have to learn to rough it Asian style (the hotel we stayed in the night after the Metropole was nicer and more expensive than anything I stayed in last time I was here and apparently the bathroom was "gross")... wish me luck!!!
Obscurely musical references today are brought to you by things I forgot to put on my iPod, chiefly the much-missed and insanely talented Sufjan Stevens... I would urge you to go listen to "John Wayne Gacy Jr" before anything else, and then go find some of his much happier tracks to clear that chill from down your spine.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
South to North... the easy way this time
Hello from Hanoi... Having given Saigon a now-traditional sendoff from the roof bar of the Rex last night (the other half claims to be a Saigon local now), we bid farewell to our home at the Continental and set foot on an Asian domestic airline. Despite predictions of doom from some (mostly pilots, what do they know?), and despite some of my own less-than-inspiring experiences on similar flights, VietJet Saigon-Hanoi was in fact an extremely adequate way to travel... no real complaints about service, legroom, timings, or falling in a burning wreck from the sky... in fact it puts Jetstar NZ to shame, not that it is hard. Certainly it's not first class on Emirates, but it gets the job done. And having a Kiwi captain is nice, even if some may say he was only there because he failed to get a job on a real airline...
So then into Hanoi, a change from Saigon in so many ways... Next surprise for my young lady was the night so generously arranged for us (in exchange for a few words in a magazine by yours truly) by our dear friend in Hong Kong... staying at the Sofitel Metropole Legend Hanoi... check it out... really...
http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-1555-sofitel-legend-metropole-hanoi/index.shtml
Again a haunt of the great Graham Greene and various other famous faces during the various wars and periods of unrest and intrigue in between (Charlie Chaplain got engaged here, Somerset Maughan wrote here, Jane Fonda and Joan Baez grew armpit hair and hugged trees here during the war while the "fought The Man") the Sofitel Hanoi is nothing really short of stunning. Puts the faded Continental (of the same era, less the amazing restoration and modern addtions) to shame. Totally luxurious, incredibly well restored and so beautiful in every way. I can only hope some vestiges of Graham Greene talent will rub off (or the looks of Brad and Angelina who stayed here last year).
The golden glow of a wonderful meal at one of the three restaurants and French wine in the Bamboo Bar has been cracked by reality however, having just seen a story of our latest loss in Afghanistan. Not many words can really follow that up, just that empty, hollow feeling and bitter twinge of emotion that comes with this sort of news. Prayers to those that loved them. There but for the grace of God go many of us...
So then into Hanoi, a change from Saigon in so many ways... Next surprise for my young lady was the night so generously arranged for us (in exchange for a few words in a magazine by yours truly) by our dear friend in Hong Kong... staying at the Sofitel Metropole Legend Hanoi... check it out... really...
http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-1555-sofitel-legend-metropole-hanoi/index.shtml
Again a haunt of the great Graham Greene and various other famous faces during the various wars and periods of unrest and intrigue in between (Charlie Chaplain got engaged here, Somerset Maughan wrote here, Jane Fonda and Joan Baez grew armpit hair and hugged trees here during the war while the "fought The Man") the Sofitel Hanoi is nothing really short of stunning. Puts the faded Continental (of the same era, less the amazing restoration and modern addtions) to shame. Totally luxurious, incredibly well restored and so beautiful in every way. I can only hope some vestiges of Graham Greene talent will rub off (or the looks of Brad and Angelina who stayed here last year).
The golden glow of a wonderful meal at one of the three restaurants and French wine in the Bamboo Bar has been cracked by reality however, having just seen a story of our latest loss in Afghanistan. Not many words can really follow that up, just that empty, hollow feeling and bitter twinge of emotion that comes with this sort of news. Prayers to those that loved them. There but for the grace of God go many of us...
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Hitting the ground running
So then we were there, rather than weeks of epic cross country trecking last time around, this time it was a nice easy (albeit much too early) flight ex Singa and we were on the ground in Saigon. It's hot... daaamn hot, looking at around 35 in the heat of the day and not much sign of the rain and thunder that was forecast. Saigon is still manic and loud and busy, it might just be my change in perception (and change in places I hang out when not travelling alone!) but there seem to be a lot more tourists here now.
We are staying and the Hotel Continental Saigon, a beautiful colonial era building (one of the few left) built around 1880 and home to spies and journalists and intrigue and all sorts of history that much of Vietnam is now lacking. It's a wonderful place and the one place I just had to stay, despite being dramatically overpriced for all its faded glory. There are better places for the money (which is a lot by Vietnam standards) but nothing that has the atmosphere.
So far in three days we have covered off the majority of the tourist activities, including the War Remnants Museum (aka The Vietnam Government Museum of B.S. and Dead Baby Photos), even Lala (my better half, for that is what we call her here) was angered by the level of propaganda, but what can you do... I know bagging Americans is all the rage these days but they sure take it to a whole other level of passive-aggressive hatred here. But only in the museums, elsewhere nobody really seems to care. Also went to the "Reunification Palace" as it is now known, the old president's mansion build in the 1960's, which features in the famous photos of two North Vietnamese T62's crashing through the gates during the fall of Saigon... quite an amazing place as it was quite new at the time and as been preserved unchanged since that day complete with Thunderbirds style decor.
So anyway can't rabbit on too much, we are off to see some pagodas or some such today (didn't do that the first time, can't think why...) then likely back to the rooftop garden for happy hour at the grand Rex hotel which has become our Saigon evening tradition. Haven't learned too much new yet (pork ear is chewy, but that doesn't come as a great surprise to anyone surely)... have rekindled my deep love for copi da, Vietnamese black iced coffee... have reconfirmed the woeful navigation skills of my better half (She - "These maps are wrong... the market is on a different place on them... what do you mean there are two markets...?? Ohhhhh... THAT is why I have been getting us lost for the last two days...")... not to mention yesterday trying to make us walk in circles around the walls of the Reunification Palace several times trying to find the museum (It was "Left, Right, left" not "Left, Left, Right")... I have also learned everything costs a lot more when there are two of you...
Better get wandering it's getting hotter fast... hope all is well, don't forget to say gidday
We are staying and the Hotel Continental Saigon, a beautiful colonial era building (one of the few left) built around 1880 and home to spies and journalists and intrigue and all sorts of history that much of Vietnam is now lacking. It's a wonderful place and the one place I just had to stay, despite being dramatically overpriced for all its faded glory. There are better places for the money (which is a lot by Vietnam standards) but nothing that has the atmosphere.
So far in three days we have covered off the majority of the tourist activities, including the War Remnants Museum (aka The Vietnam Government Museum of B.S. and Dead Baby Photos), even Lala (my better half, for that is what we call her here) was angered by the level of propaganda, but what can you do... I know bagging Americans is all the rage these days but they sure take it to a whole other level of passive-aggressive hatred here. But only in the museums, elsewhere nobody really seems to care. Also went to the "Reunification Palace" as it is now known, the old president's mansion build in the 1960's, which features in the famous photos of two North Vietnamese T62's crashing through the gates during the fall of Saigon... quite an amazing place as it was quite new at the time and as been preserved unchanged since that day complete with Thunderbirds style decor.
So anyway can't rabbit on too much, we are off to see some pagodas or some such today (didn't do that the first time, can't think why...) then likely back to the rooftop garden for happy hour at the grand Rex hotel which has become our Saigon evening tradition. Haven't learned too much new yet (pork ear is chewy, but that doesn't come as a great surprise to anyone surely)... have rekindled my deep love for copi da, Vietnamese black iced coffee... have reconfirmed the woeful navigation skills of my better half (She - "These maps are wrong... the market is on a different place on them... what do you mean there are two markets...?? Ohhhhh... THAT is why I have been getting us lost for the last two days...")... not to mention yesterday trying to make us walk in circles around the walls of the Reunification Palace several times trying to find the museum (It was "Left, Right, left" not "Left, Left, Right")... I have also learned everything costs a lot more when there are two of you...
Better get wandering it's getting hotter fast... hope all is well, don't forget to say gidday
Friday, August 17, 2012
And then we didn't get there...
Thankyou once again Jetstar for being reliably unreliable... long story but late flight ex Akl means we missed connection in SG, which meant a few hours sleep in a sh!tty hotel and now it's 4:51am and we are back at Singa airport waiting get on next flight to Vietnam. But I guess I saw that one coming, it is Jetstar after all, I have never been on a flight with them that didn't go wrong.
Flight was uneventful, mostly, although I am pretty sure I am the only one on the plane who opened my window shade somewhere over the ocean just in time to watch another jet pass directly underneath us, pretty much as close as I have ever seen two commercial airliners get. I am "sure" it was all planned and normal but was interesting to see the dot out on the horizon, and then assume it was travelling parallel to us, until it started closing at a rather rapid rate and whipped past directly under my window... I am sure there were a good couple of thousand feet there!!
Anyway, I need copi!!
Syoo
Flight was uneventful, mostly, although I am pretty sure I am the only one on the plane who opened my window shade somewhere over the ocean just in time to watch another jet pass directly underneath us, pretty much as close as I have ever seen two commercial airliners get. I am "sure" it was all planned and normal but was interesting to see the dot out on the horizon, and then assume it was travelling parallel to us, until it started closing at a rather rapid rate and whipped past directly under my window... I am sure there were a good couple of thousand feet there!!
Anyway, I need copi!!
Syoo
Thursday, August 16, 2012
D-Day 2012
Departure day that is... a few more hours and we will be catching the big bird. Currently watching idiots on Discovery Channel making driving to the south pole look a lot more difficult than it probably is... or was it the north pole?
Anyway I think the bags are all packed, my travel companion has been working on her effort for three or four days now, mine took half an hour. As usual, probably have way too much stuff but this trip is made complicated by actually having to pack some tidy clothes/shoes to look respectable sometimes.
Special thanks to Canon for making this trip even more expensive than it already was, and for not calling when they said they would, and for taking twice as long to do anything as they said they would... nice cameras, shame about the service! A couple of small repairs on my poor tired baby and the $ were 25% of the way to a new camera. But can't go anywhere without it...
Feel free to post comments I might need contact with the real world to maintain sanity... You know what I mean!!
Obscure music reference - just finished listening to Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan 'Sunday At Devil Dirt', great album and one of several with the sweet-voiced Campbell (of the great Belle & Sebastian) and the growling baritone of Lanegan (ex Screaming Trees and sometimes Queens of the Stone Age')... nice folksy/bluesy/traditional feel to it, they have been referred to as "Beauty and the Beast"..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjWKsizCmfc&feature=related
Anyway I think the bags are all packed, my travel companion has been working on her effort for three or four days now, mine took half an hour. As usual, probably have way too much stuff but this trip is made complicated by actually having to pack some tidy clothes/shoes to look respectable sometimes.
Special thanks to Canon for making this trip even more expensive than it already was, and for not calling when they said they would, and for taking twice as long to do anything as they said they would... nice cameras, shame about the service! A couple of small repairs on my poor tired baby and the $ were 25% of the way to a new camera. But can't go anywhere without it...
Feel free to post comments I might need contact with the real world to maintain sanity... You know what I mean!!
Obscure music reference - just finished listening to Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan 'Sunday At Devil Dirt', great album and one of several with the sweet-voiced Campbell (of the great Belle & Sebastian) and the growling baritone of Lanegan (ex Screaming Trees and sometimes Queens of the Stone Age')... nice folksy/bluesy/traditional feel to it, they have been referred to as "Beauty and the Beast"..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjWKsizCmfc&feature=related
Thursday, August 9, 2012
AND THEN... It was 2012
Well, lookie here... my old blog... and a new trip to Asia, only a week away...
A few years older, travelling a bit softer (not my choice!!) and doing it all backwards this time... Don't worry, there will still be randomness, and there will DEFINITELY still be obscure (but awesome) music references!!
Next stop Saigon
A few years older, travelling a bit softer (not my choice!!) and doing it all backwards this time... Don't worry, there will still be randomness, and there will DEFINITELY still be obscure (but awesome) music references!!
Next stop Saigon
Battles - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpGp-22t0lU
Ha! started already - check the link to the video for 'Atlas' though... Talented guys, and great to watch people making this kind of music while actually playing real instruments... and real drums!!
Ha! started already - check the link to the video for 'Atlas' though... Talented guys, and great to watch people making this kind of music while actually playing real instruments... and real drums!!
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